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

The council hall in Linjiawu was unusually crowded today.

The Lin family's various stewards are Lin Qiang, who is in charge of the guard team; Lin Tie, who no longer manages the blacksmith shop but has taken over the Lin family's armory; Lin Yi, who has just taken over the management of the people outside the fortified village; and Li Shi, who is in charge of the cultivation of spiritual plants.

There was also the head of the Tian family, the head of the five families in the county town, Sun Qian, the former leader of the Black Tiger Gang, Tian Han, and a third-rate constable who had worked in the county government.

Lin Ye sat in the main seat, his expression calm, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present.

"My Lin family has been granted the title of Xiang County for some time now, but because we are not very familiar with the current situation in Xiang County, we have not had a serious discussion with everyone about how to develop it next."

"Now we can see that more and more people are gathering outside the fort. Although Lin Yi has done a good job in arranging everyone in an orderly manner, this can't go on forever. We must come up with a plan."

"Taking this opportunity, I would like to discuss with you the future development plans for Xiang County."

When the crowd was first summoned, they were puzzled. But upon hearing this, they immediately sat up straight and became focused.

"Before that, I have something to announce." Lin Ye said firmly.

"I hate exploiting the local people the most. Taxes must be clearly defined. Things like protection fees will never be allowed to happen again in the Lin family's territory."

Everyone instinctively looked at Sun Qian, only to see that he remained calm and showed no signs of panic.

"Therefore, no gangs are allowed to exist in this territory from now on. The Black Tiger Gang is disbanded from today onwards. The Lin Family Martial Arts School will be established, with Gang Leader Sun as the head of the school and Uncle Lin Qiang as the deputy head, assisting Gang Leader Sun in his work."

Former members of the Black Tiger Gang, those who pass the vetting process, may join the martial arts school; however, those who have harmed their neighbors and whose actions are unforgivable, are requested to be expelled from the gang by Chief Sun.

"Your subordinate obeys. I will carefully review the personnel and run the Lin Family Martial Arts School well." Sun Qian immediately stood up, cupped his hands, and said firmly.

"Okay, now I'll go over the specific development plan." Lin Ye picked up the book on the table and slowly opened it.

"This is a summary of the situation in the county seat and eighteen market towns, which also took into account the previous governance methods of the Wang family. The loose and independent approach was not acceptable."

"Therefore, from today onwards, we must treat the territory as a whole, and the county seat and the eighteen towns as a whole. We will distribute resources according to location, so that every family can make a living and have a future, and let the townspeople see the Lin family's governance capabilities."

"A game of chess?" Lin Qiang frowned.

"In the past, we all lived our own lives, just paying taxes according to the law. Each family guarded their ancestral property and distributed resources. Was that enough?"

"Whether it works or not depends not on sticking to the old ways, but on vision," Lin Ye said firmly.

"In the past, we only knew how to grow grain, guard our homes, and practice martial arts, but that could only ensure temporary stability. What I want to promote is a three-pronged approach."

"First, agriculture must be stable."

Not only should we ensure everyone has enough to eat, but we should also grow things that can be sold for money. We should rotate crops such as trees, mulberry leaves, and alfalfa to maximize the use of the land.

At the same time, a grain storage system was established to ensure that grain was not sold cheaply in years of bumper harvest and that people did not go hungry in years of famine.

"Second, industry and commerce must thrive."

We need to ensure that artisans and merchants have work and business, and that their skills, mineral resources, and local specialties become long-term income streams, rather than one-off transactions.

Third, military equipment must be unified.

A unified guard force should be established in the territory, instead of the loose system of constables in the county town and guards of each family that used to operate independently.

We must unify command so that our military force can not only protect trade routes and markets, but also participate in the battle against the Northern Xiongnu when necessary.

Who can guarantee that the Northern Xiongnu won't attack us in the future? If we continue to fight our own battles, we'll end up like the Wang family.

"Only when the three chariots run in unison can our territory go far and our lives be good."

This unprecedented idea was refreshing to everyone, and they began to whisper among themselves.

Seeing this, Madam Li smiled and said, "My son's idea is indeed good; this way, the territory will have no weaknesses. But everyone is used to the old way of life. If we follow this idea, how exactly should we implement it?"

Everyone immediately looked at Lin Ye.

