After lunch, everyone said goodbye and left one after another. When Yan Dechang and Mr. Lu left, Yan Liqiang personally sent them to the door of the Inspectorate.
"Do you think the Sima Qingshan I sent to your side is useful?"
"Mr. Sima is smart and capable. He is meticulous and organized in his work. He has been by my side these days and has kept the people under him in check. He has helped me a lot. He will make a great contribution to the construction of this steel plant in the future. Liqiang, you must thank him in the future!" Yan Dechang said to Yan Liqiang earnestly.
"Haha, don't worry, father. People with ability will have no worries about not having a place by my side!"
"I won't say anything else. Just be careful!" Yan Dechang patted Yan Liqiang's shoulder heavily.
"Same to you, father!"
"Well, go back, Elder Feng from the Ming Wang Sect is still waiting for you!"
"Okay, Father, Mr. Lu, take care!"
Yan Dechang got on the four-wheeled carriage. When getting on the carriage, Mr. Lu shook Yan Liqiang's hand tightly. The two nodded in understanding and got on the carriage without saying anything. Then the four-wheeled carriage carrying Yan Dechang and Mr. Lu drove out of the gate of the Governor's Mansion under the protection of a group of guards. Yan Liqiang watched Yan Dechang's carriage disappear at the corner of the street before turning around and returning to the Governor's Mansion.
Yan Liqiang was not too worried about Yan Dechang's safety. In the past few days, Yan Liqiang had asked Yan Qing to follow Yan Dechang as a bodyguard. These days, Zhang Yourong and others from Lingshan Sect arrived and gave Yan Liqiang a "greeting gift" - two "shadow guards" trained by Lingshan Sect using secret methods.
At this moment, the two "shadow guards" followed Yan Dechang and became Yan Dechang's bodyguards. Yan Liqiang breathed a sigh of relief.
Returning to the courtyard of the study, Feng Qinghe and Mo Ziye were drinking tea in the study. Yan Liqiang was about to call Yu Qing, but when the words came to his lips, he suddenly remembered that the little girl had been taken back to the Lingshan Sect by the people of Lingshan Sect a few days ago. He didn't know when he would see her next time.
“I’m sorry, my father just left, I went to see him off, I’m sorry to have kept Elder Feng and Sister Mo waiting…” Yan Liqiang walked in with a smile, Feng Qinghe and Mo Ziye both stood up, “Elder Feng and Sister Mo, you’re welcome, sit down, let’s sit down and talk…” Yan Liqiang sat down in his seat and looked at Mo Ziye, “Sister Mo, I’m really sorry for your hospitality during your visit to Qiyun County. If I hadn’t seen you guys by the river this morning, I wouldn’t have known that you were in Qiyun County!”
"I was embarrassed to say it because there were so many people around just now. Li Qiang, you should just call me Zi Ye from now on. When you call me Sister Mo, the way others look at me makes me feel very uncomfortable!" Mo Zi Ye smiled.
"Hahaha, okay, then I'll call Sister Mo Zi Ye from now on. It sounds more intimate!"
"The Inspector is indeed straightforward!" Elder Feng also smiled.
"By the way, I wonder what Elder Feng wants to talk to me about. Let's just get straight to the point!" Yan Liqiang went straight to the point.
"To be honest, this time our Mingwang Sect came to Qiyun County, in addition to wanting to take the opportunity of killing Hu Ling to train the sect disciples, the Mingwang Sect also intends to set up a branch in Qiyun County..." Feng Qinghe stated his purpose directly. If he was a little undecided before seeing Yan Liqiang, then at this moment, he was determined to build the Mingwang Sect's branch in the northwest in Qiyun County. From four-wheeled carriages to woolen cloth, to water and fire machines and the ships we saw today, Qiyun County is leading the world's trends. It will definitely be of great benefit for the Mingwang Sect to set up a branch here, which can bring many new things to the sect in a timely manner. This point cannot be replaced by any other place.
