Chapter 810: Three Hundred Thousand Souls Shock the Heavens, the Clear Sky Looks Back at the Drought Clouds

The great door of Zheng Hall was pushed open at the exact hour of Chen, and the sound of the iron‑clad wooden door grinding over copper rails was dull and heavy.

All sixteen copper floor lamps in the hall lit up, illuminating the black‑lacquered long table so clearly that every fine detail was visible; on the tabletop lay a neatly stacked pile of Bamboo Silk Scrolls, and the topmost volume bore a dark‑red Great Seal of the Governor of Xiazhou on its cover.

Zhang Wenqian was the first to walk in.

He moved faster than usual today, his official robe's front lapels slightly rolled up from hurrying, yet his back remained as straight as if forged from iron.

After standing at the first left seat beside the chief's position, he drew the scroll covered with the Great Seal from his sleeve, held it to his chest, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

Gao Jiong entered from the right door, his armor flashing coldly in the light, and he took the first seat on the right side.

Gu Yuci, Lu Ming, and Ye Zhuxi took their seats in turn.

Chu Ci stood at the end seat.

He was wearing a brand‑new blue official robe today; the patch on his shoulder was gone, replaced by an embroidered white‑winged bird emblem, the mark of a seventh‑rank civil official.

But on his feet were still the cloth shoes that exposed half of his big toes.

Chen Yan entered last.

He sat at the chief's seat and tapped the tabletop with his finger.

"Zhang Wenqian."

Zhang Wenqian leaned forward half an inch, raising the scroll to chest height with both hands.

"Your Excellency, the final results of the comprehensive household registration sweep across all of Xiazhou have been compiled."

His voice was low as he spoke, yet each word carried an uncontainable slight tremor.

Chen Yan gave a slight nod.

"Nian."

Zhang Wenqian unfolded the scroll, scanned the densely packed numbers, and his fingers pressed deep folds along the edge of the scroll.

"Before the sweep, Xiazhou's registered population was one million seventy‑four thousand plus households."

His voice paused for a beat.

"After the sweep, through uncovering hidden households, mountain refugees' returns, and the earlier supplemental registration of Qi State refugees, Xiazhou now has a registered population of one million three hundred seventy‑six thousand plus households."

He pressed heavily on the number beneath the scroll with his finger.

"A net increase of three hundred thousand two hundred households."

The moment the number landed, the air in Zheng Hall seemed to solidify for an instant.

Lu Ming's broad, honest face showed a shock he himself had not yet realized; his mouth opened slightly, then closed.

Ye Zhuxi's fingers tightened on his knees by two points.

Gu Yuci's eyes swirled with an unmistakable exhilaration, but his lips were pressed tight, and he made no sound.

Gao Jiong's mouth corner twitched, and the Dark Hawk's face rarely displayed a expression close to satisfaction.

Chu Ci, standing at the end seat, kept his back as straight as a spear; his mouth corner moved faintly, the curve slight yet hiding something deep.

Chen Yan took the scroll, his finger slowly tracing the figure three hundred thousand.

"Three hundred thousand souls."

He folded the scroll and placed it on the table.

"Of these three hundred thousand, how many were extracted from the strongholds of powerful families?"

Zhang Wenqian answered swiftly.

"About one hundred twenty thousand, spread across twenty‑eight counties' large private estates; all were re‑registered, granted freedom, and allocated land."

Chen Yan's finger tapped the tabletop again.

"How many returned from the deep mountains?"

"Approximately four thousand, including over three thousand seven hundred who surrendered during the self‑surrender period and later rescued wanderers."

Chen Yan's finger tapped once more.

"And the rest?"

Zhang Wenqian turned to the second page of the scroll.

"The remaining roughly one hundred forty thousand have a complex origin: over eighty thousand were previously omitted or concealed mobile residents in county registers, and over sixty thousand are recent scattered refugees who voluntarily migrated from the Qi State border."

Chen Yan placed the scroll on the table, crossing his fingers to support his chin.

"One million three hundred seventy‑six thousand."

He chewed over the number in his mouth twice.

"Enough."

He released his fingers, stood, and walked to the massive military Shupan.

"These three hundred thousand are our manpower, tax base, the confidence for this lord to secure a foothold on the Northern Border."

His palm pressed on the region of Xiazhou depicted on the Shupan, and the pressure from his knuckles tilted a few small flags slightly.

"Without people, everything is empty; with people, everything can grow."

He turned, his gaze sweeping each seated person in turn, finally resting on Chu Ci at the end seat.

"Chu Ci."

Chu Ci's body tightened slightly.

"Shuyi at your service."

