Chapter 209: City-building In Alien Lands
In the 2nd year of the Tong Zheng Calendar, October, with the Wu Family Army decisively dispatching troops, the besieging Horned People had already retreated in panic.
The king and nobles inside Griffon City breathed a sigh of relief. Bloodstains still remained on the damaged city wall, like the marks of mosquitoes slapped dead on the wall in summer.
Xuan Chong looked at these fleeing berserk Horned People and, as always, poured cold water on his own troops: “This group of nomadic Horned People weren’t defeated; they just completed this year’s plunder KPI targets. So after the monsoon changed, most of them ran back, preparing to continue plundering by ship next year.”
Xuan Chong arrived at the base of Griffon City. The area inside the city walls was overall about the size of one neighborhood, with the total wall length being eight hundred meters. But from the wreckage of the settlements circling around the city, it could be seen that the residential area surrounding this city-state had a peak population of forty to fifty thousand.
After Xuan Chong pulled out the arrowhead embedded in the wooden city wall, he found that although it was covered in rust and the smelting was a failure with sand mixed in, this thing from the Horned People was indeed iron.
Xuan Chong: Not hot forging, but extremely inferior technology, possibly only workshop-level “alchemy.”
Now Lingnan and Chong Land also have “alchemy pools,” but the technical standards are very high, producing iron sand, and the iron sand still needs to enter the furnace for sintering, melting, and hydraulic forging steps to become fine steel.
In any case, the existence of ironware shows that the Horned People’s technology level is not low.
Xuan Chong called over his subordinate non-commissioned officer to record a memo: “In foreign domain operations, not a shred of pride is allowed.”
“Hold a meeting tonight and convey this idea of mine once.” Xuan Chong felt it necessary to correct the attitude.
…The battlefield without flashing blades had just begun…
In this city-state that had just experienced the flames of war, Xuan Chong looked at this wooden palace, very curious: The castle is made of wood—what if it catches fire? Of course, after touching it, he discovered a layer of salt crystals on it and suddenly understood.
After entering the great hall, Xuan Chong negotiated with the Griffon City king through an interpreter. As an ally of Feather Tribe city-states like Storm City and Griffon City, Xuan Chong stated that his army corps firmly stands on the side of the alliance, jointly responding to the harassment from these southern barbarian tribes.
Thus, Xuan Chong decided: His troops wouldn’t leave. They found a port area one hundred fifty kilometers north of Griffon City, preparing to build a city. Two hundred li north by sea route from here is the Ling River estuary.
When Xuan Chong submitted this letter of credentials, he was already prepared to be spat on by others.
This blatant exploitation of an ally’s pain point, then grabbing a piece of land, was too shameless.
However, in the great hall, the Feather People nobles, as “allies,” after slightly furrowing their brows, began asking when they could jointly dispatch troops next year after the city was built.
After communication, Xuan Chong discovered that the two sides weren’t thinking along the same lines at all.
The Griffon City side thought that the Yao Army building a city in the north would consume massive manpower and resources, delaying the duty of joint defense. So they furrowed their brows.
Xuan Chong, however, had traditional Eastern thinking: “All under heaven is the land of the king; on the shores of the land, all are the king’s subjects!”
Putting oneself in others’ shoes: If someone else’s military force enters our traditional control area and suddenly builds a city? What is this, trying to carve off my land? What ownerless barren land—my territory is vast, but not an inch is superfluous. Border barren lands refreshing barbarian tribe troubles happen every dynasty.
After noticing the difference in understanding between the two sides, Xuan Chong carefully probed. Because according to traditional land power nation thinking, inviting external forces to solve problems, that external force taking the opportunity to gain a foothold would produce a vigilant feeling of “easy to invite a god, hard to send one away.”
Xuan Chong: They don’t seem to see me as a “troublesome god” at all. Oh, our troop strength isn’t strong enough in their eyes, so no threat.
