Chapter 45: Meeting Long Before They Knew

The hardships of the old Qin people must never be forgotten. How arduous the journey of the former State of Qin was! To survive the strife among the various states, the only way was to implement reforms and strive for national strength.

The spirit of the old Qin people must be forever remembered. This is the primary lesson taught to the children studying at Jingye County. Prince Gao, who studies in Jingye County, must not only excel in his own learning but also ensure that his younger brothers and sisters embody the spirit of the old Qin people.

As for why they must learn this, in Prince Gao's understanding, it is the elder brother's hope that people will not fear setbacks, remaining courageous and fearless.

On the other side of Xianyang Palace, Fusu boarded the carriage leaving Xianyang City.

However, as soon as they passed the city gates, the carriage came to a halt.

"My Lord, the Chancellor is here."

Hearing this, Fusu lifted the carriage curtain and saw Tian An still holding the reins. The black horse pulling the carriage was impatiently pawing the ground with its hooves.

Fusu glanced sideways and saw Chancellor Li Si standing alongside Feng Jie.

One was the former Commandant of Justice of Great Qin, a high-ranking official among the Nine Ministers, who had now ascended to the position of Chancellor.

The other was one of the current Nine Ministers of Great Qin, the Commandant of Justice, Feng Jie.

Seeing these two standing together, Fusu always had a lingering suspicion that they were conspiring to harm someone.

For a Chancellor and a Commandant of Justice to join forces against a single individual was far too easy—someone among the scholars of Qi and Lu, for instance.

However, Fusu quickly dismissed the thought. Would his teacher need to ally with the Commandant of Justice just to deal with one person?

That would be far too petty.

If his teacher truly intended to deal with Chunyu Yue, Chunyu Yue's manner of death would surely be quite spectacular; there would be no need to ally with the Commandant of Justice, nor would there be any necessity for it at all.

Fusu smiled and said, "Fusu pays his respects to Teacher and the Commandant of Justice."

Li Si raised his head to look at the prince, who was standing on the carriage shaft instead of dismounting, and asked, "Is the Prince heading out to supervise the construction of the river canals?"

The teacher's voice was not particularly low, likely so that those around would know that this was Prince Fusu, and that was Prince Fusu's teacher.

The virtuous Prince Fusu was going to repair the canals, and the Chancellor of Great Qin was seeing him off.

Naturally, many gazes from the surrounding crowd turned toward them.

Fusu was quite willing to indulge his teacher's intentions and replied, "Indeed."

Among the surrounding pedestrians, some nodded while others spoke in low whispers.

Li Si looked up at the prince and said, "Should you have any needs, the Prince may issue commands as you see fit."

The teacher had practically stated that with just a single word from him, the entire imperial court and the common folk would come to assist.

The special treatment accorded to a Prince of Great Qin went without saying, but what harm was there in letting outsiders witness it?

Only then did Fusu step back into the carriage, signaling Tian An to drive on.

Following behind were two more carriages carrying the furniture and books the prince needed to bring along.

The carriages traveled further and further along the official highway. Li Si continued standing at the city gate, watching the departing vehicle until it faded from sight.

Feng Jie remained standing beside him, cooperating with the Chancellor.

The surrounding pedestrians had already dispersed.

Well, this was convenient; it would likely not be long before everyone in Xianyang City knew that Prince Fusu had gone to repair the canals today.

After all, the romantic tale of Prince Fusu repairing the Xianyang Bridge had already spread throughout Xianyang City and even the Guanzhong region; perhaps even Luoyang to the east had heard of it.

Yet with Chancellor Li Si standing at the city gate, it would inevitably create the impression among the people that Chancellor Li Si was personally supporting Prince Fusu.

Feng Jie followed behind Li Si with a pensive look on his face.

Once outside Xianyang City, the carriage moved at an increasingly brisk pace along the official road.

Fusu perused the administrative scrolls in his hands, the rhythmic thud of warhorse hooves echoing in his ears.

Escorting them was once again the veteran General Xin Sheng.

Listening to the rumbling sound of hooves on both flanks—cavalrymen providing an escort—manifested the sheer might of the Great Qin iron cavalry.

The bitter winter had not yet passed, and the wind in Guanzhong remained piercingly cold. As early as late autumn, Guanzhong had experienced a heavy snowfall that lasted for days.

Tian An drove the carriage at a steady, unhurried pace. Their destination was the western side of Ningqin County, which roughly marked the termination point of the Jingye Canal.

