Chapter 603: - A New Beginning

“So the grain supply is sufficient.”

Count Pingye and the Blind Man sat facing one another.

Not far away, Tian Tian and Demon Pill were playing atop the carpet made from a map.

The Blind Man nodded.

“Yes, Master. This winter, our grain supply will hold. At the very least, we can ensure that, in all likelihood, no one starves to death.”

The Blind Man had always been responsible for agricultural production around Snow Sea Pass.

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and similar crops already existed in this world.

But their yields per mu were not actually that high.

As for hybrid rice and the like, there was not even a shadow of such things.

Still, one had to admire how obsessive a man could become over one particular matter.

That man was... the Blind Man.

As early as Tiger Head City, he had already begun collecting crop seeds from merchant caravans.

Then he quietly cultivated, selected, and planted them on a small scale.

Higher-yield potatoes and sweet potatoes had already been grown at Shengle City.

The only reason they were not promoted aggressively back then was because the Blind Man had deliberately kept them secret.

After taking control of Snow Sea Pass, the soldiers and civilians there, under the Blind Man’s direction, began planting these crops on a large scale.

From ancient times onward, population had always been one of the most precious resources.

But the first thing needed to sustain population was grain.

Once food became insufficient, excess population easily turned into refugees, and refugees could become a flood capable of threatening rule itself.

But...

Count Pingye stared at the plate of mashed potatoes before him.

His brows knitted.

He picked up a spoon and put some in his mouth.

A little salt had probably been mixed in.

The texture was soft and mealy.

Was it disgusting?

Not really.

But it had almost no flavor.

“Tch. Not good,” Count Pingye said.

The Blind Man nodded.

“But this can get the common people through winter.”

So through the long winter ahead, then into next spring and summer, the people of eastern Jin would eat mashed potatoes or sweet-potato porridge for all three meals.

The Blind Man continued:

“Once we survive this season, things will improve considerably. New workshops will be established. Trade will recover. Also, no matter how aggressively we absorb refugees, eastern Jin still cannot change the present reality of having too much land and too few people. So long as we organize next spring’s planting properly, everything will improve. These hard days are temporary. Besides, for a great many common people, being able to drink porridge until they are full at every meal during winter is still better than eating Guanyin clay.”

“Pay attention to the treatment of registered military households,” Zheng Fan said.

“Master can rest assured. We will maintain distinctions in treatment.”

“Mm.”

“Also, Master, there is another matter. Our existing military system should probably be revised.”

Some people would rise.

Some people would enter.

Some might remain where they were.

But remaining where one stood was itself a form of falling behind.

“Wait until Liang Cheng is here. You and Liang Cheng can discuss the military reforms carefully, produce a formal proposal, then show it to me.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Anything else?” Zheng Fan asked.

“The Fan Clan sent word. They intend to send a portion of their clansmen here to serve us. Those people should have talent in administration and commerce. This subordinate believes Fan Zhengwen probably did not consult the Sixth Prince before making the decision. Perhaps he believes the move will bring our sides closer. But his hand is reaching a little too far.”

Back when everyone had been barefoot and struggling together, you were good, I was good, everyone was good.

They had naturally been comrades without barriers.

Now, Count Pingye had risen.

He would not ruthlessly pull up his trousers and deny all prior relationships, but it was equally impossible for him and Little Sixth Ji to remain as sweetly intertwined as before.

Behind Zheng Fan now stood a newly emerging interest group.

No.

More accurately, a military bloc.

There was not enough porridge even for their own people.

How could they possibly rush off to feed outsiders?

Fan Zhengwen probably thought everyone belonged to the “Sixth Prince faction” anyway, so there was no issue.

In reality, Count Pingye now wanted to put a little distance between himself and the Sixth Prince.

Or perhaps

Fan Zhengwen had simply never imagined that Count Pingye had been planning “rebellion” for a very long time.

“What do you think?” Zheng Fan asked.

“This subordinate believes the Fan Clan’s ability is beyond question. We are in desperate need of people right now, so use them. Just as we once treated the Wen Clan people. Use them first, then slowly adjust them. The meat must enter our bowl before we have the opportunity to cook it down.”

“You handle it.”

“Yes, Master.”

Zheng Fan stood.

He stretched.

Then pointed at the mashed potatoes.

“You could at least have made them taste better.”

“You were the one who said you wanted to try what the common people will be eating this winter.”

“All right, all right. My fault. My fault.”

Count Pingye walked over toward the map.

He watched Tian Tian playing happily there.

The boy had already crawled across the Wang River and was nearly reaching Litian City.

Count Pingye immediately called out:

“Don’t crawl that way. We haven’t conquered it yet.”

...

“Husband, what do you think?”

Xiong Liqing poured tea beside him as she asked.

Count Pingye was reading the family letter she had written.

It was called a family letter, but the Princess had written it with great formality.

