After conquering Chengde County, Jiang Pengji did not immediately set off to rescue the emperor. Instead, she spent half a month stabilizing her power.
She generously gave the 8,000 captives and 10% of the money to An Cui, making him feel a little embarrassed.
An Cui was a man with many tricks up his sleeves. He emphasized kindness and authority, and he was clear about rewards and punishments. He handled the 8,000 captives well.
He stayed in Chengde County for two days, then left with his men and money, heading for Huangshui.
Jiang Pengji was so busy that she had no time to think about her personal feelings. Wei Ci, on the other hand, heaved a long sigh of relief.
The biggest gain from attacking Chengde County this time was not gathering the territory of Wanzhou, but taking over the manpower of the Red Lotus Group.
Tens of thousands of captives were nothing in other large-scale battles, but for Jiang Pengji, they were still very beneficial.
After a whole year of rest and construction, Fengyi County was now the most prosperous and developed place in Wanzhou. Shangyang County was second, and Chengde County was at the bottom. Chengde County had been exploited by the Red Lotus Group many times, and there was a heavy population loss. To attract more refugees and develop the local economy, development and construction became the top priority. Jiang Pengji racked her brains for half a night, planning to assign the people under her to various places.
"… I'm still too short of manpower … I hope I can poach some good people from the alliance meeting to rescue the emperor …"
Even though Jiang Pengji was energetic and full of physical strength, she was so tired that her eyes were bloodshot when faced with such a big problem.
Fortunately, she had the experience of starting from scratch. She had accumulated a wealth of experience in the construction and construction of a county. Other areas could be slightly modified and then copied. Fengyi County had an iron mine, and Chengde County also had a natural advantage. It was rich in coal, so she could make use of it.
However, the most important thing at the moment was to select new soldiers and assign the captives to reclaim wastelands, build roads, and build houses …
Although she had taken over Chengde County, it was actually not easy. The entire army had barely stopped moving, and the soldiers were exhausted.
After taking over Chengde County, she still had a lot of things to do.
Settling down the captives and squeezing their labor was just a small matter. Jiang Pengji had more troublesome matters to deal with, such as the aftermath of the soldiers who died in battle, the compensation for their families, and the arrangements for the injured and disabled soldiers. It would be spring in a month or two. She could temporarily stop the progress of other matters, but she could not delay the arrangements for the spring plowing, the selection and training of the new soldiers, and the arrangement of manpower in each county …
Although she had become the actual governor of Wanzhou, it looked glorious on the surface. On the inside, she was treading on thin ice and walking on a tightrope.
If it came down to it, she didn't have enough troops. If something went wrong, she would be in a terrible situation.
Twenty to thirty thousand soldiers could guard a county, but it was difficult to intimidate a prefecture.
Therefore, the recruitment of new soldiers and the expansion of military strength were the top priority at the moment.
Under the pressure of the heavy workload, a few strategists were so tired that they wanted to move their homes to the government office. Jiang Pengji also found it difficult to rest.
Apart from these matters, Jiang Pengji also had to coordinate the troops in various places and mobilize the troops to prepare for the rescue of the Emperor.
"… God … Give me an all-purpose shovel …"
Jiang Pengji hated official business the most. Instead of dealing with words all day, she would rather have a good fight with someone.
"What does my lord need a shovel for?" Yang Si was surprised.
Ever since Yang Si found out about Jiang Pengji's true gender, he thought that he would be very awkward, but it turned out that he had been thinking too much.
As long as she didn't deliberately remind him, Yang Si subconsciously treated her as a man.
Occasionally, when he thought about it, he still felt that it was like a dream.
Such a valiant and brave lord who fought against a hundred men alone, charged and broke through enemy lines, attacked cities and conquered lands … How could the omnipotent lord be a girl?
Every time he had such doubts, he couldn't help but glance at Jiang Pengji's chest. It clearly didn't have the slightest curve.
He looked at her face again. Her facial features were regular, and there was a heroic spirit in her eyes and brows. Indeed, she didn't have the masculinity that a man should have. However, nowadays, men liked to wear flowers and powder in their hair and wear red and green. Based on such standards, Jiang Pengji could already be considered a man.
So, this girl was fake, right?
Jiang Pengji said, "Using a shovel to poach someone, Jing Rong … Don't you think that we are too short of people? This doesn't make sense … No matter what, your lord is sitting on a prefecture. Not to mention how I can make a name for myself, but I'm not as good as the top, but I'm better than the bottom. Why is there no talent to seek refuge with? "
She didn't expect the people to seek refuge with to be top-notch strategists, but there should be third-rate talents, right?
What was the result?
The number of talents that others yearned for was in the double digits, but there wasn't a single mid-level talent.
Yang Si didn't know what "science" was, but he could still understand it in the context.
He said, "My lord, have you forgotten that the old master hasn't retired yet?"
Jiang Pengji didn't speak.
Liu She was the magistrate of Chongzhou. He was in the prime of his life. In the words of the audience in the streaming room, he had a car, a house, a successful career, and a mature, steady, and doting personality. He was definitely a wealthy husband. Jiang Pengji was indeed young and promising. She had great potential, but how could she be more attractive than a ready-made successful person like Liu She? If they really wanted to seek refuge with the Liu family, Liu She would be their first choice to seek refuge with.
Yang Si thought that he had given her a blow and eased his tone.
"My lord, don't be anxious. This matter needs to be discussed at length."
Compared to talent, Yang Si was more afraid of a lack of time.
If they were given enough buffer time and development time, with Wei Ci's connections and the talents they nurtured themselves, would they be afraid of a shortage of people?
Jiang Pengji nodded, her brows slightly furrowed.
"That's true."
Haste makes waste. She had plenty of time to slowly build up.
The situation in the world was getting more and more severe. Only by laying a solid foundation could one remain invincible.
After Jiang Pengji discussed with everyone, she planned to set off for the rescue of the emperor in half a month. During this period, she would go to various places in Wanzhou and be so busy that her feet wouldn't rest.
At that moment, an unexpected visitor was slowly entering the territory of Wanzhou, approaching Xiangyang District.
"Father, I just heard that the war in Chengde County has ended. Liu Xi is really amazing. It's only been half a month …" A young man in his early twenties bent over and entered the carriage. His face was filled with surprise and admiration. "If I knew it would be so soon, I wouldn't have changed my route."
Their whole family had taken refuge. As soon as they arrived at the border of Wanzhou, they heard that there was a war in Chengde County. The two sides were locked in a fierce battle. To prevent accidental injuries, their family had to change their route and take a detour. They were only half a day's journey from Xiangyang District, but the war had actually ended.
A middle-aged man sat upright in the carriage. He looked to be about 37 or 38 years old. The woman beside him had taken good care of herself. At a glance, one could tell that she usually lived like a prince. She didn't do any chores. She looked much younger than her actual age. She seemed to be in her early thirties.
The woman had an excellent bearing. She was reserved and elegant. Seeing that the young man's head and shoulders were stained with snow, she couldn't help but raise her hand to brush them off with a handkerchief.
The middle-aged man stroked his beard and chuckled. "Haha, a son should be like this. Liu Zhongqing is so blessed."
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