Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 405: A Strong Army and Rest Days, The Vibrant Atmosphere of the Southern City, Ji Jiang's Love Affairs, and Her Heart Gradually Lowers Its Defenses
There were quite a few people entering Hongmen City tonight. The Longwu Army accelerated its march, and when they were still two kilometers away from the city gate, there were already quite a few scattered people on the bluestone road.

Seeing the golden-armored torrent rushing towards them, the passersby quickly moved aside to both sides of the bluestone path, turning to look at the army with eyes full of horror and shock.

"Hiss... Another army of golden-armored soldiers, all of them at the Cold Resistance level."

"They're all wearing thousand-forged thunderous golden armor; they must be from the Great Xia Dragon Martial Army."

"Do you need to tell me? Look at the military flag at the front of the army, it says so."

"The black flag, with the character 'Xia' on the front and a golden broadsword pattern on the back, is indeed the Dragon Martial Army Flag!"

"The soldiers guarding the city gate are Yunjiao soldiers. I think their strength is basically no less than six-mane. Yunjiao Longwu, these should be the two most elite armies of the Great Xia."

"Their strength is all above the sixth level, this..."

"Even the three northern towns couldn't muster such a strong army, could they?"

………………

The Longwu Army marched very fast. Before the passersby could even finish their conversation, Hou Quan had already led his army past Hou's camp and arrived at the city gate.

"Greetings, Commander Hou!"

Tonight, Zhu Xing, a captain of the Yunjiao Army's scout battalion, is on duty at the city gate. He first bows to Hou Quan, then turns to the queue registering to enter the city and shouts:

"Please make way for the army to enter the city!"

There were about four or five hundred people registering to enter the city. Upon hearing his voice, they immediately moved aside to the flanks, making room for the main army behind them.

"Ten battalion captains and fifty squad leaders, all of you come forward and count your soldiers. Once you've confirmed everything, you can all enter the city!"

At Hou Quan's command, sixty men immediately ran out of the ranks and stood below the city gate. Zhu Yang, the captain of the scout battalion, first confirmed the identities of his five squad leaders, and then the five squad leaders counted their respective 19 members. The entire entry procedure was completed quickly, and they began to enter the city in an orderly manner.

Seeing that even soldiers of the Longwu Army could not enter the city at will, the people queuing up nearby immediately looked at each other with strange expressions.

"So even the procedures for the Longwu Army to enter the city are so complicated."

"Everyone says that Hongmen City has strict rules, and it truly lives up to its reputation!"

“There are quite a few filthy things in the Ice Abyss. The Great Xia is doing this for safety reasons, and I feel much more at ease this way.”

"Your focus is flawed, isn't it? What you should really be focusing on is the discipline and appearance of the Great Xia army! These are over a thousand Cold-Resistant level soldiers with strength of at least Six-Mane. Tell me, which of the other eight towns can train its army to this level?"

"That's true. I've seen the garrison troops of the Eight Towns. Those cold-resistant level soldiers there are all arrogant and conceited. They can't compare to the Dragon Martial Army at all."

"Look at them, they even maintain their formation when entering the city. With such military discipline, it's no wonder they were able to achieve victories against superior numbers at Yumen and Fushan, and successively defeat the garrison armies of Jinshan and Wuchuan!"

"Indeed!"

………………

The exclamations of amazement from those around them undoubtedly brought great satisfaction to all the soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army. Their faces showed a hint of pride, and their steps into the city were deliberately made more orderly and heavier.

Ji Hong was one of them, and he was among the first to enter the city with the scout battalion. After entering the city, he did not leave the group, but continued to follow the scout battalion along the main road toward the location of the barracks in the north city.

As a port for foreign trade of the Great Xia Dynasty, Hongmen City was inevitably a melting pot of all sorts of people. To facilitate management, Xia Chuan divided the city into two parts, north and south, with the central Si Ya Building as the boundary. The north part was the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty itself, while the south part was specifically used to receive outsiders.

Warehouses, military barracks, government offices, and even the living quarters of the Great Xia people were all concentrated on the northern side of the city.

"It seems that what I saw on the road was only a part of it. It's likely that not all the cold-resistant level troops from the Eight Towns have come to Hongmen City these past few days!"

From the moment he entered the city gate, Ji Hong observed the pedestrians along the way. Just by looking at the huge crowds on the main road, he could deduce that the current population of the city must be astonishingly high.

