2026-02-28 07:52:21
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Chapter 148
“Three bowls and I’ll be under the table?”Niu Ben glanced sideways at Lu Fei, thinking to himself that this kid had witnessed his drinking capacity back in the day. How could he spout such nonsense now?Lu Fei, oblivious to Niu Ben’s expression, said, “General, I’m not exaggerating. Try it if you don’t believe me!”As the clear liquor filled the bowl, Niu Ben immediately sensed something different—a strong aroma rushed straight to his nose.Having sampled fine wines across the Great Yu Empire, he now felt he was truly seeing something new.“The secret recipe for this wine comes from His Highness,” Luo Xin chimed in. Having tasted Drunken Qingzhou himself, he could no longer stomach any other liquor.But Drunken Qingzhou wasn’t cheap, and Luo Quan was notoriously stingy—preferring to mooch drinks at others’ homes rather than spend his own silver.This was precisely why Luo Xin often visited Xiao Ming—mostly to freeload food and drinks.Niu Ben gave Xiao Ming another look. This Prince
Chapter 147
“Your Highness, this…” Niu Ben hesitated, unsure of what to say.Xiao Ming chuckled, “Well, right now the only position I can offer the old general is the role of commander. After all, the title of Grand Commander already belongs to me.”“Your Highness, I dare not accept so casually,” Niu Ben said respectfully. “I’m a man who carries the stain of punishment. If I suddenly take on the role of commander in the army, I fear the other officers might not accept it.”Indeed, Lu Fei had earned great merit in battle, yet he remained only a captain. Luo Xin was in the same position. That was why Niu Ben hesitated—after all, he’d been absent from Great Yu for five years. Most soldiers wouldn’t even recognize him.“No need to worry, General,” Xiao Ming said. “If I placed you under Lu Fei or Luo Xin, they’d feel more uncomfortable than anyone.”Hearing this, both Lu Fei and Luo Xin laughed aloud.Lu Fei added, “That’s right! We would be honored if the general became our commander. With you leadin
Chapter 146
“Your Highness!”As Xiao Ming approached, Luo Xin saluted with clasped fists.Dismounting, Xiao Ming motioned for Luo Xin to stand at ease while studying the elderly man beside him. “If I’m not mistaken, this must be General Niu Ben.”Niu Ben sized up the Prince of Qi, noting traces of Xiao Wenxuan in his features. Bowing, he said, “This disgraced official, Niu Ben, pays his respects to Your Highness.”“General Niu, there’s no need for such formality. This prince cannot accept such solemnity from a veteran like yourself.” Xiao Ming smiled. “General, let us continue our discussion inside the palace.”The three entered the residence, where Xiao Ming had Lu luo prepare tea.In the main hall, Xiao Ming invited Luo Xin and Niu Ben to sit before bowing deeply to the latter. “General, you’ve suffered greatly. My father has long regretted failing to repel the barbarians at Shanhai Pass and asked me to convey his apologies.”The years had tempered Niu Ben’s once-unyielding pride. Rising, he sa
Chapter 145
A gentle breeze carried a drizzle, scattering lightly over the road.On the official path to Qingzhou City, merchants and travelers hurried along. Though May was approaching, the lingering chill in the air seemed to thicken with the spring rain.Among the mixed flow of merchants and commoners, a pair of bailiffs with hands resting on their waist knives stood out conspicuously. The pedestrians instinctively kept their distance.Strangely, however, the two bailiffs seemed to treat the prisoner walking ahead of them with unusual respect—nothing like the impatience they typically showed toward other convicts.“General Niu, Qingzhou City lies just ahead.”Catching sight of the city walls in the distance, one bailiff spoke cautiously.The prisoner wore a gray convict’s uniform, his hair streaked with gray and tangled, his long beard dotted with bits of straw. The thick calluses on his hands bore witness to years of hard labor.“Mm. My thanks to you both.”Niu Ben glanced at Qingzhou City. H
Chapter 144
“Your Highness, are we just going to let this matter go?”Zhan Xingchang was unwilling to accept it.“Remember, anger without strength is meaningless. Schemes and tricks are nothing but paper tigers in the face of absolute power. Just wait—this prince will make them beg to send us money and provisions. But before that, you should focus your efforts on repairing Cangzhou City’s walls.”Xiao Ming spoke firmly to Zhan Xingchang.“Yes, Your Highness.”Zhan Xingchang nodded. These vassal kings were shameless, and there was truly nothing he could do about it.When the topic shifted to repairing the city walls, Xiao Ming said, “By the way, come with me to the industrial district. This time, we won’t be using the old methods for wall repairs—they’re too slow.”With that, the two arrived at the industrial district, and Xiao Ming led Zhan Xingchang directly to the cement workshop.“Your Highness, what is this powder?”Even Zhan Xingchang couldn’t freely enter the industrial district, so he natu
Chapter 143
After the Qingming Festival, a continuous drizzle turned the streets and alleys of Qingzhou into muddy quagmires.Having spent these days traveling outside, Xiao Ming was thoroughly fed up with trudging through ankle-deep mud. He thought to himself that if they could hold Cangzhou, he would definitely build several cement roads crisscrossing Qingzhou upon his return, while also revamping the city’s drainage system.After all, infrastructure was one of the essential projects for developing his fiefdom. Moreover, creating a superior living environment could attract merchants from across the Great Yu Empire to settle in Qingzhou.By then, selling land—ah, the legendary land finance—would become a reality.Rainy days were inevitably dull. With the Armaments Department having completed Luo Xin’s plate armor, Xiao Ming summoned him over, intending to ask him a few things while he was at it.“Your Highness, the plate armor is ready so soon?”This set of armor was naturally meant to placate L
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