Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law-Chapter 542: Civilizing Foreign Lands, Han Anniang Gives Birth

Chapter 542: Chapter 542: Civilizing Foreign Lands, Han Anniang Gives Birth

"Bang..."

Nangong Jin slapped the table and shouted, "Look at the mess you’ve made."

Zhang Feng kept his head down and didn’t speak. He knew that with such heavy casualties, the main reason was himself. If he hadn’t been curious, this wouldn’t have happened.

Nangong Jin didn’t really intend to punish Zhang Feng. After a few reproachful remarks, he immediately asked, "What was the harvest this time?"

Zhang Feng glanced at his sister before replying solemnly, "Far below expectations."

"Oh?" Nangong Jin frowned.

Zhang Feng slowly began to explain.

It turned out that with each of Nangong Family’s numerous sea voyages, they had earned a fortune, which naturally attracted the covetous eyes of overseas countries. Consequently, several overseas nations took the opportunity to raise tariffs and so-called passage fees.

As a result, Zhang Feng had to pay a hefty sum.

"Damn it, it’s one thing for countries like Ski and India, but even a small country like Boli dares to charge me passage fees. If it weren’t for that setback on the Seeking Immortal Island in the Ancient Luo Kingdom, I’d have led an army to wipe them out," Zhang Feng fumed at the thought.

Though countries like Ski and India were not major powers, Zhang Feng couldn’t easily provoke them.

But the Boli country, with a territorial area probably not bigger than River Sea and a population not exceeding a million, appeared to Zhang Feng as an uncivilized barbaric nation. If he weren’t eyeing its gems and medicinal materials, Zhang Feng wouldn’t even bother with it.

Yet now, even it dared to covet greedily at them.

It’s like the little brother he always disregarded now dared to challenge him openly.

With this, Zhang Feng said, "Brother-in-law, in my opinion, next time we sail out, we should directly lead troops and wipe out Boli country. Then all the gems and medicinal materials there will be ours, why trade with them?"

"If we don’t teach them a lesson, next time they will demand even more."

"How confident are you?" Nangong Jin asked.

Zhang Feng: "???"

"What’s wrong, haven’t you always wanted to eliminate Boli country? Why are you tongue-tied now?" Nangong Jin glared at Zhang Feng.

"It’s not that..."

Zhang Feng was a bit stunned. He had indeed suggested taking down Boli Country more than once, but every time, Nangong Jin would say that harmony is precious in overseas voyages, that their purpose was to seek profit, and fighting doesn’t solve problems, thus rejecting his proposal. Yet this time, he was asking how confident he was, which seemed out of character.

"Brother-in-law, did something big happen domestically while I was away?" Zhang Feng asked.

Nangong Jin sighed and then said, "Chen Mo has already occupied the entire North."

With that, Nangong Jin explained to Zhang Feng the events that had transpired domestically during this period.

Zhang Feng widened his eyes, internally exclaiming that Chen Mo was incredibly formidable.

"But brother-in-law, what’s that got to do with us attacking Boli country?" Zhang Feng asked.

"He’s planning to hold imperial examinations in the Four States, attracting scholars from all over the world. His intention is to select officials through these examinations to govern the North for him. When that happens, River Sea won’t be spared. By then, the good days for our Nangong Family will be numbered."

How could Nangong Jin not recognize Chen Mo’s ambition? By then, would he allow the Nangong Family to maintain such a large army?

The Nangong Family would also be unable to recruit new soldiers.

What if Chen Mo, like in Qingzhou, decides to confiscate the Nangong family’s troops? What would the Nangong Family do then?

This had to be guarded against.

Therefore, overseas expansion must begin ahead of time.

"Boli country lacks iron, not even having decent iron armor domestically. If you, brother-in-law, give me five thousand armored troops, I have complete confidence," Zhang Feng thought for a bit and said.

"Five thousand armored troops? The Nangong Family doesn’t even have five thousand pieces of armor to equip five thousand soldiers; there’s only a thousand." Nangong Jin gave Zhang Feng a side glance and said.

Iron armor, even in such chaotic times, remained a rare commodity.

Even through overseas trade, iron armor couldn’t be purchased.

Therefore, to obtain iron armor, one had to craft it privately. But how long has it been since the Nangong Family was given free rein? In such a short span of time, they couldn’t produce five thousand sets of iron armor.

"A thousand..." Zhang Feng showed a troubled expression, then stretched out three fingers, "That’s only thirty percent confidence."

"I’ll assign you an additional seven thousand ordinary soldiers," Nangong Jin said.

"I guarantee Boli’s destruction," Zhang Feng pounded his chest and said.

"Not destruction, we’re educating the foreign barbarians. Our Great Song is a nation of ceremony and propriety; we don’t bully others." Nangong Jin, being a scholar, added.

"Understood, understood." Zhang Feng nodded repeatedly, then looked at the Immortal Fruit on the table and asked, "How shall we deal with this fruit?"

Nangong Jin pondered for a moment before tearing off a nail-sized strand from the fruit and called out, "Someone come here."

Soon, a maid walked in.

"Eat this," Nangong Jin handed the torn strand to the maid.

The maid, without hesitation, swallowed it.

After all, in such a large family, servants dared not disobey their masters’ orders, even if beaten to death, it would be in vain.

"What does it taste like?" Nangong Jin asked.

The maid chewed and replied, "A bit bitter, and somewhat sweet and sour."

Nangong Jin raised an eyebrow, and once the maid swallowed it, he waited another quarter of an hour before asking if she felt anything, any discomfort.

The maid said her body felt warm, with no discomfort.

After another quarter of an hour, Nangong Jin asked again.

The maid said this time there was no feeling at all.

Nangong Jin had the maid step aside, thinking it over before summoning a Ninth-Grade Guard, tearing off another strand of the Immortal Fruit, and ordering him to eat it as well.

Compared to a regular person like the maid, a Martial Artist guard had sharper senses.

"Master, I feel my cultivation has improved significantly," the guard said.

Nangong Jin and Zhang Feng exchanged glances, then both blushed with excitement, thinking, "Could it really be an Immortal Fruit..."

However, even after two people had tasted it, the cautious Nangong Jin did not partake, planning to wait a few days to see if anything happened to the maid and guard who consumed the Immortal Fruit before deciding.

...

Chen Mo was unaware of the events in River Sea. Since the last time when he detained the Nangong Family’s navy in Qingzhou, the Nangong Family seemed to throw a little tantrum, rarely making contact with Chen Mo’s side.

At that moment, he was anxiously waiting outside Han Anniang’s chamber.

On the last day of February, Han Anniang was giving birth.

Inside the room, several midwives who had assisted Xia Zhiqing and Wu Mi in labor, along with maids, were gathered around, busy at the bedside, all showcasing nervous expressions.

Because more than an hour had passed, and the child was reluctant to leave Han Anniang’s belly.

The midwife admonished anxiously, "Second Lady, push harder, it’s almost out."

Han Anniang, moaning and groaning, was drenched in sweat, her face as pale as snow, her lips slightly parted, enduring extreme pain.

Another half an hour later, with the accompanying cries of "ah ah" from a baby, Han Anniang felt a sense of relief before fainting away.