An Unusual Marriage Alliance
The entire back garden of the Marquis General's Mansion has now become a forbidden area. This is unavoidable; the back garden is already crowded with people, adults and children alike, all dressed in rags, none of them properly dressed, all trembling as they watch the surrounding high walls and courtyards, not daring to utter a sound. A rough count suggests there are over a hundred people. These were all people Ling Feng and his companions had gathered during their leisure time wandering around the capital during their cultivation.
The three of them were now living a very comfortable life, cultivating peacefully with Spirit Stone and elixirs to nourish them. Their cultivation levels were rising rapidly, something they would never have dared to dream of before. They had no worries about food and drink, no one to restrain them, and money from Shi Xiaotian to spend. Although they couldn't show their faces normally at the General's Mansion, the three of them would sneak out of the courtyard and wander around the capital in their spare time. As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food must be loyal to him," and the three of them dared not neglect the tasks Yue Qianchou. Their purpose in wandering around was to find people with cultivation Spirit Root.
Looking at the group of people in the back garden, Shi Xiaotian was both amused and exasperated. What kind of people had Ling Feng and his companions gathered? Most of them looked like beggars, or were in dire straits. Some of them were squatting in the shade of a tree, picking lice after they had eaten their fill.
On the wall of the small courtyard, Ling Feng and his two companions sat side by side, while Shi Xiaotian stood atop it. The four of them surveyed the group of people inside the garden. Shi Xiaotian said with a wry smile, "Ling Feng, did you bring all the beggars from the capital here?"
Bei Zi looked up at him and laughed, "If the three of us really wanted to bring all the beggars in the capital, even ten General's Mansion wouldn't be enough to hold them, let alone this garden. We also wanted to bring some decent people for our boss, but he already instructed us to keep a low profile. If we brought so many normal people, we'd probably have already alerted the authorities and attracted attention. Look at these beggars and vagrants, homeless and alone. Nobody in the capital would even know they were missing."
Shi Xiaotian pointed and said, "But look at you, why did you even bring in an old man? What use is he to the boss?"
"That's good, at least they won't starve to death on the streets." Xuan Ping rarely said such a long sentence.
Ling Feng nodded and said, "The boss said that as long as they are unaffiliated with any sect or faction and have Spirit Root for cultivation, the more the better, regardless of their age."
"Hey! Let's wait until the boss arrives!" Shi Xiaotian shook his head, held up a small silver ball in his hand, and asked with a puzzled look, "I just used my Divine Sense to check inside and found it was empty. Can this really summon the boss?"
"It should work! Otherwise, the boss wouldn't have given us this for nothing," Ling Feng said.
Shi Xiaotian looked at the silver ball in his hand and said with a wry smile, "I hope the boss takes them away soon, otherwise feeding more than a hundred people every day..."
"What? Your dignified General's Mansion can't even support a hundred or so people?" Yue Qianchou suddenly appeared on the wall and laughed.
"Boss..." The group turned around and exclaimed in surprise.
After his initial joy, Shi Xiaotian smiled somewhat awkwardly and said, "Boss, that's not what I meant. It's just that my father is about to return to the capital, and I'm afraid it will arouse his suspicion. I don't know how to explain it to him."
Yue Qianchou glanced at the hundred or so people and nodded slightly. They were all people with some Spirit Root. He hadn't expected Ling Feng and his companions to gather so many people in such a short time. But then he paused, noticing that he had also spotted several elderly people among them.
"Let's talk inside." Yue Qianchou slipped over the wall and into the house in the courtyard. After the four of them entered the main hall, Yue Qianchou sat down on a chair in the main hall and asked curiously, "Pillar State General has been guarding the border and fighting for many years. Why is he suddenly returning to the capital this time?"
Shi Xiaotian laughed and said, "It's nothing. Pingguo General has two beautiful daughters. The eldest daughter is going to marry the current Crown Prince, and the second daughter is going to marry the eldest son of Weiguo General. My father, Pingguo General, and Weiguo General are the Great General of the empire. Perhaps that's why my father came here in person to offer his congratulations!"
A marriage alliance between two high-ranking officials, and between a high-ranking official and the Crown Prince? Yue Qianchou raised an eyebrow, seemingly sensing something was amiss. He frowned and asked, "Xiao Tian, among the empire's Great General, who wields the most military power?"
"It's hard to say who has the greatest military power. The Great General each command six million troops across the land, so their numbers are roughly equal. But if we're talking about who has the strongest fighting ability, I'm afraid it has to be my father," Shi Xiaotian said with a hint of pride.
"Why?" Yue Qianchou asked.
Shi Xiaotian gestured with his hand, saying, "The southern part of the Huaxia Empire is a desolate land with few people, what we Cultivation World call the Demon Ghost Domain. The eastern part borders the sea, and these two places have always been guarded by the troops of the Weiguo General. The troops of the Pingguo General mainly protect the capital and the northern border. My father, the Pillar State General, guards the west. The east is bordered by the sea and has no neighboring countries, and although the south is desolate and dangerous, there is no war. Although there is a large country in the north, they are located in a cold and harsh land, and their strength is no match for our country, so we have always been at peace. Only the west, which my father guards, is not only vast, but also borders six countries. Since the founding of our dynasty, there have been almost constant conflicts with those six countries, large and small. Elder brother, think about it, for many years, the troops in the east, south, and north have been preparing for war but there has been no war, while the west guarded by my father has been preparing for war all year round. Therefore, among the Great General of the empire, the troops under my father's command are the strongest in terms of fighting strength."
"Oh! I see." Yue Qianchou had been in the Cultivation World for a long time and was really unaware of these matters. After a brief silence, he asked again, "So, what about the defenses in the west this time your father is back in the capital? Aren't you worried at all?"
"Haha! Boss, you don't know this," Shi Xiaotian laughed. "Last year, those six countries attacked our country at the same time, which immediately angered my father. My father immediately gave a death order, and with one command, his two million troops were divided into six routes to defeat those six countries one by one, severely damaging their strength. In the end, the six countries sued for peace and signed a non-aggression treaty with our Huaxia Empire at the beginning of this year, which is why my father was able to return to the capital with peace of mind. As for the defense of the west, my father has handed it over to my second brother. My second brother has grown up under my father's tutelage for many years, and I believe that guarding the west will not be a problem."
"Oh! So there's no fighting in the west for the time being?" Yue Qianchou asked.
Shi Xiaotian laughed and said, "The six kingdoms have suffered heavy losses. Even if they wanted to cause trouble, it would probably be impossible for them for at least the next ten years or so."
Seeing his proud expression, Yue Qianchou didn't ask him anything further, but secretly he was thinking to himself, "There's no war on the border, yet the Shi family commands the most powerful army in the Huaxia Empire. One army can defeat the combined forces of six nations simultaneously; the fighting strength of this army is unimaginable. I guess some people are probably getting restless; that's why they've already brought up marriage alliances."
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