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Under the watchful eyes of countless fervent yet awe-inspiring gazes, Yi Huawei and his group made their way through the bustling crowd and finally arrived at the City Lord's Mansion located in the center of Xiangyang City.

The city lord's mansion was not newly built, but rather a large-scale renovation and expansion of the original Xiangyang Prefectural Governor's Mansion from the Sui Dynasty.

The mansion occupies a vast area, with magnificent palaces, flying eaves and arched beams, exuding an imposing atmosphere. Above the vermilion gate hangs a black plaque with gold characters that read "Zhennan Governor's Mansion" in bold strokes. This is the official institution established by the Heavenly Alliance after it took control of the south to govern the military affairs of the various prefectures, and it is now the de facto core of power in Xiangyang and even the entire south.

Upon seeing their leader arrive, the armored soldiers on both sides of the mansion gate knelt on one knee in unison, their armor clanging as they expressed their utmost respect.

Yi Huawei nodded slightly and stepped in first, followed closely by Shan Wanjing and Zhu Yuyan, while civil and military officials such as Song Lu and Xu Xingzhi followed respectfully at the back.

After passing through several courtyards and around the screen wall and corridor, the group arrived at the main hall of the mansion's core area—the Chengyun Hall.

The hall was spacious, with a floor paved with smooth, mirror-like bricks. Several massive pillars, each requiring two people to encircle, stood on either side, carved with images of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and the state, symbolizing the rule over all directions and the all-encompassing nature of the land. In the main position to the north stood a large sandalwood desk, behind which hung a huge map of the southern landscape. It clearly marked key locations under the control of the Heavenly Alliance, including Baling, Lingnan, Jiangling, Jingling, Xiangyang, and Bozhou, marked with striking black flags, forming a magnificent and impressive sight.

Yi Huawei took the seat of honor without hesitation, while Shan Wanjing and Zhu Yuyan sat in the specially prepared seats to his left and right, respectively. Song Lu, Xu Xingzhi, Wang Bodang, Xu Shiji, Cheng Yaojin, Su Dingfang, and other civil and military officials stood solemnly on both sides.

A maidservant had already served fragrant tea, then quietly withdrew and gently closed the hall door, separating the inside from the outside.

Yi Huawei picked up his teacup, gently stirred the floating leaves, and glanced at the people below before finally settling on Song Lu and Xu Xingzhi. He said, "On the way here, I have seen that the streets of Xiangyang are well-ordered, the people have rosy complexions, bright eyes, and walk with ease. Compared to when it was first established half a year ago, the atmosphere is quite different. This is all thanks to the careful management of Mr. Song, Mr. Xu, and all of you colleagues."

Song Lu quickly stood up, cupped his hands and bowed respectfully, replying, "Alliance Leader, you flatter us. We are unworthy of such praise. Xiangyang's current prosperity is entirely due to the Alliance Leader's widespread prestige and virtue, the formulation of strategies, the soldiers' bravery, and the people's loyalty. We are merely following orders and fulfilling our duties."

Xu Xingzhi also stood up and said, "What Lord Song said is absolutely right. The alliance leader's policy of 'lightening taxes and levies, allowing the people to rest, rectifying officialdom, and encouraging agriculture and commerce' is fundamental. We are simply following and implementing it without the slightest slackening."

Yi Huawei waved his hand slightly, gesturing for the two to sit down: "Although the strategy is set, its execution depends on the people. If it weren't for your outstanding talents and diligence, even the best strategy would be nothing but empty talk. There's no need to be so modest. Let me tell you the details of Xiangyang and the counties under its jurisdiction."

"Yes, Alliance Leader."

Song Lu and Xu Xingzhi sat down again, exchanged a glance, and Xu Xingzhi, who was in charge of civil affairs, took the lead in giving a report.

Xu Xingzhi cleared his throat, his voice clear and steady:
"Reporting to the Alliance Leader, since you established your capital in Xiangyang and promulgated the new policies, your orders have been implemented smoothly and have yielded remarkable results."

According to the latest year-end statistics, within the area actually controlled by our Heavenly Alliance, the registered population has exceeded 2.37 million households, totaling approximately 11.8 million people. About 410,000 new households have been added, a result of efforts to relocate refugees, encourage childbirth, and absorb refugees from the North.

"Thanks to the Alliance Leader's good fortune, last year was blessed with favorable weather. In addition, the 'Equal Land Distribution Order' and the 'Rent and Tax Reduction Order' were vigorously implemented, the hidden land of powerful families was investigated and distributed to the landless and land-poor people, and water conservancy projects were built and new agricultural tools were promoted. As a result, the autumn harvest in all prefectures and counties was generally abundant. In Xiangyang alone, the official granaries have stored more than three million shi of grain, enough to meet the needs of the entire city's military and civilians for two years. The granaries in all prefectures and counties are full, and there is no longer any worry about famine."

