Blue Silver Village's Name Spreads Across the Greenwoods

The habit of gathering to watch a spectacle seemed almost instinctive to these people. Wherever something happened, a crowd would gather.

Zhang Sheng joined the crowd heading toward the county yamen. When he reached its gates,

he saw several people working together to lift the stone lion, all of them straining with the effort.

"Wow! Who could have been strong enough to move that stone lion to the gates of the county yamen?"

"That stone lion weighs at least two thousand jin. Without seven or eight people, it would be hard to budge."

"Exactly! Anyone who could move a stone lion without making a sound must have extraordinary abilities!"

As they discussed the stone lion, they had no idea the person responsible was right there among them.

Nor had it taken seven, eight, or even ten people. One person had carried it over with ease.

If they knew one person had moved it, their jaws would drop.

But Zhang Sheng wasn't bored enough to tell them. He had achieved his aim; now he only had to wait another day

and see what happened at the county yamen. If nothing happened, it meant the matter had passed for the time being.

If something did happen, it meant Lord Jia might not be willing to let the matter rest, and Zhang Sheng would have no choice but to replace him with an obedient county magistrate.

Zhang Sheng was quite satisfied with the expected result. Now that he had something on Lord Jia,

the man wouldn't be foolish enough to target him again, and Zhang Sheng could develop Blue Silver Village in peace.

He would strengthen Blue Silver Village as quickly as possible, because the days of chaos under heaven were not far off.

This was the third year of the Daye era. In the fifth year, Yang Guang would mobilize a million laborers to dig the Grand Canal.

Then, in the eighth year, he would begin his campaign against Goguryeo. In just a few short years, Yang Guang would turn the world upside down, leaving the people unable to make a living.

After spending two days in the county town, Zhang Sheng returned to Blue Silver Village. Once he was back, he gathered everyone together again.

"Fellow villagers! We've all been through some things these past few days, and I'm sure they've left a deep impression on you.

"I'd like to make some adjustments and plans for Blue Silver Village."

"Adjustments? Plans?"

"Quiet! Let the Eldest Son of the Zhang Family finish!"

"There's no need to be puzzled or worried. This is a good thing. I've been thinking that we sometimes face threats from outside,

"so I want to build a defensive wall around our village and put together a village guard while we're at it."

As soon as Zhang Sheng finished speaking, the murmurs below started up again, seemingly louder than before.

"Build a defensive wall? And put together a guard?"

"Is that true?"

"Are there any requirements to join the guard?"

"Will there be rations and pay?"

A whole string of questions came pouring out.

Zhang Sheng answered each one and promised that everyone selected for the guard would receive rations and pay, while he himself would cover all the costs of training.

Once the villagers had received answers that satisfied them, they eagerly began signing up.

But Zhang Sheng only wanted a hundred people in the end; the rest would be eliminated.

As for the village's defensive wall, hadn't they taken some prisoners last time? They could have them help build it.

They only needed to give the prisoners a little food. They might lack everything else here, but food was the one thing they had plenty of.

With a new goal before them, everyone threw themselves back into work with great enthusiasm.

The sight made the villagers from other villages green with envy. Over the past few years, they had watched Blue Silver Village

grow from a shabby little mountain village into the largest and wealthiest village for dozens of li around.

They had seen it all with their own eyes. When they heard that mountain bandits were going to attack the village, they had secretly rejoiced a little.

But unexpectedly, after just one night, the mountain bandits had vanished without a trace. Now the village had embarked on another major construction project. How could they not be consumed by envy, jealousy, and resentment?

Zhang Sheng had left the training of the village guard to his own guards. He couldn't possibly train them himself again.

Once the hundred people had been selected, Zhang Sheng would increase the intensity of their training

and supplement it with medicinal herbs. Only then could he better train them into strong soldiers.

Zhang Sheng's own guards, it should be known, had not only reached an average strength of around five hundred jin,

but had also cultivated the martial techniques he had taught them. Any one of them would have the strength of a first-rate battle general on the battlefield.

One could imagine how formidable they were. That was also why a few dozen guards had been able to rout several hundred mountain bandits with ease.

As everything fell into place, Blue Silver Village became ever more unfathomable.

The mountain bandit attack had also had far-reaching consequences. At least, when many people in the greenwoods heard about it,

they were greatly astonished. It was the first time they had heard of a bandit group numbering several hundred being wiped out by a village.

That made people in the greenwoods begin to pay attention to Blue Silver Village. What terrifying place was it, to have killed several hundred people without a sound?

Thus, during this period, there were always strangers wandering around nearby or asking about the village.

Zhang Sheng had long anticipated their arrival, but he paid them no mind.

He merely strengthened the defenses, lest someone act on a hot head and do something bad.

"Master! The apothecary's shopkeeper is here. He says he wants to buy some aged medicinal herbs."

"Mm, I know. Bring him over."

"Yes!"

A little while later, Lan Xin brought a middle-aged man before Zhang Sheng. Looking at the man, Zhang Sheng asked,

"Is Old Sun well?"

"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Zhang! My father is still in fairly good health!"

"Mm! I already know why you came today. Follow Lan Xin to collect the goods in a little while."

"Yes! But the goods I need this time may..."

"Whatever it is, just say it!"

"This time, I need something at least five hundred years old!"

"Hmm?"

Zhang Sheng hadn't expected him to need herbs that old. Although he could accelerate the growth of medicinal herbs,

bringing them to five hundred years of age was not something he could accomplish just because he wanted to.

"Why do you need herbs that old? Has something happened?"

"No! No! We just want to smooth things over through some connections."

Hearing the middle-aged man say that, Zhang Sheng understood.

"All right! But I only have one plant here right now. You can take it with the rest in a little while."

"Then I thank you for parting with it, Young Master Zhang!"

Zhang Sheng waved a hand, unconcerned. After all, the medicinal herbs were only a means for him to make money,

as well as a way to help the people under him recuperate. They would only be sitting there anyway, so he might as well let the man take them and do something with them in exchange for greater benefits.

After getting what he wanted, the middle-aged man took his leave.

Zhang Sheng, however, watched him go, somewhat lost in thought as he recalled the first time he had sold medicinal herbs to Old Sun in the county town.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. During those three years, Zhang Sheng had made a fortune through the apothecary, and by now they could be said to have some shared interests.