I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 137

Chapter 137


After returning, Ma Jinyu gathered everyone. When it came to the Ma family, everyone still had to show some respect. Although it wasn’t the head of the Ma family speaking directly, Ma Jinyu, as the only son of the family’s head and the future successor, still held significant standing among them.

Ma Jinyu repeated Duan Wang’s words exactly. The group fell silent for a moment, exchanging looks and unsure of what to say.

Many people’s first reaction was that it was over, Duan Wang had found out. If Duan Wang took any action, they, as commoners—or even lower than commoners, as merchants—would definitely suffer.

However, after hearing Ma Jinyu’s relay, it seemed that Duan Wang was not angry. Instead, he had left their decision up to them, which was a bit puzzling. What did Duan Wang mean? He had strongly urged them to go to Liangzhou for an on-site inspection, but now it seemed like his attitude had changed. Why had Duan Wang’s mind changed so suddenly?

Though they didn’t understand his reasoning, it was a relief that Duan Wang hadn’t placed any blame on them.

Everyone mulled over the words, and Duan Wang did have a point. Since they had come all this way and were only a few days away from Liangcheng, turning back now would be a waste. They might as well see what Liangcheng was like. As for Duan Wang’s mention of an opportunity, some people were no longer hopeful.

“Since it’s come to this, shall we wait a bit longer?” someone suggested quietly.

This suggestion resonated with everyone, and they all nodded in agreement.

“Heh, we’ve already spent so much time on the journey; what’s another little while? We decided to visit Liangcheng, and now it’d be unsatisfactory not to see it with our own eyes.”

“Hahaha! Exactly! Anyway, I’m going to Liangcheng; you guys can decide if you want to join me.”

With this, many people wavered. “Fine, fine, the Ma family hasn’t said they’re turning back, so why should we be in such a rush?” The Ma family should be even more anxious, after all, they were looking at dozens of carts of goods that might go to waste—those were all silver! No matter how rich the Ma family was, silver didn’t grow on trees.

When Ma Jinyu heard this, he felt a sharp pang in his teeth. What were they talking about? Did they really think the Ma family would lose everything? Well, if they were waiting for a joke, they were going to be disappointed.

Even if the goods didn’t sell in Liangcheng, wasn’t there still the Western Corridor? If Duan Wang could travel west, why couldn’t the Ma family? Moreover, Duan Wang was overseeing the Western Qi Corridor, which was designed to make it easier for merchants to travel west. He didn’t believe the goods would just rot in their hands.

Ever since meeting Ming Yu, Ma Jinyu had become enlightened. The Ma family’s reach wasn’t limited to just Liangzhou; they had bigger plans.

Now, he felt at ease. His father must have a plan, and for now, he would watch and learn, absorbing everything so he could make use of it in the future.

Ma Jinyu raised his hand. “Hey! Do whatever you want, but the Ma family isn’t concerned. The Ma family is going to Liangcheng regardless.”

“Hahaha, we know, we know! The Ma family’s goods are going to Liangcheng to be sold. We’ll follow you there. Once your goods are sold, we’ll bring ours over and sell them too. We won’t go back on our word!” someone joked.

“Exactly, exactly! Young Master Ma, don’t say we ruined your exclusive deal!”

Ma Jinyu waved his sleeve. “Go, go, go! If this were really an exclusive business, would the Ma family only send over a mere ten or so carts of goods? I’m more worried that these things will be snatched up before even reaching Liangcheng.”

Ma Jinyu was speaking grandly, but it was all about maintaining the Ma family’s reputation. No matter how uncertain he might have been inside, he would never let anyone see him lose face by showing doubt.

“If that were the case, Young Master Ma wouldn’t look so worried these past few days. He’d probably be laughing in his sleep instead,” someone teased.

Over the past few days, they had seen the eldest son of the Ma family sigh and frown with worry. Everyone knew he was anxious about the goods, but now he was trying to act tough, which only made it more amusing.

The friendly teasing made everyone laugh, releasing the tension that had been building. At the end of the day, no matter what, Liangcheng was still a state capital. It couldn’t possibly be worse than this remote area, could it?

Not far away, Ma Siyong observed this scene and nodded with a smile. His son wasn’t as stupid as he seemed. Ma Jinyu wasn’t worried about the goods. If he wasn’t confident, he wouldn’t have led the caravan in the first place. Since Duan Wang had already mentioned the demand in Liangzhou, Ma Jinyu had followed that advice, so now it was a matter of seeing how things turned out.

In any case, Ming Yu’s message had done its job. At least most people had changed their minds and weren’t in such a hurry to go back. A small portion of them, seeing this, didn’t have much else to say, so they grudgingly followed along to Liangcheng.

After traveling for another seven or eight days, the entire group grew restless as they caught sight of the city walls, faintly visible in the gray sky.

“Are we near Liangcheeng?” someone asked in surprise.

“Maybe, it looks like it,” someone else replied, though they weren’t entirely sure.

“Ah, it doesn’t matter if we’re sure or not. We can just send someone to check, can’t we?” The solution seemed simple enough, why were they all guessing?

Before they could even send someone to check, news arrived from the front.

Duan Wang’s entourage had fully armed and displayed all their regalia.

Along the journey, Duan Wang had kept his identity hidden to avoid disturbing the locals, but now he had ordered the regalia to be set out, and everyone marveled at the sheer power and prestige of the Wang.

They had followed the caravan for so long that they had almost forgotten who Duan Wang was. Thinking back to the complaints they had made in private, they now began to feel uneasy. If Duan Wang had heard their grumbling, they’d all lose their heads.

