Chapter 403: One Shot (Two chapters in one)

In accordance with the village’s customs, this grand banquet was to last until the end of the night.

The atmosphere of the banquet became more lively by the time it was dark. The stockyard outside the Yan Residence’s courtyard had been luminated with a few dozen bonfires where roasted whole lambs were cooking on top of them. The theatrical troupe that Zhou Hongda invited began to sing in squeaky notes on the temporary stage amidst the blaze of the bonfire and the aroma of the mutton. The stage was also crowded by townsfolk of various ages. The atmosphere inside and outside the Yan Residence was more joyous than it was during the New Year.

Meanwhile, Yan Liqiang had already quietly escaped from the lively crowd and gone to a study room in his residence to discuss his plans with Lu Wenbin.

“The expansion of Liuhe Town this time is five times the current scale…” Yan Liqiang explained while pointing at the draft of the Liuhe Town expansion he drew last night. “This is the old part of Liuhe Town. Its structure will not change. The expansion will mainly be directed toward the south, northwest, and east side of the town. The most important part of the expansion will be on the north side of the town where there will be an expansion of two thousand mu. This piece of land is a patch of wasteland on the riverside. Once it has been expanded, Liuhe Town will be connected to Willow River. At the same time, a wharf that is at least three times the size of the Qinghe County’s wharf will be built here as well. With that, Liuhe Town can be accessed not only by land but also by water. The Willow River is connected to the Xi River, which means that the ships on the wharf will be able to travel both ways. From here on out, we can travel to Huanglong County and Pingxi City via the water route. Travelling out of Pingxi County and accessing the various counties of Gan Province via the Xi River will not be a problem…”

The three lights kindling on the light stand inside the study room were able to illuminate the entire room quite well. The wick would at times flicker slightly, which made the room seem quieter.

Although Steward Lu had mentally prepared himself before arriving to Liuhe Town and was even told by Old Master Lu what he needed to do when he arrived, he still felt his mouth parched and throat scorched after he listened to Yan Liqiang’s rough proposition and observed the draft on the table. He was stunned by Yan Liqiang’s work and couldn’t help but pick up the cup beside him to gulp down a mouthful of water. After he moistened his throat, he then carefully inquired, “Young Lord, there isn’t a fort of such proportions in Pingxi Prefecture. If Liuhe Town decides to expand based on this scale, the total area will be ten thousand mu, which is already the size of Qinghe County town. This… With such a scale this big for the expansion of Liuhe Town, most of the area will be empty in accordance to the town’s population. Moreover, the expenses for the fort construction will be massive. This… this… Is this really necessary?”

“The vacant areas are temporary!” Yan Liqiang shook his head and continued, “I will make arrangements for the vacant areas after the expanded ground has been leveled…” At that point, Yan Liqiang pointed to the empty area on his draft and said, “I plan on building a large comprehensive marketplace in this area and we will welcome all visitors from all corners. There will be new several main streets beside the marketplace, where various shops and inns will emerge in time to come. At the same time, I want to build a few large workshops and warehouses in the northwest, north, and south sides of the expansion. Once these workshops are built, the expanded areas of the town will not seem vast anymore. One might deem the expansion a little bit small even!”

“What does Young Lord wish to produce by building so many workshops?” Lu Wenbin asked curiously.

“More than half of the people from Huanglong Weaponsmiths Quarter are going to move in and root themselves in Liuhe Town. The people from the Weaponsmiths Quarter on this side will separate a few specialized workshops for them. As for the other workshops, I have a plan for that!” Yan Liqiang smiled as he left Steward Lu guessing without properly explaining his intentions.

Lu Wenbin smiled back awkwardly. No matter how hard he tried, he realized he could never surmise the thoughts from someone such as Yan Liqiang. Moreover, there were some things that may have greater effect than others. For example, the lotus root briquette — Yan Liqiang would not advertise them before they were produced. When Lu Wenbin noticed that Yan Liqiang did not want to divulge the arrangement details of those workshops for the time being, he decided not to ask any further. Instead, he rearranged his thoughts and carefully observed Yan Liqiang’s plans on the paper. He then rapidly calculated with his fingers and said, “Does Young Lord know the scale of building the walls and fortress around Liuhe Town?”

“Is there a limit to the size of building walls and fortresses in Gan Province?” Yan Liqiang inquired.

