Here is the translation of the 81st chapter:
Yang Zhengshan suddenly stood up and walked to the door, gazing up at the sky.
East-southeast, dark clouds gathered, accompanied by low, dull thunder.
The rain was coming, and the air was filled with electricity. Yang Zhengshan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
He could actually predict the weather?
Did he have the ability to forecast the weather?
Yang Zhengshan was both surprised and delighted, not only at the coming rain but also at his newfound ability.
The heavens opened, and heavy rain poured down, flooding the ground in an instant.
Cheers erupted from the entire fortress, and children ran about excitedly.
“It’s raining! It’s raining!”
The women who cooked for them exclaimed, their faces radiant.
The soldiers from the front gate also came to report the good news, but it was unnecessary – Yang Zhengshan was not deaf or blind.
Many people had been longing for this rain.
Yang Zhengshan stood under the eaves, stroking his beard, and gazed at the pouring rain with a faint smile.
The rain was like a curtain, completely extinguishing the parched earth that had lasted for months.
At this moment, Yang Zhengshan felt that this rain would be a great one, completely resolving the drought in Heavy Mountain Fortress.
…
Inside the Heavy Mountain Fortress.
In the prefectural administration office, Lu Chongde gazed at the pouring rain, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
“It’s finally raining!”
Heavy Mountain Fortress had been defeated, and Lu Chongde had taken office as the prefect, facing a daunting task.
He had thought that the situation in Heavy Mountain Fortress would be tough, but after arriving, he realized it was even more challenging.
Not only did he have to face the threat from the Hu Tribe outside the pass, but he also had to deal with the prolonged drought.
Most importantly, he had inherited a mess that had been stagnant for over a decade.
After a month in office, he had not received a single good piece of news, and today’s rain was the most joyful day since he took office.
“The heavens are indeed compassionate towards us!”
Lu Chongde’s aide, Yuan He, came to his side, his eyes shining brightly.
“Yes, if it didn’t rain, I wouldn’t know what to do!”
Lu Chongde turned and walked into the study, taking out a document from the desk.
“There’s enough time now. You arrange it.”
He handed the document to Yuan He.
Yuan He took it and glanced at it, then asked in a low voice, “Don’t we need to discuss it with Marquis Changping first?”
“No need to discuss. He’ll understand my intentions.”
Lu Chongde said calmly.
He and Marquis Changping had not come to Heavy Mountain Fortress empty-handed. Marquis Changping had brought five thousand Dragon Guards, while he had brought eight thousand warhorses and a large amount of armor.
The military in Heavy Mountain Fortress had been neglected for years, and the Hu Tribe was rising again. The imperial court had already decided to revitalize Heavy Mountain Fortress.
Their main task was to rebuild Heavy Mountain Fortress to its former glory twenty years ago.
The warhorses and armor were the foundation for rebuilding Heavy Mountain Fortress.
The document contained the distribution of warhorses and armor.
He couldn’t give all the warhorses and armor to Marquis Changping, as he knew Marquis Changping would use them for the Five Camps of the Prefectural Banner.
The Five Camps were only part of Heavy Mountain Fortress, and he wanted to strengthen the entire fortress, not just the Five Camps.
So, he distributed the warhorses and armor to various garrisons.
As for the Five Camps needing warhorses and armor, that was Marquis Changping’s concern.
This would make Marquis Changping unhappy, but he believed Marquis Changping would understand his intentions.
The heavy rain lasted for a day and a night, but unfortunately, it came too late. With autumn harvesting approaching, it was already too late to salvage the harvest.
After the rain, Yang Zhengshan began to organize the military dependent farmers to start harvesting, but no one had a smile on their face.
The harvest was too low.
Even the fertile lands in the Welcome River Fortress only produced about one hundred catties per mu, and the Lin Guan Fortress was even worse, with only four or five catties per mu.
And they still had to hand over half of the harvest to the fortress, which meant the military dependent farmers could only keep a few dozen catties per mu.
Standing at the fortress gate, looking at the busy military dependent farmers in the fields, Yang Zhengshan thought about going to the Ning Country Duke’s Manor to take a breather.
This year’s harvest was definitely not enough to meet the needs of the military dependent farmers, and he would also have to start training soon, which would consume food and resources, and require a large amount of silver.
He had to find a way to get more grain to guarantee the daily needs of the military dependent farmers and the training requirements of the soldiers.
“Father, we can go now!”
Yang Mingzhi came over, speaking softly.
Yang Zhengshan turned around, gazing at the ten soldiers standing behind him, each leading a warhorse.
These soldiers were not from Lin Guan Fortress but were handpicked from the Welcome River Fortress, Three Mountains Fortress, and Xiangyu Fortress.
The three fortresses had over four hundred soldiers, and he had chosen these ten elite riders.
It was not that he looked down on the other soldiers but that he had no choice.
Ordinary soldiers couldn’t even eat their fill, let alone train in martial arts.
He was very satisfied with being able to pick out these ten elite riders.
Yang Zhengshan mounted his horse, heading towards the Ning Country Duke’s Manor.
After more than an hour of riding, they arrived at the Ning Country Duke’s Manor.
The Ning Country Duke’s Manor was a large city, with city walls over four zhang high and a circumference of over seven li.
Yang Zhengshan dismounted his horse and showed his command token, entering the city without hindrance.
Inside the city, there were several government offices, including the Ning Country Duke’s Office, the Military Command Office, and the Censorate.
Yang Zhengshan came to the Ning Country Duke’s Office, where Zhao Yuan had already received the news and was waiting for him.
“Brother Yang, please come in!”
The two had not seen each other for a long time, but their friendship remained strong.
Although they had not fought side by side, they had worked together for several months and had formed a bond.
Zhao Yuan had also been promoted, becoming the Ning Country Duke’s Officer, responsible for helping the Ning Country Duke handle some minor matters.
Yang Zhengshan followed Zhao Yuan, observing the situation in the office.
The office was a bureaucratic institution, and most of the people here were the Ning Country Duke’s aides and clerks.
As Yang Zhengshan entered the office, he happened to run into a man, about 1.8 meters tall, with a slender build and a gentle face, wearing plain clothes, with an aloof aura.
The man had two bodyguards behind him, and Yang Zhengshan glanced at them, then looked away.
Just one glance, and he knew that the two bodyguards were high-level experts, likely in the Later Heaven stage.
As for the man, his abilities were also unfathomable.
After the man walked away, Yang Zhengshan asked, “Who was that?”
Zhao Yuan’s eyes flickered, saying, “Someone from the palace!”
The palace?
Yang Zhengshan’s expression changed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The new prefect, Lu Hua!
This prefect was entirely different from Zhang Yude, low-key and mysterious, rarely seen in public since arriving in Heavy Mountain Fortress.
“What is he doing here?” Yang Zhengshan couldn’t help but ask.
“I’m not sure, but it’s best to keep a distance from him!” Zhao Yuan said in a low voice.
“How dangerous is he?” Yang Zhengshan asked, his eyes narrowing further.
“More than dangerous!” Zhao Yuan seemed to fear Lu Hua, speaking cautiously.
“He’s from the Secret Martial Guard!”
The Secret Martial Guard, a special institution directly under the emperor, responsible for internal surveillance and external espionage.
The most important thing was that the Secret Martial Guard had imperial authority, with the power to execute first and report later.
Any official below the third rank could be arrested without permission, which made all officials fear the Secret Martial Guard.
Yang Zhengshan had heard of the Secret Martial Guard, as there were rumors that Zhang Yude had been taken away by them.
Unexpectedly, he had actually seen one today.
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter