Chapter 338: To Secure Dominion Over All Quarters, One Must Earn the Title of Divine Archer General

Changfeng Lady's return was met with enthusiastic welcome from the entire Fire Qilin Army.

All of Qin Wu Hou's subordinates gathered around him.

They asked one by one about the items Changfeng Lady had brought, and once each received what they desired, they dispersed in a burst of noise—Xu Tiange obtained the seeds he needed, muttering that it was fortunate the heavens had recently shown auspicious signs, increasing water flow somewhat.

Though it gradually receded, it was still far better than before.

Perhaps something good could be planted.

Fan Qing personally hosted the war generals from Li Zhaowen's command.

He planned to first draft a conceptual outline, transforming these fierce generals of the ducal mansion into people sharing the same ideals and ambitions, before entrusting his comrades to their leadership.

Po Jun saw the alliance charter personally written by Li Zhaowen, rejoiced greatly, and returned immediately to study it.

Li Guanyi saw the six chests of treasure.

The Nine-Colored Deer perceived the clarity of the young lord's dream; his balanced, unshakable confidence—both Daoist and hegemonic—vanished instantly, drowned in golden light, as the boy's lips curved upward in an smile that could not be erased.

Li Guanyi, refreshed and invigorated!

"With so much gold and silver ware, if well-made, it could let the people of Agni City live well through autumn, avoiding the harsh weather of late summer and early autumn…" Li Guanyi reached out, grasped a handful of objects, his eyes bright.

Li Guanyi wondered:

"But why send so many gold hairpins and jade hairpins?"

Changfeng Lady stirred inwardly, stepped forward, bowed, and said: "The alliance terms were given by the Duke; these gold, silver, and jade items are the Young Master's private collection, personally entrusted to me to deliver to you."

Li Guanyi was astonished: "The Young Master's private collection?"

Changfeng Lady had already tried subtly hinting—could he not have realized these were items used by women, gold hairpins and jade ornaments?

Li Guanyi pondered, then smiled: "Ah, I see!"

"I thought so—the Young Master is so refined, elegant, and strikingly handsome. Now I understand why!"

Changfeng Lady's eyes lit up.

Oh no!

Li Guanyi clapped his hands: "So he's won the hearts of so many women, and received all these gold hairpins and jade ornaments as gifts!"

Changfeng Lady felt as if his heart had died.

Pressure so great it gave him a headache and stomachache.

"Ah, heh, heh… you're right."

Changfeng Lady gave up again. Li Guanyi accepted all the items, then received the gift Changfeng Lady had brought for him—Li Guanyi held the exquisite folding fan, nodded with a smile, and agreed.

Throughout Agni City, during this period, a rapid advancement began; with Po Jun present, Li Guanyi would suffer no loss under the alliance charter.

Both sides signed agreements on trade, alliance, and other matters.

When Li Guanyi had time to visit the Duke's seat in Xiyicheng, he could personally sign the alliance contract with the ducal mansion; until then, thanks to Po Jun's strategy and Li Zhaowen's aid, the alliance was already beginning to take effect.

Fur, fruit, quinoa from Agni City were sent to Xiyicheng.

Meanwhile, grain, ceramics, and other goods from border cities of the Central Plains flowed in.

Mutual trade spurred economic flow; Li Guanyi issued orders to encourage agriculture and sericulture, stimulate economic growth; meanwhile, Fan Qing, as general, led ten or more talented officers sent by Li Zhaowen as deputy generals and assistant commanders, commanding troops to sweep the surrounding regions.

Within just one month, Li Guanyi subdued the entire former ancient kingdom of Agni.

Six to five hundred li north to south, four hundred li east to west.

All cities, towns, and villages within fell under Li Guanyi's command.

Light taxes and minimal corvée; Po Jun drafted the laws, differing from Jiangnan's harshness—he advocated lenient punishment, declaring: "Laws maintain order and uphold intent, but must not ignore human sentiment—they are not rigid and unchanging."

Jiangnan's aristocratic clans were arrogant; they required talents like Xiao Zhi, with strict laws to enforce discipline.

The Western Regions' customs were rough; they needed lenient, simplified laws to help them adapt gradually.

Li Guanyi nodded and asked: "Mr. Po Jun, do you understand law?"

Po Jun smiled: "A little. Just a little."

Later, during idle chat, Li Guanyi mentioned figures from Tiance Prefecture; Po Jun said: "Wen Lingjun excels in grand strategy, accumulating overwhelming momentum that none in the world can challenge; Wen He appears skilled in personal planning, but is truly a genius for governing the realm, adept at winning the people's hearts."

