RPAGF Chapter 350 Princess Chang's Rebellion 11
Chapter 350 Princess Chang's Rebellion 11
On the official road, Ji Xiaosong looked at the twenty-seven newly recruited "farmers" and nodded in satisfaction.
"Ah Song, this is too slow," Rongrong whispered in her ear. "We only receive three batches a day at most, less than a hundred people..."
Ji Xiaosong chuckled: "What's the rush?"
She took out a map and pointed to several marked areas: "Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yuzhou are all suffering from disasters, with more than a million refugees. Let's split up and take action."
That night, more than twenty guards set off, each carrying a spatial jade pendant.
Each jade pendant contains a wisp of Ji Xiaosong's divine consciousness, which can briefly open a spatial passage.
*
A month later, a camp capable of accommodating 10,000 people had been quietly built on Ji Xiaosong's unclaimed land.
"Master, the newly arrived refugees have been settled in."
The leader of the secret guards reported, "The total population has now reached over 37,000, and 50,000 mu of fertile land has been cultivated."
Ji Xiaosong stood on the newly built city wall, gazing at the bustling construction scene in the distance: "It's not enough."
She turned and pointed south: "Tomorrow I will go to the capital of Ying Kingdom myself, where there are the most refugees."
Rongrong was startled: "Are you crazy? The emperor is looking for you everywhere!"
"What are you afraid of?" Ji Xiaosong activated her disguise technique, instantly transforming into an old woman with a wrinkled face. "Who can recognize me?"
*
Outside the imperial city of Yingguo, there was a camp for disaster victims.
Tens of thousands of refugees gathered here, and the air was filled with the stench of decay and despair.
Ji Xiaosong, leaning on her cane, walked unsteadily through the crowd, occasionally bending down to check on the patients.
"Grandpa, have some porridge." She took out a bowl from a "worn-out" cloth bag, which was actually a hidden compartment, and ladled out steaming hot meat porridge.
"Thank you so much, Grandma..." the sick woman said, tears streaming down her face.
Just then, a squad of soldiers rushed into the camp: "By imperial decree, we are searching for the Princess's accomplices! Everyone, stand at attention!"
The crowd was in a commotion.
Ji Xiaosong squinted and saw that the leader of the team was an acquaintance, Zhao Cheng, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards who had once served in her residence.
Zhao Cheng checked the refugees one by one, then suddenly stopped in front of Ji Xiaosong: "Old woman, you don't look familiar?"
Ji Xiaosong coughed twice, her voice aged: "I come from Qingzhou to seek refuge with relatives..."
"Qingzhou?" Zhao Cheng sneered. "There's a plague there, the city was locked down long ago! Men, seize this spy!"
The soldiers swarmed forward.
In her panic, Ji Xiaosong accidentally knocked over the cloth bag, revealing the white rice and flour inside.
"Food!" The starving refugees instantly stirred.
"The officials are robbing grain!" someone shouted, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Ji Xiaosong flicked her fingertips, and hundreds of refugees were quietly taken into her space.
She herself staggered back to the edge of the camp and met up with the arriving guards.
"Master, did you succeed?" the guard asked in a low voice.
Ji Xiaosong looked at the soldiers still suppressing the refugees in the distance and sneered: "Three thousand seven hundred people, enough to build a small town."
*
A few days later, Ji Xiaosong stood on the high platform of the new city, looking down at the busy refugees below, his brows furrowed slightly.
"Ah Song, what's wrong?" Rongrong floated onto her shoulder. "You've almost reached 40,000, and you're still not satisfied?"
"There are many people, but they lack backbone." Ji Xiaosong tapped the railing lightly with his fingertips. "We have farmers and weavers, but we lack scholars and martial artists. Without them, this new city will never amount to anything."
Rongrong blinked: "Then shall we rob a few academies?"
Ji Xiaosong chuckled: "Scholars should use the 'please' tone."
*
Three days later, at Yingguo Nanling Academy.
In the bamboo grove behind the academy, a scholar in a blue robe was writing calligraphy on a stone table.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept by, rustling the bamboo grove.
"Good writing." A cool female voice sounded from behind.
The scholar's hand trembled, and the ink smeared onto the Xuan paper.
He turned around abruptly and saw a woman in black standing behind him, with a small cloud floating on her shoulder.
"You are..." The scholar's pupils constricted sharply, "The Eldest Princess?!"
Ji Xiaosong nodded slightly: "I have long admired the name of Su Yan, the talented scholar from Nanling."
