Whale Falls and Becomes a God

Chapter 72 Everything is ready to be done
The moon and stars are sparse, and the night breeze is gentle.

It was already night, and Xiao Yingyin's reunion with Du Fuwei had delayed him for quite some time, so he didn't finish his tour of the eight military camps in Jiangdu until nightfall.

In the eight military camps, Xiao Ying and others stayed for about half an hour each time. After the training, they replaced the possessed star souls with levelless blood stars, which could not only speed up the military training, but also increase recognition and loyalty.

Today, the number of blood stars in the "Blood Demon Map" is as high as 420,000.

Originally, Xiao Ying thought that the quantity was sufficient and would be enough for use in a short period of time.

Now controlling Jiangdu is far from enough. It is impossible to possess the entire army. He can only give it to the new army or the newly surrendered army first.

"It's okay! We still have time... We can just take turns possessing each other! It won't be long before Shang Liang Wang's rebel army arrives at the gates of the city, and the Star Soul will surge again..."

Xiao Ying pondered as he led the crowd slowly walking on the street.

As night falls, the streets are still bustling with people.

Jiangdu, mired in depression by the rebellion a few days ago, has regained its vitality. As long as governance is carried out steadily and no further fighting breaks out within the city, a return to prosperity and splendor is just around the corner!

When Xiao Ying and others passed by a square, they still saw countless refugees and displaced people in tattered clothes, with tired faces but obviously hopeful expressions on their faces. They were no longer numb and confused. They were filling the square, registering and receiving food one after another, and then being arranged with accommodation.

Jiangdu is prosperous, with high city walls and thick walls. It is one of the top three cities in the world. It is magnificent and solid, and can be relied upon as a solid base camp.

However, Jiangdu's disadvantages are also obvious. It has an overpopulation and a prosperous economy, but lacks basic necessities such as agriculture and animal husbandry. Most of the basic living supplies need to be purchased from other places outside the city, and it cannot be self-sufficient. There are no sufficient fields, pastures, farms, etc. in the city.

This requires the assistance of major families, chambers of commerce, gangs and other forces. The Sui Dynasty officials do not have enough manpower and connections at the moment.

This is the inevitability of the existence, development and growth of major forces.

There was plenty of land outside the city, but it was a time of chaos, and the rebel army was approaching, with many bandits and robbers, so the Sui army had to temporarily abandon the area outside the city.

On one side of the square, many young and middle-aged people are queuing up to register for military enlistment. Families of those joining the army will be given priority and preferential treatment, such as job introductions, housing provision, tax reductions, etc.

"Your Majesty!"

The appearance of Xiao Ying and the others attracted a lot of attention. The person in charge, Princess Wang Caixuan, came forward to greet them and took the initiative to report:
"As of now, 170,000 people have been registered here, and over 40,000 dan of grain has been distributed. For the time being, everything is sufficient and worry-free!"

"well-done!"

Xiao Ying smiled and praised him, then asked, "How's the recruitment going?"

There are eight other squares similar to the one in front of you in Jiangdu City. The conditions in each place are different, but not too different. You can get a glimpse of the whole picture by looking at a small part!

"Over 17,000 new soldiers have been recruited here, and most have been sent to nearby military camps for intensive training!"

Wang Caixuan glanced at the recruiting office where there were only a few people left and responded quickly.

Xiao Ying nodded and replied, "That's right! Pass the order down and continue recruiting, but if you need anything, report it promptly!"

"Yes!" Wang Caixuan responded seriously.

Compared to her previous seclusion in the palace, Princess Wang Caixuan was now obviously more vigorous and energetic, and even her spirit, temperament, and appearance were much brighter.

Xiao Ying and others did not stay any longer and left quickly.

Today, the vast and magnificent Jiangdu City is like a super machine, with every part running at full speed. In addition to taking care of the people's lives, settling refugees, and encouraging trade, it is also recruiting craftsmen to repair buildings, manufacture equipment, and produce goods, all of which require the support of various major forces!
"Report!"

