Chapter 107: Inspecting the Territory

In the early morning, Li Bucai was in his study reading about the history of Sky City.

Xianghong entered and said, "Lord, the lord of Qingyuan, the envoy sent by Master Qian Feng, Master Qian, wishes to see you."

"Oh? Master Qian's envoy? Please proceed to the main hall."

Li Bucai changed clothes and went to the first‑floor main hall, where a young girl was standing charmingly.

"May I have an audience, sir? I, by my master's command, have come to pay my respects," the girl said, bowing to Li Bucai.

"Skip the formalities, please sit," Li Bucai said as she sat down, "Didn't Master Qian say he would come in person these days? I was hoping to catch up with him."

"Yes, sir, I am here for that matter. My master will come tomorrow to pay a visit; to avoid being too abrupt, I was ordered to prepare in advance, and tomorrow we will deliver the remaining Salt."

Li Bucai nodded, realizing it concerned food and village administration, and roughly inquired about Master Qian Feng's recent affairs, then ordered Xianghong to escort her down and arrange a rest.

Soon after, Xianghong reported, "Lord, the Mirror Spirit Envoy wishes to see you."

The Mirror Spirit Nation is a School Uniform Girl across the river; Li Bucai invited him in, and the visitor was Shen Jun, a guard of the School Uniform Girl.

After he returned the courtesy, Li Bucai asked, "Your villagers have all been settled, right?"

Shen Jun nodded, replying, "I come by my princess's command; may I ask if you have time, sir."

"You mean the matter of road construction, right?"

"Yes, that's exactly why I'm here."

"Then… when will your master have time?" Li Bucai asked.

"Sir, we are now waiting on the riverbank across the river for your reply."

"Oh? Why didn't you say so earlier," Li Bucai said, and followed him out of the settlement.

The School Uniform Girl was waiting across the river; seeing him at the riverbank, she whispered, "I am preparing a road to Shalanjiang. Have you settled things on your side? Come and help me survey the terrain here, okay?"

Tomorrow is the Young Marshal's arrival day; after all, she is an imperial aristocrat. Out of courtesy, if I am in the Territory then, I will inevitably have to entertain her, and that would make me lose face before her. www. shouda8. com first release

Li Bucai mused, "How about this: I still have urgent matters today. If you have nothing tomorrow, Qian Feng will also be here. Three cobblers can make a Zhuge Liang; the three of us together might find a better route."

"Oh, it's because of Tan Jiang, right? I heard he attacked you last night; why didn't you call me?"

"Just Tan Jiang, and he doesn't have many troops; I can handle him. When I can't, you didn't tell me, I would have come to find you anyway."

"Then it's settled. I'll send someone to fetch you tomorrow."

Li Bucai nodded, and the two bid farewell.

Li Bucai did not return to Xinggong; he rode the Qingwolf Beast straight to the White Horse Beach Garrison. After the battle last night, it was placed under the guard of Yan Ji, and the captured Le Jin and Leng Ying were also locked there. Yesterday, on the way to Sky City, he handed the two over to Rui Tong for disposal; he later learned that Rui Tong, avenging her two assistants, had executed them. Li Bucai rebuked her twice but did not impose severe punishment, then chatted with the people clearing the grain fields near the garrison, helped them pull out the toughest tree roots, and afterwards went to San Shui Kou Water Village.

At this time, San Shui Kou Water Village had over 40 fishing boats: 37 seized from Tan Jiang, and another five built by carpenters. Three carpenters were currently continuing to build fishing boats, gaining experience for future transport and war vessels.

Using these two days, the city construction officer led the villagers to build a fishing village beside the water settlement; the fishermen will live there, and the water settlement will gradually expand.

One hundred fifty people being trained as fishermen were undergoing swimming drills. It was spring and the river was cold, so Li Bucai naturally would not have them practice in the river; instead, he dug a huge pool on the open ground of the fishing village. Though called a pool, it was essentially a deep pit lined with smooth stone and filled with hot water. Its purpose is to train villagers to swim now, and in a few days when the forty‑plus fishing boats go out, the catch cannot be transferred all at once to the White Horse Ferry Warehouse, so this pool can temporarily store fish.

At this moment, a hundred girls were playing in the water there; not far away was the water‑heating area. The water was only a bit cool, and dozens added hot water together, feeling no chill at all. The girls' thin garments clung to their skin, their natural hues faintly visible, adding a touch of sensuality.

"Lord, come and give us some guidance," many shouted, as several people could now float freely.

"Um… never mind, I still have some matters on my end; you all keep training at your own pace," Li Bucai said as the spring colors filled the pool. He feared losing composure before everyone and, with many tasks pending, it was not a time for pleasure.

Someone inspected the fishermen's dwellings; they sit right by the river. To avoid flooding, massive pillars are deeply buried, and houses are built atop them, high above the ground. Unless a once‑in‑a‑century flood occurs, water won't reach them. If a flood were fierce, the Long Qi Mountain Beacon Tower is not far behind; Long Qi Mountain is rock‑formed, so even heavy rain won't cause landslides. In the rare event of a centennial flood, taking shelter there suffices.

Now, since the farmland is just being reclaimed, tree roots are hard to extract, demanding much labor. Apart from fishermen, most villagers remain on White Horse Beach clearing wasteland. Besides the three basic agricultural occupations—fishing farmer, fisherman, and lumberjack—Li Bucai now has two small factories, one being a pottery workshop beside the White Horse Ferry Grand Stronghold.

Sixty villagers work here: twenty gather soil on the nearby slope and haul it back with two carts; ten transport the lumberjack's leftover branches and waste to be used as fuel for firing pottery; the rest handle tasks such as adding firewood, shaping clay bodies, firing, and finally moving the finished pottery back to the warehouse.

Li Bucai assigned specialists to select the exquisite pieces for safekeeping, to be traded with other lords later; the slightly inferior ones were placed in shops where villagers could buy them for a single coin.

Another small factory is a sealed workshop for papermaking; Li Bucai now uses this paper as currency. Since the first batch, he added a wall and wooden houses there and assigned his most trusted people to oversee it. Though the tools are crude and output modest, as they master the technique, the paper's quality improves and becomes more attractive, with bright colors added to give it a more monetary appearance.

Li Bucai, of course, will not distribute currency arbitrarily; it is issued according to their wage standards. The self‑made money now circulates sufficiently here, so in the future, whether outsiders wish to purchase goods or officials and soldiers within the Territory need to transact with this currency. Li Bucai has prepared to open a bank in the small settlement; internally, not for profit but to give villagers a place to save, reducing theft, and externally, it serves as an excellent means to attract capital.

The kings of myriad nations, with many tigers and wolves, must secure an invincible position; not only must they lead militarily, but also dominate economically. Li Bucai began issuing currency early to get it circulating ahead of others; then many matters can be unsettled without force, using a monetary war to disrupt opponents.

But this foundation is not merely having currency; to have one's money accepted, one must back it with abundant resources, advanced production techniques, and a host of other supports.

Here, money brings soldiers; to have more troops than others, one must first possess more resources and superior technology. Consequently, while Li Bucai eradicates all threats within the Territory, the next goal is to probe the reality of the Holy Spirit Sixteen Divisions.