Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 581 Xiahou Yong and Jiang Yiqing, New Officials Take Office
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, at midnight

Daxia, north bank of the Xinghe River

It has only been five years since the Great Xia Dynasty moved eastward, yet in such a short time, it has seized Ba Shang, annexed Jiangxia, controlled Muyin, and then officially launched the Northern Expedition before the end of the year, taking Longgu, besieging Yangqu, destroying Beishuo, defeating the Jinshan-Wuchuan coalition, unifying the southern foothills, and even winning three consecutive battles at Caiqiu after the year, making its name known throughout Mo'aochuan...

Da Xia has done far too much in these five years.

The rapid expansion of territory, the explosive growth of population, and the continuous increase in resources at a visible rate, even to the point of overflowing... all of this, psychologically speaking, greatly inspired the Xia people, and in practical terms, it made the Xia people's overall strength stronger and stronger.

For the Ice Abyss, a land fraught with danger, strength means fewer restrictions, especially spatial restrictions.

In the early days of the Tupo era, it was a luxury for the Xia people to even leave their caves. But now, with the construction of the Xia Straight Road, the Xia people don't even need cultivation anymore. Even five- or six-year-old children, accompanied by their parents, can roam freely across the vast territory of the Great Xia.

Of course, this freedom of movement also carries certain risks.

Although the Xia Straight Road is regularly maintained by local garrisons, it is ultimately just a snow-covered passage built with a mixture of wood and iron. The small torches can ward off monsters, but they also attract cold beasts, which means that it cannot be laid on a large scale. At the same time, it is also one of the more important resources of the Great Xia, but it is not inexhaustible. As the territory of the Great Xia grows larger and the scale of the straight road becomes more and more astonishing, no matter how many small torches are produced, it will not be enough.

Although the Great Xia has been gaining momentum in recent years, the rulers of the Ice Abyss are still the cold beasts and monsters. Although the straight road can ensure the passage of the Xia people, if they are too unlucky and encounter the attack of cold beasts and monsters, they will still face a life-or-death situation.

If the Straight Road still posed a certain risk to the Xia people, then the various outposts connected by the Straight Road within the Great Xia territory undoubtedly minimized that risk.

“My Great Xia, apart from the capital Xia City, has 282 outposts under its jurisdiction, which are further subdivided into three levels: city, town, and village.”

The population of each city is over 200,000, with 20,000 garrison troops stationed there. During periods of peace, the numbered troops also take turns garrisoning the major cities. In addition, each major city has eight government offices to govern the surrounding towns and villages.
Each town has a population of over 50,000 and a permanent garrison of 5,000 town guards, which is what we Xia people used to call a large outpost. Three years ago, the Chuishan split led to the Nine Towns Alliance. After the alliance ended, our Great Xia had actually annexed Jiangxia, Chuishan and Muyin towns. At that time, the number of outposts within the territory increased dramatically, and the manpower of the eight tribes was tight. The major outposts could no longer maintain the eight-department structure. Considering the functional needs, only three offices were set up: the Garrison Office, the Military Affairs Office, and the Logistics Office, which were under the jurisdiction of the three superior departments of the city to which the town belonged.

Even the smallest villages have a population of over 5000, with a garrison of 500 men stationed there, and a single garrison commander in charge of all village affairs…

In Qinghe Town, on the north bank of the Xinghe River, a tan van slowly drove in through the main gate. The van was packed with nine people: two young couples and five children surrounding them.

The five children, the oldest being only seven years old and the youngest only one or two, were wrapped tightly in blankets and held in the arms of two young women.

The young man on the left was patiently explaining the situation of the Great Xia outpost to three teenagers, but the three children kept pulling open the carriage curtain to look outside, unable to sit still at all. It was clearly like talking to a brick wall.

Seeing that the three children were distracted, the young man on the left looked displeased and turned his gaze to Xiahou Xuan, the oldest of the three, clearly intending to reprimand him.

"Ah Yong, forget it, they're still young, it's no use teaching them now..."

Seeing that his nephew was about to be scolded, Jiang Yiqing quickly stepped in to help him out, drawing Xiahou Yong's attention to him before changing the subject and whispering, "To be honest, our strength is not outstanding, and we are still relatively inexperienced. We have only been training in the garrison for a year, yet we have been promoted to garrison commanders of Jinbilonghe Village. It seems that Great-Grandfather and Great-Uncle Xiahou have made great achievements in Chencang."

