In the tent, Ye Chen sat in the main position, with Li Xiaoyang sitting attentively beside him, waiting for Ye Chen to speak.
Ye Chen said, “In a few days, we will attack Wangjia Village. After eliminating Wangjia Village, Yunzhou Mountain will return to its previous tranquility.”
“Then, I plan to advance into the grasslands and subsequently move west to attack the Western Regions.”
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyang’s eyes lit up.
During her time with the Yunzhou army, she had witnessed the soldiers’ admiration for Ye Chen and understood his strength. Ye Chen could easily challenge two major bandit strongholds on his own, and such strength would make attacking the grasslands and the Western Regions feasible. She knew that following Ye Chen would likely involve many military campaigns and opportunities for achievement.
Thinking about this, Li Xiaoyang felt a thrill. She never expected that a former bandit like herself would have the chance to expand the territory alongside a prince.
However, Ye Chen paused and changed the subject, saying:
“Once the army departs, both Yunzhou City and Yunzhou Mountain will be important strongholds for us.”
“Yunzhou City will be managed by Governor Chen Xing and Sima Bai Ju, so I am confident in their ability.”
“But Yunzhou Mountain is a valuable piece of land that cannot be wasted. I intend to put Yunzhou Mountain under your full management. How do you feel about this?”
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyang frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied.
She said, “Does Your Highness think that as a woman I am unfit for military affairs?”
She then stood up angrily and said:
“I, Li Xiaoyang, may be a woman, but I am not afraid of the battlefield. I can manage Li Family Village just as well, and I am also capable of adapting to the battlefield.”
“Why does His Highness want to leave me at Yunzhou Mountain?”
Ye Chen smiled and, seeing Li Xiaoyang’s agitation, attempted to soothe her:
“It’s not like that. Military affairs are not determined by gender. The reason I am assigning you to the rear is not because you are a woman. Yunzhou Mountain is a vast and valuable land.”
“That’s why I want to entrust it to you. I wouldn’t trust it to anyone else.”
At this, Li Xiaoyang’s gaze softened a bit. Ye Chen continued:
“Look at how well-managed Li Family Village is, and how harmonious its development is. This shows that you have considerable management talent. If you are in charge of Yunzhou Mountain, it will become a cornerstone for our campaign into the grasslands!”
“Yunzhou Mountain is truly that important?”
“Absolutely!”
Ye Chen went on to explain:
“Yunzhou Mountain will develop manufacturing workshops, grain production facilities, and so on. These will be crucial for our campaign into the grasslands!”
“We will also plant hybrid rice, corn, potatoes…”
“Furthermore, we’ll bring in skilled craftsmen from Yunzhou to forge iron and create armor…”
“And if things go well, we might even establish trade relations with other states…”
Ye Chen laid out his plans in detail. Initially, Li Xiaoyang listened intently, but the sheer volume of Ye Chen’s ideas, including concepts she had never heard of such as hybrid rice, firearms, and steam engines, overwhelmed her.
“Let’s take it step by step. First, we need to resolve the food issue. What do you think?”
Li Xiaoyang, still stunned by Ye Chen’s plans, found herself less opposed to being left behind after realizing the importance of the task.
Coming back to her senses and seeing that Ye Chen entrusted her with such a crucial rear support role, Li Xiaoyang no longer hesitated and immediately accepted the responsibility, saying, “Understood, I will take care of it!”
By midnight, Li Xiaoyang finally left with the thick “Yunzhou Mountain Development Plan” written by Ye Chen.
【Deducting 50,000 points】
Ye Chen also purchased 5,000 sets of Xuan Armor from the shop.
In this era, Xuan Armor is renowned for its formidable defensive capabilities, with the armor able to withstand arrows from bows with a strength of up to three stone.
The next morning at the military training ground, which marked the first formal drill of the Yunzhou army after entering the city, all the soldiers gathered, excluding the 300 death camp soldiers who were training the 1,000 new recruits.
In the center of the training ground, 5,000 sets of Xuan Armor were piled into a mountain. Under the sunlight, the reflective armor was dazzling and drew the attention of many soldiers.
Ye Chen stood high on a platform and said, “This Xuan Armor weighs 40 pounds and can defend against arrows with up to three stone strength. Its defensive power is incredible.”
“In three days, we will attack Wangjia Village. With this armor, we need not fear them. For these few days, you must wear the armor during training and ensure it never leaves your body. Understood?”
“Yes!”
The entire army had long coveted the excellent armor, and now with Ye Chen distributing it, they eagerly donned the Xuan Armor and began practicing.
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
On the training ground, 5,000 soldiers practiced vigorously. They quickly adapted to the discomfort of the armor, and soon their imposing figures under the sunlight resembled divine warriors descending from the heavens.
Elsewhere, at the death camp.
Zhang Zhi led the 300 death camp soldiers in training the new recruits.
The death camp was now Ye Chen’s most trusted unit. Despite its name, no one dared to challenge them, as they were considered the brothers who had fought alongside Ye Chen in his first battle.
A new recruit gazed longingly at the gleaming armor on the training ground and asked:
“Boss Zhang, when can we wear such armor? It looks so impressive!”
Zhang Zhi, seeing this, became furious and yelled:
“If it weren’t for you lot, we’d have been wearing the armor by now. Run twenty more laps!”
The new recruits groaned at the thought of running twenty laps and complained about being unable to continue.
Zhang Zhi scolded, “That Xuan Armor weighs 40 pounds and is cumbersome. If you’re tired just from running barehanded, what right do you have to wear armor and fight alongside His Highness?”
Wearing armor? Fighting alongside His Highness?
With these conditions, the thousand new recruits began running energetically, their lazy and evasive looks replaced with determined and focused expressions.
For the chance to fight alongside His Highness, they were willing to run a hundred laps if necessary!
In the main general’s tent, Ye Chen, Chen Xing, Bai Ju, and Li Xiaoyang were discussing the development plan.
Chen Xing greeted Ye Chen, saying, “Thank you, Your Highness, for exempting the people of Yunzhou from taxes. But how will we explain this to the court in the future?”
Ye Chen smiled slightly and put his arm around Chen Xing’s shoulder, saying, “From now on, Yunzhou’s master will no longer be the court, but me!”
Hearing this, Chen Xing was shocked, as he had been raised with a loyalty to the emperor. Ye Chen’s statement was a dramatic shift from his understanding.
“I don’t understand.”
Ye Chen did not elaborate further and said, “I will give you a batch of seeds that yield 2,500 pounds per acre. This will not only meet the needs of Yunzhou’s people but also allow us to trade with other states.”
“From now on, Yunzhou’s taxes will be changed to silver taxes, which will be enough to meet the court’s demands.”
Chen Xing was still in a daze, barely understanding Ye Chen’s words. He nodded blankly, still trying to process what had been said as the meeting concluded.
“Minister Chen, let’s go.”
Only when Bai Ju’s reminder came did Chen Xing snap out of his stupor. The two then boarded the carriage back to Yunzhou City.
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