Chapter 786: Time

When word of Li Zicheng's northward advance reached Monan, Wang Dou was swinging a hoe on a patch of land beside the Daheihe River.

After the new year, Monan entered a massive construction wave. As early as the previous year, the Civil Affairs Department had conducted detailed surveys of every region, determining where land could be reclaimed and where it could be utilized, and had already figured out roughly eighty to ninety percent of it.

The final decision for large-scale military and civilian agricultural colonies was the Tumote Plain and the Hetao Plain.

These places have numerous rivers and convenient irrigation, and had been managed by successive central plains dynasties. Abandoned water channels could be seen everywhere; with just a bit of dredging, a great deal of effort and silver could be saved.

Of course, while the central plains suffered repeated great disasters, the grasslands were just as severely arid. Due to the cold climate, they could only plant spring wheat, naked oats, and some miscellaneous grains like millet and sorghum. But Wang Dou's advantage lay in his organizational ability and a group with very strong execution capability.

In fact, speaking of disasters, from the mid-Ming period, especially from the Wanli reign onward, natural calamities were just as incessant, with several major disasters no less severe than those at the Ming's end, but they ultimately withstood them.

The most important reason was that local areas still had organizational capacity then and could lead the populace through the calamities. During the Chongzhen years, grassroots organizational capacity had been utterly swept away; even a slight natural or man-made disaster was enough to brew a major catastrophe, which then created a vicious cycle from which recovery was impossible.

The two plains covered roughly tens of thousands of square kilometers, with arable land exceeding ten million mu. Best of all, both areas were rich in groundwater. The flatter the plain, the more shallow groundwater there generally was; typically, digging a well two to three meters down would yield water.

Compared to Shanxi and Shaanxi, where wells were often dozens of zhang deep and the water was salty and bitter, unfit for civilian use, this place could be called a paradise.

For ordinary migrants, a simple irrigation well like this cost only two or three taels of silver to set up, which ordinary families could afford. For military colonies, the cost was even lower. So even if some river surfaces became shallow or even dried up, it didn't matter at all—there was plenty of groundwater.

Under the propaganda of the Xuanfu Times, countless people were moved. Where else could you find fertile land where wells no deeper than one zhang produced water? And under Wang Dou's governance, it was famously stable. So shortly after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, a massive wave of migration surged from Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and other places into these two areas.

Most of them also had modest financial means and could afford to buy land. They only needed to reside and farm for five full years to permanently obtain ownership of no more than one hundred fifty mu of land, passed down through generations.

There were also merchant inspection delegations, arriving wave after wave. Most made their decisions after inspecting, seizing the initiative to establish various commercial agricultural colonies in Monan.

Wang Dou wholeheartedly welcomed these people, because not only did he not spend a single coin, he could also earn a hefty sum from them. The cost of buying land was one thing; even if land prices were low, many small amounts accumulated into a huge total.

The tax-exemption period was only one year; from the second year on, everyone had to pay taxes, so he could collect taxes from these people as well.

Most of these people were members of the middle class, of high quality, and naturally inclined toward stability. Once a sense of belonging developed, they would consciously and willingly maintain order. Governing them required very little effort.

Then there were the refugees and famine victims. Currently, the largest expenditure of the Protectorate was on this group. First, the grain ration per person was no small sum. However, Wang Dou's foundation was the tunbao colonies, and the role of these people could not be underestimated—after all, most of the Jingbian Army's soldiers came from tunbao backgrounds.

Also, because the tunbao temporarily adopted a camp-field system, they could use large-scale farm-like cultivation methods. They could commonly use horse-drawn plowing, paired plows, seed drills, large waterwheels, and so on, greatly improving farming efficiency. These people were also excellent candidates for making every citizen a soldier, so the necessary expenditure was essential.

As groups of refugees were gathered and tunbao were established one after another, money and grain flowed out like water. Facing the pained complaints of the Civil Affairs Department, Wang Dou said, "Don't fret over silver. Silver is earned to be spent. On the basis of not causing major inflation, spend whatever silver needs to be spent."