"He can protect himself and protect the people of the realm."

"Yuan Zhi's strategies are clever and adaptable, skilled in military momentum, capable of commanding battles involving one hundred thousand troops."

"Xiao Zhi is calm, skilled in legal codes and governance."

"Master Yan Daiqing's mind is clear and meticulous, skilled in internal administration and coordination; Fang Ziqiao is gentle and quiet, rich in ingenious wisdom; Du Ke is decisive and resolute, able to make instant decisions; Wei Xuancheng's gaze is sharp and seasoned, able to perceive others' weaknesses."

"All are the finest talents of the age, now under your command."

"Together with the scholars from the Imperial Academy, they sustain the prosperity of Jiangnan."

Li Guanyi said: "Just luck. But Mr. Po Jun, what are you skilled in?"

The purple-eyed strategist sipped tea, unmoved: "Me?"

"I understand a little of everything."

Li Guanyi laughed heartily.

After thirty or so days, a territory was secured, cities consolidated; yet the Western Regions were vast and sparsely populated, their population far less than the Central Plains; Li Guanyi appointed Pan Wanxiu and Gongsun Huai Zhi as officials, expanding towns into new cities.

He publicized the karez system throughout the realm.

His domain encouraged agriculture and sericulture, light taxes and minimal corvée, permitted refugees from the Ying and Chen states to settle, and gathered wandering tribes.

He allowed those who lived nomadically along waterways across the vast land to come to Agni.

Any monk, nun, or Daoist who could support themselves was welcome in the city.

Those seeking to live without labor, claiming to be the Buddha, should go elsewhere.

Those who acted wildly, displaying supernatural feats to impress others—there were thirteen monk enforcers, trained by a living Buddha from the Central Plains, to greet them.

A bald giant with broad shoulders, massively developed biceps, wielding a water-fire staff as thick as a bowl, holding a steaming teapot that bubbled continuously as he discussed the Dao with you.

You'd better truly want to discuss the Dao with him.

Li Guanyi gave Fan Qing one-third of the gold, silver, and artifacts, instructing him to travel elsewhere and rescue the so-called serfs and slaves. Fan Qing stared at those boxes upon boxes of gold and silver and said, "This much gold and silver is simply too much."

Li Guanyi said, "That's why we must bring them back."

Fan Qing said, "But this gold and silver is in the hands of those nobles."

Li Guanyi clapped him on the shoulder; the young Marquis's eyes held a tiger's gaze as he smiled calmly: "It's merely stored with them."

"One day, we will take it back!"

Fan Qing saw that those eyes, once careless, had turned sharp.

He bowed his head in assent.

To Fan Qing's eyes, this was the declaration of a great founding Marquis Qin Wu Hou, tiger-like and ruling the Central Plains; to Gong Nang Wumeng, it was merely this poor boy scribbling down the names of those human traffickers on his little notebook, heart aching as he did it.

Outwardly generous, inwardly he bit his quilt, wishing he could swallow these bastards whole.

Thus, Han Chinese fleeing the Central Plains and nomadic tribes from the Western Regions gathered here; the population once exceeded a million, barely sustained by war spoils and support from the State Duke's mansion, trade, and other matters.

In official appointments, he broke all conventions, employing Han Chinese, Westerners, and wandering tribes.

Whoever had talent would be appointed.

He established schools, preserving each Western tribe's script while mandating Han Chinese writing.

He shattered taboos and customs, eradicated old vices, and did not oppose intermarriage among the many ethnic groups and tribes; the region under Asini's command soon gained great renown, subtly drawing countless wandering tribes here.

Fan Qing racked his brains to compose propaganda for Asini City.

But the effect was truly terrible.

He came from humble origins—once a martial cultivator, traveled the Jianghu, still bore criminal tattoos, though these had been removed by Qi Laogui and the others; he had no literary flair.

Po Jun glanced at it, then rewrote Fan Qing's content in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

He wove it into a song, following the rhythm and cadence of Western dialects.

He even composed a melody and arranged it for different musical instruments.

When Fan Qing saw it, he thought the man was divine.

Then, with a basin of fruit as payment, he asked Sa Atandi, this young girl, to sing it aloud. Thus, the caravans of Asini City spread far and wide; across the desert, beneath the moonlight, travelers and merchant groups alike could hear the girls' songs.

The wind carried the chime of bells; the spirit of the wind asked, Traveler, where are you going?

If you seek knowledge, go to Asini City.

There dwell the sages of the entire Western Region; even spirits bow before their debates.