“There is no limit!” Lu Wenbin shook his head and continued, “If the construction demand on the size and height of the fortress walls in other provinces and prefectures in the Great Han Empire exceed the requirements, then it is considered going overboard. However, Gan Province is considered a border province with history of wars on its lands. And for that, the imperial court has loosen up the restrictions on Gan Province. As long as you have both money and lands, you can build the fortress any size or height you want and it will not be considered as going overboard!”

Yan Liqiang hesitated for a moment and said firmly, “The fortress wall must be built a little higher. From the ground, it has to be four feet high and the walkway above must be nine feet wide. There will be watchtowers in the four corners of the fortress, and arrow towers every hundred meters apart. The highest level of the arrow tower must be able to contain heavy crossbows equivalent to the weight of eight cattle!”

Steward Lu swiftly sucked in a breath of air and said to Yan Liqiang with a dubious gaze, “If that’s the case, the expenses will be high. Only forts near the border with strategic importance can be built on such a scale. If we are going to completely remodel Liuhe Town with this plan, we will need at least four to five hundred thousand taels of silver. This is a very large sum, so I am not sure whether the money…!”

“You don’t have to worry about the silver. I have already prepared them. Steward Lu will only have to manage the schedule…” Yan Liqiang said in a calm tone.

Since he already knew the great change that would befall the Great Han Empire in four years’ time, the subsequent events could possibly lead to unimaginable situations. Therefore, Yan Liqiang was considering the expansion of Liuhe Town with the high specifications to try and change Liuhe Town into a sturdy fortress. With a fortress like that, not only could it shield their neighbors, his own family, and the townsfolk, but it could also be considered as a county town — a strong refuge that reassured the people. Of course, the fortress wasn’t the only important part. After the fortress has been built, there would be workshops as well, and that was the real focal point.

During the journey back home, Yan Liqiang had already figured out everything. Now that he had reached a certain height this time around, he decided to base his hometown, Liuhe Town, as the starting point in setting up his foundation and power. With those two, he would not have to be a slave to anyone else, and he would be able to acquire the power to influence the overall situation. By doing so, he would be able to cement a cornerstone for himself to settle down for a peaceful life in the future. If he could not acquire this kind of foundation, no matter how powerful his martial cultivation base was, he would only become a character akin to The Banes of Heaven and Earth. The Banes of Heaven and Earth could kill people, but they would forever be other people’s pawns, unable to change the overall situation for eternity. Naturally, this wasn’t what Yan Liqiang ultimately wanted.

As for the money required to build the fortress, the large amount of silver that Yan Liqiang obtained by double-crossing the Shatu people in Pingxi City was still available. Even though he had spent quite a bit of his money in the Imperial Capital by running newspapers last time, the Emperor subsequently gave him ten hundred thousand taels of silver as the organization expenses of a protectorate. Because of that, the current amount of silver that Yan Liqiang could use amounted to five hundred thousand taels in total.

At that moment, Yan Liqiang had a feeling as if the Gods had granted the silver that those Shatu people kept for themselves to spend for a moment like this.

In order to do great things, paying for large expenses was inevitable.

The reason why Yan Liqiang asked the Lu Clan for assistance this time was because the project would be on a large scale. The expenses would be heavy, and there was no one that Yan Liqiang nor Yan Dechang knew who could coordinate control over the situation. In this regard, despite the fact that Zhou Hongda was the current steward of Yan Liqiang’s family, he had never experienced this sort of thing before. Although he didn’t have the experience or capability to handle such a situation, Zhou Hongda’s good trait was his diligence and honesty, which was why Yan Liqiang asked Old Master Lu to send over a capable steward and bookkeeper for him to utilize. These stewards and bookkeepers in the Lu Clan had gone through various trainings and situations to remain orderly. Naturally, they were adept in grasping the matters within their respective fields.

Since Yan Liqiang and Lu Clan were ‘not strangers’, Old Master Lu was extremely happy that Yan Liqiang would use his men to assist in his work. Because of that, Old Master Lu decided to dispatch the Lu Clan’s ‘veteran soldier’ to Yan Liqiang this time.

“Aside from Liuhe Town’s expansion, I heard that Young Lord wishes to open an archery academy. Is this academy going to be built in Liuhe Town as well?”