"Previously, the Alliance Leader ordered the abolition of the numerous checkpoints and miscellaneous taxes set up by the previous dynasty and various forces, collecting only unified market taxes and customs duties. He also severely cracked down on the practices of local powerful families who monopolized markets and engaged in bullying and monopolistic practices. As a result, trade routes in all cities are now smooth and commerce is booming. In particular, the two water and land transportation hubs of Xiangyang and Jiangling see a constant stream of caravans and ships coming and going every day, and market tax revenue is increasing every month, becoming one of the important sources of revenue for the treasury. This year, the total revenue from commercial and market taxes in all prefectures and counties is equivalent to about 1.5 million taels of silver."

After a pause, Xu Xingzhi continued, "Last year, the total revenue from various taxes, including land tax, poll tax, and commercial tax, in the prefectures and counties under our alliance was equivalent to about four million taels of silver. Expenditure, including officials' salaries, military expenses, water conservancy projects, relief for orphans and widows, and the establishment of schools, totaled about three million eight hundred thousand taels, leaving a slight surplus. The treasury currently holds about one million two hundred thousand taels of silver, and the grain reserves are even more abundant."

"In addition, the assets of some stubborn and powerful families that were previously cleared from local treasuries and confiscated are estimated to be worth between eight and ten million taels of silver. These assets have been transported to Xiangyang and are being remelted. Once this huge sum of money is deposited into the treasury, our alliance's finances will be extremely abundant, enough to support large-scale military operations or even larger-scale public works projects."

"Elementary schools have been widely established in various prefectures and counties, enrolling school-age children to learn literacy, arithmetic, and the principles of loyalty and righteousness. The government subsidizes most of the books and writing materials, and even poor children can study for free. Currently, there are over 800 elementary schools in various prefectures and counties, enrolling nearly 50,000 students. Although they are rudimentary in their early stages, they have already set the stage for education. In the prefectural cities, the 'Xiangyang Academy' has also been established, inviting renowned scholars and practical experts to lecture, aiming to cultivate officials and professionals. The first batch is expected to enroll 300 students, and classes will officially begin in the spring..."

"...The 'Military Academy' was established with an affiliated College of Arts to select bright young men from the military and ambitious young people from the civilian population to study more in-depth classics, history, policy, law, and mathematics, in order to cultivate civil officials for the future. Now, the first batch of three hundred students have completed their studies and have begun to practice and observe government affairs in various county and prefectural government offices."

"...A total of 73 corrupt and incompetent officials were removed or punished, and 41 capable officials were promoted. The 'Recommendation Bureau' was established, allowing the people to anonymously report corrupt officials. Special personnel would verify the reports, and once verified, the officials would be severely punished without exception, thus cleaning up the officialdom."

Xu Xingzhi's report was extremely detailed, with clear data and a well-organized structure, clearly demonstrating his thorough understanding of the situation under his jurisdiction.

"...After the autumn harvest, 150,000 laborers were organized to dredge and reinforce more than 300 li of dikes along the Han River and its tributaries, and to build and repair dozens of ponds and canals, which is expected to add or improve 400,000 mu of irrigated farmland. The government-run mines, blacksmith workshops, weaving bureaus, and shipyards have also gradually resumed and expanded their production. In particular, the Xiangyang shipyard can now build five inland river vessels with a load capacity of more than 500 shi or two warships every month."

Meanwhile, twelve "Benefit-the-People Pharmacies" were established in Xiangyang, Jiangling, and Baling, employing doctors to treat the poor for the epidemic at cost price or free of charge, and distributing commonly used medicines. This initiative won the hearts of the people.

After speaking, Chao Yihua bowed slightly, and Xu Xingzhi summarized:
"In Xiangyang and even in the counties of Baling, Jiangling, Jingling and Lingnan that we control, people's livelihoods have basically stabilized, the number of refugees has decreased significantly, the market is prosperous, the granaries are gradually filling up, and people's hearts are drawn to us. All of this is thanks to the benevolent rule of our leader."

Yi Huawei listened quietly, a satisfied look appearing on his face:

“Well done. People’s livelihood is fundamental. Only with a solid foundation can we plan for the future. The establishment of primary schools and public pharmacies is especially important and needs to be pursued persistently and expanded gradually.”

“I will keep in mind the Lord’s teachings!” Xu Xingzhi bowed and replied.

