Chapter 41: The King of Feng'an

The residents of Feng'an Manor lived their entire lives on this single stretch of land. For many, they had never ventured more than ten miles from their homes. In such seclusion, their world was narrow, and in their eyes, the Master of Feng'an Manor was nothing less than a god.

This "god" sat upon a pear-wood armchair, with a servant behind him shielding him from the sun with a parasol. Master Zhang held a tea cup, sipping occasionally to soothe his throat. The weather in late March and early April in the Long region was far inferior to that of the Jiangnan south. While the south was already ablaze with spring blossoms by the second month, here, the vegetation was only just beginning to show hints of green. Sitting there with the gentle spring breeze, it was not unpleasant, though the sunlight felt somewhat harsh.

Lai Gulu, the steward, leaned in cautiously toward Zhang Yunyi and whispered, "Master, we were originally under the Second Master. Now that this manor has been reassigned to the Eldest Branch, do you think they will treat us like their own? This Second Clerk from the Eldest Branch who has come to inspect us—I fear he comes with ill intent."

Zhang Yunyi smiled faintly. "And so?"

Lai Gulu grew anxious. "Master, it is clear he is here to purge us!"

Zhang Yunyi remained unruffled. He had pulled strings at every level, after all. What could a lowly, rootless clerk like Yang Can possibly do? However, the groveling and networking he had done behind the scenes were not things he could share with subordinates who viewed him as a deity.

"Ptui!" Master Zhang spat out a tea leaf dismissively. "What is there to panic about? 'New emperors bring new ministers'; is that not the way of the world?"

Lai Gulu hesitated. "But Master, are we just to sit here and wait for our doom?"

Seeing the others watching him with wide, anxious eyes, Zhang Yunyi decided to calm them before they lost their nerve. He pondered for a moment and said, "It is currently the spring plowing season. If this Second Clerk pushes us too hard, what will happen? Never mind what becomes of Feng'an Manor; the other five great manors are watching us right now. If we are pressured, do you think anyone will be able to focus on the spring plowing? If all six manors suffer a failed harvest this autumn..."

Zhang Yunyi lifted his lids to glance at Lai Gulu, then swept his gaze across the other stewards with an air of unshakeable composure. "What is it the Clan Head wants? Submission, obedience, and a smooth transition of these assets. And what does our Young Mistress want? A bountiful harvest—the capital she needs to secure her footing in the Eldest Branch. As long as we satisfy them on these two points, what is there to worry about?"

Though Zhang Yunyi’s words were brief, Lai Gulu and the others suddenly understood. Indeed, the tens of thousands of acres of land were in their hands. That was their leverage; that was their foundation. If Clerk Yang pressed them too hard, they only needed to interfere slightly to ensure a failed harvest. If they were even more ruthless, they could ensure a total crop failure. If that happened, they would be ruined, but how would the Eldest Branch compensate for such a massive loss? If tens of thousands of acres failed, and thousands of mouths on this land were left without food, could the Eldest Branch bear the responsibility? More importantly, if such a disaster occurred just as the manor was handed over, the Second Master would have the perfect pretext to attack the Clan Head.

And this was just Feng'an Manor. If the first manor to be inspected was treated so harshly, what would the other manors and pastures think? If all those manors fell into chaos...

With this thought, the stewards’ faces relaxed into smiles. Zhang Yunyi handed his tea cup to a young servant in green, who received it with both hands and stepped aside. Zhang Yunyi leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and spoke calmly, "However, this is ultimately a strategy of mutual destruction. We do not wish to see it, and the Eldest Branch wishes to see it even less. So, do not overthink. We need only maintain proper courtesy toward this new Second Clerk."

The field supervisors, granary overseers, irrigation chiefs, and mill masters all nodded in agreement. The Master was their god; if he was calm, they were at ease.

Finally, at the edge of the flat, fertile plains, a dozen fine horses appeared. Upon seeing them, Zhang Yunyi stood up immediately. Those who had been holding the umbrella, serving tea, and moving the chair quickly cleared everything away. Zhang Yunyi stepped onto the road, which was slightly dry from two days without rain. In the distance, the line of horses galloped forward, their hooves kicking up a light trail of dust.

"Zhang Yunyi, Master of Feng'an Manor, leads all the stewards of the manor to pay respects to the Second Clerk of the Eldest Branch, Mr. Li, and Lady Qingmei. Your journey must have been exhausting."

Zhang Yunyi not only recognized the accountant Mr. Li but had already "paid his respects" to the mountain gate, so he also recognized Yang Can and Qingmei. However, Qingmei felt a bit uncomfortable at the order of his greeting. *Since when is Li Damu ranked ahead of me? Am I not the Deputy Second Clerk... bah! I am the Second Clerk who handles both internal and external affairs, am I not?*

Yang Can leaped off his horse with graceful, swift agility. "Hahaha, Master Zhang, we meet again."

Yang Can approached with a beaming smile. "It is the season of spring plowing, and I have come without notice. I hope I am not interrupting the manor’s farming affairs?"