“The archery academy will not be located in Liuhe Town, but somewhere near it. I have decided to place the academy on Mount Hundred Zhang, which will not disturb and occupy the fertile fields in the town. We will buy a piece of uncultivated forest land next to the mountain. Steward Lu will have to think over this matter as well. When it is decided, we will need to build some houses and space around the academy, so let us go in accordance to the academy construction first. As for the silver needed, I will say the same thing again. You don’t have to worry about it. Just spend it as you see fit and request more if it isn’t enough…”

“Then how many people are going to occupy the area in the archery academy?”

“How many people do you think will enroll into the archery academy when it is open?”

“This…” Steward Lu frowned. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “It’s hard to say. Based on Young Lord’s current reputation in Gan Province, I’m afraid the entire population of the province will flock in if the news of your archery academy spreads. There will be more coming from Pingxi Prefecture too. I can’t estimate a specific amount of how many people will come!”

“Then we will go according to the scale of two thousand people for now!”

“Two thousand people?” Lu Wenbin asked for confirmation. Judging by Yan Liqiang’s expression, this number was still considered a little bit conservative. However, the human population in the academy of the entire Pingxi Prefecture would be at least a few hundred people. The archery academy of two thousand people would become the number one academy in Pingxi Prefecture if it were established.

“That’s right, two thousand people. The first batch of members for the archery academy will only be reserved for the disciples of Pingxi Prefecture. Those outside of Pingxi Prefecture will not be accepted for the time being. It will be fine if you consider the construction with this scale!”

“Alright, understood!” Lu Wenbin nodded in response.

While the two were still in the middle of their conversation, knocks came from the door outside the study room. Zhou Hongda’s voice rang out from the other side as he said, “Young Lord, the mutton is done cooking now. Master is going to distribute them soon and wants you to come over…”

“Alright. Tell my father I will be there soon!” Yan Liqiang replied from the room before turning back to Lu Wenbin, “We will stop here for today. Let’s go and eat some mutton, Steward Lu. If there are any problems, we will speak again later!”

Lu Wenbin nodded and stood up first, “Young Lord, please…”

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Soon afterward, Yan Liqiang came to the stockyard outside of the Yan Residence where thousands of people had already gathered together. All of them surrounded the bonfire while they sat on the floor while roasting the lamb and watching the show on the stage. The children, on the other hand, were merrily releasing the lanterns that they had made to the sky, also known as sky lanterns. This unrestrained cheerful scenery would be considered the characteristic of this part of Gan Province.

Yan Dechang and Qian Su sat together and chatted. Both of their faces were slightly red from drinking a bit of wine, which seemed quite adorable.

Distributing the mutton was also considered to be one of the etiquettes of the banquet. Yan Liqiang quickly led Steward Lu to the main table near the stage and sat down. It was only then that Yan Dechang began to order all of the fragrant and oily roasted mutton be taken off the bonfires and stood up with a cleaver in his hand to cut the lamb into various parts before distributing them to the prominent figures of Liuhe Town around him.

Sixth Grandfather alone was given the lamb’s head and tail, which was a sign of respect toward him. The rest, on the other hand, were given other parts of lamb’s body instead.

Yan Liqiang was given the hoof and a mutton chop.

When Yan Liqiang was about to start eating his food, a slightly drunk uncle suddenly stood up amidst the nearby crowd and shouted at him, “Everyone knows that Liqiang is our… our first rank from the Qinghe Martial Arts County Trial. Of course, your martial abilities are indeed formidable. There’s nothing to it…” That uncle let out a hiccup and swayed for a bit before he gave Yan Liqiang a thumbs up and said, “However, the townsfolk also heard that your archery skill is beyond peerless. You have earned such a great reputation in the Imperial Capital that even the old Emperor praises you for your formidability. The townsfolk have never seen your archery skills before, so I wonder… I wonder if you can demonstrate your skills to us tonight and open their eyes to see how exceptional the archery skills of someone who is able to become a coach to the Crown Prince of the Great Han Empire is. What does everyone think of my suggestion…”

“That’s a good suggestion…” In an instant, loud cheers roared amongst the crowd as soon as that uncle was done talking. The atmosphere in the stockyard was once again brought into clamour.

Yan Liqiang turned his gaze and stared at the uncle who suggested that he should demonstrate his abilities. Upon inspection, he realized that the uncle had no ulterior motives in his mind, only curiosity. This man wished to see what kind of archery cultivation base was able to garner praise from the Emperor himself. Yan Dechang, Qian Su, Steward Lu, and Zhou Tiezhu, who were sitting beside Yan Liqiang, even showed intrigue expressions when they heard the suggestion, let alone the curious uncle himself. They were interested because Yan Liqiang had never demonstrated how great his archery cultivation base was. Everyone wanted to see it for themselves because of the plenteous rumors.