General Meng Tian's younger brother, Meng Yi, or perhaps generals like Zhang Han—wait, General Zhang Han was at the upper reaches of the Jingye Canal, Zhang Cang was at the middle section, and he himself was heading to the final stretch.

If the engineering work proceeded smoothly, this final section of the canal should now be under excavation. Once linked up with Linjin County, the entire continuous canal would be officially completed.

Fusu examined the official records in his hands. This time, over thirty thousand corvée laborers had been mobilized for the canal digging, all drafted from various counties. The vast majority of them were farming families from the drylands at the southern foot of Mount Shangyan; from that single dryland region alone, two thousand men had been drafted.

Among them were youths of fourteen or fifteen, while men of fifty or sixty years of age were still counted as able-bodied laborers.

Additionally, sixteen thousand laborers had been drafted from Luoyang. Once these laborers were conscripted into Guanzhong, they would inevitably settle down there permanently in the future; this formed part of the population migration plan.

In truth, no matter how one calculated the ledger, this investment was exceptionally worthwhile. The cost of three to fifty thousand men could reclaim tens of thousands of *qing* of fertile land, producing enough grain to sustain hundreds of thousands of lives and benefiting generation after generation.

Was this not a profitable endeavor?

Only with fields could there be grain.

Only with grain could there be people, for land flourished because of human habitation.

Land without people was utterly worthless.

Fusu opened another bundle beside him. These were transcripts copied from the Imperial Archivist's Office, numbering over a dozen volumes.

They were all local gazetteers of the various counties in Guanzhong. Guanzhong required more arable land in order to absorb a larger population, allowing more and more people to dwell in Guanzhong and establish their homes there.

Only thus could Guanzhong grow truly strong.

Ever since the strife among the feudal states, countries had instituted reforms to vie for supremacy and strength; reforms were meant for strengthening the nation.

Without reforms, without self-strengthening, one would be swallowed and carved up by the other states.

The Qin people had deeply experienced the humiliation of the various states attempting to partition Qin's territories.

Therefore, whether through word of mouth among the old Qin people or otherwise, this spirit must at least never be forgotten.

The county gazetteers recorded in the scrolls detailed population fluctuations, which was one of Fusu's primary daily studies in statecraft recently.

In truth, the current population of Guanzhong still fell short of its peak prosperity prior to the State of Qin's expansion eastward.

Coupled with the current northern and southern strategic situations, the population remained insufficient.

Fusu gazed out of the carriage window at the expansive Guanzhong Plain, a myriad of complex emotions churning in his heart.

After the excavation of the Zheng Guo Canal, the population of Guanzhong had risen once, but subsequent wars had depleted it yet again.

To this day, it had not yet recovered its vitality.

To secure a foundation, one could not simply wait idly; they had to actively absorb population.

During the era of interstate strife, the migration of commoners was quite frequent, and people had even grown accustomed to this nomadic lifestyle.

As long as this trend persisted, Fusu believed that with the talents of the Chancellor and Zhang Cang, increasing Guanzhong's population by another half a million should pose no difficulty.

In this manner, Guanzhong would boast a population of one million.

Gradually, making Guanzhong the center of the realm would no longer be a difficult task.

As long as Guanzhong's grain reserves could sustain a population of one million.

To the fierce generals of Great Qin, as long as there was enough grain to support a million souls, a northern expedition to annihilate the Xiongnu would likewise be well within reach.

By the time they neared Ningqin County, night had already fallen.

The carriage slowly came to a halt, and the sound of hooves on both sides ceased, leaving only the occasional snort of horses in the chilly wind.

Fusu stepped down from the carriage and saw a troop of soldiers waiting to greet him.

Veteran General Xin Sheng stepped forward to make inquiries and then came to report, "My Lord, this is Sima Xin, the County Assistant of Ningqin County."

"Your servant Sima Xin specifically comes to welcome the Prince!"

The other party's voice was loud and clear. Fusu looked around and asked, "Is this the territory of Ningqin County?"

Sima Xin bowed with his hands cupped, bending low with his head lowered, and said, "My Lord, this place is not yet within the territory of Ningqin County, but among all the counties, Ningqin County is the closest to this spot."

Beside the road flowed the Luo River, the sound of the flowing water echoing pleasantly in the night air.

Fusu sighed in the cold wind and said, "To come out and greet me in such freezing weather—you have gone to much trouble."

