565: Chapter 565 Trivial Matters in the Northern Frontier

"My Lord."

Zhu Changpo's soft report interrupted Situ Jun's thoughts.

"The madams have collectively sent someone with breakfast. They instructed me to ensure that you eat on time and not to neglect your health by focusing solely on official duties."

Situ Jun looked down and noticed an exquisite food box at the corner of the desk. It had clearly been placed there quietly by a maid while he was lost in thought.

He opened the box, revealing several dishes of delicate, refreshing appetizers, a bowl of steaming polished rice porridge, and a bowl of rich ginseng soup. Judging by the ingredients and the precision of the simmering, it was immediately clear whose handiwork it was.

Situ Jun gave a helpless chuckle and picked up a spoon to slowly eat his breakfast.

These women were becoming increasingly united, even learning how to join forces to "discipline" him. Such tender bonds made him feel both warmed and troubled.

After a moment of silence, Situ Jun finished the last sip of ginseng soup and looked at Zhu Changpo, giving instructions in a solemn tone:

"Zhu Changpo, you and the other generals in the city must seize the time to improve your Cultivation. It won't be long before I leave the Northern Frontier. In the future, the stability of Northern Frontier City will depend on you to Guard it firmly for me."

"Yes! This Subordinate obeys the City Lord's command!"

Zhu Changpo's expression immediately turned solemn. He bowed and cupped his hands, responding firmly without the slightest hesitation.

Situ Jun waved his hand, signaling Zhu Changpo to withdraw, then continued to immerse himself in reviewing documents.

He could only truly be at ease if he personally reviewed and finalized the many affairs of the Northern Frontier.

Fortunately, everything was progressing smoothly. The expansion of the city was moving faster than he had anticipated; the spring crops were growing well, and as long as there were no natural disasters, the harvest would be enough to support the entire city's population through the winter. The newly settled refugees were gradually stabilizing, more and more shops were opening, and the marketplace was becoming increasingly prosperous. This month's tax revenue had even increased by a full twenty percent compared to last month.

Everything was moving in a better and better direction.

Finally setting down the last reviewed document, Situ Jun instinctively stretched. However, the soreness in his lower back struck again, more pronounced than before.

This time, he didn't try to hide it. He simply shook his head with a wry smile, thinking to himself that before the Heavenly Dao System disappeared, in addition to exchanging treasures for the women, he had to redeem the complete Dragon-Phoenix Grand Derivation True Scripture.

These days, he had indeed expended too much effort, one could say he had been "working" to the utmost.

It wasn't entirely because of the overwhelming, fiery gazes of his female companions. More importantly, he had unexpectedly discovered that even without the System's enhancement, the effects of performing Dual Cultivation with them were exactly the same as before.

Not only did their Cultivation and Aptitude improve steadily, but his own spiritual energy also grew deeper bit by bit through the process of Yin and Yang convergence and spiritual energy supplementation.

Especially when practicing Dual Cultivation with women of higher Cultivation like Su Yunniang and Liu Xuaner, the feeling of spiritual fusion and the union of heaven and man allowed him to unknowingly touch the threshold of a higher Realm. His Cultivation progress far exceeded that of solitary meditation.

Situ Jun slowly stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the rolling green mountains in the distance, his mind filled with swirling thoughts.

From the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, the sound transmission talismans from Bai Yu and Nightingale arrived punctually every few days.

Now, the news that the Ascension Realm was about to open had already spread across more than a dozen surrounding kingdoms. Various forces were stirring, secretly making plans in an attempt to seize more benefits. A storm that would sweep the world was quietly brewing.

"My Lord."

The respectful voice of a Guard suddenly came from outside the door, interrupting his thoughts:

"Lord Yang Feng requests an audience. He says the construction of the western section of the city expansion has encountered a difficult problem and requests your personal decision."

"Let him in."

Situ Jun instantly reined in his wandering thoughts and sat back behind the desk. His back was straight, his expression calm, and the laziness and fatigue in his eyes vanished instantly. He once again became the City Lord of the Northern Frontier, a man of strategic vision and decisive action who single-handedly supported this corner of the world.

However, when he raised his hand to gesture for Yang Feng to take a seat, the subtle movement of inadvertently supporting his lower back did not escape Yang Feng's eyes.

Yang Feng's lips couldn't help but twitch. He quickly forced down the amusement in his eyes, focused his mind, and spoke solemnly:

"My Lord, a major issue has arisen with the foundation of the western city wall. During construction, an underground river was accidentally unearthed, crossing the entire foundation. We must redesign the drainage and wall-building plan, otherwise, the project cannot continue."

Saying this, Yang Feng bowed and stepped forward, spreading a roll of city expansion engineering blueprints on the red sandalwood desk.