Before Xiao Ying and the others returned to Prince Jingwu's mansion, a guard came running over, "The Queen is summoning you!"

Xiao Ying and others didn't say anything and immediately rushed to the Forbidden Palace.

He had just returned to the Forbidden Palace and had just taken charge of Jiangdu. There were many things to do and he was very busy. Empress Xiao must have summoned him for something important.

……

After a while.

In the imperial study, Empress Xiao was reviewing memorials by lamplight. There were several desks in the hall, and there were officials assisting her.

Seeing Xiao Ying enter, Empress Xiao put down her red brush and greeted him with a smile that showed no sign of fatigue: "Prince Jingwu, you are here!"

"Your Majesty has summoned me. What instructions do you have for me?" Xiao Ying said with a salute.

Although this was the imperial study, everyone was busy, obviously on official business, and the two men were conscious of doing their job impartially.

Empress Xiao pulled out a memorial and handed it over, saying, "This is from the Ministry of Works regarding the repairs to Jiangdu's city defenses. Take a look!"

The memorial is quite unique, with both text and pictures, and rich pictures and texts.

Empress Xiao could make most decisions on her own about Jiangdu, but since Xiao Ying was in charge of the army, this matter concerned the city's defense and needed to be dealt with quickly, so she naturally had to inform Xiao Ying first.

Xiao Ying took it, read it carefully for a moment, pondered for a moment, frowned and said:
"Repairs are indeed in order! We're just maintaining the original appearance and restoring it to its former glory! This plan is far too conservative. The situation is uncertain, wars are raging everywhere, and Jiangdu City's high walls aren't a sure thing. At least strengthening the city's defenses can reduce our casualties and reassure the people!"

"Yes! I think so too. What good strategies and ideas does Prince Jingwu have?" Empress Xiao nodded in response.

"It's enough to just repair the damaged city walls. There's no need to raise or thicken them. But you can install crossbow carts on top of the walls. And build a barbican at the city gate..."

Xiao Ying pondered and quickly responded, adding, "Also, if we have enough manpower, we can take this opportunity to clean up the canals, deepen and widen the moat, dredge the channels, and increase the depth of our defenses!"

"Does King Jingwu attach so much importance to... or is he wary of the rebel army against King Shangliang?"

Empress Xiao nodded as she listened, but asked in some surprise and unexpectedness.

The Sui army grew stronger day by day. Empress Xiao saw it and even the rebels, which were mainly composed of the recognized strongest Xiaoguo Army, abandoned the city and fled, not to mention those rebels who only relied on their numbers!
Empress Xiao also knew that the rebels' departure was mainly due to their willingness to follow the trend. However, it also proved the strength of the Sui army, otherwise why would the rebels leave so hastily?

"We're not targeting the Shangliang rebels entirely. There are also the Jianghuai army and the Fengming rebels nearby, especially the many bandits and thieves!"

Xiao Ying shook his head and quickly responded. He continued, "I've already met with Wu Wang Du Fuwei today. We had a very pleasant conversation. The Jianghuai Army won't be attacking anytime soon. However, strengthening the city defenses and letting the public see the action will greatly reassure the people and deter the bandits!"

After saying that, he added, "It can also provide enough jobs temporarily, so that the refugees won't be idle and cause unnecessary conflicts!"

"Okay! I'll do as you say!"

A trace of approval and satisfaction flashed in Empress Xiao's eyes. She responded readily, wrote down her comments, and handed them to the internal affairs officer of the hall to pass on!
Xiao Ying waited for a moment and was about to say goodbye and leave when she heard Empress Xiao say:
"Now, our army...how are our reserves? Can we sustain the army for more than six months with basic supplies like food and clothing? Leaving aside the civilian population for now, we can call on all the major forces in the city to take charge, giving them a chance to grow and develop!"

Empress Xiao was in charge of all government affairs, including all aspects except military affairs. However, she really didn't know how much food and supplies Xiao Ying had.

(End of this chapter)