Xiahou Yong nodded upon hearing this, then fell silent again.

Jiang Yiqing is a fifth-generation descendant of the Jiang family. The great-grandfather he mentioned is the second-generation ancestor of the Jiang family, who is currently infiltrating Chencang. As for Uncle Xiahou, he is naturally Xiahou Zhang, the ancestor of the Xiahou family.

In fact, as early as ten years before the Chui Mountain Alliance, Jiangxia had already begun to integrate into Jiangxia. As the two pillar families of Jiangxia, the Jiang and Xiahou families were naturally among the first to move to Xia City. Xiahou Yong and his good brother Jiang Yiqing had been living in Xia City for almost three years.

However, compared to the exceptionally talented members of their clan, the two were rather inconspicuous. They had always cultivated and grown stronger step by step. After finally reaching the required level of strength, they relied on clan connections to train in the Eight Divisions of the outer city of the Great Xia for a period of time. Only now have they had the opportunity to take charge of a region.

It's not quite accurate to say they endured hardship. As Jiang Yiqing said, if it weren't for the relationship between their ancestor Xiahou Zhang and their great-uncle Jiang Xinfan, let alone the two of them, even the top disciples of the two clans would have had an extremely difficult time getting ahead.

Thinking that he was almost thirty-five years old and still had to rely on his elders to fight for him to get a chance to make a name for himself, Xiahou Yong felt ashamed, but also had an indescribable sense of powerlessness.

In the Great Xia Dynasty, there are far too many geniuses, and his talent is indeed too unremarkable. Not to mention compared with the top geniuses of Xia City, he is not even outstanding in the Xiahou clan.

Even now, his good brother Jiang Yiqing, who was sitting right across from him, was about the same age as him and had a strength of 31, which was 3 more than him.

What else can he do if he doesn't rely on his family?
Jiang Yiqing and Xiahou Yong grew up together, and seeing his expression, Jiang immediately knew what he was thinking. Jiang shook his head and said, "Don't be unconvinced. This isn't Jiangxia City anymore. To be honest, without the help of elders, not only do we two have no chance of getting ahead, but even the top performers are in the same boat..."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Yichen, you know him, right?"

Xiahou Yong nodded immediately upon hearing this. Jiang Yichen was the most dazzling genius in their two families, without exception. He was even stronger than his sister, Xiahou Qingqing. Three years ago, he won tenth place in the junior group of the Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament, enjoying immense glory. Including himself, every young member of both families envied him.

"Didn't he join the Imperial Guard? Qingqing mentioned that he became a captain early last year and almost became the commander of the Eighth Battalion?"

Although Xiahou Yong himself was not very talented, he had a younger sister, Xiahou Qingqing, who was the most talented among the five generations of the Xiahou family. In addition, Xiahou Qingqing married into the prestigious Xiao family of the Great Xia Dynasty, and he could occasionally hear news about the Dragon Guard from his brother-in-law, Xiao Heng.

Jiang Yiqing shook his head and said, "The Dragon Guard is all about strength. The capable rise and the weak fall. Last September, he was defeated by a member of the Xiang family in his own team, and he lost his position as captain long ago."

Xiahou Yong was taken aback upon hearing this. He instinctively wanted to ask something, but he quickly realized something, his face showing understanding, and he remained silent.

That's perfectly normal!
Last year, he had heard his brother-in-law Xiao Heng talk about it. The competition for the Dragon Guard was extremely fierce. Almost every month, a captain would be replaced. Many people were even trying their best to get the position of commander. Xiao Heng, the commander of the Sixth Battalion, had almost been defeated by the battalion captains several times.

"Is the fifth generation descendant of the Xiang family Xiang Chengchuan or Xiang Chenghai?"

"Xiang Chenghai is 26 years old this year, and his basic strength is already 39."

Upon hearing "39," Xiahou Yong first showed surprise, then sighed softly.

The Great Xia Dynasty now has too many prestigious families. The local powerful clans include the Zhao, Xiao, and Luo families, as well as the Yuan, Lin, Xu, Qiu, Yuwen, Hong, Zhu, Meng, and many other top-tier families. Once the younger generation of these powerful families reaches the right age and grows up, their strength is extremely terrifying.

There were many other top clans that merged into the Great Xia Dynasty around the same time as their two families, such as the Murong clan, the Mu clan, and the Longgu Li clan, the Jinshan Shangguan clan, and the Wuchuan Qin clan, who were about to move here soon...

