"Zhou Bing and Tang Wen, you two will take a portion of the current members of the hunting camp and select some guards from the outer city to form the Outer City Hunting Squad."
"While assisting Zhou Bing, Tang Wen will also assist Commander Zhang in managing the outer city."
Going to the outer city?
Two deputy positions?
Tang Wen pondered, this way, he could slack off to his heart's content.
Tell Sister Bing that Commander Zhang has tasks for him.
Then tell Commander Zhang that Sister Bing is too busy.
Wouldn't that make life quite leisurely?
Wait, shouldn't I be thinking about how to wield my newfound authority as a leader?
Why am I always thinking about slacking off?
After the work assignments, General Zhou stood up and said, "Let's go to the main hall together to pay our respects to the Queen."
With a clatter, chairs were pushed back.
Tang Wen and Zhou Bing were fine.
The other three stood up awkwardly, their faces a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Curious, Tang Wen whispered, "It's understandable that the two former outer city captains haven't seen the Queen, but how come Qian Lai, a Guard, hasn't either?"
"Well, the Queen, she's always in seclusion," Zhou Bing replied, her tone somewhat unnatural.
Tang Wen glanced at her but didn't say more.
The two followed the generals and commanders to the main hall.
The main hall was designed like a council chamber, with a waist-high stone platform at the back, on which sat an exquisitely crafted chair.
In front of the platform, on both sides, were rows of seats.
"Your Majesty, the new commanders have arrived," a woman dressed as an official called out towards the side door of the main hall.
Soft footsteps approached.
Then, a stunningly beautiful face came into view.
"Everyone has worked hard, please sit!"
Her clear and melodious voice carried an undeniable authority.
But no one sat until she, in her red robe, took her seat on the throne, after which everyone else followed suit.
Liu Sha was the first to stand up, trembling, and introduced himself to the Queen with a stutter.
His excitement, reverence, and the awe he felt upon seeing the Queen's face were vividly displayed.
The Queen smiled and nodded in encouragement.
The old man sat down, visibly moved.
Zhang Mian wasn't much better.
Qian Lai performed slightly better.
After he finished, he reminded the Queen of his past: "Not bad, the little Guard has grown up."
Qian Lai, full of enthusiasm, couldn't help but pledge his loyalty: "The Guards will always be your sharp blade!"
"Mm," the Queen nodded, acknowledging him.
Zhou Bing stood up.
The Queen's smile was as bright as the sun: "Bing'er, no need to introduce yourself. Stay behind later."
The three who had just spoken turned their heads in unison, their eyes filled with envy.
Envious of the Queen's closeness to her.
Tang Wen curiously glanced at the expressionless Sister Bing, feeling even more puzzled.
"Your Majesty, I am Tang Wen."
"I know you," the Queen praised, "a young genius."
"Not at all, not at all, in front of Your Majesty, there is no such thing as a genius."
"Young as you are, you killed an Awakened on the arena, naturally a genius, don't be modest!"
Tang Wen became even more humble: "I just used the time others spend enjoying themselves on martial arts training."
The others:
"Good! Stay behind later and tell me how you usually train in martial arts." The Queen's smile faded.
With a nod, Tang Wen returned to his seat.
He also received envious looks from the three new commanders.
It seemed that these three could be considered loyal fans of the Queen.
After introducing the newcomers, the Queen stood up, her red dress blazing like fire, and spoke in a serious tone: "Everyone, a drought is coming!"
Huh?
Except for the five newcomers, the others showed no surprise, clearly already aware of the situation.
General Zhao stood up and said, "After investigation, the water levels of the rivers, streams, and the large lake to the west around the camp are all lower than in previous years. It has been over three months since winter began without any rain or snow. By late spring this year, the foxtail millet harvest will definitely decrease. According to experienced farmers, the yield could drop by more than half."
Upon hearing this, everyone furrowed their brows.
They all knew that a decrease in grain production often signaled the beginning of turmoil.
"Why don't you five speak first?" General Zhou looked at Tang Wen and the other four, clearly testing them.
After all, a commander shouldn't only know how to fight; they also need to understand camp governance and disaster prevention.
Liu Sha and the other two exchanged glances, none daring to speak. They quietly lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with their seniors.
It was the classic behavior of students who couldn't answer the teacher's question and didn't dare to meet the teacher's gaze.
Zhou Bing frowned, deep in thought.
"Little Tang, you go first."
Tang Wen organized his thoughts and said, "The scavengers outside the camp might riot. They've been starving all winter, and if they can't find forest fruits, wild vegetables, or mushrooms in the spring, they won't survive. When people are on the brink of starvation, they'll do anything. Even if they don't riot, the Black Mountain Camp will incite them to do so."
Commander Zhang asked, "Is there any solution?"
A solution?
Did they even need to think about it?
Many in the hall had only one word in mind—kill them all.
But Tang Wen believed the camp should focus on strengthening itself: "We could designate an area outside the camp and set up a village where all scavengers willing to work can come and live."
"Then, by the lakeside, we could find a piece of land for them to cultivate. As for those scavengers who rob or oppress others, they should be executed immediately upon discovery."
"What about food?"
General Zhao pressed, "Cultivating land is heavy labor; they can't do it without food."
Tang Wen also knew the camp couldn't spare much food for the scavengers.
He had thought about this: "For food, we could gather whatever is edible from the wild."
"For example, tree bark, leaves, flowers, and grass, mixed with a small amount of grain, ground into flour, and made into hard biscuits. One biscuit should sustain them for half a day."
"We don't expect them to cultivate much land in the first year. As long as they don't cause trouble and survive the drought, once the rain comes, they'll not only be able to feed themselves but also provide some grain for us."
"Are you suggesting we provide seeds and farming tools?"
When people are starving, they'll even eat the seeds.
Tang Wen shook his head, "During the planting season, we can send people to help for a few days. We can lend them the tools and have them repay us with grain after the harvest."
"Why go through all that trouble? If they dare to cause trouble and attack the camp, can't we just kill them all?"
Tang Wen knew someone would think this way. He replied, "We could, but people are an important resource. What benefit do we gain from killing them? By recruiting them, we can strengthen the camp."
"Of course, the final decision on how to proceed should be made by the Queen and the two generals."
General Zhao nodded in agreement, "Killing them would be simple, but it would indeed be a waste and could lead to an epidemic later."
"After a great disaster, there is often a great plague. We must also pay attention to disease prevention."
"Your Majesty, what do you think?"
The Queen, resting her fair cheek on her delicate hand, frowned and said, "The idea is good. But first, we need to calculate how many people we can support with the land we reclaim and how much grain we will need. Do we have enough grain? What if the drought continues?"
General Zhou spoke up, "Our grain reserves, under a rationing system, can feed the inner city for more than three years. If we include the outer city, it will last less than two years."
"The inner city is wealthy, and each household has its own surplus grain, but the outer city is in a precarious situation."
After much discussion, Tang Wen realized that he had oversimplified the matter.
The Flame Camp still didn't know how long the drought would last or whether they could smoothly survive the disaster year.
At this time, incorporating the Scavengers outside the city was not a good idea.
After an hour or two of discussion, everyone's opinions were largely aligned.
And Tang Wen's suggestion was partially adopted.
That is, the coarse grain cakes he mentioned could be made first.
Spring has arrived, and the forest is abundant with trees and plants. Picking them and mixing them with a bit of flour to make hard cakes could be a form of food storage.
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