Chapter 298: The Grand Trend of the Realm: Number One!

When Qin Yulong appeared there, Ling Pingyang's expression instantly tightened; he spurred his horse forward, gripping his heavy spear as he guarded Li Guanyi, his Dharma Form already naturally manifesting.

Qin Yulong, Grand Marshal and General of the State of Ying.

Holding the highest official rank.

A Master-level cultivator, commanding a frontline corps.

Ranked eighteenth on the List of Famous Generals of the Realm.

His thousand heavy cavalry, whether in quality, skill, or morale, were nearly equal to Ling Pingyang's five hundred Yue Family Heavy Cavalry, but Li Guanyi's side had another five hundred cavalry trained by the Fire Qilin Army alone—thus, overall, they were at a disadvantage.

Even within the Fire Qilin Army, only the aged Sword Madman could surpass Qin Yulong.

The Master of Motian Sect and the Furious Scale Dragon King, both Master-level experts, faced Qin Yulong.

Neither could defeat him in single combat.

Qin Yulong, among the multitude of fierce generals in the State of Ying, ranks among the top five; if one considers his age, it would not be difficult for him to one day become a Pillar of State and be enfeoffed as a Duke.

Qin Yulong did not grow angry at Ling Pingyang's vigilance.

He merely looked at Li Guanyi, bowed respectfully, and said: "His Majesty's order is for you, Qin Wu Hou, to speak alone. Qin Wu Hou, please!"

Ling Pingyang spurred his horse to guard him, but Li Guanyi raised his hand and said: "Pingyang, stay here."

Then he rode forward alone; beside the road stood a pavilion for travelers, where Li Guanyi and Qin Yulong sat together, their armies stationed a full li behind, visible only by their fluttering banners.

Qin Yulong produced a scroll of blue jade and spoke courteously:

"His Majesty heard that you, Qin Wu Hou, have marched here, overcoming passes and defeating generals. With the realm in chaos, His Majesty has been overwhelmed with state affairs and originally intended to grant you an imperial edict for unimpeded passage—but due to the matter of Chen Dingye, there was no time."

"We feared that along the way, local commanders might block you."

"So I was specially dispatched to wait here."

"All the officers in this city have received orders; His Majesty has additionally sent me to deliver one hunting robe, three official robes, and a thousand taels of gold as gifts."

Jiang Wanxiang had long known of Li Guanyi's movements; after the blood-written letter from Cangxi City arrived, Jiang Wanxiang took no action—he neither sent men to stop the city governors, magistrates, or generals and clans,

nor issued an imperial decree forbidding interference with Li Guanyi. Instead, he laughed loudly and tacitly approved the matter. After Yan Baotai's death, the Fourth Divine General He Ruo Qinhu flew into a rage, declaring he would personally kill Li Guanyi—but Jiang Wanxiang stopped him.

Jiang Wanxiang reassured him: "Though young, he has led the people across the river and now enjoys great renown. Moreover, it was Yan Baotai who intercepted him. Li Guanyi, in any case, is the Emperor's personally appointed Heavenly Strategy Grand General, authorized to command all troops under heaven."

"Yan Baotai confronting him directly was already somewhat improper. Now if we raise troops to kill him, will we not lose the people's hearts? He Ruo Qinhu, do not speak of this again."

Jiang Wanxiang held immense control over the court, so no civil or military official dared speak further—yet some among them still failed to understand that the phrase "authorized to command all troops under heaven" was merely a rhetorical device for public consumption.

Jiang Wanxiang had already, in practical terms, taken steps toward contending for the realm.

He no longer regarded the so-called Red Emperor with any respect.

Why would he heed this?

Only Chancellor Wei Yiwen, who had matched the Breaker in combat, held him back, forcing the Breaker to spend over a year to complete his scheme, pondered deeply, closed his door to visitors, and withdrew from civil-military disputes.

It was said that after Jiang Wanxiang returned to the palace, he laughed several times.

He immediately dispatched a trusted minister to Cangxi City, replacing the city's governors and commanders loyal to the Fourth Divine General; upon arrival, he swiftly began auditing household registrations.

The clans had no time to make up the shortfall.

Li Guanyi had taken several thousand households—a large number for a single city—but when the imperial envoy reported back, he claimed Cangxi City had lost a full ten thousand households; for any Emperor, population was of utmost importance.

Historical records state: the Emperor flew into a rage and issued multiple edicts.

Several officials were executed; the Chancellor feigned illness and remained silent.

The Cangxi City clans were forced to surrender the commoners who had been under their control to fill the gap, only then did the Emperor's fury subside—and the Ying Emperor appeared to cease his anger.

