Chapter 214: Chaos in Chang’an
Jin Sui also suffered from “envy of food from another pot.” She ate a full breakfast at home before going out, but the communal meals looked incredibly appetizing.
Especially seeing a lot of gluten in the stewed dishes, she smiled and asked Grandpa: “Why would eateries in the Central Plains have so much leftover gluten?”
Undoubtedly, the main ingredients for the communal meals at the construction site must have been surplus from the Central Plains eateries.
Grandpa Ling himself found it strange: “I made cold noodles using the method you taught me. With a drizzle of chili oil, many people like them even in the cold.
Even those rich young masters enjoy them. They send their servants to buy cold noodles every day, and we sell hundreds of bowls a day!
So there’s a lot of leftover gluten from making cold noodles! It tastes good stewed in soup, so I had it sent to the construction site.”
Jin Sui laughed: “This thing is even tastier grilled! You could set up a small stall selling grilled gluten. Oh, the more I talk about it, the more I want to eat it. Grandpa, please serve me a bowl.”
As a result, Grandpa himself got cravings. Grandfather and granddaughter each had a bowl and squatted down to eat with the workers, discussing project progress without any airs.
After eating, they went to check on the progress again. Jin Sui was very satisfied. At least the roads were truly well-built, paved with asphalt, and the roads showed no signs of wear.
“No fear of rain or snow! It’s also convenient for transporting goods. From now on, the roads in our East District will be the best in the entire city.”
The clerk in charge of the project was surnamed Qiu. Jin Sui politely called him Master Qiu. He repeatedly said he didn’t dare to accept the title, so Jin Sui changed her address to Chief Engineer Qiu.
Clerk Qiu didn’t understand what a Chief Engineer was, but it sounded pleasant, so he smiled and agreed, calling Jin Sui Leader Ji, just like everyone else.
“This is the main gate of the Academy. There are twelve branch academies in three directions. That area bordering the mountains connects to the pasture area, the rear connects to the river channel, and the river leads directly to the East Sea…”
Currently, the Academy only had its foundation, but Jin Sui could envision how magnificent this large academic district would be in the future.
She thought for a moment and then asked Chief Engineer Qiu to add a bit more: “Build walls along the mountains and rivers, but the main gate and courtyard walls should be constructed in the style of city walls, complete with barbicans and watchtowers.”
Chief Engineer Qiu was startled: “This, won’t this become a city within a city?”
Jin Sui smiled: “How could it be a city within a city? Am I going to rebel against the Li King? It’s just being prepared. This Academy is meant to be passed down for thousands of years, so it must be defended against external enemies.”
Seeing Chief Engineer Qiu’s troubled expression, she added: “How about this, I’ll have the Prince speak to you personally.”
Chief Engineer Qiu quickly said: “This subordinate doesn’t mean that. It’s just that building these things will require help from the military industry.”
Jin Sui waved her hand: “No problem. I’ll have the Black Feather Camp help when we build the city walls.”
By then, catapults will surely be built too. Let’s arrange a few for our Academy. Haha, they can be used for deterrence!”
Our Academy is for learning technology; it doesn’t need the leisurely pursuits or beautiful scenery of scholars. Everything should be practical. Artificial scenic spots are better replaced with a large square.
It’s suitable for the Agricultural Academy to dry grains, for the Medical Academy to dry herbs, and for the Craftsmen’s Guild to display the latest tools for industry and agriculture.
Of course, trees should be planted abundantly, especially rare and endangered species. It would be best if they could be nurtured for thousands of years, left for future generations to see.
Don’t say our Academy has no scenic spots. There’s a lotus pond, but it’s mainly for growing lotus roots. The farmland, with its canola flowers in spring and waves of wheat in summer, is also a scenic view.
The scenery in the pasture area and the fruit orchards is even better, but we prioritize practicality.
“We don’t need to build so many dormitory buildings yet, but we should reserve empty land for future expansion.”