“When I went to Heyin Village at the end of July, I passed through Hongmen once. At that time, there were at most five or six thousand people in the city. Now it is probably three or four times that number.”

While Ji Hong was making his own guesses, he quickly followed the army to the North City Barracks next to the Siya Building.

All the barracks in Daxia were designed for small teams, with a team of 20 people living in one barracks. Zhang Qingyuan quickly led the 20 people of the fifth team to the barracks that had been arranged in advance.

As soon as the group pushed open the barracks door, the aroma of hot food wafted out. Seeing the tables in the barracks hall laden with delicious meals, the group, who had been marching for two days straight, immediately relaxed.

But their relaxation didn't stop there.

"Alright, the food in the barracks is ready. Take off your armor first, then eat. After you eat, you can rest if you want, or go out for a stroll if you want, but your activity area is limited to Hongmen City. Tomorrow nightfall, the barracks will be on call promptly. Anyone who is absent will be punished with fifty strokes of the cane. Be mindful of your time!"

Upon hearing Captain Zhang Qingyuan's words, everyone in the team, including Ji Hong, was stunned for a moment, followed by a chorus of excited exclamations.

"Taking a day off?"

"Aren't we supposed to be escorting supplies back to Xia City?"

"More than four hours! Is the Commander being so generous this time?"

………………

The reactions of the crowd were not unexpected for Zhang Qingyuan.

The military regulations of the Great Xia Dynasty are extremely strict. Except for rest periods, soldiers are not allowed to leave the camp at will. This is also true in the Xia City military camp. Soldiers who leave the barracks without orders from their superiors will be severely punished if caught. The punishment ranges from ten to fifty strokes of the cane to expulsion from the army. There are precedents for this.

Soldiers in the army can take turns to rest, each person has two rest days a year, each lasting five days, with a six-month interval in between. Because they have to be staggered, at most two or three people can rest at a time, so it is difficult to get a spot.

Besides taking turns to take leave, there is also the situation of taking leave normally.

During normal rest periods, the Commander-in-Chief had to personally issue the order, which was then relayed by the captains of each battalion and finally communicated to all soldiers level by level. This is why everyone immediately knew that it was Commander-in-Chief Hou Quan's order as soon as he spoke.

Normal rest days are more frequent than rotating rest days. After a major battle or intensive training, in order to allow the soldiers to relax temporarily, the commander-in-chief would give them some time to leave the barracks and move around freely.

Tonight's situation is clearly not in line with the situation after a major battle or intensive training. They have only been escorting supplies these past two days and have not actually fought with anyone, so it is not a particularly tiring task.

That's why everyone was so surprised and delighted when Zhang Qingyuan announced that there would be a rest period of more than four hours.

Zhang Qingyuan chuckled and said, "What's wrong? You've been given more than four hours of rest and you're still asking all sorts of questions. If you don't want it, I'll report to the captain and have you put on duty at the barracks gate. How about that?"

"No, no, no, Captain, we want it, we definitely want it!"

"Please have mercy, Captain. You finally have a break, please don't."

"Hurry up and take off your armor and eat. There are several restaurants that have opened in the south of the city. I heard about them when I was in Ba Shang. They can use contribution points to buy extra drinks. I have to go and have a good drink later."

"If that's the case, then we need to take off our armor and eat right away!"

………………

Seeing the soldiers' reactions, Zhang Qingyuan laughed. Finally, he turned his gaze to Ji Hong beside him and said with a smile, "Ji Hong, although you are not a formal member of the Dragon Martial Army, you still have to abide by the military rules just like everyone else, understand?"

"Ji Hong understands!"

Ji Hong quickly cupped his hands in greeting and nodded solemnly in agreement.

Zhang Qingyuan just made it very clear that he will only be given a little over four hours of rest, and will be on duty at nightfall tomorrow. Anyone who is absent will be punished with fifty strokes of the cane.

Based on the strength of the cold-resistant membrane, if it were just an ordinary fifty strokes of the military rod, it would be easy to get through. The problem is that the military rods used by the Great Xia for punishment are made of vermilion wood from Five Ape Mountain.

The tighter the skin the crimson wood encounters, the stronger its adhesion becomes. The harder the user applies, the harder the stick becomes. In addition, each time the punishment is personally administered by the captains of each battalion, so each blow is not easy to endure.

When Ji Hong was in the military camp in Ba Shang City, he personally witnessed a soldier from the Eighth Battalion of the Longwu Army who had made a mistake due to drinking. After being punished with twenty strokes of the military rod, he was unable to stand up from the ground for more than an hour.