“Your Highness, a welcoming party is ahead,” a servant reported.

Ming Yu lifted the curtain of the carriage and scanned the distance. Indeed, there was a large group of people, though it wasn’t clear who had come to greet them.

“Who’s leading them?” Since he couldn’t see clearly, Ming Yu asked.

“It’s Prefecture Magistrate Liu and Great General Wei. Also, Commander Mo from the Guard Battalion is here,” the servant answered.

Because the emperor had recently assigned the Imperial Guards to protect Duan Wang, Ming Yu had left Mo Jiang and the Guard Battalion behind to prepare for army expansion and training of new recruits.

The Guard Battalion had been with Ming Yu for a long time, but this time, he didn’t want them to guard him. They felt anxious and unsettled. They hadn’t been able to protect Wang Ye properly before, which had allowed a scheming villain to harm him. They couldn’t escape responsibility for that.

Later, the emperor sent the Jingwei Imperial Guards, an elite force from the emperor’s private army, to rescue Duan Wang. It was well known that the Jingwei Imperial Guards was the most elite force in the Great Yan, and the emperor had given Duan Wang one thousand of them, making them his personal guards. This was an unprecedented arrangement, and with these new troops, the status of the older Guard Battalion had inevitably diminished.

At that time, they began to feel the pressure. Did Duan Wang no longer need them? Although they hadn’t wanted to follow Duan Wang to the frontier, he had promised them a chance to return to the capital. But now, they regretted their reluctance. They were willing to stay in the frontier forever as long as they could follow Duan Wang. They didn’t care about the wealth and honor of the capital. They just wanted to help Duan Wang achieve great things, so that one day their descendants could be proud of them.

However, when Duan Wang returned to the capital, he left them behind and no longer needed their protection. This was a clear sign that he didn’t want them anymore.

Mo Jiang had noticed their anxiety and was fully aware of the change in his men’s thoughts. He remembered the words Duan Wang had spoken long ago, when he had sworn loyalty for life and vowed to never leave his side.

Watching Duan Wang grow and strive toward his goals, Mo Jiang felt both proud and helpless. He and his men had tried to keep up, but they felt they were no longer worthy of staying by his side.

Ming Yu’s decision to have Mo Jiang stay behind truly saddened him. He had thought that Wang Ye had abandoned them. To his surprise, Ming Yu patted his shoulder and explained that the reason he was asked to stay was because of the significant reforms coming to Liangzhou. He would be tasked with an unprecedented and crucial responsibility, one that involved military changes and the transformation of the frontier’s situation.

Although Ming Yu didn’t directly state it, Mo Jiang could tell from his solemn expression that Wang Ye trusted him and had entrusted him with the most important task.

This gave him a renewed sense of hope. Wang Ye hadn’t abandoned them; he still valued them highly. Since Ming Yu trusted him, Mo Jiang resolved to do his best in fulfilling Wang Ye’s orders.

Only recently did news arrive from the capital, informing him that Liangzhou would allow the recruitment of new soldiers from the common people. Ming Yu had instructed him to prepare and finalize the details, so once the imperial edict arrived, they could begin the recruitment process.

It was then that Mo Jiang realized Ming Yu’s strategy was a military reform unprecedented in the Great Yan dynasty. The responsibility placed upon him was immense, and if he failed, it would be a crime of historical proportions.

He worked diligently, following Ming Yu’s letters to the letter, afraid of making any mistakes. He had been waiting day and night for Ming Yu’s return, and now that Wang Ye had come back, it was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was overjoyed.

As he watched the flags and banners of the procession winding their way toward him, Mo Jiang’s once anxious heart settled, ready to welcome Wang Ye’s return.

Ming Yu waved his hand, signaling that he understood, and waited for his attendants to retreat before smiling at Xie Yixiu, who was dressed in full armor, riding alongside the carriage. “So they’ve all arrived. I didn’t plan on alarming them, but now look, they’ve come out ten miles to greet us.”

“This is the duty of a subject,” Xie Yixiu said softly.

Ming Yu gave him a half-smile, pointing his chin toward Xie Yixiu. “Do you remember when I first came to Liangzhou? I don’t think someone knew what a subject’s duties were back then.”

Ming Yu was recalling the time when they first entered the city, when all the officials came to greet them except for General Xie.

Xie Yixiu, too, recalled this moment. His face became complex, and after a pause, he spoke in a cold voice, “I regret it.”

Yes, he regretted it. He had regretted it for a long time. He regretted not meeting Ming Yu immediately, and he regretted letting his prejudices create misunderstandings between them. But thankfully, it wasn’t too late. There was still a future for them, with many possibilities ahead.

“I’m sorry,” Xie Yixiu gazed at him, his eyes filled with deep, unresolved sorrow.

At first, Ming Yu had teased him, just joking around. But when Xie Yixiu’s gaze landed on him, Ming Yu saw the weight in those words, the regret in his “I regret it,” and the melancholy in his “I’m sorry.” All the unspoken words seemed to be contained in those two phrases. It was clear that Xie Yixiu deeply regretted avoiding him.

Ming Yu’s face flushed slightly, and he murmured, “Well, it’s not like I’m blaming you. You know I don’t hold grudges. Even though we didn’t meet then, we eventually did, didn’t we?”

It seemed that fate had played a trick on them. These two completely unrelated parallel lines, originally with no intersection, had somehow come together. Despite their contrasting personalities, they had come to understand and appreciate each other. Their eventual friendship, despite the odds, was nothing short of a miracle.

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