“Impressive! This young man is truly remarkable, unparalleled in his might. Not only did he reclaim the River West grasslands and our Great Wei’s horse pastures, but he also seized the entire Moran grasslands. Imagine how many warhorses we can raise on such a vast expanse,” marveled Kieran Zhang, the Minister of Works.
“Indeed, perhaps we can open a trade route to the Western Regions. If so, trading with the Western Regions would bring a continuous stream of taxes to our national treasury,” Jasper Zuo, the Minister of Revenue, said with delight.
Qian Cheng, the Minister of Rites, tugged at his graying beard and said, “This is excellent news. The Barbarian wolves won’t dare to invade for at least a century. On the grasslands, we only need to focus on dealing with the Huns.”
The senior courtiers were all overjoyed.
With external stability, they could devote more energy to governing the country, making it prosperous and strong.
“You are all esteemed ministers of the court. Tell me, how should I reward Oliver Sheng?” Empress Hazel Han had summoned the senior courtiers to discuss the matter of rewards.
The River West Army had reclaimed the River West grasslands, dealt a crushing blow to the Barbarians, and advanced to Shelechuan, showcasing the might of Great Wei.
Such military merit could not go unrewarded!
Rewarding meritorious soldiers also demonstrated the strength and prosperity of Great Wei.
Upon hearing Empress Hazel Han’s words, the courtiers fell silent. Deciding on the rewards was not something to be taken lightly. As senior courtiers, a single wrong word could have significant consequences, so they had to be cautious.
It was clear that Empress Hazel Han intended to bestow substantial rewards.
“Your Majesty, considering General Sheng’s achievements, he must at least be a Great Grandmaster or a Martial Saint by now. Why not summon him to the Capital City for the reward ceremony?” Left Minister Quentin Fu suggested.
“Indeed, the Left Minister’s suggestion is reasonable. Summon General Sheng to the Capital first, then decide on the rewards,” agreed Gavin Wang, the Minister of War.
Given Oliver Sheng’s accomplishments, he could even be granted a title of nobility. However, in Great Wei, only a Martial Saint could be made a king.
Moreover, it seemed certain that he would be granted a marquisate. The future of Great Wei would see another noble, but the Left Minister and others did not mention this outright.
Granting a marquisate was a significant matter for Great Wei.
The title of marquis was not given lightly, and the current General Li already caused some headaches for the courtiers.
“Very well, draft an edict to summon General Sheng to the Capital,” Empress Hazel Han nodded.
Rewards were inevitable, but the matter of titles needed to be finalized.
An edict was swiftly sent to the River West grasslands in the northwest.
At that moment, Oliver Sheng was still leading soldiers and slaves in a massive construction effort.
They were rebuilding the former River West County, establishing cattle and horse ranches.
Oliver Sheng planned to build a prosperous city in River West County, which would connect to the Western Regions and become a major trade hub between the Western Regions and Great Wei.
Magistrate Chen was also called upon by Oliver Sheng to assist, with food and building materials continuously transported from River West County.
This attracted many merchants, making River West County bustling and busy.
After all, it was the main route to the River West grasslands. Beyond River West County was essentially beyond the pass.
Having defeated the Barbarians and plundered their tribes, Oliver Sheng’s troops had amassed a vast amount of gold and silver. Building a prosperous city was an easy task.
Moreover, the main labor force for the construction was prisoners and slaves, who only needed food and no wages.
Seeing the city take shape day by day, it wouldn’t be long before a grand city was established.
The River West grasslands were now bustling, with hundreds of thousands of people, merchants transporting materials, and workers.
Shrewd merchants had already set their sights on the shops in River West County.
Once the city was established and the trade route to the Western Regions opened, the shops in River West County would become extremely valuable.
“General, at this pace, the city should be completed in two months at most,” Felix Wu said.
“Good, speed up the construction. The sooner it’s done, the sooner we can stop living in tents,” Oliver Sheng nodded.
“Magistrate Chen, once the city is built, I’ll need your help to relocate some farmers to the grasslands,” Oliver Sheng said to Magistrate Chen.
“That might be difficult,” Magistrate Chen shook his head.
The people of River West County had adapted to farming and were not used to herding on the grasslands.
“People are reluctant to leave their homeland; few will be willing to come.”
