The states of Lu and Huayin became the links between the new Tianjing and other countries. In addition, Si Xitong specially built a large number of new roads in the state of Lu, which allowed countries to quickly reach the new Tianjing.
Yang Wei, the newly appointed general stationed in Huayin, commands 10,000 newly recruited troops and 100,000 new soldiers, forming the first line of defense. Behind Yang Wei lies Lu, which has also sent a large number of new and old cannons for defense, serving as Huayin's rear firepower.
When Aqina heard that Sisitong controlled the central region, extending south to the east, and that all the vassal states were at her disposal.
His face was very ugly. The central states were all autonomously governed by the people of the Central Plains. Now that the Jin Dynasty had only recovered some of its strength, the states were already showing signs of wanting to become vassals and rushing to become slaves.
The imperial glory of the Jin Dynasty still lingers in the hearts of these people.
Moreover, the countries in the central region actually allowed that woman to send troops into their territory.
Si Xitong had previously undertaken extensive road construction, grain transport, and appeasement efforts, winning over various nations through a policy of appeasement. He had already garnered a large following. Furthermore, the presence of Xie Lanzhi, a formidable general known for her daring military campaigns that frequently led to the destruction of entire nations, had already instilled fear in many.
At this moment, Si Xitong, known for her benevolent rule, stepped forward, presenting firearms that shocked the nations with their advanced technology. She promised not to invade other countries using firearms and sincerely signed alliance treaties with each smaller nation. Sensing her sincerity, the nations naturally cooperated obediently. Those who refused would only suffer losses.
The problem wasn't that their swords and spears couldn't compete with firearms; it wasn't a difference in firepower or military capabilities, but rather that they were technologically outdated by an entire era.
Furthermore, small states don't aspire to kingship or hegemony, as the bloody example of King Zheng Fu of Yue serves as a stark warning. Now, it's said that King Zheng Fu has been imprisoned by the Seven Wise Kings and paraded through the streets every other day. The people of Yue are so horrified they wish they could drink his blood and skin him alive. This terrified Zheng Fu, and he died in his cell the very next day.
Now Aqina is getting further and further away from the coast, and his ship can no longer sail out of the Northern Region, because the Northern Region is separated by a border region, and the border region has severed ties with the Northern Region, so naturally no ship from the Northern Region will be allowed to enter or pass through the border region.
The land routes in the central region, including Huayin and Lu, all became Siqitong's firing lines. Any Hu Xiongnu that approached would inevitably be attacked. Smaller states would not get involved with the larger powers, but would simply stand by and watch. In this way, both land and sea routes isolated the Northern Hu Xiongnu in the north. Aqina's dream of expanding his maritime territory was thus thwarted.
Even in the southern and central regions, there were no countries that were friendly with the Xiongnu. Even the small countries that wanted to be friendly dared not break away from their neighbors, overestimating their own strength.
Si Xitong completely thwarted all of Aqina's proposed plans.
Aqina received news that the sniper had been blown up along with his gun, and this time he was so enraged that he fainted.
The shaman was so frightened that he went to ask the imperial physician to examine his pulse.
The imperial physician just kept shaking his head.
The national shaman sighed repeatedly. A perfectly good game had been ruined without anyone noticing, and the opponent was a woman.
The current harmony in the central southern region relies entirely on the road from the State of Lu, and the new Tianjing has begun to export its road-building governance philosophy, and is also freely teaching cement-making techniques to various small states.
Small countries with good intentions are all building roads, all for the sake of providing food for the new Tianjing.
Because Si Xitong had just ordered food aid and the teaching of new agricultural techniques to various countries, all countries should build roads free of charge to facilitate the flow of food.
Si Xitong also set a new order that everyone thought was unrealistic: the Peacock Plan.
We welcome a large number of craftsmen and talents of all kinds to settle in the new Tianjing and contribute to its development. Those who do so can obtain Shanxi citizenship.
No country was interested in becoming citizens of Jin, but the presence of two powerful armies in the south, the Jingwei Army and the Xie Army, guarded the four directions, bringing peace, prosperity, and a peaceful life to the region.
The sheer number of people scrambling to find a place to live is enough to drive anyone crazy.
Compared to the western, northern, and central regions, the south is now a completely different world. The south produces enough grain in two years to last six years, ensuring that the people under its rule are well-fed and clothed. It was even once known as the "Little Kaiyuan" of the late Jin Dynasty. This Peacock Plan may seem impractical, but it actually attracted many people to move here, especially merchants. Almost all of them bought property in the new Tianjing, and the armies of various countries simply could not stop them.
