Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 302 - 52: Is the Tiger Flood Dragon Army Coming to Snatch People? Can’t Sit Still!

Chapter 302: Chapter 52: Is the Tiger Flood Dragon Army Coming to Snatch People? Can’t Sit Still!

The third-class Earl Feasting, with the elite selection from ten camps, was the enticing offer made by the Fierce Sun Army.

However, Zhao Xing didn’t even hesitate and directly refused.

"I am indebted to the Divine Might Army. Lord Helian, please go back."

Helian Lie instantly understood Zhao Xing’s determination. Without further persuasion, he stood up and left.

"How did it go?" a Ritual Repairer asked outside the Eighteen locust and willow courtyard.

Helian Lie slightly shook his head.

"He only said, ’I am indebted to the Divine Might Army.’ He didn’t even want to explain further. It’s clearly a no-go."

The Ritual Repairer said, "You should’ve let me go in and talk."

Helian Lie shook his head again: "Impossible. A Ritual Repairer’s tongue is as slick as oil, but this is about recruiting talent, not a battle between us and the enemy. How could the Minister of Agriculture Supervision allow you to go in?"

"My job was to straightforwardly present the offer. If it worked, it worked. If not, there’s nothing more to be done."

"What a pity," the Ritual Repairer named Lei, who had accompanied Helian Lie before, sighed. "He is much stronger than Zhuo Li. An ordinary Military Minister of Agriculture Officer is incomparable to him."

"Indeed a pity." Helian Lie recalled the records he had seen in the Minister of Agriculture Supervision, which detailed Zhao Xing’s performance from March of the 16th year of Jingxin to February of the 17th year of Jingxin.

"Having him is even better than having Shi Yong."

"Let’s go back and ask the Marquis if we can increase the offer," the Ritual Repairer laughed. "Zhao Xing alone is worth a hundred Zhuo Lis. I feel we can still make an effort to find something to win him over."

"Don’t let Zhuo Li hear that," Helian Lie said flatly. "That’s the situation, but keep it to yourself."

"Don’t I know? I’m just talking to you."

As they spoke, they gradually walked away.

Inside the Eighteen locust and willow courtyard.

Zhao Xing smiled slightly.

"No sincerity at all."

The elite selection from ten camps of the Fierce Sun Army? Once his training was complete, he would naturally join the elite camp of the Divine Might Army.

The third-class Earl Feasting? It was indeed significant. The standard for a third-class Earl’s feasting was at least one county, though generally an inferior or intermediate county.

A superior county like Gu County, which had Spirit Mountain, would be difficult even for a first-class Earl because the existence of Spirit Mountain and Spirit Lake brought endless benefits. Such a place was generally not granted as feasting land to an Earl.

The standard feasting for a third-class Earl was rare even in Emperor Jing’s time.

The fiefdom of Marquis Yangwu in the Fierce Sun Army was only fifty counties.

Offering Zhao Xing a county as feasting was indeed a substantial stake, so why did he think Marquis Yangwu lacked sincerity?

Because the place wasn’t in Marquis Yangwu’s fiefdom.

Marquis Yangwu’s fiefdom was in Cuiyue County of Qingling Prefecture, a prosperous inland area with mostly superior counties. Of course, the scale of the fiefdom only occupied a small part of Cuiyue County, roughly one-tenth.

If they offered him a county as feasting in Cuiyue County, he would indeed reap substantial benefits.

However, Marquis Yangwu mentioned ’Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion.’

What kind of place was Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion?

It was an enclave!

From Emperor Wen to Emperor Jing’s period, Great Zhou had been repeatedly wrestling along the Canglan River on the southern border.

Although there were few major wars, small skirmishes in the east and south continued.

The main reason was that the river’s source was in the Southern Barbarian Land, and the area east of Pinghai State used to be part of Canghai, requiring a large garrison to suppress the Sea Clan and the barbarians.

Any Minister of Agriculture would know the significance of the river source being in barbarian hands.

They could tamper with the Canglan River at its source, making the Agricultural Officers south of Pinghai State struggle to manage natural disasters.

Why not just attack directly?

Because of historical reasons.

The Grand Ancestor conquered the Nineteen States and crossed the Canglan River ten thousand miles south, but eventually withdrew north of the river, agreeing to a ceasefire with the barbarian states.

He needed to focus on dealing with the Sea Clan, which was a greater threat than the Southern Barbarians.

What the founding emperor couldn’t achieve, later emperors found it equally difficult.

Emperor Wen focused on recuperation, rarely engaging in large battles or even small skirmishes.

During Emperor Jing’s period, after Emperor Wen’s recuperation, enduring several hundred years of Cheng’an and Yong’an, Emperor Jing felt the nation was powerful with flourishing Qi fortune, so he began to make moves in Pinghai State, leading to continuous small skirmishes with the Southern Barbarian tribes.

In the Dingxin period, a territory named ’Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion’ was finally established.

However, even after nearly two hundred years of development, Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion never stabilized as the Southern Barbarian tribes fiercely resisted. If Emperor Jing’s developed territory could flourish, it would become a springboard for continuous military incursions threatening the Southern Barbarian hinterlands.

Thus, the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion remained war-torn over two hundred years, with each county repeatedly changing hands—one decade belonging to Great Zhou, and the next decade occupied by a certain barbarian tribe.

Emperor Jing was generous in granting land in the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, but it was undeveloped land. Despite its vastness, its instability made it practically useless.

Giving Zhao Xing such a piece of land naturally seemed insincere to him. Of course, to Marquis Yangwu, granting Zhao Xing a county was already a significant recognition.

The internal part of Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion was relatively stable, and the large area made granting a ninth-rank official (Zhao Xing had not yet been officially promoted, though his realm exceeded the ninth-rank) a county as feasting quite generous according to ’market rates.’

However, Zhao Xing, well-versed in these matters, knew that Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion was absolutely unsuitable as feuding land, even less so for feasting.

Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion was also the main reason why Emperor Jing was criticized for being stingy.

Granting marquisates and land grants, many were assigned to such waste places, which was extremely frustrating. Though it was land, its instability made it practically worthless.