Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 455: A flurry of events unfolds; the affairs of the border mountains are concluded; the nine towns' leaders finalize the alliance.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender immediately, or you will be spared!"

The five heads that Yuan Cheng displayed not only shocked Cai Shiqi and Chu Yan'er's groups of people from the vassal states, but also made the Yang brothers, Zun and Fa, twitch their brows.

The entire inner city was already in a deathly silence due to the sudden appearance of a large number of Xia troops, so Yuan Cheng's powerful shout instantly reached everyone's ears. Except for the Xianyang level and a very few strong Yuhan level, everyone present was startled.

The two thousand Northern Shuo soldiers who had retreated to the Duan clan's territory, and the more than one thousand direct descendants of the Duan clan, not only trembled, but their faces also turned pale.

They knew very well that Yuan Cheng was addressing them.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender immediately, or you will be spared!"

"Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender immediately, or you will be spared!"

…………

However, Yuan Cheng's shouts were just the beginning.

Qiu Peng, Xu Ning, Liu Yuan, and Hou Quan quickly joined in, shouting loudly. Yue Feng, Zhao Long, Meng Yi, Hou Tong, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, ​​Zhou Yuan, Zhu Qing, Li Longkai, and Hou Ming, ten military commanders or deputy commanders, not only spoke up but also waved to the soldiers behind them.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender immediately, or you will be spared!"

…………

An army of 15,000 soldiers of the Cold Resistance level, even if they did nothing but stand there under the cold sun, would have a strong deterrent effect.

Moreover, at this moment, they were all in high spirits, shouting loudly towards the inner city.

The swirling energy surged skyward, and the powerful airflow instantly dispersed the clouds above the inner city. Not to mention the inner city area, which was only five kilometers in diameter, the entire town of Chuishan was probably shaken by this sound.

The earth trembled violently, and even the Yang brothers, Zun and Fa, changed their expressions and quietly rose into the air. Not to mention the more than three thousand remnants of the army who were hiding in the Duan clan's territory, their expressions were miserable and their faces were instantly filled with despair.

Clang... Clang...

A few scattered soldiers were so frightened that they even dropped their weapons.

At this point, resistance is pointless.

The moment 15,000 Han-level Xia soldiers appeared, it foreshadowed the fate of Bei Shuo and the Duan clan's rebel army. Not to mention that they had been fighting the Mu clan's direct forces for more than an hour and were already exhausted. Even at their peak, they had no chance of winning.

To save your life, you must surrender!

Clang... Clang...

The Duan family group acted the fastest. They immediately dropped their weapons, walked out of the Duan family territory, and knelt down to surrender to the nearest Yunjiao Five Armies.

The two thousand Northern Shuo soldiers seemed to still have hope. They turned to look at their lord, Yang Zun, and saw that Yang Zun and Yang Fa had both risen into the air. Despair immediately rose in their eyes, and they put down their weapons one after another.

"Confiscate their weapons, strip them of their armor, and take them all into custody!"

Yuan Cheng's voice clearly carried a hint of joy. Although the Xia army was not afraid of a major battle, it would be the best thing if they could win without losing a single soldier.

With the Yunjiao Five Armies soldiers beginning to detain the routed troops in the Duan clan's territory, the mutiny, which had lasted for nearly two hours, came to a complete end.

Duan Hong was killed, and the Duan family and the remnants of the Northern Shuo army all surrendered. The Mu faction, with the support of the Great Xia, achieved a great victory.

From this day forward, Chuishan has completely changed hands!

Yang Zun clenched his fist under his sleeve, turned his head to look at Mu Longhe first, and then quickly shifted his gaze to Li Xuanling, who was standing in mid-air.

Of course, it wasn't just him; Yang Fa, Cai Shiqi, Chu Yan'er, all the remaining troops who had surrendered, and even the victorious Mu clan army all focused their attention on Li Xuanling at this moment.

Because Li Xuanling ignored Chu Yan'er's question, so far, apart from the people from Da Xia and a few others, no one else in the room knows her true identity.

When did such a powerful Xianyang-level being emerge in the Great Xia?

Who is she?
Soon, everyone had their answer.

Mu Longhe, who was in mid-air, suddenly bowed to Li Xuanling: "The Great Xia has generously sent troops this time, and everyone in Chuishan is extremely grateful. On behalf of everyone in Chuishan, Mu Longhe thanks Madam for her help!"