Seeing that Chief Engineer Qiu was still carrying blueprints, Jin Sui went to his workspace and found materials to make a sand table for him.
Since the Taoist temple was also under Chief Engineer Qiu’s responsibility, a panoramic sand table of the entire campus and the Taoist temple was made.
She made it in her space, so it was done very quickly and presented that afternoon.
Grandpa Ling liked it very much and grumbled at Jin Sui: “You have such a good thing, why didn’t you offer it to me sooner?”
Jin Sui quickly replied: “I just finished it today! The military camp has been using sand tables for a long time, didn’t you see them?”
Chief Engineer Qiu felt a bit embarrassed to say that he had indeed seen them, but he hadn’t expected them to be useful for engineering.
As they were about to return to the city in the evening, they encountered an unexpected group of people.
Yan Shiyi was leading a group of young masters on horseback nearby. They were passing by to see the future “Strong and Invincible” Academy.
They had no idea they would run into the Fake Li King. They already knew the Fake Li King was a woman, and a great beauty at that.
But they had never met her in person. Today, they suddenly encountered her, and Jin Sui generously greeted them: “Welcome to visit.”
I hope you have a great time and invest some silver in this young lady.
As a result, the young masters, who had been shouting and laughing, immediately cowered and bowed to her before hastily departing.
Jin Sui was speechless: “Am I a tiger that eats people?”
Only Yan Shiyi remained: “To them, you are more terrifying than a tiger!”
Jin Sui spread her hands, showing him her ordinary riding outfit: “As a weak woman, how am I terrifying?”
Yan Shiyi almost fell off his horse: “Weak, wo-man!”
What does that have to do with you?
“Leader Ji, have you lost your memory? You burned the Tartars, fought Zheng Yun, and hung a group of bandits in the forest to feed the wolves. Have you forgotten all that?”
Jin Sui cursed him: “Are you sick! That was the Li King’s doing. Why is it attributed to me, a weak woman? What does it have to do with me, Jin Sui?
Did you say bad things about me in front of them? Honestly, I’m going to be a teacher educating people from now on. You’re ruining my reputation.”
Yan Shiyi was utterly speechless. Such words might fool outsiders, but they wouldn’t fool the people of Yandi!
“By the way, why are you running around in such a desolate place?”
Yan Shiyi took out a messy pile of papers from his bosom: “We came to collect poems flying from the hot air balloon. We didn’t expect them to fly so far!”
Jin Sui: “…You people are truly idle! You have energy but don’t use it effectively. Why not come help me move bricks for a couple of days? The construction site is short-handed!”
Yan Shiyi immediately spurred his horse and galloped away: “Leader Ji, farewell! Oh, besides Jin Zilin, two more people want to invest fifty thousand taels of silver in the Academy. They’ll talk to Daoist Ji without you needing to call them.”
Jin Sui watched them ride away, once again astonished by the wealth of the Yandi gentry. A group of fourth-generation young masters could come up with so much silver!
And this is just the Yandi gentry, let alone the great gentry in Chang’an. As Gu Changxiao said, if the expansion of the gentry is not curbed, the Great Xia empire will be swallowed by them.
Land reform is imperative and must be accelerated! Fortunately, the population in the border cities is growing, and the stronger our capabilities, the more effective the implementation of new policies will be.
She mused, stroking her chin. We should start with diplomacy, but we also need to show the Yandi gentry that today’s Li King is not the same one exiled last year, who was penniless and only had a group of border soldiers who couldn’t even receive their military pay!
We need to let them see the strength of the border cities. As the saying goes, truth lies within the range of cannons. Although our cannons are still under construction, we can state the truth first!
Right, we can organize a military exercise for the new recruits from the refugee group and invite all the Yandi gentry to observe. This will allow them to witness our military strength, and when we push for land reform, they will have to reconsider before resisting.
