Chapter 1896: 1882: Finale (Part 2)

Chapter 1896: Chapter 1882: Finale (Part 2)

But now, under the imperial power, one can only accept it reluctantly.

Once the mourning period ended, news came from the grasslands that Bayar had secured his position as the King of the Grasslands. He found a minor issue in Wusun Country, then exaggerated it, provoking Wusun into losing their rationality, and subsequently ordered an attack.

Great Chu had prepared for this for three years; the two countries joined forces and quickly rendered Wusun and Ruoqiang defenseless.

Finally, the two countries sat down to divide the spoils, or rather, the territory! Most of the cities went to Great Chu, while the grasslands made a symbolic gesture, taking a city adjacent to the grasslands, fulfilling a promise.

It was heard that in this war, the grasslands suffered significant casualties, most of which were from the elite troops Qi Le had left behind.

This concluded the erasure of Qi Le’s last traces on the grasslands.

After his mourning period, Song Chongjin was conferred the title of Duke Weiguo and was appointed to manage the logistics and supplies for the war.

When the war ended victoriously, his merits naturally ranked him at the top.

Wusun and Ruoqiang, once conquered, were merged by Great Chu to establish Anxi Province, appointing Song Chongjin as the Northwest Circuit Inspector to oversee all affairs in Anxi Province.

This is both a lucrative position and a hot potato.

As Anxi Province was newly established, everything was in disarray. Not to mention that this was originally foreign land; although Great Chu’s troops were stationed there, truly assimilating the local populace wouldn’t be a short-term achievement.

Moreover, the Wusun people are inherently fierce; if there are dissenters lurking, Great Chu officials’ personal safety is perpetually at risk.

Do well, and prosperity lasts a lifetime; do poorly, and one’s life ends there.

The Emperor appointed Song Chongjin, allowing the entire court to sigh with relief, for if Song Chongjin succeeds, they can still reap the benefits when Anxi Province is fully stabilized.

Song Chongjin likely understands the Emperor’s intentions and the court’s sentiments.

However, he felt restrained and uninterested in Capital City, far less free than he was back in Chicheng County.

Now, heading to Anxi Province, a bitter task for others, is something he eagerly desires.

The troops stationed in Great Chu were originally under Song Hong; Gu Zikai’s jurisdiction is adjacent to Anxi Province, along with Lee Changnan, the true overseer of the Northwest Circuit Inspector.

He’s not overly concerned.

Not to mention, when he was to assume his post in Anxi Province, of the people Song Hong previously left behind, other than the genuinely weak, ill, and unable to traverse long distances, all requested to accompany him to Anxi.

Including the personal soldiers led by Song Wu and the last of the few remaining hidden guards.

Song Chongjin was precisely in need of manpower; those left by Song Hong are skilled individuals that are hard to hire with money, not to mention they are more loyal than those recruited.

Over the years, Song Chongjin has gradually learned to reconcile with his past self. His resentment and grievances towards Song Hong, his father, have been slowly alleviated by time.

Naturally, he can also calmly accept the staff left by Song Hong.

Of those left by Lady Gao, some requested to leave while others wanted to follow them.

Wang Yongzhu selected suitable candidates and arranged for personnel in Capital City to watch over the vast mansion, estates, and businesses.

The businesses left by Lady Gao were transferred out by Wang Yongzhu, keeping only the shops to collect rent.

After all, with their departure, no one knows how many years until their return. Even with the Gu Family’s assistance, with the shifting tides in Capital City, issues are feared more than loss; implicating, slandering, and causing harm are far bigger concerns.

The same goes for the Duke’s Mansion, keeping only the estates and shops with fixed income—the real losses are not troubling.

Although the income would be significantly less, Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin do not lack silver coins.

The wealth accumulated by the Duke’s Mansion over the years is already substantial; even after the family split, what’s left for them is the lion’s share.

Combined with Song Hong’s private assets, most left to Song Chongjin, with a small portion shared among other children.

Old Lady Zhong did the same; her dowry was entirely left to Song Chongjin, leaving none to other grandchildren.

These combined assets are enough to sustain a family’s prosperity for generations.

Once everything was settled, three years later, Song Chongjin took his wife, children, and mother-in-law, Old Granny Zhang, once again embarking on the journey west.

This journey, under vast skies and clouds, with unknown prospects, but Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu were very pleased.

In these three years, Lady Gu had found a marriage for Gu Zikai, finally, married, treated each other with respect, and now has a wife and children.