Iruo's delicate face instantly turned pale, "The Heavenly General himself? What does Pope Yan mean by that?"
Glancing at Iruo, Yan Jun smiled, "How can there be so many coincidences in this world... I heard that this person beheaded Donghai's guardian, Dugu Ling, decisively. Your marshal's assassination attempt also failed."
As the Pope of the Rejuvenation Cult, Yan Jun naturally understood the essence of "supernatural phenomena."
Most of them were charades and deceptions.
"He is a scholar who will surely achieve sainthood in the future. How could he possibly be a martial god like the Heavenly General? Even our King of Donghai did not achieve the feat of single-handedly repelling tens of thousands of barbarian cavalry in historical records..." Iruo looked disbelieving.
Yan Jun said coldly, "This person wears a sword at his waist and has sharp eyes, more like a martial artist. It was after meeting his gaze for a moment that I suddenly woke up and gave up on a desperate gamble. If he were truly a scholar with no strength to even truss a chicken, with my abilities, let alone a zither immortal, even the current Sword Saint could not have arrived in time to rescue him. If I couldn't have held him hostage, I could have killed him..."
Iruo almost suffocated.
She had actually intended to hold Liang Xiao hostage in public, even kill him??
This was the Marquis of Anguo of Great Gan, the wise minister who appeared in the Great Gan Emperor's dreams!
The people of the Rejuvenation Cult were truly mad!
Yan Jun said coldly, "Drawing a sword and beheading someone with a single stroke is far more difficult than ordinary people imagine. It requires astonishing speed and strength. I can only guarantee a swift throat cut with a drawn sword, but not an instantaneous beheading! I wouldn't act rashly, but I won't give up on testing him further."
"Why bother? Our marshal has already strictly forbidden harming him or his family..." Iruo sighed.
Yan Jun's eyes gradually became somewhat wild, and he said with a wry smile, "Hesitation! The preventative measures for smallpox he provided are remarkably effective. This is a merit that will last for millennia! If such a person lives, and one day rallies support, will our Rejuvenation Cult still have room to expand?"
Iruo was speechless.
Yan Jun was right. Once Liang Xiao's reputation spread and he gained popular support, he could even become a living spiritual icon.
Why did no one dare to offend the medical saint Mu Xueqin?
Because Mu Xueqin also had merit on her side.
When a nation is in decline, healers who can save lives and cure diseases are the easiest to win hearts and gather followers!
"For the future of the Rejuvenation Cult, this person must be eliminated! I will send people to keep a close eye on him!" Under Iruo's helpless gaze, Yan Jun drifted away.
Liang Xiao, along with five hundred Imperial Guards assigned by Xiao Qing, set off for Yanzhou.
Jian Qinnian sat with Liang Xiao in the carriage, her heart filled with shyness.
Sitting with him, she felt incredibly safe. Her潔癖 (cleanliness obsession) seemed insignificant now...
Who was protecting whom, after all?
Jian Qinnian's mind was in turmoil. She glanced at Liang Xiao, who was gazing ahead.
Jian Qinnian finally couldn't help but ask, "That woman named Yan Jun is from the Great Liang Kingdom. Speaking of the Great Liang Kingdom, in the future, you will assist His Majesty and the nation will be strong. Will you eventually reclaim the Great Liang Kingdom?"
Liang Xiao smiled, "If the ruler of the Great Liang Kingdom governs diligently and loves the people, and pursues a policy of friendly relations between the two nations, then Great Gan would have no just cause to wage war. If not, then a battle between the two sides is inevitable."
"What if the Great Liang Kingdom behaves itself and there's no war? Don't all men like to unify the world?" Jian Qinnian looked at Liang Xiao curiously.
It was hard to believe that a skilled individual like the "flower thief" (a nickname for Liang Xiao), cooperating with a wise ruler like Xiao Qing, wouldn't aspire to unify the world.
She knew very well that this "flower thief" was not someone who feared death or sought fame for nothing, otherwise, he wouldn't have accepted the army assigned by Xiao Qing and recruited private soldiers to train in Yanzhou.
This was clearly preparation for resisting the barbarians in the future!
He might even be the Heavenly General himself...
Liang Xiao said without hesitation, "When heroes draw their swords, the common people suffer."
Jian Qinnian stared blankly at Liang Xiao, her heart feeling like it was being churned by a storm!
A general's success is built on the bones of countless soldiers!
No one had ever said such a thing to her before.
What crime had the common people committed?
At some point, tears blurred her vision. Jian Qinnian was speechless, only gazing tenderly at Liang Xiao.
She finally understood why her medical saint mother had "given" her to Liang Xiao.
Let it be then...
