I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 149

Chapter 149

“There is no need for such concern, Wang Ye. In the Great Yan, how many soldiers are any different from me?” Xie Yixiu spoke lightly, but Ming Yu could see the sorrow in his eyes.

Xie Yixiu made it sound easy, but Ming Yu felt a deep bitterness in his heart. He knew that Xie Yixiu was trying to comfort him, but he couldn’t console himself. War was cruel—so many people lost their homes, their loved ones, and their lives because of it.

The barbarian of the Suixi Kingdom were fierce warriors. They looted grain, kidnapped people, and treated the citizens of the Great Yan like livestock, committing arson, murder, and plunder without restraint. The Great Yan’s past concessions had only emboldened them further. When one showed weakness, they were taken advantage of. Because of this, the border people of the Great Yan had been living in constant suffering.

So, ever since the emperor took the throne, he had taken a firmer stance. A vast empire like the Great Yan could not continue to be bullied like this. If war was necessary, then war it would be. Over the decades, battles at the border had seen both victories and defeats, but at the very least, they had forced the barbarian to restrain themselves somewhat.

This prolonged standoff brought inevitable losses to both sides. The longer it dragged on, the more strained the imperial court’s military expenditures became, and the harder life was for the common people. If peace could not be achieved, an entire nation’s strength could be exhausted by war.

The only way forward was to stop war with war, to counter slaughter with slaughter—to strike fear into the barbarians, to shatter their morale, and to see if they would still dare to act so arrogantly. In the past, when the Great Yan fought against the Yi people, they suffered defeat in eight or nine out of ten battles. But now, with the military equipment produced by the Craftsmen’s Workshop, they might not dare to claim total victory, but at least they could fight on even footing, couldn’t they?

And if that was the case, once everyone became proficient in using these weapons, once their tactics adapted to the new equipment, what was there to fear in battle?

“It’s the common people who suffer the most in war. I hope the borderlands can find peace soon. Only with peace can there be development, and only then can the people of the frontier live stable lives,” Ming Yu sighed.

“Wang Ye has already done very well. Since your arrival at the border, the lives of the people have changed drastically. Compared to before, at least they are no longer dressed in rags or starving. I believe that in the future, Wang Ye will not let the people of Liangzhou suffer,” Xie Yixiu said.

Now, Ming Yu was building canals, establishing workshops, and developing the Western Qi Corridor. As long as the people of Liangzhou had hands, feet, and strength, they could find suitable work. At the very least, they could earn enough to fill their stomachs, not to mention those with skills—such people could make enough money to feed and clothe their entire families comfortably.

Because of this, word spread among the people of Liangzhou, drawing even more migrants from distant areas to Liangcheng. They came because they knew that as long as they had strength and were willing to work, they wouldn’t starve here.

Liangzhou—especially the areas surrounding Liangcheng—was changing with each passing day. It was hard to tell when a new workshop had sprung up or when a road had been widened again. Everywhere in Liangcheng was bustling with activity, filled with an unprecedented vitality. The people’s faces shone with optimism, always carrying cheerful smiles. Gone were the days when they worried about whether they would survive the next day. Now, who in Liangzhou did not feel grateful to Wang Ye?

Xie Yixiu’s praise caught Ming Yu off guard. His face reddened involuntarily—he had never been praised like this to his face before. And hearing it from Xie Yixiu, he found himself feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“I actually feel like I’ve done too little for them,” Ming Yu sighed. His people did not ask for much. They only needed enough to eat and wear, and they were already endlessly grateful. It was precisely this simplicity that made Ming Yu feel even more guilty—he was moving too slowly, still far from the vision he had in mind.

“To stabilize the border, it’s not enough to send troops to attack. We also need to create chaos within their royal court. We must keep them too preoccupied to unite their forces against us,” Xie Yixiu said.

“That’s why we must keep a close watch on the Suixi Kingdom. Have our trained spies been infiltrating their ranks?”

