Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 487 Recruiting: Who are the bones buried in the tomb? It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away.

"Nearly 70,000 troops, more than 170 Xianyang-level soldiers, and these are only those who usually stay in the city. This is just a glimpse into the bigger picture. If a single prefecture is this strong, then the strength of the entire Chencang military region is probably far beyond my imagination..."

Above the eastern side of Yanling City, Xia Hong sped eastward for more than ten miles outside the city, his face extremely solemn, his mind filled with the scenes he had just witnessed in the city.

Through tonight's events, he finally gained a direct understanding of Chen Cang's overall strength.

Besides Yanling, there are four other prefecture cities like this in Chencang, not to mention Longxing City and the core town above. How powerful must they be?
“I’ve spent some time in both Qinghua City and Linchu City. The strength of these two major cities, Caiqiu and Chencang, is quite different. Even among the same vassal states, there are differences in strength. After all, I’ve been here for three years, so Ji Hong’s intelligence is not unfounded!”

Last month, Ji Hong said at Shigui Restaurant that Chencang's overall strength was among the top in the four vassal states of Mo'aochuan, probably only slightly inferior to Weibo.

Fortunately, he had prepared himself mentally beforehand, and although Xia Hong was shocked, he quickly calmed down.

"After this, Jiang Xinfan and Ji Hong should be able to firmly establish themselves in Chencang. From now on, they can get advance notice of any developments in Chencang. As for Cai Qiu, we'll have to see how Su Xing'er and her three siblings perform in the future!"

Xia Hong's eyes flickered slightly. From the moment he realized his identity might be exposed on the 18th of last month, he had already begun to make preparations in advance.

Su Xing'er and her three siblings had followed his orders ten days ago and left Yanling City to return to their hometown, Changqing Valley in Caiqiu Baishui County.

The Frost Ashes Gathering in Caiqiu was clearly not as significant as the one in Chencang. Xia Hong had been there for a year and had hardly ever heard of it.

It would be a real shame not to use such a great brand as Frostfire!
The overall situation in Evergreen Valley is perfect for the development of Frostfire Society. The four siblings of Su Xing'er are not particularly strong, so going to a relatively weak area that is not valued by the warlords is just right.

"Jiang Xinfan allocated 1000 million taels of silver to them, which should be enough for the short term. Once we return to Great Xia, we can reconnect with the four of them through the Bone-Eating Path, and provide them with money and supplies. The Frost Ash Society will then be able to develop rapidly in the Evergreen Valley area and play its role when the time is right!"

Having witnessed the strength of the regional military governors, planted two hidden pawns, and made significant progress in his own strength, Xia Hong's trip to the regional military governors was nearing its end.

Next, spend two days in the Blood Miasma Plains, thoroughly plunder resources, then check out the situation in Yang City before heading back to Great Xia!

Xia Hong took a slight breath and was about to turn south towards the Blood Miasma Plain when he suddenly sensed something. He stopped, looked down at the ground, and a strange light appeared in his eyes.

"After our hasty farewell at the restaurant, Xue was still wondering when such a terrifying figure had emerged in Mo'aochuan. He never imagined it would be the rising star of the Heavenly Ranking, the Crown Prince of Great Qin..."

A middle-aged man with a refined appearance, wearing a black cap and a blue brocade robe, led three other middle-aged men in black as they swiftly flew into the air from the ground. He smiled broadly, paused after speaking, then clenched his right fist into his left, crossed his hands with his thumbs raised, placed them under his chin, and bowed slightly to Xia Hong.

"Xue Zijing, the Prefect of Chencang, greets Prince Hong!"

This Xue Zijing is indeed a person from a foreign land, and his background is probably quite impressive.

"It is said that this Xue Taiyi was a criminal from Lulong Prefecture. His entire family was wiped out by the governor of Lulong, and he had no choice but to flee to Chencang for refuge."

Upon seeing Xue Zijing's bowing posture, Xia Hong immediately recalled what Ji Hong had said at the restaurant last month. A strange light flashed in his eyes, and then he clenched his right fist, placed his left palm on top of his right fist, and brought them together in front of his chest, returning the bow in kind. He smiled and said, "Prince Hong Yu of the Great Qin greets Xue Taiyi!"

