Chapter 1938: Military City

The common people hated the soldiers, but the soldiers feared Panlong City. Thus, many civilians naively hoped Panlong City would strike back fiercely and teach a harsh lesson to those who plundered under the guise of "requisitioning."

At this time, Xianyou also quickly sought help from Baling and Beijia. However, the latter did not respond, and the former seized the opportunity to make harsh demands.

Baling had never particularly liked Xianyou.

Once these matters settled, He Lingchuan re-examined the troop withdrawal incident from start to finish and gained new insights.

Xianyou was weak, chaotic, and plagued by endless internal strife, no longer capable of confronting Panlong City on Beijia's behalf. Furthermore, regardless of who ultimately governed Xianyou, they would not dare to obstruct Panlong City from opening up the northwest passage.

Panlong City also wouldn't have to bear high governance costs, allowing it to wholeheartedly focus on building its own military and civilian forces.

Meanwhile, within Xianyou, the populace harbored extreme resentment towards the new regime, and conflicts between officials and civilians erupted relentlessly.

Is it possible that, several years from now, when Panlong's army returns to retake Xianyou, it will be an easier task?

By then, would public morale within Xianyou have already crumbled?

If the people cannot identify with their own country, how can they unite and actively resist foreign invaders?

He Lingchuan wasn't sure if the current situation was already within Zhong Shengguang's expectations, or if Zhong Shengguang had already conceived of this strategy.

He had no way to verify this, as Zhong Shengguang had not mentioned a single word about it.

But if Zhong Shengguang had no such intention, why did he repeatedly emphasize that "the time is not yet right"?

For He Lingchuan, this was another war strategy he had never considered. As an outstanding leader of Panlong City, Zhong Shengguang's strategic thinking had never diminished.

Of course, this overt strategy was also a reluctant move.

After all, Panlong Wilderness was too close to Beijia's sphere of influence; every move was constrained by it. Xianyou, which had been so hard-won, could not be annexed for the time being.

This also highlighted how correct He Lingchuan's decision to cross the ocean and secure Shanjin had been.

Far from Beijia, he gained ample room for growth.

This was an opportunity Panlong City had never had before, and he would certainly cherish it!

The ginkgo leaves in Duocheng began to turn yellow, and a touch of frost appeared on the grass blades in the early morning. A slight chill spread with the wind.

Walking over fallen leaves, the Department of Scholars and Rites and Su Yishui's division arrived in Duocheng, victoriously joining the main army.

Over the past nearly two months, the Shanjin Plain had seen turbulent changes.

Aside from the war with Yaoguo, the turmoil on the Shanjin Plain was entirely due to Emperor Jiuyou. His army, which had always claimed to act on behalf of heaven, had now turned to seizing cities and territories.

What was remarkable was that in the places Emperor Jiuyou's army occupied, most common people remained calm, and some even expressed welcome.

When Fang Canran entered Duocheng with the Yangshan Merchant Association, it had already transformed from a remote small town of half a year ago into a bustling, important military stronghold.

Most buildings were new, still emitting the smell of fresh lacquer, but their design was simple and sturdy. The ground was clean, and despite the constant flow of traffic, no dust was stirred up.

Seventy thousand soldiers were stationed in the three towns and ten villages centered around Duocheng.

What Fang Canran saw most on the streets were not ordinary residents, but neatly dressed army soldiers.

They came and went in a hurry, with brisk strides, as if everyone was busy. Fang Canran walked from the west to the east of the city and couldn't find a single idle, lazy, or swaggering soldier.

People on the road even rarely spoke; the atmosphere was quiet and solemn.

He had a feeling that there was an invisible whip in this military city, lashing everyone into a rapidly spinning top.

This was significantly different from the armies he had seen in the Yangshan Archipelago.

Of course, the Yangshan Archipelago was, after all, a commercial hub open to visitors from all directions, so it couldn't be too strict. Fang Canran didn't know that this kind of military discipline was He Lingchuan's forte, or rather, Panlong City's.

His guide was Weng Xing, one of the Weng Brothers. Duocheng was heavily guarded, and outsiders were not welcome; without Weng Xing's guidance, Fang Canran would have been apprehended and sternly questioned within ten steps.

Weng Xing was also very respectful towards him, saying, "Mr. Fang's distinguished name is often heard among us."

"The Weng Brothers' reputation has long spread throughout Julu Port," Fang Canran replied. He could tell at first glance that this deputy commander possessed both the toughness and courage of a soldier, along with a touch of recklessness common among jianghu figures. Upon further inquiry, it turned out he was indeed not from Yangshan but a native Shanjin wanderer.

He Xiao truly had a knack for recruiting talent wherever he went.

Weng Xing was secretly pleased but maintained some modesty: "What do they say about us? That we once fought alongside the Emperor? Oh, those are minor things, truly not worth mentioning compared to our future endeavors!"

He didn't know many words, but "not worth mentioning" was a frequently used phrase. His elder brother had told him that whenever someone thanked them, that's how he should reply.

Fang Canran couldn't help but laugh. "Brother Weng is too modest," he said.

As they passed the military camps, whistles sounded intermittently.

Emperor Jiuyou's army used military whistles for relaying orders. These whistles, made from the horns of black whistle longhorn beetles, could produce different musical notes, facilitating the transmission of various messages.

Fang Canran noticed that many soldiers were holding brand-new armor.

The Yangshan Merchant Association convoy he was with was on this trip specifically to deliver equipment to the military camps in Duocheng.

Emperor Jiuyou had too many forces under his command; different armies had different armor, appearing varied and uncoordinated.

This was not conducive to the integration of the army.

Now that the new armor had arrived, and since they were all called the "Xiao Army," they would have unified specifications and uniforms from now on.

Sometimes, outward appearance was as important as inner substance.

"Many armies have converged in Duocheng, and these past few days, the troops have been busy with reorganization," Weng Xing said, gesturing with his chin towards the military camp they had just passed. "This is still the Luodian camp, but it will be vacated this afternoon and become ours."

"How many origins do the armies in Duocheng have?"

"Oh, there are many," Weng Xing explained to Fang Canran. "Besides the Yangshan soldiers and the Western Shanjin people, Luodian, Kasha, and Longye are the three largest contingents in terms of numbers. The remaining armies come from nine small states or tribes. After the Emperor subdued Luodian, resistance from these smaller neighboring areas wasn't strong; some even surrendered at the mere sight of his forces."

In the central and northern Shanjin Plain, Luodian, Kasha, and Longye were highly renowned, and surrounding smaller forces were no match for them. Now that even these three had surrendered, what grounds did other places have to resist to the end?

Some tribes, seeing Emperor Jiuyou's formidable army and generals, even proactively pledged allegiance.

This was not only admiration for strength but also a proactive investment, risking their entire fortunes and lives. If Emperor Jiuyou were to dominate Shanjin in the future, they would rise with him and share in his success.

"With such a complex composition of armies, doesn't He Xiao fear disturbances and outbreaks of grievances within the military, leading to disunity?"

Among these many forces, some were previously mutual enemies; wouldn't putting them together cause problems?