Compared to tunbao, military colonies naturally had more advantages. After all, they were regular army soldiers accustomed to discipline, easier to command and more obedient than refugees who had not yet developed a collective mindset.

However, military colonies were only a temporary expedient, a means to obtain grain more quickly. Once certain goals were reached, all military colonies would gradually give way to established civilian colonies. Professional soldiers should just focus on fighting.

After the military colonies ended, the soldiers who participated in the reclamation would also receive certain merits, rewarded with land and estates.

Overall, much of what Wang Dou was doing now was a loss-making business, with a bit of a "eating next year's grain" flavor. But the trust built up over many years made both soldiers and civilians believe that the General Who Subdues the Caitiffs, Marquis of Eternal Peace Wang Dou, would certainly fulfill his promises. This was Wang Dou's greatest advantage.

Now the migration wave was just beginning, and the role of the military colonies was immensely important. To boost the soldiers' enthusiasm for reclamation, Wang Dou, who had not worked the fields for many years, personally went down and swung a hoe. As expected, it ignited tremendous passion among the soldiers, who worked as if their lives depended on it.

Banners and drums fluttered and displayed, gongs and drums resounded to the heavens. Across the vast, empty wilderness, crowds of people bustled like ants, densely packed, burning wasteland and reclaiming soil, racing against time, full of fervor. The grassland scenery at this time was quite beautiful, yet a chill still lingered, but the soldiers were so heated with enthusiasm they felt no cold at all.

On every part of the plain, their banners were planted, each bearing their own unit designation. They divided the area into sections, shouting work chants, presenting a scene of intense competition.

Loud-voiced propaganda personnel shouted encouragement nearby, beating gongs and drums to boost morale.

Logistics department personnel busily carried water and delivered meals, ensuring that when the soldiers rested, they could have hot water and hot food.

Warhorses also galloped across the grasslands, driving away wolf packs, and sometimes setting fires to burn the wild grass into black soil.

Besides human labor for reclamation, quite a few horses dragged paired plows racing by, demonstrating the advantage of "mechanization." Some land had already been sown, likewise by horse-drawn seed drills, planting seeds across the grassland.

Large-scale "mechanization" was Wang Dou's requirement. A person could only reclaim half a mu a day; an ox could reclaim one to two mu a day. But horse-drawn plowing reclaimed even faster each day, and on the boundless plains, horse plowing had the greater advantage.

Of course, horse plowing was costly and only suitable for dry land, and the yield per mu could not possibly match ox plowing. But Wang Dou did not mind. What he wanted was quantity; if quantity went up, grain accumulation could still be achieved.

After years of management, he had no shortage of cattle and horses. After the battle beyond the frontier, they had captured over three hundred thousand cattle and sheep, and nearly fifty thousand mules, donkeys, camels, and horses combined—livestock resources were extremely abundant. Where animal power could be used, human labor was definitely not used.

Of course, the prerequisite was that they knew how to plow with horses and oxen.

Wang Dou's requirement was that part of the farmland be reclaimed that year, sown that year, and yield a bumper harvest that year.

Besides soldiers reclaiming wasteland, many more were building water conservancy projects. Splattered with mud all over, their hands and feet cut and bleeding without them even noticing, they dredged river channels one after another and erected waterwheels one after another. The especially majestic Lanzhou large waterwheels, now called Jingbianbao large waterwheels, were lined up in a row, stretching from the Daheihe River to the Yellow River, a spectacular sight.

Each of these waterwheels cost over a hundred taels to build; only Wang Dou was willing to use them on such a large scale.

The soldiers toiled unceasingly, full of passion, especially those not far from the Grand General, whose drive was even greater.

Wang Dou led the digging, appearing to be at the forefront of the struggle, but inwardly he was groaning bitterly. He hadn't worked the fields for many years, and after just a few days, his back was already sore and aching. Yet outwardly, he still had to put on an appearance of commanding with composure, calm and unruffled.

