Yefutidaolu

Chapter 289 Drinking and Building Liangzhou

Huang Chengshi sat up abruptly. He hadn't finished smoking his tobacco, but his mind, which had been gradually becoming drowsy in the smoke, instantly cleared up.

Jin Dafu and Gao Jian came to visit?

In other words, Jin Dafu has already convinced Gao Jian?
Huang Chengshi was overjoyed!
If Gao Jian is persuaded, and these matters are handed over to the Liangzhou aristocratic family, then the Liangzhou aristocratic family will inevitably cooperate with Youming, and then his mission will be considered complete!

But he immediately got up, without even putting on shoes, and just threw on some clothes. He ran out barefoot.

Huang Chengshi ran out of the room, through the main hall, and to the door. He pushed open the door himself, beaming, "So it's Patriarch Jin and Mr. Gao! You've come at night, please come in quickly!"

Gao Jian stood outside the door and saw the other person walk out disheveled. He quickly cupped his hands and asked, "Elder Huang, what is the reason for this?"

Huang Chengshi immediately rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward, hurriedly replying, "Master Jin, Mr. Gao, one of you is the head of Liangzhou, and the other is an imperial envoy and a top student of the Imperial Academy. I am flattered by your visit at such a late hour, and thus I rushed here. Please forgive my disheveled appearance!"

Jin Dafu, standing to the side, patted his belly and smiled broadly: "Elder Huang, I've brought Mr. Gao to you. Your business in Youmingdi depends entirely on the approval of this imperial envoy from above. I've heard that Youmingdi and Mr. Gao had some misunderstandings in the past. Today is a good day to clear things up so that we don't have any disagreements that could affect important matters in Liangzhou!"

Jin Dafu's words went straight to the point, both warning Gao Jian not to let the important matters be affected and indicating that Huang Chengshi should offer some benefits so that the past events would not affect today.

Just as Gao Jian was about to say something, Huang Chengshi, the Elder of Youming, quickly spoke up, supporting Gao Jian and then grabbing Jin Dafu's sleeve, saying, "Hey! Why bring up these things? This is the first time I've met Mr. Gao, the Imperial Envoy, since you've come to visit. I've long heard of such a hero, and now that I have the opportunity to meet him, the most important thing is to prepare wine and food so we can have a good drink before we talk! If you rush into discussing official business, doesn't that mean you don't consider me a friend?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jian could only sigh that these people were indeed in charge of this kind of work. They were indeed people who specialized in handling sect and family affairs. Their age, experience, and wisdom... Dealing with these people was truly troublesome.

They don't start by talking about business. They introduce people first, then build rapport, and then discuss things slowly. If nothing unexpected happens, they finalize the deal. And... the most important thing about doing this is that it separates the Youming from the rest of the world.

"Let's be friends and have a drink together" is actually a way of severing ties with the official identity of the Netherworld and befriending Takashi in a personal capacity, indicating that he didn't know anything about what happened before and is now starting anew to befriend him.

Then, Gao Jian guessed that the other party would give him another generous gift, both to let bygones be bygones regarding the previous conflict with Gao Jian in the capital, and to continue to do Gao Jian a favor. In this way, one gift would achieve two effects and also show their sincerity and intention to cooperate.

Sigh, they really schemed and plotted.

pity……

Gao Jian smiled and replied, "Of course. Youmingdi is one of the most prestigious immortal sects in the Divine Dynasty. I have long admired it. The previous misunderstandings were due to my youthful impetuosity. Gu Baisong offended me, and in a fit of anger, I killed him. Because of this, I became enemies with Youmingdi, which made me very worried. Now that I have met Elder Huang and know that you do not hold a grudge, I am finally relieved!"

Then, he cupped his hands in greeting: "I would be grateful if Lord Jin could introduce me to Elder Huang today. We had a good drink together and resolved all past grievances! This will also lay a good foundation for future cooperation!"

Compared to the subtle words of the other two, Gao Jian's words seemed much more naive and straightforward, with many meanings already made clear.