Jin Sui planned to discuss it with Gu Changxiao as soon as she returned. It would be scheduled after the summer harvest, when trade with the Northern Frontier would also be in full swing, and a bountiful summer harvest would be welcomed.
First, we’ll start with something gentle, showing the gentry our border city’s high-yield crops and the by-products made from them.
Potato vermicelli, sweet potato vermicelli, potent liquor brewed from potatoes and sweet potatoes, tomato sauce, chili oil, dried vegetables, and canned fruits. These by-products are not only popular in Yandi but also have numerous orders from the Northern Frontier.
After the gentle approach, we’ll present what they like most: brand-new spinning machines, cotton seeders, assembly-line machinery of all kinds, especially the latest feed machines. They will surely be very popular.
This is a variation of the military ration compressed biscuit machine, more rugged and simpler to operate. It combines steaming crops, stir-frying, compressing, and cutting into an assembly line. It only requires dozens of workers to produce tens of thousands of jin of feed per day, for various livestock such as cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and chickens.
This is a more rugged and simpler variation of the military ration compressed biscuit machine.
Finally, the main course: a military exercise. We’ll make it grand and spectacular. We won’t let them witness gunpowder yet, but we can let them see fish oil and petroleum.
They will realize the power of the border cities, with abundant grain for feed, and the ability to produce all sorts of machinery with their wealth, machinery that even if they hired more craftsmen, they couldn’t replicate.
And the army will be so strong that their proud Yan Prefecture Army will be completely crushed!
After the exercise, we’ll bring up land reform, starting with a trial in Yanzhou, giving the other fifteen prefectures time to adjust, and then reform them one prefecture at a time…
Upon returning home, Jin Sui went to the study to write a proposal. She ate dinner hastily, brought by Jin An.
After finishing, she wanted to get a ladder, but then remembered Grandpa had inserted ceramic shards into the wall. She somewhat hoped the underground tunnel would be repaired quickly.
It was late now, and she couldn’t go to the Prince’s Residence. If she didn’t explain this in person, Gu Changxiao would be tired from looking at it. She decided to go see him at the Prince’s Residence first thing tomorrow morning!
Unexpectedly, the next day Jin Sui learned that the Li King had not returned all night and had stayed at the military camp.
At first, she didn’t pay much attention and continued to the construction site with Grandpa. She discussed the construction process with Chief Engineer Qiu, and the project’s speed increased significantly.
However, she felt uneasy, so she rushed home at noon and asked Li Linfeng to go to the Prince’s Residence to inquire. As a result, Gu Changxiao had not yet returned.
Jin Sui decided not to wait any longer and immediately rode her horse to the military camp.
She found that Li Heng and Yan Jiu’s carriages were also there. Her heart tightened. Had something happened? Under normal circumstances, Gu Changxiao wouldn’t have them come to the military area!
The further she walked inside, the more she felt that something was not simple. Gu Changxiao’s tent was heavily guarded by personal guards, and mournful voices could be heard from inside.
Upon hearing that Leader Ji had arrived, Gu Changxiao quickly let Jin Sui in. She saw not only Li Heng and Yan Jiu but also several other officials from different prefectures of Yandi. Two exhausted Meteor Horses lay on the ground.
Before Jin Sui could ask, Gu Changxiao proactively told her: “Something has happened in Chang’an.”
Jin Sui was shocked. Could something so tense and sorrowful have happened that the Emperor had died? Or was there a rebellion? A coup by the gentry due to the Empress’s deposition?
The outcome was beyond her expectations, or rather, beyond everyone’s expectations.
“Several Hu people’s armies from the Western Regions broke through the Northwest Pass and marched directly into Chang’an. Prince Yu abandoned the city and fled south.”
In that short sentence, many historical terms flashed through Jin Sui’s mind: ‘An Lushan Rebellion’, ‘Five Barbarians Uprising’, ‘War of the Eight Princes’…
The external enemies she focused on were the Northern Frontier and the Kingdom of Wa.