Liang Xiao gazed ahead, lost in thought.
Zuo Wushang's whereabouts and timing were still unknown, the aristocratic families were at loggerheads with him, and the barbarians would certainly not let him go!
Without a powerful private army, how could he protect his loved ones?
Mu Hong's weaponry was still being manufactured and would be delivered to Yanzhou soon. At that time, the training of the Qingtian Guard and Great Gan Iron Guards could begin in earnest.
But what Liang Xiao truly desired was a special forces unit that was more comprehensive and loyal than the Shadow Guard!
This was still difficult to achieve. Many weapons had not yet been modified, and personnel needed to be carefully selected.
He would select them from the Qingtian Guard and the Liang Manor guards!
With the capital as the center, as the land reclamation order spread, people in various prefectures and counties began reporting their land holdings.
Landlords and wealthy gentry, finding that Xiao Qing promised to purchase at an increased price, also began reporting the land they were willing to cede.
The reason was simple: this land was officially recorded and could not be hidden even if they didn't report it!
If the court took a liking to it and bought it at an increased price, it would be a guaranteed profit!
Xiao Qing, in his imperial study, looked at the land reporting situation inside and outside the capital with satisfaction.
"Big Brother's idea is truly brilliant. They willingly participate, but they would never imagine that the price of land will skyrocket in the future! I will not acquire land reported by ordinary citizens, but only that from these large and small landowners!"
Wang Canghai also praised with a smile.
This measure was gentle, appearing to be voluntary on both sides, with everyone happy.
However, with the promotion of new crops and the implementation of land reclamation, Great Gan's grain production would continuously increase, and its population would also expand.
If the per capita tax were to be abolished in the future, and this trend continued, the population would eventually multiply several times!
With an increased population and little change in land quantity, land prices would naturally rise!
By allowing these treasures of gold to be slowly converted into land, and handing it over to farmers to cultivate, with the government collecting only forty to fifty percent of the yield, it could also alleviate social conflicts, reduce civil unrest and rebellions, and thus reduce the cost of quelling uprisings for the court!
The nation would be prosperous, conflicts would be eased, and the people would live and work in peace and contentment. This would leave room for promoting education, allowing commoners the opportunity to study, and breaking the monopoly of aristocratic families on official positions.
It was simply perfect!
For the past few days, Wang Canghai had been so excited that he could barely sleep, feeling as if he had become decades younger overnight!
Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing had given him and Lü Yi hope and a sense of purpose!
Everyone was happy, except for Zhang Yang, who was being heavily groomed by Liang Xiao!
The victim, surnamed Zhang, was working in the Ministry of Works, performing the duties of three positions: Grand Councilor, Director of Land in the Ministry of Works, and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. He was in pain and joy.
The position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works was originally Liang Xiao's responsibility...
Fortunately, the position of Grand Councilor was an honorary one. If Xiao Qing and Wang Canghai did not put pressure on Zhang Yang, he could completely handle it.
Because Zhang Yang's wife, Madam Yang, had long since recovered, and it was Pan Feng who treated her, Zhang Yang was no longer pessimistic.
The divine doctor Hua Xiong and his wife had gone to Yanzhou with Liang Xiao to train some military doctors for Liang Xiao and to serve as his personal physicians.
The convoy finally returned to Yanzhou. Since Liang Xiao's Qingtian Guard had been confirmed and given official establishment, the two Imperial Guard units that had escorted Liang Xiao's convoy to Yanzhou were ordered back to the capital to receive rewards. Before they left, they did not forget to thank Liang Xiao.
The journey had been arduous, but Lü Yi, upon returning to Yanzhou, had ordered a reward of ten taels of silver for each Imperial Guard soldier!
In the room, Liang Xiao looked at the pile of gold ingots, his heart filled with emotion.
"His Majesty secretly bestowed so much gold, and asked us to keep it a secret..." Luo Qingxue exclaimed in awe.
The ratio of gold to silver in Great Gan was one to ten, or even one to eleven. During times of great chaos, it even reached one to twenty!
The value of this gold exceeded one million taels of silver.
Only the founding heroes of that year, the Marquis of Dingguo and the Prime Minister Zhuo Mingfeng, had received rewards of this magnitude!
Liang Wen was also in the room, happily saying, "Second Young Master, how should we handle this gold? If we exchange it directly, it will take some time, and it will be too conspicuous!"
Lü Yi had sent Lü Changhe to privately inform Liang Wen and Luo Qingxue: From now on, all expenses for the Qingtian Guard and Liang Xiao's workshops would be borne by the Northern Army Camp!
This way, Liang Xiao's finances would have sufficient room for maneuver!