Chapter 66: The Northern Yan Trading Delegation Lands! Conflict!

"Your Highness, I still have several mechanisms ready. As long as he dares to step outside again, I will definitely find him within six hours!" said Xu Fengxing.

"If Brother Fengxing can find him, I will bring back his head within a quarter of an hour!" Jian Qi said coldly.

Realizing there was no task assigned to him, Zhao Huaichun immediately suggested, "No need to kill him right away. Once he's captured, torture him as much as you like. As long as he has a single breath left, this old man can bring him back to life! And once he's saved, we can continue the torture. After that, I can save him again!"

He was determined to have a sense of participation.

Following that, everyone looked toward Xue Yuan for his decision.

Xue Yuan pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "I know each of you possesses extraordinary skills, but this dog shall not be killed for a few more days! I want to find out which member of the Northern Yan commercial delegation he has been in contact with, and by the way, let Northern Yan know that Ninzhou tolerates no one more arrogant than this Prince!"

"What does arrogant mean?" Zhao Huaichun asked.

"His Highness is arrogance personified!" Jian Qi replied.

Meeting adjourned!

...

In the days that followed, Xu Fengxing deployed hundreds of mechanisms across the entire city, keeping a constant watch on Toba Lei's whereabouts.

His "Chunhe Courtyard" had been designated as a restricted area of the manor, with everyone strictly forbidden from approaching without permission. People only heard the sounds of sawing, hammering, and even explosions emanating from the courtyard from time to time, yet no one knew what Xu Fengxing was actually tinkering with.

Over at Turtle Inlet, however, no news had come for a while. Wang Yu'er suggested going to check on Qi Yuansheng's progress in troop training, but Xue Yuan stopped her.

"No news is good news. Yuansheng understands military affairs; nothing will go wrong."

Xue Yuan had already instructed Qi Yuansheng to deliver five hundred elite soldiers within fifteen days to guard the manor.

The requirement was that these five hundred elites must be proficient in using ancient military formations and unleash their proper potential!

When Qi Yuansheng had trained those five soldiers for just one night, it enabled them to defeat fifteen opponents. Therefore, Xue Yuan believed that military battle arrays could be learned quickly, and fifteen days were more than enough to master them!

To reach the pinnacle of strength, all that remained was to improve the rapport among the soldiers and their personal cultivation levels.

With these elite forces, coupled with Xu Fengxing's twelve Mohist mechanisms, as well as Jian Qi, Zhao Huaichun, and the others, Xue Yuan finally had the confidence to trade blows with the Northern Yan commercial delegation and the Jiangnan Textile Bureau. Otherwise, constantly worrying about having his throat slit day and night would make it impossible to accomplish anything!

During these past few days, that corrupt official Qin Santai had also been quite diligent in visiting the manor, primarily to report his progress in official circles.

On this particular night, he even brought his nephew, Qin Xiaohu, to the manor.

"Thanks to Your Highness's blessing, my nephew Qin Xiaohu was officially appointed to the vacant post of brave and resolute captain today, commanding the three hundred soldiers in the northern sector of the city! I have already told him that this official post was secured for him by Your Highness, and he has only one master forever, and that is Your Highness!"

Qin Santai pointed to a robustly built Qin Xiaohu and said.

Qin Xiaohu, being quick-witted, immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed so hard that his forehead turned red instantly.

"Qin Xiaohu expresses his deepest gratitude to Your Highness! Xiaohu knows that Your Highness has not only elevated me, but the entire Qin family as well. You are the great benefactor of our Qin family! From this day forward, Xiaohu listens only to Your Highness's commands, and my life belongs entirely to Your Highness!"

Xue Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly at this, thinking that Qin Xiaohu's flattery matched Qin Santai's flair, and hoped he wouldn't turn out to be as cowardly as his uncle.

He then carefully examined the status tags floating above the man's head.

[A blade cultivator of the eighth rank lower tier | A fierce general in the military sense | Simple and honest | Bold and daring | When is Your Highness going to rebel? | Give me eight hundred soldiers, and I can storm the prefectural government office | If the rebellion succeeds, my family tree gets its own separate page | Shuer, you might as well marry another; until the realm is settled, I have no intention of starting a family | A man's ambitions lie across the four seas, how could he be trapped by romance?]

Xue Yuan: Tsk, it seems they forgot to add a word to his tags; this fellow is simply a born rebel.

And a straight-laced one at that...

However, his simple and honest nature was a good trait; at least apart from wanting to rebel, he had no other crooked intentions.

Oh?

"A fierce general in the military sense?"

Xue Yuan remembered that Qi Yuansheng had previously mentioned that some top-tier military formations required a "fierce general" to lead them.

Even in ordinary military formations, the addition of a "fierce general" could greatly enhance their power!

Xue Yuan had originally assumed that a "fierce general" referred to an officer with high personal cultivation.

But now he realized that the criteria for a "fierce general" were not based on cultivation level, but on a certain inherent trait, and Qin Xiaohu happened to fit the bill!