Thus, he began reflecting on his own “thinking mode” blind spots. After carefully pondering the map, he concluded it was “farming thinking” versus “ocean thinking.”
Farming civilization takes “land production” as national policy. Hence, it is extremely sensitive to land—how can others sleep soundly beside my bed? So in his previous life, the East felt uncomfortable even if a great power occupied a previously undeveloped island nearby!
Ocean thinking is based on “trade lines.” Whether a piece of land nearby is ceded isn’t the top priority; whether that land threatens my commercial routes is most important.
And land? Without special resources, if one armed faction is willing to fund and build a city alone, then that city belongs to that faction.
In ocean thinking, I take an undeveloped small fishing village of yours and build it into a big city—then you suddenly want it back? That’s extremely unreasonable. —So East and West collided strongly on “port” issues in Xuan Chong’s previous life stage.
When the sun never sets had already abandoned large swathes of colonies, yet it alone wanted to retain that bright pearl in the East, and even the conservative faction in the British parliament felt they had some justification. That’s the reason.
After re-confirming the “thinking mode,” Xuan Chong began determining the “boundary line” between himself and his allies.
Obviously, for this Feather Tribe small city-state king, “land” isn’t the primary contradiction with allies; whether allies fulfill the military alliance is.
At the long table, Xuan Chong looked at the local parchment map and stated that before Griffon City recovered, he would dispatch a three-hundred-man troop to permanently station in a camp five li away.
Griffon City’s king and nobles were very satisfied. After ending the talks, Zi Xing (Forest Feather Tribe), dressed in gorgeous silk and treating this meeting very seriously, said to Xuan Chong: “My lord, for such a weakened city-state, you need not pay too much attention to their boundaries.”
In short, Xuan Chong was too polite.
Xuan Chong looked at this maidservant and smiled slightly: “You haven’t adapted to us Yao People’s way of thinking yet, and of course, I haven’t adapted to yours either.”
Although Feather Tribe city-states pride themselves on being civilized, in diplomacy they still maintain a “strong eat weak” spirit, but Xuan Chong’s side: “Allies must maintain ‘boundary sense’ between them.”
Xuan Chong: Because my side plans for decades or centuries for great profit; after determining the boundary lines of respective core interests, we’ll know where the resistance lies.
Going south to build a city-state is fine, but can only use the shipping lanes from Da Yao side, can’t steal other city-states’ shipping lane interests; moreover, having a strong army is fine, but no naval interference.
In the initial footing stage, Wu Family Army total troops three thousand. From currently updated intelligence, besides the previous ten city-states, the number of coastal Feather People city-states totals over forty. City-state populations range from as few as five thousand to as many as seventy thousand.
Xuan Chong left a reminder for the person in charge of Ding Ling City: “The person in charge left here must adhere to ‘boundary principles,’ prioritizing long-term interests and controlling short-term contradictions as much as possible.”
…Confirm common enemy…
Six days later, at the port dock, Xuan Chong welcomed Ang Ri and his Crow People subordinates who had returned from surveying the sea surface.
Although the Feather People had provided sea charts, perhaps their measurement tools differ from Da Yao’s, or rather, when the Feather People make maps, they center on their core city-states. For northern marginal areas not often explored, they deliberately reduced “error tolerance.”
Xuan Chong’s side takes the line from Ling River estuary to Ding Ling City as the core area; the surveyed coastline and marked island positions differ.
On Xuan Chong’s newly surveyed map, southeast of the Ling River estuary, the three islands actually form an equilateral triangle; but on the Feather People’s sea chart, in the margins, they are distorted into a line.
Narration: Using others’ sea charts means you can only follow others’ routes, accepting control by others’ patrolling navy.
Xuan Chong led people to the conference room, uncovered the white cloth on the sand table, and began adding these observations.
Xuan Chong gazed at the clearly visible massive hanging vortex to the south, and among it, the beam of light projected down by the Chaos Green Lotus he was very familiar with.