It was divided into three parts.

One part was for her imperial brother, which effectively meant for the Chu court.

One part was for her imperial mother, the current Empress Dowager of Chu.

And the final part was for the people of Great Chu.

Truthfully, the breadth of vision displayed in the letter could not be underestimated.

But Count Pingye still shook his head.

“It’s too solemn.”

Xiong Liqing bit her lip.

She had poured enormous effort into the letter these past few days.

She had even been willing to surrender her husband to Liu Ruqing for several days just so she could focus on it.

Zheng Fan accepted the tea and took a sip.

“If this were the old me, I would probably write it the same way.”

“What would Husband write now?”

“Certain procedures still have to be followed sometimes. Even if they are useless. Even if they are flashy but empty. Even if the moment someone finishes reading them, they use the paper to wipe mud from their shoes. The process is still indispensable. But later, I slowly realized that the same matter and the same procedure can be done more beautifully. Compared with something completely useless, at least it can become slightly useful.”

“Then Husband, please enlighten me.”

“I know what you want to express. I also know you have ambitions of your own. Mm, don’t rush to explain. You know me. I have never objected to my own women having a few interests and hobbies. The grand vision does need to be grand. But it cannot lose precision. I think we should add one more section. That section will be the true finishing touch.”

“Add another section? For whom?”

“For the Fan Clan. And for the Qu Clan.”

“I understand the Fan Clan. But the Qu Clan?”

“The Fan Clan has been our ally since early on, so there’s no need to explain that. As for the Qu Clan, Qu Peiluo is still at Zhennan Pass. When I led the army to plunder the fiefs of those nobles, I deliberately left the Qu Clan alone. So the Qu Clan’s current position is extremely awkward. Right now, aside from the small body of Yan troops still stationed at Mount Meng to help the Fan Clan maintain control, the majority of the Yan army has basically withdrawn into Shanggu Commandery. Quite a few forces that returned from beyond the pass have already gone back to their original stations. Qu Peiluo may be in my hands, but the Qu Clan does not belong to Qu Peiluo alone. The surrender of the Azure Luan Army and its subsequent turn against Chu have already become stains the Qu Clan can never wash away. I then deliberately preserved the Qu Clan’s dignity, which leaves them trapped between inside and outside. At this moment, you can step forward in your capacity as a Princess of Great Chu and give the Qu Clan a lawful foundation to stand on. At the very least, make them feel they have not betrayed Great Chu. At the same time, turn the Yan-Chu War into a family dispute between me, the Chu son-in-law, and my elder brother-in-law. In truth, it was a family affair anyway. I, this younger sister’s husband, worked tirelessly to help my elder brother-in-law strike down the aristocratic forces inside his state and strengthen central authority. Anyone with eyes can see that. The Fan Clan is one nail Great Yan planted at Mount Meng. The Qu Clan will be another piece I support next. What your imperial brother needs to do once I leave and the Yan army leaves is seize the opportunity to clean out most of the noble powers inside Chu in one stroke. Those noble houses may have suffered great damage. Their ancestral graves may have been dug open. But a hundred-legged insect does not stiffen immediately after death. They can still struggle for a while. Ideally, we make all of them gather around the Qu Clan.”

“Will that actually help?” the Princess asked hesitantly. “With Imperial Brother’s methods, the Qu Clan as it stands now cannot possibly stop him.”

“So I’ll release more than half of the Azure Luan Army. Under suitable circumstances, I can even send Qu Peiluo back and let him hold the banner for a while. After all, Qu Peiluo has been helping me continuously from beginning to end. I should return the favor, shouldn’t I? Besides, I’m not expecting those badly weakened nobles to create some enormous storm. If they can delay your imperial brother even a little and give me a few more breaths of time, it’s worthwhile. Even if all they accomplish is disgusting your imperial brother a little, I’ll still be delighted.”

“Yes, Husband. I understand.”

“Good. You’ve worked hard.”

“It is rare that I can help Husband. It is no hardship.”

“Watch your health. You’ve clearly grown thinner since I left. You look better with a little more flesh on you. Eat more. Put it back on.”

“Yes, Husband.”

The Princess was obedient.

Count Pingye was very satisfied.

Over the following days, Count Pingye received a number of local leaders.

He intimidated some.

Straightened out others.

Won some over.

Bestowed favors upon others.

A whole combination of measures, matched to the right targets, produced very good results.

In truth, once a person’s strength and prestige reached a certain level, so-called methods really became little more than procedure.

As for visiting local soldiers and civilians, or holding some grand victory celebration, Count Pingye did none of it.

The main force of Snow Sea Pass was still at Zhennan Pass.

He himself had merely taken advantage of the opportunity to slip home for a brief holiday.

Besides, those things would produce twice the result with half the effort if done after the formal reward arrived and the noble rank above his head changed from Count to Marquis.