If you seek wealth, go to Asini City.

There, clear camel bells bring the winds of the Central Plains and Jiangnan, gathering the golden gleam of fortune.

If you, traveler, seek your homeland—

Then go to Asini City.

There, the first Tian Ge and his brothers dance beneath his radiance; let us drink together, sing of peace's triumph, where rivers flow with milk and the wind carries floral fragrance, a land of wealth and victory, our homeland and place of return.

Fan Qing's propaganda, the rise and fall of syllables, rhythm and melody, the girl's clear, melodious voice, the Han men beating waist drums, Hu Qin, and the yellow sands—all moved together with the moonlight along every trade route.

Asini City gradually flourished.

At this time, more than one person told Li Guanyi it was time to change the city's name: "A name is the original belonging. If we keep this name buried for three hundred years, who will know this is a new city?"

On this day, Li Guanyi picked up his brush and wrote the new city's name.

【Anxi City】

The people of Anxi City in the Western Regions, organized under the 【Anxi Protectorate】.

The 【Protectorate】 is a subordinate organization of the 【Tiance Prefecture】.

It holds full authority over all matters in the Western Desert.

"Anxi City, Anxi Protectorate…" Li Guanyi picked up his brush, gazing at the characters he'd written, a faint, complex, melancholy smile on his face; then he said to Lei Laomeng beside him: "Let it be. My calligraphy was taught by my aunt."

"It has a bit of bone and spirit in it, but it cannot compare to hers."

"Anxi City—peace for the Western Regions. Ha, this name is good!"

The ever-capable Lei Laomeng personally carved it onto the hardest Qinggang rock in the Western Regions, replacing the old sign; thus, Asini City, which had endured for centuries on this land, vanished into the dust of history.

The new 【Anxi City】 stood upon the desert, gathering Han-sinified Westerners, Western-sinified Han Chinese, warrior refugees from lost homelands, and literati seeking glory.

Where the Anxi Protectorate stood, the people were content. Though bound by laws and revering their penalties, none resented them; this was a land of peace, a jewel of the Western Regions guarded by mighty cavalry, its many names gradually flourishing.

Li Guanyi once again became destitute.

The newly elevated Master Li Guanyi stared at the city walls, now expanded into Inner and Outer Cities, his eyes vacant, as desperate as a squirrel returning in winter to find its hidden pine nuts stolen by damned humans.

"Ah, money—why won't it last?!"

Li Guanyi felt a chill in the wind; the boy propped his chin on his hands, gazing into the distance, sighing. These days, bandits had grown fewer and desert raiders passed Anxi City less often because Li Guanyi himself had taken to the road.

A newly elevated Master, no less.

Carrying the Fire Qilin, dragging Gong Nang Wumeng.

He wandered the highways at leisure, just as Xue Daoyong had done over a hundred years ago—single-handedly reverse-robbed every desert bandit in the region. Soon, all bandits learned: once they attempted robbery, misfortune followed.

Especially when they struck gold—they'd encounter, as if cursed, a veiled, lazy woman and a young lad clad in scaled armor and battle robes, and then the desert raiders themselves would be robbed.

In barely ten days, every desert bandit on the Western trade routes fled in terror.

"It's time to go to Xiyicheng."

"Er Lang is fine, but his father and elder brother seem impatient. We've already fulfilled our alliance obligations—striking down Western forces hostile to the State Duke's Li family."

"They seem to distrust me."

Li Guanyi propped his chin on one hand, tossing the letter he'd received.

Inside Anxi City now stood a teahouse, tall and unadorned; above its entrance, the three characters were inscribed in Han Chinese large seal script, Western script, and Tuyuhun script—

【Changfeng Tower】

The boy sat atop the city walls, gazing at Changfeng Tower, his heart at peace.

Where the Fire Qilin roared, the Changfeng Lady came with it.

But this time, the Changfeng Tower was not established by Xue Shuangtao's emissaries; rather, Li Guanyi rebuilt it after subduing this city, waited for the Xue family's trade route to arrive, made his intentions clear, and thus this tower came to be.

Li Guanyi personally wrote a letter to Xue Shuangtao.

After thinking it over, he wrote another letter to Old Man Xue Daoyong.

At the same time, he sent gifts to Old Man Chen Chengbi, Aunt Chen Qingyan, Empress Xue, and Empress Xue's son—but the last two could not be stated so plainly.

Yet as Li Guanyi glanced over, he saw Changsun Wuchou hurrying back—during this period, Changsun Wuchou had relinquished his former role as scout cavalry captain and returned to his original trade.

