Novels online

Chapter 1159: All Right, I'll Send Troops

While Padi Tu was busy with a flurry of activities—building factories, recruiting workers, establishing schools—Cheng Xu, Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, and Padi Tu themselves, spread across various prefectures and counties in Sichuan, were all engaged in similar endeavors.

Wanzhou, Zhongxian, Shizhu, Fengdu, Chongqing...

Gao Family Village erected factories in several locations simultaneously. To expedite construction, these factories were converted from existing large landlord estates, without requiring the labor of Gao Family Village's "Blue Hats."

Furthermore, the work in these factories focused on producing traditional handicrafts of the ethnic minorities, so Gao Family Village's advanced machinery wasn't necessary.

Consequently, the factories opened very quickly. As soon as supplies from Gao Family Village arrived by river transport and the team leaders had funds, they could immediately open for business and recruit a large workforce.

All manner of pure handicrafts and traditional cultural arts were brought to life.

While skilled artisans among the ethnic minorities could produce these artworks at home, they lacked sales channels and worried about unstable incomes. Ultimately, they couldn't resist the "stable monthly wages" offered by Gao Family Village's factories, and one by one, abandoned their small, family-based workshop model of production.

Large numbers of ethnic minority people descended from the mountains, coming to the prefectural or county towns to work in Gao Family Village's factories, living side-by-side with the Han Chinese residents of the cities.

Farmers without specialized crafts needn't worry either. Zhao Sheng's "Agricultural Knowledge Teams" traveled extensively, conducting free roving lectures in various prefectural cities, county towns, and villages, teaching people how to scientifically cultivate new types of crops.

Movement fostered exchange; exchange fostered connection; connection sparked cultural integration... And once cultural integration began, different ethnic groups could truly become one family.

Within a few months, the eastern Sichuan region flourished, brimming with vitality.

However, in the western Sichuan region at this very moment...

Chengdu city.

The Governor of Sichuan, Wang Weizhang, and the Provincial Censor of Sichuan, Chen Tingmo, stood shivering on the city walls.

On the Chengdu plains outside the city, a formidable army was arrayed. Leading them was none other than the Chuǎng Wang.

Behind him, notorious bandit chiefs like Guo Tianxing, Mantianxing, Huntianxing, Cao Cao, Geli'yan, and others from the roaming bandits, all positioned their forces.

Dozens of cannons were lined up in a row, a few more than those mounted on Chengdu's city walls.

“Fire!”

“Fire!”

The soldiers of both armies roared almost simultaneously, and then, the cannons on the city walls and those outside the city boomed together.

Cannonballs soared into the bandit ranks, killing one or two, but the bandits showed little panic. After years of warfare—the gleam of blades, the clash of swords, the loss of comrades—such sights were long accustomed.

But as cannonballs slammed into Chengdu's walls, Governor Wang Weizhang and Censor Chen Tingmo of Sichuan scrambled back, clutching their heads in terror, retreating frantically for fear a shell might land on them.

After all, the accuracy of smoothbore cannons in those days was notoriously unpredictable; there was no telling when a shot might fly straight for their heads.

The one-eyed Ma Xianglin sprang forward from the side, shouting, “Esteemed sirs, please leave the city wall. Stop disrupting things up here.”

Governor Wang Weizhang of Sichuan was eager to flee, having only stubbornly remained on the wall due to his official duties. Hearing Ma Xianglin tell him to go, he quickly took the hint: “General Ma, I'll leave the command here to you. This official will go into the city to organize the militia and arrange your logistics.”

Ma Xianglin waved a dismissive hand. “Go on, scram! Huddled together on the wall like cowards, you're undermining morale.”

Wang Weizhang and Chen Tingmo hastily slipped away...

Ma Xianglin, seizing command, visibly brightened. “Cannons, fire back! Archers, to the left flank... over there... deploy more men to that section of the wall...”

“General, a section of the bandit army is attempting to approach from the flank to fill the moats.”

“Giant Crossbow Vehicles, archers, hurry over there!”

Ma Xianglin's commanding grew increasingly agitated. “Damn it all, I might as well just charge out there myself! Fengyi, you take command here.”

Zhang Fengyi urgently protested, “Husband, don't charge recklessly! Times have changed; the bandit army is no longer what it once was, their fighting strength is extraordinary. If you charge out there, it will be very difficult to return. We still have a chance if we hold this strong city of Chengdu to the death, but once we open the gates, it will be a dead end.”

Ma Xianglin sighed. “This... alas... Send a messenger quickly, to seek aid from my mother.”—

News of Chengdu being besieged by bandits quickly reached Chongqing, then spread along the Yangtze River shipping lanes to Zhongxian, Shizhu, Wanzhou, Kaixian, and other locations...

Kaixian, the Bashan Grand Canyon, Baren Village.

Padi Tu stood before Ran Ke, the Pacification Commissioner of Kaixian. “General Ran, you must have heard the news about the roaming bandits attacking Chengdu, haven't you?”

Ran Ke nodded. “I have.”

Padi Tu continued, “This rabbit will soon lead troops to Chengdu for its relief. General Ran, would you care to join us?”

The question plunged Ran Ke into silence. If anyone had asked him this before, he wouldn't have even thought about it; he'd have simply refused. He was a quintessential 'mountain emperor' of the ethnic minorities, never eager to send troops to interfere with the outside world. He would only grudgingly commit forces if bandits reached Kaixian itself, and even then, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about defending the county seat.

At worst, he could always retreat and defend Bashan.

But this time, when Padi Tu asked him, he hesitated.

Because he realized that his own interests were now inextricably linked with those of the Han Chinese outside the mountains.

If the outside world remained peaceful, the Han Chinese would open factories and build schools, providing jobs and wages for his Baren people, thereby enriching his entire stronghold.

But if the outside descended into chaos, and the Han Chinese lost the will to pursue such ventures, his mountain stronghold would also fall back into miserable poverty.

Ran Ke glanced at his son, who was merrily gnawing on an ear of corn.

Then he turned to look at his daughter, wearing a cotton dress made by the Han Chinese, a pretty red flower tied in her hair, smiling with utter delight.

In that fleeting moment, Ran Ke made up his mind.

He turned back to Padi Tu, his face solemn. “After we drive away these roaming bandits, there will be even more factories, won't there?”

Padi Tu declared, “Absolutely! As long as peace reigns, we'll bring countless more good things to Kaixian, ensuring your Tujia people live as prosperous a life as the Han Chinese.”

Ran Ke cautioned, “Don't you dare deceive me! The Han Chinese outside the mountains are cunning; we've been tricked many times before.”

Padi Tu chuckled. “Haven't you understood this rabbit's character by now? When this rabbit says one, it's one; when I say two, it's two. If I promise you good things, I'll never give you shoddy ones.”

Ran Ke stared deeply at Padi Tu for a long moment, then stated gravely, “All right, I'll send troops.”