Thus, the Ying clans finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet they never imagined that Li Guanyi's Fire Qilin Army, dragging the people forward, was followed by Jiang Wanxiang's imperial envoys, who claimed to deliver edicts and letters—but upon reaching each location, immediately began inspecting population records.

Any discrepancies were immediately used to reopen old cases; the clans' control over the populace was forcibly reintegrated into imperial jurisdiction, and thus, the clans' power base was silently but drastically weakened, while imperial authority strengthened.

Hence, this stretch of road had been so difficult; Li Guanyi unrolled the scroll—it contained no edict, no letter, only two simple lines of text, charged with vast, piercing energy—

【All under heaven are fish and meat; you and I are the knife and cutting board!】

【We have hunted the deer; a true man must cut it up and cook it!】

Li Guanyi stared at those two lines.

Qin Yulong drew a blade, offered it with both hands, and said:

"His Majesty instructed me to thank you, Lord."

"This blade was forged by the Great Ying Sword Forge, named 'Cutting the Deer.'"

Li Guanyi reached out and gripped the blade, gazing at the scroll's words, murmuring: "'We have hunted the deer; a true man must cut it up and cook it…'"

Between autumn and winter of that year, Li Guanyi led his army forward, crossing Zhongzhou and the State of Ying, bringing twelve thousand households of refugees; historical records repeatedly note the Ying Emperor's fury—but from the Emperor's daily records and other officials' biographies,

the Ying Emperor quietly reaped the clans' power during Li Guanyi's campaign, reclaiming the very commoners who had long been under clan control, and seized the opportunity to dismiss many officials.

He also channeled these officials' resentment toward the Qin Wu Hou, who traversed the realm.

The Qin Wu Hou gained fame and population, yet Jiang Wanxiang suffered no loss.

Under the unspoken agreement of that day, both had made their own choices.

In the chaos of the realm, those who succeed do so by both of us profiting from it.

【All under heaven are fish and meat; you and I are the knife and cutting board.】

Li Guanyi now understood the old Ying Emperor a little better—magnanimous, cunning, and tyrannical. At that moment, in the Ying palace, Jiang Wanxiang gazed calmly at the distant frontier, where the sky was gray and snow fell.

The entire palace felt heavy and silent.

Li Guanyi had taken many people.

Yet the population and tax records of Ying's cities had actually increased compared to before.

This revealed the depth of the commoners' suffering, and how many had been bound to the clans.

Upon learning this, Jiang Wanxiang struck his sword against a pillar that day, his killing intent so intense that had Jiang Su and Wei Yiwen not come to pay their respects, the aged monarch would have personally followed Li Guanyi's path and slaughtered again.

"Li Guanyi…"

Jiang Wanshang fell silent for a long time, then laughed once.

Thinking of that young man, who led only a thousandfold weight of heavy cavalry yet dared to relocate one hundred and twenty thousand households—on the journey, dangers and hardships would not be few, yet such a feat, once accomplished, was enviable.

Jiang Wanshang recalled his own youth, clad in bright robes and riding spirited horses, wandering the streets as a free-spirited swordsman.

What Li Guanyi had done was precisely what he himself had once wanted to do but could not.

Starting as a collateral branch of the imperial clan, then becoming Emperor, later swallowing the grand ambition to rule all under heaven.

The higher one's status, the greater the constraints.

Now seeing someone accomplish what he himself had once craved but never attained, he naturally felt admiration—yet this very person was unquestionably his mortal enemy, so this admiration carried a faint trace of bitter longing.

Jiang Wanshang sat atop the highest floor of Zhaixing Tower, beside him a small red-clay stove warming a pot of wine, steam rising thickly; he lifted the cup toward the distance and said, "Li Guanyi, Qin Wu Hou."

"The next time you set foot on my Ying State's soil."

"Either your blades have already breached my borders, or I have already captured you—there can be no third possibility, can there?"

Jiang Wanshang said, "Go well, and go!"

"Do not come again."

In the winter palace, blanketed in endless snow, Jiang Wanshang drank a cup of wine, gazing out—only boundless emptiness, the world grown old, utterly solitary and indifferent.

Far away from the palace, at the border pass, Qin Yulong handed over the scroll, completed his official duty, and his expression softened; he could now speak casually of personal matters, no longer so stiff and cold.

He noticed Li Guanyi's hairpin and the ancient jade hairpin, and smiled:

"It seems Qin Wu Hou has already met Shuangtao."

Li Guanyi nodded.