Generally speaking, once a camp in Ice Abyss reaches the town level, some established behavioral norms will emerge, with the gesture of greeting being one of the most common and representative.

One of the most distinctive features of the Ice Abyss Camp is that most areas are restricted by the environment, which makes it difficult for people in different areas to communicate and interact. As a result, the behavioral norms of people in different regions will naturally differ.

In the Xia Li (ritual rites) compiled in the first year of Xia Hong's reign, the salute posture of the Great Xia Dynasty had already been standardized. It was the most common fist salute in the martial arts world of his previous life, which was the posture he was performing at this moment.

The Great Xia's fist salute is made by spreading the left palm over the right fist, and then placing it on different parts of the body depending on the person being greeted. The chest represents peers, the eyebrows represent superiors, and the top of the head represents the most humble. It is usually only used when greeting elders and Lord Xia Hong.

Upon closer examination, the salute posture of the other eight towns on the southern slope, although also called the fist salute, is actually just two hands clasped together, and the placement of the fists is not particular, which is different from that of the Great Xia, but exactly the same as that of the Four Feudatories.

This is irrefutable proof that the towns in the southern foothills region had long been influenced by the Mo'aochuan vassal state!

The way Xue Zijing bowed at this moment was not in the style of Mo Aochuan.

Since they had never met, Xia Hong did not believe that the other party had any reason to deceive him, so what Ji Hong said was somewhat credible.

Whether he was a criminal or not, and whether his entire family had been wiped out by the Governor of Lulong, is still uncertain. However, it is certain that he came from an outer vassal state.

Xia Hong's mind raced, but the opportunity was fleeting.

Upon hearing Xia Hong's self-designation, Xue Zijing's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he suddenly asked with a smile, "May I ask, Your Highness, have you ever heard of the Great Xu?"

Great Lord!

Upon hearing these two words, Xia Hong remained expressionless, but considering that Xue Zijing was most likely from the Lulong vassal state, coupled with his background as an outer vassal, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

The truth will eventually come out; the identity that was fabricated at the time could not be kept secret.

Xue Zijing dared to use this question to test me, which proves that he must be very confident, so no matter how I answer, I will be in trouble.

Even the silence itself has flaws!

Xia Hong's mind raced, but he still smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "I am ignorant and have never heard of this."

Seeing the smile on Xue Zijing's face, Xia Hong knew that his identity as the Crown Prince of Qin was probably useless to Chen Cang.

Fortunately, I am about to leave, and it is highly likely that I will not be publicly active in Chencang again in the future.

With this in mind, Xia Hong felt less hesitant and, with a smile, tore off the vermilion mask from his face, revealing his true appearance.

"Mr. Xue, what brings you to my attention?"

He skipped over the question of identity and didn't ask Da Xu what was going on. Instead, he inquired about Xue Zijing's intentions in intercepting him.

After asking the question, he subconsciously turned his head to look at the west side behind him.

Chu Tianxu, dressed in white, sped over from afar. Unexpectedly, upon seeing Xia Hong, his face showed no trace of the anger he had displayed in the county town. Instead, it was filled with deep apology. He flew to a distance of ten meters from Xia Hong and bowed deeply, saying, "Young Master Hong, I was the one who offended you in the city just now. As the prefect, it is my duty to protect the peace of this region. I hope Young Master Hong will forgive me!"

Seeing Chu Tianxu's humble attitude, Xia Hong was slightly taken aback, but then quickly realized something and his expression instantly became strange.

“Young Master Hong, I’ll just get straight to the point.”

Of the four vassal states, Weibo is powerful, but its governor, Li Gangfeng, is obsessed with immortality and neglects state affairs, resulting in frequent disasters and a small population, making it difficult for him to become a true leader.