Xuan Chong silently recited in his heart: “Is the system-issued subjugation of the moon task to enter from there?”
From the sea chart, that place is the center of this Mediterranean; the center has a “Death Island.” Since the island is in a windless area, ships cannot escape, making it a place of death.
Feather People can land on this island by following the coastline one hundred kilometers south.
This island’s space is quite strange because circling the island by sea seems only twenty kilometers, so from the sea it looks like a very small island.
But after landing on the island, walking on it—not to mention circling it—from south to north is “four hundred kilometers.”
The entire island space is like a “paper ball” crumpled together: from outside it looks very small, but inside the paper ball space is very large.
In Xuan Chong’s peacock scouting perspective, this island is locked by tentacles hanging from the Evil Moon in the sky, distorted like a bowl of piled-up rice, and growing taller and taller.
Refer to the “expedition to the rotten moon” situation. That prison was also spatially shrunken to almost unfindable. In the end, only by using “Son of Heaven Drunk” to increase the city’s spiritual energy did the prison manifest in the streets. After manifesting, what Xuan Chong and others entered wasn’t the prison, but the entire Chong Land with spiritual veins drained, forming a “large space point” just before ascending to the Evil Moon.
Now that “Death Island” obviously looks like it’s also about to be drained and ascend to the sky.
Xuan Chong’s hand had just finished drawing the island’s general terrain on the map. After finishing the map, Xuan Chong pointed to a bay and silently recited: “Landing on that island, then walking along the island’s coastline, will find the node where the Evil Moon links to the planet.”
If his army corps erases this node, the Evil Moon’s created space distortion will disappear, Death Island’s area will shrink to normal, and at that time, this feat of “severing the material umbilical cord in the weak gravity zone between two celestial bodies with human power” will be accomplished.
During cross-sea operations, there’s still four hundred kilometers of military transport to conduct. Much to consider—this is a domain I’ve never touched.” Xuan Chong hesitated while looking at this map; one could even say the sailors recruited by his subordinates are unqualified.
These sailors have some understanding of river warfare, but sea warfare is completely different.
River warfare has this characteristic: confrontation across the river, or upstream-downstream confrontation; in short, knowing where the enemy comes from, able to keep a tight watch. On the ocean, there’s no such clear enemy intelligence observation.
Xuan Chong recalled previous life’s maritime defense and added to the memo: “If the defending side lacks enough sea fishermen as scouts, information on the ocean is missing.”
So don’t take fishermen’s interest losses lightly; fishermen are key to sea defense, the green leaves essential for the flower of the great fleet. One could even say, in previous life, national sea border strategy without a great fleet still had operational space, but without fishermen support, it’s just an empty government office.
So whether to fight sea battles! Xuan Chong directly marked this option “proceed with caution.”
Xuan Chong: If necessary, I will abandon this task! —This was said to the system.
After figuring things out, Xuan Chong rang the bell to have the non-commissioned officers prepare for a meeting tonight!
Xuan Chong glanced at the “Ding Ling City” being built to the north. Storm City and other Feather Tribes don’t care now, but one generation later? When commercial shipping lanes increasingly concentrate northward?
Xuan Chong began worrying more for the future: allies turning hostile, subordinates betraying—must prevent in advance now.
Many non-commissioned officers were seated; that female elf, she is the future Ding Ling City city lord, in the seat of honor.
Xuan Chong: “Calling everyone over is for two topics; first is the northern port construction issue, second is discussing the Horned People’s threat.”
Xuan Chong pointed at the map and muttered to himself: “Horned People reportedly have some left, still wandering nearby seas, preparing to circle back—this is a threat to us, we need to find and beat them. Mm, also an account to our allies. Everyone share your views.”
Attendees faced Xuan Chong’s inquiring gaze and respectively shared views from their responsible domains these past few days.