"Not at all, not at all. The weather here in the Long region is not like the Central Plains; although it is April, it is not yet time for sowing here." Zhang Yunyi was all smiles. "Apart from a few hundred acres of winter wheat that have just turned green, the rest of the fields are merely being plowed. What could possibly be delayed?"

As he spoke, Zhang Yunyi took Yang Can’s arm and turned to the stewards. "Ever since our manor was reassigned from the Second Master to the Eldest Branch, the Eldest Branch hasn't sent anyone over, leaving the staff here feeling uncertain. Now that you are here, Clerk Yang, we finally have a backbone. We couldn't be happier."

"Indeed, indeed!" the stewards echoed in unison. Yang Can smiled but took none of it to heart. After a few polite exchanges, Zhang Yunyi introduced the key personnel on both sides.

Yang Can said to Zhang Yunyi, "I have troubled you and the others, Master Zhang. I think there is no need to ride; let us walk into the manor together."

Zhang Yunyi had no objections, and the group headed toward the village. As they entered, Yang Can observed his surroundings. This Long region village, while not as prosperous as those in the Central Plains, was quite large for an important Yu family manor. The houses were scattered in varying heights, with sturdy blue-brick dwellings interspersed with thatched earthen huts. Judging by the people's clothing, some were dressed decently while others wore rags, but there were very few who looked gaunt. In the harsh, bitter lands of the Northwest, life was tougher than in the Central Plains, and those who survived here were naturally robust; the weak had long since been eliminated by nature.

Thus, the villagers, especially the young and strong, mostly looked fierce. There were tall, burly men and lean, wiry ones as well. These were excellent laborers; put a blade in their hands, and they would make excellent soldiers. However, when they saw the humble, smiling Zhang Yunyi, they all showed awe, retreating to the side of the road and bowing their heads until the party had passed.

Men like Cheng Dakuan, the "Leopard Head," possessed a raw, fierce martial skill that would make him a renowned swordsman in the Long region or a hero in the Central Plains. Yet, he was content to serve the Yu family; he would be anxious if he made a mistake and would not dare to resist if punished. It was like a pack of wolves and their alpha, only this "alpha" of the manor did not rely on physical strength, but on the power and wealth he commanded.

As Yang Can observed the village, he asked, "Master Zhang, what is the current population of Feng'an Manor?"

Zhang Yunyi, having done his homework, answered readily. "Clerk Yang, Feng'an Manor has 9,400 acres of land and 273 households of registered men. The farming population totals 1,478 people. There are also 121 households of blacksmiths, weavers, and brewers, totaling 530 people. These small shops and workshops serve both internal and external needs. The manor also has 218 servants. Including my own household and those of the various stewards, the total population of the manor is 2,331."

Yang Can’s eyes flashed as he asked, "In the event of war, how many troops can Feng'an Manor mobilize?"

*Buqu* (private retainers) were a mix of soldiers and farmers who could be mobilized during wartime, trained during the off-season, and engaged in agricultural production daily.

Zhang Yunyi said proudly, "To be honest, Clerk Yang, the people of the Long region are fierce; men and women, old and young, can all be soldiers. If we only count the *buqu*, Feng'an Manor has 300 standing soldiers. If necessary, we could muster 400."

Lai Gulu added, "Clerk Yang, the 300 men our Master mentioned are all soldiers comparable to the elite troops of the Northern and Southern Dynasties in the Central Plains."

Yang Can nodded slightly. A large manor being able to mobilize 300 to 400 soldiers at any time was significant. Talk of hundreds of thousands of troops was usually just the exaggeration of storytellers. When the Western Jin destroyed Wu, the front-line naval and land forces totaled less than 100,000. During the Battle of Feishui in the Eastern Jin, the total mobilized force was also under 100,000. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, even a small state like Western Liang had a peak strength of only 20,000 soldiers. A single Yu family clan, if they mobilized all their *buqu*, could match that small state.

Most importantly, the people of the Long region were accustomed to martial arts due to their harsh environment. The manor residents hunted frequently and held organized communal hunts to kill wild boars that destroyed crops or wolf packs that harmed the population. Consequently, their individual quality was extremely high. Even if their numbers were smaller, this force was not to be underestimated. The two great empires of the Central Plains were indeed locked in a standoff with no time to spare, but they had never plotted against the Eight Clans of Long, likely because they understood that this was not a bone easily chewed.

As the group walked on, they reached the center of the manor. A massive fortress stood before them. Feng'an Manor—Feng'an Fort—was a square fortress built of rammed earth and encased in brick. The walls were fully twenty feet high, with watchtowers at the four corners and a "moat" circling the exterior. They had diverted water from the Long River, guiding it around the fort before it flowed into the distance. Since this was the upper reaches of the Long River, the water was untainted by the loess plateau, making it exceptionally clear and azure.

Yang Can was stunned. This was nothing like the villages or landlord estates he had imagined. This... this was a castle!