He also inquired with others and learned that the soldier was of the Seven Maness's strength.

Even someone with the Seven-Mane strength at the Cold Resistance level would be in such a state after taking twenty lashes. His current basic strength is only three manes. If he were to actually take fifty lashes, he would probably be severely injured even if he didn't die.

"Maybe we shouldn't go out. It's only four hours, what if..."

Ji Hong first secretly dismissed the idea of ​​going out, but when he thought of the promise he made to Chen Yiqing and the others before entering the city, a trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes.

"We're in the city. Just keep an eye on the time. We should be fine!"

Ji Hong made up his mind, went back to his room to remove his armor and change into civilian clothes. After having a meal with his fellow soldiers, he declined their invitation to go to the South City Restaurant and left the barracks alone.

As soon as he stepped out of the barracks, Ji Hong immediately sensed that something was wrong. He turned his head to look at the left and right sides, and then quickly sensed all the surrounding barracks. His expression brightened slightly.

"With so many people living in the barracks, it seems the lord has indeed moved all his troops to Hongmen City, and probably more than just his army..."

Ji Hong soon spotted the giant iron-wheeled carts, ten meters long, at the entrances of several barracks. The carts were completely covered by black tarpaulins. After a moment's thought, Ji Hong immediately guessed what was inside, and his pupils narrowed slightly.

Something big is definitely going to happen the day after tomorrow!

Ji Hong took a slight breath, stopped observing the situation in the military camp, and walked towards the southern exit of the military camp.

Leaving the military camp and bypassing the government office building, Ji Hong quickly entered the southern city.

"Xianghanjian, two coins a pack, take a look!"

"Sour crystal fruit skewers, five coins a skewer, sweet and sour and delicious, come and take a look."

"High-end animal bone pendants, red agate jade, turquoise hairpins... all made by famous masters of the Great Xia Dynasty. You are welcome to come and take a look. The more you buy, the cheaper it is."

"We sell all kinds of fabrics, including cotton yarn, brocade, silk, and satin. In addition, we have summer clothes for men, women, young and old, in all styles. Don't miss it! Come in and have a look. Trying them on is free!"

………………

As soon as he crossed the South City Archway and stepped onto the main road, the sounds of hawking and shouting immediately filled the air. Ji Hong looked up and saw that the 15-meter-wide main road was lined with stalls and shops on both sides.

The streets were designed in imitation of the Xia City, with an iron stake every five meters along the street. Each stake had a coal stove and five torches hanging from it. Combined with the ample light from the buildings on both sides of the street, the entire southern city was brightly lit, as bright as day, and much more lively than their barracks in the northern city.

This kind of lively atmosphere was not the first time Ji Hong had experienced it; vendors and merchants had already been present in Xiacheng since June of this year.

To be honest, the lively atmosphere of this street seemed even stronger than that of Xia City.

"Is it because the vast majority of them are from other towns? The shops and stores on both sides should have been set up here by people sent by the Ministry of Commerce. Many of the vendors are from Great Xia, but a few seem to be from other towns!"

Ji Hong had a good eye; there were a few vendors who, even if they were wearing summer clothes, he could immediately tell that they were not from the Great Xia after observing them for a while.

In other words, Hongmen City has already allowed people from other towns to set up stalls and trade here on their own?

Although the street stalls look densely packed, if you look closely, you can see that there is one stall every three meters along the street, and a two-meter distance between each stall and the storefront. All the stalls are spaced one meter apart, which both increases the distance between the stalls and leaves passageways for people to walk through.
Furthermore, a yellow line was drawn in front of each stall on both sides, and all the tables and items to be sold at the stalls were within the yellow line. The two yellow lines along the street were about six meters apart, clearly intended for pedestrian traffic.

"Guess who I am?"

Suddenly, two icy little hands covered his eyes, and Ji Hong's brows furrowed sharply. But when he heard that incredibly familiar, sweet voice, his brows immediately relaxed, and he quickly turned around to look behind him, his face full of surprise.

"Ah Jiang, so you really have come to Hongmen too!"

The one covering his eyes was a young girl in a bright yellow summer dress. The girl had a pretty face and was probably not yet twenty years old. Her bright and lively eyes were particularly striking. If you looked closely, you would find that the girl's face was somewhat similar to Ji Hong's.

"Brother, you didn't expect that, did you? I was transferred to Hongmen City back in August!"

