The indomitable flame
Yu Mobai remained calm, even revealing a hint of resolute smile.
"The people of Yancheng have suffered from the exploitation in the city center for too long. If I can risk my life to save a glimmer of hope, I may be able to help Jincheng preserve a piece of its pristine land."
"I...may die without regret. I do not ask Jincheng to believe me immediately, but I only hope that Commander Jiang can bring this item back. If there is an opportunity in the future, Yancheng is willing to exchange goods with Jincheng."
This frankness and decisiveness truly moved Jiang Zhong.
He extended his broad, warm hand and accepted the secret letter, which still retained the warmth of his body.
A quick glance revealed that the detailed trade routes recorded inside far exceeded his expectations, and the intelligence was so comprehensive that it filled a gap in Jincheng's current knowledge.
This genuine sincerity carries more weight than any vow.
Jiang Zhong recalled Jiang Manyan's words "before she died".
"Brother Zhong, Yu Zhenming of Yancheng was a truly good city lord who genuinely cared for the people, but unfortunately he ultimately failed to reverse the decline. I wonder what happened to his son!"
"On this trip to the Eastern District, I not only need to invite Mr. Zhang Qiong, but also investigate the true nature of this new city lord!"
The young Lord Yu before us seems to have lived up to the old lord's legacy with his courage and sense of responsibility, and even added a touch of decisiveness.
A sense of anticipation rose in Jiang Zhong's heart. If Yancheng could join forces with Jincheng, Manyan would no longer be fighting alone.
For this hard-won trust, Jiang Zhong hesitated again and again, but finally seemed to have made up his mind. He took out an object carefully wrapped in oilcloth from deep inside his bag.
Upon opening it, one finds a slightly worn manuscript.
The handwriting above is strong and vigorous, with a remarkable style; it is indeed Jiang Manyan's handwriting.
"This is something the city lord jotted down casually before his death."
Jiang Zhong's voice was barely perceptible as he pushed the manuscript toward Yu Mobai.
He wasn't deliberately hiding the possibility that Jiang Manyan might have survived; he just didn't know how to explain it.
Yu Mobai took it with a puzzled look, but when his gaze fell on the title and content, his pupils suddenly contracted!
This is not an ordinary notebook, but an extremely detailed "Strategy for the Governance of Yancheng"!
The manuscript states its purpose clearly: governance needs to be divided into "stability" and "development".
The core strategy is to first resolve the bandit problem and consolidate power, then rely on medicinal resources to revitalize the economy, and at the same time gradually establish a foundation for governance.
By maintaining stability, the problem of bandits was solved and power was consolidated.
As a city lord without real power, it is suggested that you apply to the central district for a small amount of military equipment or the deployment of temporary troops under the pretext of "protecting caravans and maintaining public order".
At the same time, they secretly courted local gentry and hunter leaders, promising to protect their interests after the banditry was eliminated—such as priority in the purchase of medicinal herbs…
They formed "village militia joint defense teams" to avoid direct confrontation with bandits... and launched precise strikes to dismantle the bandit problem.
Taking advantage of the hunters' familiarity with the terrain, they located the bandits' hideouts, granaries, and main routes, prioritizing raids on their supply points—cutting off water sources and burning supplies…
For some of the villagers who were coerced, they were promised that "those who surrender will be exempt from punishment, and those who assist in suppressing bandits will receive subsidies for planting medicinal herbs," thus undermining their internal power.
At the same time—key point: establish early warning systems to prevent a counterattack.
"Sentry posts and beacon towers" were set up at key points, with hunters taking turns on duty. Upon detecting enemy activity, they would immediately relay the message and organize a concentrated defense...
Once the situation is stable, we can then revitalize the area through pharmaceuticals, develop the economy, and strengthen governance.
Standardized planting, improved quality...
The farmers worked together to develop standards, invited herbalists to provide guidance, and demarcated public medicinal herb forests and private fields—a key point to note: to prevent indiscriminate logging and lay the foundation for taxation.
Open up channels and expand sales.
A long-term agreement was signed with a pharmaceutical company from another region, requesting their assistance in repairing the transportation route…
Establish a "medicinal herb trading point" in the city lord's mansion to centrally manage and set prices, preventing drug dealers from undercutting prices...
Taxes are used to support governance and improve the foundation.
A small amount of tax will be extracted from the trade of medicinal herbs—marked in red: the initial tax rate should not be too high, and part of it will be used to expand the local militia and maintain the outposts.
The other part involved building "medicine clinics" and "drying yards" to accumulate real power and win the hearts of the people by doing practical things.
At the end of the article, Jiang Manyan left a small note: "With stability and development, we can raise and train troops, and Yancheng will have a foundation to no longer be subject to the central area."
Yu Mobai read it word by word, his breathing becoming rapid involuntarily. This was hardly a casual jotting down.
This is clearly a well-defined path to becoming a powerful city, tailor-made for him!
The strategies in the manuscript, with their lofty vision and meticulous operational guidance, swept away his confusion and predicament, replacing them with a sense of enlightenment and unprecedented fighting spirit!
Yu Mobai suddenly raised his head, his eyes sparkling as if he had discovered a treasure, his previous fatigue and heaviness replaced by a radiant spirit.
He gripped the manuscript tightly, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Commander Jiang... this... this is too precious! Mo Bai... how could I possibly be worthy of it!"
This late-night adventure turned out to be far more valuable than Yu Mobai had imagined. He was a sociable, martial arts-savvy, and learned man, but the art of governing a city was indeed his blind spot.
He felt an indescribable and profound admiration and gratitude for "Jiang the Benevolent," whom he had never met but who was now gone forever.
If only he were still alive, if only I could see him again.
