Chapter 112: Not Fighting Makes One a Traitor to the Nation

Bai Wei sent over the grain seeds needed for land reclamation, as well as agricultural machinery.

Upon receiving the items, Xiao Moting immediately arranged for the farmers to watch the videos collectively and organized the Military Advisor to teach them step-by-step.

Early the next morning, the farmers of Beijiang faced the morning breeze and set out in a grand procession to reclaim the land.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"

The electric tillers could easily turn the hard soil until it was loose.

The seeders followed closely behind, planting grain seeds one by one into the earth, sowing and fertilizing all in one go!

The surrounding crowd watched in constant amazement.

Especially the refugees who had come from Yannan; they all watched with wide eyes, barely able to collect their thoughts.

"The Goddess of Beijiang is truly miraculous! Without hoes or shovels, they can actually turn the soil and farm!"

"With this batch of machinery, one person can do the work of ten people from before!"

"My hands are itching; can I try?"

Everyone was in high spirits, scrambling to use the agricultural tools Bai Wei had sent, working with great enthusiasm.

In just one morning, the wasteland had turned into grain fields; everyone had plowed thirty mu of land in one go and even planted the grain!

At noon, the cook arrived in a minivan, delivering lunch consisting of steamed buns, pancakes, and more.

But the farmers, their excitement still fresh, refused to rest; some even refused to eat, insisting on holding the machinery to plant grain and plow the land.

Ancient Daliang had finally shaken off its traditional farming model.

Finally, it had launched a modernized, semi-automated farm!

Xiao Moting stood to the side, looking at the vast fields, a hint of a smile finally appearing at the corners of his tightly pressed lips.

From now on, Beijiang would no longer lack grain, nor would the tragic situation of people starving to death appear again.

Just as everyone was working fervently to reclaim the land, Qin Zhan walked up from behind with a tense expression.

He lowered his voice.

"Prince, news has come from Shengjing—one piece of good news, one piece of bad news."

Xiao Moting commanded in a deep voice.

"Speak!"

"The good news—Yunfei watched the TV series sent by the Goddess and learned to plan a 'Plum Garden Prayer'; the Emperor was greatly moved, personally welcomed her out of the Cold Palace, and restored her consort rank."

"The Consort also used the perfume sent by Shennü Daren; the Emperor was so infatuated that he praised her for her pleasant fragrance and bestowed upon her many silks and jewels. De Guifei was slighted and was so angry that she smashed several white jade cups in the palace."

Xiao Moting's eyes narrowed slightly.

All of this must be Bai Wei's doing; she had sent his mother a Tablet Computer, which had many TV series and palace intrigue novels downloaded onto it.

It is said they were all palace intrigue dramas from her side.

"And the bad news?"

Qin Zhan's expression was even more grave.

"Xiao Rui is dead. De Guifei and her clansmen wore mourning clothes, knelt before the palace hall to wail, and even wrote a blood letter, begging the Emperor to strictly investigate the murderer. They also pointed the finger at you, begging the Prince to send troops to drag you back to Shengjing to face judgment."

Xiao Moting's eyes turned cold.

He did not feel surprised in the slightest.

Xiao Rui's status was noble; his death would certainly cause a heaven-shaking storm.

And the battle between himself and Xiao Rui had caused such a huge scene, with thousands of Imperial Guard burned to death; it was impossible for it not to have leaked out.

"What does Father intend to do?"

Qin Zhan let out a breath, "In the palace, they only announced to the outside world that the Second Prince encountered mountain bandits at night and unfortunately died after being struck by an arrow. Coupled with Yunfei speaking up for you, the Emperor has not expressed a stance regarding the pleas of De Guifei's faction."

Xiao Moting sneered slightly, a cold glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.

"It is not that Father is unaware of the matter of me killing Xiao Rui, but that he dares not express a stance rashly."

The reason he shot Xiao Rui dead with one arrow was that he was gambling.

The current Daliang is plagued by constant natural and man-made disasters, with powerful enemies coveting from the outside and eunuchs in power on the inside.

If a matter of princes killing each other were to break out at this time, it would become a fuse, triggering chaos throughout all of Daliang.

Xiao Moting was weighing the situation, and the Emperor was weighing it too.