Ji Jiang spoke crisply, hooking her arm around Ji Hong's, her face full of a charming smile. But then, as if remembering something, she blinked and continued, "Brother, do you miss me?"

"Of course I do!"

Upon hearing this question, Ji Hong gave an answer without hesitation.

Ever since their parents perished in the disaster brought by the wooden puppet ten years ago, the two siblings have relied on each other for survival. The bond between them is self-evident.

Upon hearing the answer, Ji Jiang's face immediately lit up with a satisfied smile. However, her eyes darted around, and she continued to ask with a sly look, "Besides me, have you thought about anyone else?"

Ji Hong's expression froze for a moment, and he immediately craned his neck to look behind Ji Jiang.

Ji Jiang immediately shifted her body dramatically, deliberately blocking Ji Hong's view, clearly indicating that she was hiding someone behind her.

"Brother, don't cheat! Answer the questions first."

"Tell me, tell me, have you been thinking about anyone else?"

You're so shameless!

Ji Jiang ultimately couldn't resist and was pushed away by Ji Hong.

It turned out that not far behind her stood a woman in a green dress, who was about two or three years older than her, with fair skin and a gentle face.

The woman in green was blushing, clearly from Ji Jiang's teasing. She then met Ji Hong's gaze, and the blush spread to her ears.

"Xiaorou, you're here too?"

"Brother Ji, you forgot? I was transferred to Wanbaolou in July."

Ji Hong blushed deeply, only then remembering that Zeng Rou had deliberately mentioned it to him once when she was transferred to Wanbaolou in July.

"Brother, Sister Xiaorou is amazing! She was just promoted to a mid-level manager at Wanbaolou and now she has three subordinates under her!"

"Ah Jiang, don't talk nonsense..."

Compared to the free-spirited and outspoken Ji Jiang, Zeng Rou is as gentle as her name suggests, with a soft and gentle nature. Even when she argues, her voice is very soft, which can be said to have no offensive power at all.

However, Ji Jiang respected her very much. When she opened her mouth, she immediately shut up. Then, she smiled and pulled her brother Ji Hong towards a summer clothing store on the side of the street.

"Brother, I'm the manager of this summer clothing store now, so you'll have to come and support my business more often!"

As Ji Hong approached the door, he was already showing curiosity. When he heard Ji Jiang say that she was the shopkeeper, and then looked up at the dazzling array of summer clothes in the shop and the many people who were choosing them, his face was immediately filled with surprise.

"Aren't all the shops along this street owned by the Marketing Department? How did you become a shopkeeper?"

Seeing the look of surprise on her brother's face, Ji Jiang smiled smugly. Remembering that Ji Hong had been stationed at Heyin and was unaware of what was happening in Hongmen City, she patiently explained it to him.

Since Hongmen City opened in July, people from the eight towns have been pouring in. At first, it was mostly cold-resistant level people from village camps who came, and Wanbaolou could barely hold on. But as time went on, cold-resistant level people from the towns, including those at the limit of the Digging Realm in the eight towns, as well as those at the Digging Realm, also poured into the city with all sorts of things to trade with Daxia. Wanbaolou quickly reached its limit.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. Although the Eight Towns are large, even the three northern towns only have an average of sixty or seventy village-level camps within their territory. Even if each village has 20 camps of the cold-resistant level, the Eight Towns combined would only have a maximum of eight or nine thousand people. As long as they don't all come at the same time, Wanbaolou can easily accommodate such a small number of people.

If you include the cold-resistant level cultivators in the town, and all the Digging Realm cultivators, the number is completely different. Take the Great Xia Dynasty for example; the number of Digging Realm cultivators is already close to 300,000. Even if the Great Xia Dynasty isn't a reliable reference, you can still deduce from that number that the Eight Towns alone have at least 150,000 Digging Realm cultivators. With such a large influx of people, Wanbaolou alone certainly can't handle it. Moreover, the scale of these transactions varies greatly; you can't expect everyone who buys something worth a few taels of silver to be taken to Wanbaolou for selection and then have a dedicated person to receive them, can you?
In order to alleviate the pressure on Wanbaolou and to better conduct transactions with the people of Bazhen, Qiu Peng made a series of changes in August.

The first step was to move some less important supplies, such as clothing, cloth, common materials, food, basic tools, and weapons below the thousand-forged level, which were involved in retail, out of Wanbaolou and have them operated by shops on both sides of the street.

