Chapter 578: Xiahou Yong and Jiang Yiqing, New Officials Taking Office |
The eighth day of the first month, midnight.
Great Xia, north bank of the Ying River.
Speaking of it, it has only been five years since Great Xia expanded eastward. Yet in this short span of five years, seizing Bashang, annexing Jiangxia, controlling Muyin, then officially beginning the northern expedition at the end of last year, capturing Longgu, besieging Yangju, destroying Beishuo, defeating the allied forces of Jinshan and Wuchuan, unifying the Southern Foothills region, and even the three consecutive victories against Caiqiu after the new year, shaking the entire Mo'ao Chuan...
Great Xia has done far, far too many things in these five years.
The rapid expansion of territory, the explosive growth of population, resources increasing at a visible rate to the point of overflowing... All of this, psychologically, naturally fills the Xia people with immense excitement. In practical terms, it makes the overall strength of the Xia people grow stronger and stronger.
For the perilous land of the Ice Abyss, greater strength means fewer restrictions, especially spatial limitations.
In the early days of the Earthen Slope period, it was a luxury for the Xia people to even step out of the caves. But now, with the construction of the Xia Straight Roads, the Xia people don't even need cultivation. Even a five or six-year-old child, accompanied by parents, can travel freely across the vast territory of Great Xia.
Of course, this "free travel" also carries certain risks.
Although the Xia Straight Roads are regularly maintained by local garrison troops, they are ultimately just snow-covered passages built from a mixture of wood and iron. Small Torches can ward off Abominations, but their characteristic of attracting Frost Beasts dictates they cannot be laid out extensively. Furthermore, they are one of Great Xia's relatively important resources, not infinite in supply. As Great Xia's territory grows larger, the scale of the Straight Roads becomes increasingly astonishing. No matter how many Small Torches are produced, it's never enough.
If the Straight Roads still pose a certain risk for the Xia people, then the various outposts within Great Xia's territory connected by these roads undoubtedly minimize that risk to the lowest level.
"Besides the capital, Xia City, our Great Xia administers 282 outposts across its entire territory. These outposts are further subdivided into three levels: city, town, and village.
Cities have populations of over 200,000 each, with a permanent garrison of 20,000 Town Garrison Army troops. During peacetime in the camp, designated armies also take turns garrisoning the major cities. Additionally, all major cities establish Eight-Department government offices to govern the surrounding small towns and villages.
Small towns have populations of over 50,000 each, with a permanent garrison of 5,000 Town Garrison Army troops. These are what we Xia people used to call large outposts. Three years ago, the Chuishan split triggered the Nine Towns Alliance. After the alliance concluded, our Great Xia had effectively annexed the three towns of Jiangxia, Chuishan, and Muyin. At that time, the number of outposts within our territory surged sharply. The Eight Departments were short-staffed and could no longer maintain the eight-office structure in all major outposts. Considering functional needs, only three offices were established: Defense, Military, and Camp Supply, all under the jurisdiction of the superior three departments of the city to which the town belongs.
As for the smallest villages, populations are basically above 5,000, with a permanent garrison of 500 Town Garrison Army troops. Only one Garrison Commander is established to have full authority over village affairs..."
Mid-section of the north bank of the Ying River, Qinghe Town. A yellowish-brown carriage slowly drove in through the main gate. Inside the carriage sat nine people: two young couples and five children clustered around them.
The oldest of the five children was no more than seven, the youngest only one or two years old, wrapped tightly in blankets and held in the arms of the two young women.
The young man on the left was patiently explaining the situation of Great Xia's outposts to the three half-grown children. But the three kids kept pulling open the carriage curtain to look outside, unable to sit still at all. It was clearly a case of casting pearls before swine.
Seeing the children distracted, the young man on the left showed displeasure on his face. He turned his gaze to the oldest, Xiahou Xuan, clearly intending to scold him.
"Ah Yong, forget it. They're still young. Teaching them now is useless anyway..."
Seeing his nephew about to be scolded, Jiang Yiqing quickly stepped in to help defuse the situation, drawing Xiahou Yong's attention. Then he changed the subject, lowering his voice, "Logically speaking, our strength isn't particularly outstanding, and our seniority is still shallow. We've only been training in the Defense Department for a year. To be exceptionally promoted as Garrison Commanders of Jinbi and Longhe villages... it seems Great-grandfather and Great-granduncle Xiahou have achieved significant accomplishments in Chencang."
Xiahou Yong nodded upon hearing this, then fell silent again.
