Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

With the nine-character strategy set, the massive machine of Xinghuo Fortress immediately began operating at high speed around the primary task of "building high walls." However, the first step in "building walls" was not to immediately start digging and piling stones, but rather to conduct more precise planning and design. The strategic blueprint needed to be transformed into executable engineering drawings and a detailed division of labor.

The day after the meeting, Chen Xing convened a temporary but clearly defined "city-building planning group," centered around Wu Xuejiu, Chen Wei, and Zhou Dashan, along with several craftsmen and veterans who had shown promise in civil engineering and surveying. The group was set up in a large, vacant warehouse next to the lord's mansion, a spacious enough place to spread out blueprints and conduct sand table simulations.

In the center of the warehouse was a newly made, detailed sand table depicting the current controlled area of ​​Xinghuo Fortress and its surrounding terrain. Several times larger than the previous wall map, it clearly showed mountains, rivers, fortresses, villages, roads, and fields. On a long table beside the sand table were several sheets of specially made thick hemp paper, along with charcoal pencils, rulers, compasses, counting rods, and several scrolls of summaries of key points on city defense, materials mechanics, and engineering estimation compiled by Chen Xing from his recollections—these were naturally extracted from the system's knowledge base, removing overly advanced terminology and presenting the information in a way that aligned with current understanding.

"Gentlemen, 'building high walls' is not just empty talk." Chen Xing stood in front of the sand table, pointing to the area representing Xinghuo Main Fortress and its outer walls. "The existing walls of our fortress were taken from the Black Wind Trading Post and have been reinforced several times. However, its foundation is ultimately that of a trading post fortress. The walls are thin and lack defensive facilities such as ramparts, corner towers, and barbicans, not to mention a complete moat system. It may be able to deal with small groups of bandits, but if the Black Mountain Commander brings a large army with siege weapons, then it will be very dangerous."

He picked up a thin wooden stick and sketched the outline of the existing fortress wall on the sand table: "Therefore, the planning of the new city wall needs to be completely rebuilt, extending outwards by at least fifty paces to encompass most of the key areas of the existing outer wall. The new city wall must meet the following standards: the base should be 25 feet thick, the top 12 feet wide, and 40 feet high. The wall should have a rammed earth core, with stone blocks or large bricks on the outside. Every 30 paces, a 'horse face' protruding from the wall should be set up to allow for flanking attacks. Three-story corner towers should be built at the four corners to enhance observation and fire coverage. At the fortress gate, a 'barbican' should be built to form a double defense."

As Chen Xing spoke, he quickly sketched a simplified structural diagram of the city wall's cross-section, the ramparts, and the corner towers on hemp paper. Zhou Dashan and several veteran craftsmen watched with wide eyes; they had never seen such a systematic and clear city defense design concept before, with many details exuding an indescribable "reasonableness" and "efficiency."

"My lord, these...the blueprints are exquisite! But..." an elderly stonemason with graying hair, who had participated in the repair of the border wall, hesitated, "A wall of this scale requires astronomical amounts of stone, earth, and manpower. Especially the stone blocks; quarrying, transporting, and carving them takes an extremely long time. Moreover, the rammed earth core requires the 'clamping' method, which demands a great deal of manpower and time. With our fortress's current manpower and resources, I'm afraid..."

This is precisely the crux of the problem. Chen Xing was prepared. He pointed to several marked points on the sand table: "I have already surveyed the source of the stone. Fifteen li north of the fortress is Black Stone Mountain, where the rock is hard and suitable for quarrying slabs and gravel. A quarry can be set up, with the prisoners from the 'Reformation Camp' as the main force, supplemented by some able-bodied men from the Naturalized Camp, quarrying day and night. At the same time, the usable stones and bricks from the demolition of the old fortress walls should also be sorted and recycled."

He then pointed to a river flowing through the west of the fort: "The earthwork is taken from a specific clay area along the river, mixed with lime and sand, which can increase the strength of the wall. In terms of transportation, we need to manufacture a large number of wheelbarrows, improve animal-drawn carts, and plan the transportation routes from the quarry and the soil extraction area to the construction site, and relay them in sections to improve efficiency."

Zhou Dashan added, "The crafts team is currently testing a new type of pulley system and a simple lifting frame. If successful, it can greatly improve the efficiency of hoisting and stacking stone blocks. However, iron materials and skilled carpenters are in short supply."

"Iron materials should be prioritized for the tools and components needed to build the city," Chen Xing decided. "As for manpower..." He looked at Wu Xuejiu and Li Shu.

Wu Xuejiu stroked his beard and said, "As instructed by the fortress lord, and based on the 'Government Outline,' a 'Special Order for Merit in City Construction' has been drafted. All soldiers and civilians who participated in the city construction, whether quarrying, transporting materials, ramming, or building walls, will have 'City Construction Merit Points' recorded according to the amount of labor, difficulty, and quality of completion. These points can be doubled for daily merit and used to exchange for grain, salt, cloth, and even priority in granting land rights and shop operation rights in the future new city. Compensation for the wounded and preferential treatment for the sacrificed will also be given swiftly and generously. In addition, a 'City Construction Model' evaluation will be established every ten days, and outstanding teams or individuals will receive extra rewards."

