Chapter 255: Is Feng Wei dead or not?
Zhao Yunjing and Li Changyi ran out at the same time. The lead messenger didn't even rein in his horse, leaping off and presenting the letter to Zhao Yunjing: "My lord, this letter was received two hours ago!"
Li Changyi's eyes flashed slightly, then he snatched the letter and unfolded it: [The Northwest Camp General colluded with the enemy. Lord Feng feigned surrender, beheaded the enemy commander, and captured General Hu alive. He is now in charge of the Northwest Camp.]
Feng Wei didn't die, and he even made such a great contribution!
"That kid!"
Li Changyi breathed a sigh of relief before handing the letter to Zhao Yunjing: "Compared to the promotion officer, perhaps Feng Wei is more suitable for defending the city. Brother Zhao, why don't you join me in writing a petition to the Emperor to appoint Feng Wei as a deputy general?"
Feng Wei's physique made him look more like a military officer. Back in Taohua County, he had planned that if he failed the imperial examination this time, he would join the army. He would receive a monthly stipend and, if he worked hard for a few years, he would eventually become a respectable person. However, he ended up following Zhao Yunjing and others and became an official without much effort, so he never thought about joining the army again. But unexpectedly, he ended up in the army camp.
The letter also included a handwritten note from Feng Wei, whose handwriting was bold and powerful, containing only two characters: 【威风！ (Majestic!)】
It seems that this military officer was quite comfortable with his position.
Zhao Yunjing was relieved and replied to Li Changyi with a smile: "Of course, Feng Wei single-handedly beheaded the enemy general and used a plan to capture the traitor General Hu, thus protecting the northwest border of our Great Liang. It can be seen that he is brave, resourceful, and has a heart for the country and the people. He is truly a talent suitable for leading troops into battle."
Thus, the memorial, drafted by Hu Peiran and signed by Zhao Yunjing and Li Changyi, was sent out half an hour later, and Feng Wei's brilliant and splendid journey as a defensive general was about to begin.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the fourth day at noon, Liu Shuangmei arrived. She was injured, and behind her were all the followers of Fuxu Mountain. Five of the Ten Evils came, because the other five had already perished at sea.
"Lord Zhao, I have succeeded."
"Xiao Ran, take Miss Liu and everyone to settle in."
Liu Shuangmei followed Hu Peiran out of the small fishing village.
She thought that Zhao Yunjing's mention of "settling down" meant just a few rooms, until she saw the "Minzhou Navy" archway.
Behind the archway is a square courtyard surrounded by houses, each one clean and spacious, complete with tables, chairs, benches, and beds.
"That's the study over there, shared with the small fishing village. The tutor will arrive tomorrow, so Miss Liu and everyone can rest today. Tomorrow morning, send the children to the study. Lord Zhao will come to discuss the details of establishing the navy with Miss Liu. So, I'll take my leave now."
Seeing that Hu Peiran was about to walk away, Liu Shuangmei hurriedly chased after him: "Lord Hu, when was this barracks built?"
"What's wrong on your third day in this small fishing village?"
"I want to know, what if Mount Fuxu hadn't accepted the imperial pardon—"
"Regardless of whether Fuxu Mountain accepts the amnesty, establishing a navy is imperative. Miss Liu, you are very clever, and it is rare that you still retain a trace of kindness, which saved Fuxu Mountain."
After Hu Peiran left, Liu Shuangmei and the others stared at the imposing "Minzhou Navy" archway for a long time before they came to their senses.
"Boss, are we really not bandits anymore? Are we soldiers now?"
"They're no longer bandits, but they're not soldiers either. We'll have to wait and see tomorrow."
"Will Lord Zhao really make us sailors? What if he goes back on his word? What if we all wake up tomorrow and find ourselves dead?"
"Won't."
"The boss——"
“Call him Sister Liu,” Liu Shuangmei said, then added, “Because he is Zhao Yunjing, we won’t become corpses.”
The naval battalion was established quickly, with Zhou Mujiao as the chief instructor, something no one could have predicted, including Li Changyi.
However, after everyone watched closely for two days, and then on the third day they were all thrown down and scolded for half a month, everyone was convinced. Zhou Mujiao was truly a treasure; she knew everything. The key was that Zhao Yunjing kept quiet and didn't even reveal a word to the Emperor!
—If this man wants to establish himself as king in Minzhou, I'm afraid even the emperor can't do anything about it!
Establish yourself as king?
Li Changyi's eyes lit up.
After half a month of training, the first navy of the Great Liang Kingdom set sail to be tested. With the navy's escort, the small fishing village's nets were all caught, and they returned with a full catch on the first day. Seeing this, several neighboring villages also mustered up their courage and went to sea. After going a few times, more and more fishermen joined the ranks of those going to sea, and the size of the navy gradually grew.
The Spring Festival that year was spent in Zhangcheng. It was a rare, leisurely Spring Festival, and also a relatively warm one. Zhou Mujiao and Zhao Yunjing were almost drunk and sat on the roof watching the moon all night. Li Changyi was on a roof not far away, and also watched the moon all night.
Spring plowing arrived as scheduled, and the promotion officials got busy. The new magistrate of Zhangcheng arrived when Lord Qian was escorted to the capital for trial. He was a fellow candidate from the same year, a very kind and gentle young man, passionate and hardworking, always at the forefront of everything, more proactive than anyone else. As a result, Zhangcheng's spring rice had the highest harvest in Dongyue Prefecture.
Besides growing rice, Zhao Yunjing and Zhou Mujiao also tried growing other crops based on the geographical and climatic characteristics of Dongyue Prefecture, which were also very successful. By the time they decided to leave Dongyue Prefecture, every ordinary family had surplus grain, and every child was able to go to school.
On the day the promotion team left, the people lined the road to see them off, accompanying them for twenty miles.
Beyond Dongyue Prefecture lies Lingnan.
Lingnan is home to the Baiyue people, each group governs itself, and none of them submit to the others. They fight at the slightest disagreement. Today's friends may fight to the death over a wild fruit tomorrow. But no matter how much they fight among themselves, once an outsider comes in, they all unite against him. There is no chance to turn any of them against you. These barbarians are completely unreasonable; they will kill you before you even open your mouth.
In Zhou Mujiao's time, the Baiyue people only cared about eating. They ate most of their money. Their daily lives consisted of unbranded, unfashionable, and even somewhat ugly tops and shorts, along with Crocs. You couldn't tell if they were rich or poor.
However, most of the Baiyue people are still in an uncivilized period. It would be impossible for Zhao Yunjing and his group to transform Lingnan into a land of plenty in two or three years. It would take at least five years.
Five years...
Li Changyi thought that five years would be enough for him to build a royal city in this Baiyue tribe.
After entering the city, Zhao Yunjing led the promotion officers back and forth between the various tribes, while Zhou Mujiao focused on medical skills. After two or three months, the couple finally conquered the various tribes with their abilities. By the time they led the Baiyue tribes to plant autumn rice, and the rice was plentiful and the fruits were fragrant, Li Changyi's capital city had already been selected and the foundation had begun to be laid.
"I've thought it over carefully. I might not be able to reach that position. It would be better to occupy this wild land, become a king, and live a carefree life. Brother Zhao, I sincerely invite you and Ajiao to stay here permanently."
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