After meeting with the shopkeeper, those who deserved rewards were rewarded and those who deserved punishment were punished. By the time she finished her work, the puppeteers had also made contact with the Ninth Prince. The transaction had been agreed upon, with the Ninth Prince settling the bill with goods such as wine and a small amount of money. Jiang Yue had no objections to this; although the payment was slow, she could earn more.
An Yi and Qing Yi from the Dark Guard reported on the situation of the past year and asked Jiang Yue if the Dark Guard should be expanded. Jiang Yue thought about it and agreed, planning to recruit a total of one hundred people, but this time Jiang Yue would have to train them herself.
This is no easy task. Loyal people either need to be cultivated from a young age or benevolently shown to those who are desperate. Neither of these is easy. Fortunately, Jiang Yue, as the person in charge, only needs to provide the money. The specific implementation is left to An Yi, because he has experience in this area.
After An Yi left, Jiang Yue sent out several puppets. She planned to have the puppets infiltrate the Dark Guard team, so that the puppets would have a legitimate identity and could also help her keep an eye on the Dark Guards, killing two birds with one stone.
With only five days left until the New Year, Jiang Yue planned to go out for a stroll. The main city of Liangzhou had many interesting things to see, and there were also many more people in the city than before, when the streets were mostly deserted. Thanks to the Prime Minister's governance, it was now quite prosperous.
Jiang Yue and Xiao Cui each had a bowl of stinky tofu. Xiao Cui didn't like it at first, but she liked it after trying it once. After finishing the stinky tofu, she saw a popcorn stall and bought a bag of popcorn.
Walking a little further, she saw a fried chicken shop. Goodness, they had everything: fried chicken frames, chicken cartilage, chicken strips, and crispy pork. Jiang Yue was momentarily dazed, as if she hadn't traveled to another time but had instead entered a film studio.
Carrying fried chicken strips and chicken frames, there was a milk tea shop right next door. Since it was newly opened and had a buy-one-get-one-free offer, they bought several cups of milk tea. After eating and drinking, they saw a hot pot restaurant. Jiang Yue and Xiao Cui looked at each other, then found a private room and had a big meal. Luckily, they could cultivate, so they weren't afraid of eating too much. They could just practice their internal energy when they got back.
After finishing her meal, it was already noon. She went to her shop for a while, and then strolled around the peach grove. There were quite a few people there, so Jiang Yue didn't stay long before returning home.
Three days before the New Year, the barbarians began their invasion. They originally intended to launch a surprise attack while the defenses were relaxed during the New Year, but they underestimated Zhao Yun. After all, he was Zhao Yun.
Sigh, the protagonist always gets into all sorts of trouble. No wonder he wins; just look at his subordinates.
Liangcheng, which was originally filled with the joyful atmosphere of welcoming the New Year, is now shrouded in a shadow. Many people who had just regained their confidence in Liangcheng are now having second thoughts. Fortunately, the Prime Minister is capable and has managed to stabilize the situation.
The Ninth Prince needs a victory to consolidate his rule. Some merchants are hoping to profit from the war, and conspirators think it would be best if the Ninth Prince died here. Apart from ordinary people who do not want war, there are quite a few people who are looking forward to this war.
The day after the news arrived, fighting had already broken out on the front lines. During the war, the city was under military control, and people were not allowed to leave their homes except at specific times. If you didn't listen to advice, don't blame others if you were arrested.
Fortunately, the Jiang family had already purchased supplies for the New Year and had also stored food. They had considered the possibility of being besieged, and a Grandmaster-level expert ended his seclusion to protect the family.
On the 30th, we still have to have a reunion dinner. All the money that should be rewarded throughout the year has been distributed. Everyone has worked hard all year, so they should receive a red envelope. The minimum is a month's wages. For those in better and more important positions, it's not just money, but cultivation resources such as pills.
The first day of the Lunar New Year is traditionally for ancestor worship, but the timing is not suitable now, so we have to postpone it until the war ends and martial law is lifted in the city.
The war ended faster than anyone expected. In just half a month, the barbarian army was defeated. The news that came back was that the Ninth Prince had received help from a mysterious army. Although Jiang Yue didn't know the specifics, she guessed that the protagonist was hiding his true strength. Otherwise, it would be too amazing for him to kill 400,000 barbarians in less than a year. Others would have to kill him as soon as possible.
A few days later, a detailed military report arrived, which stated that the Ninth Prince had defeated the vanguard of 100,000 barbarian troops, killing 30,000 and capturing 70,000. Then, the barbarians were outflanked from the rear by a mysterious army, resulting in the complete annihilation of the 400,000-strong army. After this battle, the barbarians would not be able to fight again for several years unless they fought the Ninth Prince to the death.
After the war, the people of Liangzhou City were in a state of jubilation. Everyone in Liangzhou City had some kind of hatred for the barbarians, and now the Ninth Prince had avenged them. If there were a public opinion panel, the public opinion of all the people would probably be above 80 points. Right now, people are sending things to the Ninth Prince's residence every day.
The Ninth Prince won the war, so he can no longer maintain his playboy persona. However, he is now powerful enough that he no longer needs to hide. When Jiang Yue read the briefing the day before yesterday, she learned that the Ninth Prince also had people in the court. It is unlikely that the Second Prince's petty tricks will be of any use.
In early February, the family ancestral worship ceremony that was missed in the first month of the lunar calendar was held. All the clan members who had gone out to live returned. After the ceremony, the family held a meeting to discuss the direction of development for the year and the exchange of intelligence.
Then there's the question of whether each branch of the family has any promising young talents. As the current head of the family, if anyone seeks political resources, they have to talk to him. It's his responsibility to make the family thrive, and cultivating talent is essential. At least Jiang Yue didn't see any instances of suppressing outstanding individuals.
The position of head of the family, Jiang's father, was not passed down to him by Jiang Yue's grandfather. He became the head of the family because of his father's excellence and talent. The position of the young master, Jiang Yue's elder brother, has not yet been decided and is currently still under observation.
Father Jiang may hope that his eldest brother will become the next head of the family, but he would never put an incompetent person in the position of head of the family, even if that person is his son. If a family that has been passed down for tens of thousands of years were to do that, it would have been wiped out long ago.
After seeing Jiang Yue display her talent, her father is now considering grooming her, although Jiang Yue herself doesn't want that—she's afraid of the trouble. Jiang Yue's older brother knows about this, but he doesn't care; there are plenty of competitors, and one more Jiang Yue won't make a difference.
In March, Liangzhou City began to expand, and two satellite cities also began to be built. The captured barbarian army of seventy to eighty thousand was used as laborers to build the new city. In May, the new city wall of Liangzhou City was completed. The peach blossom forest outside the city used to be directly turned into the back garden of the new Ninth Prince's mansion. Now Jiang Yue could not even enjoy the scenery.
Later, the Ninth Prince wanted to be a decent person. He was afraid of attracting hatred and assassins hiding in the trees, so he transplanted many peach trees around his mansion to outside the city. It is estimated that in a few years, a new peach grove will be formed.
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