However, in this situation, dealing with these two people, Gao Jian, being the youngest, also appears to be the least cunning, making it the most appropriate person to say such things.

Since the attitude has been made clear, that's good.

Everyone laughed and invited each other into Huang Chengshi's temporary residence. They waved for the waiters to set out a banquet, and the feast began, just as Gao Jian had done when he first arrived.

However, Gao Jian reaped a great deal at this banquet.

All that previous pretense and cajoling wasn't entirely fruitless; in fact, it established a commitment to an 'exchange of benefits'.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Jin Dafu took out a book, placed it on the table, and, reeking of alcohol, pushed it towards Gao Jian: "Then, Mr. Gao, please accept the blueprints for these things!"

"Then thank you very much, Lord Jin. This thing is indeed quite valuable to us martial artists."

"Ah~, it's just a clever trick. The preparation is lengthy, the method is simple, and the cost is huge. It can only be used for emergencies. Someone like you can replace these things by hiring a few followers. To put it bluntly, once you leave Liangzhou, these things will be useless. It's just that you, Mr. Gao, are interested in them." Jin Dafu waved his hand and said modestly.

However, this is not out of modesty.

Because that's indeed the case; Gao Jian only needs to recruit a few followers who know magic to easily cover up the contents of these blueprints.

It can be said that these blueprints were merely a stopgap measure by the Liangzhou aristocratic families. Now they are presented as "rare" and treated as whimsical toys, not worthy of serious consideration.

In the presence of high-level cultivators, such a thing can only be regarded as a toy, and has no other use.

Gao Jian smiled and said, "Lord Jin, although this kind of thing is of little use to us, isn't it perfect for building up the Liangzhou border? How can something that can be put to use be considered a toy? This has been a great help to me."

"Haha, Mr. Gao can't possibly build Liangzhou for a lifetime. He's just temporarily serving as a tool."

"Haha, you're right. Let's not talk about this, let's drink." Gao Jian changed the subject and raised his glass.

After clinking glasses, they drank heartily again.

But a thought flashed through Gao Jian's mind.

Is it impossible to build Liangzhou for a lifetime?

really?
That's hard to say.

------------

The border region of Liangzhou, in the Yongning area.

Suddenly, a large number of refugees appeared here.

Refugees are not uncommon; they are everywhere around Liangzhou. These lower-class people wander around, begging for a way to survive. From the outside, everyone looks exhausted. The long journey has made their eyelids heavy, and everyone looks stiff and unresponsive due to lack of food and clothing. Their faces have turned pale and sallow.

What do people say when they don't eat?

The answer is that if a person can't speak at all, they will lose the desire to speak and the desire to think, becoming a walking corpse that only knows how to hunt for food. They will go wherever there is food, and if there is no food anywhere, they will wander aimlessly until the moment they die.

These refugees, of course, would be subject to control. A troop of soldiers stopped and blocked the refugees' path. One of the officers, clad in armor, waved his hand and shouted, "Stop! What is your ancestral home?!"

This is a routine check. Local officials need to keep track of the movements of large-scale migrants to prevent trouble. The migrants themselves are not a problem, but the real concern is that they might attract some 'righteous' people with overflowing sympathy, or evil people who covet spiritual materials. If the two sides meet and fight, it will be a headache for the local officials, so control is still necessary.

As for the refugees themselves, they are not important and don't matter.

The soldiers began to check the refugees and ask about their ancestral origins, but they did it very perfunctorily. After all, they were refugees, and it was generally difficult for them to travel more than two or three hundred miles. They were all from nearby areas. If they couldn't escape, they would starve to death or sell themselves into servitude. So it was just a routine check.

The refugees arrived here as if they had found a home, waiting to be slowly checked. They placed the wooden sticks they used to walk on beside their legs, then lay down on the ground and remained motionless for one or two hours.

These refugees, since arriving at this place, haven't uttered a single word or made a sound. They simply sit there, eyes wide open, staring straight ahead, but their gazes are dull and lifeless. One could even bet that they haven't seen or heard anything around them, completely lost in their sorrow.
However... there seem to be an unusually large number of refugees lately.