The Prince's tone was calm, consisting of merely a short sentence.

Sima Xin, along with the men from his county, stood aside, uncertain how to reply.

Even Sima Xin himself began to feel that he had erred, that he should not have come out here to welcome the Prince.

Before the court adjourned for the winter recess, officials had distributed the planned route of the Jingye Canal to all the counties.

Hearing that Prince Fusu would be coming here, Sima Xin had arrived early to make preparations.

Raising his head once more, he saw the Prince and the escorting general pitching their tents.

Perhaps the Prince thought him, Sima Xin, overly eager—too anxious to curry favor and seize merit.

Yet so what? Sima Xin had witnessed Hanyang County transition from prosperity to desolation, with more and more people fleeing to Xianyang.

Sima Xin deeply believed that in a person's lifetime, opportunities to alter one's destiny were exceedingly rare.

He needed to seize every single chance.

Even if the Prince ignored him, Sima Xin remained standing beside the carriage, waiting for the Prince to speak.

"County Assistant, it is getting late."

Sima Xin glanced at the county officials shivering in the cold wind and spoke in a low voice, "All of you return. When you get back, inform the Magistrate that I shall return in a few days."

The group of county clerks and tax officials looked at one another in dismay.

In truth, whether Sima Xin returned or not mattered little, nor was there any real need to inform the Magistrate. During the winter hibernation season, people were reluctant to venture outdoors, and the county offices were quite leisurely.

Had they not been dragged here by the County Assistant, they would never have wished to travel during the dead of winter.

After a brief discussion among themselves, they gradually dispersed, leaving Sima Xin standing alone by the carriage.

As the night deepened, the wind grew fiercer.

Numerous tents had been pitched around, and the Prince resided in the tent illuminated by the brightest firelight.

Before long, a tall imperial attendant walked over swiftly.

Noticing that the man appeared to be heading straight for him, Sima Xin stepped back half a pace.

The tall attendant then entered the carriage and retrieved a bundle stuffed full of official documents.

As he stepped down from the carriage, Tian An noticed the man standing behind and asked, "Where are the others?"

Sima Xin bowed and respectfully replied, "The night wind is cold, so I told them to return first."

Tian An, holding the bundle in one hand, added, "Come along. The Prince will see you."

Sima Xin gave a slight nod, straightened his robes, and followed closely behind.

Upon entering the tent, Sima Xin immediately felt a wave of warmth. He caught sight of several wooden chests filled to the brim with bamboo slips.

Raising his head again, he saw the tall attendant whispering a few words into the Prince's ear.

Sima Xin noticed that the Prince's expression was grave, devoid of any playfulness, and his gaze carried an assessing weight.

Fusu spoke: "Ningqin County has been rather well-governed of late."

Sima Xin bowed and said, "Your servant has not served in Ningqin County for long, and makes a fool of himself before the Prince."

Fusu picked up an apricot kernel and chewed it thoughtfully.

Sima Xin continued, "My Lord, Ningqin County lies behind Hangu Pass and serves as a vital gateway into Guanzhong. Your servant believes that Ningqin County should be developed into a prosperous county."

Fusu chewed the kernel, took a sip of hot water from the cup beside him, and gave Tian An a subtle look.

Understanding the cue, Tian An handed Sima Xin a wooden folding stool and a bowl of hot water, saying in a low voice, "County Assistant, drink some hot water to ward off the cold."

"Thank you, My Lord."

With that, Sima Xin first bowed, then took a sip of the hot water. Drawing a scroll of writings from his bosom, he said, "Your servant has formulated a strategy which I wish to present to the Prince."

Tian An took the scroll from Sima Xin's hands.

Looking back at Prince Fusu, he remained seated, reading his book while chewing on an apricot kernel.

Tian An added, "Quarters have been arranged in the military camp; the County Assistant may rest here for the night."

Sima Xin nodded and bowed once more.

Walking out of the Prince's grand tent with a fluttering heart, Sima Xin followed a subordinate military commander to a designated tent.

Several armored soldiers were lying down inside the tent.

The commander who led him there remarked, "This is the only place available for rest."

Sima Xin surveyed the conditions inside the tent and remained standing in place without a word.

The commander added, "You may also return to Ningqin County and come back tomorrow."

Sima Xin cast another glance at the Prince's tent, clenched his teeth, and said, "Many thanks."

The commander nodded and departed.

"At least it is better than freezing outside." Sima Xin stepped into the tent and lay down sideways on the floorboards.

