Superintendent

At the foot of the mountain, the residents could already wear summer clothes, but up on Tianheyuan, one still needed a heavy cloak. Yet this place had once been a barren highland desert where herders only grazed a few flocks of sheep. How could it ever have possessed the lush, fertile splendor seen today? He Lingchuan spoke with solemn earnestness. "Teacher, times have changed!" A year had passed since Fu Shanlie was driven from Yuheng City and Longchuan was brought fully under control. In that time, heaven and earth had been graced with seven successive showers of Emperor's Flowing Dew—averaging one every two months—bringing blessing after blessing to the mortal realm. The sudden abundance of spiritual energy drove drastic transformations across the entire landscape of the Panlong Wasteland. Rainfall grew plentiful, lush grass spread as birds took flight, and even the wasteland draped itself in a mantle of tender green. Even a highland desert like Tianheyuan, after more than two years of deliberate cultivation by Panlong City, had transformed into a prime natural pasture! Right then, a herd of fine horses was galloping past a lake—a good three to four hundred of them. Their thundering hooves splashed droplets like flying pearls and scattered jade, startling flocks of gulls and egrets wading along the shore into the air. White wings filled the sky, looking like a heavy flurry of snow. This was the fifth herd of horses they had passed. Sun Fuling turned to He Lingchuan with a smile. "Superintendent He, just how many horses are being raised on these grasslands?" Currently, He Lingchuan was serving as the acting superintendent of the Tianheyuan Pasture Directorate. Indeed, after Zhong Shengguang reassigned him from Yuheng City, the commander had dispatched him here to oversee the pasture and supervise the breeding of warhorses. "Tianhe Pasture currently keeps 9,716 warhorses, with another 700 on their way. Commander Zhong hopes to reach twenty thousand before year's end." Taking in the scenic beauty before her, Sun Fuling murmured, "For such a magnificent pasture, free-ranging only twenty thousand warhorses seems far too few." "True, but we take it step by step. What's the rush?" He Lingchuan pointed west. "The several thousand qing of farmland over there will also be converted back to pastureland to restore the grass. The residents are moving to Tianhe City over the next couple of days. Sigh, that's what has been keeping me busy lately." Sun Fuling was surprised. "Even the farmland is being surrendered?" "That's right. Although the Panlong Wasteland has changed, the Maohe Plain has far richer soil, yielding vastly more grain than here. With that great granary backing us, large swathes of the Panlong Wasteland can be turned into pastureland. Tianheyuan, for instance, sits high and cold among sprawling mountains and vast valleys, blessed with sweet springs and lush grasses where horses can gallop to their hearts' content. In fact, this place was a pasture two hundred years ago; it only later deteriorated into a gravel desert. "In the past, Panlong City never dared to do this. The land required to graze a single warhorse could support at least thirty people if farmed!" The soil of the Panlong Wasteland had been poor, and arable land was already scarce. Panlong City had to feed the populations of its settlements across the wasteland; how could it afford the luxury of clearing land for pastures? Over the past century, under the pressure of population and food shortages, pastures across the wasteland had steadily been converted into farmland. When humans competed with horses for land, there was simply no room left to raise horses. Why had Panlong City never dared to expand outward? Aside from its population remaining chronically low, a shortage of warhorses was also a key limiting factor. Without warhorses, how could there be cavalry? Though the Chipa Plateau was fertile, its area was limited, as was the number of horses it could support. Only in recent years had the frequent descents of Emperor's Flowing Dew finally changed the game. The world was brimming with vitality, and so was the Panlong Wasteland. If this continued, the Panlong Wasteland might soon have to be renamed the Panlong Plain. He Lingchuan patted his horse's neck. "This big fellow is the king of horses from the Tianyuan East Pasture. His sire was a black bo beast. It took me two days and two nights to break him—nearly worked me to death!" Sun Fuling asked curiously, "Where did all the horses come from?" "Some were bought overseas and shipped from Baisha Port—a long, arduous journey. Some were gifts of gratitude from small states bullied by Baling, and others were tribute from Jintao," He Lingchuan smiled. "Last year, when we beat Jintao into submission, the reparations Panlong City demanded included more than three thousand warhorses. Heh, they have two fine pastures and well-known breeds. We picked only the very best, rejecting anything less, until we hit our quota of three thousand. "Come spring, foals were springing up all across the grasslands." With the experience he had gathered by now, he could practically compile a book titled Postpartum Care for Mares. Seeing him in such high spirits, Sun Fuling could not help saying, "Commander Zhong transferred you, an esteemed grand commander, all the way out here to herd horses. Are you really not angry?" With Fu Shanlie and the Xiji puppet troops crushed and Longchuan brought under control, Yuheng City and the Maohe Plain were secure. Consequently, Yuheng City's primary focus for the next phase had shifted from military affairs to civil governance. With He Lingchuan's mission fulfilled, Zhong Shengguang had recalled him to Panlong City and temporarily assigned him to Tianheyuan to oversee the pastures. "Why be angry?