Beside Wang Dou, members of the Civil Affairs Department and the Shogunate staff also participated in the labor. Some swung hoes, some guided plows, each busying themselves with great relish.

Since the Grand General had personally gone to the fields, how could they lag behind? However, they were after all important officials with their own large piles of affairs, especially with the construction of Monan bringing even more matters to handle. They could only show their intent and could not possibly labor from dawn to dusk like ordinary tunbao settlers and soldiers.

In the crowd, Li Banghua—Left Censor-in-Chief of the Chief Surveillance Bureau, Deputy Protector, Professor of the Confucian Academy, and Director of the Environmental Protection Bureau—was silently swinging a hoe.

His office had now also moved to Guihua City, though he frequently traveled to Xuanfu Garrison City, shuttling between the two places. He believed the construction of Monan was the fundamental solution to the Great Ming's problems, so after Wang Dou went to the fields, he also made time today to join, to express his regard for agriculture and sericulture.

Li Banghua was no longer young; farm labor was no small challenge for him, but he persevered with all his might, refusing to fall behind the others.

This earned him the silent admiration of everyone. The old man had a stubborn streak. Especially considering he was formerly a Grand Secretary and had served as Left Censor-in-Chief, it was all the more rare. Lord Banghua had changed greatly.

The fiery scene filled the grasslands, accompanied by waves of stirring gong and drum sounds, with reclamation competitions raging everywhere. It was not until noon, when the clanging sound of gongs signaled a halt, that the soldiers stopped. Amidst the clamor and laughter, they converged like the tide toward their respective meal points.

As they walked, they compared their reclamation achievements, the atmosphere extremely spirited.

Wang Dou stopped his hands. The people around him also let out long breaths, each feeling a wave of relief. It seemed the saying "it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality" was true. After many years without manual labor, the officers could hardly bear it.

Wang Dou set down his hoe, looked at the extraordinarily lively scene around him, and smiled: "Only now do I understand what Liu Bei meant when he said, 'I was constantly in the saddle, and the flesh of my thighs wasted away; now that I no longer ride, the flesh on my thighs grows.'"

The crowd burst into laughter, all agreeing, saying that people indeed need to move more. After not working the fields for these few years, just a short while of labor made their backs sore and aching.

Their group followed Wang Dou toward the riverbank, where a few large rocks provided a perfect place to rest. What Wang Dou and the others ate was also the same as the soldiers: meat soup and flatbread.

Wherever they passed, groups of soldiers holding their rice bowls saw them and all rose in cheers, their emotions extremely fervent. Had the Guard Battalion soldiers not blocked them, even more soldiers would have tried to squeeze over. Zhang Gui laughed and said, "With the Grand General personally going to the fields and laboring alongside the soldiers, the brothers' morale is very high."

Wang Dou waved to his subordinates, stirring further waves of response. Hearing this, he smiled and sighed, "Yes, it's a pity such opportunities are few."

Although various systems had been planned, people are emotional creatures. When a superior personally inspires and participates, the atmosphere is naturally different. Unfortunately, the higher one's position and the heavier one's authority, the fewer the opportunities to reach the bottom level.

Not to mention other matters, Wang Dou knew that in the few days he had been in the fields, the accumulated documents on his desk were certainly not few. It seemed that after this day, he could no longer go to the fields. People say it is lonely at the top; indeed it is so.

As they walked, Wang Dou noticed Li Banghua beside him was silent, only occasionally tapping his own lower back, clearly exhausted beyond measure. He smiled slightly and said, "Is Lord Li still alright?"

Li Banghua said with difficulty, "Thank you for your concern, my lord. This humble official is fine."

Beside him, Zhang Gui laughed and said, "We military men are of rough stock, used to farm work. Professor Li is a scholar; don't let yourself collapse from exhaustion."