The right to operate these shops and stores requires spending a lot of contribution points and competing with other people in the camp for the right to bid.
Secondly, we should focus on the big and let go of the small. When entering the city, we should make it clear in advance that any transaction with a single transaction amount of less than 10,000 taels of silver does not need to enter Wanbaolou. In order to comply with this rule, there is now an additional rule of verifying funds before entering Wanbaolou.

Finally, hundreds of stalls were added along both sides of the street. These stalls are open not only to the residents of the building but also to the public. Anyone can rent them for a fee, charged by the day.

After hearing Qiu Peng's three measures, Ji Hong was deeply shocked. He turned to look at his sister's shop, estimated the area to be about 30 square meters, and asked curiously, "The operating rights to this shop must be very expensive, right? I remember you've only accumulated a little over 50,000 contribution points over the years. Can you compete with others?"

Although his younger sister's talent for cultivation surpassed his own, she was, after all, a woman. Ji Hong was reluctant to let her go out and fight against the cold beasts, so he forced her to join the supply department early on, where she could stay and work in Xia City.

Ji Jiang's cultivation resources were mostly taken care of by him, so he, as her brother, knew exactly how many contribution points his sister had in total.

It's obvious how much business opportunity this shop in the south of the city holds. He simply couldn't believe that the operating rights could be won for only 50,000 contribution points.

Upon hearing his question, Ji Jiang's face immediately lit up with a smug look. She hugged Zeng Rou next to her and said in a soft, sweet voice, "With Sister Rou, this rich lady, supporting me, why would I be afraid of not having money?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Hong's expression immediately darkened.

Seeing her brother's expression, Ji Jiang knew what he was thinking and quickly explained, "Brother, don't misunderstand. I didn't borrow money from Sister Xiaorou. Opening this summer clothing store was originally her idea. It cost 200,000 contribution points to bid for the operating rights of this store. I contributed 50,000, and the remaining 150,000 were contributed by Sister Xiaorou."

So strictly speaking, Zeng Rou is the owner of this summer clothing store!

Ji Hong was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Zeng Rou with a look of surprise.

150,000 contribution points, that's no small amount!

It's not that we look down on women, but the key point is that by now, the model of men working outside and women staying at home in the Great Xia Dynasty has been completely established. If there is a man in the family, it is very rare for the woman to go out and fight with the cold beasts to earn contribution points.

For example, the siblings are a case in point. Although Ji Jiang has the cultivation level of the Cold Resistance level, he has fought against cold beasts no more than five times so far, and he has basically been watching from the sidelines the whole time.

According to what he knew, Zeng Rou came from a good family. Her father, Zeng Fan, used to be the leader of a small camp in Wuyuan Mountain. In the first year, he led more than 300 people to join the Great Xia. Now he is a captain in the Dragon Slaying Army. Moreover, the Zeng family has a considerable population. It is even less likely that she would go out to earn contribution points on her own.

Could it be that he asked his family for it?

Thinking of Zeng Rou's background, a guess immediately appeared on Ji Hong's face.

"Brother Ji, please don't misunderstand. The contribution points I accumulated in the past few years are actually less than A-Jiang's, less than 40,000. It's mainly because I've earned quite a bit in the two months since I was transferred to Wanbaolou. The news that Qiu Sizheng was going to restructure in August was first announced at Wanbaolou. I found out about it in advance. I thought that A-Jiang and I were both very interested in summer clothes, so we jointly invested in this shop. Since I still have to work at Wanbaolou, I can only ask A-Jiang to manage the shop."

Hearing this, Ji Hong was clearly still somewhat skeptical.

Ji Jiang knew her brother's personality very well. Seeing his expression, she immediately guessed that he still didn't believe her. She couldn't help but pout and say, "Brother, don't look down on people. Sister Xiao Rou has earned more than you have hunting outside in the past two months at Wanbaolou."

Ji Hong was even less convinced now. Although he had just broken through to the Cold Resistance level, he was preparing to break through to the top-grade battle body. Before breaking through, his basic strength was already comparable to that of an ordinary Cold Resistance level, so he had always been a member of the advanced hunting team.

Based on the current market situation in Da Xia, even if a member of a high-level hunting team only completes the minimum target each month, they can earn at least 15,000 contribution points, and with a little more effort, they can break 20,000.

For the past two months, he had been stationed at Heyin, where he had been exposed to new cold beasts and supplies, earning at least 50,000 yuan a month.

How could Zeng Rou earn more than me?

"Sister Xiaorou earned over 70,000 contribution points in August. Do you have as many as her?"