Chen Yan lifted the small flag representing Qinggui County from the Shupan, twirled it between his fingers twice.

"You've handled Qinggui County's mess well, led the land‑survey, uncovered the most hidden households, and bore the six assassins without fleeing."

He placed the small flag back in its spot.

"When I promoted you, I said: when the flag falls, the people's hearts scatter."

He looked into Chu Ci's eyes.

Your banner hasn't fallen.

Chu Ci's Adam's apple rolled, he bowed and clasped his fists, his voice clear, but the ending carried a faint tremor.

Shuyi's life and Shuyi's official hat were given by the Pillar of the State; Shuyi does not dare let the Pillar's banner fall.

Chen Yan's mouth corner lifted slightly.

From today, you will continue to hold the position of Qinggui County Magistrate, with an additional title of Inspection Commissioner, responsible for supervising the performance of the new officials in the six southern counties.

His gaze shifted from Chu Ci to sweep across the entire table.

The other twenty‑six newly promoted officials from humble families, if they performed outstandingly during the investigation period, will each be promoted one rank, with Zhang Wenqian drafting the specific list and submitting it to this Duke for Public Trial approval.

Zhang Wenqian clasped his fists.

Shuyi obeys.

Chen Yan's gaze turned to Gao Jiong.

The Mingjing Department's contribution is the greatest this time; the Hidden Agent's intelligence network is the lifeline of this investigation. Without your eyes, the Duke's blade cannot strike where it should.

Gao Jiong bowed his head extremely low.

Shuyi's duty.

Chen Yan drew from his sleeve a palm-sized dark iron token; its front bore a line of seal script, and its back was engraved with a crossing of a soaring eagle and a Horizontal Blade.

The Mingjing Department's Ti Cavalry strength expanded from 1,200 to 2,000, the Hidden Agent force doubled, and the funding is allocated specially from the Zongguan Fu war treasury.

He placed the token before Gao Jiong.

This is the Duke's authorization for you; take it.

Gao Jiong lifted the token with both hands, then hammered it with a fist onto his Chest Armor, the sound bearing an almost overflowing loyalty.

Shuyi swears to die without betraying the Pillar of the State.

Chen Yan sat back on the main seat, his finger slowly drawing an arc on the armrest.

This campaign, from Flaying and Straw Stuffing to Lingchi execution of the chief villain, from simple removal of humble officials to psychological subjugation, the Duke took almost a month.

His voice lowered by half a tone.

The remaining forces of Qi State's spies were uprooted, the backbone of local magnates was broken by seventy percent, and grassroots administration was pulled from the mire and cleaned anew.

He crossed his fingers to support his chin.

Xiazhou's foundation is now roughly established.

Everyone in the Zheng Hall straightened their backs a little more, each face bearing the same expression.

Excitement.

Chen Yan's gaze passed over those excited faces and fell on the sliver of sky beyond the Zheng Hall's Damen.

He suddenly rose and strode toward the doorway.

He pushed open the Zheng Hall's Damen; spring wind rushed in, making his robe flap with a rustling sound.

He stood on the threshold, raising his head.

The sky stretched for miles, cloudless.

The blue was so intense it made eyes sting, stretching from the eastern horizon to the western horizon without a trace of cloud, like a massive blue steel plate scraped clean by a knife.

Chen Yan's brows furrowed.

Zhang Wenqian followed behind him, glanced at the sky along his line of sight, and the excitement on his face faded considerably in that instant.

Pillar of the State.

Chen Yan did not turn around.

There have been a few rains this month.

Zhang Wenqian pressed his lips together; the excitement in his voice was replaced by a new heaviness.

Shuyi has checked the weather records of each county, from the start of spring planting to today, a full month, Xiazhou has seen no drizzle at all.

Chen Yan's palm pressed against the doorframe, the pressure of his knuckles leaving a shallow dent in the wooden frame.

No drizzle has fallen.

He repeated those four words in his mouth.

Zhang Wenqian stepped beside him, his voice pressed low.

All counties have completed spring sowing, but soil moisture continues to decline; if another half month passes without rain, the wheat seedlings will begin to wither.

His fingers tightened slightly in front of him.

One million three hundred seventy thousand mouths; if this autumn's harvest yields no grain...

He did not finish the sentence.

Chen Yan released his hand from the doorframe, turned, and looked at the subordinates in the Zheng Hall still immersed in the joy of discussing merits and granting rewards.

His gaze lingered a moment on each face, then withdrew, settling on the threshold beneath his feet.

Old Zhang.

Zhang Wenqian leaned forward half an inch.

the Duke's voice dropped to a level only two people could hear.

If Heaven does not aid the Duke, the Duke will help himself!