With the rise of my family, I can summon the Daoist Soldiers' Nest.

Lin Ye was immersed in reminiscing about the history of the sword sect when Liang Feiyu's voice rang out again, breaking the silence of the night.

"Therefore, taking advantage of this opportunity, the Sword Sect wants to occupy Qing County." Liang Feiyu's tone was calm, but carried an undeniable air. "The sect leader has already spoken to the imperial court."

He paused, then looked directly at Lin Ye.

"You're also from the Sword Sect, I won't lie to you."

The imperial court's intention is, as is customary, to prioritize local families. As long as the five lords of Qingyang Prefecture do not relocate their strongholds to Qing County, the Sword Sect can establish its base there.

Liang Feiyu's gaze was fixed on Lin Ye. "You're the first one. I'll discuss things with the other lords later."

"Your Lin family has two strongholds. As long as you agree, and the Sword Sect makes some concessions, I don't think they'll object too much."

He leaned forward slightly. "Of course, the Sword Sect will definitely not treat you unfairly in the future."

Lin Ye had actually guessed Liang Feiyu's purpose the moment he stepped into the courtyard.

He also understood why Liang Feiyu had interrupted the meeting during the day and suggested rescheduling the discussion.

That was to buy time for the Sword Sect to win over the lords one by one tonight and clear away obstacles.

He had already made up his mind.

To offend the Qingyuan Sword Sect and even completely antagonize the four lords for the sake of Qing County is truly a losing proposition.

"I am also a true disciple of the Sword Sect, and I have been studying there for five years."

Lin Ye straightened his back and said resolutely, "Without the Sword Sect, there would be no Lin family today. I also hope that the Sword Sect can be revitalized and grow stronger."

I support the Sword Sect establishing its hideout in Qing County.

Upon hearing this, Liang Feiyu smiled with satisfaction: "Good, the Sword Sect was right about you. Don't worry, the Sword Sect will definitely compensate you in the future."

He stood up, glanced at the sky, and said, "It's getting late. I'll be going now. I still need to discuss this with the other lords and get this matter settled before the court officials arrive."

"Elder, should I come along?" Lin Ye stood up to see him off, offering his suggestion. "I have a good relationship with the other lords, so I can help mediate."

Liang Feiyu waved his hand and laughed, "No need. The Sword Sect also has connections with them, and if you go with them, it would be like forcing them to make a statement. I'll go by myself."

After saying that, he strode out of the courtyard gate, and his figure quickly disappeared into the night.

Lin Ye stood there, watching him leave, then slowly returned to the stone table and sat alone in the courtyard for a long time.

Two days later, at dawn, a cloud of dust rose on the official road outside Qing County, and the imperial entourage finally arrived.

The one who arrived was the Prefectural Assistant of Wuwei County, dressed in official robes and wearing a copper seal at his waist.

Lin Ye did not recognize this prefectural magistrate. He had only exchanged greetings and a few pleasantries during the visit before they took their seats.

In the past two days, Lin Qiang and Zhang Yuan have arrived in Qing County from Xiang County with their guards. The post-war affairs in Xiang County are being managed by Lin Yi and his mother, Li.

Upon learning that Lin Ye had decided to abandon Qing County, and that Qing County might eventually fall under the control of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, the two felt a little regretful, but upon careful consideration, they also felt that this was the safest option.

This way, the Lin family can avoid offending the Sword Sect, avoid direct conflict with the four lords, and preserve their existing foundation.

The prefectural magistrate didn't waste time with pleasantries and went straight to the point.

The first step is to deal with the Wang family members.

Anyone who has already fled will be wanted by the imperial court throughout the entire territory of Northern Han, and will be brought to justice.

Those who have been arrested will be executed on the spot if it is found that they were involved in collusion with the Northern Xiongnu.

As for those clansmen who were found not to have participated in collusion with the enemy, all the men were sent to the mines to work for the rest of their lives until their deaths;

Women were sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), while elderly and frail women were sent to farms and other agricultural areas to work until they died.

The second step was to deal with the affiliated families and martial artists closely related to the royal family.

All the farmland of these families was confiscated, and the clansmen were relocated to remote areas and resettled in a dispersed manner to prevent further complications.

