Chapter 593: The Return of Zhao Yun and Fa Zheng

Sun Qian looked at the geological report for the Linzi region and felt completely reassured. The area had no shortage of stone, so constructing a strong city there would be no problem at all. The main challenge left was the issue of craftsmen, but as for stonemasons and carpenters, those weren’t really crucial. When you’ve built enough structures, the work can be broken down into simple tasks—tasks so basic that anyone could do them as long as they were directed properly.

“How’s it looking? Do you think we can build the city in Linzi?” Jia Xu asked, glancing at the report in Sun Qian’s hands.

“It’s straightforward. We’ll use local materials. I’m planning to build a road leading there as well. Once it connects to Taishan, the time needed for troop movements could be reduced from ten days to eight. We’ve already started up the brick kilns in the area,” Sun Qian replied confidently. “By paving the roads with bricks and ensuring a solid foundation, we can speed up the transportation of supplies by several degrees.”

Sun Qian was now undoubtedly the most experienced person in the country when it came to large-scale construction. Just in the past year, he had personally designed and overseen the construction of five major cities, most of which were now nearing completion. He had also designed and handed off several other projects to be built by others.

“This isn’t my area of expertise. You handle it. How long will it take to establish permanent defensive structures?” Jia Xu asked, shaking his head. He didn’t understand the specifics, but he had complete faith in Sun Qian’s abilities when it came to city building and infrastructure. After all, Sun Qian had overseen the expansion and reconstruction of both Taishan and Qingzhou.

“Before the new year, the city will be completed. At the level of a county seat at least, but if necessary, we can upgrade it further,” Sun Qian said confidently.

To be honest, construction in Linzi had already begun under Lu Bu’s nose, but for now, there were only quarrying teams, brick kilns, and logging crews at work. The rest of the workers were focused on planning the site.

Sun Qian didn’t underestimate Chen Gong or Lu Bu, but he was confident that as long as they didn’t see any significant construction, they wouldn’t figure out what was going on. Even if Chen Gong visited the site, he wouldn’t realize what was being planned. This was a matter of specialized knowledge.

“Upgrade it to the level of a prefectural city,” Jia Xu suggested directly.

“That would extend the construction time. Although it could still be finished before the new year, it would require us to work faster,” Sun Qian responded, puzzled. “A county-level city would already be a formidable fortress. Is there really a need for more? We’re only building a permanent defensive outpost, even though it is a city.”

“That location will be our forward base for the campaign against Yuan Shao, and once it’s completed, it will sever the connection between Jizhou and Yanzhou. While that may not seem significant now, it will be crucial for our future attacks on Weijun,” Jia Xu explained calmly. He didn’t scorn Sun Qian for asking what might seem like a naive question.

“In that case, a prefectural-level city it is. But if it’s going to be a forward base, we’ll build it with three layers: an inner city for administration, a middle city designed like a walled fort, and an outer city strictly for military defense. We’ll reinforce the foundations, strengthen and heighten the walls, but this will all need to be done step by step,” Sun Qian concluded after some thought. He truly had become a master architect.

“Then I’ll leave it to you. Make sure the inner city is finished before the new year,” Jia Xu said with approval, nodding in agreement with Sun Qian’s plan.

After learning about the strategic importance of the city, Sun Qian abandoned his original plan for a county-level city and switched to a prefectural-level design. Fortunately, he had already reserved plenty of manpower, and with the additional Black Mountain Yellow Turbans available for labor, he wasn’t worried about a lack of workers.

As for managing all these people, Sun Qian knew he couldn’t personally oversee tens of thousands of workers without encountering chaos. But since Chen Xi would be in command, the coordination of labor would mainly be handled by him, and in that regard, Chen Xi had plenty of experience.

Sun Qian studied the maps to pinpoint the relative positions of the opposing forces and began calculating material needs. Before long, he had reached a conclusion.

Compared to the distance from Xuzhou’s Xiapi to Taishan, the distance from Taishan to Fenggao and Linzi was only one-fifth as long. And with the speed at which Zhao Yun’s army could march, coupled with the transportation network Sun Qian had already established between Taishan and Xuzhou, it only took Zhao Yun a month to bring his forces over.

“Hey, is that an army on the move over there?” Fa Zheng asked, peering into the distance at a column of troops moving along a parallel road. The distance was too great to make out the banners clearly.

By this time, Lu Xun had already been thoroughly worn out by Fa Zheng’s antics. On their return to Taishan, Fa Zheng had only brought five or six guards with him, making the journey back as swiftly as possible. Along the way, Lu Xun had been on edge, constantly worrying that they might be ambushed by bandits. But fortunately, they hadn’t encountered any trouble on the road.

“I think the banner says ‘Zhao,’” Lu Xun squinted and stared for a while before replying.

“‘Zhao’? That’s General Zhao! What’s he doing back here?” Fa Zheng wondered aloud, narrowing his eyes. “Looks like we’ve returned at just the right time. If I’m not mistaken, General Guan and General Zhang might have suffered a setback against Lu Bu. Come on, let’s go over.”

“It’s convenient, sure, but they’re in the middle of a march. Is it really okay for us to go over there? Are you even that familiar with him?” Lu Xun asked, looking in the direction of Zhao Yun’s forces. The sight of the disciplined column of a hundred cavalrymen left him deeply impressed. Having grown up in the south, this was his first encounter with such elite horsemen.

“We’re very familiar,” Fa Zheng replied with a shrug. He was indeed very familiar with Liu Bei’s top generals, but among them, he was closest to Zhao Yun. The reason was simple: Zhao Yun had served as a civil official for quite a while, and Fa Zheng had had plenty of opportunities to interact with him.

Lu Xun fell silent. Even if he didn’t know exactly who Zhao Yun was or what his rank was, the fact that Zhao Yun commanded a full army, with such elite cavalry leading the way, clearly marked him as one of Liu Bei’s top generals. In Lu Xun’s mind, Fa Zheng, despite being the Chancellor of Qi, should be quite distant from such a powerful military leader.

“Let’s go over and say hello. You were worried about us getting ambushed, weren’t you? Traveling with an army should put your mind at ease,” Fa Zheng teased.

Lu Xun’s concerns were understandable, having grown up in Jiangdong, where conflicts with pirates and water bandits were common. This had made him especially cautious during the journey.

In reality, there were no significant bandits or marauders left in Taishan. Liu Bei’s policies were so effective that anyone willing to work could find food and even earn a little money. There was no need to risk their lives for robbery.

“Let’s just stop here,” Fa Zheng ordered the driver to pull their carriage to the side of the road. It was common knowledge that an army on the move would always have the right of way, and it was even written into the law. No one would challenge them, nor would anyone try to compete for the road with a military force—it was simply asking for trouble.