Qin Yulong sighed, saying, "Pity—we, husband and wife, are stuck here guarding, with no chance to visit Zhongzhou." The pass had opened; Qin Yulong personally escorted him out, pointing to the distant mountains: "Today, my Lord, you depart."

"Today, the world is in great upheaval, nations surge like storms; when we meet again, it will likely be on the battlefield, locked in fierce combat—no longer calm and composed. Then, on that battlefield, between you and me, no mercy need be shown."

The Fire Qilin Army and one hundred and twenty thousand households passed through the Ying State pass.

Qin Yulong stood at the pass, watching them depart until they vanished.

Simultaneously, the news spread everywhere; in the Eighteen States of Jiangnan, falcons had already returned with word that Li Guanyi and his group were coming back—Lei Laomeng and Nangong Wumeng were greatly pleased.

Yuan Zhi received Li Guanyi's secret letter, his heart leapt with joy; he hurried to the government office, striding in—only to find a crowd gathered outside, and Pang Shuiyun was not there.

Before this, Master Pang had already led the Zongheng School disciples, the Mingjia School disciples, and the storytellers of the Nine Streams, spreading talk along the route Li Guanyi had taken.

Li Guanyi's deeds, combined with Master Pang's wide-scale propaganda.

Had gathered this immense momentum.

Yet now, the students inside the government office all had pale faces; Yuan Zhi glanced around, asked about the situation, and roughly understood what had happened; after hesitating, he reached out and pushed open the door.

The wooden door's opening sound was usually faint.

But now, the creaking noise sounded like a deathly wraith; Yuan Zhi involuntarily swallowed hard, pushed the door open, and saw at the front table a pile of scrolls, a young man around twenty seated behind it.

He was handsome enough, but his eyes bore heavy dark circles.

When he looked up, bloodshot veins filled his eye sockets.

The literati of the Eighteen States of Jiangnan all stepped back half a pace.

Yuan Zhi forced a stiff smile: "Daiqing, are you well? You don't seem to have rested well…"

Master Yan Daiqing stared at Yuan Zhi for a moment, then looked away, rubbing his brow:

"Ah, Yuan Zhi."

"I thought Li Guanyi had returned."

Yuan Zhi swallowed hard; though it was an ordinary sentence, it carried an inexplicable weight of menace, making Yuan Zhi's scalp prickle; he went to pour tea: "You… you really ought to rest properly, Daiqing."

Master Yan Daiqing held the tea, sneering:

"Rest?"

"Do I not want rest?"

"Who is preventing me from resting?"

"That Li fellow, he's lured over ten thousand households—he's moved an entire city, hasn't he?! What about logistics? Food? Where are these hundreds of thousands living? Where are they staying? How much do they eat? How is supply maintained?"

Li Guanyi's forces, traveling by waterway with mechanical ships and naval arrays, took a full season—from autumn into winter—waiting for the people, and giving the Eighteen States of Jiangnan time to prepare.

Fortunately, the Mo School and the Gongsun Clan were present; mechanical arts were not lacking, and building houses was no great challenge—but the greatest problem was grain and silver. Earlier, during the second rice harvest, the Agriculturalists' strength had been proven.

The harvest was abundant; the people said they hadn't seen such a good yield in years. At that time, Master Yan Daiqing's mood was cheerful—but soon, when the unnamed Qin Wu Hou, Tian Ce Shang Jiang, began to move, Master Yan Daiqing's mood plummeted.

At first, his mood was still good.

Even excellent.

Because the Eighteen States of Jiangnan were desperately short of people, and those aristocratic clans were utterly repulsive.

Originally, the seasoned Pang Shuiyun handled them—but Pang Shuiyun had left to wage the war of public opinion; Yuan Zhi, born among commoners, was too blunt and sturdy; Xiao Zhi had too narrow a mind and used overly cruel methods.

So this season, Master Yan Daiqing had to manage internal affairs, coordinate all construction efforts, barely hold back the autumn floods, build houses, adjust governance, and daily engage in wits and strategy against those clans.

When he learned of incoming civilians, he immediately realized this would increase his population, strengthen Jiangnan's Eighteen States, curb those clans, and earn great renown—a triple gain.

Ten thousand households? Daiqing smiled cheerfully.

Thirty thousand households? Master Yan Daiqing could still manage a smile.

Fifty thousand households? Master Yan Daiqing's smile slowly vanished.

When the population swelled to one hundred thousand households, Master Yan Daiqing's aura had become so sharp that even passing dogs avoided him; when the scroll detailing the one hundred and twenty thousand households, overseen by disciples of Wang Tong, arrived, his sleep time plummeted drastically.