Jiang Yiqing was a fifth-generation descendant of the Jiang clan. The "Great-grandfather" he mentioned was the eldest second-generation Patriarch of the Jiang clan, Jiang Xinfan, currently lurking in Chencang. And "Great-granduncle Xiahou" naturally referred to the Xiahou clan's Patriarch, Xiahou Zhang.
Actually, as early as the tenth year of Great Xia, before the Chuishan Alliance, Jiangxia had initially integrated into Great Xia. The Jiang and Xiahou clans, as the two pillar families of Jiangxia, naturally had their clan members among the first batch to relocate to Xia City. Xiahou Yong and his good brother Jiang Yiqing had already lived in Xia City for nearly three years.
However, compared to those exceptionally talented descendants in their clans, the two of them were rather unremarkable. They had always followed the prescribed steps in cultivation to grow stronger. Finally, when their strength met the standard, relying on their clan connections, they gained some experience in the Eight Departments of Great Xia's outer city. They endured until now to have this opportunity to govern a region independently.
Saying they "endured" isn't entirely accurate. As Jiang Yiqing said, if not for the connections of Patriarch Xiahou Zhang and Great-granduncle Jiang Xinfan, forget about the two of them, even the top talents of their two clans would find it extremely difficult to rise to prominence.
Thinking that he was almost thirty-five this year and still had to rely on senior clan members fighting outside to exchange for this opportunity to rise, Xiahou Yong's heart was filled with shame, yet also an indescribable sense of helplessness.
In today's Great Xia, there were simply too many geniuses. And his own aptitude was truly too unremarkable. Forget comparing with those top prodigies in Xia City, even within the Xiahou clan, he wasn't considered outstanding.
Even now, his good brother Jiang Yiqing sitting opposite him, of similar age, had a base strength of 31 Zong, 3 Zong higher than his own.
If he didn't rely on his family, what else could he do?
Jiang Yiqing had grown up sharing the same pants with Xiahou Yong. Seeing his expression, he immediately knew what he was thinking. He shook his head, "Don't be resentful. This isn't Jiangxia City anymore. Honestly, without relying on elders, not only would we two have no chance to rise, even those top talents are the same..."
He paused here before continuing, "Yichen, you know him, right?"
Xiahou Yong immediately nodded upon hearing this. Jiang Yichen was considered the most dazzling genius of their two families, bar none, even stronger than his own sister Xiahou Qingqing. Three years ago, he secured tenth place in the youth division of the Great Xia Martial Assembly, enjoying boundless glory. Including himself, none of the young descendants of the two clans weren't envious.
"Didn't he join the Dragon Garrison Captains? I heard from Qingqing that he became a captain as soon as he entered last year, and almost even became an eight-battalion Commander?"
Although his own aptitude wasn't great, Xiahou Yong had a younger sister, Xiahou Qingqing, who had the best aptitude among the fifth-generation descendants of the Xiahou clan. Plus, Xiahou Qingqing had married into the prestigious Xiao clan of Great Xia. He could occasionally hear some news about the Dragon Garrison Captains from his brother-in-law, Xiao Heng.
Jiang Yiqing shook his head, "In the Dragon Garrison Captains, everything depends on strength. The capable rise, the weak step down. Last September, he was defeated by a Xiang clan descendant within his own team. He lost his captain position long ago."
Xiahou Yong was stunned upon hearing this, instinctively wanting to ask something, but quickly figured it out, showing an understanding expression and remaining silent.
This was completely normal!
Last year, he had also heard from his brother-in-law Xiao Heng that the competition within the Dragon Garrison Captains was extremely fierce. Captains were replaced almost every month. Many people were even striving with all their might to charge for Commander positions. Xiao Heng, as a six-battalion Commander, had nearly been defeated by captains within his battalion several times.
"Xiang clan fifth-generation descendant, was it Xiang Chengchuan or Xiang Chenghai?"
"Xiang Chenghai. He's 26 this year, base strength already 39 Zong."
Hearing "39 Zong," Xiahou Yong first showed a look of shock, then let out a slight sigh.
There were too many prestigious families in Great Xia now. The local great clans included the Zhao, Xiao, Luo clans, plus a whole bunch of top aristocratic families like Yuan, Lin, Xu, Qiu, Yuwen, Hong, Zhu, Meng, and so on. The new generation descendants of these powerful clans, once they reached the appropriate age and matured, possessed terrifying strength.
There were also many top clans that merged into Great Xia around the same time as their two families, such as the Murong and Mu clans, and the Longgu Li clan, Jinshan Shangguan clan, Wuchuan Qin clan, who were about to move here soon...
