Chapter 285 Personally Entering Dou Nan
"This..." Mu Xi hadn't expected there to be so many mysteries involved, but judging from Qi Yingyu's expression, she couldn't help but speculate, "You must have played a part in Second Young Master Qi's rise to power, right?"
Qi Yingyu then resumed her "hehe" laughter: "Hehe, of course, otherwise how could I have brought this money bag to the young master?"
Mu Xi asked with some curiosity, "How did you convince that Second Young Master Qi to support me?"
Qi Yingyu chuckled, "Hehe, this is all thanks to Young Master Qi. The eldest young master has always been too close to certain forces, which has caused him to lose a lot of the family fortune and has already displeased the old patriarch of the Qi family. This time, in the matter of Miss Zhuying's death, I don't know what kind of conflict has arisen, and the eldest young master has completely lost his father's favor. As for the second young master... no matter what he looks like on the surface, he is a thorough businessman just like me at heart. As long as I analyze the situation of the young master with him, he will naturally know who to invest in."
These words were spoken lightly, but Mu Xi knew that Qi Yingyu must have exaggerated some of them. But in any case, gaining the support of the newly appointed head of the Qi family in Xiangnan was undoubtedly a huge financial windfall, and there would be no need to worry about funds and supplies in the future.
Qi Yingyu's arrival not only resolved the obstacle of insufficient military supplies, but also brought strong external support and confidence. The wealth of the Qi family in Hunan became their strongest backing.
Qi Yingyu brought not only funds, but also the vast commercial support of the Qi family of Hunan.
Previously strained military pay was now being paid on time and in full; the soldiers' damaged weapons were being replaced with newly forged swords and spears that gleamed coldly; and the horseshoes of their warhorses were being securely fastened. With ample food, warmth, and superior weaponry, the morale of the army quickly stabilized and solidified, transforming into high spirits and formidable fighting power.
With her shrewd mind and skillful tactics, Qi Yingyu plundered seventy or eighty percent of the wealth from the complex local clan gentry, noble landlords, and especially those old forces who had colluded with Zhu Mingjun Xi Cong in the past.
Bai Su then swept through the seventeen prefectures of the southern border with swift and decisive action, openly eliminating the various factions, each with their own agendas. The people of the southern border were astonished to discover that the local forces that had once run rampant and the small groups of pirates had all vanished.
At this point, the local powerful families who had been observing changed their tune and sent envoys to submit to the government; some scholars from humble backgrounds and down-on-their-luck martial artists who had come seeking fame also flocked to the area, looking for a way to advance their careers.
The situation in the southern border changed silently, and Mu Xi's reputation as "Prince Jin Fang" took solid root in the new land.
Thus, with the army's morale solidified, provisions sufficient, and the people's hearts won over, the title of "Prince of Jinfang" was no longer applicable, and more and more people supported Mu Xi's self-proclamation as a feudal lord.
After much deliberation and discussion, Mu Xi finally decided to "go to a higher level," but as for becoming a female monarch like Princess Qingyang...
The situation in the Southern Territory is unstable, and Yan Sheng is still embroiled in war, so the time is not yet ripe.
Therefore, Mu Xi had no choice but to continue disguising herself as a man and establish herself as Jin Fangjun.
Even so, in the fiercely competitive Yan Sheng, this single act caused a huge stir.
The remaining princes, officials, and powerful families were all stirred up by this news.
The Northern Prince Mu Sheng and the Western King Mu Heng pretended not to see it and acted as if they had never heard anything.
However, Li Li, the Queen of Qingyang in the East Sea, also sent a congratulatory gift to express her congratulations.
Mu Xi didn't care about praise or criticism from the outside world. After becoming Jin Fangjun, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to finding Mu Xun.
According to the scouts who had been reporting on her, the Xuanyou Army and the Hanhai Army had been locked in a stalemate in Moyang City since she broke away from Shen Lun.
For some unknown reason, Shen Lun suddenly left Moyang City at this time and rushed back to his hometown of Qinzhou in Dounan.
It was because of this action that the scouts discovered, or rather, were almost certain, that Mu Xun was in his ancestral home in Shenlun, Qinzhou.
Having become so certain, Mu Xi decided to personally lead a search party to find it.
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It was October, but the summer heat in the southern region had not yet dissipated, and the wind carried the unique damp scent of vegetation characteristic of the Dounan area.
Mu Xi sat upright in the makeshift camp, his fingertips tracing the rough map, finally pointing to the place marked "Qinzhou".
“Your Majesty…” Bai Su’s youngest daughter, Dai Xin, called out from outside the door.
Bai Su could not accompany Mu Xi on this trip to Dou Nan, as he had to guard the key points of the southern border. Therefore, he sent his youngest daughter, Dai Xin, who was already experienced and had an extraordinary appearance, to protect Mu Xi.
Mu Xi looked up from the map and said, "Come in."
Dai Xin entered and bowed: "Your Majesty, all departments have been settled. News has come from Commander Bai that the remaining provisions and silver will arrive in three days."
Dai Xin was dressed in a neat and tidy outfit, with slightly damp temples, indicating that he had just returned from an inspection.
"I've already said that this trip must be low-key, and it would be best if people thought we were just an ordinary merchant caravan. Why can't you change your way of addressing us?" Mu Xi smiled slightly.
Although nearly 10,000 soldiers were brought along for this trip as a precaution, the team was divided into three groups—front, middle, and rear—to avoid attracting attention. The front group went first, and the rear group followed. Mu Xi's current middle group was outwardly disguised as an ordinary merchant caravan, with everyone in the caravan calling her "Young Master."
“My mother said that although His Majesty is humble and treats his subordinates with respect, he should not be disrespectful in public or private, otherwise it will be easy for me and those around me to lose their respect for him.” Dai Xin’s tone was serious, but his expression relaxed at the end.
Mu Xi knew there was truth to that, so she didn't say anything more. Instead, she asked, "The vanguard should have reached the territory of Qinzhou by now, right? Is there any new news from the front?"
Dai Xin frowned slightly: "There is no new information from ahead. Qinzhou is a mountainous area with complicated routes, and I have heard that it has been quite unsettled recently, with frequent banditry. It is already difficult for the vanguard to pass through safely by disguising themselves as a caravan, but it will probably be difficult to block all the main roads for inspection."
"I know, but we must seal off Qinzhou; not even a fly can escape." Mu Xi's shimmering eyes reflected the candlelight, her thoughts drifting far away.
If Mu Xun is truly in Qinzhou, his hiding place must be very secretive.
Shen Lun is currently in Qinzhou. If he doesn't move Mu Xun, that's fine. But if he does, we must not let him succeed again.
"Yes," Dai Xin replied without hesitation.
Two days later, Mu Xi's group, traveling light, also entered the territory of Qinzhou.
At this moment, they were walking on a winding official road through the mountains.
Mu Xi frowned and leaned against the carriage, enduring the bumpy mountain road. She had nothing to complain about; this was hundreds of times better than when she had to walk.
Just as she was struggling to endure the aches and pains in her back, her nostrils twitched: "Wait, ahead..."
Before the words were finished, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
Immediately afterwards, Dai Xin returned to report: "Report, young master, there seem to be two groups of people fighting ahead, and it's quite a large-scale battle."
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