A Farm Girl: Three Acres of Fertile Land Can Be Exchanged for a Country

Chapter 4 Moon Patrol Gate

As expected, Abdo was waiting outside the general's mansion. Riding his big yellow horse, Wutong ran to the mansion's stables, brought over her own foal, and set off with Abdo.

Her foal also got a name. Because it had a long face and a handsome build, she named it Fufu.

Abdo was puzzled and said, "If you really think it's beautiful, why not name it 'Surprising Sail'?"

The sycamore tree smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

As dawn broke, the two went up to the city wall.

The city gate tower was built in a very advanced way; the way up was made up of a row of steps and a row of ramps.

The horse was fitted with iron shoes, and it steadily made its way up the slope, reaching the rooftop in no time.

As the sky grew brighter, the soldiers extinguished the fire in the large iron pot, and the morning breeze made the flags flutter.

The city wall was quite large, enough for three horses to ride abreast, and the tower used for lighting lamps was as large as a fortress.

Abdo didn't dismount; he just rode on.

Wutong followed behind him, constantly looking outside.

This was the first time she had ever seen the so-called Eastern Qi.

Compared to Dagua Town, which is rich in groundwater, this side of the city wall is noticeably more desolate.

Looking around, there wasn't a single building in sight. All that filled the view was withered yellow weeds and endless wasteland. Occasionally, a large tree would appear, standing forlornly on the barren plain.

She had long heard that the people of Dongqi and the northern frontier were both places with fierce and valiant peoples, where animal husbandry was far more developed than agriculture, and everyone lived on horseback. Although they were powerful warriors, they were unable to unite due to the large number of tribes, and therefore did not have much impact on the adjacent southern border.

However, despite hearing about it, she was still taken aback when she saw such a desolate landscape.

This side of the city wall is the bustling town of Dagua, so why is there not a soul in sight over there?

She couldn't help but ask Abudo.

Abdo said, "It's not time yet. When the time comes, they will come naturally."

"when?"

"Yes, once the weather gets cold and there's no grass to graze on, they'll eat all the cattle and sheep, so naturally they'll start eyeing the border."

Wutong asked, "Are you here to do business?"

Abdo laughed loudly, "Haha, if it were as simple as doing business, why would we need to set up borders?"

That sounds ominous; there are only two ways for two countries to get along.

Peaceful and quiet, or on the verge of erupting.

Dong Qi clearly belongs to the latter category.

Wutong has been in the army for so long, and he's gotten used to a peaceful life. He's almost forgotten that things like the Moon Gate Pass were originally built to defend against foreign enemies.

She couldn't help but mutter, "Since we only resort to violence because we have nothing to eat, why don't we just think of a way to solve the food problem directly? It would be better than coming here every year to rob people."

Abudo sighed.

He's a straightforward person; he laughs when he's happy and fights when he's unhappy, and it's rare for him to sigh.

"Things are not that simple. The territory of Dongqi is vast but desolate. The Dingjiang River originates from the Dongla Mountain within Dongqi, but only a part of it flows through Dongqi, while the rest is in the Central Plains and southern Xinjiang. Therefore, Dongqi can only cultivate the land in the area through which the Dingjiang River flows. How can this one piece of land support everyone?"

Wutong asked, "I've heard that the Dingjiang River floods every year. Can't we just divert the water directly from there?"

This way, the disaster situation below can be alleviated, and there will be water available above. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?

Abdo shook his head and said, "Traffic diversion requires the use of the army. The current king of Dongqi is just a freeloader. How can he handle such a big task?"

That's true... In this day and age, there aren't even any excavators, so digging a river to divert water is no big deal.

But his detailed explanation piqued Wutong's curiosity: "How does the general know so much about the affairs of Dongqi?"

Abdo suddenly raised his hand and pointed with the blade: "Where is that?"

Wutong glanced at it: "Dongqi."

"That is your Dongqi, but it is my hometown."

He spoke softly as the morning light rose, illuminating his deep eyes hidden beneath his brow bone.

Wutong was startled, suddenly remembering that Abuduo's father was from Dongqi.

He has half the blood of the Eastern Qi in his body, yet he is here defending against the invasion of the Eastern Qi. I wonder what he must be feeling.

She suddenly realized that the so-called King of Southern Xinjiang wasn't a good person either. If he were a good person, why would he let someone do such a thing?

Abudo was orphaned; his father had died long ago, and he came to southern Xinjiang alone to make a living when he was very young.

But is he really as carefree as he appears on the surface?

When Wutong was browsing forums before, he saw someone commenting on a certain celebrity and thought it would be very fitting to describe Abuduo.

What you see is only what he wants you to see; his true nature can only be glimpsed for a fleeting moment in the smallest details.

For example, Zhou Taili and Abuduo always have such a fierce argument every time they meet. Wutong is very curious about what kind of grudge the two of them have.

On her way back, she inquired with the soldiers, intentionally or unintentionally. The most common answer she received was that when Abdo first joined the Southern Xinjiang King's forces and started working for him, Zhou Taili distrusted him and unintentionally cursed him as "a piece of trash from Dongqi."

Things may not be that simple, but those words were definitely the first seed of trouble planted in Abdo's mind.

After finishing his morning patrol, Abdo stayed on the city wall to train with the soldiers, while Wutong rode alone back to the general's mansion.

After tying Fufu up and feeding her some grass, she returned to her study where she usually copied documents. She found that there were still the same few books on the table, and no new ones had been sent.

Abudo has a desk, which is said to have been prepared for him by Lieutenant Li when the General's Mansion first bought it.

Lieutenant Li had been stationed at Yuemen Pass since he was in his twenties, serving as a deputy general.

The previous general was wounded in battle and had one leg amputated, so the King of Southern Xinjiang transferred him back to the capital and gave him a job where he could retire peacefully.

Everyone guessed that Lieutenant Li was finally going to rise to a higher position, but in the end, he was assigned a general who couldn't read.

Lieutenant Li did not complain and diligently did his job, helping Abdo guard the Moon Gate Pass.

The desk had barely been used since it was bought. With nothing else to do, Wutong curiously went over and rummaged through it, finding a map underneath.

Maps are great tools, especially for military campaigns, as they mark every location in great detail.

This was the first time Wutong had ever seen anything like this. Due to the underdeveloped communication industry in ancient times, she had only ever been to places she knew about since arriving here. She knew nothing else.

The map is drawn according to the traditional method of north at the top, south at the bottom, west on the left, and east on the right. The area in the very center is called the Central Plains, which is divided into twelve states. One of them is marked in yellow, which is the imperial city and is called Pingzhou.

In the southwest of the Central Plains, there is a large area of ​​land, which is the southern border where Wutong is located.

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End of this chapter