Golden Island
As the sun rose into the sky, the island was bustling with activity. The forest was filled with the sounds of logging.
Hundreds of boats were lined up neatly along the shore. Apart from the general's residence, the soldiers had set up camps and camps. Those in charge of cooking and drinking had set up tents along the shore.
The soldiers were collecting oysters and seashells on the beach. A warship was fishing in the sea not far away.
The sun shone on the surface of the water, reflecting a golden glow. White seagulls flew in flocks.
Prince Cheng De, Count Zhong Qin and Pei Zi Yun climbed up the mountain under the protection of the soldiers. Prince Cheng De smiled brightly as he paused to look at the scenery in the distance.
In the distance, the birds and seagulls could be seen. There were wildflowers by the side of the road, and the blue sea. He was in a good mood as he smiled, "The south is hotter than the capital city. Spring came earlier. Look at the greenery on the island."
Pei Zi Yun stopped walking as well. He looked down from the top of the mountain and saw smoke rising from the chimneys. He smiled, "What's even better is that the houses on the island have not been destroyed."
The soldiers of Golden Island had surrendered without a fight. Hence, the buildings were not destroyed. In fact, there were a few wells, which must have been built by the soldiers.
Just as he was thinking about this, the talisman vibrated. Pei Zi Yun remained calm and heard Prince Cheng De ask curiously, "I've heard that this was originally the property of a Dao Master?"
"Does the Dao Master intend to operate on this island?" Count Zhong Qin looked at the talisman and shook his head, "This place is barren and hard to cultivate. Even if it can be cultivated, it won't be much."
Before the cultivation of such an island could be reaped, it would be a huge expenditure. Furthermore, the potential was small.
"Yes, this island is no bigger than a village. Furthermore, it's mountainous and hard to cultivate. However, if we were to cultivate it and introduce intensive farming, we might be able to sustain ourselves. We could even provide food and water for the ships that pass by and repair the ships to earn some income." Pei Zi Yun smiled as he spoke. Actually, he had already looked around. There was a small piece of flat land. The land was made up of thousand-year-old plants and bird droppings. It was very fertile. Canals were dug out and rice and sugar cane were planted there.
Rice was self-sufficient, sugar cane could be extracted. Although there were many mountains on the island, it was relatively flat. Although it could not be developed into farmland, it could be used for grazing. All in all, there was still a lot of potential. As for the development costs, he had a lot of gold.
However, there was no need for further explanation. He invited them into the stronghold and pointed, "This used to be my residence. Duke and Count, please stay here."
Count Zhongqin examined the stronghold and the courtyard again, and reluctantly nodded his head.
He then activated the talisman, and He Qing Qing appeared within the glow of the talisman. When she appeared, she said, "Young Chieftain, we've traveled ten kilometers southeast of the ocean."
"Alright, I shall instruct a boat to pick you up." Pei Zi Yun said. In order to prevent any ambushes, there were two warships patrolling the waters around Golden Island.
"Yes, young master!"
Pei Zi Yun walked out and looked at the guards that were following him. He then instructed, "Someone has arrived from the sea with rewards. Send someone to receive them from the southeast."
A group of armored soldiers followed the order and left.
Count Zhongqin and Prefecture Prince Cheng De were still patrolling the island. Prefecture Prince Cheng De was still young, and it was rare for him to be on the island. Hence, he was not as stern as before.
After an hour, He Qing Qing was led by someone, "Young Chieftain!"
"How's the situation now?" Pei Zi Yun asked.
"Young Chieftain, the last time we sent out a warning, everyone on the island was evacuated. There were no casualties. This time, we received Young Master's orders and returned. However, we did not bring any civilians with us. We have six boats, filled with livestock, vegetables and fruits.
"Good, Qing Qing, you've worked hard." Pei Zi Yun nodded his head, "When the army moves away, you can slowly move the people back. I've taken a look. Other than the deserted farmland, and the livestock that were originally on the island have been slaughtered, everything else is in good condition. There are even some new buildings."
"You and Ren Wei can bring some people to restore the farmland, and buy some livestock to graze on the island. Now that there are fewer people, and there are no wolves, tigers or eagles, you can just let them graze on the grass. The entire island will be a natural pasture."
Hearing the Young Chieftain praise her, He Qing Qing smiled, "Working for Young Chieftain, it's not hard at all."
Pei Zi Yun looked at He Qing Qing. He hadn't seen her for a long time, and she had become even more charming. Was this a cultivation technique?
Pei Zi Yun's heart skipped a beat as he looked away from He Qing Qing's body. He then spoke in a serious tone, "Hand over all the pigs and sheep you've brought to the army. Do your best to support the army."
Seeing He Qing Qing's reluctance, Pei Zi Yun laughed, "Slaughter all the livestock, and feed them to the soldiers. I'm the commander of the army, and will not suffer any losses."
He Qing Qing was somewhat nervous as she asked, "Young Chieftain, you're in charge of the army, and you've shown the island to everyone. Won't there be people gossiping about you?"
Pei Zi Yun didn't seem to mind as he squinted his eyes, "If I win, I'm not an official, and won't be rewarded. If I don't profit from this, I'm afraid people will be afraid of me."
"Don't worry, this island is for them to see. If I win, they will officially give me the island as my fief!"
"Although I don't need it, it's a title that I can use to communicate with the mainland. With it, I can do many things. There's no need to be secretive."
The third day, the sun shines brightly.
It wasn't time for dinner yet, but there were hundreds of pots on the beach, cooking. Thick smoke rose up from the pots, and the fragrance of meat could be smelled from afar. This was the result of all the livestock being slaughtered on the six boats.
