Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 481 Ten Years of Reform, Xue Zijing from a State, the Difference Between Dragon and Python

As the most famous den of extravagance in Yanling City, the Shigui Restaurant's top-tier status is not only reflected in the high social standing of its singers, dancers, waiters, and servants, the high standards of its various top-quality wines and delicacies, and the exorbitant fees that allow one to spend a fortune.

Its privacy is also unparalleled!

The main structure of the building is made of wrought iron, and it is covered with a layer of yellow pear wood inside and out. It is not only pleasing to the eye, but also soundproof. If the doors and windows are closed, even if a person is pressed against the wall, no sound can be heard.

The private rooms on the third floor of the restaurant are of an even higher standard.

The walls and floor of the private room were covered entirely with blood jade fir from Zhuhe Ridge in the north of Longxing City, which was said to be worth the same as silver.

The internal structure of this Blood Jade Fir is extremely similar to human flesh and blood. Even after it is cut or cleaved, blood and qi will continue to be generated inside. Usually, people with strong cultivation can perceive or observe through the movement of qi and muscles. However, the unique structure of this Blood Jade Fir completely eliminates this possibility from the root.

This exceptional level of privacy is the core reason why it can be valued at par with silver.

At the same time that Xia Hong and Ji Hong were talking.

In another private room on the top floor, a middle-aged scholar with a refined appearance, dressed in a blue brocade robe and wearing a black cap, sat by the window, holding a wine cup and carefully examining the furnishings of the room.

"The foundation is made of ten thousand taels of iron, the decorations are made of yellow pear wood, and there is also the blood jade fir, which is worth the same as silver. As well as all the furnishings and decorations inside, this restaurant alone must have cost at least a hundred million taels of silver to build. The money that these noble sons spend on courtesans is enough for a slave to save for decades. No wonder people say that in the four vassal states, all those below the nobles are like ants. This is no exaggeration!"

He wasn't the only one in the private room; there were five other people. Three of them were middle-aged men of similar age to him, all dressed in black robes and carrying weapons at their waists. The remaining two young people, a man and a woman, were dressed in blue brocade robes and had long swords hanging at their waists.

Upon hearing his uncle's words, Xue Wuhen couldn't help but say, "Uncle, you have the well-being of the people at heart and have come all this way to offer advice and strategies to Chencang. I didn't expect them to be so ungrateful. If that's the case, why stay here any longer? The Ice Abyss is vast. Are you afraid that we won't find a powerful vassal state that can carry out your ideas?"

"It's not that I'm ungrateful..."

Bai Qingqing, the woman in green standing next to Xue Wuhen, immediately retorted upon hearing this. After a pause, she continued, "Lord Chu has the intention to reform the system, but he is hampered by various obstacles and is powerless to push it forward. Among the officials at the top—the Prefect of Chencang, the heads of the Six Departments, the five prefects, and the two city lords—only one person agrees to the reform: Prefect Chu Tianxu of Yanling. Even Lord Chu's own family does not agree. The Chen family of Longxing doesn't need to create any obstacles; they can just wait to see him make a fool of himself."

"Are you seeing a joke?"

Hearing his niece Bai Qingqing's words, Xue Zijing couldn't help but smile, turning to look at her and asking, "Qingqing, do you think Yanling can't be rebuilt?"

Bai Qingqing did not answer immediately, but lowered her head to think.

My uncle Xue Zijing came to Mo'aochuan ten years ago. After traveling for four years, he finally chose to come to Chencang. He won the appreciation of the Chu governor with his great theory on reform, and was promised the high position of Taiyi and put in charge of the government. He then slowly promoted the reform.

Reforming the system? It's not that easy.
The lineage of the four regional governors of Mo'aochuan, along with the powerful clans surrounding them, has lasted for anywhere from a century to three or four centuries. The corresponding six-rank registration system has also been in place for nearly a century. It is conceivable that the resistance to suddenly changing the system would be immense.

Three years ago, with the support of Chu Fangbo, my uncle, despite the condemnation of the entire Chencang leadership, finally managed to secure the right to gather resources for the slaves.

The continuous growth of the financial department's revenue over the next three years fully confirmed the correctness of the uncle's theory of reform, but it also made the counterattack of the conservative faction in Chencang even more ferocious.