This was part of Ming Yu’s plan. Ever since his last return from the Suixi Kingdom, he had intended to send spies deep into enemy territory, preferably gaining the trust of their nobles.

Previously, their spies only gathered intelligence from the outskirts, without being tasked with deeper infiltration. No one had ever considered placing them near the ruling class of the enemy court.

But after Ming Yu learned more about the situation, he revised their strategy, directing them to focus on gaining access to the royal court’s influential figures. If they could embed themselves within the enemy’s inner circle, they wouldn’t just provide crucial intelligence when needed; they could also stir internal strife, throwing the enemy into disorder.

“It’s difficult, but there has been some progress. Some have begun making contact, but achieving real results will take time,” Xie Yixiu reported. He had, of course, been involved in this plan and had provided numerous suggestions. He was well aware of every detail and personally oversaw the mission.

There was no other choice—Ming Yu had too few capable people to rely on, so he had to take on multiple responsibilities. Those who were capable simply had to shoulder more.

“That’s true. There’s no need to rush. Above all, be cautious. We cannot afford to make any mistakes, or everything will be for nothing,” Ming Yu reminded him.

Xie Yixiu naturally understood this. He had already given strict orders. The spies assigned to this mission were all quick-witted and highly trustworthy. He believed that with time, they would accomplish their tasks successfully.

At that moment, a thought crossed his mind, and he asked, “Wang Ye, do you still remember Tuoba Jiu?”

Hearing this name, Ming Yu immediately recalled him. Not only did he remember, but the impression was deeply ingrained in his mind. Hadn’t he suffered at this person’s hands? He would never forget it for the rest of his life.

Ming Yu nodded. “Tuoba Jiu… He is, after all, a prince of the Suixi Kingdom. Now that he has returned to the royal court, he will likely reclaim his status, won’t he?”

Tuoba Jiu had hidden himself too well. If he hadn’t heard it with his own ears, he would never have believed that Gan Jiu, the honest, naive, and silent man who had lived in Liangcheng for so long, was actually the prince of Suixi Kingdom.

“Indeed, Tuoba Hongze has reinstated his status as a prince. But this title doesn’t mean much—he remains an invisible figure. Tuoba Hongze gave him a piece of land, essentially sending him far away and out of sight.” Xie Yixiu had also received reports on the matter, so he had paid some attention to what happened after Tuoba Jiu returned.

This outcome was to be expected. A prince who had been abandoned early on and held no significance—being granted a place to live out his days in peace was already a fortunate ending.

However, Ming Yu didn’t understand why Xie Yixiu was bringing up such an irrelevant person at this moment.

“This person might prove useful one day. We could have someone get close to him, see what comes of it. Who knows? Perhaps he’ll be of use in the future.” Xie Yixiu’s eyes narrowed slightly. This man might be an unremarkable chess piece, but if maneuvered correctly, he could still serve a purpose.

A thought flashed through Ming Yu’s mind but disappeared just as quickly. He tried to grasp it, but there was nothing to hold on to. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced, wanting to think it through, but his thoughts were a chaotic mess.

With no other choice, Ming Yu let it go and simply followed Xie Yixiu’s lead. “Alright, do as you see fit. Even an idle piece might be useful someday. It’s always best to be prepared in advance.”

After finalizing their next steps, Xie Yixiu took his leave.

At the Workshop, Old Huang was frowning deeply, scratching his head in frustration. His already sparse, graying hair had been tugged at so much that he had pulled out a few more strands.

“Old Huang, why not send someone to ask Wang Ye again?” A nearby assistant, noticing his distress, suggested cautiously.

Right now, Old Huang was working on the cement formula that Ming Yu had left behind. They had never seen this so-called cement before. But then again, everything Wang Ye came up with was always strange and unheard of.