For example, Wu Zhantie’s domain is wrestling with captive Horned People; after determining Horned People physiological weaknesses, he suggested improving the hook scythe spear, changing the sickle blade to a special curved hook blade like “?”.
This “?” blade in use can be like “opening a beer bottle cap”—no matter what “horn” on the Horned Person, once hooked by the “?”, it’s like the “beer cap” pried by the opener. Then soldiers holding the long pole just need the front knife-and-axe hands to sit on the pole, using lever effect to directly snap the “horn” off. Of course, even if it doesn’t snap, the Horned Person will be directly pressed to the ground under this lever action.
This sturdy “horn” part, once soldiers “grip” it tight with tools, is the pinched point.
For Wu Zhantie rarely having such a good idea, Xuan Chong approvingly said: “Exchange more with comrades in the future.”
Obviously Xuan Chong knew this wasn’t his idea at all. It was thought up by Wu Ling who recently came on rotation.
…Xuan Chong gave speaking rights to locals…
At the meeting, besides discussing battle, more was diplomacy. On this, Xuan Chong asked the Forest Feather Tribe queen “Ying Zhao,” because she reportedly has high bloodline, with bonuses to kingdom Feather Tribe diplomacy.
Ying Zhao now wholeheartedly provides advice to Wu Family Army because when Xuan Chong went south from Thorn Ridge, the new commercial stations set up were designed in Forest Feather Tribe nursery style, planting trees, then dispatching Forest Feather Tribe to garrison. This inadvertently helped expand Forest Feather Tribe forces southward.
Worth mentioning, kingdom Feather People have a habit of capturing slaves; if Xuan Chong’s current military diplomacy agreements are unstable, these stations will become plunder targets for kingdom Feather Tribe city-states in the future.
Ying Zhao awkwardly held a brush recording content on bamboo slips, refining and supplementing the military treaty between Da Yao Town South General’s Mansion and Feather Tribe kingdom.
Ying Zhao key-marked that Feather Tribe great fleet must provide escort when Yao Army goes south. And when other forces blockade their ports, Griffon City must dispatch fleet to relieve the siege.
Xuan Chong nodded; his troops are invincible in land battle, but sea is a shortcoming, needing “order constraints.” Unless he bursts out an ironclad fleet in Ding Ling Sea, he must make good use of the treaty.
Then under Xuan Chong’s detailed questioning, Zi Xing began explaining. Xuan Chong’s understanding: This era’s fleet blockade isn’t like 21st century single-ship blockade, but departing from mother port, batches of ships rotating to line up at enemy ports.
Ships can’t stay long at enemy ports for blockade; even big ships are wooden skiffs relative to the ocean. Drifting a month at sea, fresh water in wooden barrels turns to foul water. Then plague spreads at sea, captain and sailors play werewolf kill: see if captain first finds the ringleader among sailors and throws him into the sea, or the ringleader conspires when “night falls, captain closes eyes,” successfully votes to toss captain to feed sharks in the ocean.
Hearing this, Xuan Chong paused and asked Zi Xing: “So those Horned People drifting at sea now also waiting to go ashore, right?”
After Zi Xing’s affirmation, Xuan Chong: “Can we infer their supply consumption level now?”
Zi Xing shook her head; Xuan Chong waved: “No matter, continue. I’ll investigate this.” Xuan Chong said while picking up pen to record this key point.
…Sea is more uncomfortable than land…
On the ocean, Silver Horn, separated from big brother, was leading his fleet drifting at sea. Gold Horn led main Horned People troops south to plunder, while Silver Horn refused to give up, wanting revenge on northern foreign people.
On Horned People ship deck, flies buzzed around several wooden barrels; originally filled with fresh water now drunk dry, now containing urine.
Silver Horn used magic to erase taste for subordinates and himself, drinking this yellow water, eyes bloodshot staring at ocean; in cabins, Horned People gnashed teeth.
These fifteen ships now had twelve hundred surviving Horned People, always waiting for chance to go ashore and rob a wave.