In today's Xia City, geniuses kept emerging like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Cultivation breakthrough records in the Martial Arts Pavilion were refreshed almost every few months. In the martial assembly competitions of the year before last and last year, there were even cases of 14-year-olds impersonating 15-year-olds to compete, causing the Camp Supply Department to strengthen age screening for the assemblies and change the martial assembly competitions to be held once every five years.
If a genius like Jiang Yichen still found it difficult to advance, let alone people like him and Jiang Yiqing with less-than-outstanding aptitude. Thinking this way, the Garrison Commander position obtained through the efforts of senior clan members didn't seem so hard to accept anymore.
Setting aside the thoughts in his heart, Xiahou Yong looked at the bustling crowd on the streets of Qinghe Town and suddenly thought of something. He turned his head and whispered, "Actually, it's not just Great-grandfather and Great-granduncle who contributed. Many young descendants were promoted along with us this time. Do you know the reason?"
"Of course I know!"
Jiang Yiqing immediately nodded, then said, "This northern expedition was a great victory. The Southern Foothills region has now completely fallen into our Great Xia's hands. I heard from people in the inner city that the Defense Department suddenly gained over three hundred new outposts, including five major town-cities, plus over thirty original large military camps from the five towns..."
Adding so much new territory meant a large batch of new positions would open up. Promotions within Great Xia's Eight Departments consider both strength and seniority. A group of Garrison Chiefs and Garrison Commanders who performed well in the original Great Xia territory would all be promoted. The vacated positions then needed to be filled.
The core reason the two of them could become Garrison Commander of Jinbi and Garrison Commander of Longhe lay precisely here. Jiang Yiqing was well aware of this.
However, what Xiahou Yong wanted to say clearly wasn't just this.
His expression turned slightly serious. He lowered his voice another notch, leaning closer to Jiang Yiqing, "Just that alone wouldn't free up this many positions. Qingqing privately hinted to me that the Department Chancellor intends to establish the position of Prefect in major cities. The Prefect has the authority to command the eight offices. Although nominally under the Defense Department, they hold a third-rank title, equivalent to a Deputy Department Head."
Prefect!
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yiqing's expression froze momentarily, his breath instantly catching.
"The Department Chancellor... is planning to centralize power..."
Great Xia's management structure has always been a relatively clear three-tier system, with Department Chancellor Xia Chuan at the core. Xia Chuan commands the Eight Departments, which then respectively manage their subordinate eight offices.
However, with Great Xia's territory continuously expanding in recent years, the Eight Departments handled more and more affairs, their responsibilities grew, and various contradictions gradually began to surface. The most typical example was that the heads of the eight offices in major cities were all of equal rank, with no one having the final authority to make decisions.
In earlier years, the Defense Department established the position of Garrison Chief above the Garrison Commander, clearly stipulating that only during wartime or special periods did the Garrison Chief have the authority to command the eight offices of an outpost. Ordinarily, the Garrison Chief was of equal rank with the heads of the other seven offices.
This was a problem, especially as Great Xia's territory expanded rapidly in this round and was about to confront the Feudal Towns. If authority remained unclear as before, it would easily cause delays if any real problems arose.
Establishing the position of Prefect, in Jiang Yiqing's view, was very necessary. But if it was as Xiahou Yong said, this Prefect position the Department Chancellor intended to establish could directly command the local eight offices, be nominally under the Defense Department, and hold a third-rank title... Everyone in Great Xia knew that Department Head Yuan of the Defense Department was firmly in the Department Chancellor's faction. Such an arrangement clearly had ulterior motives.
"It seems the Eight Departments have been heavily courted and divided by Madam in recent years, their mutual conflicts deepening daily. The central Department Chancellor is losing control somewhat and wants to grasp local power through the Prefect position."
Jiang Yiqing had clearly hit the nail on the head. Xiahou Yong immediately nodded, a flicker of light in his eyes, "This is still just a proposal. It needs the Lord Leader's approval."
"With the great victory at Evergreen Valley, the Lord Leader intends to cease hostilities with Caiqiu. I heard negotiations are already underway. Once a formal ceasefire is reached and the Lord Leader returns, he will certainly reward merits for this northern expedition. If he approves the Department Chancellor's proposal, then this Prefect position will become a coveted prize..."
Jiang Yiqing's expression showed interest. Of course, he had no chance at a Prefect position himself. But he was only a fifth-generation descendant of the Jiang clan. Great-grandfather Jiang Xinfan was fully qualified. Also, the top descendants among the Jiang clan's third and fourth generations similarly had the qualifications to compete for Prefect.