He moved back and forth between the Anxi Protectorate, the Duke's Mansion, and Li Zhao Wen.

Changsun Wuchou was cunning and cautious; after his father's death in youth, his uncle seized the family fortune, and he fled with his sister across ten thousand li to the Duke's Mansion, making him deeply calculating and adroit in maneuvering—he was the most skilled in such matters in the entire Tiance Prefecture and Anxi City.

But Li Guanyi noticed a look of alarm on his face.

His heart stirred with worry—was Li Zhao Wen in trouble? —and he leapt down at once toward him. Indeed, Changsun Wuchou rushed forward upon seeing Li Guanyi, seized his arm, and cried: "Disaster! Disaster!"

"What is it, Wuchou? Speak slowly."

Changsun Wuchou said: "Can't wait, can't wait!"

"My Lord, the alliance has problems!"

Li Guanyi and Pojun exchanged glances, dismissed those around them, and said: "Could it be that we've done something wrong?"

Changsun Wuchou chuckled bitterly: "No, it's because we've done too well—Master Pojun's strategy, Your Lordship's prestige, General Fan Qing's campaigns and propaganda—we've gained vast territory and population growth, thriving commerce, even flourishing culture."

"Isn't that normal?"

Changsun Wuchou replied: "But this is the Western Regions."

"A land of warring warlords, where the Tangut Kingdom is collapsing, where the Yu Langwang maintains balance… In such chaos, even doing ordinary things makes one shine—let alone what we've done."

"Your Lordship's grand vision is unmatched in a thousand years."

"Master Pojun possesses wisdom; Second Young Master offers unwavering support; all are free of rear worries—thus Anxi City has become renowned far and wide, even the Duke and nobles of Xiyicheng have heard Your Lordship's name."

"When speaking of young elites, he is clearly a man of fiery spirit."

Li Guanyi said: "Isn't that good?"

The young lord pondered, then blurted out: "Can we get more money?"

Changsun Wuchou choked on his breath.

Pojun mused: "When peaches ripen, people come to pick them."

"It seems someone intends to replace the Second Young Master, ally with Your Lordship, and even seize control of you?"

Changsun Wuchou said: "As Master Pojun says, he, they…"

This fox-like minister grunted for a long while, then said only: "They want the Second Young Master's… sister to enter a marriage alliance." Pojun and Li Guanyi stared at each other; Changsun Wuchou himself didn't know how to say more.

The Duke says nothing.

The First Young Master wants to take control of this matter himself.

Theoretically, the First Young Master is the legitimate eldest son; Li Zhao Wen is merely his sister, and a sister should pose no threat—but Li Zhao Wen has always dressed as a boy. When she was young, Li Jianwen doted on her and helped conceal her identity.

The brother and sister were very close.

But as time passed, Li Jianwen gradually realized Li Zhao Wen's martial skill, literary talent, strategy, and breadth of vision surpassed his own; his fraternal affection slowly turned to resentment. When he found the whole world knew only of the Second Young Master of the Li Duke's house—even when people mentioned him, they smiled and said—

"With your Second Young Master's aid, you can sleep soundly."

Li Jianwen smiled in reply, yet inwardly could not help feeling unbalanced.

Moreover, this land is near the Western Regions, where customs are coarse and uncouth, lacking the Central Plains' reverence for the legitimate eldest son; Xiyicheng has inevitably been influenced. Li Jianwen grew increasingly fearful that this boy-dressed sister might seize his position.

This fear reached its peak when Li Zhao Wen proposed this grand strategy for the realm.

And especially after Li Guanyi, Pojun, and the entire Tiance Prefecture demonstrated their capabilities—Li Jianwen's mind grew more torn, and under his third brother's provocation, he impulsively made a decision.

He would arrange a marriage between Li Zhao Wen and a noble of equal standing—at least initiate contact.

But Changsun Wuchou could not plainly lay this out to Li Guanyi.

He could only speak slowly, word by word:

"This Young Lady is the Second Young Master's most beloved sister; they are as one. The Second Young Master will certainly handle this himself; even if Your Lordship is clever and decisive, the marriage alliance will not succeed."

"But noble family marriages are complex and will inevitably distract the Second Young Master's attention."

"The alliance with us will be taken over by the First Young Master."

"The First Young Master excels in scheming and balance—he will not support us as before."

Changsun Wuchou drew a deep breath, looked at Li Guanyi, and said solemnly: "Your humble general dares to propose: My Lord, might you go to assist? First, to separate yourself from the Tian Ge'er identity, lest suspicion arise."

