Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. As the families of the soldiers arrived one after another, the population of Cangqi City grew steadily, already numbering over a thousand.

Although the newcomers were mostly the elderly, women, and children, they could still contribute to the construction of the city and the building of houses. At the very least, they could handle the laundry and cooking.

The perimeter wall had been reinforced into a double layer, with pine timber laid in the middle to create a walkway. If bandits ever attacked, soldiers could stand atop it to repel the enemy with arrows. Three main gates were set into the walls, all crafted from thick, heavy logs. Cangqi City finally possessed a basic level of defensive capability.

Once past the perimeter wall, one truly entered the interior of Cangqi City. Surrounded by mountains on three sides with a vast expanse of plains and valleys in the center, the geography was exceptionally gifted. Luo Yu had partitioned areas at the foot of the mountains on both sides to build housing, with one side serving as the military barracks, while the other became the homes for the commoners.

With silver in his pockets, Luo Yu’s confidence had grown. As long as the commoners participated in building the walls, they received daily wages. He never let them work for nothing, which filled everyone with unexpected joy and immense motivation.

Some worked, others trained; it was a scene of burgeoning prosperity. Every day, Cangqi City underwent new changes.

A drill ground had been leveled within the valley. The three hundred able-bodied men trained in this area, practicing with blades, spears, bows, and horsemanship. For the time being, they did not seek mastery in every field, but they were required to at least possess the basics of each.

Xiao Shaoyou stood with his arms crossed, watching in deep thought. Han Shuo supervised the soldiers’ drills. The two of them worked together with surprising chemistry.

Luo Yu approached from the side. “I heard Commandant Xiao was looking for me? Have you thought of a way to strengthen the army?”

“In truth, many ideas have been brewing in my mind for years, but I never had the chance to put them into practice.” Xiao Shaoyou looked toward the three hundred fierce soldiers. “Commoners focus their lives on the four essentials: clothing, food, housing, and travel. In my view, if one wishes to build a powerful army, the foundation is exactly the same.”

“Oh? Tell me more. How does ‘clothing, food, housing, and travel’ apply to an army?” Luo Yu was curious to see exactly what was hidden inside Xiao Shaoyou’s mind.

“Clothing refers not just to clothes but to all of a soldier’s equipment. Armor comes in cloth, leather, and iron varieties. The higher the defense of the armor, the stronger the soldier’s combat effectiveness. Then there are long spears, bows, crossbows, and scimitars; every piece must be of excellent quality. As the saying goes, to do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools. Armor and weapons are the most direct way to improve combat power.

“Food means eating until full. Daily training and fighting on the battlefield consume a massive amount of physical strength. If they cannot even fill their bellies, how can we train an elite force? Not to mention winning battles.

“Housing refers to the environment of the military camp. Filth and disorder easily breed disease and plague, so the barracks must be kept clean and tidy from now on.

“Travel refers to warhorses. Longxi is a border region, and the Western Qiang are a nomadic people where everyone excels at mounted archery. If we want to fight them, the larger our cavalry, the better.”

Xiao Shaoyou spoke at length, and Luo Yu listened with great interest. This was identical to the memories of the mercenary in his mind: focus on the minute details first, then discuss global tactics and strategies.

To conclude, Xiao Shaoyou summarized, “We have no shortage of grain now, so the brothers can eat their fill. I will handle the reorganization of the camp environment. As for warhorses, we cannot rush that in the short term. The most urgent problem to solve right now is ‘clothing.’ Getting excellent armor and weapons into the hands of the soldiers is the top priority. Although we brought back a lot of ordnance from Yunyang Pass, nearly half of it is damaged. In my eyes, it is no different from scrap metal, completely unfit for use.”

After finishing his piece, Xiao Shaoyou stared at Luo Yu for a long time.

Luo Yu asked in bewilderment, “What are you looking at me for?”

“You are the city lord, and I am the commandant. I am responsible for training the troops, while you are responsible for solving the difficulties I encounter. Therefore, you must be the one to procure the high-quality armor and weapons. Otherwise, your life as city lord would be far too comfortable.”

Xiao Shaoyou’s solemn lecture almost made Han Shuo laugh. Luo Yu felt a surge of exasperation, but he still replied seriously.

“Chiqi Mountain has iron ore, which is a windfall from the heavens for us. As long as we have the right blacksmiths, forging excellent armor and weapons will be simple. But the problem is, where do we find a blacksmith? Simply grabbing a few from Fengchuan City won’t work. It would risk exposing the secret of the iron ore on Chiqi Mountain. We need someone whose background we know thoroughly, someone trustworthy.”

“Hey, I actually know someone!” Han Shuo slapped his thigh. “I had an old friend who was a blacksmith. He had a forge and seven or eight workers. After he passed away, the shop went to his son. His name is Gongshu Bai, twenty-two years of age.”

“Twenty-two?” Xiao Shaoyou asked doubtfully. “Isn’t he a bit too young? The craft of blacksmithing requires accumulated experience. How much skill can a young man in his early twenties truly have?”

“Don’t look down on this kid.” Seeing Xiao Shaoyou’s skepticism, Han Shuo spoke very seriously, “The men of the Gongshu family have been blacksmiths for generations. Their skills are exquisite. The ironware they sell is considered the best in the surrounding towns; no one who has used it has a bad word to say. Gongshu Bai has been exceptionally gifted since childhood. Not only did he learn the ancestral iron-smelting techniques, but he is also proficient in mechanics and woodworking. My old friend said his son is a once-in-a-generation genius. If we want to forge armor and weapons, this person is the perfect fit!”