Moreover, there are more men among the refugees.

For example, at the very front of this group of refugees was a young man with handsome and delicate features. His face was pleasing to the eye, slender and refined, but pale and even bluish from the cold. He was carrying a small bundle wrapped in faded old floral cloth, which probably contained all his belongings.

Behind him were many such refugees, dressed in cheap clothes made of gray, yellow, or dirty green fabric.

After the investigation was completed, the migrant population continued to move, but... as they traveled further, the number of elderly, weak, women and children among them gradually decreased.

The Yongning area is far from the protection of the Temple of Heaven, and being to the north, it is bitterly cold. The cold air makes one's nose feel burning when breathing, and dusk is falling, gradually darkening.

The elderly, women, and children gradually disappeared, and when they arrived in the wilderness, it was almost entirely filled with young and middle-aged men, and there was no longer any screening in this area.

The young man was among this group of refugees. They were all much the same: no women, no elderly, just young men, all having traveled a long way, all ragged and starving.

Every now and then, someone would lie down next to them, put their head between someone else's legs, let out a long sigh, stretch out their body on the floor, and remain motionless for an hour, as if they had died during that time.

It seems that this group of people lie here all day, dead.

But—very soon.

As the sun began to set, this group of people suddenly came back to life.

Their purpose seems unknown, but they act as if they are being manipulated, risking their lives to accomplish some mysterious and unknown mission.

They resurrected, rose, and continued forward, not knowing where they were going, heads drooping, taking slow, mechanical steps as before.

However, on this journey, they had to cross a river three miles wide. This river flowed from the grassland, and its current was rapid. Most of the river was not frozen, but only swirling eddies were stirring up pieces of ice.

Occasionally, only some calm water surfaces freeze solid.

They had to get through, which could even be fatal for the refugees.

When he encountered thinner patches of ice, the ice would often crack and pop as soon as he stepped on it, making a loud crackling sound like firecrackers.

Many times, some refugees stepped on the ice too hard and slipped into the river through the cracks. Fortunately, they always carried a wooden stick with them, which they used to hang across the ice hole or to help each other climb out of the river.

This left them soaked to the bone, and in this freezing weather, it was difficult to find a place to set up camp.

Despite the immense danger, they did not stop.

Soon, they reached a deeper level—

A fortress whose foundation is being laid.

Yang Ling was standing here, directing the carriages and horses. Behind him were dozens of large pots, each simmering a thick meat porridge containing minced meat, spirit rice, and many medicinal herbs.

He looked at the new group of refugees with excitement and rushed over, shouting, "Everyone! Come and have some porridge! More food will be arriving soon!"

"This border post has now been handed over to us for construction!"

At that moment, the refugees suddenly perked up, and a group of young men immediately sped up and ran towards them.

It turns out that everything on the road was an act.

They were just so good at pretending to be refugees that they were almost indistinguishable from real refugees.

Of course there's no difference—

Because they were all true refugees in the past.

Upon seeing Yang Ling, they immediately quickened their pace, approached him, and their faces lit up with joy. The young man who had spoken earlier took the initiative to greet him: "Boss Yang!"

Yang Ling waved his hand: "Don't talk yet, drink your porridge!"

A group of people immediately gathered around, warming themselves by the fire and drinking porridge.

Yang Ling then approached and asked, "Did you get caught on the way here while you were hungry?"

The young man quickly shook his head: "No, those soldiers were very perfunctory. Recently, there have been more migrants, and we blended in with them, so no one noticed the large-scale population movement."

"That's good! I've already got the approval from above. We'll build this border post ourselves! After we finish eating, change your clothes and we'll try to get the main structure up and running within a month! Don't worry, we have plenty of materials and food! I have over 100,000 gold coins on hand, and more money and supplies will be sent over later!"

"You're a cultured person, a formation master, so the design work is entrusted to you!" Yang Ling patted him on the shoulder.

(End of this chapter)