Chapter 178: Chapter 178
Chapter 178
The governors mocked Yueqian openly. They clearly had no idea who the Villainess Qin was. Otherwise, how could they dare to say such a thing? Yueqian did not hesitate to let them know the owner of this formidable reputation that struck fear in the hearts of those from the Du Region.
"Are you threatening us?" Yueqian raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand what they were saying.
"Threatening? Furen Mu, it seems you misunderstand. We are merely speaking of the realities within the Bai Region," one of the governors responded.
His mocking smile remained on his face. They could tell that this couple from the Du Region was quite angry, but they did not care. But what did it matter if the governor of Red Earth City and his wife were angry? In the future, they would still need to rely on them.
Red Earth City was a dying town. To survive, it needed to maintain good relationships with them.
Just like the previous governor, who, despite being sent from the capital, initially acted arrogant and ignored the native snakes like them. But he couldn’t sustain that attitude for long. Though they might be snakes of the land, they were still the locals knew how to encircle and subdue the dragon. So, no matter how powerful one might be in the Du Region, here in the Bai Region, they had to submit to them.
Yueqian smiled at the other party, her smile growing slightly colder. It was clear that she was angry, and she made no effort to hide her intentions.
"Is that so? In that case, you are free to leave. From now on, I will show you that the new governor of Red Earth City will not be so easily bullied." Yueqian gestured for them to leave.
Her smile remained on her face, the kind that instilled fear in those from the Du Region. However, in the Bai Region, where people didn’t cry until they saw the coffin, her demeanor was seen as arrogant.
"Hah, how ridiculous. The governor of Red Earth City is sitting right here, yet he lets a woman give orders," a middle-aged man said scornfully.
In truth, if Yueqian hadn’t intervened, she feared her husband might have slapped them across the face. Otherwise, she would have stayed quiet.
Mu Heng frowned deeply. He wasn’t angry about the disrespect directed at him for allowing his wife to voice her thoughts. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have invited Yueqian to help from the start. They were a couple who always exchanged ideas. Many times, it was Yueqian who came up with excellent suggestions. Mu Heng believed that without being her husband, his life would undoubtedly be more challenging.
"My furen’s thoughts align with mine. You intended to refuse cooperation from the beginning and sought to take advantage of Red Earth City."
"I cannot accept this. Your attitude has been clear since you arrived in Red Earth City. You didn’t seek assistance but instead acted superior and tried to dominate us. If we yield this time, we’ll have to yield again in the future. As the governor of Red Earth City, I cannot allow that," Mu Heng waved his hand and stood up to dismiss them.
The governors and their representatives glanced at each other, furious at being dismissed so unceremoniously. However, they had encountered such situations before. Past governors were not much different. But when their power was eventually cut off, they would come running, begging on their knees.
After being dismissed, they began discussing their plans outside Red Earth City. One of the governors spoke first.
“What will we do about the medicine? Many people have already requested me to sign off on their relocation.”
“Don’t worry about that. Let them proceed with the relocation. It seems the medicine they produce is quite limited. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have invited us to the office initially. They clearly intended to seek our cooperation. So, let them take on more burdens, and the problems will arise from their side.”
One of the governors said. He spoke this way because an investigation revealed that the raw materials for medicine were indeed insufficient for the population. Hence, he displayed such an arrogant demeanor.
However, they were unaware that Mu Heng had sent a petition to the capital to exchange all of Red Earth City’s rights for medicinal herbs.
That was because they couldn’t fathom anyone being so reckless. Who would think that Mu Heng would disregard the future so completely? They didn’t foresee the food shortages that might arise in the future?
Drawing all of Red Earth City’s resources now was like smashing their own rice pot and risking everything on a distant hope. How determined must his mindset be to have such courage?
Therefore, the issue of the medicine shortage would certainly be resolved later. Mu Heng wasn’t worried about that at all, but this was something the governors were unaware of.
"When problems arise for them and the newly registered citizens of Red Earth City become dissatisfied, eventually an investigation will reveal that the governor of Red Earth City lied. He will be scrutinized, and all his actions will be invalidated. So, there’s no need to worry about the relocation of villagers."
"I agree. However, we can’t delay our own treatments."
"Indeed, we should put more pressure on him. Otherwise, our families might suffer even more losses."