“Since Brother Han is so adamant, I will trust him!” Luo Yu said in a heavy voice. “What does it matter if he’s young? Aren’t we all young? Who would have thought we could kill Wanyan Chang and hold Yunyang Pass? I’ll trouble Brother Han to make a trip. Bring this person to Cangqi as soon as possible!”

“Good! I’ll set out today!”

* * *

Ding Prefecture, Jun Residence.

A row of rare flowers had been planted in the backyard. Since it was early spring, they were all budding, competing for beauty. Jun Mozhu held a pot of clear water, leisurely watering the plants. He wore an ink-black robe embroidered with gold and silver threads, fully displaying the noble aura of a scion from a great clan.

After a moment, the white-haired old butler arrived behind him. “Young Master, I have found out the details.”

“Speak.”

“Luo Yu did not use the original site of Qicheng. Instead, he is building new walls along the mountain pass. A row of timber stakes has already been erected, sealing off the entire pass from east to west.”

Jun Mozhu continued watering the flowers nonchalantly, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “He has a good head on his shoulders. Building walls along the pass allows him to fully utilize the terrain of the Sanqi Mountains. From now on, the entire mountain range belongs to him. What about the grain? Is there any news?”

“The commoners of Cangqi City have been working on the construction without any signs of trouble. Furthermore, they have expanded their population. It seems to be the families of the soldiers who followed him. In my humble opinion, since he dares to expand the population, it means he does not lack grain.”

“Oh?” Jun Mozhu finally stopped watering. His face showed curiosity. “By all logic, the silver in his hands should have been exhausted by now. How can he remain so calm?”

“This… We are not clear for the time being.”

Jun Mozhu paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. After a long while, he asked, “Has there been any news from the cities near Cangqi lately?”

“I was just about to tell you, Young Master,” the old butler said softly. “Fengchuan City, which is closest to Cangqi, has been very lively lately. A restaurant in the city called Tingyu Restaurant has produced a fine wine. The taste is excellent, and it has the entire city clamoring for a taste. My subordinates specifically bought a jar. Would you like to try it, Young Master?”

“Fine wine? That is rare. Let’s have a taste.”

The Jun family was the premier clan of Ding Prefecture. What kind of wine had Jun Mozhu not tasted? Since the old butler called it fine wine, it had to have something unique about it.

The old butler gestured, and a servant immediately brought over a cup of wine. Jun Mozhu took the cup and took a light sip. His cheeks instantly flushed red, and he began to cough repeatedly.

“Cough, cough, cough! Such a strong, fragrant wine.”

Jun Mozhu was a refined young master, after all, so he really wasn’t used to the pungency of Sanguotou. However, with just one sip, he could tell this wine was of the highest quality.

The old butler hurriedly said, “This wine is called Sanguotou. It is said to be brewed by Tingyu Restaurant themselves. In just a few days, it has become famous throughout the city. Its reputation has even reached Bing Prefecture.”

“Brewed by themselves? Heh.” Jun Mozhu let out a cold laugh. “If a small restaurant had such a capability, they would have been famous across the three provinces of Longxi long ago. Why wait until today? This wine definitely comes from another source. Luo Yu just arrived at Cangqi, and then this wine appeared in Fengchuan City. Isn’t that too coincidental?”

“Uh, does the Young Master mean this wine is related to Luo Yu?”

Jun Mozhu’s brow suddenly furrowed. “Back at Yunyang Pass, I heard of something. Luo Yu used twenty jars of wine to trade for twenty warhorses from Commandant Han Shuo. If it were ordinary wine, how could it be worth twenty warhorses? I bet this wine definitely comes from Luo Yu’s hands!”

If Luo Yu were here, he would be shocked. Based on just a few minor details, Jun Mozhu had connected the dots. His intellect far exceeded that of ordinary men.

“If it truly comes from Luo Yu, then he no longer has any worries regarding grain and supplies,” the old butler concluded, his gaze showing a hint of alarm. “This is not good news for us.”

“Heh, is the wine business really that easy to conduct?” Jun Mozhu swirled the wine cup in his hand. “If I remember correctly, the largest restaurant in Fengchuan City should be Dingxiang Residence. The manager there is sworn brothers with the city lord of Fengchuan. He invited me for a drink once before. Now that Tingyu Restaurant has released this wine, it will surely steal their business. Would Dingxiang Residence not be envious? Go and send them a message. Tell them where the wine comes from. We don’t need to involve ourselves in the rest; they will handle it themselves.”

The old butler revealed a knowing smile. “Understood!”

“Sanguotou… what a vulgar name.” Jun Mozhu stared at the wine in his cup and took another sip. “I want to see just how far you can go.”

Translator’s Note: Jun Mozhu is honestly terrifying. Most villains would just send assassins, but this guy is playing 4D chess with Luo Yu’s supply lines and business rivals. He figured out the wine secret just by tasting it and remembering a random rumor from the battlefield! Do you think the rival restaurant, Dingxiang Residence, is going to play dirty, or will Luo Yu have a counter-move ready? Drop a comment — I’m curious to see who you’re rooting for in this battle of wits!

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