In Xia City today, geniuses are emerging like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The martial arts pavilion's cultivation records are broken almost every few months. In the martial arts competitions of the year before last and last year, there were even cases of 14-year-olds pretending to be 15-year-olds to participate. As a result, the logistics department has strengthened the age screening for the martial arts competitions and has set the competitions to be held every five years.

Even a genius like Jiang Yichen struggles to make progress, let alone people like him and Jiang Yiqing whose talents are not outstanding. Thinking about it this way, the position of garrison commander obtained through the exchange of elders in the clan does not seem so unacceptable.

Putting his thoughts aside, Xiahou Yong looked at the bustling crowds on the streets of Qinghe Town. Suddenly, he thought of something, turned his head and whispered, "Actually, it wasn't just my great-grandfather and great-uncle who put in the effort. There were quite a few young people who were promoted this time, just like us. You know why, right?"

"Of course I know!"

Jiang Yiqing nodded immediately and then said, "This northern expedition was a great victory. The southern border region is now entirely in the hands of our Great Xia. I heard from the people in the inner city that the garrison has added more than 300 outposts, including the five major towns, plus more than 30 camps of the original five towns' garrisons..."

With so much new territory, a large number of positions will be created. Promotions in the eight tribes of Great Xia are based on both strength and seniority. A number of well-performing garrison commanders and guards within the original Great Xia territory will be promoted, and the vacant positions will need to be filled.

The core reason why one of them was able to become the garrison commander of Jinbi and the other of Longhe lies here, and Jiang Yiqing is well aware of this.

However, what Xiahou Yong wanted to say was clearly not that.

His expression turned slightly serious, and he lowered his voice a few degrees as he leaned closer to Jiang Yiqing and said, "Even with just that, we still can't free up so many positions. Qingqing told me in private that the Director intends to add the position of Prefect in major cities. The Prefect has the power to command the eight departments. Although he is nominally under the jurisdiction of the prefecture, he holds the rank of a third-grade official, which is equivalent to a Deputy Director."

Prefect!

Jiang Yiqing's expression froze slightly upon hearing this, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Chief Secretary, is this a move to consolidate power?" The administrative structure of the Great Xia Dynasty has always been a relatively clear three-tiered system, with Chief Secretary Xia Chuan at the core. Xia Chuan commands the eight ministries, and the eight ministries then manage their respective subordinate eight offices.

However, as the territory of the Great Xia has continued to expand in recent years, the affairs managed by the Eight Departments have become more and more numerous, and various contradictions have gradually begun to emerge. For example, the most typical one is that the heads of the Eight Departments in the major cities are all at the same level, and there is no one who can make the final decision.

In the early years, the Ministry of Defense established the position of Commander-in-Chief based on the position of Garrison Commander. It was clearly stipulated that the Commander-in-Chief had the power to command the eight garrisoned offices only in wartime or special periods. In peacetime, the Commander-in-Chief and the other seven office chiefs were of equal rank.

This is a problem, especially with the rapid expansion of the Great Xia territory this time, and the imminent confrontation with the regional military governors. If the division of powers remains unclear as before, it is easy to cause delays if any problems arise.

In Jiang Yiqing's view, it was very necessary to establish the position of Prefect. However, if what Xiahou Yong said was true, the Prefect position that the Assistant Minister wanted to add could directly command the eight local departments, nominally under the jurisdiction of the subordinate departments, and hold the rank of third grade. Everyone in Daxia knew that Yuan Sizheng of the subordinate departments was a clear member of the Assistant Minister's faction. Such an arrangement was obviously for ulterior motives.

"It seems that in recent years, the eight ministries have been won over by the madam, and the divisions have become too serious. The contradictions between them have deepened day by day, and the central minister has lost some control. So he wants to use the position of prefect to seize local power."

Jiang Yiqing had clearly hit the nail on the head, and Xiahou Yong immediately nodded, his eyes flashing slightly as he said, "This is just a suggestion; the lord needs to approve it."

"After the great victory at Changqing Valley, the lord intends to make peace with Caiqiu. I heard that negotiations are already underway. Once the formal ceasefire is reached and the lord returns, he will surely reward those who contributed to this northern expedition. If the magistrate's proposal is approved, then the position of prefect will become highly sought after..."

Jiang Yiqing's expression was tempted. Of course, he had no chance of becoming the prefect, but he was only a fifth-generation descendant of the Jiang family. His great-grandfather, Jiang Xinfan, was fully capable, as were the top descendants of the third and fourth generations of the Jiang family. They were also qualified to compete for the position of prefect.

