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

On an abandoned official road in Gongchang Prefecture, a large convoy was slowly moving forward.

The procession stretched for miles and numbered over ten thousand people, mostly the elderly, women, and children. They carried pots, pans, bedding, and food, all crammed into the overflowing horse-drawn carts.

The wheels crunched over the gravel, and dust swirled behind the vehicle like a slowly moving yellow dragon.

Armed soldiers from the Lin family guarded both sides, while scouts constantly patrolled back and forth, vigilant against any disturbance.

Even so, Lin Ye, standing on the carriage shaft and looking ahead, couldn't help but frown. This speed was simply too slow.

He jumped off the carriage, walked to the roadside, and looked at the elderly people and children who were walking with difficulty.

This convoy was carrying people from the three counties of Wangjia.

Fortunately, not long ago, the imperial court carried out a large-scale crackdown on bandits in Gongchang Prefecture in order to transport grain and fodder for the Northern Plains army.

Those large bandit gangs that had been entrenched for many years were almost wiped out, and the remaining small forces dared not make any rash moves when faced with such strict guards.

Otherwise, with such a slow-moving convoy, if they encountered bandits, the consequences would be unimaginable.

During the Battle of Xiang County, the Lin family captured nearly four thousand soldiers from the Wang family's army. With the approval of the imperial court, these prisoners were taken in by the Lin family and incorporated into their army.

Among these soldiers, some were originally serving in the military, while others were there to make a career for themselves and seek wealth and status.

Most of them have families back home, and military orders alone are not enough to win their genuine allegiance to the Lin family.

Whether they are used as hostages or to ensure their loyalty, the well-being of their families is crucial.

Only by bringing their relatives to the Lin family's territory can Lin Ye truly feel at ease making good use of this force.

Therefore, Lin Ye personally contacted the Qingyuan Sword Sect in Qing County and communicated with the Su and Gao families who controlled Huachi County, requesting that the families of these soldiers be allowed to move out.

As for Jing County, it was already jointly managed by the Lin and Chen families, and there was no objection to that.

Thus, a massive relocation operation was launched.

Initially, Lin Ye considered settling these prisoners in Xiang County.

After all, Xiangxian suffered heavy casualties in that battle, with a large number of soldiers lost, and needed to be replenished.

But Sun Qian reminded him that this group of former Wang family soldiers had personally captured Xiang County and had blood feuds with the local small families and soldiers. Even several members of the Lin family had died under their blades in that battle.

Although they were acting on the orders of the Wang family at the time, if they were to be directly integrated into the army of Xiang County now, it would inevitably create hidden dangers and make it difficult to stabilize the morale of the troops.

In contrast, Qinghe County is located in Gongchang Prefecture, and there are no strongholds of monsters or bandits in the surrounding counties. It is in dire need of a large number of soldiers to guard it.

More importantly, the reinforcements from Qinghe County arrived at the battlefield relatively late and had little interaction with these prisoners, resulting in less animosity between the two sides. If properly resettled, they could actually become a reliable force.

In addition, Qinghe County had not experienced any suppression of the enemy strongholds in previous years, resulting in a severe loss of population. If the families of these soldiers were to move in, it would not only stabilize the morale of the troops but also boost the prosperity of the town and accelerate the recovery of production.

Lin Ye knew very well that time was running out for the Lin family.

In less than two years, the Lin family will answer the imperial court's call and head to the front lines in the Northern Xiongnu.

Recent battle reports indicate that the Northern Hungarian offensive has been exceptionally fierce this year, and no one knows what the situation will be like two years from now.

Early preparations are essential to ensure a solid rear base, so that there are no worries on the front lines.

Thus, these prisoners of the Wang family were eventually incorporated into Qinghe County.

Two days later, the massive convoy finally arrived in Qinghe County.

County Magistrate Li Liang, who had been waiting at the city gate, immediately stepped forward to greet them and directed their arrangements in an orderly manner.

Some people stayed in the county town, while others were transported by boat to surrounding towns.