Below, Mu Qinghe, Zhu Ziying, Helian Shan, Qiu Sanming, and other direct descendants of the Mu family, seeing Mu Longhe bowing to Li Xuanling, quickly followed suit and bowed as well: "Thank you for your help, Madam!"

"Thank you for your help, Madam!"

Of the more than 10,000 members of the Mu clan who participated in the mutiny, only about 6,000 were still standing. They all bowed down in unison.

Madam, who else in the Great Xia Dynasty could be addressed as Madam?

Li Xuanling!
Upon hearing Mu Longhe's address, Yang Zun, Yang Fa, Chu Yan'er, Cai Shiqi, and the others immediately thought of Li Xuanling, and their faces were filled with surprise and shock.

It has been almost two years since the Great Xia was integrated into the territory of the Nine Towns. Although Xia City is still mysterious to the outside world, with Hongmen as a trading port, many things inside the Great Xia have inevitably been revealed.

For example, the news that Xia Hong is already married, and his wife is named Li Xuanling and is quite capable, is one of them.

The problem is, the phrase "considerable strength" leaves too much room for imagination!

It has to be said that in the Nine Towns region, women's status is still very low, or rather, in the entire Ice Abyss, their status is probably not high.

For a woman to be described as having considerable strength is already quite an achievement. Many people think that at most she is only a very strong Cold Resistance level, with 30...40 manes, and at most she could be 50 manes, which would be considered quite good.

A powerful expert at the Manifestation Yang level, and the kind capable of killing a lord...

This was beyond everyone's comprehension in an instant. Not to mention Yang Zun, Yang Fa, and others, just by looking at Chu Yan'er, who was also a woman and came from Chencang, and seeing the deep fear in her eyes, one could feel how much of an impact Li Xuanling's identity had on everyone's psychology.

"Elder Mu, everyone, there's no need for such formalities. The Great Xia's dispatch of troops this time is not only to help Chuishan, but also to suppress the arrogance of the foreign vassal states!"

Li Xuanling first smiled faintly and gestured for the Mu family members to stand up. When she finished speaking, she turned to look at Cai Shiqi, Chu Yan'er, and the others on the ground. Then her tone suddenly became sharp: "Two years ago, Chen Yiqing from Chencang killed dozens of people from the merchants' associations of the three towns and framed my Great Xia. This eventually led to the Battle of Hongmen, which almost caused Great Xia to go to war with the Six Towns. After the failure of the Battle of Hongmen, Chen Yiqing was still not giving up. He then killed more than a hundred important officials from various towns, just to sow discord among the Nine Towns."

Also two years ago, Princess Chu Yan'er of Chencang secretly infiltrated the inner city of my Great Xia, intending to attack a group of children under the age of ten. If my husband had not discovered it in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

At that time, my husband respected Chencang's strength and spared the life of this little princess. Only a year and a half has passed, and this woman has started to instigate Beishuo to annex Chuishan again, causing such a big disaster.
Such utter depravity reveals the sinister intentions of Chen Cang…

Chu Yan'er and the other Chencang people listened, their faces changing color from pale to ashen. Several times, including Chu Yan'er, some people wanted to stand up and refute, but when they looked up and saw the long sword in Li Xuanling's hand, they forcibly retreated.

They could only listen obediently as Li Xuanling recounted Chen Cang's many misdeeds, one by one.

After finishing Chen Cang, Li Xuanling pointed at Cai Shiqi and the others who had already stood up, and continued with a cold smile: "At the end of last year, this Cai Shiqi held a 'clearing the name' meeting to help us find out the truth about Chen Yiqing's case, under the guise of: clearing Cai Qiu's name."

I originally thought that Caiqiu Prefecture would be better than Chencang.

I didn't know anything about it until I investigated and found out that Cai Shiqing, who came with this person, relied on his strength and background to commit countless crimes of rape against other men's wives and daughters in the six towns of Jinshan, Wuchuan, Muyin, Yangqu, Longgu and Chuishan.

Cai Shiqi's instigation of a mutiny and coercion of Duan Hong today is merely a showdown with this little princess of Chencang. Ultimately, his goal is to allow Cai Qiu to extend his reach into the territory of my Nine Towns.

The actions of these two alone are enough to show that Cai Qiu is no better than Chen Cang; they're birds of a feather, both plotting to seize the territory of our Nine Towns..."

The emotions of the people from Chuishan below had been stirred up, and many of them turned to look at Cai Shiqi and Chu Yan'er's groups, their expressions clearly becoming unfriendly.

