Chapter 2180: The Road Ahead Is Long and Hard

Shanjin Plain had been in chaos for a thousand years. The Dragon God War further devastated the entire plain, leading to a weak economic foundation for the Cangyan Kingdom at its inception, and the common people remained impoverished. It was well known that wars are costly, both in money and lives. Cangyan’s efforts to manage these foreign wars had already forced the people in its western regions to tighten their belts.

"Cost control, cost control." He Lingchuan repeated this phrase several times every day he spent in Baiqiuyuan.

But with unstable borders and powerful neighbors eyeing their territory, how could they even talk about stable domestic development? It was nothing but a mere illusion.

Therefore, these wars were inevitable.

Fortunately, he was quite lucky.

"Actually, neither the Muo nor the Ya Kingdoms probably want to fight anymore," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "The frequent occurrences of Emperor's Nectar mean that the human world is brimming with vitality. Only a fool would miss such a prime opportunity for rapid development. Furthermore, the Demon Realm is in disarray, with the Heavenly Demons fighting fiercely among themselves. They probably have no interest in human affairs right now." He added, "If You Huan had become the Chief Minister six months earlier, the Muo-Ya War might not have even happened."

On this day, He Lingchuan discussed the security issues in Cangyan's southern region with Nanrong He.

Shanjin Plain was originally a land of hardship, and its people were known for being fierce and combative. Although the Dragon God War had eliminated a large number of bandits and outlaws, the ingrained habits of theft, encroachment, brawling, and armed feuds persisted among the populace even after the founding of the Cangyan Kingdom, proving difficult to rectify.

Coupled with the mutated demonic beasts brought about by the Emperor's Nectar, various regions faced significant security pressures, particularly the southern and eastern parts of Cangyan.

Nanrong He served as the Sima of the five southern prefectures, responsible for maintaining security there and coordinating the military. His current visit to the capital for an imperial audience was to report on his duties and present his work plan for the next phase.

After listening to the chaotic situation in the southern countryside, He Lingchuan only uttered a few words: "Hunger and cold breed thievery."

He Lingchuan could openly admit their shortcomings without reservation, but Nanrong He was at a loss for how to respond. He couldn't simply say, "Your Majesty, you are absolutely right; we are simply too poor."

The Great Emperor Jiuyou's unification of Shanjin Plain was an unparalleled achievement, enough to leave a profound mark on history. However, the early years of the kingdom's founding were fraught with various problems that only time could resolve.

Nanrong He could only clear his throat lightly. "For instance, in Nanan Township, two villages engaged in an armed conflict over a small plot of land and water rights. Seven or eight people died, and about twenty were injured. Originally, with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth recovering, they could have just waited patiently for a month or two, and their crops would have yielded abundant harvests, solving the immediate needs of their villages. Life is difficult right now, but they've survived for so many years, haven't they? Yet, they just had to fight over these trivial immediate gains!"

Such extreme shortsightedness! He felt deeply distressed.

"Do those two villages have a long-standing feud?"

"Yes, they do. Over the past decade or so, many lives have been lost at each other's hands. Five years ago, a groom from one family was crippled when he passed through the other village's territory while going to fetch his bride."

"Exactly," He Lingchuan said, picking up a notebook and making a note. "The Emperor's Nectar has arrived, but old animosities are hard to extinguish. The people of Shanjin still adhere to the law of the jungle—the strong prey on the weak, and the powerful bully the vulnerable. These are long-standing issues that require time to slowly resolve." He continued, "You will have to work hard during this period. We need to strengthen security in the countryside, strictly enforce punishments, and effectively suppress the prevalence of private brawls among the populace."

He Lingchuan then recalled a few days ago, when he had traveled incognito to the countryside. He walked into a restaurant in the suburbs of Jucheng and saw several large characters written in charcoal on a dirt wall where flies rested.

Though the writing was crooked, the message was quite serious:

"Anyone who dares to freeload or steal will have their legs broken before being reported to the authorities!"

Despite these straightforward words, most customers entering the restaurant couldn't read them and would ask the owner:

"What does that say up there?"

He Lingchuan rubbed his face. "Oh, by the way, how is the recruitment of tutors for Yuandong progressing?"

The Nanrong family had served as city lords for two generations, making Yuandong City and a few other cities in southern Shanjin rare oases of stability. Their citizens were prosperous, and literacy rates were much higher than elsewhere.

"We have already recruited over 1,200 people to study at the official academies," Nanrong He reported. "All of them can read more than five hundred characters. They are undergoing continuous training, day and night, using 'The Five Relationships,' personally compiled by Minister Situ. In just over a month, we will be able to select the best candidates and dispatch them to various townships."

"And what about the preparations for the village schools?"

"We don't lack land, but we lack people," Nanrong He replied. "Initially, three townships will share one public school. The buildings and land are already available, and over two hundred existing facilities are currently undergoing renovation and can be put into use within a month. However, public enthusiasm for attending these schools is not very high right now, and not many villagers have signed up."

Attending school cost money, and going to school would delay farm work and other labor, directly impacting household income.

"That's fine," He Lingchuan said. "Government offices, merchant guilds, and inns—all need people who can read and understand arithmetic. After each group of students completes their studies, have someone post their employment destinations at the market entrances and city gates. Let everyone know that attending these schools can lead to respectable jobs and more money. They will figure out the rest themselves."

He Lingchuan stopped writing and earnestly instructed, "With the recovery of spiritual energy, people will gradually accumulate more surplus wealth and provisions. They must learn how to protect their property so they don't get swindled out of everything. Therefore, civic education must be vigorously promoted, as it will greatly contribute to long-term peace and stability in the regions."

In the past, most people in Shanjin were destitute, with no surplus wealth to manage. But now, the enormous gains brought by the Emperor's Nectar were imminent. Ordinary people would soon be able to reap benefits and accumulate some money and provisions. If they remained illiterate and unable to even count, they would easily be cheated out of everything they owned.

They certainly didn't want a situation where cases of theft and banditry decreased, only for fraud and deception to proliferate instead.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Just then, a guard arrived to report that Lü Qiowei sought an audience, so Nanrong He received his orders and withdrew.

Lü Qiowei was there to report on seventeen uprisings in the northern and northwestern parts of Shanjin over the past four months.

Seventeen incidents might sound like a lot, but Shanjin Plain was truly vast. When viewed on a sandbox map, they appeared as mere sporadic occurrences.

Six of these incidents involved individuals attempting to establish their own strongholds, rallying local villagers to attack county offices and plant their flags on city walls.

Their ambitions were grand, but they failed at the very first step.

Before they could even put their plans into action, they were reported. When the village patrol rushed into their homes, one group had just finished drinking five liang of cheap liquor and were excitedly discussing how to start their uprising, shouting passionately with red faces and bulging veins.

Hearing this, He Lingchuan couldn't help but press his forehead.

The Dragon God War had eliminated the notorious bandits, outlaws, and local tyrants from Shanjin Plain, inadvertently creating space for these "small fry." Logically, with the Great Emperor Jiuyou enjoying popular support, such individuals should not have dared to cause trouble.

But where there are many people, there are all sorts of characters. Shanjin Plain had a large population, and consequently, many eccentrics whose thought processes deviated from the norm.

Thus, "logically speaking" became difficult to apply.

Ultimately, uprisings and rebellions had been a constant for a thousand years on Shanjin Plain, becoming the norm in people's minds. They could not be fully corrected in a short time.

After the Dragon God War ended, some people, seeing that the storm had passed, felt they could resume their old ways.