"Great Xia's territory is vast. Excluding the various districts of the capital, currently the major cities are: Longshan, Wushuang, Zhaoyang, Hanqiong in Longyou; Wuyuan on the north bank of the Ying River; Hongmen at the eastern exit; Bashang, Jiangxia, Chuishan, Muyin; with the unification of the Southern Foothills region this time, the five major cities in the north have also been captured; plus the newly built Jiugu, Baisong, East Ridge, Dongchuan, and Jinyang in recent years, making a total of nineteen major cities. This round of territorial expansion is too exaggerated. The Department Chancellor will certainly build a batch of new cities in key locations, but the total likely won't exceed thirty. So the number of Prefect positions will probably be under thirty."
At this point, the answer was basically clear.
A glint of light appeared in Xiahou Yong's eyes, "Our Great Xia currently has only a little over fifty at the Sun Manifestation Level. Xia City's Eight Departments will take up a large portion. So the cultivation requirement for the Prefect position will most likely be lowered to the Warmth Realm. That is to say, the top-tier Warmth Realm cultivators are qualified to compete for Prefect!"
Great Xia's official selection values ability and seniority, but before both, there is a hard requirement: strength. This is due to the special environment of the Ice Abyss and is easy to understand.
No matter how high the seniority or how great the ability, if one's strength is lacking, it's like a castle in the air. Forget about sheltering a region on behalf of the Lord Leader, one couldn't even ensure their own safety. Furthermore, under the influence of the Ice Abyss's extremely harsh environment, human personalities are exceptionally fierce. Resorting to force is almost the norm. Officials without the backing of strength can't even control their subordinates, let alone govern the people?
"The Cultivation System Section of the Xia Rites states that only after base strength exceeds 60 Zong is breaking through to Sun Manifestation virtually assured. The higher the base strength during the Warmth Realm stage, the greater the power amplification after breakthrough. The top-tier Warmth Realm cultivators in our Great Xia currently have base strengths above 60 Zong. Many even intentionally hold back from breaking through. Calculating this way, many people meet the strength requirement. What will be heavily examined then is ability, seniority, and military merits from this northern expedition."
"Yue Feng, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Xiao Kangcheng, Zou Yuankai, Li Longkai, Li Yuankun, Liu Yuan, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Ying Xuan... Just the ones I can think of are a whole bunch. Don't even think about it. Unless both Great-grandfather and Great-granduncle Xiahou return, I estimate our two families producing one Prefect would be considered extremely lucky."
Xiahou Yong pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Indeed. The Jiang and Xiahou clans haven't been part of Great Xia for very long. Compared to Great Xia's old-timers, they truly have little advantage. Only Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan, relying on their Sun Manifestation Level cultivation, hold some status.
The key point is Jiang Xinfan is currently lurking in Chencang, and Great-grandfather Xiahou Zhang...
Thinking of this, a slightly strange expression appeared on Xiahou Yong's face. He leaned closer and spoke in an extremely low voice to Jiang Yiqing, "Yiqing, my Great-grandfather is not in Chencang, nor in Caiqiu. From what I know, he was sent by the Department Chancellor to the other two Feudatories in Mo'ao Chuan. I don't know specifically which one."
Jiang Yiqing's expression froze for a moment upon hearing this, but he quickly figured something out. A look of shock appeared in his pupils, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.
Great Xia had only just begun dealing with Caiqiu and Chencang, yet the Department Chancellor had already started making moves within the other two Feudatories so early!
"Gentlemen, we've arrived at Qinghe Post Station..."
While Jiang Yiqing was lost in thought, the slowly moving carriage suddenly stopped. Hearing the prompt from the laborer pulling the carriage, he realized with a start they had already reached their destination.
The two families disembarked from the carriage one after another. The two heads of household quickly settled their wives and children into the post station, then went together toward the town's government office.
They were here to assume their posts. Although Jinbi and Longhe villages weren't far from Hongmen City, their superior department was Qinghe Town. So the two needed to report first to Qinghe Town's government office before they could go to their assigned territories to take up their posts.
"Qinghe Town's Defense Office is under the jurisdiction of Hongmen. The person in charge is Hongmen's Deputy Garrison Chief, Cheng He. Since both Jinbi and Longhe villages are under the temporary administration of Qinghe Town, he will be our superior from now on."
Hearing Jiang Yiqing's words, Xiahou Yong nodded. Before assuming office, they needed to pay respects to their superior official. This was both a necessary procedure and a matter of etiquette.