However, with three armored soldiers already sleeping there, the moment he lay down, various heavy odors assaulted his senses.

Sima Xin closed his eyes, furrowing his brow as he endured the stench, remaining in his sideways position.

After a sleepless night, Sima Xin woke up early, washed his face with river water, and wiped it with his sleeve.

Struck by the chilling morning breeze, Sima Xin gathered his resolve anew. He believed that if he seized this plan, his life would take a different trajectory.

They all said Prince Fusu was virtuous; the governance strategy he had submitted last night was the fruit of years of hard work.

Once the Prince read it, he would surely grant him another audience.

The sky began to pale, and a streak of white light emerged in the eastern firmament.

The white light slowly spilled out from between the peaks of Mount Xiao, until it turned golden, casting its gentle radiance across the vast expanse of the Guanzhong plain.

Sima Xin caught sight of the Prince once more. Prince Fusu, escorted by a troop of soldiers, was heading toward the excavation site of the canal.

Standing in place, Sima Xin felt a twinge of bewilderment. Could it be that the Prince had not read his proposal?

With his anxiety mounting, Sima Xin paced back and forth on the spot.

Yet the Prince had gone to the canal where the laborers toiled, and even as noon arrived, there was no sign of his return.

Sima Xin simply sat and waited, figuring that perhaps the Prince would return by nightfall.

What followed next, however, left Sima Xin completely at a loss. The armored soldiers stationed here also headed off to the canal works, and even the Prince's carriage and tents were packed up and removed.

"Is the Prince returning to the palace?" Sima Xin stepped forward to ask.

Those armored soldiers paid him no mind, instead hauling cartloads of goods away from the site.

Seeing that they offered no answers, and reluctant to wait here alone, Sima Xin cast a glance back toward the direction of Ningqin County. Recalling the scene of the previous night, he clenched his teeth, mustered his courage, and followed a good distance behind the soldiers.

The soldiers did not walk particularly fast, and Sima Xin heard them distinctly discussing how tonight they would apparently... get to eat the delicious food bestowed by the Prince?

Sima Xin felt a flicker of doubt in his heart. Did this mean the Prince had not returned to the palace at all?

The canal construction site was indeed not far from Ningqin County; after walking five li, they arrived. Excavating five li southward from this point constituted the final stretch of the Jingye Canal.

The entire canal project was divided into three sections: General Meng Yi—no, General Zhang Han supervised one section, Imperial Archivist Zhang Cang managed the middle section, and Prince Fusu was tasked with supervising the final stretch.

Running from north to south, once all three sections were excavated and linked together, the complete Jingye Canal would be formed.

When Sima Xin arrived at the site, he saw from afar that a building was under construction, and the armored soldiers who had escorted the Prince were all gathered here.

"Since the Prince accepted the submitted writings, he will definitely grant me an audience. If the Prince had no intention of assisting, he wouldn't even have accepted the scroll."

Should the Prince have any confusion regarding the strategies within, he, Sima Xin, was fully prepared to explain them.

Sima Xin stroked his short beard, his gaze scanning the crowd.

"County Assistant?"

Hearing a voice beside him, Sima Xin, who had been standing on tiptoe, snapped back to reality.

To his surprise, the tall imperial attendant was standing right beside him.

Sima Xin bowed respectfully and asked, "Does the Prince have any instructions?"

Tian An handed back the scroll. "This is the book you handed to the Prince last night. The Prince has read it, made several amendments, and written numerous admonitions. The Prince's intent is to hope that the County Assistant will keep his feet on the ground, diligently study the administration of the people's livelihood, and that Great Qin will never fail any official who performs his duty with utmost dedication."

Dazed, Sima Xin took the scroll.

Tian An turned and left immediately, for the Prince had instructed him to say no more than that.

Sima Xin harbored many doubts and suspicions, but after a long while, he unrolled the bamboo slips and read the contents line by line.

Although it was a clear day, the cold wind blew incessantly. Sima Xin stood rooted to the spot for a full hour without moving, his robes fluttering in the wind, holding the bamboo slip and staring intently at the text.

In the end, with bloodshot eyes, Sima Xin read every single word. The Prince had dismantled his essay piece by piece, dissecting every insight from the inside out.

The Prince had not only explained every single point he had written but also pointed out the errors.

A look of anguish crossed Sima Xin's face. He read it over and over again, countless times, and upon careful reflection, he found himself realizing that what the Prince had written was indeed correct.