Some small countries even complained that the new Tianjing was causing unrest and inciting unrest.
Si Xitong then announced the third clause of the Peacock Plan: Anyone who engages in commerce and pays taxes, thereby increasing employment, can obtain Shanxi citizenship. They can legally purchase land in the Southern Central Plains and become local merchants. Furthermore, the sons of these merchants will be permitted to take the imperial examinations.
Even those from humble backgrounds can take the imperial examinations to become officials in this dynasty!
The imperial examination system was brought to the forefront again, attracting scholars from all over the world! A large number of scholars began to flock to the new Tianjing, where the imperial examination system was implemented.
Chapter 176 Their Hard-Won Tenderness
Xie Lanzhi traveled from Weidu to Tianjing by waterway. She was stopped by the diligent city guards as soon as she arrived at the city gate. The guards were new and seemed not to recognize her.
"Please dismount, General! If you insist on riding, enter through the right gate; there's no speed limit there!"
Xie Lanzhi dismounted and tossed the reins to the city guards, who skillfully led the horse aside.
The city guard had just tied up the horse's reins when he saw his commander returning from the latrine. He hurried to greet him, and then saw his commander nervously walk up to the female general, salute, and excitedly say, "Marshal, you, why did you come back alone?"
"Don't you have any guards with you?"
"I need to go to the palace immediately. Please arrange a carriage for me." Xie Lanzhi had traveled a long distance and hadn't brought much money with her, so she relied entirely on the Xie family to help her rent boats and horses.
When the city soldier saw his officer call the female general "Marshal," he nearly fainted. Oh no! He dared to block the Marshal's horse!
Who is the marshal? Tianjing was conquered by her. The entire Southern Central Plains relies on her to protect the borders, ensuring that everyone has a place to survive.
"Little, little..." The city soldier's mind went blank, and he was about to kneel down.
Seeing that the soldier was almost terrified, Xie Lanzhi specially praised him in front of the city commander, saying, "Is that your soldier?"
"Yes!" The city general turned around and realized that the soldier had taken the marshal's horse. He was about to scold him when Xie Lanzhi praised the soldier: "He is a conscientious and hardworking person and deserves praise."
Xie Lanzhi then boarded the carriage that the city general had arranged and quickly disappeared into the streets on her way to the palace.
Afterwards, the city general patted the soldier on the shoulder: "Kid, you're lucky to have our marshal praise you. You're destined for great things."
The city guards were both surprised and delighted.
After that, the officials from the Censorate rushed past, followed by the secret agents from the Western Guard. Everyone rode on horseback and no one dared to stop them, simply because they were wearing either the official robes with flying fish or the official uniforms of the Censorate officials. No one could afford to offend either of these officials, from the Vice Minister down to the common people.
The city soldiers found the group of men's reckless behavior both offensive and secretly admired the marshal, finding him to be the kindest master they had ever met.
As expected, the rumors were all false. The marshal was not the kind of person who would readily call for war and was violent in nature.
The city general couldn't help but mutter a few words: "I heard that the two gangs, the Shenxing Division and the Western Guard, ran into each other recently and are now rushing back. They must have received intelligence that the Marshal is returning to the capital."
"Looks like there's going to be a big show."
The two groups, the Imperial Penal Commissioner and the Western Guard, dismounted in front of the palace and then argued over who would go first, neither willing to give way.
The palace guards were having a headache dealing with both sides, and this happened every day.
The two groups only fell silent when a carriage drove in through the east gate. They watched the carriage leave in silence, and then their expressions became quite varied. The Shenxing Division members straightened their backs, while the Xiwei Guard immediately and obediently yielded the palace gate.
The officers from the Censorate entered the palace one by one with their hands on their hips, which infuriated the Western Guard.
The secret agents of Xiwei are now divided into two types: one is at the covert level, and the other is similar to ordinary constables, specializing in handling cases that the government cannot handle.
The secret agents of the Western Guard all said, "We can confirm that the carriage just now was carrying the Marshal returning to the palace."
"How come the Marshal is a step behind us?"
"I heard from the people of the Censorate that they specifically went to Weidu by waterway."
"Should we inform His Highness about this?"
A chilling voice rang out, "Nonsense! How dare you criticize your masters' affairs at the palace gates?"
Zhang Changle walked over, carrying a brocade spring knife. He glanced around and found that they were all recently recruited new recruits. No wonder the quality of the personnel was not high. Recently, the Western Guard expanded its recruitment to eight thousand people and increased the salary by one shi of rice, which caused retired officials from other departments to flock to the Western Guard. Most of them did not have special training, resulting in a mixed bag of personnel.