All martial artists were assigned to the suicide squad for a ten-year term, during which they could be released. If any deserted or died in battle, they would not be held accountable.

The third step is the distribution of spiritual plants and financial resources.

As the lords had anticipated, the imperial court, in accordance with the law, took 30%, and the remaining 70% was left to be disposed of by the various forces that participated in the destruction of the royal family.

The spiritual plants, gold and silver, and artifacts were all registered and recorded, and then transported away in batches.

Finally, there is the issue of administrative control over the three counties.

The prefectural magistrate looked around at everyone and slowly began to speak, "When I came, the prefectural governor gave me specific instructions."

All the families that wiped out the Wang family deserve credit, especially the Lin family, who promptly exposed the Wang family's insider identity, enabling Beiyuan City to quickly deal with the Wang family's rebellious army, thus contributing to the country.

Therefore, the prefect petitioned that one of the three counties could be granted to the various lords as a new territory.

He changed the subject, his gaze landing on Lin Ye. "Lord Lin, the Lin family has made the greatest contribution. Do you intend to establish your hideout in one of these three counties?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ye stood up, bowed to the prefect and the various lords, and then replied.

"Thank you for the imperial court's grace."

However, my Lin family is small, and now that Xiang County and Qinghe County are developing steadily and our foundation is becoming more stable, it is inconvenient to exchange territories again.

He paused briefly, then said, "However, I have a request, and I hope that the Prefect will grant it."

"Oh? Tell me about it," the prefectural magistrate said, raising an eyebrow.

"After this battle, our Xiang County suffered heavy casualties among its soldiers and warriors, and was almost completely wiped out."

There were less than two years left before the next imperial summons to participate in the war against the Northern Xiongnu.

My Lin family and the Northern Xiongnu are sworn enemies. In order to inflict more casualties on the Northern Xiongnu on the front lines, I intend to keep the Wang family soldiers captured in the Battle of Xiang County under the command of the Lin family.

Lin Ye spoke sincerely, "These soldiers initially obeyed the orders of the Wang family, but later, upon learning that the Wang family was colluding with the Northern Xiongnu, they chose to surrender."

They are not die-hard loyalists, but trustworthy, and perfectly suited to replenish our army's losses.

The prefect pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "It is acceptable, but we must carefully screen them and ensure that no one is left with their hearts set on the royal family or the Northern Xiongnu."

Lin Ye bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Subsequently, the four lords of Wei, Gao, Su, and Chen stood up in turn to answer.

They all declined the proposal to exchange territories, citing reasons such as "the existing territories have been developed for a long time, and the people are reluctant to leave their homeland."

The prefect knew perfectly well that most of these lords had already reached a tacit agreement with the Qingyuan Sword Sect, giving up their opportunities in exchange for the sect's establishment in Qing County.

After everyone had expressed their opinions, Liang Feiyu finally spoke, "The Qingyuan Sword Sect is willing to establish its headquarters in Qing County, serve as its lord, and guard the area."

The prefectural magistrate smiled slightly and immediately agreed, "I will report this matter to the imperial court immediately."

He knew in his heart that he had already been given orders for this trip, and that the Qingyuan Sword Sect's entry into Qing County was a matter tacitly approved by the imperial court.

With the Northern Xiongnu's invasion of the south becoming increasingly urgent, the imperial court urgently needs the assistance of forces like the Qingyuan Sword Sect to stabilize the situation.

As for the remaining two counties, Jing County and Huachi County, the prefectural magistrate announced that the imperial court would appoint county magistrates to directly manage them.

Meanwhile, to facilitate the defense and extermination of monsters, the Lin and Chen families will be assigned to assist in the management of Jing County, and the Gao and Su families will be assigned to assist in the management of Huachi County, depending on their distance.

Since the Wei family already assists in the administration of two counties, they will not be assigned to any further positions this time.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yuan showed a hint of reluctance but said nothing more.

He knew in his heart that as time went on, the monsters in Jing County and Huachi County became increasingly rampant. The Wei family could barely take care of their own two counties, let alone interfere in other places.

With this, the affiliation and management structure of the three counties have been finalized.

The Lin family acquired the Wang family soldiers captured in the Battle of Xiang County and extended their influence to Jing County.