Cai Shiqi clutched his severed finger, his face ashen. His fear was even greater than Chu Yan'er's. Even though anger surged to his head and he was trembling with rage, he dared not make a move.

Chu Yan'er was different from him. After hearing Li Xuanling recount the stories of the two vassal states of Chencang and Caiqiu, and noticing the cold-resistant gazes of the people in Chuishan, she seemed to have figured something out. She turned her head and looked around, her expression extremely solemn.

Li Xuanling paused, slightly raised her delicate neck, and added a touch of solemnity to her eyes. She then continued, “Two spoiled brats at the Cold-resistant level, relying on the power of the vassal states, can stir up trouble in the Southern Foothills. If the Nine Towns do not unite and allow these vassal states to continue to instigate, they will be defeated one by one sooner or later. At that time, I fear that the millions of people in the Southern Foothills will all become subjects of the vassal states.”

I've heard that the regional military governors divide their people into six classes: noble, military, civilian, lowly, and slave. Once Chencang and Caiqiu annex the nine towns, I fear that over 90% of the people of my southern region will be relegated to the lowly or slave classes. I'm sure none of you wish for that, are you?"

Li Xuanling directly and publicly revealed the six-rank system of the regional military governors, causing an uproar below. The expressions of everyone below, whether they came from the border mountains, the Great Xia, or even the remnants of the Northern Shuo army, changed instantly.

The terms "lowly status" and "slave status" are clearly not good things to be associated with.

Over the past year, thanks to the relentless propaganda of the Great Xia, the Nine Towns region already harbored little goodwill towards the two major warlords. In particular, Chuishan, having been deeply infiltrated by the Great Xia, was even more resistant to the warlords. Upon hearing Li Xuanling's words, one can imagine the extent of their resentment towards Chencang and Caiqiu.

"Of course not!"

Yuan Cheng was the first to shout in agreement.

"The southern foothills are the territory of our Nine Towns. No one, Chencang or Caiqiu, can ever think of being above us!"

“That’s right! No matter how strong the regional military governors are, they are still outsiders. Outsiders should not even think about encroaching on the territory of my Nine Towns. This Chu Yan’er and Cai Shiqi are no good. Drive them out and do not allow them to cause trouble in the Nine Towns.”

"The Nine Towns should unite to resist the invasion of the warlords. Chen Yiqing, Cai Shiqi, Cai Shiqing, Chu Yan'er... these warlords rely on their strength and don't treat us like human beings at all. If they really come to govern the southern foothills, we people of the Nine Towns will have no good days!"

"The six-class registration system, the lowest social class and the slave class, doesn't sound like a good thing! We must be in charge of our own destiny and never let the warlords ride roughshod over us!"

………………

As soon as Yuan Cheng spoke, the soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty roared in unison. Before long, even the people of Chuishan were stirred up, and many of them shouted that they wanted to drive out Chu Yan'er and Cai Shiqi, these people from the vassal states.

In an instant, the entire audience was filled with excitement.

Cai Shiqi, Chu Yan'er, and the others also turned slightly pale.

The wrath of the masses was hard to defy. Faced with the 15,000-strong army of the Great Xia, even Yang Zun and Yang Fa, both at the Manifestation Yang level, quietly ascended into the air. How much more so for those of them, who only possessed the Cold Resistance level cultivation.

No matter how talented, born into a prestigious family, or with a powerful background, they cannot withstand the overwhelming force of nearly 20,000 Cold-Resistant level soldiers before them. If their emotions were to completely spiral out of control, they would be torn to shreds in an instant.

What was originally a struggle over the ownership of Chuishan Town gradually evolved into a denunciation of the evil deeds of the two warlords after Li Xuanling's impassioned speech, with all the blame clearly directed at Chencang and Caiqiu.

Chu Yan'er, Cai Shiqi, and the other people from the warlords who came with them, who thought they were here to perform miracles in a remote and impoverished place, were all instantly dumbfounded.

"Everyone, please be patient!"

Li Xuanling had completely taken control of the situation. She slightly raised her hand and pressed down, and the tens of thousands of people below immediately shut their mouths and fell silent.

"The regional military governors are powerful after all. Moreover, the Chencang and Caiqiu families are now eyeing the territory of the Nine Garrisons. Why would they send these纨绔小小 (spoiled brats) to constantly instigate conflicts and even wars among the Nine Garrisons?"
Ultimately, isn't it just that they're afraid we'll unite?

