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In the year 3866 of the Xia calendar, winter

From spring to winter is only half a year, which was enough time for Feng State to undergo tremendous changes. A year ago, before the winter started, Tian Xiong and others were worried about how to deal with the winter on Qiyun Mountain.

But this winter, Tian Xiong and the others had already become high-ranking members of the Zhenguo Army, which made them fourth-grade military officers in the entire Chen Kingdom, fitting into the officialdom class.

However, in Lin Jiang’s study, many new faces appeared among the high-ranking officials, most of whom were noble refugees from the north. They had received a good education, and once they entered the officialdom, they were truly unmatched by Tian Xiong and his comrades, who were only half-skilled. They quickly rose up the ranks.

Lin Jiang was generous in promoting them. Those who could perform well were promoted five or six levels within half a year. Especially those talented individuals from humble origins, they were highly competitive and very active because Lin Jiang had opened up a channel for their advancement.

A high-ranking official was reporting the affairs of Feng State to Lin Jiang, such as the number of soldiers trained, the amount of talent cultivated, and how much grain was in the warehouse.

Now, Lin Jiang had a surplus of grain on hand. Feng State was named so because of its rich resources, being a famous grain-producing area in the Chen Kingdom. This year, Lin Jiang ordered that not a single grain should be sold externally, keeping everything in his hands.

"Sir, we have enough grain now for the coming spring campaign, but we are running out of silver, and the treasury is nearly empty."

The man said to Lin Jiang, "This year in Feng State, Lin Jiang has made big changes. He started many projects, recruited a lot of soldiers, abolished various taxes, cracked down on corruption, and even introduced high salaries for honest officials."

These projects require a lot of money, which comes from the nobles’ donations. Hundreds of nobles gave donations, but donations can only be given once, so now those nobles are poor.

"Can we hold out until spring?"

"If we don’t cause trouble in the winter, we should be able to."

"Then let’s not cause trouble, let’s rest and prepare. Of course, we still need to train the soldiers. Don’t waste time in the deep winter, train them hard. Elite soldiers must become super elite, regular soldiers must become elite, even the peasant soldiers from the countryside must train. And continue the training for officials, we need more than a hundred thousand people, we are not just fighting a small area here. If the situation is better, we will conquer Taizhou State and Yangzhou as well."

Lin Jiang mentioned that in Feng State, there are six commanderies and twenty-three prefectures, over a hundred and forty counties. No matter how many people we train, it’s still not enough.

"Yes, let’s do as the sir says."

The others had no objections. They understood Lin Jiang’s stubbornness and knew it was difficult to change his decisions unless they had good reasons.

"I entrust the matters of Feng State to all of you. You know me well, I will not let you down if you don’t disappoint me. I am generous with rewards. Work hard, everyone."

"Yes, sir."

"This winter, I won’t be the steward anymore. You guys can make decisions on your own. I will stay in Fengzhou City to teach students. All martial artists who are above a certain level can come and find me."

Lin Jiang mentioned that the biggest weakness of Feng State now is the lack of Martial Arts Masters. There is only Lin Jiang as a Martial Saint, not to mention Innate Martial Artists, Martial Arts Masters, and Grand Masters of Martial Arts. Even with the addition of talents from various sources, the total number is only around a hundred. This strength is too weak for a state. Some top families have more martial artists than this, like Wang Lun whom Lin Jiang defeated before.

Therefore, Lin Jiang must work hard to make up for this weakness. His current focus is to train martial arts talents. Among the five thousand young soldiers from last winter, there were many martial arts geniuses. This year, he has discovered more talents. Lin Jiang is giving them special medicines and teaching them carefully. If there is enough time, at least a few of them can become Martial Saints.

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Qishan Prefecture

A middle-aged man carrying a basket and holding a tambourine walked into a village. The sound of the tambourine quickly attracted a large group of children. The man stopped, opened the basket, and inside were some small items like needles and threads. The most expensive items were two pieces of cloth and a bag of salt.

The children bought snacks and small toys, while the adults bought things like needles and thread. They sold a lot of things all at once.

A middle-aged man approached a kind-looking woman, saying he was thirsty and asked for water. The woman agreed, took him home, and gave him a bowl of water.