As Ji Hong was pondering, he was stunned when he heard his sister's words. He then turned his head and saw that Zeng Rou did not deny it, and his expression froze instantly.

They really do earn more than I do!

Is Wanbaolou really that profitable?

Seeing her brother's dumbfounded expression, Ji Jiang's expression immediately became smug, and she continued to smile and say, "My summer clothing store opened on the 20th of last month, and it hasn't even been a month yet. The net profit is already 9,000 taels of silver. After deducting the 30% commercial tax that has to be paid to the Ministry of Commerce, the net profit is more than 6,000 taels. Converted into contribution value, that's more than 60,000 taels, which is not less than yours, right?"

Upon hearing about the 30% commercial tax, Ji Hong immediately nodded. He had been wondering how he could see such a large profit margin, and how the Department of Operations and Supplies could not. Even if they were to delegate the business to their subordinates to save trouble, they shouldn't have only paid a business license fee. After all, the materials in these shops were clearly produced by the Department of Craftsmen. In other words, the people running these shops were basically just middlemen.

If taxes were levied on profits every month, then that would be reasonable.

"Brother, now that we've talked about me, it's time to talk about you. You told me before that you would consider marriage once you broke through to the Cold Resistance level. Your top-notch battle physique has finally come true. Don't forget about my little sister Xiaorou!"

Suddenly, his younger sister changed the subject and started teasing him. Ji Hong subconsciously looked up at Zeng Rou, and a fleeting thought flashed through his mind.

"Ah Jiang, if you keep talking nonsense, I'm leaving."

Zeng Rou was already shy, and with Ji Jiang so blatantly revealing their relationship in front of her sweetheart, she was immediately filled with embarrassment and anger, and couldn't help but scold Ji Jiang angrily.

Ji Hong's face flushed slightly. To uphold his brother's dignity, he couldn't help but turn the tables on his sister, saying, "Ahem... Don't talk about me. What about you and Brother Xu?"

Upon hearing the name "Brother Xu," Ji Jiang's face immediately darkened.

Seeing his sister's expression, Ji Hong's smile vanished instantly.

"What happened? Did Xu An bully you?"

Xu An is the current Chief Justice of the Civil Affairs Department of Wuyuan. It is not right for Ji Hong to address him by his first name like this, but at this moment he obviously felt that his sister had been bullied, so he did not think too much about it.

Xu An, like him, was an old man from the Tupo era. In fact, the relationship between him and his siblings and Xu An had always been good in their early years. However, because Xu An was two years older than him and broke through to the Cold Resistance level a few years earlier, and because he had the care of his older brother Xu Ning, the gap between their statuses widened.

Considering that Xu An's position was getting higher and higher and that he was getting busier and busier, Ji Hong, partly to avoid suspicion and partly because of his male pride, simply reduced his contact with Xu An.

But her younger sister, Ji Jiang, was different.

Ji Hong knew that his younger sister had liked Xu An since childhood, and Xu An also had feelings for his sister. So, although he reduced his contact with Xu An, he did not impose any restrictions on his sister.

Given Xu An's current status, it would be ideal if his sister could marry him, so Ji Hong not only didn't restrict it, but actually encouraged it.

But the younger sister's reaction at this moment clearly indicates that there has been a change in their relationship.

"what happened?"

"Brother, I don't want to talk about it."

"If you won't tell me, I'll go to Wuyuan in a few days to ask Xu An."

"Brother, don't force me, I really don't want to say it!"

Hearing her brother's harsh tone, Ji Jiang burst into tears, whether from feeling wronged or something else. They had already walked into the back of the shop while they were talking, so they didn't need to worry about outsiders.

"you……"

Ji Hong's face turned red with anger, but seeing his sister crying so sadly, he ultimately did not force her to speak.

After hesitating for a moment, Zeng Rou couldn't help but speak up.

"Brother Ji, do you know Zhao Yuanxiu?"

Upon hearing the name Zhao Yuanxiu, Ji Hong immediately realized something. His expression darkened, and he nodded to Zeng Rou to continue.

"Her father, Lord Zhao Bao, is the military officer of the Wuyuan Camp Supply Division. He happens to be working in the same place as Xu An. She takes the opportunity to pester Xu An frequently and intentionally or unintentionally prevents A Jiang from going to see Xu An. Last month, that Zhao Yuanxiu made her father and two uncles go to Ba Shang to ask Vice Director Xu for a marriage proposal."

hum...