Even small countries like Goguryeo, which were very close to the Northern Border, were not a concern for her at the moment. These small countries were extremely weak, and she would deal with them all later when she had the time.
She had also heard Gu Changxiao talk about the enemies they had been fighting for years at the Northwest Borderlands, Tubo and the Western Regions, but she hadn’t paid much attention to them.
Because they were far from the border cities, and she hadn’t even dealt with matters in the border cities yet, she hadn’t considered the situation there at all.
She never expected such a chain reaction! If the Hu people of the Western Regions had previously been caught between the Northern Frontier of Great Xia, constantly seeking a breakthrough between the two great powers.
And Gu Changxiao’s assistance to King Batel in the Northern Frontier to kill the Left Wise King was also helping the Hu people eliminate a formidable enemy.
Although the Left Wise King was considered a rebel by Batel, he was a strong deterrent against external enemies, especially the Hu people.
If the Left Wise King were alive, the Hu people would never dare to encroach on the Northern Frontier border. But now, the King of the Northern Frontier was replaced by Batel, who was young and impulsive.
The Hu people’s courage immediately grew.
At this very moment, Great Xia was also making one foolish move after another. Prince Yu, in order to suppress the Li King’s old subordinates, actually sent a group of incompetent individuals to the Northwest Borderlands.
First, they reduced military pay and rations, then exploited the common people, causing the local populace to flee the Northwest. They also suppressed old soldiers and generals. Some of them were secretly received in the border cities.
Jin Sui had only thought about the growing power of the border cities, but she hadn’t realized how the Northwest Borderlands had suddenly weakened, and what that meant for external enemies.
She recalled the scenes of the Five Barbarians Uprising described in historical records, and her hands and feet turned cold.
Her voice trembling, she asked: “What happened to Chang’an city?”
“The Hu people were only there to plunder, but Prince Yu did not lead the army to resist. Instead, he fled south to Shu. Thirty percent of the city’s population has already been massacred.”
“Are there no troops to rescue them?”
“There are, but Prince Yu only ordered the reinforcements to cover his retreat into Shu. Chang’an city was completely abandoned by him.”
Jin Sui understood everyone’s grief and indignation. Prince Yu’s actions were as deserving of death as those of the Hu people!
He took his confidantes and troops, leaving the entire city’s population to be slaughtered by the Hu people like lambs.
She looked at Gu Changxiao, saying nothing, but Gu Changxiao understood her meaning: “I received the news this morning. I have already assembled the troops and will depart for Chang’an in one hour.”
Jin Sui quickly said: “I’ll go with you!”
Yan Jiu’s hand tightened. Before he could say that Miss Ji couldn’t go, Gu Changxiao refused first: “No, the border city needs Leader Ji more.”
He said softly to Jin Sui: “Besides, I need Sui Sui to provide backup.”
Time was too short to say more. If Gu Changxiao left an hour later, many more civilians would die in Chang’an.
Jin Sui went to Gu Changxiao’s bedroom. After closing the door, she entered her space. She no longer cared about being suspected.
She emptied almost half of her space, taking out all the medicine, fish oil firearms, and gunpowder.
When Gu Changxiao entered, he was startled, but he asked nothing, only saying: “I’ll arrange for someone to take them away now.”
Jin Sui said softly: “If you want me to go, you don’t need to let others carry them.”
Gu Changxiao sighed softly. He had intended to step forward and hold her hand, but Jin Sui embraced him. He was stunned for a moment, then returned the embrace, holding Jin Sui very, very tightly.
“It’s not that I’m afraid you’ll be in danger, but the current border city is not the same as when we went to the Northern Frontier. Cheng Yu alone cannot defend against those gentry.
More than the Hu people, I fear being attacked from both sides. Therefore, Sui Sui, you must stay.”
“I only trust you.”