This proves that as long as the nine towns on the southern slopes unite and work together, there is hope of resisting the invasion of the two major warlords!

Having directly revealed his long-planned intentions, Li Xuanling's gaze sharpened slightly. Before the crowd below could react, he continued to speak loudly:

"Our Great Xia, having earned the title of the overlord of the southern foothills, should naturally shoulder the heavy responsibility of resisting foreign enemies. Others dare not mention the Nine Garrisons Alliance for self-protection simply because they are worried about the two major vassal states holding a grudge. You may be afraid, but our Great Xia is not!"
Since my husband, Xia Hong, is still in seclusion, I, your wife, will presume to act on his behalf and sincerely invite the Eight Garrisons to form an alliance with my Great Xia to protect the Nine Garrisons and jointly resist foreign enemies!

Defend the nine towns and jointly resist foreign enemies!
Almost two years have passed since Xia Hong proposed using the Longyou model to deal with the chaos in the nine towns of the southern foothills after the Battle of Hongmen. The Great Xia Dynasty has also been making preparations for two full years.

Taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the mutiny in the border mountains, Li Xuanling finally revealed his true intentions and made the alliance public.

It can be said that the Longyou model officially began from this moment!

Nine towns unite!

Yang Zun on the ground clenched his fists, looked up at Li Xuanling, his face full of jealousy, while a hint of resentment rose deep in his pupils.

Yang Fa, standing next to him, blushed and reacted even more strongly than Yang Zun.

In the brothers' plan, the alliance was proposed by Bei Shuo.

The Great Xia Dynasty has only been out in the east for a little over two years! Just a little over two years!

The past two years have been a nightmare for Beishuo...

In April of the year before last, the Great Xia went east and swallowed up Ba Shang. First, it forcibly extended the life of Mu Yin, and then it took charge of Jiangxia. The three towns did not form an alliance, but they were in fact allied.
In the Battle of Hongmen in September two years ago, Xia Hong first defeated Yang Zun and seized the title of the number one person in the nine towns; subsequently, taking advantage of the opportunity of opening the port, he expanded his influence and the Great Xia firmly held the throne of the number one town in the southern foothills. With these two combined, Xia Hong's title as the overlord of the southern foothills has long been recognized.
Now, with the help of Mulonghe, the Great Xia has recaptured the town of Chuishan. This means that the Great Xia now controls four of the nine towns on the southern slope, nearly half of them.
Now, under the pretext of the invasion of foreign vassals from Caiqiu and Chencang, and in the name of protecting the nine towns and jointly resisting foreign enemies, they have taken the opportunity to propose an alliance of the nine towns!
If this alliance succeeds, the entire territory of the Nine Towns on the Southern Slope will be...

"Madam's righteous words were truly inspiring, and Xiahou Zhang was completely convinced. As the overlord of the southern foothills, and with Lord Xia Hong bearing the title of the number one person in the nine towns, it is most appropriate for Great Xia to take the lead in forming an alliance to resist the invasion of foreign vassals. The signing of the treaty and alliance is of utmost urgency. My Jiangxia Town agrees!"

"The survival of Muyin Town is entirely due to the strong support of Great Xia. Now that two powerful vassal states are coveting it, and Great Xia is determined to protect the Nine Towns, how can I refuse? The Nine Towns must form an alliance, and Muyin will surely be among them!"

"This internal strife has resulted in countless deaths and injuries, all because of Chu and Cai. The warlords have caused chaos in the Nine Garrisons without cause, which shows their wolfish ambitions. If the Nine Garrisons do not unite, their day of collapse is not far off. Chui Shan is willing to honor Great Xia as the leader of the alliance and work with Great Xia to protect the Nine Garrisons and jointly resist foreign enemies!"

Xiahou Zhang, Murong Chui, and even Mu Longhe, who had just ascended to the position of Chuishan, all spoke up in agreement with Li Xuanling.

The statements of these three individuals were exactly what the Yang brothers, Zun and Fa, had anticipated.

As for Chuishan, just look at that army of 15,000 and you'll know that Chuishan will never be under Mu Longhe's control in the future, or rather, that Mu Longhe will be put forward as a puppet. This is just a safe move by the Great Xia to prevent the other towns from being on guard.

So after hearing what the three said, the two just sneered twice and then stood still without moving. Even though they were being stared at by Xiahou Zhang and the other two, they did not react at all.