Filled with sudden delight, he told Qin Xiaohu to rise.

Patting the young man's broad shoulder, he said, "Xiaohu, I like you very much! Remember, because you are Santai's nephew, I give you preferential treatment initially. But from now on, how much regard I hold for you will depend entirely on your own abilities!"

These words instantly made Qin Santai beam with radiant pride!

Qin Xiaohu's eyes also shone brightly, sparking with intense ambition!

"Xiaohu understands! Xiaohu will definitely not辜负 (fail to live up to) Your Highness's expectations!"

"Very good!"

Xue Yuan smiled, casually unhooked the jade clasp tied around his waist, handed it to Xiaohu, and said, "Since this is our first meeting, take this clasp as a memento. I hope to hear news of your military achievements one day!"

He had plenty of such jade clasps, but he had never bestowed one upon anyone else, as Jian Qi and the others didn't care for such gestures.

Yet Xue Yuan knew that this young man, bent on achieving glory and establishing a career, craved recognition and importance, so he made an exception.

Different people required different methods of governance, a fact that Xue Yuan, as a former small business owner, understood all too well.

Xiaohu was pleasantly startled and lost for words for a moment.

Qin Santai was even more profoundly shocked, knowing full well that His Highness had never given away a personal accessory to anyone before!

This proved that His Highness truly held him and the Qin family in the highest regard!

He quickly kicked Qin Xiaohu in the leg and said, "Why aren't you kneeling down to thank His Highness for the grace? You are the very first person to receive His Highness's personal jade clasp!"

A fiercer blaze ignited in Qin Xiaohu's eyes as he dropped to his knees once more, bowing deeply and shouting, "Your Highness, Xiaohu is not good with words, but Xiaohu is willing to die in Your Highness's service!"

...

After Qin Xiaohu withdrew, Qin Santai discussed serious business matters with Xue Yuan.

"Rumors have been circulating in the markets recently that the imperial court is about to establish the Jiangnan Textile Bureau, holding a monopoly on silk, tea, and waterway commerce, throwing everyone into a panic. Many merchants in the city have been inquiring about this with me, and I wasn't sure how to respond. I await Your Highness's instruction."

Xue Yuan held his teacup, took a sip, and said with a chuckle, "It's true. Just tell them the truth. Oh, and you might also casually mention that this Prince does not approve and intends to burn down that blasted Textile Bureau."

Qin Santai grasped Xue Yuan's intention in a second; this was a move to win the hearts of the nearly one million merchants and commoners in Jiangnan engaged in silk, tea, and waterway trades.

Yet he still asked with some apprehension, "The Jiangnan Textile Bureau is likely well-prepared, seeing as they shoulder the heavy responsibility of scraping wealth from Jiangnan for the Emperor. Should we perhaps deliberate this long-term?"

Xue Yuan replied indifferently, "Long-term or short-term, it has to be done either way. Let's give them a warning shot first and see how they react."

To understand a person, the best way was to observe their performance under pressure.

Xue Yuan had no intention of making an enemy of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau, as the man was merely following orders.

If he was willing to cooperate, Xue Yuan could create the conditions for him to perfunctorily report to the Emperor.

However, if he was dead set on building a political career and feathering his nest in Jiangnan, Xue Yuan would simply have to make him pay the price for his loyalty and ambition.

...

Time flew by, and fifteen days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the twelfth of August, with only three days left until the Mid-Autumn Festival, commoners throughout the city had already begun making mooncakes and lanterns, preparing for one of the grandest festivals of the year.

In the morning, the long-absent Qi Yuansheng finally returned.

He brought back five hundred armored soldiers!

In military formations, whether soldiers wore armor or not had a tremendous impact on the defensive strength of the array.

Fortunately, imperial regulations stipulated that a Prince of the First Rank could maintain a maximum guard force of eight hundred, which correspondingly included eight hundred sets of armor.

Yet this was the upper limit; possessing even one extra set could subject a vassal king to the charge of treason.

Therefore, how to acquire armor for any additional soldiers was a problem Xue Yuan needed to consider seriously.

Regardless, seeing these armored soldiers standing tall and full of vigor, Xue Yuan knew that Qi Yuansheng had completely subdued them, transforming them into qualified fighting men.

True enough, the "Military Soul" tag was not given for nothing; otherwise, anyone else, even Chu Yanshuo, could never have made these proud martial artists with hidden agendas willingly obey commands!

"Yuansheng, you've worked hard!"

"It's nothing!" A satisfied smile appeared on Qi Yuansheng's dark face as he said, "These days have truly been exhilarating! I've finally realized that the army is my true home! A real man should gallop with a golden blade, magnificent, truly magnificent! By the way, my second sister hasn't come over, has she?"

"Drop the last sentence, and I'll respect you as a real man."

"Hehe!" Qi Yuansheng grinned broadly again and said, "Your Highness, my cultivation has also improved over these days..."

