“Wenren Cangyue you disgraceful traitor! My Yunqin has treated you so well, yet forget about assassinating the crown prince, you actually defected to another country! You truly deserve to die by a thousand cuts!”

“What was I thinking, regarding him as some hero? Turns out he was someone with no sense of honor.”

“This type of person who has forgotten who his ancestor is ought to be slowly burned to death!”

“What kind of place is Great Mang? Could it be that he has already forgotten that back then, their army of thirty thousand were slaughtered by Principal Zhang until all of them abandoned their helmets and armors? They actually want to bring these southern barbarians into my Yunqin, they are simply courting death.”

“Exactly! Wenren Cangyue, a dog like you will definitely be captured by my Yunqin’s great army and publicly executed.”

“...”

The discussions outside the courtyard were extremely loud and lively. Even though there were many courtyards between them, Lin Xi could still hear everything from his courtyard.

While surrounded by these voices, Lin Xi’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Feirong.”

He called out quietly.

The weather was becoming colder. Under the corridor’s eaves hung an icicle that was the thickness and length of an infant’s arm.

Chen Feirong already changed into an arctic fox fur coat. Unknown as to whether it was because she was too tired recently or because the arctic fox fur around her neck was extremely comfortable, it made her face seem a bit smaller. However, the radiance on her face instead became even more brilliant, as if she became a few years younger again.

Previously, she already came to Lin Xi’s courtyard once, but Lin Xi didn’t come out to meet her like before, so she left to deal with other matters. When she came back now, she could immediately tell that Lin Xi’s temperament was a bit different from before, becoming more calm and lofty, thus making her unable to help but feel happiness. She quietly said, “You broke through?”

Lin Xi nodded. A wave of soul force was released from his hands, causing faint metallic yellow light to emerge from his skin.

This very day, his cultivation finally broke through the peak of Soul Master level, breaking through into the State Knight level. Regardless of whether it was his soul force or his body, he could feel substantial changes.

All of his opponents thought that after he was seriously injured in Jadefall City, his fame in the royal court practically drowned out as well, even if his cultivation didn’t degenerate, it would be extremely slow. However, none of his opponents thought that what Lin Xi cared about was different from them. None of them could predict that this autumn and winter were instead the period where Lin Xi’s cultivation increased the fastest.

“Sir, you truly are a genius.” When she saw Lin Xi’s skin that released a bit of metallic luster, able to feel the power of his soul force, Chen Feirong could also sense Lin Xi’s mood right now. With a smile, she said, “This is something worth being happy about after all, so you should be a bit happier… Regardless of how strong Wenren Cangyue is, he will definitely die under sir’s hands in the future.”

“Senior Gu Xinyin has told me that as humans we need to learn how to love and hate, but we cannot let enmity completely consume us, or else we will become monsters who only know hatred. What you said is correct, this is indeed something worth being happy over, I should be a bit happier.” A warm look of admiration appeared on Lin Xi’s face. “Fortunately, I have you all at my side, which is why my mood could become a bit better. Only, I was thinking that despite being locked up in the lightless water prison for so long, Senior Gu Xinyin still didn’t become a monster who only knew hatred, so I felt that the things he had on him were indeed worth learning.”

Chen Feirong revealed a gentle smile, saying, “Humility and etiquette, these are indeed your great strengths.”

Lin Xi revealed a faint smile. “Is there any outstanding news?”

Chen Feirong said, “A few days ago, Wenren Cangyue advanced north on a large scale. Even though he has already withdrawn, the exact situation is that he used fifty thousand Great Mang soldiers to ambush an eighty thousand Thousand Sunset Army. Great Mang’s ten thousand vanguard army was completely destroyed, but Thousand Sunset Army’s casualties exceeded twenty thousand, so in the end, this was definitely not a great victory for Yunqin… Moreover, because he led Great Mang’s army into Yunqin’s borders, the common people were enraged. Many of the masses even wanted to dig up Wenren Family’s ancestral tomb. In the end, the imperial court released many documents that said Wenren Cangyue was only an illegitimate child, not having too many connections to Wenren Family. They stated that Wenren Cangyue’s mother’s title was removed, that family’s graves flattened, and only then did the masses calm down.”

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Lin Xi nodded, quietly saying, “No matter how powerful of a general one is, even if they have many trusted aids to help them, there is still no way they can become familiar with a new army like their own palms and fingers. There is no way his injuries have healed that quickly either. When wars are fought during the winter, apart from snow blocking the roads, a lack of supplies will result in more injured, sick and weak ordinary soldiers. Moreover, when facing the emperor’s southern expedition, in a situation where his military strength and country’s situation are in a disadvantaged state, he ought to first hold his position, slowly train his troops, whittle down Yunqin army’s strength. That is why he needs at least a winter to recover, there should be no way he can take the initiative to launch an attack on Thousand Sunset Border before next spring. The reason he did this was merely to further anger the emperor and Central Continent Imperial City’s main war officials. That Wenren old Grand Secretary is someone originally part of the anti-war faction. Now that this type of thing has happened, preserving the ancestral tomb might be a type of tacit agreement made between Central Continent Imperial City and Wenren Family. Perhaps because they wish to preserve their reputation, Wenren Family’s seat might have to be opened up as well. If this happens, Yunqin’s war down south will be completely set and the amount of power invested will be even greater. As long as the path is suitable for large armies to fight, the emperor might immediately give the military order, this southern expedition will thus begin.”