However, the two voices that followed made the two men unsteady on their feet. Their expressions changed quickly, and they looked up at the front.

"Chencang and Caiqiu have gone too far. We can no longer stand idly by. We must defend the nine towns and jointly resist foreign enemies. If Great Xia has this ambition, it will live up to its name as the overlord of the southern foothills. My Longgu Town is also willing to join the alliance and jointly resist the invasion of foreign vassals!"

"Yang Qu is willing to accept the Great Xia as the leader of the alliance, protect the Nine Towns, and jointly resist foreign enemies!" Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan both came.

If these two people only made the Yang brothers change their expressions, then the two people who appeared next completely deflated their spirits.

"Wu Chuan Qin Feng is willing to join the alliance to jointly defend against foreign invasion!"

"Jinshan Shangguan Yang is also willing to form an alliance with all the towns to protect the nine towns!"

Of course, it wasn't just the Yang brothers who changed their tune.

Cai Shiqi, who was clutching his severed finger and bowing his head below, heard the voices of Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng, and his pupils immediately blazed with fury.

"They're playing me, they're all playing me, making fun of me like a monkey..."

Last September, he went to Jinshan and Wuchuan towns to express his intention to recruit Cai Qiu to Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng. The two men gave vague and ambiguous answers but did not give a clear answer, and kept changing the subject.

Looking back now, it's clear that those two were just playing him from beginning to end.

Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng had absolutely no intention of surrendering to Cai Qiu.

No wonder neither of them was willing to help when I wanted to get involved in the affairs of Chuishan.

Not only these two, but also Long Mingyuan and Cao Qianyang, these four people were clearly hiding in Chuishan Town all along, watching the entire mutiny.

Cai Shiqi is nineteen years old this year, which is not very old, but this trip to the nine towns has completely shattered his previous pride as the heir of Caiqiu.

Without real strength, no matter how high your social standing, people will at most respect you a little. If you want people to truly listen to you and do things your way, there is no other way but to demonstrate strength that will win people over.

As Cai Shiqi's thoughts raced, the Yang brothers over there had become the focus of everyone's attention.

Not only the eight town lords—Li Xuanling, Mu Longhe, Xiahou Zhang, Murong Chui, Long Mingyuan, Cao Qianyang, Shangguan Yang, and Qin Feng—but also the nearly 20,000 Cold-resistant soldiers from the Great Xia and Chuishan regions on the ground, and even the 2,000 remnants of the Northern Shuo army, all looked up at them at this moment.

Leaving aside the others, most of them had a mocking and playful look in their eyes, but the two thousand remnants of the Northern Shuo army truly had hope in their eyes.

The logic is simple: as long as Yang Zun agrees to the alliance of the Nine Towns, then Great Xia will have no reason to kill them.

Who doesn't want to live?
The soldiers of Beishuo didn't understand at all that, in reality, the Yang brothers, Zun and Fa, no longer had the right to say no.

"Although Beishuo has colluded with Chencang, I believe that Lord Yang Zun must have been coerced by Chencang to make such an unwise move. As long as he realizes his mistake and wakes up in time, Beishuo will still be a member of my Nine Towns!"

Upon hearing Li Xuanling's words, Yang Zun clenched his fists even tighter, but noticing the increasingly hostile looks in the eyes of the other seven town lords, he abruptly released his fists, stepped forward slightly, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Li Xuanling.

"Defending the nine towns and jointly resisting foreign enemies is the bounden duty of Beishuo!"

The Nine Towns Alliance has now been truly established...

Even though Li Xuanling had rehearsed today's scene many times, when she actually saw Bei Shuo back down and bow her head, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief rise in her eyes. Then, the corners of her mouth under the veil also slightly curved into a beautiful smile.

"That's excellent. All eight lords are here today. The only one missing is my husband, Xia Hong, who is in seclusion. On his behalf, I apologize to the eight of you. He has reached a crucial stage in his cultivation and is indeed unable to go out..."

It's that crucial moment again!
If they were this strong in the Battle of Hongmen two years ago, what will they be like now that they've emerged from seclusion?

Li Xuanling was unaware that her words had caused a great shock to Yang Zun and the other eight people. She paused slightly before continuing with a smile:
"Although my husband is not here, I can still make the decision on the alliance. Now that the Chuishan mutiny is over, there's no better time than today. Let's discuss the details of the alliance right here in Chuishan Town, so as to avoid trouble in the future. What do you all think?"

"I agree!"