The crowd burst into laughter. Li Banghua said solemnly, "The ancients said: When Heaven is about to confer a great office on a man, it first exercises his mind with suffering, and his sinews and bones with toil, and exposes his body to hunger..."

Just as he was speaking, he stumbled. Zhong Rong beside him quickly supported him, crying out, "Careful."

Wang Dou also said, “It seems Lord Li is utterly exhausted — help steady him.”

A whole crowd of people supported Li Banghua as they walked. Li Banghua felt somewhat awkward. Yet at the same time his heart was warmed; he could not deny that, despite their different standpoints, Wang Dou’s group truly had a way of stirring people’s hearts.

As they neared the riverbank, Zhong Susu and Zhong Diaoyang came forward to meet them.

Wang Dou and the various high officials labored on this side. As the commanding officer of the Guard Battalion, Zhong Diaoyang naturally led the Guard Battalion soldiers to keep watch nearby. Zhong Susu did not go down into the fields with the others, but she bustled up and down, devoting herself entirely to everyone — especially carrying tea and water for Wang Dou — just as happily busy as anyone.

As early as when the “Two Generals Bombardment Problem,” also called the “Wang-Style Problem,” arrived and she learned that she had been written into a mathematics problem and would become famous across the land, Zhong Susu was overjoyed. From the moment Wang Dou reached Monan, Zhong Susu had been accompanying him everywhere, inspecting every place.

Sometimes, when Wang Dou was not paying attention, she would gaze at him for a long time, her cheeks flushing red, no one knowing what she was thinking.

Her own affairs were just as hectic: she had to arrange military farm planting, deploy defenses within the jurisdiction, restore places like Dongsheng Guard, Zhenlu Guard, and Yulin Guard, and also draw troops to exterminate the horse-bandits and brigands within the jurisdiction — truly a multitude of tasks.

Horse-bandits on the grasslands had always been numerous and widespread, their members complex — there were Han people, Hu people, and also Semu Hui and others. Fierce and vicious, they not only plundered the interior but also made the various grassland tribes their targets of robbery.

Although the large bands of Tatar slaves had now been wiped out, small bands of horse-bandits still remained. The grasslands were vast and sparsely populated, with countless places to hide; if they were not eliminated, they would pose a threat to the development of Monan.

Recently, however, Wang Dou had made arrangements: using the Central Army Cavalry Battalion, the Vanguard Scout Battalion, the Loyalty Battalion, and the New Auxiliary Battalion — which included large numbers of hunter cavalry and elite cavalry — to specialize in eradicating the grassland bandit menace. They swept from east to west, from south to north.

No matter how vast the grasslands or how numerous the horse-bandits, they could not withstand the advance of those iron hooves. The grassland horse-bandits were now on the verge of extinction; apart from the Mongols and horse-bandits inside the bend, who might step into the governed territory when the Yellow River froze in winter, the region was now basically peaceful.

But when that time came, Wang Dou’s iron cavalry would likewise cross the Yellow River, and in coordination with garrisons like Ningxia and Yansui, attack the Ordos Plateau and thoroughly purge the Hu people and horse-bandit forces from Monan.

So Zhong Susu also had a bit more leisure and could spend more time at Wang Dou’s side. Everywhere along the Yellow River, the Dahei River, and the Xiaohei River, soldiers and civilians alike could see the figures of the Grand General and General Zhong riding side by side, and sometimes they could even hear peals of laughter from the two.

At this moment she carried over a basin of hot water with a heated towel draped over it, walked smiling to Wang Dou’s side, and said attentively, “Grand General, you have worked hard — quickly wash your hands and wipe your face.”

Wang Dou washed his hands, then took the heated towel and said with a slight smile, “Many thanks, General Zhong.”

Zhong Susu smiled joyfully, her eyes curving into crescent moons, revealing her gleaming white teeth. But seeing the varied expressions of the people before her, she then assumed an air of nonchalance and said flatly, “What is everyone standing around foolishly for? Wash your hands and eat!”