His fingertip pressed firmly on the location of the western city wall, his brow furrowed, and his tone was full of anxiety:

"Look, My Lord, the flow of this underground river isn't very rapid, but it runs through the entire section of the foundation. If we force the earth-ramming and wall-building, the foundation will be soaked in river water year-round, making the soil soft. Within half a year, the wall will surely collapse, and the countless manpower, resources, and wealth spent before will all go to waste."

Situ Jun leaned in, his gaze falling on the blueprints. His fingertips lightly traced the lines marking the course of the underground river, his expression calm and unruffled.

The soreness in his lower back was still faintly acting up, but once it concerned the vital affairs of Northern Frontier City, he instantly pushed his fatigue to the back of his mind, leaving only sharpness and composure in his eyes.

After a moment of silence, Situ Jun looked up at Yang Feng and spoke in a steady, powerful voice:

"Has the source of the underground river been clarified? Are there precise measurement data for the water's direction, width, and depth?"

"We have already sent Combat Engineers to investigate repeatedly. The underground river originates from the green mountains to the west and crosses the city foundation from north to south. It is two zhang wide at its broadest point and over one zhang deep. The water quality is clear, and it never freezes, even in the dead of winter."

Yang Feng quickly responded, then paused with a frown:

"If we divert the underground river, the amount of work will be enormous, delaying the project by at least three months and requiring the mobilization of a large number of laborers. If we simply bypass the river, the entire planning layout of the new city district will be in disarray. The previously finalized layouts for streets, barracks, and shops would all have to be readjusted, which would take even longer."

Tu Xiong, standing nearby, also stepped forward and added with a grave expression:

"My Lord, it is currently the critical period for spring plowing. Most laborers need to return home for farming. If we forcibly conscript them, it will surely delay the agricultural season and affect the autumn harvest. Furthermore, as news of the stability in Northern Frontier City spreads, Cultivators and refugees from surrounding countries are flocking here. The new city district must be completed as soon as possible to properly settle these people; otherwise, it could easily lead to chaos."

Situ Jun stood up and slowly paced the study with his hands behind his back. The soreness in his lower back struck from time to time, but he was completely oblivious to it, his mind entirely focused on the engineering problem at hand.

His mind flashed through the ancient water conservancy construction and foundation reinforcement methods he knew from his past life. Combining these with the unique spiritual energy methods of this world, he repeatedly weighed the pros and cons. Within moments, a light of certainty flashed in his eyes.

"There is no need to divert it, nor is there a need to bypass it."

Situ Jun stopped abruptly and looked at the two men with a firm gaze, his tone brook no argument:

"Pass down my orders to execute this in three steps. First, immediately mobilize ten Cultivators proficient in earth-element spiritual energy to work with craftsmen and laborers to dig drainage channels on both sides of the foundation. Divert the underground river water to the vicinity of the newly cultivated fertile fields outside the city and excavate a large reservoir. This will solve the foundation's water problem and provide water for irrigation, killing two birds with one stone. Second, at the foundation above the underground river, drive three-zhang-deep pine piles, laid in a crisscross pattern to form a stable pile foundation. Then, use 'Triple-component Earth'—a mixture of glutinous rice slurry, lime, and clay—to ram the foundation in layers, pressing each layer solid to completely eliminate the risk of softening. Third, the western section of the city wall will be built with solid bluestone blocks. The base of the wall will be thickened by three feet, and fine drainage holes will be pre-drilled into the wall body to prevent future groundwater seepage and erosion."

Hearing this, Yang Feng's eyes instantly lit up, and his anxiety vanished. He quickly bowed and said with deep admiration:

"A brilliant plan, My Lord! This method neither delays the project nor completely solves the water issue, and even benefits farming. This Subordinate will go and arrange the implementation immediately!"

"Wait."

Situ Jun raised his hand to stop him, adding a solemn reminder:

"Be cautious during construction. Do not forcibly disturb the flow of the underground river. Cultivators may only use gentle spiritual energy to assist with construction and must not forcefully damage the geology. Laborers and craftsmen will be paid according to their work, with full rations and wages; there must be no mistreatment. Additionally, appoint dedicated personnel to stay at the site throughout the process and report on construction progress daily. Any changes must be reported immediately without delay."

"This Subordinate obeys! I will not fail my mission!"

Yang Feng cupped his hands heavily, carefully put away the blueprints, and hurriedly turned to leave.

However, as he reached the door, he caught a glimpse of Situ Jun inconspicuously supporting his lower back again. He couldn't hold back the smile on his lips and quickly exited the study, not daring to linger.

Silence returned to the study. Situ Jun sat back in his chair and took a sip of the tea that had long since gone cold, his brow furrowing slightly.

The problem of the western underground river was temporarily solved, but the affairs of the Northern Frontier were far from over.

The city expansion project, spring plowing, refugee settlement, military drills, and the imminent opening of the Ascension Realm—the world situation was unpredictable. Each and every matter weighed heavily on his shoulders, allowing for not a moment of relaxation.

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