The army did not lack rations, but they lacked meat. This was a rare opportunity for them to eat their fill.
In just three days, more than ten camps had been built on the island. Many soldiers were training on the island. The sun shone down, and the fragrance of meat wafted through the air. Everyone was hungry, and their Adam's apple moved as they swallowed their saliva.
The aroma of meat wafted through the camp as well, whetting one's appetite. However, there were many people hurrying to and fro, surrounding a simple sand table. Prefecture Prince Cheng De sat down and watched, as though it was very interesting.
Count Zhong Qin watched from the side, his eyes were solemn. The simple sand table was based on a map, and there were many labels on it.
Several generals surrounded the sand table and discussed amongst themselves. Following the announcement of the strategy of attacking and defending, the battles in the surrounding counties became more intense. One of them reported, "Dao Master, Cheng Lin County and Dong Ping County have sent their troops to fight against the bandits, and are holding them back."
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, his eyes were solemn as he stretched out his hand and placed the flag on the sand table.
Just as he finished speaking, footsteps could be heard approaching, "Reporting, Dao Master. Dong An Prefecture has sent their troops. Colonel Chen Bin has killed a group of 500 bandits."
"The troops from Hu Yuan County have suffered a setback, and have lost more than half of their troops. Colonel Feng Yue has been injured, and the bandits have taken the opportunity to attack the city. However, Hu Yuan County has yet to be conquered." One of the generals placed the flag on the sand table. The small sand table showed the entire Ying Prefecture clearly.
Count Zhong Qin looked at the sand table and laughed, "Ji Bei Hou is having a hard time moving forward."
When the generals heard this, they all fell into deep thought.
Prefecture Prince Cheng De looked at the sand table and felt his heart itch, yet he didn't understand. He then stood up and asked, "Count Zhong Qin, there's something I don't understand. Please explain."
Count Zhong Qin's eyes were fixed on the sand table when he heard Prefecture Prince Cheng De's question. His voice was very young, but Count Zhong Qin didn't dare to be negligent. Prefecture Prince Cheng De was doted on by the Emperor, and was also the commander of the army. He then explained, "Prefecture Prince, look. Ji Bei Hou's real army is only 10,000 strong. He's been attacking the city, and has even gathered his old subordinates and reinforcements. In a short while, his army has grown to 60,000."
"However, the Imperial Court has formed an iron curtain around the counties, which has curbed his growth. On top of that, they allow the Colonel to participate in the battle. Firstly, it's to maintain the morale of the soldiers. Secondly, it's to disrupt and restrain the bandits."
"Although there are victories and defeats, that's not important. What's important is that although there are 50,000 bandits, most of them are pinned down and unable to move. Furthermore, there are only 10,000 soldiers in the city. If nothing goes wrong, victory is assured."
Prefecture Prince Cheng De understood and laughed, "I understand now. They're using numbers to bully others."
Hearing Prefecture Prince Cheng De's childish words, all the generals wanted to laugh, but nobody dared to do so. Pei Zi Yun sighed in admiration, "Prefecture Prince's words are accurate and hit the nail on the head. This is the essence of the art of war."
He then instructed, "Hu Yuan County has suffered a setback. Colonel Feng Yue is to be stripped of his post. He shall lead his troops and continue to serve Hu Yuan County. This is to atone for his crimes.
"Yes!" Immediately, someone recorded this down and was ready to send it out.
One of the generals frowned, "I've heard that Ji Bei Hou has recruited 50,000 soldiers. It's just that they haven't appeared on the battlefield yet. I'm sure they're not strong enough and are still training. I feel that we have to end this battle as soon as possible. We cannot give Ji Bei Hou any time to recover. Let's wipe out the navy first."
"Once we wipe out the navy, we'll be able to catch a turtle in a jar."
Hearing these words, Pei Zi Yun looked over and saw that it was a dark-skinned general who had suggested this. This man was the governor of the navy.
After thinking for some time, Pei Zi Yun shook his head, "I know about the Ying Prefecture Navy. They have 6,000 men and are all elites. Now that they have expanded to 10,000, they have a mix of new and old soldiers. However, if we want to take them down, we will suffer heavy losses. Besides, the Ying Prefecture Navy has wiped out the pirates and has experience in naval warfare. Our army has none. Once we start fighting, it's hard to say who will win.
"Oh?" The general then understood. Pei Zi Yun did not want to take the risk. He wanted to take each step carefully and not leave any openings.
"Meng Yao!"
"Here!" The general who had spoken earlier, Meng Yao's face was filled with joy. He knew that Pei Zi Yun had taken note of his words.
Pei Zi Yun took out a small flag and pointed it at the shore of Ying Prefecture. He then pointed towards the shore of Ying Prefecture, "We shall attack Qi Bei County. Our main force will be 20,000 strong. The rest will be your navy."
"I still stand by my words. If our army does not attack, Chen Ping is not a subordinate of Ji Bei Hou. He would not risk his entire army for Ji Bei Hou's sake."
"Hence, your navy does not have to fight the Ying Prefecture Navy. All you have to do is to hold them off. From time to time, you will be able to hold them back. If you fail to advance, I will use the Emperor's Sword to decapitate you. Do you understand?"
Meng Yao heard Pei Zi Yun's orders and grinned, "I understand."
Pei Zi Yun then threw the baton in his hands to one side, making a loud "dong" sound. He then swept his gaze across the crowd, "If you have any questions, speak up now."
All the generals had been through many battles, and after understanding the situation, they were very clear about the battle plan. They all replied, "Enlightened Master, we understand."
"Good. Since there are no more questions, and the soldiers have rested for three days, their morale and stamina have been restored. Let's move out."
"Yes!"
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