"The Mingwang Sect is one of the four major sects in the world. If the Mingwang Sect is willing to establish a branch in Qiyun County, I will naturally welcome it!" Yan Liqiang showed a bright smile on his face, "I can make a promise to Elder Feng. If the Mingwang Sect comes, the treatment that the branch of Lingshan Sect enjoys in Qiyun County can also be copied by the Mingwang Sect. I will never be partial to one over the other!"
Elder Feng Qinghe was waiting for Yan Liqiang to say this. As soon as Yan Liqiang finished speaking, he clapped his hands and laughed, "Okay, I feel relieved with the words of the Supervisor!"
Ten minutes later, Elder Feng and Mo Ziye said goodbye and left. Before Yan Liqiang could even take a sip of tea, Lu Beixin and Zhong Ruolan came to the study together.
"What? Has your sister Mo finally left?" Lu Beixin asked as soon as she came in.
"Well, my sister Lu and I both want to know, how many good sisters do you have?" Zhong Ruolan smiled slightly and blinked at Yan Liqiang.
Yan Liqiang laughed, walked forward, and hugged the two of them with one hand, whispering in their ears, "You can know the answer to this question, but you two must serve me, your master, first..."
Lu Beixin didn't expect Yan Liqiang to be so bold, and he did it in front of Zhong Ruolan. Feeling Yan Liqiang's strange hand had moved to her waist, Lu Beixin's face suddenly turned red. She twisted her waist and tried to push Yan Liqiang away, "What are you doing... You were so serious just now, but now you are bad again... In broad daylight... This is a study..."
"Well, as an elder sister, should you demonstrate and set a good example for your younger sister?" Yan Liqiang looked at Zhong Ruolan and asked with a smile.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Sister Lu just told me that you can't be serious unless you have someone with you!" Zhong Ruolan's face also turned red. She gave Yan Liqiang a white look and stretched out her hand to twist his waist.
"If I am serious with you two all the time, you will probably complain to your parents that I ignore you every day!" Yan Liqiang smiled and kissed each of them on their hibiscus-like faces, causing the two girls to complain.
The three of them were flirting and being affectionate in the study room. Less than two minutes later, Hu Haihe's voice came from outside the study room, "Your Excellency, Lord Zhao wants to see you!"
After hearing Hu Haihe's report, Yan Liqiang patted his forehead and smiled bitterly, "This boot-hanging ghost is here again!"
"What's wrong? Is this Lord Zhao the Zhao Dachuan sent by Governor Lei?" Zhong Ruolan asked curiously.
"If not him, then who else could it be? He must have known that I was hosting a banquet in the Governor's Mansion today. Seeing that most of the guests had left, he chose the right time to come and block me. I can't avoid him this time!" Yan Liqiang shook his head helplessly, and then said to Hu Haihe outside, "Well, Haihe, ask him to come to the study!"
"Yes!" Hu Haihe responded outside the study and then left.
"Since you have something to do, Sister Zhong and I will leave first. I will stay in Pingxi City for two days. I will live in Sister Zhong's house during these two days. I just happen to have many questions to ask Sister Zhong!" Lu Beixin quickly tidied her hair and said to Yan Liqiang.
Yan Liqiang looked at Lu Beixin, then at Zhong Ruolan, and chuckled, making the two girls' faces turn red again.
After the two women left, Yan Liqiang regained his composure and sat behind his desk, sipping tea. Less than two minutes later, footsteps were heard outside the door, and then a tower-like man in armor entered the study. He bowed to Yan Liqiang and said, "Zhao Dachuan greets the governor?"
It was as if there was an echoing water tank in this man's chest. Whenever he spoke, his deep voice echoed in the study.
"Ahem, Lord Zhao, please take a seat. I wonder what Lord Zhao wants to talk to me about?" Yan Liqiang picked up the teacup and asked seriously, even though he knew the answer.
The iron tower-like man showed a pitiful expression to Yan Liqiang at this time, "Master Governor, please have pity on me..."
