"By the way, General Lin, the Southern Expedition Commander, is the second son of the Huo family. The army will arrive within twenty days, and the people will welcome them. I wonder if Cheng Mo could invite the Master and Madam of the Tong family to the new dock in Dongbin to offer a cup of wine to our Southern border troops?" Cheng Mo thought of the reputation of the Huo family's second nephew in the capital, and he felt a bit uncertain. It would be perfect for them to meet, relieving the tension of meeting his in-laws for the first time, and also easing the somber atmosphere at the scene.
No wonder Cheng Mo, with his high emotional intelligence, earned so many hearts from Xiang Bei with just a glance. Such high honor and grandeur in front of her family, how could Madam Tong refuse? At this moment, she put aside her previous sadness and was full of anticipation for the military tribute with her second brother.
Everyone sprang into action. Apart from spending two days guiding the medical personnel in first aid, Xiang Bei spent most of her time at the leather town's traveler lodge overseeing the construction of the low-temperature warehouse. From the leather town to the Ten-Mile Pavilion Traveler Inn outside Zebei Town, it was a sugar and salt processing farm closely adjacent to a large area of sugarcane fields. To the south, there was a livestock and dairy traveler lodges. She commuted between these three places, overseeing the production processes, and time flew by. A report came from the front: the army would arrive at Dongbin by waterway in less than five days. As the day approached nightfall, the Lin family hunters stationed on the mountain hurriedly came to the Tong family's courtyard.
"Steward Chen, the mountains have been restless lately. The pack of wolves that we drove away during our last encampment in the mountains has returned with a vengeance. They roam outside the valley where our sheep and deer graze, digging up the soil, banging on doors, howling incessantly, causing chaos and panic among the animals in the valley. Hunters in the mountains frequently encounter herds of giant wild bulls, which sometimes go on a rampage. And there seem to be more blind bears than before.
To the east, it appears there's a mountain fire, though it's far away and hard to discern clearly. Some speculate that these fierce beasts might have been driven to our area to escape the fire.
Given your wisdom, we seek your advice. Also, we'd like to gather accurate information about the mountain fire so we can decide whether to prepare for evacuation in advance."
"The matter of the mountain fire is certainly one that requires consultation with the lord. It's not a trivial issue. As for the wolf pack, it's highly likely the work of the alpha wolf from last time. Wolves hold grudges, and if they've set their sights on you, those few households remaining at the Tong estate are in danger. Let me go fetch Miss Bei, who's currently upstairs handling the accounts, and we can discuss this together." Steward Chen, upon hearing about the large herds of wild bulls and wolf packs, felt compelled to act, but he didn't dare make decisions on his own, especially considering the limited number of hunters who might not be able to handle such massive animal groups.
As Steward Chen sent a servant to fetch Miss Bei, he saw Lord Cheng accompanied by the heads of the Sea and Wind divisions entering through a side door that connected to the construction site at the rear. The Lin family father and son paid their respects to the lord before stepping aside. Steward Chen briefed them on the situation in the mountains, and Miss Bei descended the stairs and approached the lord and the members of the Cheng household, nodding in acknowledgment.
"Bei, I think the mountains aren't safe. Shouldn't we clear them out a bit?" Cheng Mo observed Bei's reaction with a hint of anticipation.
Xiang Bei chuckled at the visible excitement from him and the members of the Cheng household. She nodded slightly towards Wind Feng before replying, "Brother Wind Feng, do you know about the mountain fire to the east?"
"There has been an eruption of black oil near the foothills to the east, and the fire has been intensifying, burning half of the mountain peak near the cliff. Fortunately, natural waterways and waterfalls on the mountain have acted as barriers, preventing the fire from spreading continuously. The flames you see now are from the burning of the black oil below the cliff. While the fire is strong and human intervention is impossible at the moment, it hasn't caused a forest fire. We have assigned people to monitor the situation closely." Wind Feng provided Xiang Bei with a detailed report of the current situation.
"That's good to hear. The black oil won't burn indefinitely, and as the eruption subsides, the fire will gradually diminish. Once this conflict is over, I'll visit with your lord to see what can be done with this black liquid gold. It's better than letting it burn away for no reason." Xiang Bei didn't dwell on the matter further. After all, if oil was spewing out on its own, there was no reason to ignore it, right? Her asphalt roads, her kerosene lamps—oh, she couldn't wait to see them after the war was over. But she had to keep her focus; with so many eyes watching, she couldn't afford to wander too far in thought.
Xiang Bei temporarily set aside her fanciful thoughts of otherworldly journeys and focused back on the wild animals in the mountains. "Uncle Lin, why don't you and your team start dealing with the animals in the valley first? Drive away the pregnant ones and those nursing young back to the village for containment. As for the others, skin them and send the pelts down the mountain to Tong Chen. Process the deer meat into jerky after butchering, dividing it into two flavors: five-spice and spicy. Similarly, prepare various cuts of lamb legs and ribs into two flavors of marinated meat. Separate the loin, eye of round, and scapula meat for preservation using nitrate ice."