Seeing Yi Huawei's gaze turn to him, Song Lu stood up, bowed, and spoke in a loud voice:

"Reporting to the Alliance Leader, all the soldiers of our Heavenly Dao Alliance have worked diligently and trained hard, and we have now initially built a fighting force. At present, the total strength of our Alliance's standing army is 150,000 infantry, 50,000 naval forces, 20,000 cavalry, 5,000 elite Xuanjia cavalry, and about 30,000 garrison troops and patrol officers from various counties and prefectures, for a total standing force of 255,000 men."

"Among them, Xiangyang was garrisoned with 50,000 infantry, 20,000 naval forces, 8,000 cavalry, and 3,000 elite Xuanjia cavalry. Jiangling was garrisoned with 30,000 infantry, 15,000 naval forces, and 3,000 cavalry... Baling was garrisoned with 20,000 infantry and 10,000 naval forces... Jingling was garrisoned with 25,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry... Lingnan was garrisoned with 20,000 infantry and 5,000 naval forces, and a mountain auxiliary force of about 5,000 men was formed by the local Li and Liao leaders, consisting of..."

"Bozhou is garrisoned with 10,000 infantry, 1,000 cavalry, and 500 elite Xuanjia cavalry, under the command of General Zhang Zhenzhou. This is a frontline stronghold for penetrating the Central Plains."

After giving Yi Huawei a detailed report on the deployment of major forces and key generals, Song Lu then said:

"Thanks to the excellent weaponry blueprints provided by the Alliance Leader, as well as captured and domestically produced equipment, our army's equipment has greatly improved. The armor coverage rate of the infantry has reached 60%, with iron armor accounting for 20% and leather and paper armor accounting for 40%. Taking advantage of the locations of Baling, Jiangling, and Xiangyang, our army has established an inland waterway navy with approximately 300 warships of various sizes, including five large warships and more than 50 large and small warships, capable of carrying 15,000 naval soldiers. With the followers of the Baling Gang as the backbone, supplemented by newly recruited soldiers, and with continuous training, we are now able to control the middle reaches of the Yangtze River..."

"...The cavalry are equipped with fine horses, with one rider riding two or three horses, and are fully equipped with lances, horse bows, and ring-pommel swords. The most elite Xuanjia cavalry number five thousand, all covered in full black armor, and equipped with the best warhorses, lances, swords, and crossbows, which are the sharpest blades for our army to break through enemy lines."

"The weapons and armor of each army are manufactured under the unified supervision of the Imperial Workshop, and the reserves are now sufficient. As instructed by the Alliance Leader, we have focused on strengthening the equipment of crossbows and armor-piercing arrows. In addition, each army has been mixed with martial arts experts from various factions, who have been vetted and are loyal to the Alliance Leader, at a ratio of one-tenth. These experts serve as junior officers or teach combat techniques, strictly following the manuals set by the Alliance Leader. They are assessed monthly, and the best are eliminated. Military pay is paid on time and in full, and those who perform meritorious service are rewarded while those who commit wrongdoing are punished. Morale is extremely high."

"Following the Alliance Leader's instructions, we have vigorously promoted the education and martial arts training of our soldiers. In addition to daily drills, all soldiers must study literature for one hour every day, taught by civil officials from the Military Academy or literate officers in the army. They are required to recognize at least 500 characters and understand basic arithmetic and military regulations. In terms of martial arts, the Alliance Leader has bestowed upon us the 'Basic Body Forging Techniques,' as well as practical combat skills such as the 'Breaking the Edge Sword Technique' and the 'Chain Armor Infantry Formation,' which are taught by the generals of each army according to their aptitude. The soldiers' combat strength is incomparable to that of six months ago! The morale of the army is high, and their desire for battle is extremely strong!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Huawei's eyes revealed approval. A truly strong army is one that is cultured, disciplined, and highly skilled in martial arts. He nodded slightly.
"Only when soldiers know loyalty and righteousness, understand discipline, and are skilled in combat can they become a fierce and powerful army. Lord Song and all the generals have worked hard."

All the generals bowed in unison: "This is our duty!"

"...As instructed by the Alliance Leader, we have secretly built granaries and armories in various strategic locations, and stockpiled a large amount of military supplies such as medicine, cloth, and arrows for unforeseen circumstances. Thanks to the efforts of Master Lu Miaozi and a group of skilled craftsmen, the 'Divine Machine Workshop' has made breakthrough progress."