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "I'm a jack-of-all-trades; I go wherever I'm needed. Besides, there's no need to spell out how important warhorses are to Panlong City." The moment Zhong Shengguang assigned him to manage the warhorses, he had grasped Panlong City's ambitions. If Zhong Shengguang remained cooped up in the Panlong Wasteland forever, how could he ever fulfill the grand vow he had made? The absorption of the Maohe Plain and the eruption of Emperor's Flowing Dew were the foundations Panlong City needed for genuine external expansion. Yet He Lingchuan understood that Zhong Shengguang's grand design was not yet ready to be made public. A craftsman who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. Breeding and raising warhorses was merely part of the preparatory legwork. Furthermore, having this experience and expertise would greatly benefit He Lingchuan's plans for the future in the real world. The Yangshan Guard trained by Qiu Hu was currently composed primarily of infantry. The archipelago's terrain was not open enough, making it unsuitable for cavalry. Yet he and his army would inevitably return to the mainland. In the future, he would face the exact same problem Panlong City faced. Hmm, Bailie only had a single horse ranch. Where was he going to acquire large batches of fine horses down the line? "Hey, are you still there?" Sun Fuling waved her hand in front of his face. Could this guy really zone out right in the middle of talking to her? Were warhorses important to Panlong City? Of course they were. Yet Panlong City was teeming with talent. Zhong Shengguang could have sent anyone to raise horses—why send He Lingchuan? He Lingchuan had won the great victory at Yuheng City, shattered Beijia's conspiracy in Xiji, and excised that festering ulcer known as the Longchuan river bandits for Panlong City... He had achieved so much merit, yet had Panlong City, always renowned for its strict rewards and punishments, rewarded him according to his service? Not at all. Instead, Zhong Shengguang had cast aside an esteemed grand commander to herd horses on these vast, sparsely populated grasslands. Without a doubt, this was exile. It was punishment! Anyone with eyes could see it, and Sun Fuling was worried he was hurting inside. "I'm here!" He Lingchuan snapped back to attention, showing no hint of bitterness. "How are things in Yuheng City?" "Splendid. It's flourishing more every day—over twenty thousand people moved in over the last six months alone." Yuheng City was the bridgehead and barometer of the Maohe Plain. With the local economy rebounding, bumper harvests, and bustling commerce, people from surrounding areas were continuously migrating in. "Yuheng Academy has had an explosion of new students, so this spring's enrollment was frantic. Master Liu went to fetch his lesson plans between classes, and when the students waited forever without him showing up, they sent someone to look for him, only to find him slumped asleep beneath the gallery. Sigh, thankfully the newly hired instructors will be arriving one after another over the next few days." He Lingchuan let out a soft sigh. "Mr. Wen truly is remarkable." After the great victory at Yuheng City, the townsfolk and local elders had jointly petitioned Panlong City, urging that Wen Daolun be returned to take charge of civil governance. During his tenure in Yuheng City, Wen Daolun had governed with clear policies and an ear for the people's voices, winning their deep affection. Zhong Shengguang had no desire to go against the public will, so he went with the flow and sent Wen Daolun back to Yuheng City to resume governing. The citizens' attitudes toward He Lingchuan and Wen Daolun were like night and day. Sun Fuling studied his face for a moment before patting the bundle on her shoulder. "Mr. Wen knew I was heading to Panlong City on business, so he specifically asked me to bring you several boxes of sweet sliced cakes—some sesame, some peanut." "Mr. Wen is thoughtful. Those are all favorites of mine." Sun Fuling pouted slightly. "He's always worried you might be angry with him." He Lingchuan shook his head. "The people of Yuheng City dislike me because of my own shortcomings. What does that have to do with Mr. Wen? Why would I be angry with him?" When the results of the Battle of Yuheng City reached Panlong City, what awaited him was not commendation. According to reliable sources, inside Gange Hall, Panlong City's high command had fiercely condemned his battle plan. The brunt of the criticism centered on his using Yuheng City as bait in a reckless ambush. "Greedy for glory and reckless in advance—where did he place the safety of Yuheng City's people?!" "Had this battle failed and Fu Shanlie bathed Yuheng City in blood, how could He Lingchuan have answered to Commander Zhong?!" Fu Shanlie's reason for the surprise attack on Yuheng City had been plain: even if he took it, he could not hold it for long. What he intended was to slaughter the entire city, forcing all of Panlong City's supporters to pay a bloody price and showing the world the consequences of offending Beijia! Therefore, had Fu Shanlie succeeded in his sneak attack, he most likely would have put the city to the sword. Beijia had done the exact same thing in the Yuan Kingdom. That was a price Yuheng City could never have borne. "A reckless gamble that cost Zhao Linyang his life!" Zhao Linyang, who had replaced Wen Daolun, had been meticulous and capable in governance, yet during the battle of Yuheng City, he had fallen to a sneak attack by an insect demon. "Our Panlong City has always championed unity between army and people! If his actions are condoned just because he succeeded, are we to do the same in the future? If that is how he treats the people of Yuheng City, is that how we will treat the common folk of Panlong City hereafter?!" After the council, Zhong Shengguang had reassigned He Lingchuan to raise horses in order to quell the public outrage. Sun Fuling patted his cheek. "Are you truly not angry?" "During the first few days after being sent to the pasture, I did feel some bitterness." After all, he had saved Yuheng City. In real history, Yuheng City had failed to hold out during the very first raid by the river bandits, and defeat after defeat followed, plunging the city's populace into utter misery. Yet he had no way of telling everyone: I was the one who overturned your tragic fate. Even though he had won such a resounding victory, the people of Yuheng City still did not understand him, nor did they like him. "But after raising horses here for six months, I gradually came to terms with it." Sun Fuling looked up, listening as he spoke in a mild, even voice: "I was in the wrong." "Those who lead..." He Lingchuan smiled and took her hand. "'Those who lead must never easily admit fault.' I remember what you told me. But this is something I'm saying only to myself." Then he added casually, "The return journey will take another two days. Let's switch to a carriage for the rest of the way." He had brought Sun Fuling riding on horseback simply so she could experience the vast, breathtaking grandeur of Tianheyuan. Riding all the way back would be truly exhausting.