"Puff..." Yan Liqiang spat out the tea that he had just drunk. Yan Liqiang was choked by the words and started coughing. Damn, if you didn't know, you would think that the person in front of you was a beggar. "Ahem, Mr. Zhao, what do you mean?"
“If the Inspector General doesn’t allow my soldiers to go outside Baishi Pass to chop off the heads of the Shatu and Heijie people, those bastards will rebel against me. Now those bastards are howling in the camp every day with red eyes, just like wolves, blaming me for not being able to ask you for a job to go to Gulang grassland to fight. I can only guard Pingxi City here, watching others eat meat while I starve. Those rangers and militia are all outsiders, but we are their own people. This is what Lord Lei told me personally when I came to Qiyun County. Inspector General, you can’t turn your elbow outward, our own people are always more useful than those outsiders…” The man like an iron tower looked at Yan Liqiang pitifully.
Ever since Yan Liqiang issued the order to kill the Hu people, the Ganzhou troops sent by Lei Sitong to support Yan Liqiang have been staying in Pingxi City without being mobilized. Zhao Dachuan is almost going crazy. At the beginning, these Ganzhou troops were afraid that Yan Liqiang would send them to the battlefield as cannon fodder and were still a little wary. Now, they are begging to be cannon fodder but cannot get it and they have to look at Yan Liqiang's face.
For those soldiers who were paid by the government, getting ten acres of grassland for chopping off an enemy's head was a rare opportunity. If you missed this opportunity, you would never get it again.
"You want to go to Gulang Grassland to fight?"
"Of course, otherwise why would we come to Qiyun County? I've been thinking about it these past few days. It's not a good idea for us to just stay in Pingxi City. We should take the initiative to attack and chop off the heads of those Shatu and Heijie people. Wouldn't Pingxi City be safe then? What do you think, Governor?" Zhao Dachuan smiled with a fawning look on his face.
"There will be casualties in a war. You are the soldiers I borrowed from Lord Lei. If you suffer too many casualties, don't I have to explain to Lord Lei?" Yan Liqiang said with difficulty.
"Don't you know yet, my Lord?"
"What do I know?"
Zhao Dachuan looked anxious. "I just received a letter from several of my brothers in the army yesterday. They told me that Lord Lei had already sent three battalions of soldiers. All of them took off their uniforms and divided them into several groups. They entered the Gulang grassland in batches as local militia to make money!"
Yan Liqiang was really surprised, "Is there such a thing?"
"Of course, Lord Lei said this is called rotation warfare. All battalions under the Ganzhou Army will have one chance to volunteer to take turns to fight in Gulang Grassland for a month. The Ganzhou Military Governor's Office will be responsible for logistics and supplies, and half of all heads captured will be handed over as military expenses for rotation warfare!"
Damn it! Lei Sitong is too cruel. He can even think of such a trick. Yan Liqiang was stunned. "Is there anyone in the Ganzhou army willing to go?"
"Why is no one going? Everyone is rushing to go. We have to queue up. Those who go are selected by lottery. For us, even if we earn five acres of grassland for one head, it is worth it! We are the first batch of Ganzhou troops to come to Qiyun County. If we are self-disciplined, you will let us stay in Pingxi City and watch others busy while we have nothing to do. I, Zhao Dachuan, will be laughed at in the Ganzhou army in the future. How can I face my brothers in arms? Sir, please have pity on me..."
Finally, amid Zhao Dachuan's tearful "pleading", Yan Liqiang finally agreed that the more than 10,000 cavalry and infantry under Zhao Dachuan's command could be moved to Baishi Pass first, but they had to follow his orders on how to fight and were strictly prohibited from acting on their own.
Seeing that his troops could finally leave Pingxi City and garrison at Baishi Pass, Zhao Dachuan breathed a sigh of relief and left with satisfaction. No matter what, as long as they reached Baishi Pass, they would have a greater chance of going to the battlefield, instead of just watching the excitement from the sidelines like now, starving and starving...
(End of this chapter)