The middle-aged man looked around the woman’s yard and saw a stack of firewood taller than a person, a few roosters in the corner, and a big yellow dog lying on the ground with its tongue out.

After drinking the water, the middle-aged man didn’t leave right away. Instead, he started chatting with the woman and mentioned that things in the village seemed quite wealthy as his products were quickly sold out.

This conversation sparked the woman to talk non-stop. She shared that this year’s government seemed to have changed, with taxes being three to four times less than the previous year. Even the officials collecting taxes were being more lenient.

The workload was also reduced a lot compared to the previous year, and the government even provided meals for those doing forced labor, which was something they had never experienced before.

"Brother, when you come back later this month, bring more salt, cloth, and maybe some sugar. Thanks to the government’s kindness this year, every family in the village has surplus food. You’ll make a fortune when you come back."

After chatting for about an hour, the man was ready to leave. Before he left, the woman asked him to bring more things next time so they could live comfortably for a year and buy more things in the winter.

The man happily agreed and left quickly with his bag, reaching the capital of Qishan Prefecture. Inside an inn, he met a few people dressed similarly to him. They exchanged glances and then went back to their rooms.

After dark, the man entered a room holding some food, where four people were already waiting.

"Thank you, brother."

"Brothers, have a safe journey."

"Luckily, General Town Guard trained his soldiers in real battles for half a year, sweeping the bandits and rebels in Feng State seven to eight times. Now, no one dares to rob the roads anymore. If they dare, the guards and farmers would probably not be able to sleep at night."

One person laughed and said. Lin Jiang trained his soldiers in real battles and swept away the bandits and rebels. During this time, many guards and farmers have made achievements and been promoted. Now, if any bandits appear, in their eyes, it’s considered as a military merit. They probably will be too happy to sleep at night.

"This Mr. Wolong is truly a talented strategist. He once said that whoever wins Wolong will rule the world. I wonder if the emperors and warlords in the south regret not joining forces with him."

The man smiled and said. At first, Mr. Wolong wanted to join different factions, but some people missed the opportunity.

"No joking, brothers. The five of us represent the top five noble families in the Chen Kingdom. Should we bet on Wolong? It’s time to make a decision."

The man nodded and then said seriously.

These five men have noble backgrounds. The families behind them are the most elite noble families in Chen Kingdom, with a lineage tracing back to the Wei Dynasty, even older than the Chen Kingdom itself.

"My Xie family from Yingzhou State has decided to bet on him."

"Has Xie family really decided that the General of Town Nation has big ambitions but wants to change the world?"

"Yes, before I turned three, I lived in the northern capital of Chen Kingdom, not knowing what a prosperous era was. In the twenty-five years since, I have seen the horrors of the world, like hell. Traveling to Qishan Prefecture this past month, I finally saw that there can be prosperity in the world. Xie family is on the brink of decline and it’s time to make a decision."

Xie Yunfeng sighed and said that he had traveled to many places, but it was only in Feng State, in Qishan Prefecture, that he realized there could be a prosperous era in the world, with honest officials, no bandits in the wilderness, and prosperous citizens.

Many members of Xie family have already died in the north along with the Emperor of Chen Kingdom. The remaining Xie family members should start planning for themselves.

"Brother Xie is right. In my Yuan family, fifty-seven members have gone to the aid of the country since birth. The remaining family members should also find their own path. I will follow Brother Xie and bet on Mr. Wolong."

"If the Yuan family in Jizhou has such courage, then my Huan family in Peizhou State will not lag behind."

"The Wang family in Yuan State will also bet with the brothers."

"Brother Wang, the Wang family in Zhong State is your relatives, do you not envy them?"

"The Wang family in Zhong State split from us hundreds of years ago. Besides, the Xiao family in Feng State has been exterminated. Your Xiao family in Qing State has also not thought of revenge, right?"

"Haha, the Xiaos from Feng State and the Chens from Qing State have no relation at all. Not all with the surname Chen are royal."

"Alright, stop joking. I think the General of the State will go to war after the spring comes. Before he acts, let’s go to seek refuge. It would be like giving timely help. If we add flourishes, it would not make sense."

Xie Yunfeng said. The top five noble families from Chen Kingdom joining Feng State could surely help that General to achieve something great.