Song Lu lowered his voice, a hint of excitement in it:
"Based on the optimal gunpowder formula provided by the alliance leader, granular gunpowder can now be produced in stable batches, with power and stability far exceeding those of the past. On this basis, the 'Sky-Shattering Thunder' and 'Fire Dragon Arrow' have been successfully tested. Although their accuracy is still insufficient, they have already proven remarkably effective in field assaults or intimidating enemy troops."

Furthermore, based on the sketches and explanations of the principles provided by the alliance leader, Master Lu and others are working diligently to improve the 'fire lance,' attempting to solve problems such as airtightness and continuous firing. Although it is still far from practical use, the direction is clear.

Yi Huawei listened to Song Lu's report with a calm expression, showing little surprise. The development of firearms was already part of his plan; it would be a key force in changing the nature of warfare in the future. He nodded and slowly began to speak:
"The recovery of people's livelihood and the strengthening of military power are the foundation, and you have all done a good job. In particular, promoting education, training elite troops, and developing firearms are three things that are related to the future fortune of our Heavenly Dao Alliance. We must persevere and not slacken."

"The world is in chaos, and this is not limited to the Central Plains. To the north, the Turks are eyeing us like wolves; to the west, the Tuyuhun and other foreign tribes covet our territory; and to the east, Goryeo and the Japanese pirates harbor treacherous intentions. We have formed this alliance not to protect ourselves through separatism, but to end this centuries-long period of chaos, to rebuild the backbone of China, and to usher in an era of lasting peace. Today's Xiangyang is a microcosm of tomorrow's world. I hope you will all remain true to your original aspirations and forge ahead with determination."

Yi Huawei's words were calm, yet carried an indescribable power and sense of mission, stirring the hearts of all the civil and military officials present, who bowed in unison.
"We, your humble servants, will heed the teachings of the Alliance Leader and do our utmost to assist him in achieving great things!"

After Song Lu and the others sat down, Shan Wanjing, who was sitting to Yi Huawei's left, couldn't contain herself any longer. With a hint of excitement on her pretty face, she stood up, clasped her hands, and said, "Master! Oh no, Alliance Leader! Wanjing also has something to report!"

Looking at her charming yet spirited appearance, Yi Huawei couldn't help but smile: "Tell me, which mountain strongholds have you wiped out in the past few months? How many bandit hideouts have you raided?"

Shan Wanjing straightened her chest and recounted the events with pride: "Reporting to the Alliance Leader! Wanjing, leading the Sword Guards and coordinating with the local garrison, has wiped out seven large bandit strongholds and more than twenty medium and small bandit dens at the junction of Xiangyang, Jingling, and Jiangling prefectures! We have captured and killed thirty-seven notorious bandits, including 'River-Turning Python' Jiang Kun and 'Sitting Tiger' Hu Biao! We have also received the surrender and dispersal of nearly four thousand bandits who had been coerced into joining us! We have seized countless amounts of money, grain, and weapons, all of which have been registered and handed over to the government treasury!"

After a pause, Shan Wanjing added with a hint of pride, "Now the trade routes connecting the three prefectures to Baling and Lingnan are completely unobstructed, and merchants and travelers all praise the Alliance Leader's benevolence! Those bandits, upon hearing the name 'Dongming Sword,' are all terrified!"

The "Sword Guards" she mentioned were a highly skilled squad that Yi Huawei had specially authorized her to form. Most of the members were skilled fighters she had brought from the Dongming Sect and young heroes she had recruited later. They were dedicated to eradicating stubborn banditry that was difficult to eradicate, serving both as training troops and a means to gain fame.

Looking at her radiant appearance, Yi Huawei knew that although she had some youthful impetuosity, she was indeed decisive and efficient in her work. Especially after she absorbed the essence of the Evil Emperor's Relic, her internal strength increased greatly, and her swordsmanship improved by leaps and bounds, making her no match for ordinary masters.

"Well done."

Yi Huwei nodded approvingly: "Suppressing bandits, pacifying the people, and protecting the borders for trade are all important matters. I am very pleased that you are now in charge on your own. However, you must remember to guard against arrogance and impetuosity. Bandits are like leeks, they will grow back after being cut down. We need to cooperate with local officials, establish a baojia system (a system of mutual responsibility among local officials), and investigate the remaining bandits in order to achieve long-term stability."

"Wanjing understands! She will certainly live up to Master's expectations!"

Dan Wanjing blushed slightly and sat down excitedly. Being praised by her master in public made her happier than wiping out ten bandit strongholds.

Following Yi Huawei's gaze, everyone's eyes fell on Zhu Yuyan, who remained seated silently, exuding an air of elegance tinged with an eerie quality. (End of Chapter)