The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

Thinking of this, Su Qi deliberately turned his face away, pretending not to see the pleading looks in those people's eyes.

It was just asking them to do some physical work; it wasn't about taking their lives. Such a request wasn't excessive, and Su Qi felt he had no way to refute Yang Xia.

The nobles and ministers were stunned when they saw Su Qi's attitude, and then they realized that the king would not stand up for them.

Now that things have come to this, they can only obediently follow Yang Xia's orders and act as laborers for free. But they don't know how to do any work. Holding shovels, they don't even know where to dig.

“What are you all standing there in a daze for? You’re so young and all you know how to do is order others around. You’re nothing but parasites on Yan State.”

"Get to work quickly. This is Yan's own business, and each of you should do your part."

Seeing their dawdling, Yang Xia scolded them again, urging them to start work as soon as possible.

"You either hurry up and dig the soil or help set up the machines. There's a lot of work to be done right now, and no one is allowed to shirk their responsibilities."

Yang Xia actually stood guard by their side, watching them work. This display almost made General Meng Yu burst out laughing, and he felt extremely relieved.

Having been in Yan Kingdom for some time and experienced several encounters, Meng Yu knew that the country's poverty and backwardness had their own underlying causes.

Those outdated and conservative ideas were truly tiresome, and General Meng Yu sincerely admired Yang Xia's methods of governance.

In addition to the machinery for thawing the frozen soil, Yang Xia also transported a large number of excavation equipment from Xia State. Once the frozen soil thaws, they can begin excavating the underground tunnel.

This is a massive project. Even Yang Xia himself feels excited just thinking about it, and he can already picture the magnificent scene after it is completed.

Such a railway, traversing the entire territory of Yan, can smoothly connect various important towns, which will naturally lead to their gradual economic prosperity.

The ministers dared not cheat anymore and could only obediently grip their shovels and work. Before long, they were panting heavily and drenched in sweat.

But Yang Xia didn't give the order, and none of them dared to stop without permission. Only at this moment did they truly understand the torment those slaves had endured in the past, a life where they could neither live nor die.

In addition to enduring such heavy hard labor, they also suffered inhuman abuse, being beaten and verbally abused at every turn.

They gradually came to their senses and realized their past cruelty—those slaves were clearly living, breathing people, and their past lives had been far too miserable.

The nobles finally began to feel some remorse and shame for their past actions.

Although they were completely inept at these tasks and were so exhausted they were almost collapsing to the ground, they could only obediently follow Yang Xia's instructions and keep busy without stopping.

As Yang Xia said, this is, after all, Yan's own cause, and they cannot just be parasites; they should also contribute their efforts to Yan.

These people finally felt a little ashamed, fearing that they would be called parasites, so they had no choice but to work hard.

Yang Xia observed their performance from the side and was quite satisfied. Although their efficiency was not high, it was still a start, and it was already quite an achievement to have done this much.

"Your Majesty, you are the most capable. You can get these guys to work obediently. It's so satisfying to watch," General Meng Yu whispered, giving Yang Xia a thumbs-up.

“What I said was right. This is indeed Yan’s own business, and they should do their part.”

“From now on, we must treat them the same as the soldiers, with the same rules. If we have to work, we work together; if we have to rest, we rest together. We cannot treat them differently just because they are nobles.”

Yang Xia then gave General Meng Yu some more detailed instructions, warning him to be wary of what other tricks those people might pull.

"Your Majesty, I understand. This way, we will have enough manpower and the progress can be accelerated considerably."

Meng Yu was very happy. Seeing the current situation was naturally gratifying for everyone. This project was labor-intensive and time-consuming, and all aspects had to be arranged properly.

"Yes, now the labor problem is finally solved."

"At the current pace, this section of the tunnel under the permafrost should be completed in about a month."

Yang Xia made a rough estimate and gave a general timeframe.

"Your Majesty, this is wonderful! Our transformation efforts in Yan Kingdom will soon bear fruit. Hopefully, this transformation can be completed as soon as possible so we can return to Xia Kingdom."...