"We should finalize the agreement right here at Chuishan. The alliance of the nine towns should be formed sooner rather than later!"

"Your Excellency's words are apt; I, Cao, agree!"

…………

Leaving aside the massive 15,000-strong Cold-resistant army, with the combined might of the four towns and the planning and preparation of the previous two years, the alliance of the nine towns of Great Xia now faces no resistance.

Although Xia Hong was not there, Duan Hong's body on the ground was still steaming, so Shangguan Yang, Qin Feng, Cao Qianyang, and Long Mingyuan naturally did not make any further sound.

Yang Zun was probably the least willing person to form an alliance, but due to the prevailing circumstances, he could only humble himself and accept Li Xuanling's proposal along with the four town lords.

He didn't even dare to look at Chu Yan'er on the ground again.

"Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, take your men and temporarily detain Chu Yan'er, Cai Shiqi, and all the people from the two major vassal states. We will discuss the matter with the eight lords and then deal with them accordingly."

"I obey my orders!"

Upon receiving the order, Yuan Cheng and Qiu Peng immediately mobilized, and a hundred elite scouts from each of the Tu Long and Fei Peng scout battalions immediately surrounded Chu Yan'er and Cai Shiqi's two groups.

"You dare..."

"Princess, Prince, don't worry, it's just a temporary detention. There's no need to be so nervous. As long as you behave, you'll suffer less. You're all born into noble families, and my soldiers don't know their own strength. If you dare to lay a hand on them and something really happens, don't blame me for not warning you."

Yuan Cheng addressed the young princess and the heir, but his face was full of contempt, showing no respect whatsoever. Upon hearing this, two hundred elite soldiers drew their broadswords, their blood and qi swirling into clusters, and charged towards the two groups of people.

Although Chu Yan'er's face was grim, she quickly resigned herself to her fate and led her people away with the soldiers. Although Cai Shiqi resisted for a while, he eventually had no choice but to submit under the coercion of the soldiers.

In mid-air, Li Xuanling gave Mu Longhe a wink.

Mu Longhe understood immediately and pointed in the direction of the main hall of the Chuishan Lord, smiling as he invited, "Please follow me to the main hall! My son, Mu Qinghe, has already prepared in advance."

Upon hearing the sound, everyone realized that Mu Qinghe, who had just led the troops below, and the senior members of the Chuishan Mu clan had already disappeared.

This undoubtedly further proves that everything we are experiencing today was within the calculations of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes. In the end, they could only bow and nod, and together with the others, follow Mu Longhe towards the Lord's Hall.

After Li Xuanling left with the eight lords, the expressions of the Great Xia people immediately relaxed, and after the relaxation came excitement and exhilaration.

"The Nine Towns Alliance is here!"

Yuan Cheng led his soldiers to detain the people from the vassal state, leaving only Qiu Peng, Xu Ning, and others in the room. Upon hearing Liu Yuan's inspiring words, smiles naturally appeared on everyone's faces.

"Great Xia now wields the power of four towns. Regardless of the others, Yangqu and Longgu towns are sandwiched in the middle and have no choice. Once they join forces, the alliance will already have six towns. Even if the three northern towns are unwilling, it won't matter..."

Upon hearing Xu Ning's words, Qiu Peng immediately shook his head and laughed, "The three northern towns may not necessarily be unwilling. At the very least, Jinshan and Wuchuan are likely willing to form an alliance to resist the warlords. Cai Shiqi arrived in Jinshan at the end of August last year and stayed in Jinshan and Wuchuan for so long, but the lords of the two towns did not budge. This shows that neither side is willing to bow down to the warlords."

Unwilling to back down, yet lacking the courage to turn against them, they were naturally happy to have our Great Xia act as the scapegoat. After all, it was just an alliance; they didn't have to do anything to directly offend the regional warlords. Only a fool would refuse!

Liu Yuan frowned and asked softly, "Is the Chief Inspector saying that they still intend to use us?"

"Of course!"

Qiu Peng nodded directly and said, "They're all people who won't get up early for nothing. If they don't see any benefits, how could they agree to form an alliance with us? However..."

He paused, his eyes flashing slightly, and continued with a smile, "The crisis of the regional military governors is still a long way off. In the long run, it's hard to say who will be using whom!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuan, Xu Ning, and the others immediately recalled the alliance conditions that Xia Chuan had drafted before his seclusion, and smiles immediately appeared on their faces.