Taking advantage of the incident at the Luhe Valley camp five days ago, the conservatives belittled Uncle, saying that the combined revenue growth of the Finance Department for the past three years could not offset the loss of millet fields in Luhe Valley. They then attacked Uncle's many reform measures as worthless, and even jointly petitioned the Chu governor to remove Uncle from his position as Taiyi.

"The rebellion in Luhe Valley further proves the urgency of reform. The Frostfire Society knew that the uprising was doomed to fail, so why did they make such a big fuss? They were afraid, afraid that the deeper the reforms went, the less fertile ground they had to rely on for survival would become..."

Fortunately, Chu Fangbo was ultimately a capable ruler who recognized talent. After his uncle argued with reason, he not only withstood the pressure from the Chencang leadership but also listened to his uncle's advice. He overruled the objections and allowed his uncle to use Yanling as a pilot project for a ten-year period to fully promote the reform. As long as the reform proved feasible and could strengthen Chencang's power, it would then be fully implemented throughout the vassal states.

"Qingqing thinks that Yanling can't be reformed?"

Her uncle always demanded that she get to the bottom of things and draw inferences from one instance to another. She simply replied that it was impossible and that she had to figure out the reasons why.

Xue Zijing knew his niece was thinking, so he didn't disturb her. He just waited quietly with a smile on his face. After about thirty or forty breaths, Bai Qingqing finally spoke.

"Of course it won't work, for three reasons:"
Firstly, the Chencang clan is divided into two factions, and the internal situation is complicated. Even the Chu governor is constrained by his superiors and subordinates and finds it difficult to move forward. How much more difficult would it be for you, Uncle, an outsider named Taiyi?

Secondly, the reform faced too much resistance. The decentralization of the collection rights and the increase in the financial revenue for three consecutive years were mostly due to the increased production of low-grade spiritual plants and medicinal materials. This led to a decrease in the price of low-grade spiritual pills. For the major clans and powerful families, they did not lack such things, so a lower price was useless to them. Moreover, it would reduce the income of the major clans that did this kind of business. In the end, the revenue benefited only Fang Bo, while the lower class benefited.

However, in the final analysis, my uncle's reforms were to harm the aristocratic families to benefit the regional governors, while the common people would benefit from them. In the short term, it would be detrimental to those aristocratic families and powerful clans, who would inevitably try to obstruct my uncle's smooth implementation in Yanling County.

As for the third reason, it's because Frostfire has mastered it..."

After Bai Qingqing finished speaking, she paused, a look of disbelief rising in her eyes, before shaking her head and continuing, "I originally thought that this Frost Ash would be supported by the external forces. Now it seems that even if there are indeed external forces involved, the core of this organization is still its own people from Chencang."

And it is highly likely to be the Chen family. Chu Fangbo should also be aware of this, but due to the strength of the Chen family and the fact that the organization has not gone too far in the past, he has not dared to take action.

I just didn't expect that they would be so ruthless in their opposition to the reforms, burning down hundreds of miles of millet fields and causing losses of hundreds of billions. Lord Chu was really angered this time, which is why he was so tough, suppressing all the dissenting voices and sending my uncle to Yanling to implement the comprehensive reforms..."

At this point, Bai Qingqing paused again, then shook her head repeatedly, saying, "But the more this happens, the greater the division within Chencang will become. The fact that Shuangjin can do something like this is tantamount to telling Chu Fangbo directly that reform is absolutely impossible. No matter how strong Chu Fangbo is, how can he go against so many people?"

"Internal turmoil and conflict; the governor is hampered by internal and external forces, and is isolated and powerless; the conservative faction is deeply entrenched and difficult to shake; there is also the Shuangjin faction, which has already gained power through collusion with both insiders and outsiders and will cause trouble; the total population of the vassal state is 22 million, of which nearly 60% are slaves or of low social status. The upper class is extravagant and the lower class is impoverished. Chencang seems powerful, only slightly inferior to Weibo, but it has countless internal problems. It is like a furnace that is heating up wildly, and some of the problems have even reached the point of being incurable. Alas..."

It was originally a test for his niece. If Bai Qingqing could see the problem, how could Xue Zijing not see it? He pointed out all the problems in Chencang, and then shook his head repeatedly.

"Then let's go! There are five vassal states in Mo'aochuan. Uncle doesn't think much of Lulong, but Uncle previously favored Weibo, which my cousin just mentioned. We can always go to Weibo!"