Chen Feirong nodded. She looked at Lin Xi and said, “Recently, large amounts of army recruitment has gone underway. By next spring, Yunqin’s young and strong laborers will be considerably fewer, the amount of rice produced also fewer. Jadefall City’s plan to be turned into a province has already been set, but according to verified information, it will be divided into two provinces. Mountain Sun Path will serve as the boundary that divides these two provinces.”

“Just like the crop failures caused by the past natural disasters, there won’t be enough rice, but the royal court will restrict the raise in the price of rice. That is why when there isn’t enough fine rice and fine grains, the entire rice industry will need large amounts of coarse grains to fill in the gap. Have Xu Sheng do his best to seize the land by Jadefall City, fetch as many of those inferior lands not suited for growing fine grains as well, those will be for us to grow coarse grains.” Lin Xi calmly said, “I am only worried that by next spring, our Auspicious Virtue won’t have enough rice. As for the competition between other merchant companies and us, this isn’t something we need to worry about at all, because there is no way they will be our match. Since even Flourishing Heights agreed to our conditions, moreover agreeing to give us such an astonishing loan, then we can proceed with stage two of our plan.”

Chen Feirong laughed, her smile full of endless grace. “Alright, since this time, it is their money we are using, they will definitely be willing to put in work. That is why our stage two will proceed a bit faster than what we anticipated.”

…

Thousand Sunset Border Region.

Thousand Sunset Border Region’s first snow arrived a bit later than that of Sunrise Roost Province’s Great Ascent Town Lin Xi was in. However, after this first wave of snow, a second and third wave quickly followed.

On the border where the snow already reached two feet deep, were countless corpses of soldiers and horses scattered about in chaos.

A several hundred membered Yunqin troop was burying the deceased here, moreover tidying up some useful military supplies to bring back.

There were many crows flying about in the air, noisy cries released from their mouths.

These crows were originally Yunqin and Great Mang’s main force of eating corpses, but unknowingly when, large amounts of vultures suddenly appeared on this border. When these vicious vultures seized food, these crows didn’t dare approach, only able to drool while flying in circles. Only when these vultures changed locations, leaving this area, would large amounts of crows have the courage to swarm down, frantically fighting over the scraps left behind by the vultures.

A Yunqin soldier continued walking silently. A large group of vultures descended not far in front of him, completely disregarding his existence. They fluttered their bloody wings, tearing apart and feasting on several rigid corpses.

When this soldier saw those black-armored corpses torn and smashed apart, this type of horrifying scene, this Yunqin soldier could no longer take it anymore. He drew the black long blade from his back, but after continuously cutting down a few vultures, scaring off that group of vultures, this Yunqin soldier powerlessly released a pained low howl.

It was because this snow covered battlefield was too vast.

In this vast battlefield that was covered with corpses, vultures and crows, when viewed from above, their group of a few hundred were only a single black speck.

Even if he continuously cut them down, how many vultures could he kill, how many crows could he cut down?

…

Right now, the winter was a month or so away from year end. Wenren Cangyue, who defected to Great Mang, became Great Mang’s highest level seven army commander, while all of Yunqin Empire’s people were enraged, preparing for this war south, he instead took the initiative to command an army north. His army crossed Great Mang’s border and then faced the border army commanded by Hu Piyi, someone who was also known as a genius. They fought for several days, all the way until a great snow descended, and only then did this battle stop, Great Mang’s army completely retreated.

Within a region of several hundred li, both sides abandoned the thirty thousand corpses. Together with the countless horse corpses and smashed military equipment, Thousand Sunset’s border now looked like hell on earth.

Not long after the news of the traitor Wenren Cangyue leading troops to attack Yunqin Empire spread through Yunqin, another piece of information that didn’t belong to the war, but was similarly extremely shocking for trading companies began to spread through Yunqin Empire.

Auspicious Virtue who previously skyrocketed to success due to their Golden Silk Honey Pomelo Tea and soap business and purchased Great Unity Company entered the rice business while using up an astonishing amount of silver. After almost completely dominating Sunrise Roost Province’s marketplace, they then made an even more astonishing investment. Within less than a month of time, they established many rice specialty branches within most of Yunqin’s important cities!

The word ‘bold’ was already not enough to describe these methods.

This was already not like something a newly risen merchant company should be doing, but rather resembling a giant business that had already dominated Yunqin for many years.