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Chapter 554
Mo Jiuye had no objection to this at all.
He was already accustomed to living in the beautiful yet practical courtyard houses at home, so even if the imperial court bestowed him with a mansion, he would likely not take a liking to it.
Therefore, it was quite necessary for him to build a manor in the northwest.
After all, he would be responsible for managing all affairs in the northwest, and he would have many local officials and the like under his command.
Once the management of his fiefdom was on track, those officials would routinely report to him about matters within the territory. He certainly could not let them travel all the way to Xi Ling Village constantly. Mo Jiuye admitted that his wife He Zhiran had more insightful opinions when it came to constructing the Manor of the King of Defending the West.
Whether it was choosing the location or the architectural style, these were more her forte.
In any case, the construction of the manor was not urgent. He could let his wife ponder it slowly, draw up the plans, and then have Hu Cong carry them out.
Mo Qing saw that Mo Jiuye had arranged everything in an orderly manner, and each of his nine sons had their own tasks, except for himself, the old man, who seemed to be forgotten.
"Jiuye, what do you think your father should do?"
Mo Jiuye knew his father would ask this question.
"Father, you and Fourth Brother will be responsible for producing bombs, and you must ensure the supply to the frontlines."
Mo Jiuye knew his father's temperament; if he did not make the task sound urgent, his father would think that he was not involving him enough.
The Mo family never had any disputes over workload. Each and every one of them wished to do more.
Sure enough, when Mo Qing heard that Mo Jiuye wanted him to produce bombs and ensure the frontline supply, he no longer felt neglected.
"Good, leave this task to me. I will guarantee the supply."
After Mo Jiuye had arranged everything and confirmed that nothing was overlooked, the Mo brothers set out that very day.
He Zhiran had anticipated that as soon as the imperial decree arrived, the men of the Mo family would immediately lead the troops to the battlefield.
In the past, when the Mo men went to war, she was not around, and their victory or survival depended solely on their own abilities. But now, things were different. She had arrived and would never allow the Mo family to be in danger.
Therefore, on the second day after returning to the northwest, she had purchased a large quantity of bulletproof vests from the Taobao Mall.
Bulletproof vests were the best life-saving tools. Each of the Mo brothers, old troops, and private soldiers would have one.
He Zhiran also gave Fifth Brother a miniature telescope to observe enemy movements conveniently in the southern border area.
Additionally, various poisons, antidotes, and lethal powders were indispensable, especially since the people of the southern region were skilled in using such toxins. Having these medicines on hand could ensure their safety.
In short, He Zhiran prepared everything she could think of for her family members going into battle.
Mo Jiuye would be responsible for explaining the sources of these items.
The Mo brothers were deeply moved. In the past, they had gone into battle without any such life-saving equipment. This showed how much Ninth Brother and his wife valued them.
The brothers all knew that these items were extremely precious, and perhaps only Ninth Brother and his wife in the entire Da Shun Dynasty could obtain them.
With so many life-saving items and a force equipped with the formidable weapon of bombs, it would be difficult for them not to achieve a great victory in this campaign.
Of course, the Mo brothers have always maintained a good attitude and would not become careless just because they possessed advantages that others did not.
With the personnel allocated, the Mo brothers set out that very day.
Before they even left the village, most officials within the northwest had arrived at Xi Ling Village as if by prior arrangement, forming a long queue.
It was a long queue, but the number of officials was limited. There were far more people carrying large boxes than officials in the line.
The villagers of Xi Ling Village had truly broadened their horizons in recent days.
First, a eunuch from the palace rode a tall, magnificent horse to the Mo residence, claiming to deliver an imperial decree.
Then, suddenly, countless soldiers appeared at the Mo family's residence. These people did not enter through the village entrance, as if they had descended from the sky.
Before the villagers could recover from their astonishment, today a large number of officials came, all heading towards the foot of the mountain.
Looking at the large boxes being carried, they were clearly filled with various gifts.
Could it be that the Mo family had become prosperous?
The officials were lining up to send them gifts...
The villagers wanted to observe from a distance to see what was going on with the Mo family, but they dared not get too close to the officials. They could only wait for the group to move farther away before cautiously walking towards the foot of the mountain.
Fortunately, the area where the Mo family lived was quite spacious, so the villagers could see clearly even from a distance.
In the Da Shun Dynasty, the northwest was a sparsely populated region. Due to the small population, only one provincial capital was established, with countless surrounding counties, of which Yun City was just one.
The officials visiting the Mo family today were those governing areas near Yun City. For those farther away, it would likely take one or two days of travel to reach this place.
Mo Jiuye did not know that these officials received the news so quickly thanks to Nan Yu's thoughtfulness.
Nan Yu was meticulous and had arranged for more than a dozen people to relay the oral decree to various local governments in the northwest when the imperial messenger departed from the capital city.
This way, the news of Mo Jiuye becoming the King of Defending the West and the imperial court bestowing the northwest as his fiefdom could spread at the fastest speed.
Meng Huaining, being the son-in-law of the Mo family, naturally did not participate in this group of officials bearing gifts.
The provincial governor had learned from somewhere that Meng Huaining was the Mo family's son-in-law.
For this matter, he organized the surrounding county magistrates to bring gifts together, but he did not feel comfortable summoning Meng Huaining. He recalled the last time Meng Huaining had sought his help in purchasing high-yield crop seeds, and he had refused, claiming the provincial government had no silver reserves.
Now, with Mo Jiuye becoming the King of the West, Meng Huaining would certainly bring up this incident. If the King of Defending the West took offense, the governor would surely face consequences.
Thinking of this, the governor broke into a cold sweat.
Reluctantly, he could only call on the surrounding county magistrates to prepare ample gifts and visit Xi Ling Village, allowing the King of Defending the West to have a good impression of him first. Then, when Meng Huaining reported his misdeeds, the King might be more lenient.
Unfortunately, given Mo Jiuye's character, the governor's wishful thinking would ultimately be in vain.
Mo Jiuye was not unfamiliar with this governor. When he had dealt with the Xue Family at the Jingxian Building in the provincial capital, he had seen the governor once.
However, at that time, the governor carried an arrogant demeanor and had not given Mo Jiuye a single glance, leaving no impression of Mo Jiuye at all.
Now, Mo Jiuye had donned the armor brought by the imperial messenger.
In the Da Shun Dynasty, the armor of military commanders was highly significant. The position of the chest mirror indicated the commander's rank.