"The Returning Spring Cult?" Liang Xiao frowned.
For the Great Gan Kingdom, the Returning Spring Cult posed a more direct threat and its destruction was not to be underestimated.
The aristocratic families, at least, would pay lip service to the emperor and would not dare to openly rebel.
The Returning Spring Cult, however, sowed discord everywhere, its poison spreading far and wide, with its followers engaging in direct combat with the imperial court!
Were it not for Liang Xiao's extensive modern knowledge and theories, he too would not have been able to refute the Returning Spring Cult's doctrines with a single book, "Refuting the Returning Spring Cult."
"Where is he?" Liang Xiao asked.
Chen Shaoling replied, "That cult member is firmly in the control of the guards!"
Liang Xiao asked, puzzled, "Then how did you discover them?"
On the way, Chen Shaoling and Liang Xiao walked and talked.
"It was a simple-clothed youth visiting the Liang Manor. This person looked righteous and noble. He quietly informed us that there were Returning Spring Cult members lurking around the Liang Manor! We didn't believe him at first, but out of an abundance of caution, we observed for a while. Indeed, there were several people acting suspiciously."
"When we moved in, they fled like the wind. I only managed to apprehend one who was responsible for covering the rear. This fellow went mad and tried to hack at my horse's legs!"
Chen Shaoling still spoke as if facing a formidable enemy, adding, "When the people of the Returning Spring Cult get desperate, they act like they've lost their minds. They simply don't listen to reason!"
Liang Xiao pondered. The two entered the main courtyard of the Liang Manor and saw the guards surrounding a man with severe burns on his face. Black blood flowed from his mouth; he was already dead.
"Second Young Master, this person seems to have hidden poison in his teeth. He just took poison with a medicated tongue and died by suicide..." the guards reported to Liang Xiao with ashamed faces.
"It's not your fault," Liang Xiao said, shaking his head.
He had heard of the fanaticism of the Returning Spring Cult's followers. Taking poison to commit suicide when captured or biting their tongues to die were routine actions. More extreme individuals would even find ways to drag their opponents down with them, taking as many as they could.
"It seems the Returning Spring Cult has also set its sights on the Marquis of Anguo. We must be doubly careful from now on!" Chen Shaoling said with a grim expression.
The heroes of the Heavenly Mountains and the Returning Spring Cult were mortal enemies; their encounters often led to battles to the death.
Liang Xiao sighed, "Is the person who came to warn us still at the Liang Manor?"
Chen Shaoling shook his head, "This person claimed to be the 'Yun Xiu Zhai Master.' After helping us drive away the Returning Spring Cult members, he refused any reward, saying he was detached from fame and fortune and departed gracefully without leaving an address. It seems he is indeed indifferent to worldly gains..."
"To dare offend the Returning Spring Cult and not seek patronage from the powerful, he is indeed an unusual person. Do not reveal his identity to outsiders," Liang Xiao nodded slightly.
In the Great Gan Kingdom, those who dared to call themselves a 'Zhai Master' of some kind usually possessed considerable skill.
"I imagine he did this out of respect for the Marquis of Anguo's dedication to the nation and its people, and seeing how the Marquis treated his fief and the farmers of Yan Province, he couldn't bear to see the Marquis fall victim to an ambush by the Returning Spring Cult!" Chen Shaoling praised.
Liang Xiao merely smiled faintly, offering no comment.
He himself was not afraid of the Returning Spring Cult, but Yue Lian and the others might become targets. Regardless, this Yun Xiu Zhai Master was doing a good deed.
In the secret chamber, Yan Jun and others had ashen faces, their eyes filled with fury.
"How did Liang Xiao's men discover you?" Yan Jun asked, radiating murderous intent.
A cult member replied with lingering fear, "We were all outside the Liang Manor, acting as if nothing was amiss. We never expected those Heavenly Mountain heroes to be even more patient than us, also acting as if nothing was amiss. In the end, they surrounded us. Fortunately, Wang Wu sacrificed himself to cover our retreat, otherwise, we would all have been captured! It's a pity about Wang Wu!"
Yan Jun's face was now covered in frost. She angrily said, "Investigate whether there was a traitor among the accompanying cult members!"
Before the cult member could respond, Yan Jun's eyes flickered, and she added, "Also, interrogate those people from Zuo Wushang!"
"Sect Master, Qingyi and we are on the same boat. Zuo Wushang's people wouldn't expose us, would they?" the others asked disbelievingly.