Especially one particular sentence: *Governing a city or a locality is never a matter of high-sounding words coupled with low-level execution.*

Sima Xin chewed on these words repeatedly, suddenly feeling his face burn with shame and mortification.

As the cold wind swept past, Sima Xin raised his head and sighed deeply: his learning acquired over half a lifetime fell far short of the Prince's.

Late at night, the gates of the Ningqin County office were slowly pushed open. The tax official, who was feeding the horses, looked up and peered closely at the figure approaching through the gloom, recognizing it to be none other than their County Assistant.

He hurried forward to inquire, only to see the County Assistant holding a scroll of writings, walking into the compound with a vacant expression, before shuffling weakly into his room and shutting the door.

The tax official gazed at the silhouette cast by the lamplight—the silhouette of the County Assistant, Sima Xin.

The County Assistant seemed utterly abnormal today. Fearing that the County Assistant might do something desperate to himself, the tax official kept watch by the stables all night, checking on Sima Xin from time to time.

When daylight broke once more, rumors began to circulate throughout Ningqin County.

An elderly woman whispered to a petty official, "Did that Prince Fusu refuse to accept your County Assistant?"

"Alas..." The petty official sighed first, then glanced toward the county office and lowered his voice, "What manner of man is Prince Fusu? Would he lower his eyes to look at him?"

Satisfied after prying out the gossip, the gossipy woman left happily to share the news with her neighbors.

During the freezing winter, the people of Ningqin County stayed indoors, and people during the hibernation season were terribly idle—so idle they had nothing to do, making the affairs of County Assistant Sima Xin prime conversational fodder.

When the bitter winter finally receded and the weather grew slightly warmer, Guanzhong had gone half a month without snow, and people felt the biting winter had finally passed.

Elderly folks calculated the season, and the county government posted notices indicating that the spring of the new year had arrived.

Even though it had not snowed for half a month and Guanzhong had enjoyed clear skies for that duration, freezing rain began to fall from the skies once again.

The bitter winter had indeed passed, but the farming season was still far off.

This winter had been bizarrely protracted; even the veteran farmers of Guanzhong felt this season was exceptionally long.

Yet recently, another piece of news drifted out of Ningqin County: the County Assistant Sima Xin had lately been frequently running about visiting various households to inquire about their conditions, having nearly questioned all eleven townships in the entire county.

No one knew what on earth the County Assistant was up to. Later, people discovered that County Assistant Sima Xin sat in his room day after day, writing incessantly, rarely stepping outside except for meals and answering nature's call.

This caused the people of the county to grow worried, fearing that the County Assistant might fall ill.

To the east of Ningqin County.

The excavation of the Jingye Canal continued, with individual vertical shafts now taking shape.

By the banks of the Luo River, under the guidance of veteran General Xin Sheng, Fusu was practicing with a *ji* (halberd).

Fusu swung the heavy halberd in his hands with a powerful sweep, the sound of the halberd cutting through the air clearly audible.

Xin Sheng instructed, "The Prince need not hold back his strength. When striking an enemy, one must put their full force into it."

Hearing this, Fusu gripped the heavy halberd with both hands and thrust it forward, piercing straight through a straw dummy.

Xin Sheng stroked his beard, nodded with a smile, and asked, "Why has the Prince modified this halberd into such a shape?"

Fusu withdrew the weapon and explained, "It feels much smoother to use this way, and easier to exert force."

To be precise, this was indeed no longer the original halberd of Qin, nor was it a dagger-axe (*ge*).

Fusu had modified it; in truth, this was a *maoshuo* (heavy cavalry spear), a heavy long-handled weapon designed for cavalry.

Xin Sheng took the *maoshuo*, brandished it a few times, and remarked, "Indeed! It is smoother to wield."

Cavalry duels frequently relied on heavy weaponry, and the *maoshuo* had once played a vital role among heavy cavalry armaments.

In truth, Qin's craftsmanship was exceptionally refined, especially regarding weaponry.

Therefore, this *maoshuo* had been crafted precisely by modifying a standard Qin halberd.

Xin Sheng brandished the *maoshuo* and thrust it a few times into the straw dummy, pushing forward after impact to repeatedly test its handling.

Fusu, meanwhile, sat down to the side and poured himself a cup of cooled water.

Tian An hurried over and reported, "My Lord, Sima Xin..."

