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

It turns out that the catastrophe that almost destroyed the century-old foundation built by generations of the Lin family and plunged them into ruin was actually just a side army of the Northern Xiongnu that had been marginalized and carried out the crime when their attempt to plunder failed.

He finally learned the clues about his enemy, but the road to revenge was still long and arduous.

Fortunately, he now controls the family's stronghold, so the Lin family is not limited to being the head of a county, and there is still hope for revenge in the future.

Seeing that Lin Ye remained silent, Prefect Cao worried that he might be thinking of revenge, so he continued.

"According to the latest intelligence, the second prince of the Northern Xiongnu has won over several tribes by virtue of the first-class nest he has contracted with, and he is currently standing out among the princes and has a good chance of winning. Nephew, you must not act rashly."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ye remained silent.

Cao, the Prefect, added, "Besides, he may not even be able to seize the throne."

The current ruler of the Imperial Court is a Xiantian martial artist. According to the principle that the lifespan of a post-natal martial artist is increased by about 20 years, while that of a Xiantian martial artist can be increased by up to 30 years, this ruler of the Imperial Court has a lifespan of up to 150 years. He is only over 80 years old now, and it is still a long time before the prince succeeds to the throne.

He could have died at any moment in the power struggles between the princes, a common occurrence in the history of the Northern Xiongnu. If he truly dies in the infighting among the princes, then you've avenged yourself.

"I understand, thank you for informing me, Uncle." Lin Ye bowed respectfully.

Prefect Cao waved his hand, a gentle smile on his face: "Today is a good day. Don't think about those sad things from the past anymore. Go and attend the banquet. You are the star of the banquet today."

The festive noise of a banquet being prepared could be faintly heard outside, a mix of music and laughter.

Lin Ye woke up from her drowsy state once again.

Today is the fourth day since the investiture.

Three days ago, the imperial delegation departed. The imperial guards who were originally intended to stay behind to protect the stronghold returned with Prefect Cao, since the Qingyuan Sword Sect was already stationed in Wubao.

The days that followed were almost entirely filled with celebrations.

One banquet after another, from morning till night without interruption.

Everyone has every reason to relax.

Since the catastrophe six years ago, Xiang County has been shrouded in oppression.

Now, not only have they repelled the bandits who might threaten their peace again, but they have also ushered in a new status as lords of the Lin family. Good days seem to be within reach, so how can they not celebrate with joy?

So the Lin family held a grand banquet in Wubao for three days. The five major families and the reinforcements from the county town also stayed behind to attend the feast.

As the protagonist, Lin Ye was constantly being toasted and congratulated, and he drank himself into a stupor every day, even putting aside his martial arts training for a long time.

That day, he finally arrived at the training ground with his guards.

One of the guards was a second-rate disciple of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, and the other was Wang Qing, a third-rate martial artist.

Lin Ye noticed that Wang Qing still looked a little awkward. After all, he was Wang Qing's defeated opponent, but now he had to be his bodyguard, so he couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

Seeing this, Lin Ye didn't say much. They were all fellow disciples, and they could talk things out later.

The training ground was packed with people, making even such a spacious area feel somewhat crowded.

Not only were members of the Lin and Tian families present, but also members of the five major families.

After all, they had formally requested to become a vassal family of the Lin family the day before yesterday, and Lin Ye had agreed.

When everyone saw Lin Ye approaching, they all bowed and greeted him with respect.

After practicing his marksmanship for a while, Lin Ye sparred with Wang Qing.

Unsurprisingly, he lost again.

Lin Ye noticed that the awkwardness on Wang Qing's face had disappeared, and his annoying smile had reappeared.

Afterwards, Lin Ye climbed the city wall of Wubao, and the people from the county town followed him.

Looking around, the scenery outside the fortress has been completely transformed.

Where once an empty lot, rows of wooden huts have sprung up, and vast farmlands are being cultivated, stretching to the horizon.