Immediately everyone looked this way and that, each washing hands and face and preparing to eat — needless to say, experience had proven that arguing with General Zhong was unwise.

Li Banghua also washed his hands and wiped his face, then sat down on a rock by the riverbank. Without regard for appearances, he removed his shoes and socks and stretched his feet into the cool river water, exhaled in contentment, and chanted, “When the Canglang’s waters are clear, they can wash my cap-strings; when the Canglang’s waters are muddy, they can wash my feet…”

Zhang Gui laughed and said, “Professor Li truly lives up to being a scholar — even washing his feet requires reciting poetry.”

Everyone burst into laughter. Sitting in a circle around Wang Dou, they ate and drank contentedly, bearing the weariness that followed their labor. And sitting together with the Grand General like this, without distinctions of rank or status, made everyone feel relaxed and happy, drawing their mutual affection a layer closer.

In truth, the officers and commanders of the Jingbian Army were mostly rough men originally; even though they now held high rank and authority, their manners and bearing had not improved much. Holding flatbread, each of them ate noisily with meat soup, slurping loudly, while all talking at once in lively discussion, excitedly chatting about the day’s planting and all manner of topics.

Zhong Susu sat to Wang Dou’s left, and Zhang Gui to his right; both held tremendous optimism for Monan’s prospects. Zhang Gui took huge bites of wheat flatbread and said, his words muffled and indistinct, “Grand General, this subordinate can affirm that by next year, the golden autumn wheat waves the Grand General demands can certainly be realized…”

He continued, “At the start of this year, what was established were mostly military farms, but by mid-year there will be more civilian farms. Commercial farms will be set up. For land where there is temporarily no time to plant wheat, we can plant mung beans, alfalfa, sugar beets, and rapeseed to enrich the soil… When spring opens next year, all these bean-planted lands can be sown with wheat and become fine fields…”

Zhong Susu also said happily, “Once the weather grows warmer, it will be even easier for our soldiers and civilians to open up wasteland and create fields. With the efforts of so many soldiers and civilians, by next year, how much barren land can be reclaimed?”

Wang Dou said, “Indeed. We only need time. That the land of Monan will become a granary beyond the frontier is no fool’s dream.”

He could not suppress the excitement in his heart. While gnawing on his flatbread, he gazed out over the surrounding wilderness. This plain stretching from Tumote to the Hetao, covering tens of thousands of square kilometers, had always had fertile soil and a well-developed irrigation system — it had long been a rich and fertile land of fat and nourishment.

On this land one could grow wheat, naked oats, rice, flax, rapeseed, small fragrant millet, muskmelon, sugar beets, soybeans, mung beans, and other crops. Once the seeds adapted in the future, one could also grow corn and potatoes.

With abundant sunshine here, it was also suited for planting apricots, plums, grapes, apples, and other fruits. Wang Dou could almost see the riot of color in the fields the following year: blue flowers for flax, yellow flowers for rapeseed, white flowers for naked oats…

This region was also rich in mineral deposits. In the Baotou of later ages — at this time Jiuyuan City, the seat of the Monan Western Garrison under the Protectorate — lay the world’s largest rare-earth deposit. Rare earths were of no use at present, but this place was still home to the world’s largest iron ore deposits, along with enormous coal deposits and other minerals.

Other minerals such as oil shale, manganese, gold, and copper were even more densely clustered; it could truly be called Monan’s treasure land. Here, Wang Dou decided to establish another cannon foundry and also a firearm manufacturing workshop. The vast amounts of coal and iron ore mined could be used right on the spot.

This area was also close to the Yellow River, giving it an advantage for setting up hydraulic drilling machines and the like. With an abundance of coal and iron, the common people could also use cheap iron materials and ironware, making iron products a flagship industry of the Protectorate. Perhaps one day in the future, they would sell well across the entire realm and even overseas.