Upon hearing this, Ji Hong's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, "Deputy Director Xu, has he already agreed?"

Seeing Zeng Rou nod, Ji Hong immediately clenched his fists, only then realizing why his sister's expression was so gloomy.

The situation of the Xu brothers, Xu Ning and Xu An, is actually similar to that of the siblings. Xu An's marriage definitely needs the consent of his older brother, Xu Ning.

There are already quite a few prominent families in Xia City, and the Zhao family is definitely one of the more influential ones. The three brothers of the current head of the Zhao family, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, and Zhao Bao, have followed Lord Xia Hong for a long time and made many contributions. Now all three brothers have been granted titles. The eldest brother, Zhao Long, leads an army, while the second brother, Zhao Hu, and the third brother, Zhao Bao, both hold important positions. In terms of the influence of the clan alone, there is probably no other family like the Zhao family in the entire Xia City.

The key is that there are many members of the Zhao clan. The three brothers' offspring, plus the Yuan generation of their cousins, add up to at least thirty or forty people of all ages.

Leaving aside Xu An's thoughts for the moment, compared to Zhao Yuanxiu, who has the powerful backing of the Zhao family, his sister Ji Jiang only has a useless brother like herself. Anyone with a modicum of sense would know what to choose.

Although Xu Ning's agreement to Zhao's marriage proposal was expected, Ji Hong clenched his fists and still asked unwillingly, "What about Xu An? Did Xu An just obediently listen to me like that? Were all his feelings for Ji Jiang over the years just a lie?"

"Brother, please stop talking, please stop talking. After all, it's a marriage arranged by your own brother. Brother Xu must be in a dilemma right now. I don't want to pressure him. Whatever he chooses in the end, I'll accept my fate. I won't go, and you shouldn't go looking for him either, okay?"

How could I not look for him!
Ji Hong suddenly stood up, instinctively about to rebuke her, but seeing his sister's tearful face, he softened in the end, nodded slightly, and was about to speak to calm his sister down.

However, before he could speak, he was interrupted by a middle-aged voice from outside the shop.

"Is the shopkeeper there? I'd like to try on this dress!"

The shop actually has staff, but there must be too many people right now, which is why they had to call for help.

Ji Jiang quickly wiped away the tears on her face and hurried out to greet the guests.

“Brother Ji, things will work themselves out. Lord Xu’s elder brother is a confidant of the lord and holds a high position and great power in the camp. The Xu family itself is also a prestigious family. Xu An may not agree. Don’t be in a hurry.”

Hearing Zeng Rou's words of comfort, Ji Hong sighed slightly, but in the end he just nodded and followed her out.

As soon as he stepped out of the inner room and saw the four people who had just entered the shop, Ji Hong's expression froze instantly.

"Eh, young friend Ji?"

"Senior Chen, this... is too much of a coincidence."

There were four people in total who entered the shop. The one leading them was none other than Chen Yiqing, whom he had met before outside the city. Behind him were the two men and one woman from before, three young people with the cultivation level of the Earth Digging Realm. The four middle-aged people who were about the same age as him from before were not there.

"I was just wondering where to find young friend Ji when I happened to see some nice clothes in this summer clothing store. I thought I'd bring someone in to take a look, and I never expected to run into him again. It seems that I, Chen, and young friend Ji are truly destined to meet!"

Chen Yiqing sighed, then turned to Ji Jiang and smiled, "I think this young lady looks quite similar to young friend Ji. Could she be young friend Ji's sister?"

Since he was her brother's friend, Ji Jiang naturally couldn't be impolite, so she quickly cupped her hands and smiled, "This humble girl, Ji Jiang, greets Senior Chen."

Having confirmed Ji Jiang's identity, Chen Yiqing's expression brightened slightly. Then, as if remembering something, he continued to cup his hands and said, "If young friend Ji doesn't mind, how about we go to a nearby restaurant for a few drinks? I'll treat you. I happen to have some questions I'd like to ask you."

Upon hearing this, Ji Hong hesitated for a moment, but when he looked up and saw that it was still dark outside, he finally nodded and accepted the invitation.

"Miss Ji Jiang is welcome to come if she doesn't mind."

"Senior Chen, you're too kind. I won't accept that. Brother, please don't drink too much!"

Ji Jiang politely declined the invitation, gave Ji Hong a reminder, and then went back to work on the shop.

Ji Hong followed Chen Yiqing and the other three, and soon arrived at the restaurant next door.

"Zhao's Restaurant, what a domineering name!"