Tears welled up in my eyes uncontrollably and streamed down my face.
The seeds of hope have been quietly planted in this dimly lit, secret room.
— — — —
Even though the world is as dark as a raging inferno, the powerful and wealthy can still cover up the sun with one hand.
Yet, a breeze can begin with a ripple, and a wave can form from a gentle wave.
The only variable in this world is those sparks that refuse to submit.
— — — —
After Jiang Manyan woke up from her poisoning, although her life was no longer in danger, she was listless all day long. In the past, her eyes were bright and her smile was like the spring sunshine breaking through the ice.
Now that he has recovered from the poisoning, he seems to have lost all his vitality, spending his days leaning on the couch with a dazed look in his eyes, and he can barely touch even his favorite snacks.
Song Guansui stood in the courtyard, his black robes making his face appear even more cold and handsome. His knuckles were white from gripping his fists so tightly. His deep eyes fell on him, and the surge of tenderness was fleeting, disappearing in an instant when no one noticed.
So in the days that followed, whenever Song Guansui was at the Song residence, he would bring Jiang Manyan with him.
This day, in the study of the Moon-Viewing Pavilion.
Jiang Manyan put down the book in her hand and turned her gaze to Song Guansui, who was sitting not far away handling official business.
The light from the window outlined Song Guansui's cold and sexy profile.
The room is unusually peaceful and warm at this moment.
Jiang Manyan remained silent for a moment before finally speaking. Her voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable seriousness.
"elder brother."
Song Guansui paused slightly with his pen, but did not look up. He only let out a lazy nasal sound from his throat!
"Um?"
“You said back then… that I am not Song Yu’s son.”
Jiang Manyan spoke slowly, her honey-brown eyes fixed on Song Guansui.
"What exactly did that sentence mean?"
He paused, then added.
“I know you never speak without reason.”
Recalling Song Yu's sudden neglect of him and his mother when he was young, and even his rush into the courtyard to strangle him, and then recalling what Song Guansui once said.
A chill ran through my heart...
Song Guansui finally put down his pen, raised his head, and his gaze was deep and unfathomable.
He seemed to be scrutinizing Jiang Manyan, judging her motives for asking the question and her capacity to handle it.
This answer was too cruel! So he didn't tell Jiang Manyan on his own initiative.
For a moment, only the faint crackling of the candlelight remained in the study.
After a long while, Song Guansui slowly leaned back in his chair, his posture exuding a calmness that seemed to control everything, and even a hint of anticipation.
He recalled the heartfelt embrace Jiang Manyan gave him when she awoke in the secret room—perhaps it was time.
Only when Yan'er knows the truth can they be together forever without any worries!
"You remember it quite well."
Song Guansui spoke in a calm tone, as if recounting an ordinary old story.
"Since you want to know, I might as well tell you."
Song Guansui picked up the teacup beside him, gently turned the lid, but did not rush to drink.
"Back then, Mother always had a thorn in her side about Jiang's existence. After you were brought back to the Song family and settled in that small courtyard, she ordered people to secretly keep an eye on Jiang's former maids."
Jiang Manyan's breathing tightened almost imperceptibly, but she maintained her composure.
Song Guansui continued in his monotone, as if reading from a cold file.
"According to the maid who was bribed by your mother and later punished for other reasons, before your mother sought help from your father, when she lived alone in a separate house, she had a close relationship with a young bodyguard who transported supplies."
"That bodyguard was tall and handsome, and had a straightforward personality. He took good care of your mother. Over time, it was inevitable that a man and a woman alone together would develop feelings for each other. It is said that the two even pledged their lives to each other."
Jiang Manyan's fingers curled up silently, her fingertips slightly cold.
"However, the good times didn't last long. After a long escort mission to the north, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) vanished into thin air and never returned. Some say he was killed by bandits and his body was never found."
"Some say that he was originally a wandering swordsman who went to find a better match elsewhere."
Song Guansui's voice carried a hint of sarcasm.
"Your mother must have thought she was going to be abandoned again and was heartbroken. But just then, she found out she was pregnant."
Jiang Manyan's heart sank suddenly.
"Just then, that纨绔 (playboy) from the Wang family became increasingly harassing her. She was a weak woman, without any support or status. How could she protect the child in her womb without a proper title? And how could she survive in that dangerous and dangerous central area?"
Song Guansui looked at Jiang Manyan with a sharp, knife-like gaze, as if he wanted to dissect her heart.
"That's why, after five years, she put aside her so-called 'pride' and took the initiative to go to her father. Because only her father could give her and her child a legitimate 'place to belong,' a... identity as an illegitimate son of the Song family."
After he finished speaking, the study fell into a deathly silence.
Jiang Manyan sat there in a daze, as if a thunderclap had exploded in her mind.
For years, he had vague doubts about his origins, his mother's occasional complex expressions, Song Yu's sudden indifference towards him... Countless fragments were connected by this clue at this moment, piecing together a completely different truth.
He was not Song Yu's son; his biological father was likely a bodyguard who had long since disappeared into the vast world of martial arts.
The impact of this realization was not simply anger or sadness, but a huge, disruptive sense of bewilderment.
The foundation upon which he had come to know his origins and all the suffering he had endured as a "son of a concubine" over the past eighteen years was actually entirely fabricated.
He looked at Song Guansui, his voice a little hoarse.
"...Does Song Yu...know about all this?"
Song Guansui sneered; the answer was self-evident.
Given Liu's personality, she would definitely tell Song's father, and might even take the opportunity to severely humiliate him.
A bone-chilling, all-encompassing sense of emptiness enveloped Jiang Manyan.
The very foundation upon which he relied for survival, struggle, and even hatred collapsed in that instant.
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