"Second, my Young Lady is of heavenly beauty and unmatched talent."

"And Your Lordship is a sovereign of the realm."

"You are a perfect match!"

Pojun raised an eyebrow.

Pojun pondered.

Pojun gradually understood, and a faint smile curled his lips.

"My Lord, what do you think?"

Li Guanyi said without hesitation: "Allow me to refuse."

Changsun Wuchou's heart seized; he nearly spat blood:

"My Lord, you haven't even met the Young Lady—why so quick to refuse?"

Li Guanyi said gravely: "I and Second Young Master are sworn brothers in life and death, allies in chaos; his sister is my sister. If he is targeted because of our carelessness, and even his own sister is turned into a pawn—"

"At such a moment of crisis—"

"How could Li Guanyi take advantage of his plight?!"

"To act like such a villain!"

"Grandson, say no more."

Sun Wuchou nearly spat blood.

Wang Tong, you've trained a fine disciple!

Lord, you could afford to lower your moral standards a bit.

Li Guanyi paused again, whispering: "Besides, though I am no one of note, along this path I have already received kindness from beauties… I do not know what the future holds, though the world is not yet settled, how can I think of family?"

"Though my body has been pledged to the state, I cannot pledge it to you."

"But if I survive… I will not betray you!"

"I have come this far; the world is fickle, so I can no longer carry emotional debts. Wuchou, rest assured—I will find a way to help with Erniang's matter. Coincidentally, it is time to go to Xiyicheng."

"Besides, she is of noble birth all her life; to wed a poor scholar like me would be inappropriate."

Sun Wuchou raised a hand to his forehead, the few phrases echoing thunderously in his mind.

【The world is not yet settled—how can one think of family?】

【This body has been pledged to the state, hard to pledge to you.】

【Behold the world, heroes vie for supremacy.】

【A thousand years hence, achievements endure; gold and silver are but a handful of yellow earth.】

He simply felt these two shared the same temperament and spirit—even their mutual indifference was perfectly matched.

"Still, it's good that the Lord is going to Xiyicheng."

Sun Wuchou could only comfort himself.

Po Jun had no interest in meddling in the Lord's private affairs, but said: "If the Lord departs, my city lacks a commander capable of leading more than ten thousand elite troops. Now, warlords across the Western Regions are fighting each other—some are blind and deluded, beyond ordinary reasoning."

Li Guanyi smiled: "Coincidentally, I have something to say."

"You've heard of the Divine Archer General, correct?"

"Before I go to Xiyicheng, I will bring the Divine Archer General with me."

Po Jun said: "The Divine Archer General?"

He added: "Coincidentally, I must mention—according to Lei Laomeng and Nangong Wumeng's intelligence, this famed general resides in Daqi Fort."

"Daqi Fort is mostly populated by Central Plains martial artists who could no longer endure the Jianghu Sect's domain, so they left the Central Plains to settle in the desert. Such people are rejected by both Central Plains states and Western Region kingdoms."

"In the past, when the Western Regions were largely peaceful, no one wished to provoke them."

"But now it is different."

"Now that all four directions are in chaos, such an organization will draw attention."

"Daqi Fort is in danger. According to intelligence, it is the Qiang people—once subjects who rebelled, once suppressed by the Divine Archer General alone when he held back a Qiang vanguard army—who now surround Daqi Fort with troops."

"The Divine Archer General has regressed in realm; without troops at the Sixth Heaven level, facing the Qiang, he is in grave danger…"

Li Guanyi asked: "How many Qiang are there?"

Po Jun replied: "Five thousand cavalry."

Li Guanyi said: "Five thousand iron cavalry to destroy a Jianghu Sect of one hundred ten men?"

"That is indeed a grand gesture."

He paused, whispering:

"I shall go myself. Mr., muster the troops for me."

Po Jun asked: "How many men will the Lord take?"

Li Guanyi answered: "Ten thousand."

"Horse archers."

This second sentence made Po Jun pause slightly. Li Guanyi had no ability to command horse archers. Li Guanyi held a token in his hand and said calmly:

"The day he cast aside his bow, his arrows, and discarded his rank badge,"

"Today, I return it to him myself."

"I only wonder—if the bow is back in his hand—"

"Can he still shoot down the Heavenly Wolf?"

"The Divine Archer General!"

The badge fell heavily onto the table; its markings showed on the front: "Taiping Army," and on the back, only a decoration: "Drawing the carved bow as full as the moon, gazing northwest, shooting the Heavenly Wolf."

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