The next day, at the morning court.
Ji Xia, dressed in a grand silver-edged robe, lazily sat on the throne, while the officials stood respectfully below.
Many officials of Taicang took turns presenting matters of state.
"Your Majesty has ordered the Craftsmen's Bureau to gather mountain stones and fell trees to build the Lingyun Pavilion beside the royal court to honor the fallen heroes of Taicang who sacrificed their lives for the human race. Now, all the craftsmen of the bureau have been mobilized to prepare for the pavilion's construction."
The head of the Craftsmen's Bureau, Lu An, stepped forward to report.
Ji Xia raised his eyelids slightly and asked, "Are there any difficulties?"
Lu An's face showed some discomfort. "The wood is insufficient. The newly grown timber around the Southern Forbidden Forest has already been almost completely felled by the Taicheng Bureau."
Rong Lou, the Duke of Taicheng and about forty years old, impeccably dressed, snorted coldly upon hearing Lu An's words. "The timber around the Southern Forbidden Forest was cut down months ago as a reserve for heating during the winter. Are you only now thinking of complaining? Isn't it a bit too late?"
Rong Lou's words were sharp, and Lu An puffed out his cheeks in irritation. "Building the Lingyun Pavilion is an edict from His Majesty! You've cut down the timber; then, allocate some for the pavilion!"
"Isn't it His Majesty's command to provide firewood for the people?" Rong Lou countered bluntly. "And as for that timber, it has already been sawn by the Taicheng Bureau's laborers into pieces the length of an adult's forearm. If you want, I can spare some for you."
Lu An was at a loss for words. Timber cut to the length of a forearm was of no use for building a pavilion.
Ji Xia watched the two ministers bicker with interest. When they both fell silent, he smiled and said, "Since the timber around the Southern Forbidden Forest has been mostly felled, then Rong Lou, please allocate some suitable wood for the Craftsmen's Bureau to construct the pavilion. As for the firewood issue, I will find another solution. The bodies of Taicang's heroes are currently placed in the palace, which is not ideal."
Rong Lou stepped forward and bowed in acknowledgment.
Lu An then gave Rong Lou a provocative glance, and Rong Lou, who knew this old trick well, simply smiled and ignored him.
"Since there is no timber left in the Southern Forbidden Forest, I will issue a decree for the people and the military to stay away from there," Ji Xia ordered.
The Southern Forbidden Forest was a very special place in Taicang. It earned its name because it was considered a forbidden area. According to legend, a great demon resided within, but it did not seek to harm other beings. Instead, it kept other creatures from escaping the forest. The specific secrets of the forest were unknown, but it was widely believed that any lifeform that ventured deep into the forest never returned. Therefore, every Taicang ruler had strictly forbidden citizens from entering its depths.
The court meeting lasted for about half an hour, resolving several state affairs. As the meeting neared its end, Ji Xia stood up, stretched, and with a flick of his wrist, a crystal the size of a human head appeared in his hand.
The crystal resembled a cleansing marrow stone, but with a slight difference in color. While the cleansing marrow stone was pitch black, this one was translucent green and gleaming.
It was the pulse-building crystal Ji Xia had exchanged just a few days ago.
He lightly tossed it, and a stream of spiritual energy extended from his wrist, holding the pulse-building crystal in midair and sending it to Ji Qianqing.
Behind Ji Qianqing, a group of Taicang generals looked over in great excitement, their eyes fixed on the floating crystal, nearly drooling in anticipation.
"This is the Pulse-Building Crystal, which is derived from the same origin as the cleansing marrow stone used to produce the Tai Lai Spiritual Water. You can place it in the Tai Lai spiritual water pool for the soldiers to drink daily," Ji Xia ordered.
A rare look of joy appeared on Ji Qianqing's ever-stern face. As a general of Taicang, her greatest concern was the strength and cultivation of her soldiers.
She respectfully bowed and carefully held the pulse-building crystal in her hands. She understood that the rapid improvement of Taicang's military strength was largely due to the Tai Lai Spiritual Water granted by the monarch. Now, with the addition of the pulse-building crystal, she believed the strength of the Taicang soldiers would once again leap forward.
"Where is Lord Peixian?" Ji Xia asked, looking toward Peixian.
Peixian stepped forward and bowed. Ji Xia said, "In Cangcheng, there are still 3,000 soldiers who have not yet consumed the Tai Lai Spiritual Water. I cannot be partial to one city. However, there is only one pulse-building crystal, and it cannot serve both cities. Do you have a solution?"
Peixian thought for a moment and replied, "Currently, Zhouqing is busy dealing with its own internal crises. Their national order, ecology, and regulations have all been destroyed by the celestial punishment!"
"Now, they are under pressure to extract spiritual gold. It looks like they are united, but once that task is completed, Zhouqing will surely experience massive turmoil. Before the turmoil subsides, they will not have the capability to cross the Cangqing Mountain and attack Cangcheng!"
"I will lead 1,000 troops back to Cangcheng and order my subordinate generals to bring the remaining 3,000 soldiers who haven't yet consumed the Tai Lai Spiritual Water back to Taicheng. As long as there are 1,000 troops in Cangcheng to maintain basic order, there will be no problem."
Ji Xia nodded, approving. "Peixian sees things clearly. Do as you suggested."
There was still a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. "As for Zhouqing, even if their internal strife subsides, they will no longer have the ability to threaten Taicang. This celestial punishment has completely destroyed them. They are now just hanging on by a thread. When the small nations to the west, whom they once oppressed, react, Zhouqing will meet its end."
The officials of Taicang in the hall were already aware of the celestial punishment that had struck Zhouqing, causing the destruction of half the city. Hearing the monarch and Peixian speak of it again, they could not help but murmur among themselves.
Their faces were full of smiles. In just a few months, the two great and formerly insurmountable enemies of Taicang had both suffered heavy blows, which delighted them immensely.
After all, Taicang held deep grudges with both of these nations.
"Your Majesty, how should we handle Zhouqing from now on?" asked Lu Yu, the Senior Minister, his face full of joy.
Ji Xia lightly moved his fingers, and a stream of spiritual energy spilled from his fingertips, drawing a map in the air.
The map was orderly and clear, showing the territories of Jiuquan, Crocodile Horn, Zhouqing, and the surrounding landscapes.
Ji Xia asked the court, "Do you know the difference between Jiuquan and Zhouqing?"
Minister Ji Ze stepped forward and answered, "Your Majesty, Jiuquan borders Crocodile Horn to the south. It is a land with many powerful nations around it."
"To the west of Zhouqing, however, there are only a few extremely weak races. Though they are called nations, their strength is far inferior to even the former Taicang. Beyond these small nations lies a vast desert, and beyond that desert is the Dafu Kingdom."
Ji Xia nodded in approval. "Minister Ji's reasoning is clear. In just a few sentences, he has explained the territorial differences between Jiuquan and Zhouqing."
His eyes gleamed with insight. "Even if I acquire Jiuquan, the neighboring nations will make it difficult. As for Jiuquan, I have other plans."
"As for Zhouqing, to the west, there is the natural barrier of a desert, with no major external threats. I have also heard that Zhouqing has a fruit orchard that produces various sweet fruits. I wonder if any of the ministers or generals are interested in tasting these fruits?"
The generals all appeared excited at the thought.
Ji Xia slapped the armrest. "Once the internal strife in Zhouqing ends, there will be no need to let those small nations in the west benefit. The lands of Zhouqing will become Taicang's land of fruits!"
The Taicang officials responded enthusiastically, "Good!"