"Special farming tools? Iron smelting and forging far beyond today's standards? Strange seeds? And many other oddities?"
Lord Chunshen's expression shifted as he read the reply in his hands, far away in the Chu Kingdom. This was different from the last letter. That one had come from an overlooked son of a concubine in the Chen Lineage. This time, the people he had sent were trusted confidants, no ordinary men. Their report was no hearsay; they must have investigated and had solid grounds for their claims.
"So the Chen Lineage of Chenggao truly has talent? Did I misjudge them?"
At that thought, Lord Chunshen rubbed his brow. A headache was coming on.
The collapse of the Five Kingdoms Coalition already weighed on him. When the news first arrived, he had considered using his connections in the Wei Kingdom and Zhao Kingdom to draw the coalition back together. At the very least, it could hold back the Qin Dynasty's troops long enough for the Chu Kingdom to recover and prepare. But it was now clear that the King of Wei's suspicion of Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, had become almost public. He would never again allow Lord Xinling to command the Five Kingdoms Coalition. Without Lord Xinling's prestige to keep them in line, the five kingdoms' quarrels made it impossible to hold the army together.
"Alas."
Lord Chunshen shook his head. There was nothing to be done, so he set the matter aside and turned to what lay before him.
"If the coalition cannot be saved, the Chu Kingdom must rely on its own strength. We need every means of strengthening it." He glanced down at the letter. "If this Chen of Chenggao truly has such abilities, we must invite him here at any cost! Farming determines how many people we can