General Meng Yu was also concerned about the situation in Xia Kingdom, knowing that Kanapan was on the verge of collapse there.

"Yes, but there are still many aspects to be improved. Building the railway is just the first step. Next, we need to install signal towers for Yan."

Yang Xia then spoke with General Meng Yu about the subsequent plans, emphasizing that the transformation was indeed a long and arduous task.

Yan Kingdom is too backward. It doesn't even have basic signal stations. Yang Xia can only help them build signal towers first. Once the number of towers reaches a certain scale, they can then start setting up signal stations.

"Your Majesty, the transformation of Yan Kingdom is truly arduous. I wonder when we will be able to return to Xia Kingdom. I hope that the King of Kanapan can stabilize the situation."

"Coulson's actions have never stopped; on the contrary, they will become increasingly rampant. We should return to Xia Country as soon as possible."

General Meng Yu was eager to return to Xia State when he mentioned it, and they all knew that the current situation was still very serious.

"Yes, but the current situation is also helpless. Our transformation is at a critical juncture. We cannot give up halfway. We must grit our teeth and finish it."

"I believe that the King of Kanapan will find a way to stabilize the situation, and we will also keep in touch with him to resolve any problems as much as possible."

Yang Xia's gaze was resolute and determined, knowing that they could only move forward and not retreat. Only after the transformation of Yan Kingdom was basically completed could they set off to return to Xia Kingdom.

General Meng Yu could only nod, hoping that the renovation period could be shortened as much as possible, and that they would do their best to work in that direction.

"Any new developments over there? What's Coulson up to lately?" Yang Xia asked again about Coulson's movements; they had to keep a close eye on his every move.

Only by keeping a close eye on Coulson's actions can we help Kanapan stabilize the situation and hold out until he returns to Xia Kingdom.

"There are no new clues yet, and Coulson's behavior remains very strange and unpredictable."

"However, we will keep a close eye on these developments and report to Your Majesty immediately if anything comes up."

General Meng Yu knew what Yang Xia was planning, so he quickly explained the situation to Yang Xia, who nodded in satisfaction.

In recent days, under their joint supervision, the nobles and ministers of Yan Kingdom have behaved relatively well. Although they are exhausted, they dare not show any obvious complaints.

The project is progressing smoothly, which puts Yang Xia at ease. Based on this speed, the result is almost exactly what he had predicted.

Su Qi would also wander around the construction site in his spare time. Yan Guo didn't have any important official business, and they lived a leisurely life.

The ministers and the king, in particular, are quite idle. Now, Su Qi will naturally be guarding the construction site. He also hopes that the transformation of Yan Kingdom can be completed as soon as possible so that he can see the results sooner.

For a country to develop, it naturally needs to make money first, and make a lot of money at that.

With a solid economic foundation, all aspects can move forward rapidly. Su Qi was not unaware of this principle, but he was simply unsure where to begin.

Now that he has a guide like Yang Xia, he understands that as long as these modifications are completed one by one, he can start to generate real benefits for them.

Especially those ores. They used to think of these stones as waste, but after hearing Yang Xia's words, they realized that these ores were all treasures.

Looking at the mineral deposits scattered throughout Yan Kingdom, Su Qi realized that his country's resources were indeed abundant. Once the value of these ores was extracted, they could reap substantial profits.

By then, Yan Kingdom will become wealthy. Just thinking about this makes Su Qi laugh out loud even in his dreams.

However, he found the renovations to be far too laborious. One day, two days, three days passed in the blink of an eye, but he hadn't even seen a trace of the railway.

Su Qi wanted the railway to be built overnight so that they could see the results the very next day.

Su Qi's gaze never left the ores; he was eager to develop those mineral deposits.

But he saw that Yang Xia was busy building railways and signal towers, but had no intention of developing the mines.

"Yang Xia, when can we finally start mining the ore? Let's turn this ore into real valuable treasures. Our Yan Kingdom has plenty of ore, and that will be incredible."

Su Qi finally couldn't hold back any longer and went up to Yang Xia to inquire about the situation. He was eager to make money and experience the thrill of earning a fortune every day.

