Chapter 61: Chapter 61: The Queen’s Summons, a Great Drought is Coming
"Zhou Bing, Tang Wen. The two of you will take a portion of the existing Hunting Battalion members, select some of the Outer City Guards, and form the Outer City Hunting Team."
"Tang Wen, while you assist Zhou Bing, you will also assist Commander Zhang with the administration of the Outer City."
’The Outer City?’
’Two deputy positions?’
Tang Wen mused that this way, he could slack off to his heart’s content.
He could tell Sister Bing that Commander Zhang had something for him to do.
Then he could tell Commander Zhang that things were too busy on Sister Bing’s end.
’Wouldn’t that be a life of leisure?’
’Hm? Wait. I finally became a leader; shouldn’t I be thinking about lording it over others?’
’Why am I always thinking about slacking off?’
Once the work assignments were distributed, General Zhou stood up and said, "Come. Let’s go to the main hall together and have an audience with the Queen."
SCRAPE. A series of chairs grated against the floor.
Tang Wen and Zhou Bing were composed.
The other three rose to their feet awkwardly, their faces a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Tang Wen was curious and asked in a low voice, "I can understand if the two former Outer City captains have never seen the Queen, but how has Qian Lai, a Forbidden Guard, never seen her either?"
"Well... Her Majesty, she... she’s always in seclusion," Zhou Bing replied, her tone a little unnatural.
Tang Wen glanced at her but didn’t say anything more.
The two of them followed behind the various generals and commanders to the main hall.
The main hall was also styled like a council hall. Towards the back of the central area was a stone platform about half a person’s height, upon which sat an exquisitely crafted chair.
In front of the platform, rows of seats were arranged on either side.
"Her Majesty the Queen, the new Commanders have arrived."
A woman who looked like a court lady called out toward a side door of the main hall.
The soft sound of approaching footsteps was heard.
Immediately after, a face of stunning beauty entered everyone’s view.
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Be seated!"
Her crisp, pleasant voice carried a hint of undeniable authority.
But no one sat down until she gave a light flick of her red robes and took the main seat. Only then did everyone take their seats.
Liu Sha, trembling, was the first to stand up. He introduced himself to the Queen, his speech faltering.
His excitement, reverence, and the sheer awe of seeing the Queen’s face were on full display.
The Queen smiled, nodded, and offered a word of encouragement.
The guy sat back down, his face flushed with excitement.
Zhang Mian didn’t fare much better.
Qian Lai’s performance was slightly better.
After he spoke, the Queen seemed to recall him. "Not bad. The little Forbidden Guard from back then has grown up."
Qian Lai, ecstatic, couldn’t help but pledge his loyalty, "The Forbidden Guard will forever be the sharp blade in your hand!"
"Mm," the Queen nodded in affirmation.
Zhou Bing stood up.
The Queen’s smile was as bright as the sun. "Ah, Bing’Er, you don’t need to introduce yourself. Stay behind afterward."
The three men who had just spoken turned their heads in unison, their eyes filled with envy.
Envious of the Queen’s familiarity with her.
Tang Wen glanced curiously at the expressionless Sister Bing, feeling even more puzzled.
"Her Majesty the Queen, I am Tang Wen."
"I know of you," the Queen said with praise. "A young prodigy."
"Not at all, not at all. In the presence of Her Majesty the Queen, there are no prodigies."
"At such a young age, you killed an Awakened in the ring. You are a prodigy. Don’t be so modest!"
Tang Wen became even more modest. "I’ve just spent the time others use for enjoyment on my Martial Arts Training."
The others: ...
"Good! Stay behind afterward and tell me how you usually conduct your Martial Arts Training." The Queen’s smile faded.
With a word of assent, Tang Wen returned to his seat.
He, too, received the envious gazes of the three new Commanders.
’It seems these three can be considered the Queen’s loyal fans.’
After the introductions were over, the Queen stood up. Her red robes were like fire, her tone grave. "Everyone, a drought is coming!"
’Huh?’
Aside from the five newly promoted members, no one else showed any surprise, clearly having known this already.
General Zhao rose and said, "According to our investigation, the water levels of all rivers and streams around the camp, as well as the great lake to the west, are lower than in previous years. It has been over three months since winter began, and we’ve had no rain or snow. By the end of spring, the Maize harvest will definitely be reduced. Experienced old farmers estimate the yield will be cut by more than half."