Glass, Thousand-Mile Eye, thunderbolts—when Wang Ye first spoke of them, none of them had believed such things could exist. Weren’t these the kinds of miraculous objects only celestial beings possessed? Yet, one by one, these magical inventions had come to life through their experiments.

By now, they had complete faith in anything Wang Ye proposed. They firmly believed that they could achieve the impossible and bring these ideas into reality.

The Craftsman Workshop had been fully transformed into a research and development center for new inventions. Once an idea was successfully developed, the formula and production process would be distributed to the affiliated Crafting Workshops for manufacturing.

The Crafting Workshops were structured like assembly lines—each location was responsible for a single component. Every workshop had its own specialized procedure, and once all the scattered parts were produced, they would be assembled into a finished product.

The benefits of this system were obvious. First, craftsmen in each workshop could master their specific tasks, greatly improving both production speed and output. More importantly, it safeguarded against leaks—if enemy spies tried to gather intelligence, they would only see fragments of the process, never enough to fully understand or replicate it.

The cement project had already been in development for quite some time, but for some reason, the results still fell short of Wang Ye’s expectations. Despite numerous tests and adjustments to the material ratios, the final product was nowhere near as remarkable as what Wang Ye had described.

Old Huang hesitated. They had poured so much effort into this, yet something was still missing. That final crucial breakthrough remained elusive.

Frowning, he said, “Wang Ye is busy managing the affairs of the Western Qi Corridor. His schedule is packed with pressing matters, and it wouldn’t be right to trouble him with something like this.”

It didn’t sit well with him. Wang Ye had already laid out the big picture—it was up to them to conduct experiments and bring it to life. If they ran to Wang Ye for every little issue, then what was the point of having a research team at all?

“But what should we do? We can’t let this delay Wang Ye’s greater plans,” someone else said worriedly.

Old Huang let out a heavy sigh. “What else can we do? Keep experimenting.” They were so close—just one final step. If they kept trying, they were bound to figure it out. Everyone, think carefully. Is there any other approach we haven’t tried yet? We gathered here for a reason—to brainstorm together. Wang Ye trusts us as his researchers. We can’t expect him to solve every problem for us.”

“Hahaha! So you’re all here? What are you expecting from me? I’m merely offering some suggestions. I’m not much better than any of you when it comes to the specifics. Many things still require everyone’s collective effort and hands-on experimentation to succeed.”

Before the voice had even faded, Ming Yu strode in with large, confident steps.

Everyone was taken aback, then overjoyed. They had just been thinking about Wang Ye, and here he was! Though they had tried to solve the problem themselves, they still believed that Wang Ye’s unique way of thinking might provide the missing link. Ming Yu’s mind worked differently from theirs. His ideas were dynamic and unconventional—he could imagine possibilities they would never even consider. They, on the other hand, were too rigid, too trapped within traditional methods. How much creativity could they really muster like that?

Time and again, just a single remark from Wang Ye had helped steer their research in the right direction, saving them countless missteps.

Seeing Ming Yu, the crowd immediately stood up. Old Huang led the group in bowing respectfully. “Greetings, Wang Ye.”

Ming Yu helped him up and waved his hand dismissively. “It’s been a while since I last visited, and now you’re all acting so formal.”

His words instantly lightened the atmosphere. Wang Ye was still the same—kind and considerate as ever. He had never changed, and that reassured everyone.

Ming Yu took his seat at the head of the table and gestured for everyone to sit down as well. This was a conference room he had specifically renovated. It was spacious, with a long table in the center that could accommodate twenty or so people for discussions.

He had arrived at just the right moment—just as they were about to discuss their lack of progress with cement.

Once everyone was seated, Ming Yu spread his hands. “Alright, tell me—what’s the situation? How’s the progress?”

Cement was one of the highest-priority projects he had assigned, so the entire Craftsman Workshop had been focused on it. However, hearing his question now, everyone felt a sense of guilt.

They had worked on it for so long, yet there was still no real breakthrough. How could they face Wang Ye after failing to meet his expectations?

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