Listening to Tian An recount Sima Xin's recent behavior, Fusu simply said, "I know."

Tian An stepped aside, continuing to watch the water boiling in the stove. The Prince disliked officials who engaged in sycophancy; the Prince favored down-to-earth officials. The Prince disliked flatterers; the Prince appreciated officials capable of accomplishing practical work for the country.

Watching General Xin Sheng practice with the *maoshuo*, Fusu pondered inwardly: Sima Xin had claimed that Ningqin County leaned against Mount Hua, situated to its northern slopes, bordered the Yellow River to the north, and connected to Hangu Pass to the east.

Flanked by the Yellow River yet lacking in arable land, he wished to leverage the Yellow River and the ancient highway—the mandatory route for traveling eastward out of the passes—to establish a marketplace in Ningqin County.

Sima Xin was still being far too idealistic, presuming that merely building a marketplace would bring prosperity to Ningqin County.

Developing Jingye County alone was already enough to give Fusu a headache.

Let alone overseeing tens of thousands of corvée laborers and ensuring logistical support for them.

Fusu genuinely lacked the mental energy to entertain Sima Xin's "grand ideals," so in the end, he had simply pointed out the flaws in his plan and tossed it back to him, leaving whatever he could accomplish to his own fate.

If this fellow truly intended to defect to Xiang Liang, he would have the Chancellor eliminate him first.

The Chancellor would undoubtedly be most happy to oblige.

Having finished his morning exercise, Fusu commenced his daily workload.

As a Prince of Great Qin and holding the crucial post of Assistant to the Lesser Treasury, he was now very close to securing a position among the Nine Ministers of Great Qin.

Fusu believed that as long as he performed his current duties well, he could wield even greater authority.

The battalion commanders under General Xin Sheng were supervising the laborers.

However, no sooner had the construction begun than various problems arose: some laborers fell ill, some fought among themselves, others quarreled over food rations, and some even concealed their illnesses.

Fusu looked over these trivial matters one by one, holding a brush in one hand while supporting his forehead with the other.

The corvée laborers here were not domestic servants from Mount Shangyan; some were local ruffians from various villages and counties, others might be close relatives of local county officials, or perhaps men with powerful backers.

A subordinate commander under Xin Sheng stood nearby, holding the *maoshuo* in one hand. He genuinely liked this weapon—it handled so smoothly! If he were in the army, he would gladly serve as a halberd-bearing guard outside the old general's tent.

Xin Sheng took the report handed over by the Prince, glanced at it, and nodded.

The veteran general selected one of the scrolls and issued an order: "Listen well."

The halberd-bearing commander stepped forward. "This subordinate is here."

The old general handed the roster over to him and said in a deep voice, "There are nineteen men listed on this roster who engaged in private brawls during the canal construction. Have the military commanders arrest them, drag them out before everyone, and administer fifty lashes with the whip. If anyone dares to cause trouble again, send them to Xianyang for imprisonment."

Xin Sheng picked up another roster and continued, "Scatter the men on this roster and assign them to Imperial Archivist Zhang Cang, who is managing the construction at Linjin County. As for the remaining seven, distribute them to Zhang Han."

"Does the old general worry these laborers will conspire to cause trouble?"

"Fellow villagers gathering together are most prone to causing trouble."

"This subordinate understands."

"And another thing." He picked up yet another roll and instructed, "There are fifty men on this one who performed exceptionally well during the canal construction. Have an extra three *dou* of grain delivered to each of their households."

"This subordinate obeys the command."

The canal construction abruptly halted. The laborers looked around at one another in curiosity; one of the men who had been fighting that morning remained clueless as to what was happening, craning his neck to look about.

Suddenly, a pair of large hands reached out, hauled the man up, dragged him along the ground for a distance, and forced him flat onto the earth.

Immediately following this, the sharp cracking of whips resounded through the air.

One man after another was dragged out, whips lashed down mercilessly, and cries of agony echoed endlessly.

Tian An watched the scene from afar with a smile. "The old general's military discipline remains as strict as ever."

Xin Sheng sighed. "Alas, this old general is getting old; I am not what I used to be."

Fusu, who was reviewing the rosters nearby, stopped chewing his apricot kernel upon hearing these words, suddenly discerning a detail from the nuances of their conversation.

So Tian An and veteran General Xin Sheng had known each other for many years?

Upon reflection, Fusu grew increasingly suspicious. It turned out... Tian An and the old general were of a similar age.