"Wei Bo?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Zijing pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Although Weibo is strong, its location is too poor. The region is plagued by disasters and its population is small. Moreover, in my opinion, Li Gangfeng is obsessed with immortality and focuses solely on cultivation. His ambitions are not in the four vassal states, so I fear he will not achieve great things in the end. Furthermore..."

He paused, his earlier dejection vanished, and a confident glint appeared in his eyes as he said, "The more difficult something is to accomplish, the greater the reward will be once it is done. It is truly valuable to do what you know is impossible!"

The human race's struggle for survival in the Ice Abyss world serves this very reason. If we were to change course or retreat at the first sign of difficulty, where would the Five Feudatories of Mo'ao River come from, and where would the prosperity of our Great Xu Kingdom come from?

When Xue Zijing mentioned the Great Xu Kingdom, his face was full of piety and solemnity. Xue Wuhen and Bai Qingqing beside him, as well as the three middle-aged men in black, all had the same expression.

"The more complex and difficult the situation in Chencang is, the more we must rise to the challenge. Of the five regional governors of Mo'aochuan, only Governor Chu has the bearing of a great leader. As long as we thoroughly promote the reform of Yanling and let him see the results, increase his support, and then extend it to the entire territory of the regional governor, I am confident that within thirty years, in the time it takes to live in one generation, Chencang's strength will surely rise to the top among the five regional governors."

Then we will gradually annex the four vassal states, unify the Mo'ao River region, and expand in all directions. When our territory spans thousands of miles and all the barbarians submit, we will become an unparalleled nation…

Xue Zijing suddenly stopped, and seeing his nephew and niece looking at him with strange expressions, he realized that what he said was a bit outrageous. He immediately laughed and shook his head, saying, "Hahaha, that's too much, a bit too much."

Xue Wuhen shook his head. He certainly had confidence in his uncle's talent, but to say that Chencang could one day build an unparalleled state was too far-fetched. He just thought his uncle was joking.

Bai Qingqing, being a girl, was bold and straightforward. She couldn't help but directly retort, "Uncle, you're so eager to assist Chencang in building a supreme nation, but Chencang doesn't appreciate it! Now there are rumors that we are all criminals from Lulong, and that our entire family was wiped out by the Governor of Lulong. We had no choice but to flee to Chencang for refuge."

"whispering sound…………"

After hearing his cousin's words, Xue Wuhen gave a disdainful sneer, clearly speechless at this absurd rumor.

"Hahaha……"

Xue Zijing didn't care. After laughing a few times, he said, "They're just spreading rumors. To put it bluntly, they just don't like me!"

After saying that, he stood up abruptly, his expression brightening slightly, and laughed loudly: "The governor treats me as a national hero, and I will repay him with my life. Whether Chencang can leap over the dragon gate and witness the prosperity of the nation depends on the success or failure of the ten-year reform in Yanling. Let's go! Come with me to meet Chu Tianxu, the only one in all of Chencang who supports my reform!"

Two young men immediately followed behind him, while three middle-aged men in black quickly stepped forward to open the door for him.

"Three hundred? Absolutely impossible!"

In another private room, Xia Hong was surprised to hear Ji Hong categorically deny his guess about the exact number of Chencang Xianyang-level beings. However, he quickly calmed down, then frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Then how many do you estimate there are?"

The figure of three hundred was merely his guess about the Linchu County of Caiqiu.

Logically speaking, the number three hundred was actually a slightly bold guess made after careful observation, but judging from Ji Hong's reaction at this moment, it was obviously far more than that.

Considering that Ji Hong had stayed in Chencang for more than three years and had just said that he had visited the Chencang shogunate, Xia Hong immediately dismissed his guess and waited for his answer with a serious yet curious expression.

"Five hundred, definitely no less than five hundred..."

Ji Hong first gave his judgment, then pondered for a moment before continuing, "I am not familiar with the situation in Caiqiu, so the lord's statement of three hundred may not necessarily be wrong, but it is absolutely impossible in Chencang!"
Putting aside other matters, I learned from Chen Yuanhong that besides the Crimson Dragon Army, Lord Chu also commands a Mysterious God Guard, reportedly numbering 200, all at the Manifestation Yang level of cultivation.