Between father and son, they appeared respectful and harmonious on the surface, but in reality, they were already like fire and water, with undercurrents surging...

Xiao Moting turned around, scanning the fields before him.

"Although Father cannot arrest me, he will certainly sanction Beijiang."

"The peaceful days in Beijiang are numbered."

"Let us seize the time to develop the strength of Beijiang."

No sooner had he finished speaking.

"Report—"

Following a long, lingering echo, the chief eunuch delivering the imperial decree arrived.

"So fast?" Qin Zhan was stunned, unable to help but look at Xiao Moting, "Prince, you really do say whatever comes to pass."

Xiao Moting said in a deep voice, "No matter, go up and see."

Although his father was aged and muddled, he was not without ability; he had long since made preparations.

"Prince of Zhenbei, Xiao Moting, receive the decree."

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

Perhaps because An Fuhai, who delivered the decree last time, died too miserably, the eunuch delivering the decree this time had an exceptionally polite attitude, even carrying a hint of obsequiousness, fearing he would not be able to return alive.

"This son receives the decree."

After listening, Xiao Moting received the decree with an expressionless face.

The content of the imperial decree was very simple.

The celestial phenomena were abnormal, and the National Preceptor had consulted the will of Heaven, stating that the droughts and blizzards plaguing Daliang were the result of the royal ancestors' wrath, who were rebuking Daliang for letting the Yanyun Shiliu Zhou fall into the hands of foreigners.

The Yanyun Shiliu Zhou had once been the territory of Daliang.

Twenty years ago, Daliang went to war with the Rakshasa Kingdom, and Emperor Xuanjing led the army in person, only to be utterly defeated by the Rakshasa soldiers, forcing him to cede territory and pay reparations.

The land that was ceded away was the Yanyun Shiliu Zhou.

Now, the National Preceptor claimed the ancestors were furious, so to appease the ancestors' anger, he was to lead troops to recover the lost territory and take back the Yanyun Shiliu Zhou, so as to prevent natural disasters from continuing to descend upon Daliang.

As soon as the eunuch who delivered the decree left, the surrounding Beijiang soldiers could no longer hold back.

Qin Zhan stepped forward, "Prince, this National Preceptor's talk of the royal ancestors appearing in a dream is complete nonsense; it is clearly just a scheme to send us from Beijiang to fight the Rakshasa."

"Exactly," Xiao Dabao was also full of anger, "We have finally managed to settle down in Beijiang, and we haven't even grown our crops yet, yet they want us to go to war again, not even giving us time to rest."

"The Yanyun Shiliu Zhou wasn't even ceded by us," Han Guiying could not hold her tongue, "The Emperor lost the land, so what is the point of blaming it on us? If he has the ability, the Emperor should lead the troops to fight and take back the sixteen prefectures he ceded himself!"

Xiao Moting furrowed his brows slightly.

All this talk of "abnormal celestial phenomena and ancestors' wrath" was merely a pretext for cover.

The true purpose was that his own strength was too great, triggering a backlash from the Imperial Court, and they wanted to exhaust him.

One mountain cannot hold two tigers; since he killed Xiao Rui, the Emperor was bound to be wary.

As for the National Preceptor, his motives and goals in dealing with him were unclear.

But he was definitely not on his side; he was on the opposing side.

"We just won't fight," Han Guiying said indignantly, "Whoever lost the land should be responsible for taking it back."

Old General Han immediately furrowed his brows and scolded her.

"You are a general now, yet you are still so rash!"

"Do you think the imperial decree is something you can accept if you want to, and refuse if you don't?"

"And with the royal ancestors appearing in a dream and natural disasters descending upon Daliang... if the Prince refuses to fight after the National Preceptor has placed such a heavy label on him, he will be a sinner of Daliang and incite the resentment of the people! From now on, whenever there is a natural or man-made disaster, the civil and military officials, and even the people of the world, will condemn the Prince!"

Xiao Dabao listened, stunned.

"Ginger is indeed spicier when it's old; as expected of Old General Han, the analysis is reasonable."

Han Guiying gritted her teeth, "Isn't this forcing us to fight the Rakshasa Kingdom? The opponent's strength is even greater than Daye, and they have Fire Muskets; how are we supposed to fight?"