How vast a market was that? In the later Qing period, the annual import value of foreign iron and foreign needles ranged between over 2.8 million taels and 3 million taels of silver. An ordinary department or county would use several hundred thousand jin of foreign iron; places like the provincial capital of Guangdong and Foshan required over ten million jin of foreign iron each year.

The Great Ming’s demand for iron was just as enormous, so with large quantities of iron materials produced, there was no worry about a lack of sales.

Although Wang Dou currently had the Yongning Cannon Foundry and the Xuanfu Garrison City Cannon Foundry, he needed even more cannons, and firearms too, in greater numbers.

Moreover, Monan had numerous pastures. The large numbers of captured Mongols could raise warhorses for him. The Shunyi Prince Emubu had already become a dedicated horse official. Wang Dou hoped that by next year, even his Yi-grade troops would all possess horses, and most of those would be warhorses.

The Mongols still had some skill in raising horses, although their method of horse-raising required very extensive pastures, and in terms of plumpness and fat, they could not match the horse farms of the Central Plains. But that did not matter: in the stage before they were needed, one could use grain and bean fodder to intensively raise and care for them for a while, and in ordinary times one could also save more grain.

They were not good at farming, but they could be made to develop textile, leather, dairy, and other industries. Although the sheep breeds and wool of the grasslands at this time could not be used for woolen textile weaving, making felt and making rugs had been their side occupation for a thousand years. Leather and woolen rugs had great prospects.

Wang Dou also planned to build roads on a large scale and establish post stations, using several main official highways to link the three garrisons of Monan together, and also to connect the roads from Guihua City to Xuanfu Garrison City, to Datong Garrison City, to Ningwu Pass in Shanxi Garrison, and to Ningxia Garrison City — all must be linked, deepening ties with the interior, rather than leaving Monan isolated.

Furthermore, he was planning the construction of water conservancy works, establishing normal secondary schools and universities, broadly recruiting talent — especially cultivating talent in civil administration — and investing more effort into training physicians, making full preparations for the plague that might come.

Looking at the vast wilderness on all four sides and the fervent crowds, Wang Dou’s heart surged with emotion. He thought silently, “Just give me time, and by next year, I will possess the capital to resolve all problems!”

…

Li Banghua chewed slowly and deliberately. He did not speak, merely listening quietly to everyone’s conversation.

Without coming beyond the frontier, one would not know the advantages beyond the frontier; without drawing close to Wang Dou, one would not know Wang Dou’s strength. This was not merely military alone, but every aspect — just as Wang Dou called it comprehensive national power — especially once Monan was developed in the days to come…

Just then he heard Wang Dou speaking with Zhang Gui: “Relocating one million people to Monan should pose no problem.”

“No problem. Although the registers say Shanxi has several hundred Battalion Commander and several million people, in reality the population is around ten million, and Shaanxi is the same. Of course, reaching that target household figure is not something that can be done overnight — it will take time…”

Li Banghua was about to listen more carefully when Zhong Susu turned around and said to him, “Lord Li, I benefited greatly from listening to your lecture that day, but I have one question…”

She said, “You spoke of the Way of the Sage and the King. Throughout history in governing the state, is it better to be inwardly a sage and outwardly a king, or inwardly a king and outwardly a sage?”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward them; even Wang Dou looked over. Li Banghua regarded Zhong Susu; he had a very good impression of her.

Moreover, with his experience and insight, he had long since discerned Zhong Susu’s true identity. He did not expose it. Now, slowly chewing his flatbread, he smiled and said, “The sages spoke of being inwardly a sage and outwardly a king, meaning that within one possesses the virtue of a sage, and without one implements the governance of a king. Inner sageliness is the foundation, and outer kingliness is the goal.”

Zhong Susu mused, “It seems that in successive dynasties, the reality was not quite so, was it? Emperor Taizong of Tang said, ‘When distant barbarians come to submit, it should be through the extension of virtue and righteousness. How did the achievements of former times grow so great?’ The emperors of the Song Dynasty also said: cultivate virtue and righteousness, and only then will distant barbarians come to submit. It seems they spoke of outward sageliness, not outward kingliness.”