The secret agents of the Western Guard all lowered their heads.
Zhang Changle didn't say anything in the end, after all, they were a group of newcomers.
But the marshal has returned...
Soon, Zhang Ju donned the official robes of the Chief Clerk of the Censorate, and he led his men past Zhang Changle with a deliberately casual snort. He exuded a smug air, as if he now had someone backing him up.
Zhang Changle clicked his tongue a few times: "Big brother, you've really worked hard."
At the same time, Xie Lanzhi got off the carriage and headed straight for Lanzhang Palace. The people at Jianzhang Palace also heard that the Marshal had returned.
Si Xitong was still reviewing memorials before the Emperor. Upon hearing that Xie Lanzhi had returned, she calmly finished dealing with the memorials in her hands, then put down her pen and got up to walk towards Lanzhang Palace.
Both were rushing towards Lanzhang Palace and finally met near Gongyue Bridge. However, they both tacitly turned their heads away and silently walked into Lanzhang Palace.
Before Xie's mother and Xiao Xiu could even greet them, the two of them chased them out.
Si Xitong entered the palace first, and Xie Lanzhi intentionally let her go first. After she followed, she immediately closed the door. To those outside, it seemed as if the masters were brewing some kind of storm.
No one dared to approach, fearing bad luck.
Xie Lanzhi entered the hall and walked to the tea table. Without even removing her armor, she plopped down on the stool.
Xie's black battle armor exuded a murderous aura, which, combined with her fierce and domineering face, even made her otherwise gentle eyes seem to hold a hint of anger. She was clearly angry, but she refused to say anything.
Si Xitong found the man's awkwardness hilarious. She noticed his chapped lips, as if he had been rushing along without even having a sip of water.
Her heart skipped a beat again. She turned around and made her a cup of water, then poured it into two cups to make it lukewarm before giving it to her.
Xie Lanzhi took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, then put the teacup on the table without saying a word.
Si Xitong walked around the table to her back, removed her armor, and then skillfully placed it on the cabinet next to her. He then took her sword off and put it back on the sword rack.
This time, she poured Xie Lanzhi another glass of water and added some sugar.
Neither of them spoke first.
As for that unlucky scumbag, Xie Lanzhi never intended to doubt her little phoenix from beginning to end; if anything was wrong, it was the scumbag's fault. Her little phoenix must have had other purposes in bringing him here; perhaps that scumbag had some value that could be extracted from him.
As she was trying to convince herself, Si Xitong suddenly mentioned, "A martial arts merchant from the Northern Region..."
"Oh, really!" Xie Lanzhi stood up abruptly, half a head taller than Si Xitong, and stared down at her with a fierce look, far from the calm she had imagined.
"I'd like to see what kind of species it is!"
"The Northern Region, the Northern Region! Species from the Northern Region must have some extraordinary characteristics!"
Si Xitong stared at her, somewhat stunned.
After Xie Lanzhi blurted out the words, her mind went blank, and she quickly raised her chin and looked up at the ceiling.
Si Xitong gently covered her mouth and chuckled, "Oh, Lanzhi, don't you think the wildflowers outside aren't as vibrant as the flowers inside?"
"Flowers?" Xie Lanzhi immediately lowered her head, displeased. "You've never told me you have a fiancé?"
Si Xitong blinked and said, "I also thought I didn't have a fiancé."
"Moreover, my father and mother probably never imagined that their daughter would not only have someone she loves, but also find a man who loves her dearly."
"Moreover, my husband is a great general."
Hearing his wife praise him, Xie Lanzhi instantly perked up, her eyes becoming as gentle as a deer's. As she spoke, she was so happy she could barely contain her smile, yet she still couldn't help but hum twice: "Don't think that just because you praise me like this, I can forget about it."
"Have you ever thought about what would happen if I were fighting on the front lines and suddenly received a letter from home saying that my wife had run off with someone else? What if I had been even slightly distracted on the battlefield...?"
The rest of the words were quickly cut off by Si Xitong's outstretched hand; she didn't like hearing anything that made her feel unlucky.
"I don't want to hear these words, not even a metaphor." Si Xitong gently moved her hand away after she gave up on continuing. Her eyes were bright and clear, and her lips bloomed like a flower. "I know you will come back soon. I invited Wu Shang here to deal with the potential problems that might damage our relationship in advance."
"It's not even a potential threat."
She said, word by word, "My father doesn't acknowledge this marriage at all; he only delayed returning the marriage invitation because of political affairs."