That was one side of things.

On the other, Count Pingye was waiting for Fourth Lady to return.

The Blind Man had already prepared to depart and replace her.

Tian Tian was already old enough to go buy soy sauce.

Count Pingye also felt it was time to have a child of his own.

Truthfully, he had already intended to do so earlier.

War had simply interrupted the plan.

Now, it was rather like struggling desperately in youth until one finally earned enough for the down payment on a home.

That home was eastern Jin.

Next, he ought to spend some time living his own small household life.

But to Count Pingye’s surprise, he did not manage to wait for Fourth Lady to return.

Instead, a princely command arrived from Fengxin City.

The command summoned him back to Fengxin City immediately.

Both the Prince’s personal guards carrying the order and the Snow Sea riders Fourth Lady had sent alongside them were direct and candid about the news beyond the written command.

The court’s reward decree had arrived.

It was far, far faster than Count Pingye had expected.

The reason Count Pingye had dared seize this little gap and come home to rest was precisely because he had assumed the court’s formal rewards could not possibly arrive so quickly.

Yet on this matter, the court had shown astonishing efficiency.

Still, Count Pingye suspected the truly large-scale reward process, meaning the general awards and compensation for the entire army, probably remained for later.

His own reward had simply been pulled forward.

Part of that came from the fact he had earned the greatest merit in the campaign against Chu.

Part came from Prince of Jingnan’s recommendation.

Naturally, when combined with the letter Little Sixth Ji had sent, there was also the fact that the Emperor of Yan’s health continued deteriorating by the day.

Under those circumstances, the court had become extremely efficient in matters like this.

Formal rewards were often the final conclusion after a great campaign.

Normally, only once the rewards were issued could one say a region had truly been pacified, with arrangements in place for its future governance and defense.

The Emperor of Yan had accelerated that process.

His purpose was obvious.

He wanted the situation in eastern Jin, Zhennan Pass, Shanggu Commandery, the snowfield, and the border with Chu all stabilized as quickly as possible.

And one could imagine the consequences.

Chu had now stabilized.

The snowfield had long since been whipped into a lovable shape.

The State of Qian, which had never dared leap in the first place, would naturally dare even less now.

Once the Qian ruler and ministers learned Chu had ceded territory and sought peace, they would probably immediately throw every memorial containing the two words “Northern Expedition” into a dustpan and reopen negotiations with Yan over the amount of their annual payment.

The desert would continue following the tradition established across the past century.

Whether in reality or in name, the Barbarians would maintain a posture one head lower than Yan.

The strategic value of Great Yan choosing to strike Chu first had now fully revealed itself.

If you were going to fight, you first hit the prickliest opponent.

You first hit the hardest one.

Once that one was beaten, the rest lost the courage to jump around.

And so, after Great Yan had spent years fighting campaign after campaign, while both Yan proper and the Jin lands suffered severe natural disasters, the pace of external warfare could finally stop.

At the same time, external threats would not reappear for at least several years.

This period of calm could be used to repair the enormous deficits created by years of war and the shattered state of finances and civilian livelihood.

But it could also serve one more purpose: the transfer of power.

With Xiong Liqing and Liu Ruqing attending him, Count Pingye began putting on his armor.

Old Tian was in Fengxin City.

So Zheng Fan did not need to worry about anything like “when the cunning hare dies, the hunting hound is cooked.”

This trip to Fengxin was for his elevation to Marquis.

The court’s reward had arrived a little faster than expected.

But what Count Pingye lacked now was precisely this final piece of legitimacy.

“Husband, will you wear the Barbarian Saber or Wuyai?” the Princess asked.

“Put the Barbarian Saber in the secret chamber. Set it on Sha Tuo Queshi’s coffin. I’ll carry Wuyai.”

“Yes, Husband.”

Once everything was prepared, Count Pingye slowly walked out of the hall.

Behind him, Xiong Liqing and Liu Ruqing both lowered themselves to their knees.

Together, they said:

“Congratulations to Husband on being made Marquis!”

“Congratulations to Husband on being made Marquis!”

Count Pingye did not turn around.

He merely raised one hand, gave a light wave, and continued walking outside.

The Blind Man was already waiting at the gates of the Count’s Residence.

Beyond him, the personal guards were ready as well.

Zheng Fan reached the gate of the Count’s Residence.

He stopped.

Turned around.

Looked upward.

Then smiled.

The Blind Man said:

“Master, after all these years, you’re finally becoming Marquis.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

“Do you remember, back in the inn at Tiger Head City, when all of you asked whether I wanted to live safely as a wealthy gentleman for the rest of my life, or stir up a little trouble?”

A nostalgic smile appeared on the Blind Man’s face.

He sighed.

“Master, you’ve already accomplished it.”

Zheng Fan waved his hand.

“No. I think this is only the beginning.”

[End of Chapter 603]