Upon hearing that Chencang still had a 200-strong Xianyang-level army, Xia Hong's expression instantly became extremely solemn.

This is the military, not those high-ranking core personnel in Chencang.

Honestly, if Xia Hong were to pull out a Xianyang-level soldier and build a separate army, even if it only had 200 people, then in Xia Hong's personal opinion, the Great Xia would need at least a thousand Xianyang-level soldiers, and possibly more, to achieve this.

But Ji Hong's speculation is based on more than just this.

"Not to mention the Xuan Shen Guard, the lord should know that the four vassal states of Mo Ao Chuan all implement a six-level registration system. Anyone who can enter the vassal state must either have a Xian Yang level cultivation or have a father or grandfather with a Xian Yang level cultivation. The most prestigious families even have a Jie Shen level expert in charge."

There is an unwritten rule in Chencang: those who can call themselves a family must have at least ten powerful experts at the Xianyang level. There are 32 such families in Chencang. In addition to the two major regional governor lineages, there are also the Wu, He, Wang, Lu, and Gongsun clans, which have experts at the Tribulation Realm.

The patriarchs of the Wu, He, and Wang clans, as I mentioned before, are disciples of Chu Longteng and Chen Liwu, respectively. The remaining Lu and Gongsun clans, one on the shores of Pingyang Lake and the other in Changping Mountain north of Heyang, are both prominent families with more than two hundred years of history. They joined Chen Cang's forces less than a century ago, and it can be said that they were all conquered one by one by Fangbo Chu Longteng..."

Xia Hong only now realized why Ji Hong had mentioned the Chencang Shogunate when discussing experts at the Tribulation Realm.

Together with Chencang, there is also the Jie Shen Jing, which is outside the Shogunate.

The Lu family and the Gongsun family—that's at least two, and probably more!
"These two..."

Before Xia Hong could finish speaking, Ji Hong knew what he wanted to ask and quickly replied, "Although the heads of the two families do not hold positions in the government, they obey the orders of Fang Bo Chu Longteng, and many of the Xianyang-level disciples of the two families are important military and political officials under the government."

Therefore, although Chencang had the name of a regional military governor, it was actually a community that mixed together various forces. At the top were the Chu and Chen clans, followed by the Lu and Gongsun clans. Although the Wu, He, and Wang clans had deep ties with the Chu and Chen clans, they may not have been without their own ulterior motives.

"So, this Chu Longteng can be considered quite a figure..."

Chu Longteng's personal strength may be the best among the regional warlords, but it is probably not enough to overwhelm all the others. At the very least, the Chen family has someone who can compete with him. Under such circumstances, it is probably not enough to unite so many powerful families and clans into a regional warlord with strength and means alone.

This is more like weaving an intricate political tapestry, where each thread represents a family's lineage, interests, and pride. A slight misstep can lead to a tangled knot, or even a complete collapse, potentially backfiring on oneself.

Personal charisma, the ability to win people over, the art of balance, prestige, fairness, and all other leadership qualities that Xia Hong could think of were now attributed to Chu Longteng.

As a result, his expression naturally became even more somber.

Based on the map and information provided by Ji Hong, Xia Hong could basically reconstruct the situation in Chencang before it became a warlord in his mind. Xia Hong believed that if he were in Chu Longteng's position, he definitely could not do as perfectly as Chu Longteng.

And the Great Xia is about to encounter such an opponent...

Looking at the heavy expression on Xia Hong's face, Ji Hong seemed to guess what he was thinking. After a moment of hesitation, he said in a deep voice, "To be honest, Lord, as I have come into deeper contact with Chencang over the past three years and learned more and more, I feel more and more that my Great Xia, at this stage, is as different from Chencang as a dragon... a jiao."

"No need to be so polite. Saying it's like comparing a dragon to a python is somewhat accurate, but even comparing it to an ant to a giant tree... wouldn't be an exaggeration!"

It was no easy feat to get Lord Xia Hong to say those words himself.

But he still spoke, and then let out a huge sigh of relief.

At this moment, Ji Hong was not the only one in the room. Jiang Xinfan, Luo Ming, and the others all changed their expressions slightly when they heard Xia Hong's words.