"I inquired before coming. This person is 38 this year, hailing from Longshan. His father, Cheng Guang, was one of the Eight Great Vajras of Longshan in the early days and now ranks among the six top experts of Xia Palace. Cheng He is considered a genuine descendant of a prestigious family. But rumor has it that because he was personally captured by the Department Chancellor leading troops during the Longyou War, he is very loyal to the Department Chancellor. This is rather interesting..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yiqing's expression instantly turned extremely peculiar.
Not just interesting, it was downright bizarre...
Cheng He hailed from Longshan. His father, Cheng Guang, was one of the early Eight Great Vajras of Longshan, a genuine core member of the Li clan. Currently, Great Xia's upper echelons were gradually dividing into the Xia Palace and Department Chancellor factions. With such origins, Cheng Guang should undoubtedly belong to the Xia Palace faction.
Yet, he had defected to Department Chancellor Xia Chuan!
"I heard Lord Cheng is often accused by his father of forgetting his roots. The father and son have become estranged because of this matter. Lord Cheng moved out of the inner city three years ago. Although he hasn't formally severed ties with his father, apart from festival visits, the father and son basically have little contact. What a mess this is..."
As they got closer and closer to the Qinghe government office, Jiang Yiqing immediately stopped talking. Those at the Warmth Realm had keen hearing and sharp eyes, able to hear from far away. Gossiping about a superior's family affairs behind his back would be bad if overheard.
"Important government office grounds! Idlers, stop!"
There were soldiers guarding the front of the government office building. Seeing the two men in civilian clothes walking straight toward them, they immediately stepped forward and sternly shouted.
Don't underestimate the gate-guarding soldiers. For a large outpost like Qinghe Town, there are usually 5,000 Town Garrison Army troops stationed. Like the Defense Office, Qinghe's Military Office is also under the jurisdiction of Hongmen City. The person in charge is Hongmen Military Department's Deputy Military Commander.
Although the government office building is the power center of an outpost, a core structure, it's ultimately just a building. Normally, at most a hundred-man battalion would be stationed here for guard duty.
The problem is, among 5,000 Town Garrison Army troops, who wouldn't want to be here?
No one is foolish. In a place of power like this, if one manages to catch the eye of some official and be remembered, there might be a promising future waiting.
Therefore, being able to serve guard duty at the government office building itself was a kind of capability. These soldiers either had solid strength or came from good backgrounds. In any case, none of them were to be offended lightly!
Furthermore, this soldier blocking them, who looked to be only twenty-five or twenty-six, already had a strength of 11 Zong. While this aptitude couldn't be considered top-tier in Great Xia, it was still better than theirs. Who knows, he might soar to great heights someday.
Jiang Yiqing was well-versed in the ways of the world and naturally wouldn't provoke trouble. He forced a smile onto his face, "Little brother, please allow me to explain. I am Jiang Yiqing, the newly appointed Garrison Commander of Longhe Village. He is Xiahou Yong, the newly appointed Garrison Commander of Jinbi Village. We are here specifically to report to our superior, Lord Cheng. Please trouble you to announce us!"
After speaking, he didn't forget to pull out a ten-tael silver ingot from his sleeve. He subtly moved forward half a step and slipped it into the young soldier's hand.
The young soldier, upon receiving the silver ingot, immediately softened his expression. He then cupped his hands politely, "So it's you two gentlemen. It was my rudeness. You've come at an unfortunate time. Today, some abnormalities occurred at Red Dragon Lake. Lord Cheng and two other officials have gone over there. If you wish to see them, I'm afraid you'll have to wait."
"How long do we need to wait?"
"That's hard to say. The three officials left in a great hurry and didn't give us any instructions. They've already been there for over three hours now and haven't sent anyone back to report. I truly don't know."
Hearing this, the two men immediately showed troubled expressions. They were only here to report. The most important thing was to proceed to Jinbi and Longhe villages to assume their posts. The key point was it was now midnight, and their wives and children were still waiting at the post station. If they were delayed until dawn, they might have to stay another day in Qinghe Town.
"How about this? Red Dragon Lake isn't far, just over three kilometers east of the village. If you two gentlemen can't wait, I'll take you there. How about that?"
The young soldier actually proactively offered a solution. Money really does make things easier. Jiang Yiqing couldn't help but sigh inwardly; that ten taels of silver was well spent.
While sighing, Jiang Yiqing showed a smile and quickly cupped his hands, "In that case, we two thank you, little brother. Please lead the way."
"Easy enough. Follow me!"
The young soldier gave a few instructions to the others beside him, then led the two men toward the main road east of the village. They soon arrived at Red Dragon Lake.