Upon hearing Fei Liang's words, Lin Fan immediately understood that this man was only thinking about making money as quickly as possible, and his face darkened instantly.

He was well aware of the value of the minerals in the Great Chu Kingdom and genuinely wanted to help them mine them to boost the Great Chu's economy. However, while he was busy laying the groundwork, Fei Liang was impatiently urging him on, which only made Lin Fan feel a bit disgusted.

Many things should be left to their own devices and happen naturally, like the transformation of the Great Chu Kingdom, which must be pushed forward step by step. The Great Chu Kingdom's foundation is so weak, and it lags far behind in every aspect. Lin Fan is working hard to make improvements. Fei Liang, on the other hand, is like a tail following behind, constantly urging him on. Such behavior is indeed annoying, no wonder Lin Fan put on that face. Anyone would be furious in this situation.

Perhaps in Fei Liang's eyes, he only saw benefits and returns, ignoring all the other trivial matters, thinking that those were things Lin Fan should handle. They were only focused on seeing profits quickly, regarding this as the only benefit for Da Chu.

"You unworthy ruler, you can't even walk properly yet, but you're already eager to run away, aren't you?"

"Everything must be done step by step. You know the foundation of the Great Chu Kingdom better than anyone else. We have to put in the effort to change every aspect in order to gradually develop the country."

Lin Fan gave Fei Liang a good scolding, completely disregarding whether he was the ruler of Great Chu or not; such thoughts deserved to be reprimanded. The current renovation project was in full swing, and as the ruler of a country, Fei Liang should have been more concerned about the progress. Instead, all he could think about was making money.

“A good ruler cannot become fat overnight, especially in a poor and backward country like Great Chu. Everything can only be done slowly. You should keep a close eye on the progress of the renovations in various places and encourage everyone to work harder. Only when we are of one mind and work together can we shorten the construction period.”

Lin Fan reprimanded Fei Liang mercilessly, making him blush and too embarrassed to bring it up again. He could only awkwardly retreat and go about his own business.

Lin Fan devoted all his energy to the various renovations, with construction on both the railway and the signal tower starting simultaneously. He also hoped to shorten the construction period as much as possible, as he did not want to spend too much time in Da Chu, and Yan Guo was already waiting for him to return and take charge.

These renovation projects were being carried out with great enthusiasm, creating a vibrant and energetic atmosphere everywhere, so naturally everyone had to roll up their sleeves and work hard. Whether they were soldiers brought from Yan Kingdom or local soldiers and nobles from Great Chu, Lin Fan treated them all equally, without showing any favoritism.

In order to meet the construction schedule, Lin Fan even made everyone live and eat at the construction site. Only in this way could the progress be truly accelerated.

"Everyone, the project renovation is in a tight schedule, so I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you all. Please stay and eat at the construction site for the rest of the time, and we'll try our best to meet the deadline as soon as possible."

Lin Fan called a meeting with everyone on the construction site. Whether they were from Da Chu or his subordinates from Yan Kingdom, they were all gathered together to clearly explain the tasks that needed to be completed.

“Your Majesty, we are all willing to obey your orders. Anyway, we are so far away from Yan Kingdom, so it is only right for us to live and eat at the construction site.”

Lin Fan's soldiers showed no complaints and eagerly pledged their loyalty. They had left Yan Kingdom to follow Lin Fan and quickly transform Da Chu into a respectable state, becoming a solid support for Yan Kingdom.

"You have worked hard. Future generations will not forget you. This transformation was remarkable and can be called groundbreaking."

Lin Fan looked at the group of brothers he had brought out, and felt a pang of sadness. They wouldn't be able to go home and reunite with their families for several months, and many had made enormous sacrifices to achieve this goal.

"We all know."

The nobles of the Great Chu responded casually, but their discontent began to surface. Looking across the construction site, the majority were naturally from Chu, with only a handful of people from Yan. In their eyes, it was clearly the Chu people doing the hard labor, working like animals every day; over time, their complaints naturally grew.

When construction first started, they were quite restrained, thinking that it was all for the future of Great Chu, and that they could just endure it. (End of Chapter)