"The territory of the Great Xia is vast. Excluding the capital and its surrounding areas, there are currently major cities in Longyou: Longshan, Wushuang, Zhaoyang, and Hanqiong; Wuyuan on the north bank of the Xinghe River; Hongmen at the eastern exit; Bashang, Jiangxia, Chuishan, and Muyin. With the unification of the southern foothills, the five major cities in the north have also been brought under control. Including the newly built Jiuqu, Baisong, Dongling, Dongchuan, and Jinyang in recent years, there are a total of nineteen major cities. This round of territorial expansion is too exaggerated. The Minister will definitely build a number of new cities in some key locations, but it will not exceed 30. Therefore, the number of prefects will most likely be below 30."

At this point, the answer is basically clear.

Xiahou Yong's eyes lit up as he said, "Our Great Xia currently only has about fifty people at the Manifestation Yang level, and the eight departments of Xia City will take up a large portion of them. Therefore, the cultivation requirement for the position of Prefect will most likely be lowered to the Cold Resistance level. In other words, the top Cold Resistance level cultivators will be qualified to compete for the position of Prefect!"

The selection of officials in the Great Xia Dynasty values ​​ability and seniority, but there is another hard requirement before the two: strength. This is due to the special environment of the Ice Abyss, which is easy to understand.

No matter how senior or capable one is, if one lacks strength, it's like a castle in the air. Not to mention protecting the lord's territory, one cannot even guarantee one's own safety. Furthermore, under the influence of the extremely cruel environment of the Ice Abyss, people's personalities are exceptionally fierce, and fighting is almost the norm. Without the support of strength, an official cannot even control his subordinates, let alone govern the people.

"The Xia Li Xiu Zhi chapter states that if one's basic strength exceeds 60, then breaking through to the Xian Yang level is almost a certainty. The higher the basic strength at the Yu Han level, the greater the increase in strength after the breakthrough. The top Yu Han level in our Great Xia currently has a strength of over 60, and many people are deliberately holding back from breaking through. So, there are many people who meet the strength requirements. Therefore, the focus will be on ability, seniority, and military merits in this Northern Expedition."

"Yue Feng, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Xiao Kangcheng, Zou Yuankai, Li Longkai, Li Yuankun, Liu Yuan, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Ying Xuan... There are so many that I can think of. I don't need to think about it anymore. Unless my great-grandfather and great-uncle Xiahou both come back, I estimate that it would be a blessing if our two families could produce even one prefect."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yong pondered for a moment and couldn't help but nod.

Indeed, the Jiang and Xiahou clans have not been part of the Great Xia for very long, and compared to the elders of the Great Xia, they have no real advantage. Only Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan have some status because of their Xianyang-level cultivation.

The key is that Jiang Xinfan is currently infiltrating Chencang, while his great-grandfather Xiahou Zhang...

Thinking of this, Xiahou Yong's face showed a slight change in expression. He leaned closer and whispered to Jiang Yiqing, "Yiqing, my great-grandfather is neither in Chencang nor Caiqiu. As far as I know, he was sent by the Minister of Works to one of the other two fiefdoms in Mo'aochuan, but I don't know which one it is."

Jiang Yiqing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but quickly realized something, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes, and he couldn't help but swallow.

The Great Xia had only just begun dealing with Caiqiu and Chencang, yet the Minister of Justice had already started making arrangements in the territories of the other two vassal states!
"Gentlemen, we've arrived at Qinghe Inn..."

As Jiang Yiqing pondered, the slowly moving van suddenly stopped. Hearing the rickshaw puller's reminder, he realized with a start that they had arrived at their destination.

The two families got off the carriage one after another. The two heads of the family quickly arranged for their wives and children to stay at the post station, and then they walked together toward the town's government office.

They were here to assume their new posts. Although Jinbilonghe Village was not far from Hongmen City, the superior department was Qinghe Town. Therefore, the two of them had to report to the Qinghe Town government office first before they could go to their assigned areas to take up their posts.

"The garrison of Qinghe Town is under the jurisdiction of Hongmen. The person in charge is Chenghe, the deputy garrison commander of Hongmen. Since both Jinbilonghe Village are under the administration of Qinghe Town, he will be our superior from now on."

Upon hearing Jiang Yiqing's words, Xiahou Yong nodded. Paying respects to one's superior before assuming office is both a necessary procedure and a matter of etiquette.