Li Shu then reported: "According to preliminary statistics from the Household Registration Office, the available regular labor force is as follows: Xinghuo Battalion can rotate 800 to 1,000 people to participate in heavy physical labor and guard duties; the 'Reformation Camp' can use about 450 able-bodied prisoners; from the 'Naturalization Camp' and newly arrived refugees, about 1,200 volunteers can be recruited; and about 800 craftsmen, auxiliary workers, and women and children who can do light physical labor within the fort can also be organized. The total peak manpower available can reach more than 3,000. However, proper arrangements must be made for rotation, and food, work sheds, and basic medical care must be guaranteed, otherwise it will be difficult to sustain."

In this era, three thousand laborers represented the utmost effort for a force of ten thousand. Chen Xing knew that this was not merely a matter of physical labor, but also an extreme test of organizational and logistical capabilities.

"Mr. Wu will be in charge of manpower allocation, merit record keeping, and logistical support, with Li Shu and the Household Registration Office providing full cooperation." Chen Xing assigned tasks. "The management and security of the quarry, the soil extraction area, and the main transportation line will be handled by capable officers and veterans selected by Chen Wei, with a particular focus on keeping a close eye on the prisoners in the 're-education camp' to prevent riots or sabotage. Zhou Dashan will be responsible for overall coordination of the crafts, technical guidance, and tool manufacturing and maintenance."

He finally gazed at the outline of the new city wall on the sand table, his gaze profound: "This wall is not merely a brick and stone wall to defend against the Hu cavalry and the Black Mountain Army, but also the foundation upon which our Xinghuo Fortress stands, uniting our people. The construction process will also be a time to forge our troops, integrate the Hu and Han peoples, and demonstrate our fortress's system and credibility. Gentlemen, the importance of this battle is no less than that of the Battle of Wild Wolf Slope! I urge you all to work together with one heart and one mind, and to ensure that the main wall is completed before the summer floods next year!"

"We will obey the Lord's command!" The crowd solemnly agreed, feeling a heavy responsibility on their shoulders, and a surge of pride welling up in their hearts.

The plan was quickly put into action. Within days, orders were issued from the planning team, and Starfire Fortress and its controlled areas spread like ripples across a pond tossed with a boulder.

At the foot of Black Stone Mountain north of the fortress, the clanging of chisels and shouts of workers soon filled the air. Under the supervision of overseers and fully armed guards, the prisoners of the "re-education camp" began to excavate the mountain and remove stone. Conditions were harsh, and the labor arduous, but the "Special Order for Merit in Fortification Construction" clearly stated that those who performed exceptionally well could accumulate points, improve their treatment, and even have the potential to be transferred to the naturalization camp ahead of schedule. The instinct for survival and a glimmer of hope drove these prisoners to silently wield their hammers and chisels.

The soil-borrowing area along the river was equally bustling with activity. Wheelbarrows and animal-drawn carts moved back and forth, transporting the mixed mortar to the foundation of the city wall. There, trenches several feet deep had already been dug according to the planned lines, and the lines had been marked with lime.

The scene at the city wall construction site was the most spectacular. Fifty paces outward from the original fortress wall, markers were erected densely and ropes were strung up. In the designated work sections, the first batch of able-bodied men from the Xinghuo Camp and volunteers began the most basic rammed earth work. Huge wooden planks were erected, and rammed earth was poured in. Then, laborers, shouting in unison, lifted heavy stone or wooden rammers and tamped it down forcefully. Each layer of rammed earth was only a few inches long, but it needed to be repeatedly tamped until it was as hard as stone before it could be added higher. This was an extremely tedious and physically demanding process, but the incentive of the "Special Order for Merit in City Construction," as well as the daily "Model Builders" list and material rewards published after work, kept a strange atmosphere of excitement and competition on the construction site.

Murong Mingyue did not directly participate in the earthwork, but her cavalry undertook a more arduous task: expanding the patrol area, ensuring the smooth flow of several main transport routes, scouting for movements in more distant areas, and being vigilant against any enemy activity that might interfere with the city's construction. She herself often patrolled the perimeter of the construction site on horseback; that red figure served as both supervision and an invisible source of encouragement.

Iron Rock Fortress and Gray Valley Fortress quickly noticed the ceaseless activity from the direction of Starfire Fortress. Sun Han stood on his fortress wall, watching the dust rising from the direction of Starfire Fortress and hearing the faint sounds of shouts, his face grim: "Are they... undertaking a large-scale construction project? Building a city wall?" His trusted general beside him said gravely, "Judging by the scale, it's quite substantial. That Chen Xing is indeed aiming for great things; he's trying to build an impregnable foundation." Sun Han snorted coldly, his apprehension deepening, but he was powerless to do anything about it. He could only order continued strengthening of defenses and a tighter border blockade to prevent population loss.

Hu Yong of Huiyu Fort had a different idea. While he was busy repairing his own fortress, he was also thinking about whether he should send another envoy with more generous gifts to "congratulate" Xinghuo Fort on its "grand undertaking" and to probe its strengths and weaknesses, so as to see if he could gain more benefits in the great changes to come.