At this point, even Xiao Zhi avoided him when they met.

He wouldn't even eat at the same table as Master Yan Daiqing.

Yuan Zhi pulled out the letter again; seeing Master Yan Daiqing's face dark with storm clouds, Master Yan Daiqing said: "Since it is his order, Yuan Zhi, you go lead the troops yourself—take Fan Qing, Murong Yuan, and the other war commanders."

"You need thirty thousand elite troops? Leave twenty thousand to defend; move swiftly."

"As for logistics, you need not worry."

Speaking of how logistics need not be worried about, Yan Daiqing's dark circles seemed even darker.

Yuan Zhi said: "Daiqing, you must also rest."

Yan Daiqing only laughed loudly: "If I rest, all of you and the common people will not rest well; it is precisely because I am still here handling these Juan Sect records that the people can come here and not be left without rest in the dead of winter."

"Such matters are no great concern."

"If I wanted to rest well at home and live a life of silk robes and fine food, Yan Daiqing would never have come here."

"Yuan Zhi."

Yan Daiqing spoke, rose slightly in bow, and said solemnly:

"I entrust you with the Lord's side."

Yuan Zhi's expression grew serious as he returned the bow: "Chief Secretary, rest assured."

Only then did Yan Daiqing seem at ease; Yuan Zhi went to retrieve Li Guanyi's secret letter, assembled the troops and generals, and prepared to depart, while Li Guanyi, after passing through the Ying State's border pass, had already reached the region just before the Eighteen Jiangnan States—the other seventeen state cities of Jiangnan.

These state cities belonged to Chen State; during the time when the Eighteen Jiangnan States were contested between Ying and Chen, these seventeen were buffer zones, all small and insignificant, with each state essentially consisting of just one state city.

Around each state city were two or three smaller towns, surrounded by villages, each village containing several hamlets, where people either farmed or raised silkworms.

After news of Li Guanyi's arrival in Jiangnan spread, the other Jiangnan state cities reacted, each going on high alert; they were Chen State's cities, yet they lay within Jiangnan, under the influence of the Eighteen Jiangnan States.

It was a very awkward situation.

The worst part was that the Eighteen Jiangnan States had done their benefits extremely well.

After doing so, they spread the news throughout Jiangnan by every means possible.

Added to that was the old villain Pang Shuiyun, utterly hateful—he had once been from the Imperial Academy's School of Diplomacy, a famed strategist of his time, but in this chaotic age where one general's success meant ten thousand bones buried, Pang Shuiyun's name had long since faded.

Until now, when he reemerged, Pang Shuiyun not only spread the changes in the Eighteen Jiangnan States throughout Jiangnan by every method, but somehow also stirred up envy among the common people of the other states; once envy arose, they looked back at their own lives and began to compare.

Once there was comparison, dissatisfaction followed.

Why, if both are Jiangnan people, do the Eighteen States give land while Chen State does not? Why are taxes so low there but so heavy here? Why do they have Imperial Academy students teaching them to read and write, while we remain illiterate our whole lives?

Why, with the same water and soil, do they reap bountiful harvests?

These individual grievances accumulated, and the common people's hearts were already deeply unbalanced; now, the Fire Qilin Army had marched in force from Zhongzhou, proclaiming itself an army of benevolence and righteousness.

The people of Zhongzhou, Ying State, the Fire Qilin Army wanted.

The common people of the other Jiangnan state cities were already restless.

Some even wished to go to the Eighteenth Jiangnan State.

The major state cities had already suppressed this, and the noble families paid no mind—they merely waited for the Fire Qilin Army's arrival, hoping their city governors would merely gather their followers and avoid provocation; yet they never expected the city gates to be knocked upon.

The governor sent men to investigate and saw a general with striking features, immensely imposing, gripping a long spear, shouting beneath the gate: "My lord is the First-Rank Qin Wu Hou, appointed by the Emperor of Zhongzhou as Heavenly Strategy Supreme General, commanding all troops under heaven!"

"Who are you, to keep us locked out?!"

Upon hearing this title, the city governor could only helplessly open the gates, since Li Guanyi's force numbered only a thousand and carried civilians—he need not fear seizing the city—and Li Guanyi and Wen Lingjun went to chat with the noble families.

Feng Xiao had already, along the way, taught villages and towns to spread word that the Qin Wu Hou had arrived and would do something in the First Jiangnan State City—but what exactly?

It turned out the Qin Wu Hou held some commoners' indenture contracts, and perhaps could transfer some from this state city to the Eighteen Jiangnan States—but who exactly? No one knew.