"Lord, there is no need for such formality. The four vassal states of Mo'ao River have all existed for three hundred years, while our Great Xia has only been rising from the earthen mound for fifteen years. To have achieved what we have today is truly astonishing. A dragon lies dormant in the abyss, destined to soar one day. How dare Chencang, a mere mortal, presume to be a true dragon before our Great Xia?"

“Indeed, although I am a newcomer, I have heard that the lord is only thirty-two years old this year. Judging by age alone, the Chencang governor Chu Longteng has lived for nearly ten times as long as the lord. It is understandable that he is slightly more capable. The lord, as a newcomer, can surpass him. Given time, why should you belittle yourself?”

"Our Great Xia, from the humble beginnings of a hundred or so people on the earthen slope, has grown into a vast territory with over three million people in just fifteen years. Now, as long as our lord returns to Xia City and unifies the southern border region, our Great Xia's territory will be able to rival the Four Feudatories. With your great talent and the support of millions of people, we will surely be able to compete with the Four Feudatories within a few years!"

"Putting aside other things, my father once said that with the lord's talent and strategy, if he hadn't been born in the southern foothills, obtaining the position of a regional governor would have been a piece of cake. If Great Xia had no lord, it would have been wishful thinking to think it would have the present state of things in another hundred years. In fifteen years, it has grown from a hundred people to tens of millions. In another fifteen years, who dares to say that Great Xia cannot be above the four regional governors?"

………………

"Hahaha, you guys are actually comforting me now..."

After listening to Luo Ming, Jiang Xinfan, Chen Hua, and Hong Yu finish speaking, and seeing that others still wanted to speak, Xia Hong immediately laughed and waved his hand to interrupt them. After laughing, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he said, "The Great Xia has gone through many hardships to get to where it is today. What I, the lord, have the least to lack is confidence!"

I used the analogy of a dragon and a python, an ant and a great tree to describe Daxia and Chencang, in order to admonish myself and also to tell you that you must recognize the facts and accept the gap between you and others. After all, you are all currently lurking in Chencang. If you cannot recognize this point, you will inevitably act in a biased way.

Let alone Chencang, even the entire Mo'aochuan Four Domains, I have never truly taken them seriously.

It should be known that times change and circumstances shift, and dragons and pythons change. Who dares to say that the Great Xia will always be a python, while Chencang will be a dragon for all eternity?
Even if that were the case, this lord would still perform the act of a python swallowing a dragon, so that my Great Xia would shed its python form, transform into a true dragon, soar upwards, dominate Mount Mo'ao, and leap across the icy abyss!

Upon hearing Xia Hong's words, Jiang Xinfan and the other ten members of the Great Xia all perked up, their expressions instantly becoming excited. They bowed deeply in unison, their voices filled with solemnity as they proclaimed, "Long live the Lord! Long live the Great Xia!"

Not only them, but Su Xing'er, Su Jing, Liu Biao, Wang Feng, and Zhang Yuchuan, after listening for so long, basically guessed Xia Hong's identity. The two siblings in the former are loyal to Xia Hong, which goes without saying. The latter three are Ji Hong's die-hard fans, and their attitudes naturally follow Ji Hong's.

Therefore, they followed suit and immediately bowed to Xia Hong, saying with utmost respect, "Long live the Lord! Long live the Great Xia Dynasty!"

"Alright, we've lingered here long enough today. Any longer and it'll inevitably arouse suspicion. I'll leave with Jiang Xinfan later. The rest of you can disperse according to the previous plan. Oh, by the way..."

Xia Hong suddenly thought of something, reached into the yellow pouch, and quickly took out a round leather bag, which he tossed directly to Ji Hong:
“You’re aiming for 60 bristles, you should be able to use the stuff in this bag.”

Ji Hong took the bag, opened it, and saw the crimson blood-red bead inside. His expression froze for a moment, then he noticed three crystalline objects inside the bead. His pupils contracted sharply, and his face was filled with wild joy.

"It seems you're familiar with Blood Jade Crystal. When you break through to the Manifestation Yang level after reaching level 60, you can use it to compensate for bone defects, which should improve your bone structure aptitude..."

Before Xia Hong could finish speaking, he saw Jiang Xinfan and the others staring intently at the bag in Ji Hong's hand. He chuckled and shook his head, continuing, "Don't worry, everyone will get a share when we get back!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's gazes immediately turned fervent.

(End of this chapter)