"Better safe than sorry. Who knows? Zuo Wushang explicitly forbade harming Liang Xiao and his family!" Yan Jun murmured to herself.
Actually, she herself did not believe it, as betraying the Returning Spring Cult would bring no benefit to the people of the Great Heng Kingdom.
But for now, she still had to find a way to approach Liang Xiao; she could not act personally!
"Sect Master, Zuo Wushang's people left Yan Province early this morning!" a cult member reminded her.
Yan Jun let out a cold laugh and said helplessly, "First, investigate the lower-ranking cult members to see if anyone has been swayed by 'Refuting the Returning Spring Cult'! As for the people of Great Heng, we need to find an excuse to get money from them, don't we?"
Returning to the courtyard, Liang Xiao reviewed the documents sent by Liang Wen and was quite satisfied.
Including the refugees, the total population of Yan Province was close to three million, with Yan Province City alone exceeding four hundred thousand.
Furthermore, the Tian River flowed through the northern border of Yan Province, with numerous tributaries within the province providing ample irrigation water.
Each draft ox cost Liang Xiao about seven taels.
Liang Xiao's fields exceeded two million mu, accounting for more than half of Yan Province's arable land. However, with the assistance of draft oxen and improved plows and other farming tools, a household cultivating a hundred mu of land was not a significant problem.
Liang Xiao's fief alone comprised five thousand impoverished households. Additionally, by hiring over thirty thousand people from Anxi County and various parts of Yan Province, along with more than thirty thousand draft oxen and ample farming equipment, it was just barely sufficient.
If arranged properly, even without the introduction of new crops, Liang Xiao would barely break even, provided Yan Province did not suffer further destruction by the barbarians.
Farmers who brought their own draft oxen would have their harvests split six-four with Liang Xiao.
Farmers who used Liang Xiao's draft oxen would have their harvests split five-five with Liang Xiao.
This profit-sharing scheme by Liang Xiao received strong support from the people of Yan Province, with households enthusiastically signing up.
These farmers had calculated: Yan Province, with its Tian River and stable irrigation works, rarely experienced water shortages in its farmlands. Even in case of a poor harvest, following Liang Xiao would not lead to losses. It was far better than being idle year-round with no land to farm.
The profit-sharing ratio offered by Liang Xiao was ten percent higher than that of the officials, and it was rumored that Liang Xiao intended to continue to offer more concessions in the future!
Liang Xiao's acquisition of land was also intended to help his young steward, Xiao Shuangzi, alleviate land-related conflicts.
After obtaining the treasure of the Xiongnu King, Xiao Qing also promised to provide financial assistance to Liang Xiao at any time to alleviate the funding pressure in this regard.
However, Liang Xiao's vision extended beyond these farmlands to various future factories.
Agriculture was undoubtedly important, but to achieve significant profits, one had to engage in commerce, seizing opportunities from the likes of the Ouyang family and other aristocratic clans, increasing his own strength while weakening them!
Therefore, Liang Xiao's personnel were once again insufficient, and he visited the Yan Province Academy again.
Upon learning of Liang Xiao's visit, Zhuo Wentao quickly led all the students to greet him.
Liang Xiao followed the same procedure, issuing several examination questions to test the scholars of the Yan Province Academy, and spent a day personally grading them.
All the scholars who participated in the examination received a reward of three taels of silver, leading to a generally happy outcome.
No one in the entire Yan Province Academy scored above eighty points...
Finally, Liang Xiao hired sixty top-scoring individuals and assigned them positions to assist in managing the farmlands and the hired farmers.
Upon learning that Liang Xiao had efficiently managed the farmlands and the Qingtian Guard, Lü Yi also felt gratified. He sent Zhuo Wu Lue with his command token and official documents to the Yun Province military camp to take charge, while he himself remained at the Northern Border military camp, overseeing the training of the Great Gan Iron Guards.
Sima Jing and Lü Yi looked at the thousand elite soldiers selected over several days with satisfaction.
"I hope to see the Second Young Master Liang assist His Majesty in ushering in an era of peace and prosperity before I meet the late emperor," Sima Jing seemed to be speaking to himself.
Lü Yi smiled and said, "Soon. This child Liang Xiao handles matters rather efficiently, hundreds of times better than I did in my youth!"
At the same time, significant developments were occurring at the Liang Manor in the capital, causing a stir among the major aristocratic families in the city!