After two years of integration, Muyin and Jiangxia towns are getting closer and closer to being truly incorporated into Great Xia. Now that Chuishan has changed hands again, Mulong River is just something they temporarily put out to stabilize people's hearts. It is not an exaggeration to say that Great Xia has already effectively annexed Chuishan.

Therefore, in reality, the Great Xia already possessed the lands of the Four Towns!

If the five towns agree to the alliance conditions of the Great Xia at this mountain alliance meeting, it is no exaggeration to say that the future of the southern foothills region is already very clear.

"The relationship between Beishuo and Chencang is probably deeper than we imagined. The only thing we need to be wary of now is them. In the conditions proposed by the Minister, there is one that requires Jinshan and Beishuo to hand over the areas connecting the vassal states to the alliance for jurisdiction!"

"As long as we can physically sever the connection between Beishuo and Chencang, then even if the Yang brothers are unwilling, they will have no choice but to obediently follow us down this dark path."

Xu Ning became more and more excited as he spoke, his face full of enthusiasm as he continued, "Two years ago, the lord defeated Yang Zun at Hongmen. The people of the Nine Towns gave the lord the title of Overlord of the Nine Towns. It seems that this title needs to be changed..."

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Ning looked up excitedly and said, "Now that the alliance is formed, the nine towns should be the common rulers. From now on, as long as it concerns the regional warlords and foreign enemies, the five northern towns must obey the orders of my Great Xia!"

“It’s not that simple to actually get to this point. The next task is to guard against Yang Qu and Long Gu’s defection, the three northern towns’ collusion, and the five towns’ secret approach to the vassal states. The campaign to win over the people in the nine towns’ territory cannot stop. We must spread the word about the Chui Mountain mutiny and let everyone in the nine towns know that the Chen Cang, Cai, and Qiu families have been watching our nine towns’ territory and could attack us at any time!”

First, use public opinion to coerce the lords of the five towns and establish a resource-sharing mechanism. As long as Wanbaolou can be successfully established in the five towns, it can continuously weaken the influence of the lord families of the five towns on the towns. In the next few years, when the average strength of the people in the nine towns rises rapidly, it is hard to say how much influence they will have.

By then, even if they wanted to unite in an opposition alliance, it would be completely impossible. Colluding with the regional military governors would be tantamount to cutting themselves off from the nine provinces and sealing their own demise.

Qiu Peng's perspective was clearly more insightful, and after he finished speaking, Xu Ning, Liu Yuan, and the others fell into deep thought.

After a long while, they finally understood the crux of this alliance and nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, everyone go back to your own business!"

Qiu Peng didn't say anything more to the others and simply gestured for them to get back to work.

Of course, he's the busiest one.

From this day forward, the entire territory of Chuishan Town, including the vast Chuishan region, will be incorporated into the Great Xia territory. The expansive territory and the massive mineral and resource sites will all be inventoried by him, the head of the Logistics Department.

Fortunately, with the cooperation of the Mu family, it shouldn't be too troublesome!
Thinking of this, a look of excitement flashed in Qiu Peng's eyes, and he strode towards the treasury of Chuishan Town.

…………

The mutiny at Chuishan began during the day on May 16th and lasted for less than two hours, meaning it was quelled before nightfall.

The mutiny was quelled quickly, but the cleanup work afterwards took longer.

The remnants of the Northern Shuo army must be detained; the direct descendants of the Duan family must be dealt with; the Duan family's property must be confiscated; the resources and industries of Chuishan Town and the entire territory must be inventoried; all those who launched the coup with the Mu family—those who survived must be rewarded, and those who died in battle must be given compensation…

Of course, the most important thing is to form an alliance!
Alliances and agreements cannot be formed casually with mere words.

An alliance is essentially a political system. What is the purpose of the alliance? What are its specific tasks? Who will be the leader? How much power does the leader wield? Which orders must the towns obey, and which can be disobeyed? What are the consequences of disobeying orders that must be obeyed, etc.?

There are just too many things to finalize!
The alliance meeting at Chuishan began on the night of May 16th and lasted for more than half a month, until the beginning of June when a result was finally reached.

June 3rd, 134th year of the Moo calendar
In the main hall of the Chuishan Lords, the original lord's chair of Duan Hong was the main seat, surrounded by eight other seats, where the lords of the eight towns sat, each with a golden animal skin document in front of them.

The main seat was empty, obviously prepared for Xia Hong who was not present. Li Xuanling ingeniously set up another table in front of the main seat, where she sat. On the table was also a golden animal skin document.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final draft of the alliance. Today, I will read aloud the five most important articles once more..."

