Last night, as soon as Shen Jue and Feng Chunya received the news, they decisively led their troops back to support the camp.
Who would have thought they would run into trouble on the road? Delayed by the setback, by the time they rushed back to the camp, Chen Chao and the others who had launched the night raid had already been completely subdued. This turn of events left most of the Zhenbei Army deeply regretful.
In particular, when they heard that the cooking camp had made a great contribution this time and the entire camp had received medals, everyone was incredibly envious.
After the north was unified, a new rule was established in the army. Any soldier who made a contribution on the battlefield would receive a medal representing honor.
From the day this rule was established, many soldiers made it their lifelong goal to obtain a medal to pass down as a family heirloom through the generations.
“Sister, could you let me touch your medal?” A young soldier, his face flushed, leaned in close to a tall, thin soldier who was tending the cooking fire, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Hearing this, the tall, thin soldier glanced at him and pulled a brand-new medal from her shirt. Her movements were so practiced it seemed as though she had done it ten thousand times—and in fact, she had.
Ever since she received this medal, there had been a constant stream of people coming to touch it. She felt both helpless and proud—proud of her own courage. If she hadn't had the courage to follow General Feng's example and join the army, she would never have obtained this glory.
“Be careful. Don't get it dirty,” she warned as she placed the medal in the young soldier's hand.
“Don't worry, Sister, I washed my hands.”
The young soldier cradled the golden medal with extreme care, staring at it over and over, unable to help sighing with emotion. “I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to get a medal like this in my lifetime. If I could return to my hometown with one, my ancestors would surely bless me from their graves.”
“The seven southern prefectures have not been pacified yet. We need to help the Divine Lady unify the realm so that the people in the south can also have enough to eat and wear, living and working in peace. There will be plenty of opportunities to earn merits. You will definitely get a medal of your own.”
The tall, thin soldier patted his shoulder and took the medal back under his reluctant gaze.
No sooner had the young soldier left than another one arrived.
...
On the other side, inside the main tent, Shen Jue, Feng Chunya, Pei Du, and the others were discussing how to settle the Wuling refugees.
“I had people compile a count overnight. There are about five thousand Wuling citizens who have come to seek refuge with the Divine Lady.”
“According to them, there are still many citizens in the city who are so starved they can't even crawl. They won't last much longer.”
Pei Du picked up the booklet on the table and flipped through it, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. “Our remaining military supplies cannot possibly feed an entire city. By the time Fuyan and the others deliver the grain, those citizens in the city will likely have already starved to death.”
“Why don't we...” someone started to suggest, only to swallow their words back down.
Shen Jue looked at the speaker.
“The Divine Lady's blessings of porridge are only temporary; we cannot always rely on her charity.”
He stood up and looked out of the tent. “Since there is no path to survival on land, we will go to sea to find one. On our way to Wuling Prefecture aboard the Divine Lady's celestial ship, I observed that the waters not far from here are teeming with fish.”
Feng Chunya thought for a moment and said, “General Shen, how about this? You take men out to sea to fish, while I lead others to continue reclaiming wasteland and planting crops near the fishing village. As long as we can catch fish to survive for half a month, the vegetables in the fields will be ready to eat.”
Pei Du's eyes lit up. “That is indeed a good way out. However, finding boats to go to sea might be difficult...”
Just then, a messenger quickly stepped into the tent. “Generals, Military Advisor, there is a villager surnamed Zhu outside leading several Wuling citizens, requesting an audience.”
Hearing the surname Zhu, Pei Du immediately thought of Zhu Jingzhe, and then remembered the illusions he and that illusionist named Yao Sanyi had performed. He closed the booklet in his hand. “Let them in.”
Before long, Zhu Jingzhe led the Wuling citizens who wanted to work for the Zhenbei Army in exchange for grain into the tent. He explained the situation to Pei Du and the others, waiting anxiously for their response.
Pei Du's gaze swept over Zhu Jingzhe's face and landed on the tense Wuling citizens behind him. Some of them clutched the ragged edges of their clothes, some kept their heads bowed, not daring to look up, while others stared at him with hope-filled eyes.
After a moment, he asked, “What can you do?”
Behind Zhu Jingzhe, a dark-skinned, middle-aged man scrambled to answer, “This humble one is surnamed Chen. My family has been blacksmiths for three generations. I can make ship nails and forge iron tools.” He pointed to a thin man beside him. “This is the third son of the Wan family, Wan Laosan. His father was an old shipwright in Wuling City. He studied under his father for over a decade. Although his skills aren't top-tier, building a seaworthy fishing boat should be well within his capabilities.”
Wan Laosan nodded quickly. “As long as there are tools and timber, in a month—no, half a month, I can build a usable one!”
The three exchanged glances, heartened by the news.
“Since you are a shipwright, I assume you have old boats at home?”
Building new boats now would definitely be too late. The best option was to rent old boats from the Wuling citizens and the fishing villagers.
Wan Laosan said, “Yes, yes, we do...”
Zhu Jingzhe immediately realized that Pei Du planned to go out to sea to fish. He said hesitantly, “Young Master Pei, Dawan Fishing Village makes a living by fishing, but for the past six months, every time we went out to sea, we caught absolutely nothing.”
“Do you know how to fish?” Shen Jue looked at Zhu Jingzhe.
Zhu Jingzhe: “...”
Was the point whether he knew how to fish? The point was clearly that there were absolutely no fish to be caught in the sea right now!
“I do, but...”
Shen Jue cut him off. “As long as you know how, that's enough. I want to rent all the fishing boats in your village. If the villagers who know how to fish are willing to go to sea with me, I will pay you daily wages regardless of whether we catch anything.”
“General, I know how to fish too...” Several Wuling citizens stepped forward timidly.
Hearing Shen Jue say they would get paid just for going to sea, Zhu Jingzhe no longer cared whether they could catch fish or not. He hurried back to the village to spread the news.
He shouted at the top of his lungs all along the way. “The Zhenbei Army wants to rent boats to go to sea! They're paying! Quick, pull out all the usable fishing boats in your homes!”
Before long, the fishing village pier became bustling with activity. Several fishing boats of various sizes were pushed down into the shallows. Though the hulls were old, the keels were sturdy, and they were fully equipped with oars and rudders.
Dozens of fishermen who made their living at sea all year round hopped onto the boats, carrying fishing nets, harpoons, and lines.
Shen Jue selected the three largest boats and handpicked fifty Zhenbei Army soldiers who were good swimmers to board them.
“Set sail!” At his command, the oars hit the water.
The fishing boats slowly departed from the pier, heading toward the area of the sea where he remembered the fish being most concentrated.
The boats sailed for about two hours.
An old fisherman beside Shen Jue muttered with a frown, “General Shen, if we go any further, we'll be leaving the coastal waters. The water is deep and the currents are swift over there. I'm afraid our small boats won't be stable.”
“Another three li,” Shen Jue said in a deep voice.
They sailed for another half an hour.
The old fisherman at the bow suddenly widened his eyes and pointed forward with a trembling hand. “Ge... General... look!”
Shen Jue looked in the direction of his hand and froze slightly.
Not far ahead, the white fog slowly parted like a gauze curtain, revealing a small island. The island was not very large and was shrouded in clouds and mist. The faint outline of a pavilion with upturned eaves was visible. Its glazed tiles reflected a beautiful glow under the sunlight. It was a veritable celestial palace.
Everyone on the boats was stunned.
After a long while, the old fisherman finally said in a trembling voice, “This old man has fished in these waters for decades and has passed by this island many times, but I never knew there was a celestial palace on it...”
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