Chapter 303

(The previous chapter added 2000 characters.)

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"All right, did the System Official promise that the border outpost there has a length requirement? It's not good if it's too short; if it's too short, it's not worth giving up the position at Jade Gate Pass—Jade Gate Pass is just right in the West River Corridor……Wait, where are you planning to build?"

The Great King slapped his palm flat on the big map spread on the table, "Here!"

I haven't heard of any length requirement; I got the Liao East outpost connected for me— isn't it mine if I conquered it?

The war merchant Baiyang also fell silent; the spot the Great King's claw cut on the map is where the Heavenly Mountain Range and the southern Qilian Mountains barely run parallel to each other (the picture was posted on Weibo).

The Great King plans to find a recent angle to connect them, making them the strongest road tyrant—collecting protection money would work too. Without wings, the Western Regions' states can't get past into the Central Plains……

The Tarim River is a bit of a hindrance; forget it, we don't need that much either—later I'll still have a chance to shear more wool.

This is your northwest version of the Great Wall! On the map it looks close, but… even if you're a construction maniac nowadays, this is still a huge project!

Bai Yang finally couldn't help but say: "Your Majesty, we're just saying, could we have made a mistake? Your birth father isn't the one who died; he's actually the system official?" This is really going all out, they even made it up without any length limit!

Your Majesty: ……

That early morning, His Majesty was still asleep, dreaming he was riding a horse on a road strewn with stones, unable to reach the end of the stone road, when suddenly a buzzing sound exploded across the sky!

His Majesty jumped, then realized he was dreaming, pressed his pounding little heart, and realizing he was dreaming, woke up.

Who would have thought that upon waking, the buzzing sound grew even louder, and His Majesty instantly became fully awake!

That sound was the alert tone from the enemy attack on New Year's Eve that year!

Enemy troops were about to invade his territory!

Was it You Prefecture?

His Majesty opened the light panel to confirm: 【Enemy attack warning! Enemy attack warning! Enemy attack warning! Please, my lord, strive to repel the enemies and protect the people within the realm!】

Indeed.

He quickly pulled up the map of You Prefecture, first looking north to try to spot the enemy's traces, but he could see nothing all the way to the edge of the map.

Not You Prefecture?

His Majesty immediately realized that at this time the Eastern Xianbei would surely be quiet, so… he pulled up the map of neighboring Yi Province and looked north, and this time, in the dim light, he clearly saw a troop of soldiers.

Judging by the scale, there were at least fifty or sixty thousand.

His Majesty zoomed in to examine their clothing, but he couldn't tell which Xianbei group they belonged to at all.

Fortunately, having retaken Yumen Pass, he now had his own room and didn't have to share a tent with many people. He didn't dare delay any further, so he got up and summoned Zhu Ti from the manor.

In a moment, Zhu Ti appeared in a flash, while His Majesty was still in his pajamas, spinning around on the ground.

Quickly have Zhao Chuan lead his full force to support Yi Province; the Xianbei are marching south! About fifty or sixty thousand, no less. They likely seek revenge for their vanished southern allied army, so when you send Zhao Chuan, have him bring along the surviving Xianbei commanders—perhaps they can even negotiate.

His Majesty was actually worried about the capability of those soldiers at home; they hadn't fought any proper battles, and even the ten thousand slave troops had just been transferred back to You Prefecture.

But Zhu Ti is the sort of person who would keep a calm face even if mountains collapsed and the earth split.

She steadily reminded His Majesty: "Yi Province is not You Prefecture. The lord's heart is bound to You Prefecture; even if Yi Prefecture's city falls, you won't die. Yi Province is merely your secondary territory, different from the main city." Even if it's lost, we can just retake it later—the steward is completely unflappable.

His Majesty: "Dying… you, you really comfort people like that! But what you said is also correct."

He thought it over and said, "Leave ten thousand to guard You Prefecture, and have Zhao Chuan lead twenty thousand to support Shangguan Pass." Shangguan Pass is currently under the command of Wu Jian; this man is steady and not rash, and His Majesty still trusts him somewhat.

His Majesty immediately wrote a mobilization order, stamped it with his seal, and also wrote another one for Zhu Ti; during Zhao Chuan's absence from You Prefecture, she would be in charge of the city defenses.

In this situation, His Majesty could only choose to trust the soldiers left behind at home.

After the sky grew fully bright, everyone found that His Majesty's door remained shut tight; when Wei Shen went to knock, he was driven away.

Morning drills, what to eat for breakfast—Shangguan Pass was about to erupt in a major battle; who had time to worry about such things? His Majesty anxiously supervised the fight online.

You Prefecture

Before dawn, Zhao Chuan saw the suddenly appearing Chief Steward Zhu, holding His Majesty's handwritten order, directing him to lead twenty thousand troops to support Shangguan Pass.

It was said they had received intelligence that the Xianbei great army was about to arrive.

Zhao Chuan examined the characters—His Majesty's own handwriting; examined the seal—His Majesty's military tally seal plus his private seal, all were in order.

His respect for the Chief Steward rose another notch.

It looks like before His Highness departed, he had already prepared a stack of edicts for the Chief Steward to issue according to the situation at critical moments?

One must have great faith in the Chief Steward!

However, the Commerce Department had already gotten the news of the Xianbei southern advance, so why did the Military Department still show no movement? In the midst of his busyness, he summoned the military intelligence team and gave them a good scolding…

Just as day broke, before the morning court even began, twenty thousand troops had already swiftly mustered and set out from the Western Great Camp.

When the officials arrived at the appointed time to go out to the offices, all they saw within the city was the supply train trailing behind the army.

Everyone stared at each other, wondering… it wouldn't be strange if they all ended up unemployed one day; everything runs automatically now, they know nothing, and the army has marched out of the city!

Fortunately, Zhu Ti is reliable; she went to see the Chancellor. She conveyed His Majesty's instruction, urging him to speed up the household registry survey and to promote more usable talents, as he urgently needed a batch of loyal officials.

After she had been gone a long while, Grand Tutor Xu finally found his voice: "She, she just said, His Highness has already taken Yumen Pass?"

"With a definite tone, that sounds about right."

Even the Grand Tutor was dazed.

It's really been a long time since we've seen His Majesty; that problem student of his actually snatched back the four northern commanderies that the court had ceded away!

Compared to those previous protracted wars in which the court exhausted all of Great Jin's national strength, this speed feels ever more unreal.

The Grand Tutor fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "Looking at it this way, the late emperor's giving him that name might have been… foresight?"

The Chancellor disagreed: "What… hasn't it also failed to suppress him? Born in a chaotic age, perhaps these were all predetermined. Still, he needs to make his own effort."

Unbidden, they recalled His Majesty's self‑chosen courtesy name Wei Tai Ping; the Chancellor shook his head: "Let's get to work—we need to adapt to His Highness's… efficiency, yes, efficiency. Otherwise we two old fogies will be left far behind. Does the talent His Highness wants have any prospects?"

You Prefecture has already been combed through; there are only so many literate people in Great Jin, making this harder than expanding the army through conscription.

Grand Tutor Xu pointed toward the direction of the northern frontier academy and said, "There's a place that hasn't been combed yet."

Chancellor: ……

"Then you go."

In the whole academy, there aren't many who haven't completely offended the Great King, and among those people, not many can enter official service……

——

★

How come this book's rating is 9.4 one day and 9.5 the next? It's flipped back and forth several rounds—what's the point?

The boss who tipped last time, the extra chapter will be posted tomorrow.