After a brief pause, Li Xuanling spoke in a loud voice:
"At the southern foot of Mo'ao, mountains and rivers form a boundary, and nine towns are scattered like stars, which are like lips and teeth."

Now that foreign vassals covet our territory, the nine garrisons hereby swear a blood oath, establishing a covenant as firm as gold and stone, and proclaiming to the people of the southern foothills: from the day this treaty is made, the nine garrisons shall be as one, sharing joys and sorrows, and bound together by life and death.

The covenant is as follows:

Firstly, we shall jointly uphold the alliance leader. The Nine Towns Alliance was initiated by Great Xia and should therefore be led by Great Xia. The alliance leader shall be Xia Hong, the lord of Great Xia. The lords of the eight towns encompass all the people under their jurisdiction. From now on, they shall all uphold Xia Hong as the alliance leader. In matters concerning foreign lands, if any of the eight towns disobey the orders of the alliance leader, Great Xia and the other towns shall jointly punish them.

Secondly, we are united under the same banner. From this day forward, we will immediately establish a fixed allied army of approximately 30,000 men. Their duties will be to control the alliance's borders and prevent foreign enemies from spying on us. Military expenses will be shared according to the number of men contributed by the nine towns. In addition, in the four border regions of the southern foothills, whenever there is a war, each town must contribute at least 70% of its actual combat strength to expand the scale of the allied army. If anyone harbors any secrets, Great Xia will jointly punish them with the towns.
Thirdly, we must strengthen our people and our army. As the leader of the alliance said, the strength of the outer vassal states is strong, and the current nine towns are not enough to contend with them. Improving our strength is an urgent matter. The cultivation resources of the Great Xia are of higher quality and quantity than those of the eight towns, and should be shared with all people. Similarly, the resources of the nine towns should be exchanged. Only in this way can we strengthen our people and our army as quickly as possible.

Starting next month, all resource areas under the jurisdiction of Nanlu will be open to high-level hunting teams holding tokens issued by the Alliance, and no town may obstruct them. In addition, starting next month, Daxia will open Wanbao branch buildings in six towns: Jinshan, Wuchuan, Beishuo, Yangqu, Longgu, and Chuishan, to provide cultivation resources together with the eight towns and enhance the overall strength of the nine towns.
Fourthly, we must jointly defend against foreign vassal states. The most urgent task for the alliance at present is to prevent the two major vassal states of Chencang and Caiqiu from moving south. It is believed that the two vassal states' access routes into our nine towns are located in the Dongchuan area of ​​Beishuo Town and Yinhe Valley of Jinshan Town, respectively. The lords of Beishuo and Jinshan Towns must designate these two areas as joint administrative areas of the alliance before July, and hand them over to the alliance for management, in order to guard against the infiltration of foreign vassal states.
Fifthly, the alliance is eternally binding. Every year on the fifteenth of the first month, the lords of the eight towns will pay homage to the alliance leader in Xia City to reaffirm the oath. Anyone who breaks the alliance will be permanently barred from advancing in cultivation, and the eight towns will jointly punish them. Anyone who fails to come to the rescue in danger will be stripped of their alliance membership and become an eternal enemy!

As Li Xuanling finished speaking, the expressions of the eight town lords in the arena all turned slightly solemn.

After two weeks of discussion, they finally understood everything.

This alliance was clearly something that Great Xia had been preparing for for more than just a day or two.

These are just the five most important points; the details of the covenant, when added together, number at least dozens.

These five points are precisely the biggest reasons why they were able to accept this alliance.

The last clause, in particular, uses cultivation level as a pledge, which undoubtedly adds an extremely solid layer of insurance to this alliance.

We're all old foxes; how could we not see through the Great Xia's intentions?

The problem is, they are genuinely afraid of the covetousness of the two major warlords!
If the Great Xia could truly lead the eight garrisons to resist the invasion of the regional military governors, they would be willing from the bottom of their hearts.

Compared to the forceful plundering by the regional military governors, the gentler approach of the Great Xia invasion was undoubtedly more acceptable to them.

Besides, who can say for sure what the future holds?

As long as the current crisis can be resolved, who can give a clear answer as to whether the Great Xia will devour them or they will devour the Great Xia in the future?
"Gentlemen, let's form an alliance!"

Li Xuanling took out a small bowl and a dagger, and spoke to everyone with a smile.

(End of this chapter)