"My plan is to proceed in three steps: first, to consolidate the foundation; second, to revitalize the economy; and third, to achieve long-term stability and security."

"The first step is to lay a solid foundation."

We must eliminate the immediate threats, focusing on eradicating the monsters and bandits occupying the river channels and roads, so that the people can settle down safely.

At the same time, a standing guard was set up in the territory, and checkpoints were set up at key roads to enforce the "Trade Protection Order" and ensure the safety of trade routes and immigrants.

Rules must be established: no gangs are allowed to collect protection money within the territory, no private punishments or arbitrary taxation are permitted, and tax rates and labor service caps must be standardized.

Furthermore, we must win over the hearts of the people. Those who have rendered meritorious service should be rewarded with grain and spiritual plants, and those in need should be provided with food and medical assistance. We must let the townspeople see that the Lin family truly protects them, and not just continue to exploit them under a different guise.

"The second step is to revitalize the economy by treating the 18 towns of Xiang County as a whole, allocating resources according to their location, so that every household has a livelihood and a future."

Lin Ye stood up, pointed to the newly hung map on the wall, and scanned the locations of the six towns one by one.

"The six market towns here are almost abandoned, and all the original gentry have fled. I intend to hand them over to you six families to manage."

But remember, the business direction must be as I say. Don't blindly pursue whatever seems profitable; doing so will not only create vicious competition with other towns but also lead to an imbalance in the territory's development.

"Yunqiao Town, head of the Tian family. This place was once a hub for water transport. Although the waterways have been disturbed by demonic beasts, the basic infrastructure remains. Your family will use this place as your base. Your mission is to clear the waterways, restore the docks, allow merchant ships to pass, and revitalize the waterways."

"Changwu Village, head of the Zhang family, is an important pastoral town, and the outline of the grasslands still remains. You should restore the pastures, raise horses and livestock, both to supply the Lin family's military and to sell to others."

Lin Ye assigned each of the six towns to one of the six vassal families, and then said:

"As for the remaining twelve towns, they will be managed by the various stewards of the Lin family for the time being, and will be reassigned as needed later."

"This work must begin within three months. First, clear out the monsters, repair houses, and resume farming. Results should be seen within six months."

If they do well, the Lin family will give them priority in terms of trade routes, military strength, and the allocation of spiritual plants.

Anyone who slacks off will be replaced immediately.

Lin Yi looked slightly worried: "Young Master, those six abandoned towns are easier to manage without the gentry, but the gentry are still in these twelve towns. If we go there, we're afraid we'll be ostracized by them."

"I will provide you with manpower and guards, and issue a 'Protection Order for Merchants'. Within the territory, caravans, farmers, and workshops will all be under the protection of the Lin family."

If local gentry oppress the people, they can be dealt with according to the new law, and their power can be gradually reduced.

We're not going to fight head-on; instead, we're using order and incentives to win over the townspeople and get them to willingly join us.

Lin Ye's tone turned cold, "You six families too, apart from collecting taxes normally, I will not allow any talk of oppressing the people."

The six family heads immediately stood up and replied in unison, "Yes, young master!"

Everyone held their breath, waiting for Lin Ye to announce the third step, since the first two steps were already quite shocking.

Clearing obstacles and establishing authority, and dividing towns and distributing products, were situations they never dared to imagine in the past. They even secretly thought that as long as they could do these two things, Xiang County's glory would surpass most of Wuwei Prefecture.

Lin Ye looked up and met the admiring and expectant looks in everyone's eyes, and a subtle, bittersweet feeling welled up in his heart.

Finally, those bumpkins have been subdued.

Since he transmigrated to this world, his life hasn't been all smooth sailing.

He was outmatched by Wang Qing in martial arts. The meticulous plan to wipe out the bandits was devised by the sect leader. His only real achievement was the contract with the lair.

But that still comes with a cheat code; to put it bluntly, it's not entirely due to one's own abilities.

This time, he finally outmaneuvered everyone intellectually.

We are young people of the 21st century, products of nine years of compulsory education. I dare not boast about anything else, but when it comes to vision, overall planning, and modern management thinking, how can these ancient people compare? While you are still living off your ancestral property, I am already drawing up a blueprint for a century-old foundation for you.

Thinking of this, Lin Ye's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.