Lin Jing, who has only one arm, accompanied Lin Ye as they strolled slowly through the city, introducing the current situation of Qinghe County as they walked.

Although the streets were not bustling, they were well-ordered, with newly built docks, reinforced city walls, and reopened shops all showing a strong effort to restore order.

During the journey, Lin Jing praised Li Liang's organizational skills highly.

Lin Ye listened and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Back then, he had defied public opinion to appoint Li Liang as the county magistrate, both to make up for old regrets and because he valued Li Liang's talent.

In hindsight, this move was the right one.

Walking on the stone-paved road in the county town, the people did not show any fear when they saw this group of people.

Some people even greeted Lin Jing with smiles, calling him "Lord Lin" in a familiar tone, as if they had known each other for many years.

Although the Lin family had only been in power in Qinghe for a short time, this natural closeness showed that their rule had gradually taken root in people's hearts.

The road back to the Lin family residence was not long, but the journey was extremely slow.

More and more people recognized Lin Ye walking at the front of the group. They first whispered in surprise, and then someone shouted.

"It's the lord! It's the lord who wiped out the river bandits and avenged our fellow villagers!"

The news spread rapidly, like ripples on water, and soon the streets were filled with people.

People rushed from their homes and from the docks, turning the streets into a deserted city, just to catch a glimpse of the lord who had avenged them.

Lin Ye stopped and clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd, unable to suppress the smile on his lips; they hadn't forgotten him.

Two more days passed, and the army that had set out from Xiang County finally arrived at Qinghe County.

The team consisted of about 5,000 men, led by Lin Qiang. More than 1,000 of them were soldiers from Qinghe County who had accompanied him to Xiang County for rescue, while the remaining nearly 4,000 were prisoners of war from the former Wang family.

Throughout the journey, Lin Qiang was not worried that they would rebel.

Although their numbers were small, these people had already been vetted in Xiang County and were not die-hard loyalists of the Wang family.

More importantly, their families have now settled down in Qinghe County. Their wives, children, and parents are all under the control of the Lin family, and no one dares to make any rash moves.

When they arrived in Qinghe County, the scene almost spiraled out of control as the soldiers reunited with their families.

Many people thought they would never see each other again in this life, but to their surprise, they not only survived but were also able to settle down on the Lin family's territory.

Cries, laughter, and shouts mingled together, and many soldiers knelt down on the spot, kowtowing to the Lin family's banner.

Lin Ye seized this opportunity and immediately reorganized the army.

He dispersed this group of Wang family soldiers and mixed them into the existing army in Qinghe County.

Qinghe County originally had more than 2,000 people. More than 1,000 people came from Xiang County for this rescue, while the rest stayed in Qinghe County.

After all, Qinghe County is the Lin family's escape route, and it must be well protected.

Now, with the addition of this newly reorganized army, Qinghe County's total military strength is close to six thousand.

This number is indeed somewhat bloated relative to the population of Qinghe County.

But Lin Ye knew that the peace in Gongchang Prefecture was only temporary.

There are no strongholds to suppress the monsters and bandits around Qingyuan County, so they could return at any time.

The military must possess sufficient deterrent power and combat effectiveness. It is better to have a large force temporarily than to be short-handed when a crisis arrives.

The military's command structure was also clarified, with Lin Qiang serving as the commander-in-chief and in charge of all military affairs.

Lin Qiang's uncle, Li Fuyun, was appointed as his deputy. Li Fuyun had served as a captain in the Wei family and had commanded thousands of soldiers. He was experienced and could help Lin Qiang stabilize the situation.

Zhou Wu and Guo Sanpao, who were originally in charge of the Qinghe County Guard and the River Patrol Guard, were transferred to assist the two men, specializing in city defense and waterway security.

As for the internal affairs management of Qinghe County, Lin Jing will continue to be in charge.

Despite his single arm, he is capable and has demonstrated exceptional talent in resettling the people and restoring production. With Li Liang's assistance, he will surely be able to govern Qinghe County well.