“Liqiang… all the villagers are here today in such high spirits and they want to take a glimpse at your abilities. If it isn’t a hassle for you, then show the villagers what you have!” Yan Dechang said.

Since Yan Dechang had spoken, Yan Liqiang did not have anymore reasons to decline the offer. With a beckoning gesture, Hu Haihe immediately came to his side. Yan Liqiang then gave him an order, “Go and fetch my heavy bow and quiver!”

“Yes, sir!” Hu Haihe bowed and quickly darted toward the big courtyard of the Yan Residence.

Yu Qing had been obeying Mother Wu’s orders behind the kitchen all day today, which was why Yan Liqiang was not able to see her at the banquet until now.

While everyone was anticipating for what was to come, Hu Haihe came back in a few minutes with the Yan Liqiang’s twenty-picul bow and quiver on his back.

“If we are going to shoot arrows, we must have a target…” Yan Liqiang smiled as he pointed at the harvested field three to four hundred meters away from the stockyard. He then looked at the wide-eyed youngsters and children standing nearby who were engrossed in lighting up their sky lanterns a few moments ago in anticipation for Yan Liqiang to show his skills and yelled, “Whoever can run to the field and release their lanterns into the sky the fastest will gain one silver for every lantern released!”

When the children heard that they could earn one silver for releasing a lantern — which seemed really good, they quickly took their lanterns and rushed toward the field that Yan Liqiang pointed to in a flash.

The children were extremely fast as they took only two minutes to reach the field that was a few hundred meters in distance. They then lit up their sky lanterns made out of cotton paper, slender bamboo sticks, and cotton balls soaked in a bit of oil.

In that instance, the sky lanterns gradually floated upward from the ridge of fields at the distance toward the sky above.

The stockyard was filled with complete silence, except for the occasional cackling of the firewood piles burning in the bonfire. Even the theatrical troupe singing on stage ceased their activities after they had finished their performances. Everyone was breathlessly watching as they anticipated how Yan Liqiang would put up a performance for them…

They were all waiting for Yan Liqiang to make a move, yet he was in no rush.

One by one, the sky lanterns ascended to the air. These flying lanterns, seven in total, continued to soar up high. With a gust wind, the lanterns quickly floated into the distance and dispersed from each other into the night sky.

Yan Liqiang showed a composed demeanor as he leisurely took out a bow from his quiver and quietly gazed at seven of sky lanterns drifting off into the night sky.

In just two minutes, the lanterns had already floated to a high altitude, almost to a height beyond their field of vision. They were like stars in the sky, as if they were just luminous spots blinking from afar. Yan Liqiang was still watching the lanterns quietly and composedly.

The crowd in the stockyard was bewildered. As they were beginning to feel that it was totally impossible for a person to shoot those seven sky lanterns at this distance, Yan Liqiang began to make his move.

Before half a second was up, he had already released two sets of arrows toward the sky. For the first set, he clenched four arrows at the same time as he shot them. As for the second set, he was simultaneously pulling three arrows before firing them from his bow.

His movements were as fast as lightning. Even after he had fired those arrows, the surrounding crowd did not even get a clear view of his actions.

“Thank you all for your patience!” Yan Liqiang handed over his bow to Hu Haihe before facing the surrounding villagers with his fists clenched together as he let out a smile on his face.

What’s the meaning of this? The seven sky lanterns are still lit up in the sky. How is that putting up a performance?

Most of the people in the stockyard were blinking in confusion, unable to react to the situation.

And then almost at the same time, the lights of the seven sky lanterns were extinguished altogether. In the eyes of the bystanders, this scene was like extinguishing the lights of seven stars in the sky…

“Awesome…”

“That’s awesome!”

“Ungodly skill. This is indeed an ungodly skill…” Sixth Grandfather said while trembling with excitement.

“This is truly a one-shot!”

After ten seconds had passed, the clamoring cheers and insane noises only started to echo from the stockyard…

Tonight was the night that Yan Liqiang’s extraordinary archery skills had shaken Liuhe Town. Moreover, news of this incredible one-shot skill quickly got around to Pingxi Prefecture and Gan Province…