Hearing this, everyone frowned.
They all knew in their hearts that a reduced grain harvest often meant the beginning of unrest.
"Why don’t you few speak first?" General Zhou looked at Tang Wen and the other four, clearly testing them.
After all, a Commander couldn’t just be skilled in fighting and killing; they also needed to understand a bit about camp administration and disaster prevention.
The trio of Liu Sha, Zhang Mian, and Qian Lai looked at each other, but no one spoke. They quietly lowered their heads, not daring to meet the gazes of the senior members.
It was the classic image of poor students who, after being asked a question by the teacher, don’t dare to look them in the eye.
Zhou Bing was frowning, deep in thought.
"Xiaotang, you go first."
Tang Wen organized his thoughts and said, "The Scavengers outside the camp might riot. They’ve already starved through the winter. If they can’t find fruits in the forest or wild vegetables and mushrooms on the ground this spring, they won’t survive. People will do anything when they’re about to starve to death. Even if they don’t riot on their own, Black Mountain Camp will incite them to."
Commander Zhang asked, "Is there a solution?"
’A solution?’
’Why even think about a solution?’
Many in the hall had a single thought—just kill them.
But Tang Wen felt the camp’s priority should be to strengthen itself. "We should designate an area outside the camp ahead of time, set up a stockade, and allow any Scavengers willing to work to come and live there."
"Then, find a vacant plot of land by the great lake and have them clear it for cultivation. As for those Scavengers who rob and bully others, execute them immediately upon discovery."
"And food?"
General Zhao pressed, "Clearing land is heavy manual labor. It can’t be done without grain."
Tang Wen also knew the camp couldn’t possibly provide too much grain to the Scavengers.
He had already thought about this problem. "As for food, we can centrally gather whatever is edible from the wild."
"For example, tree bark, leaves, flowers, and plants. Mix them with a small amount of grain, grind it into a paste, and make hard biscuits. One of those should be enough to last for half a day."
We can’t expect them to clear much land in the first year. As long as they don’t cause trouble, survive the dry season, and wait for the heavens to send rain, not only will they be able to feed themselves, but they’ll also be able to supply us with some grain."
"Are you saying we should provide seeds and farm tools?"
Starving people would even eat the seeds.
Tang Wen shook his head. "During the planting season, we can just send our own people to handle it for a few days. The farm tools can be loaned to them, and once there’s a harvest, they can repay us with grain."
"Why go to all that trouble? If they dare to cause trouble or attack the camp, can’t we just kill them all?"
Tang Wen knew someone would think this way. He said, "We could, but people are a vital resource. What benefit would we gain from killing them? By absorbing them, we can strengthen the camp."
"Of course, the specific course of action is still for Her Majesty the Queen and the two Generals to decide."
General Zhao nodded in agreement. "Killing them is certainly simple, but it is indeed a waste. It would also lead to plagues afterward."
"After a great disaster, a great epidemic is sure to follow. We must also pay attention to disease prevention."
"Her Majesty the Queen, what are your thoughts?"
The Queen rested her fair cheek on her hand and said with a frown, "The idea is good. But first, we must calculate the number of people needed to clear the land, how much grain that would require, and whether our own stores are sufficient. What if the drought persists?"
General Zhou spoke up, "Our grain reserves, under a rationing system, are enough to feed the Inner City for more than three years. If we include the people from the Outer City, then it will last less than two years."
"The Inner City is wealthy; every household has its own surplus grain. The Outer City, however, is in a precarious position."
As the discussion went back and forth, Tang Wen realized he had oversimplified things.
Flame Camp didn’t even know how long the drought would last or if they themselves could safely make it through the disastrous year.
This was not a good time to be absorbing the Scavengers from outside the city walls.
After one or two hours of discussion, everyone basically reached a consensus.
And Tang Wen’s suggestion was partially adopted.
Specifically, the coarse grain biscuits he mentioned could be prepared in advance.
Spring had arrived, and the forest was full of trees, flowers, and plants. They could be harvested, mixed with a little flour, and made into hard, dry biscuits, which would count as a form of stockpiled food.
