northernbook #740 - new year
#740 - new year
【Please silently recite the website address three times. Do you remember it? If you don't, I'll ask again in the next chapter. It would be best to share it on Facebook, oh】
Compared to when Lu Jing had just taken over, Azure Dragon Mountain was now vastly different.
The dilapidated thatched huts at the foot of the mountain had all been renovated, and many people had moved in. New huts were also under construction, and batches of stone were being pulled back from the quarry to become bricks for the earthen fortress.
According to Ge Ping, the outer walls of the fortress would be completed in at most a month. At that point, unless someone sent thousands of elite soldiers to attack, it would be almost impossible to lose.
Seeing that Azure Dragon Stronghold was gaining momentum, several nearby bandit forces had recently come to join them. Among them was even a gang of bandits who had attacked Ge Ping and his men not long ago.
The leader of the stronghold, in the dead of winter, took off his shirt, bared his upper body, and carried thorns on his back to beg for forgiveness.
Upon seeing Ge Ping, he kowtowed three times without saying a word. But when he looked up, he saw that Ge Ping had already moved aside without leaving a trace.
The stronghold leader's heart immediately turned cold, feeling that he was done for.
Judging from Ge Ping's appearance, he was clearly still resentful about what had happened before.
But then he saw Ge Ping walk up to him again, pat him on the shoulder, and signal him to get up first.
Ge Ping didn't make things difficult for the stronghold leader. As the chief of Azure Dragon Stronghold, he naturally knew how difficult it was to lead a group of bandits, not only having to deal with the government's search and arrest but also having to find ways to feed his brothers.
Now, the easy targets within a hundred miles of Azure Dragon Mountain had basically been robbed clean. The remaining people either lived in the county seat or hid in the earthen fortress.
Chief Xing secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but then sighed and said, "That's natural. I've already let those people go."
Letting people go was just a nice way of saying it. These people had lost their homes, had no money or food, and were wanted by the government, unable to enter the city. Unless they were lucky enough to encounter a stronghold willing to take them in, they would almost certainly not survive the winter.
However, now, among the bandits near Azure Dragon Mountain, apart from Ge Ping and his men, every household had no surplus food, so how could they possibly accept new people? Therefore, the fate of that group of people was predictable.
However, those who could become bandits were all hard-hearted people. Ge Ping was very satisfied with Chief Xing's actions and said, "If you come here, you must abide by the rules here."
"That's right, whoever Chief Ge tells us to rob in the future, we will rob. I, Xing Sandao, am willing to be the vanguard!" Chief Xing patted his chest and said.
But to his surprise, Ge Ping shook his head and said, "We won't rob anyone else in the future."
"Ah?" Chief Xing didn't quite understand and asked stupidly, "Then how will we feed so many brothers in the stronghold?"
"By farming."
"Farming?"
"Yes, I forgot to tell you, there's no more Azure Dragon Stronghold here, and I'm no longer their chief, so you better not call me Chief Ge anymore."
"Then what should I call you?"
"Hmm, just call me Steward Ge."
"Steward Ge, so there's a master here."
This time, Chief Xing's mind was finally quick and he quickly reacted.
"That's right, if you're willing to stay, you should be able to see him soon," Ge Ping said. "I just don't know if Chief Xing is interested in farming?"
Xing Sandao didn't hesitate for too long and quickly made a decision, "Farm, isn't it just farming? We're familiar with this work. Before I became a bandit, I farmed for Landlord Huang. Now, this can be considered a return to my old profession."
For Xing Sandao and his men, this was not a difficult decision.
Although farming was a bit tiring, not farming would mean going hungry or even losing their lives, so it was very clear how to choose.
Moreover, Ge Ping then added, "Our manor has just been built and is in need of people, especially those with skills. If you don't want to farm, you can do other work."
Immediately, someone from Xing Sandao's men stood up and said, "I've worked in a porcelain kiln before. I can fire kilns, can I?"
"Good, you can go help at the brick kiln," Ge Ping nodded.
"Me, me, me, I'm a carpenter!" Someone else volunteered.
At this time, Xing Sandao also came over, "Does killing people count as a skill?"
"It does. You can join the guard team and be responsible for daily patrols to protect the safety of the manor."
… … … …
When Lu Jing and Xia Huai returned, the number of people in the farm had already exceeded five hundred.
This number of people might not be much in troubled times, and it wouldn't be noticeable when scattered across the vast Azure Dragon Mountain, but it was still quite lively when gathered together.
Moreover, the New Year was in two days, and Azure Dragon Mountain was decorated with lanterns and decorations, filled with the atmosphere of the New Year.
Speaking of which, this was the first time that many people had spent the New Year peacefully since becoming bandits, without worrying about government soldiers coming to encircle them or wondering if there was enough food to eat.
Some people had even purchased a large batch of coarse cloth from Ju County and tailored new clothes for everyone, and joy was written on the faces of adults and children alike.
And just as Lu Jing arrived, he had visitors again.
The Registrar Luo who had guided him in Shizhou, along with his daughter Yingying, had finally arrived at Azure Dragon Mountain after several months of long journey.
Lu Jing only remembered this father and daughter when he heard the report from his subordinates. At that time, he had readily agreed to introduce the two to Zhao Zong.
So, Lu Jing personally went out to greet the two while quickly having someone notify the fake Zhao Zong, who was showing off his skills in the kitchen.
Registrar Luo looked much thinner than when the two first met, probably due to the fatigue of the journey, while Yingying was at the age of growth, and she was becoming more and more graceful.
The two were curiously looking at the earthen fortress that was about to be completed in front of them.
Registrar Luo stroked his beard and said, "The craftsman who designed this wall must have spent a lot of time thinking about how to fight. As long as one or two thousand people are placed inside, they can easily withstand enemies several times their number. Moreover, this earthen fortress is at the foot of the mountain and should have a lot of farmland, which is very suitable as a place to station troops. Hmm, also, it's very close to the neighboring county seat, which can be mutually supportive."
"Father, are you confused? Isn't that county seat next door still under the Great Chen Dynasty?" Yingying said.
Registrar Luo smiled upon hearing this, "Don't doubt your father's vision. I think that Magistrate Kong has probably already secretly surrendered. Otherwise, how could he have watched such a large earthen fortress emerge on the edge of his county seat?"
【When the chapter started, I asked you to silently recite it three times, do you remember? Sharing on Facebook may bring surprises oh】