Before entering, upon hearing Chen Yiqing's sigh, Ji Hong immediately looked up at the restaurant's signboard. Upon seeing the four characters "Zhao's Restaurant," his expression instantly turned gloomy.

But he didn't say anything, he just continued to follow Chen Yiqing inside.

"Would you like to sit in a private room or in the main hall?"

"How are the fees charged?"

"Private rooms are 30 taels of silver; the main hall is free."

Upon hearing the price, Chen Yiqing immediately clicked his tongue in disbelief, then gritted his teeth and said, "Then let's have a private room!"

When the waiter saw that the five people wanted a private room, a smile immediately appeared on his face, and he respectfully led the five people upstairs.

From the moment he requested a private room until the waiter brought the menu, Chen Yiqing's expression showed surprise every now and then when he saw the prices of the dishes. But when it came time to order, he gritted his teeth and ordered five dishes, each priced at over 20 taels of silver, along with a bottle of low-grade Fengyang wine costing 1300 taels.

Upon hearing that Chen Yiqing wanted to order Fengyang Zui, Ji Hong immediately stopped him, saying, "Senior Chen, there's no need to spend so much."

Chen Yiqing immediately waved his hand, first handing a ten-fold silver ingot to the servant, indicating that he should serve the dishes first. Then he turned to Ji Hong and said loudly, "Since I have said I am the host, I cannot be stingy. My financial resources are limited, and I need to save some silver to buy things. I can only afford to treat you to the low-grade Fengyang Wine. I hope my young friend Ji will not find it offensive."

Hearing Chen Yiqing's words, Ji Hong felt a surge of goodwill, but also a slight wariness. After a moment of silence, he said, "Please forgive my rudeness, Senior Chen. If you're trying to get any information from me, you've come to the wrong person. I'm just an unknown nobody in Daxia. Even the owner of this restaurant is much higher in status than me..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yiqing immediately interrupted, saying, "Young friend Ji is overthinking things. I am simply admiring the grandeur of the Great Xia Dynasty. Young friend Ji, you are so young yet you have become a member of the Dragon Martial Army. Why belittle yourself? If you are just an unknown nobody, how can I face myself?"

Ji Hong was still young, and being praised like this made him a little smug. But when he thought about his sister, he felt a tightness in his chest and didn't respond.

Chen Yiqing wasn't in a hurry. He waited for the drinks to be served. After a few rounds of toasts, a hint of drunkenness appeared in his eyes as he said, "To be honest, young friend Ji, I have lived for over fifty years and have never seen a camp as prosperous as the Great Xia. Everyone lives in peace and contentment, and there is no sense of hierarchy. Compared to our village-level camps, even compared to the eight towns, life here is better than paradise, if not heaven."

After Ji Hong picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, a hint of drunkenness appeared in his eyes. He then revealed an arrogant expression and said, "Of course, my Great Xia Lord Xia Hong is the strongest among the eight towns and has the reputation of being the number one person in Mo'ao. Once the day after tomorrow arrives, my Great Xia will firmly establish itself as the number one town in Mo'ao. The eight towns are nothing but petty villains. What do they amount to in front of my Great Xia?"

At this point, Ji Hong's expression suddenly darkened, and he continued in a deep voice, "To say that there is no distinction between ranks and status in the camp is not quite true. For example, the owner of this restaurant, the Zhao family, has a higher status than me, and by a significant margin."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yiqing's face immediately showed a hint of surprise, and he asked curiously, "The Zhao family, so the Great Xia also has clans and social hierarchies? In that case, there are some injustices within the Great Xia?"

"Humph!"

Ji Hong suddenly snorted coldly. He wasn't completely confused. He first looked up and stared at Chen Yiqing for a moment, thinking through what he wanted to say. Determined that he wouldn't reveal any important information about the camp, he slowly spoke with a bitter expression: "Of course there is injustice. My sister, Ji Jiang..."

………………

Just as Ji Hong and Chen Yiqing were toasting each other in the restaurant, the sky outside gradually brightened.

As soon as it got light, the number of pedestrians on the streets immediately decreased by 70-80%.

Even so, many shops continued to stay open, and the number of pedestrians on the main road in the south of the city was not small, at least five or six thousand.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Hongmen City government building, two extremely special guests arrived.

"Natsukawa Tsutomu, it's been a long time!"

Xia Chuan, who was sitting in the main seat, smiled when he saw the two people walking in from outside the hall.

"You two, please come inside!"

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(End of this chapter)