Chapter 14
Chapter 31: Subsequent Handling
Although Lia didn't want to admit it, once she truly established a country, she would inevitably need the help of the Aristocratic Families. After all, she couldn't rely on peasants who didn't even know how to read, could she?
While she could establish schools in the future, that would be decades away. In the early stages, she still needed these people to help with management.
After thinking through the future of these Aristocratic Families, Lia could finally take a proper rest.
The next day, Lia didn't immediately put those people on trial. Instead, she posted notices throughout Liang Province City, inviting Common People to voluntarily report any corrupt Aristocratic Families.
These commoners had heard about the events in Wuan Commandery a few days ago, so they knew what Lia intended to do. One by one, they came forward excitedly, accusing the Aristocratic Families of their wrongdoings.
Of course, Lia didn't believe everything blindly. While most of Common People were simple and honest, there were also cunning and treacherous individuals among them.
Some couldn't stand to see certain Aristocratic Families doing well and would make false accusations, hoping to use Lia's hand to strike down both good and bad families alike and then divide their property.
Such incidents would not be uncommon. Therefore, when judging each family, Lia would still scrutinize the cases carefully. As for those who made false reports, Lia would also punish them.
She wouldn't refrain from acting just because they were ordinary citizens; what she wanted were virtuous commoners, not the kind who played tricks and acted slyly.
Two days later, Li Lin arrived in Liang Province with an army of 10,000.
By now, the more than 7,000 captured soldiers had chosen to defect to Lia. It could be said that the only remaining issues were the several commanderies and counties in the rear of Liang Province. Once those areas were subdued, half of Liang Province would be under Lia's control.
When Li Lin's army arrived, all discordant voices in the city vanished.
"Lord." Upon entering the council room, Li Lin bowed to Lia, who was sitting on a cooling mat.
"General Li, you've worked hard traveling from afar. Is everything alright in Wuxing Commandery?" Lia said, pointing to an empty cooling mat nearby.
Li Lin sat down on the mat and replied to Lia, "I left 3,000 soldiers there. With General Mulan present, there shouldn't be any major issues."
"Good, that's fine then." Hearing Li Lin's arrangements, Lia felt relieved.
Although the Aristocratic Families in Wuxing Commandery had been temporarily uprooted by her over the past few days, many people still lurked in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. If not handled properly, they could still cause various minor troubles.
While it wouldn't hurt her much, it could lead to a crisis of trust among Common People.
After Li Lin sat down, Lia spoke up:
"General Li, although we now occupy three commanderies of Liang Province, Linsong Commandery in our rear remains untaken, as does Dunhuang, and there are six commanderies ahead that we haven't secured yet. What are your thoughts on this, General?"
"Does the Lord mean to bring the remaining towns under control before Northern Wei can react?" Li Lin understood Lia's meaning immediately.
Lia nodded and said, "Yes. We must take Linsong Commandery and Dunhuang before Northern Wei reacts, and then establish a defense system against the Nomadic Confederation. This way, we will have no worries about our rear."
"This general understands. I shall set out immediately." Li Lin clasped his fists and stood up from the mat.
Seeing Li Lin about to depart, Lia waved her hand. "There's no need for such haste. Even if Northern Wei receives news from Liang Province, it will take at least a week. By the time they want to dispatch troops to retake Liang Province, it will be two or three months later."
"Besides, you are a native of Liang Province, aren't you? It wasn't easy to get back here. Why not go home and rest for two or three days? I'm sure your family wants to see you."
"Thank you for your concern, Lord, but I feel that your great undertaking is more important," Li Lin continued after hearing Lia's words.
"No need. This time I plan to lead the troops myself, while you stay in Liang Province to help me guard this place," Lia said with a wave of her hand.
"The Lord is going to lead the campaign personally?" Li Lin was somewhat surprised to hear this.
"Yes. There are many monks in Dunhuang, and I'm afraid these matters might be difficult for the General to handle," Lia said.
"Monks? What do monks have to do with Dunhuang?" Li Lin asked, sounding confused.
"General Li should know that in these chaotic times, Buddhism's promotion of the afterlife and reincarnation meets the needs of Common People, causing them to pin their hopes on the next life. Consequently, the Buddhist economy has flourished, but they have also occupied a vast amount of land."
"Of course, the land in Dunhuang isn't exactly prime land, so I don't mind that much. However, while occupying large tracts of land, they also pay no taxes and control a large population. That is something I cannot accept," Lia explained.
One should know that in Northern Wei alone, there were millions of monks who did no work and produced nothing. As a major birthplace of Buddhism, Dunhuang—also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves—had monks numbering in the thousands.
This was only because Dunhuang was sparsely populated. In places like the Yecheng area, there were over 4,000 temples. The thought of it was terrifying.
Generally speaking, monks were an even more malignant presence than the Aristocratic Families. There was no problem with advising people to be virtuous, but many of their doctrines were very similar to Confucianism—the kind where you don't talk back even if you're hit.