The Hezang region has existed for 401 years. Governor Fu Wanhe was nearing the end of his life and withdrew from worldly affairs ten years ago, focusing solely on prolonging his life. His four sons had been fighting amongst themselves for years to secure the governorship, and three years ago, it escalated into a full-blown fratricidal conflict. Fu Wanhe's most talented and outstanding youngest son, Fu Qianqiu, was betrayed by his three elder brothers, resulting in the extermination of his entire family. Now, the three sons have started a new round of fighting. If Fu Wanhe managed his family like this, the regional governors would be no better off. It is clear that the Hezang region is now nothing more than a skeleton in a tomb.
Caiqiu is bordered by Hanbo Lake to the north and Mo'ao Mountain to the south, leaving it with no room for expansion. It is situated in the middle of the Three Feudatories, a place of constant warfare. This is not a problem during times of peace among the Four Feudatories, but once peace is broken, the situation will be completely different. Moreover, Caiqiu is the weakest among the Four Feudatories, and even if the governor Cai Qianshan is determined to make progress, he will be powerless to reverse the situation.
On the other hand, I, Chencang…

At this point, Chu Tianxu paused, a proud look appearing on his face, and continued in a loud voice: "Since he started his career, Fangbo Chu Longteng has been conquering east and west, subduing countless powerful families and clans. Although there are disagreements among the higher-ups, it is difficult to change the general trend."

In terms of succession, Chencang was established as a fiefdom for only a little over a hundred years, which is shorter than the other three fiefdoms. However, in terms of population and territory, it surpassed the latter and ranked first among the four fiefdoms.

Nevertheless, Lord Fangbo remained ambitious and appointed Xue Taiyi to boldly reform the system and implement reforms in order to strengthen the state.

"I, Rong Chu, will speak frankly: the situation regarding the Four Feudatories is unlikely to change much. With Chencang unifying the Mo'ao River region, its territory stretching for thousands of miles, and all barbarians submitting, establishing itself as a supreme state is only a matter of time!"

Supreme Kingdom...

Xia Hong was slightly startled when he heard this for the first time.

Having stayed in Mo'aochuan for so long, he already knows quite a lot.

The minimum standard for a vassal state was that its territory stretched for thousands of miles, with the longest span from east to west and north to south reaching 500 kilometers. Similarly, a state that stretched for thousands of miles would have a territory of 5000 kilometers.

This is a generally accepted standard. Depending on the territory, the area of ​​each fiefdom varies greatly, but the four fiefdoms are generally over 10 square kilometers. The smallest is Caiqiu, sandwiched in the middle, with only 12 square kilometers, while the largest is indeed Chencang, covering a full 16 square kilometers. A "bangguo" (邦国) is a camp-level unit following the fiefdoms!

The length of the country is 5000 kilometers from east to west and north to south. This means that the total territory of a powerful state could be around 2500 million square kilometers. Based on the experience of the regional military governors, it is estimated that even at its smallest, it would not be less than 1000 million square kilometers.

It was almost a hundred times that of the regional military governors!
As Xia Hong was still reeling from the news of the new state, Chu Tianxu, who had been building up to this point for so long, continued. With a sincere look in his eyes, he cupped his hands and said, “No matter where you come from, Your Highness, I sincerely invite you to stay in Chencang and work with us to create a prosperous and peaceful land. My father, Chu Longteng, has always cherished talent, especially a young and outstanding talent like Your Highness. If we can gain your assistance, my father will be overjoyed and will certainly reward you with high positions, fame, wealth, and noble titles. You can have whatever you desire.”

They really want to recruit me!

Xia Hong had a premonition when Chu Tianxu lowered his stance to apologize, but when he heard the other party actually recruit him, he still had an indescribable feeling in his heart.

He was so arrogant in front of everyone in the city, but after catching up with me outside the city, he was so sincere and even humble in private, extending an invitation to me.

Chu Longteng is impressive, and his son, Chu Tianxu, is no simpleton either!

His expression changed as easily as turning the pages of a book, his posture shifting smoothly and effortlessly. Even his words of invitation contained seven or eight parts sincerity, clearly indicating that he was genuinely extending an invitation to me.

The bearing of a ruthless hero!

Four words flashed through Xia Hong's mind. He gave Chu Tianxu a deep look before slowly smiling and saying, "I must say, Prefect Chu's words are reasonable and well-founded. This young master is indeed somewhat tempted, however..."

At this point, Xia Hong paused, turned his gaze to Xue Zijing, then shook his head slightly and changed the subject, saying, "The four vassal states have all been established for more than three hundred years. Chencang was the last to be established, and it has been more than a hundred years since then. For more than a hundred years, the four vassal states have maintained the status quo. In my opinion, the entire Mo'ao River is now a stagnant pool, and there is no possibility of breaking the deadlock without external stimulation!"