Just as the two were talking, they saw Xu Fengxing walking over.

"Brother Yuansheng, you're back?"

Xu Fengxing glanced at the soldiers behind Qi Yuansheng, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes, and said, "Better than I expected! Brother Yuansheng, you are a born military commander."

Qi Yuansheng smiled. "Thanks to your guidance, Teacher Xu, they were able to master one of the three great defensive formations of the Mohists. It truly opened my eyes."

Xue Yuan felt another surge of joy. A military battle array combined with the Mohist's top-tier defensive formation meant these soldiers could attack and defend, making them even more formidable!

To be honest, he was somewhat eager to witness the true might of these five hundred elites.

After exchanging pleasantries with Qi Yuansheng, Xu Fengxing turned to Xue Yuan and said, "By the way, Your Highness, last night I finished installing and calibrating all twelve mechanisms. With these mechanisms and these troops, Your Highness can sleep much more soundly at night."

Xue Yuan looked around in utter bewilderment, only to find the surroundings completely unchanged from before. Where were these supposed mechanisms?

Sensing Xue Yuan's confusion, Xu Fengxing explained, "Your Highness needn't search; all the mechanisms are camouflaged and invisible from the outside."

Xue Yuan understood instantly, nodding in profound admiration. "Makes sense! Striking when unexpected achieves surprise. Mohist mechanisms truly live up to their legendary reputation!"

With that, he drew a deep breath!

Everything was completed on schedule, and his turtle shell of a stronghold was finally forged!

With it, he could finally stand tall and speak with authority!

At that very moment, Qin Santai came running in frantically.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Something terrible has happened outside!"

"What is it?"

"Just now, the fleet of the Northern Yan commercial delegation docked at the Rixingpu Wharf in the northern part of the city. As they came ashore, a young pear-vendor ran over to peddle his fruit, but before he could finish a sentence, he was kicked straight in the chest by one of their brutes and died on the spot!

The commoners at the wharf surrounded the brute and wouldn't let him leave, but that only drew out more Northern Yan men who tried to beat the crowd! Our constables are trying desperately to stop them, but I'm afraid they won't hold out much longer!"

Hearing this, Xue Yuan flew into a towering rage.

"Damn it all! They start killing the moment they step ashore? Do these dogs really treat Ninzhou as their own backyard?"

"Student is furious too!" Qin Santai stamped his foot and cursed, "These scoundrels, student wishes he could flay them all! But... but according to the treaty, we aren't allowed to arrest them or put them on trial! We can only negotiate with their leaders and let their own people judge them!"

Enraged, Xue Yuan kicked Qin Santai and scolded, "You corrupt official, haven't you heard the saying 'an official who doesn't fight for the people might as well sell roasted yams'?"

With reddened eyes, Qin Santai replied, "I haven't heard of it, but student knows Your Highness can step in and sort them out! Your Highness is reputed to be a fool; a fool beating people up is even more normal than Northern Yan doing it!"

"Turns out you're smart for once!"

Xue Yuan shouted immediately, "Jian Qi, Xu Fengxing, and Yuansheng, take your men and let's go pick a fight!"

Jian Qi, Xu Fengxing, and Qi Yuansheng were already burning with anger; in fact, without Xue Yuan calling them, they had long been eager to charge over!

Let alone them, even Zhao Huaichun popped out from somewhere and yelled, "Your Highness, take this old man along! I haven't fought anyone in years, and damn it, seeing as they dare run wild on our turf, I want to see if these Northern Yan folks have three heads and six arms!"

By this time, the wharf was already a sea of humanity!

A massive crowd of indignant Ninzhou commoners, along with dock laborers who had rushed to the scene, had surrounded dozens of Northern Yan men tightly!

Both sides were engaged in continuous shoving matches. The ground was in complete chaos, littered with crushed fruit and debris. Among them lay two or three Ninzhou commoners; two were groaning in agony, while a young boy with blood at the corner of his mouth lay entirely motionless!

Meanwhile, over a dozen massive Northern Yan trade ships were docked at the pier. Because the access route ashore was blocked, the people and cargo on board could not disembark.

Atop a towering ship flying a black dragon flag, a reclining chair and a wooden table were set up on the second-floor platform. A young man dressed in white with an exceptionally fair complexion was half-reclining leisurely, sipping tea while watching the chaotic crowd below.

Suddenly, as if thinking of something, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

He muttered to himself, "The people of Qian have no backbone; truly like wild dogs and stray chickens."

Beside him, a beautiful maid smiled faintly and said, "Indeed. If this were in our Great Yan, anyone daring to bully the commoners like this would have been beaten to death long ago!"

The young man chuckled again and remarked, "It's truly a waste to leave Jiangnan in their hands! The late emperor was right; only our Great Yan is worthy of such a beautiful land."

Right at that moment, he suddenly heard someone shouting from below.

"His Highness has arrived!"

"Make way, clear the way!"