But across the sea, Wu Family Army killing intent cloud kept roaming.
At night, in Silver Horn’s cabin, a guy attempting to sneak attack had his skin torn off in five pieces, roaring in pain in the cabin, running half the night before dying. The cabin’s restlessness began to be deterred and suppressed.
Next day, on deck, after tossing this blood-red corpse overboard, Silver Horn said to subordinates: “Don’t rush, wait three more days.”
…Seek guide…
Ding Ling City still under construction, massive bricks and tiles materials piling up; Xuan Chong came to inspect the city situation.
Xuan Chong strode to outside the city. Interestingly, before Xuan Chong’s city was built, Feather People had run to outside to build fishing villages and merchant inns.
Xuan Chong analyzed this was similar to “Spring and Autumn Period,” nomadic savages and farming nation people mixed residing in one area. But in the East, as nation people stabilized in farming, they gradually drove nomadic same-race savages to the north.
But Mediterranean civilization situation: Landless “savages” always surround city-states settling by commerce. In long development evolution, some continued wandering culture like Gypsies. Most successfully integrated around castles. Settlement aids culture accumulation, becoming “citizen stratum,” ultimately mastering artisan manufacturing to dominate the state.
However, these guys now outside the city freeloading security protection have status of “savages.”
Xuan Chong walked into this fishy market. Worth mentioning, compared to Feather Tribe city-state lords’ serfs “babbling” lacking language communication ability, this market’s similarly low stratum had sufficient communication ability.
Xuan Chong arrived at the shack area, found a batch of fishermen who came selling fish by fishing boat to learn situation.
In a fisherman’s shack simply cleaned, Xuan Chong looked at local Feather Tribe villagers kneeling at his feet.
Two hours ago, Xuan Chong’s personal soldiers used silver money to inquire, a fisherman tremblingly reported: Discovered Horned People traces.
City military intelligence officer separately questioned multiple villagers, confirmed this person’s info not fabricated, because his sea time had continuity.
But in numbers? Xuan Chong now facing this fisherman was the only one who could roughly describe Horned People ships; as for specific numbers, unobtainable.
Xuan Chong looked at him: “You mean these Horned People number in thousands?” This Feather Tribe villager stammered: “Yes, my lord, Horned People differ from us; they attack not relying on vehicles and horses carrying food, but by raising meat beasts. The bigger meat beasts fed, the more meat preserved in long marches. On the small island I boarded, I saw, saw, saw over a hundred meat beasts. These meat beasts devoured all plants on the island. Right, these hoofprints, basin-sized, only tribes with over a thousand barbarian Horned People can own such property.”
Xuan Chong nodded; in barbarian culture, small tribes unworthy of large property. Even if tribe leader intends to use stratagem giving big livestock to small tribe, subordinates won’t execute.
Took out sea chart, Xuan Chong with try-luck attitude let this guy identify. Unexpectedly, this guy could read sea chart, pointed out several points.
Xuan Chong looked at this villager, hand brushing his dirty hair, found actually exceptionally young, amiably asked: “What’s your name.”
Villager stammered: I’m called Xi Ke, that, my lord, my name is Kuo Hai.
Note: Fishermen shouldn’t have surnames, let alone noble names.
Kuo Hai, after learning Da Yao language, determined he might gain favor from the big shot before him, so cleverly translated his grandfather’s name for the lord. In Feather Tribe culture, a noble name can be inherited, adding first generation, second, third, and so on.
Xuan Chong smiled more kindly: “Good, you learned Da Yao language quickly. What’s your family name?”
Kuo Hai looked up at Xuan Chong, hesitantly said: “My lord, from my father’s generation, no family name. (Grandfather’s generation had.)”
Xuan Chong understood: Descendant kicked out by noble family as concubine’s son.
Xuan Chong: “Now Mu Yun is your family name, Mu Yun Kuohai.”