Chu Tianxu's expression stiffened slightly upon hearing this, clearly not expecting Xia Hong to say such a thing; Xue Zijing, on the other hand, looked thoughtfully at Xia Hong, waiting for him to continue.

"The six-rank system has been in place for over a century. The lineages of the four regional governors and the powerful and wealthy families have long become parasites that suck the blood of the common people. Once people become dependent on a single path, it is very difficult for them to turn back."

Chu Fangbo's ambition to reform the system by employing Xue Taiyi is nothing more than a death throes. Not only will the powerful and influential in Chencang not agree, but the Fangbo lineages and powerful families of the other three vassal states will also not sit idly by and watch your reforms succeed.

Chencang was powerful, but Chu Fangbo could not keep his word.

The so-called pilot program of reforming Yanling over ten years to observe its effectiveness was a result of compromise with powerful local warlords and nobles. Reforms achieved through such compromises were doomed to fail.

Every reform and change is accompanied by bloodshed and sacrifice, and will inevitably touch the root of the problem. The root of your Chencang is the people, the military, the nobles, and the hereditary class. To go against them is to undermine the foundation of your regional power.

Hong guessed that the ten-year reform in Yanling County would not only fail to fundamentally change the plight of slaves and commoners, but would also incur the resentment of the four classes of nobles, soldiers, and civilians. If it ended hastily, it wouldn't be a big deal, but if something serious happened, the Three Feudatories would surely take advantage of the situation...

Seeing Chu Tianxu's increasingly grim expression, Xia Hong paused, then turned to Xue Zijing and smiled, "Mr. Xue, someone as intelligent as you should have already tried to persuade the other high-ranking officials in Chencang. Everyone knows that after the growing pains, as long as the strength of the regional military governors increases, everyone will ultimately benefit more. The question is, which one is willing to bear the cost of these growing pains?"

At this point, Xia Hong continued to look at Chu Tianxu, shaking his head and saying, "Prefect Chu just said that the Hezang vassal state has been in power for 401 years, and Fu Wanhe is nearing the end of his life, preoccupied with prolonging it. His four sons are currently fighting amongst themselves for power, which shows that Hezang is already a dead end. I, Hong, deeply agree with this, but..."

A strange light flashed in Xia Hong's eyes. Ignoring Chu Tianxu's increasingly dark expression, he laughed loudly, "In my eyes, aren't the four vassal states of Mo'aochuan, which have a history of more than three hundred years, just like that?"

After saying this, Xia Hong had no intention of continuing the conversation. His aura suddenly surged, shattering the surrounding snowflakes, and he sped away towards the east.

"Mr. Xue, if you can truly succeed in reforming the system, it will be considered a good deed for the people of Yanling County. I will observe the results and we will meet again!"

Xia Hong left a strange remark from afar, making Chu Tianxu's already gloomy expression even more unpleasant.

As for Xue Zijing, watching Xia Hong's departing figure, a hint of curiosity and speculation rose in his eyes.

Xia Hong flew eastward for more than 20 kilometers, and after confirming that there was no one around, he quickly changed course to the south and flew towards the Blood Miasma Plain.

"Chu Yan'er has already seen me once in Xia City. With her painting skills, she can easily draw my portrait. As long as Xue Zijing reveals my false identity as the Crown Prince of Great Qin to Chu Tianxu, and Chen Cang spends a little effort to investigate, my identity will be exposed soon. From now on, we really can't come to the vassal states so casually!"

Xia Hong, suspended in mid-air, pondered for a moment before shaking his head slightly.

He had basically achieved all his goals in coming to the vassal state, and now that he was about to return to the territory of the Nine Garrisons, it didn't matter whether his identity was exposed or not.

"That Southern Wilderness Gun Demon Yang Zun didn't appear in the city just now, which confirms that Ji Hong's information is accurate. He is indeed not in the county city, but in the Tuoyuan Camp in Chencang."

Last month, Jiang Xinfan said that Chencang and Caiqiu sent more than a dozen Xianyang-level soldiers to the three northern towns last year to sow discord among them and try to undermine the alliance. He didn't mention Yang Zun specifically, so the real Yang Zun definitely didn't return last year.

what about now?