Li Banghua shook his head. “That is merely a matter of different times and different circumstances. When the state’s power was strong, they spoke of outward kingliness. In successive dynasties, right up to our own dynasty — when the state was first founded and powerful, which of them did not campaign year after year, waging war in all directions? Where was outward sageliness then? Even the weak Song still wanted to recover Yan and Yun in the north. When their strength fell short, when the barbarians were mighty and the Central Plains in decline, they then spoke of outward sageliness — to make them cease war and cultivate amity, to win for ourselves a breathing space to recuperate. Liao and Jin, no matter how fierce, after virtue and righteousness were cultivated, likewise had no wish to rashly move their arms, and the Central Plains was spared many times from the flames of war, preventing the people from being plunged into misery. Once the Central Plains recovered, they could again launch a northern campaign and recover the lost lands.”

Zhong Susu suddenly saw the light. “Oh — when we are strong, we speak of outward kingliness; when we cannot defeat others, we speak of outward sageliness. When we become strong again, we return to outward kingliness? The learning of the sages is truly flexible and adaptable.”

Everyone laughed. Li Banghua coughed lightly a few times; Zhong Susu’s words were far too blunt.

Still, he felt that General Zhong was diligent and eager to learn — asking when she did not understand, which was very good. He said, “When the people rejoice in peace and all within the four seas is well, that naturally comes from the state’s power being at its height, the people rich and the army strong. When distant barbarians see this, how could they not submit in awe, not fear that our Middle Kingdom might attack them? Then naturally they vie to come and pay tribute.”

He continued, “If bandits run rampant, the old, the weak, the orphans, and the widowed have no one to care for them, the state’s power is impoverished, and its military strength is feeble, then naturally it draws the covetous gaze of the barbarians. Therefore, inner sageliness is the foundation…”

He looked toward Wang Dou with a smile. “Just like the Marquis at this moment: within his governance, the administration is harmonious and the people are united, and therefore the troops are strong and the horses sturdy. Outward sageliness or outward kingliness — both follow freely as he pleases… As for the present central court, with its internal administration in utter turmoil everywhere, where would it find the confidence for outward kingliness?”

Everyone let out a simultaneous “Oh.” When Lord Li lectured, he was still clear and lucid — and as for his analogy… Wang Dou nodded. During this period, Li Banghua had also been giving everyone lectures on Confucianism, making everyone feel that their self-cultivation had improved. Confucianism was indeed strong in the area of self-cultivation and character development.

And in the area of state governance, it also had quite a few brilliant highlights — such as “inner sageliness, outer kingliness,” which contained a flexible and adaptable diplomatic strategy: being tough when toughness was needed, showing weakness when weakness was needed, thus well preserving the kindling of civilization.

What he himself needed to do was to extract its essence and discard its dross, forming a systematic framework with character.

Wang Dou finished the meat soup in his bowl and was about to stand up when several riders came rushing urgently from the direction of Guihua City. Everyone looked over. Wang Dou furrowed his brow and thought, “What is the matter?”

……

Several days later, Eagle-Soaring General, Regional Commander of the Monan Western Garrison of the Protectorate, and Chief of the Staff Department Wen Fangliang, accompanied by a few guards, hurriedly galloped into Guihua City. From last year until these past few months, he had been busy in Jiuyuan City, the Hetao region, and other places. After these months, his handsome face had become quite rough and darkened.

Upon receiving the Grand General's summons, he set out in great haste. Fortunately, Jiuyuan City was not far from Guihua City — only about three hundred li away, and all of it flat, open wilderness with easy roads, so he arrived at Guihua City very quickly.

……

Old White Bull: After midnight there will be another chapter, also around seven or eight thousand words, but fellow readers should still wait until tomorrow to read it, because I feel some plot points haven't been finished and I might continue writing. (To be continued...)