Pang Shuiyun and Feng Xiao, without even meeting, had joined forces in a move: if they directly named families with indenture or land deeds, the common people would not come—but now, with no names given, curiosity was stirred.

Almost every village and town sent people of the same surname and hometown to investigate.

By the time the noble families sobered up, it was too late; Li Guanyi clapped his hands, and Ling Pingyang carried over a chest, opened it, and said: "These are the commoners' indenture contracts—please verify them."

The noble families looked and confirmed it was true; they muttered weakly: "This… is…"

"Just some slaves' indenture contracts."

One high-ranking nobleman laughed, trying to brush it off: "Does the Qin Wu Hou lack servants? Hahaha, no problem—I can give you some!"

Li Guanyi said:

"Thank you for your kindness, but I have far too many indenture contracts."

"I merely wish to go over the public accounts with the common people, and see whether these indentured folk wish to leave with me, Li Guanyi."

The noble families exchanged glances; one drunken fool rose, shouting: "There is no such justice in the world! How dare you, Qin Wu Hou, bully others with power?!"

Li Guanyi almost laughed in anger:

"I hold the contracts—why can't I take these people away?"

The man faltered, then insisted: "Here, this is the rule!"

"Qin Wu Hou Li Guanyi, renowned for benevolence—do you intend to bully others with power? If you need servants, I have many to spare—I even have a pair of thirteen-year-old twins, both orphaned, with no uncles; I've trained them long and have yet to enjoy them."

"If you wish, I'll give them to you—but to demand benefits by force, under such a pretense of righteousness? How vile beneath the surface!"

"Don't speak of you—even when Yunmeng Princess, the young master of the Xue Clan, came, he couldn't take them away! Hmph—even the Xue Clan's power couldn't manage it—do you, Qin Wu Hou, think yourself stronger than the Xue Clan?"

A sword sang.

Ling Pingyang, enraged, drew his blade and stabbed the nobleman dead right at the banquet; his corpse fell to the ground, and all surrounding nobles turned ashen-faced. Li Guanyi looked at the nobleman's corpse, closed his eyes, and spoke with a voice cold as iron:

"I didn't hear the rule."

"Who will say it again to me?"

Beside Li Guanyi, the Fire Qilin raised its head, its cold, indifferent gaze sweeping over the crowd; the Fire Qilin had grown to over one zhang tall, standing behind the seated Qin Wu Hou, its head nearly touching the plaque.

The plaque was fine purple sandalwood, gilded with four large characters: 【Gentleman's Family Tradition】.

The Qilin opened its mouth, and golden-red flames slowly gathered.

An indescribable terror pressed down; the young man who had walked among the commoners no longer seemed the paragon of benevolence, but a figure of overwhelming power, ruthless and domineering.

No one dared to object.

Thus, the nobles and officials fell silent; Li Guanyi rose and said: "Then, according to the world's rule, I shall read these indenture contracts—the common people will leave with me." The Qin Wu Hou's bearing was serene and noble; the Qilin stepped forward, raised its head, and spat a burst of flame.

It burned the plaque bearing the four characters 【Gentleman's Family Tradition】 into charcoal.

The next day, the common people came en masse; villagers from all nearby towns and villages gathered beneath the city gates, and the nobles and officials were there too—they still comforted each other, saying there weren't many with indentures anyway; let them go!

It wasn't worth opposing the Qin Wu Hou.

But they memorized every single civilian who had come.

They dared not provoke Qin Wu Hou, but planned to brutally oppress these remaining civilians after Qin Wu Hou left, to vent their anger—Li Guanyi said this, then brought forth many deeds of indenture.

These deeds of indenture were all collected by Xue Shuangtao from around seventeen prefectures in Jiangnan; in this city alone, there were at most a few thousand people. After Li Guanyi finished speaking, Wen Lingjun arrived wearing his official robes, holding the pile of deeds.

The aristocrats sneered in their hearts: Only these many?

The civilians' eyes were numb yet yearning—yearning for their own names to be among them.

How should one proceed…?

Wen He crossed his arms and watched Wen Lingjun, lowering his gaze slightly: "Wen Lingjun."

The grand tide of righteousness comes first!

Wen Lingjun exhaled, then lowered his gaze, suddenly raised his hand, and tossed the entire chest of deeds into the flames—where they burned fiercely, every single deed consumed, without naming a single soul.

Everyone froze, staring at the roaring fire, momentarily bewildered.

Wen Lingjun's voice was clear, cold, and calm: "There are too many deeds of indenture—I won't read them."

"All civilians whose deeds of indenture were burned."

"May all join the Fire Qilin Army!"