"When the refugees in the county heard that we had driven off the bandits, many of them did not return to the county town, but instead moved here with their families. Families from the county town, constables from the county government, and members of the Black Tiger Gang all came to help build shelters and reclaim wasteland."

Lin Qiang, standing beside him, pointed outside and said.

"They probably don't want to go back to the county seat. Their hideout has just moved here, and they can't completely suppress the entire county within a year. Right now, the Linjiawu area is the safest."

Moreover, wherever the stronghold is, the foundation of the county town will gradually shift there, and the original county town will inevitably decline day by day. "Lin Qiang paused, then added.

Looking at the bustling scene outside the fortress, Lin Ye pondered Lin Qiang's words and finally understood the profound meaning of Magistrate Cao's words, "Where the lair is, there the county seat is."

He couldn't help but sigh:

"The new era in Xiang County, the era of the Lin family, has arrived."

Lin Ye came down from the Wubao city wall and walked into a relatively spacious courtyard.

The small courtyard where he originally lived is currently under renovation, and the clan plans to expand it into a larger scale to match the status and demeanor befitting a baron.

He picked up a book, the cover of which prominently displayed the title "Xiangxian County Gazetteer".

This was left behind by the magistrate of Cao County before he left. The book records in detail many aspects of Xiang County, including its territory, mountains and rivers, population, land tax, customs and products, and transportation routes.

During his free time, Lin Ye had basically finished reading the book and gained a preliminary understanding of the overall situation of Xiang County.

Xiang County is located in the north-central part of Qingyang Prefecture. It is about 360 li long from north to south and about 240 li wide from east to west, with a total area of ​​about 42,000 hectares, which is almost twice the size of the county seat in my previous life.

However, among the ten counties under the jurisdiction of Qingyang Prefecture, it is still considered a medium-to-small county.

The terrain within the territory is flat and the land is fertile, making it suitable for both farming and animal husbandry. The usable land area is quite considerable, which is why Qingyang Prefecture praised it as a model of "fertile land suitable for both farming and animal husbandry".

Thanks to this, most people in Xiang County, while not living a life of great wealth, were able to live a stable life and make ends meet.

The terrain of Xiang County is slightly higher in the northwest, with rolling hills that act as a barrier, blocking the cold winds and providing abundant forests and minerals; the central and southeastern parts are vast open plains crisscrossed by a dense network of rivers.

The river, with the Wu River as its main artery, originates in the hills of the northwest, flows through the county seat, and then flows south to join the Qingyang River.

Large tracts of fertile land are distributed along both banks of the Wu River, making irrigation extremely convenient; the tributary Yunxi River is clear and meandering, with fruit trees and tea gardens along its banks.

In the past, water transport was very developed, with cargo ships able to travel directly along the Wu River to Qingyang Prefecture. Merchants and travelers came and went in an endless stream, and the sight of boats and sails contrasted beautifully with the bustling city life. Unfortunately, the river has now been occupied by monsters, the waterway is silted up, and it has long been abandoned.

The current county seat of Xiang County is located in the central part of the county, built close to the Wu River, and is the political and economic center of the county.

Besides the county seat, there are eighteen other market towns, mostly distributed along the river. These towns are often clustered together by clans or large households. Six years ago, the population was dense and commercial activities were quite frequent.

At that time, Linjiawu was at best a local strongman in a neighboring county.

The family business began to prosper in Lin Ye's grandfather's generation, and it further expanded when his father, Lin Sheng, took over. However, before they could apply to the Wang family, the lord at the time, to establish a town, they encountered a misfortune and declined again.

According to statistics from the previous year, Xiang County currently has more than 40,000 households and a total population of nearly 200,000.

Farmers accounted for 70% of the total, mainly engaged in grain cultivation; artisans, merchants, boatmen, and fishermen accounted for 20%, serving the daily needs of urban and rural areas; and gentry and warriors accounted for 10%, maintaining local education and security.