“No problem, I’ll have a way to attract them. I just need your cooperation,” Oliver Sheng smiled.
People are driven by profit. As long as the residents see great benefits, they will come.
“In that case, I will certainly cooperate with General Sheng,” Magistrate Chen nodded.
The grasslands had been lost for a century, and rebuilding them would require significant manpower and resources.
“General, General Sheng,” Jade Han ran over with a joyful expression.
Her ample bosom swayed enticingly with each step.
“Slow down,” Oliver Sheng called out from a distance.
He was genuinely worried she might trip.
“General Sheng, the Empress has issued an edict summoning you to the Capital for a reward,” Jade Han said, her face slightly flushed.
“Oh, let me see.”
Oliver Sheng took the edict and read it. It instructed him to go to the Capital to receive his reward.
Felix Wu was delighted. The court was finally going to reward the River West Army?
“Congratulations in advance, General Sheng. It seems you are about to be promoted,” Magistrate Chen said with a smile.
Reclaiming lost territory and defeating the Barbarians, such military merits would surely earn Oliver Sheng a noble title, in Magistrate Chen’s view.
“Thank you for your kind words, Magistrate Chen,” Oliver Sheng replied with a smile.
“General Sheng, when will you depart for the Capital?” Jade Han asked.
“No rush, I need to make some arrangements first,” Oliver Sheng said, putting away the edict. It didn’t specify an immediate departure.
Oliver Sheng sent a message to River West County, asking the veteran to come to the grasslands.
The area needed a strong presence, a Grandmaster-level figure, to deter any potential threats from the Huns or the Western Regions.
Two and a half days later, the veteran arrived with Ian Zhang in tow.
“Uncle, sorry to trouble you to come to the grasslands,” Oliver Sheng said to the veteran.
“It’s no trouble at all, just a small matter,” the veteran replied with a smile, not minding at all.
For him, whether in River West County or the grasslands, it was all the same.
With the veteran’s arrival, Oliver Sheng summoned his subordinate officers.
He looked at Wesley Hu, Harrison Zhou, Felix Wu, Xiao Chuyi, Sawyer Shangguan, and Lin Jiang.
“You probably know why I’ve called you here. The Empress has summoned me to the Capital for a reward. I know you all want to come with me, but we need commanders to stay here. I can only take two of you with me.”
Hearing Oliver Sheng’s words, the officers fell silent for a moment.
“General, I’ll stay,” Wesley Hu said first.
He was the earliest of Oliver Sheng’s commanders, having followed him from the Huns’ grasslands to the Barbarians’ grasslands. Naturally, he wanted to ease Oliver Sheng’s burden.
“Alright, you stay and guard the area,” Oliver Sheng nodded in satisfaction.
“I’ll stay too,” Felix Wu said after some thought. He was overseeing the construction of the city and couldn’t leave.
“General, I want to go to the Capital to visit my parents,” Sawyer Shangguan said nervously.
“You’re from the Capital?” Oliver Sheng looked at Sawyer Shangguan.
“General, I’m a distant relative of the Shangguan family in the Capital,” Sawyer Shangguan replied.
“Alright, you come with me. You know the Capital well, and I need a guide,” Oliver Sheng nodded.
“General, I also want to visit my mother,” Xiao Chuyi said.
“Alright, in light of your filial piety, you can come with me,” Oliver Sheng nodded.
He wanted to investigate who this Xiao Batian was in the Capital.
With that in mind, Oliver Sheng agreed.
“Since that’s settled, the four of you will stay and guard the River West grasslands. I’ll have Chi Tiansheng lead three thousand heavy cavalry to assist you,” Oliver Sheng said.
With three thousand heavy cavalry and the veteran’s presence, it would take several Grandmasters or an army of hundreds of thousands to take the grasslands.
“Magistrate Chen, I’ll need your help overseeing the construction of River West County,” Oliver Sheng said. Many tasks required Magistrate Chen’s coordination.
In terms of governance, Felix Wu and the other commanders were not skilled.
“Leave it to me. I guarantee there will be no problems,” Magistrate Chen assured.
With everything arranged!
Oliver Sheng set off for the Capital with fifty personal guards, Wang Zhan, Sawyer Shangguan, Xiao Chuyi, and Jade Han’s team.
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