Of course, Lia wouldn't resort to a massacre of monks. If you want to be a monk, be a monk; she wouldn't stop you. But you must pay the taxes that are due!
Since Lia had already decided to lead the troops herself, Li Lin said no more.
"That being said, I have a set of troop training methods here. I hope that after I leave, the soldiers you recruit in the future will be trained using this method." As she spoke, Lia took out some modern training methods.
Li Lin curiously took the small booklet Lia handed over. Could it be that the Lord also understood the art of training soldiers?
He flipped through the booklet for a while. Upon seeing the training methods inside, his shock grew the more he read. These methods were simply unheard of, but his intuition told him that they would work!
Seeing Li Lin's shocked expression, Lia smiled slightly. 'If I can't even impress you with this, I'll take your last name!'
"How does it feel, General Li?" Lia asked.
"Lord, I feel these training methods are feasible. However, the true effect will only be known once they are put into practice. But I have a premonition that once trained, they will become an army with strict combat discipline—the elite of the elite!" Li Lin said excitedly.
"In that case, use this method to train the army from now on," Lia said with a slight smile.
Chapter 32: The Advantage is Mine!
"Yes!" Li Lin nodded.
"I will take 5,000 troops with me this time, leaving the remaining 7,000 for you to guard Liang Province. There might be rebellions in the city after I leave, so I will leave Merlin behind to help you," Lia said after some thought.
"This general will certainly be vigilant."
"Also, do not forget the production of gunpowder. I have already taught you the method. If possible, try to recruit some craftsmen in the city to see if they can make further improvements to the gunpowder," Lia added.
"Can gunpowder be improved further?" Li Lin was surprised to hear this.
"Of course. The gunpowder we currently use requires a fire to light the fuse. Not only is it troublesome, but the fuse is also prone to issues. If a safety device were used..." As she spoke, Lia described the grenades used in modern times.
Li Lin listened with a dazed expression. Although he didn't understand, he felt it sounded very impressive.
Lia knew Li Lin definitely wouldn't understand, but she wasn't saying it for him. She was using Li Lin's mouth to convey her ideas to the craftsmen; she believed they would surely understand her meaning.
Once the craftsmen could create a modern grenade activation device, the emergence of landmines would no longer be a problem.
Lia wanted to say more, but after a moment's thought, she refrained.
Her head was still full of things that could influence current major military operations, but Li Lin probably wouldn't understand even if she explained them. It was better to wait until she returned.
By then, the craftsmen Li Lin found should be ready, and she could speak to them in person.
"Remember, these things must be carried out in a secret location, guarded by heavy troops. One person is responsible for one process, and no single person can be allowed to master the entire principle. Finally, if any stranger approaches this area, drive them away immediately." Lia concluded solemnly.
"I understand." Li Lin also knew the severity of these matters; if the enemy forces ever learned the method of making gunpowder, they would be in grave danger.
However, in a place like Western Liang, because of its vast territory and sparse population, it was still quite easy to find a hidden place for production.
"Also, regarding the remaining commanderies of Liang Province—Jincheng, Longxi, Wudu, Tianshui, Anding, and Beidi—while I am heading to Dunhuang, see for yourself if there are any opportunities. If the situation allows, go and take them. Of course, this is provided that after you leave Liang Province, no rebellion will occur within the province; otherwise, wait until I return."
She added.
Lia said after thinking for a moment.
"I will pay attention to that." Hearing this, Li Lin's expression became serious.
He knew that Lia intended to test his ability. If he could conquer those places by the time Lia returned from resolving everything in Dunhuang, it would prove that he was a man of great potential.
Seeing that Li Lin understood, Lia let him go back first to reunite with his family.
After Li Lin left, Merlin stepped out from the corner.
"Merlin, you heard what I just said. However, I am still worried about this point. You know that the method of making gunpowder is too easy and can be easily mastered, so I'll have to trouble you with this." Lia said to Merlin, who was sitting on a straw mat to the side.
"That is no problem at all." To Merlin, this was but a small matter; he only needed to cast a bit of illusion so that others could not see through it.
The two of them spoke much more after that. Lia also handed the books she had written to Merlin, asking him to see if there was anything he could produce in advance.
Ideally, items that could be used in daily life.
Merlin was also very surprised after reading these books. The one titled 'Refining All Things by Indigenous Methods' astonished him even more; he had never known that everything in this world was so miraculous.
He didn't know how Lia had obtained the methods for these things, but he didn't ask. Because Lia had shown herself to be extraordinary since childhood, always liking to tinker with strange things, he had already grown accustomed to it.
Regarding this 'Refining All Things by Indigenous Methods' of Lia's, he could produce many of the things if he spent a little time on them. It was just that there were some things even he didn't understand and could only ask Lia about.