"Good. Then let’s do as we have before: disguise ourselves as Red Earth City residents, stir up trouble with the nomadic tribes, and have them destroy their income sources. Then warn the city soldiers, create quarantine zones, and claim that Red Earth City residents are the cause of potential epidemics. Ban Red Earth City residents from entering our cities, selling goods, and buying from us."
"If we use this method... those people will face a crisis. Not just the original Red Earth City residents, but even those wanting to relocate there will have second thoughts."
"Good. Let’s proceed. Apply heavy pressure to make them surrender the medicine to us quickly."
They planned happily, as if they had already witnessed Red Earth City’s defeat. However, they didn’t know that the governor of Red Earth City and his wife were already executing their next plan.
After submitting their petition to the capital, they received a response that in two weeks, a shipment of medicinal herbs would arrive. These herbs were sourced from the capital’s reserves, not common shops, so there would be a substantial quantity.
Not only were the herbs on their way, but also supplies Yueqian had stored in the village where she used to live. Their old home had a large stockpile of food prepared.
Whether it was salted eggs, dried meat, pickled vegetables, or even an abundance of vegetable seeds, there were plenty of supplies. In fact, Yueqian had even more stored in her interdimensional space. However, she allowed the soldiers to transport these items, otherwise it would seem too suspicious.
Thus, Yueqian’s next plan commenced. After the hospital and the soldiers’ quarters were completed, the number of patrolling soldiers increased. Mu Heng informed the villagers that he would ensure their safety by building a wooden wall to prevent nomadic tribes from invading Red Earth City and stealing resources.
With the strict deployment of armed soldiers equipped with bows, swords, and shields, along with small forts for resting, and the construction of sharp wooden fences, it became much harder for the nomads to enter.
Of course, it wasn’t just the nomads who couldn’t enter; even Red Earth City’s residents couldn’t easily leave the area. For their safety, Mu Heng instructed them to forage only within the designated area. If anyone caused trouble with the nomads or vice versa, Mu Heng would not take responsibility for their safety.
Regarding this, Mu Heng sent letters to the leaders of numerous tribes, with a list of the various tribes compiled. He didn’t act superior but clearly stated that no one would be allowed to interfere in the city he governed. Likewise, he promised not to meddle in others’ territories as well.
Some tribes appreciated his stance, some were skeptical, and others mocked him. However, Mu Heng’s intention was merely to communicate his position. Regardless of the responses he received, Mu Heng didn’t care about their attitudes.
Even if the tribes were displeased, there was little they could do. Red Earth City was still part of the Bai Region, and they couldn’t attack it openly.
With Mu Heng’s wooden fence marking clear boundaries, if any fighting occurred within these areas, he would immediately be able to handle it. He had made it clear what the limits of his governance were.
Yueqian recently managed most of the internal affairs, as she was in charge of the medical facilities. So, she organized people to help prepare medicine and got ready for the incoming herbs. Educational sessions also began, so the nearly 3,000 villagers continued to reside in the city and the surrounding areas.
Some people wanted to gather herbs to sell, but when they heard that their governor was hiring many workers and paying them immediately, they volunteered. Mu Heng hired them to build the fence, make weapons, and produce some items needed for the hospital.
Weapons for the 500 patrolling soldiers were necessary, and this also significantly reduced the use of funds from the treasury.
Normally, they would have to spend money buying bows and arrows, but with Mu Heng hiring the villagers, the cost was much lower. Additionally, the surrounding trees were too dense, making the town resemble a jungle. Having the residents cut down trees for equipment also cleared the area.
Mu Heng implemented a hiring system similar to the association he once led. He established a small association here to create employment opportunities for the residents. Although there were no private jobs among the villagers yet, the work commissioned by Mu Heng and Yueqian provided plenty of employment, so no one lacked work.
A few days later, the supplies Yueqian had prepared arrived. She didn’t distribute them for free, as they had value. However, she sold them at a reasonable price. In addition to selling at low prices, Red Earth City residents could also sign up to learn how to make these items themselves.
Yueqian, Xiao Long, Huan’er, Qu Yi, and Governor Mu like Mu Heng established themselves as teachers.For making salted eggs and various pickled items, Xiao Long and Huan’er, who were already knowledgeable, helped their sister-in-law with the pickling process. Teaching others how to make these items was straightforward for them.