Su Yan subconsciously took two steps back: "Your Highness, I am but a commoner..."
"A commoner?" Ji Xiaosong chuckled. "A commoner who could write 'Ten Strategies for Flood Control'? A commoner who could predict the severe drought in the south three years ago?"
With a light tap of her fingertip, the ink on the stone table suddenly reformed, transforming into a new line of characters: "A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on."
“Mr. Su, the Emperor of Ying is incompetent, allowing corrupt officials to run rampant, causing the people to suffer.” Ji Xiaosong’s eyes were piercing. “I am building a new city in the north, and I am in dire need of someone as talented as you.”
Su Yan smiled wryly: "Your Highness, are you planning a rebellion?"
“No,” Ji Xiaosong shook her head, “it’s about changing the world.”
She waved her hand, and a screen of interstellar light appeared, displaying the scene of the new city: neat rows of fields, clean streets, and children reading in the school...
"This..." Su Yan stared in shock at the idyllic scene, "Was this really built by His Highness?"
"The refugees who were taken in just three days ago are now living in peace and contentment."
Ji Xiaosong stood with his hands behind his back. "If you are willing to go, sir, you should become the chief strategist of the city lord's mansion and realize your lifelong ambitions."
Su Yan remained silent for a long time, then suddenly bowed deeply: "I... am willing to go with Your Highness."
*
Five days later, at the Wuwei Escort Agency in Ying Kingdom.
Chief镖头 (bodyguard) Tie Zhenshan was practicing his swordsmanship in the training ground when he suddenly heard his disciple exclaim, "Master! From the sky!"
Looking up, a white cloud slowly descended, and Ji Xiaosong stood on the cloud.
"Iron Darts Master, how have you been?"
Tie Zhenshan's broadsword clattered to the ground: "The...The Eldest Princess?!"
Three years ago, the original owner of this body saved his entire family from being framed by corrupt officials.
"Your Highness," Tie Zhenshan knelt on one knee, "what are your orders?"
Ji Xiaosong went straight to the point: "I want to build a new army, but I'm short of an instructor."
Without hesitation, Tie Zhenshan replied, "I am willing to go!"
"No rush." Ji Xiaosong chuckled. "Bring your prized disciple, and..." Her gaze swept across the training ground, "...those Jianghu people who have been driven to desperation by the imperial court."
*
Within a month, strange events were frequently reported throughout the country:
Su Yan, a talented scholar from Nanling, took more than 30 disciples on a "study tour" to the north, and their whereabouts are unknown.
The Wuwei Escort Agency suddenly closed its doors and ceased operations; the chief escort and more than a hundred escorts were all "on a mission" and have not returned.
Furthermore, several retired senior officials have chosen to "retire and return to their hometowns"...
When the emperor received the secret report, he was so angry that he smashed his favorite inkstone: "Useless! All useless! So many people have disappeared into thin air, and we can't find a single trace of them!"
The chief steward said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, someone said they saw...saw the Eldest Princess walking on clouds..."
"Bullshit!" The emperor kicked over the table. "Summon all the secret guards! I want to see how long this 'fairy' sister can hide!"
*
The new city has now been renamed "Xinji".
Inside the city lord's mansion, Su Yan was reporting to Ji Xiaosong: "My lord, there are currently over three hundred scholars, two thousand martial artists, and five thousand artisans of various kinds in the city..."
Tie Zhenshan added, "After three months of training, the new army can be as effective as the regular Imperial Guards."
Ji Xiaosong nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly asked, "Mr. Su, if we were to go to war with the Northern Border now, what would our chances of victory be?"
Su Yan pondered for a moment: "The number is five."
“Not enough.” Ji Xiaosong got up and walked to the window. “I need it to be perfect.”
She turned around, her eyes gleaming: "Three days from now, I will personally invite the last 'wise man'."
Rongrong asked curiously, "Who is it?"
"Lin Banxia, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy of Yingguo." Ji Xiaosong's lips curled slightly. "With him, our soldiers will no longer be afraid of getting injured."
*
That night, at the Royal Palace of Ying Kingdom.
The emperor was reviewing memorials when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest and vomited a mouthful of black blood.
"Your Majesty!" the Grand Eunuch cried out in alarm, "Quickly summon the imperial physician!"
"Summon...summon Lin Banxia..." the emperor said with difficulty, then fainted.
However, when the guards arrived at the Imperial Hospital, they found that the head of the hospital had left behind a resignation letter and had long since disappeared...