If only that fellow Morgan could come over... Merlin suddenly thought of that witch. That witch's crafting ability was quite a bit stronger than his.
But thinking of that witch's personality, Merlin shook his head again. That woman's desire for power was too strong; it wouldn't be a good thing for her to come here.
Moreover, when Lia talked about this woman, there was strong dissatisfaction in her words. He didn't know what had happened between the two that night, causing Lia's resentment to be so strong whenever that woman was mentioned.
Lia thought for a moment and suddenly asked, "Merlin, what do you think of this country with such a long history?"
"What do you mean?" Merlin didn't quite understand.
"You know this country's history is very long. Do you think those old monsters might suddenly appear?" It could be said that the only thing Lia currently worried about was those immortals.
"That won't happen. According to my estimation, although immortals might exist in this country, due to the counter force, they will not appear in the world at will in order to maintain their own Mystery. That would cause their Mystery to decline, so they are basically in a state of seclusion." Merlin said after some thought.
"Just like you? Your true body can only hide inside Avalon?" Lia asked curiously.
"Something like that." Merlin smiled; this was currently just a clone.
Hearing Merlin say this, Lia felt relieved. As long as those immortals didn't take action against her, no one in this era would be her match.
After all, she was a combination of human and dragon; fighting ordinary people was no problem. This country of Huaxia was different from Europe; children of gods were actually very, very few. Those who were famous were basically just some martial generals, but those generals didn't carry mythological colors. It could be said that basically no one would be her opponent.
If one were to talk about famous generals in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it would be the Prince of Lanling, but that fellow hadn't even been born yet.
Of course, Liu Yu, the founding emperor of the Liu Song Dynasty, was also fierce, but he was already dead.
And Tuoba Tao, the emperor of Northern Wei, was also a fierce man, but he was destined to die at this time next year, killed by a eunuch he trusted.
It could be said that looking through the entire history of Huaxia, there was no lack of fierce men. But these fierce men were not from the same era as Lia; they were either already dead or not yet born.
A situation like the Three Kingdoms, where the stars shone as brightly as a galaxy, was basically impossible to reappear. Generally, only a few fierce men would emerge in each dynasty.
The advantage is mine!
Next, Lia sent someone to call Lin Beizhong over.
Lin Beizhong was originally a merchant. After Lia took revenge for him, he was now entirely Lia's man.
Chapter Thirty-Three: Methods of Making Money
"Mr. Lin, I called you here this time because I actually have something I need you to help me with." Lia said directly.
"My Lord, I do not know what you need me to do, but as long as you speak, no matter what it is, I will do my best to complete it." Lin Beizhong immediately swore his loyalty to Lia.
"Rest assured, Mr. Lin, I certainly won't ask you to do any highway robbery. I remember you were a merchant before, right?" Lia asked.
"Yes, previously I was always traveling back and forth between several places on the province's borders, doing some small business. Unfortunately..." Lin Beizhong nodded, then sighed again, likely thinking of his wife and daughter.
"I called you here this time hoping you would help me go to other regions to collect niter and sulfur with all your might. Can you do that?" Lia asked.
"I understand. However, I do not know how much of these two materials my Lord needs?" Lin Beizhong asked.
"The more the better. However, one thing you need to be careful of is that you cannot let others know that I asked you to collect them. Instead, collect them in your own name. When the time comes, however much funding you need, I will have someone allocate it to you." Lia said after thinking.
At this time, these things were just medicinal materials; no one knew their true use, so the price would not be very expensive.
"I understand." Lin Beizhong nodded.
After finishing her instructions to Lin Beizhong, Lia lowered her head and began to think. Although she had recently plundered many Aristocratic Families, money was something that would eventually run out.
And Liang Province was among the regions with the smallest populations. If she relied purely on taxes from Common People, there would certainly not be much money. At this time, she had to think of items that could quickly seize gold and silver in this era.
If one were to ask what Liang Province produced in abundance?
That would naturally be war horses!
But war horses were strategic resources; selling them to others was equivalent to aiding the enemy. At least for now, she couldn't do that. Thus, Liang Province had no good things left.
Lia closed her eyes and pondered for a while, thinking about what Liang Province had the most of.
"Got it!" After thinking for a while, Lia quickly thought of what Western Liang had the most of.
The thing Western Liang had the most of was sand!
Over in Dunhuang, the sky was full of wind and sand. So, what use did sand have in this era?
To the people of this world, it was of no use at all. But to Lia, sand meant wealth!
Sand could not only be used to manufacture glass but also to refine gold, and it could be mixed with cement; it was simply wealth among wealth. If this sand wasn't utilized, it would be a real waste!
Thinking of those money-making methods, a smile immediately appeared on Lia's face.
Lia was in no hurry to set out over these two days. Instead, she first handled the matters of those Aristocratic Families in the city. This time, she didn't go on a killing spree but instead punished all those in charge and threw them all into prison.