Xia Hong frowned slightly. He wasn't worried about the safety of Xia City. Even if the two major warlords sent a dozen or so Xianyang-level warriors, or even a hundred, they still wouldn't be able to bring down Xia City.

His only worry was that the regional military governors might send out some formidable figures to do some dirty work that was hard to guard against.

Just like Chen Yiqing, with a mere 50-something-year-old strength, he secretly harmed so many people by using his ability to tamper with memories.

In Chencang, which has connections with the Nine Towns, it is highly likely that Zhen Yangzun will be sent there to stir up trouble.

"This Yang Zun already had the strength of 41 jun four years ago, and he must be even stronger now. If he's hiding in the shadows and causing trouble, then things will get a bit complicated. I hope Xuan Ling and Xia Chuan won't be too careless!"

Thinking of this, Xia Hong shook his head slightly, a smile appearing on his face.

He still had a lot of confidence in his wife and younger brother.

Xia Chuan goes without saying. From the time of Tu Po to the present, he has been in charge of the military and political affairs of the Great Xia for fifteen years. He can be considered the de facto leader of the Great Xia. He is meticulous in all aspects of his work and considers things much more thoroughly than the lord himself.

As for his wife, Li Xuanling, it's no joke that during the Battle of Longyou, if he had been a pure native of the Ice Abyss or hadn't had the system's assistance, it's really uncertain whether the final victor would have been the Great Xia or the Longshan.

Not only his wife and younger brother, but also Yuwen Tao, plus Yuan Cheng, Xu Ning, Lu Yang, Qiu Peng, Yue Feng... and the newly joined Xiang Fuhai, Mu Longhe, Xiahou Zhang... There are quite a few capable individuals in the Great Xia Dynasty now.

"With so many people, Yang Zun alone can't cause any trouble!"

Xia Hong felt relieved. Looking at the Blood Miasma Plain that was now almost within reach, a hint of anticipation rose in his eyes, and he quickly rushed in.

………………

December 20th, 136th year of the Moo calendar
The main hall is located in Wuchuan Town, on the southern slope.
Qin Feng sat upright in the main seat, looking at the dozen or so people sitting on his left and right sides below him. His face was full of hesitation, clearly weighing something in his mind.

Below, on either side, the leader on the left is none other than Shangguan Yang, the lord of Jinshan; on the right is Yang Fa, the chief of Beishuo Town. Seeing that Qin Feng was hesitant to express his opinion, the two were trying to persuade him, one after the other.

"Brother Qin, are you truly willing to let Great Xia dominate my entire southern border region?"

"Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan have both promised that as long as the three northern towns take the lead, they will immediately follow suit. At that time, our five families will form an alliance again, and Muyin will be a piece of meat in our bowl. By dividing Muyin, we can first cut off one arm of the Great Xia, and then work together to resist Xia Hong. Only in this way can we protect the five towns!"

"As far as I know, the high-ranking officials of Chuishan, Muyin, and Jiangxia, as well as most of the Cold-resistant level, have long since secretly surrendered to Great Xia. Many of their children have already settled in Xia City. Great Xia controls four towns. If our five towns do not work together, we will be disintegrated one by one and ultimately suffer utter ruin!"

"The Chencang and Caiqiu vassal states have already made it clear that they will not move south within the next twenty years, and both vassal states would like to see a Southern Alliance led by our three northern towns. What exactly is Brother Qin hesitating about?"

"Even if the two vassal states become stronger, that's a matter for later. But the threat from Great Xia is imminent. Brother Qin, don't hesitate any longer, hurry..."

"Don't give me a long explanation. Lord Shangguan, Chief Yang, I only have one question: even if I agree to withdraw from the alliance with you, what will happen to the allied forces within your territories?"

Qin Feng interrupted the two men with a sharp question, then continued with a cold smile: "In the past two years, Great Xia has been continuously increasing its troops in Dongchuan and Yinhe Valley. There are now more than 30,000 troops stationed in each place. Almost all the soldiers sent by our five families have been turned against us. Now, more than 80% of the soldiers are Great Xia's men. If we really withdraw from the alliance, do you think Great Xia will obediently withdraw these 60,000 troops from the two towns? If the 60,000 troops don't leave, how can our three families stand on our own?"

He paused, looked at Shangguan Yang and Yang Fa with a smug look on his face, and continued, "It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away!"

(End of this chapter)