"I inquired before I came. This man is 38 years old this year and comes from Longshan. His father, Cheng Guang, was one of the Eight Vajras of Longshan in his early years and is now one of the six top masters of the Summer Palace. Cheng He is definitely from a prestigious family. However, it is rumored that he was captured by Si Cheng's army during the Longyou War, so he is very loyal to Si Cheng. This is quite interesting..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yiqing's expression instantly became extremely strange.

It's not just interesting, it's downright outrageous...

Cheng He was born in Longshan. His father, Cheng Guang, was one of the Eight Great Vajras of Longshan in his early years. He was a direct descendant of the Li family. Now, the upper echelons of Daxia are gradually divided into the Xia Palace and Sicheng factions. With a background like Cheng Guang's, he should undoubtedly belong to the Xia Palace faction.

But ironically, he chose to side with Si Cheng Xia Chuan!
"I've heard that Lord Cheng is often criticized by his father for forgetting his roots, and the two have become estranged because of this. Lord Cheng moved out of the inner city three years ago. Although he hasn't completely severed ties with his father, they basically don't have any contact except during holidays. This matter has caused quite a stir..."

As they drew closer to the Qinghe Si Yamen, Jiang Yiqing immediately stopped talking. With his keen hearing and sharp eyesight, he could hear everything from a distance. It wouldn't be good if he were overheard gossiping about his superior's family affairs.

"This is a restricted area; unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering!"

Soldiers were guarding the front of the government building. When they saw two people in civilian clothes walking straight towards them, they immediately stood up and sternly reprimanded them.

Don't treat the gatekeepers like they're not human. Large outposts like Qinghe Town are usually guarded by 5,000 garrison troops. Like the garrison, Qinghe Military Garrison is also under the jurisdiction of Hongmen City, and the person in charge is the Deputy Military Commissioner of Hongmen Military Command.

Although the Siya Building is the central authority of the station and a core building, it is ultimately just a building, and under normal circumstances, at most a hundred-man battalion is stationed there.

The problem is, out of the five thousand garrison troops, who wouldn't want to come here?
Nobody's stupid. In a place like this, where power is concentrated, if you make a good impression on a certain big shot and get remembered, a bright future might be waiting for you.

Therefore, being able to stand guard at the Siya Building is a skill in itself. These soldiers are either highly capable or have good family backgrounds. In short, no matter which one, they are not to be offended!
Besides, the soldier who blocked their way looked to be only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, but his strength was already 11. Although his talent was not top-notch in the Great Xia, it was still stronger than the two of them. Who knows, he might rise to prominence one day.

Jiang Yiqing, well-versed in the ways of the world, naturally wouldn't risk offending them. He forced a smile and said, "Young brother, please allow me to inform you. I am Jiang Yiqing, the newly appointed garrison commander of Longhe Village, and he is Xiahou Yong, the newly appointed garrison commander of Jinbi Village. We have come here to report to Lord Shangguan Cheng. Please inform him!"

After speaking, he took out a ten-tael silver ingot from his sleeve, quietly moved forward a step, and stuffed it into the young soldier's hand.

The young soldier accepted the silver ingot, his expression immediately softening. He then cupped his hands and said politely, "So it's you two lords. I was rude. You've come at an inopportune time. Something unusual happened at Red Dragon Lake today. Lord Cheng and two other lords have gone there. If you want to see them, you'll have to wait a while."

"How long will it take?"

"That's hard to say. The three gentlemen left in a hurry without telling us. They've been there for more than three hours now, and they haven't sent anyone back to report. I really don't know."

Upon hearing this, the two men immediately looked troubled. They had only come to report for duty; their most important task was to take up their posts in Jinbilonghe Village. The problem was that it was already midnight, and their wives and children were still waiting at the inn. If they were to stay until dawn, they might have to stay in Qinghe Town for another day.

"How about this? Chilong Lake isn't far, just three kilometers east of the village. If you two can't wait, I'll take you there, okay?"

The young soldier actually offered a solution, proving that money really does make things easier. Jiang Yiqing couldn't help but sigh inwardly that the ten taels of silver he had just spent were a good deal.

With a sigh, Jiang Yiqing smiled and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "In that case, we thank you very much, young brother, and please lead the way."

"Sure thing, come with me!"

The young soldier gave a few instructions to the men around him, then led the two men toward the main road on the east side of the village, and soon arrived at Chilong Lake.

(End of this chapter)