Chapter 70

"Lord, our farmland is all in the mountain hollow, less than 200,000 square meters, and there's no water source. The annual yield is not high!" Shiwazi pointed to the large open area in front of the village and explained the farmland situation to Jiang Chenxing in detail.

"200,000 square meters, one mu is about 667 square meters, so the entire fief's farmland is only about 300 mu... In this world's productivity, 200 kilograms per mu is considered a good harvest, so that's only 60,000 kilograms. After paying taxes, clothing, housing, and fuel... how much will be left! If there's a disaster year..."

Thinking this, Jiang Chenxing's gaze turned to the outside of the valley, where the land was flat and covered in snow, stretching endlessly.

"If we could develop the land outside the mountain, our lives would be much better, at least ten thousand mu!" Jiang Chenxing sighed.

"Lord! Our fief is only three square li, and we can't go beyond the mountain hollow! The old lord said that the fief's boundaries are fixed. Even if your title is upgraded, you will only be given a new fief! In the empire's history, only a few lords have received special approval to expand their fiefs, and they all made special contributions... Because of this, the old lord often lamented that the ten thousand mu of wasteland outside could only be seen but not cultivated!"

Hearing this, Jiang Chenxing's heart stirred, and he asked, "Is that wasteland still part of Lord Dingbei's fief?"

"Lord Dingbei's fief ends at our Green Mountain Village. Beyond that, it's all unallocated land of the empire. A hundred miles further is Lord Huanshui's fief!"

Shiwazi explained and then said, "Lord! Even if we were given that ten thousand mu of wasteland, we couldn't cultivate it! The village's labor force is already at its limit with 300 mu. More land would be useless! And there's also a lack of water. More farmland would just waste seeds!"

"Can't cultivate it... Yes, this world doesn't even have oxen for plowing, let alone iron plows! There are no irrigation facilities either!"

Jiang Chenxing thought, turning his head to look at the vast mountains, where a frozen river meandered.

"This river is so close to the farmland. If we could divert it, it would be great... If we had oxen, iron plows, and could divert the river, that ten thousand mu of wasteland would definitely become fertile land..."

"Lord Jiang!" Just as Jiang Chenxing was thinking, Han Xiaowu rushed over and shouted, "Viscount Zhao Zixiang has arrived and wants to see you!"

"Oh! Uncle Xiang has arrived. I wonder if he found the body!" Jiang Chenxing quickly put aside his thoughts, called to Shiwazi, and hurried down the hill...

In the lord's residence, Zhao Zixiang was watching the old man treat Xier's illness, his eyes full of surprise. His own thirty-six life-prolonging needles were nothing compared to the old man's.

"I never expected the old man to be a great physician..." Previously, he only knew from Zhao Danqing that this was a skilled guard Tang Chuxue found for Jiang Chenxing, but he didn't expect the old man to be a great physician!

"Uncle Xiang! How did the search go? With hundreds of thousands of people in Hongyuan City, it shouldn't be difficult, right?" Jiang Chenxing pushed open the door and walked in, greeting him and asking urgently.

"Who said it wasn't difficult? I hadn't found it when I left!" Zhao Zixiang looked worried. Although he supported Jiang Chenxing's treatment, he couldn't help but worry. Now all the physicians in the city were watching this. If Jiang Chenxing failed, they would definitely spread rumors and tarnish his reputation.

"See? What genius, what role model, it's all just a name! Who knows how his previous contributions came about, why not publish them!"

If such words spread, Jiang Chenxing's reputation would be ruined. He had been elevated too high, from a dancer to a third-class baron in twenty days. The higher he stood, the harder he would fall. If he got a reputation for deceit, even Lord Dingbei couldn't protect him. Those nobles who now smile at him would not hesitate to step on him if he fell.

"But with the old man, a great physician, it should be more promising." Zhao Zixiang consoled himself.

"Is it that difficult?" Jiang Chenxing frowned. The old man had already increased the dosage of the Cold Yuan Ice Flower. If it took too long to find the body, he wouldn't have enough money to cover the costs!

The old man then said, "Write another letter to urge them. We must find it as soon as possible. If Xier has another episode, I'm afraid I won't be able to control it!"

"Alright!" Jiang Chenxing didn't hesitate, immediately wrote a letter, and sent off another of Meier's messenger birds...

Three months later, Lord Dingbei paced back and forth in the hall after receiving the letter. He had already heard that many physicians from the capital and various fiefs were on their way. Now Jiang Chenxing had no way out! Even without a body, others would say he was making it up. If the emperor's model had a blemish, he couldn't protect him.

Jiang Chenxing had already sent letters urging, but a suitable body still hadn't been found. Either the deaths were too old, or the people were still sick. They couldn't kill other patients just to treat Xier.

"Thud, thud, thud, thud..." Urgent footsteps sounded, and a subordinate ran over, kneeling on one knee and shouting, "My lord, the blind man among the assassins suddenly has severe abdominal pain and is howling in the prison. It doesn't seem to be an act. Should we call a physician to examine him?"

"Blind man... Yes! Abdominal pain!" Lord Dingbei's eyes lit up, and he immediately ordered, "Quickly bring a physician!"

"Yes!" The subordinate responded and ran off to fetch a physician.

Lord Dingbei took a deep breath and muttered, "I hope it's abdominal pain. These assassins will be executed eventually..." He then strode towards the prison!

A month later, a fast horse galloped out of the prison, heading straight for the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group. Soon, a messenger bird from the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group soared into the sky, flying towards Green Mountain Village...

At night, Green Mountain Village was silent, the falling snow absorbing even the slightest sounds.

Suddenly, a cheer came from the lord's residence, "Brother! Hongxian wrote that Lord found the body and is sending it over!"

"Really!" Jiang Chenxing, who had been deep in thought, jumped up and shouted, "Let me see it!"

As he took the letter, the old man, Zhao Zixiang, Du Roshan, and Xier all rushed over.

"Lord, the body was really found. Will my sister's illness be...?" Du Roshan, either from excitement or confusion, couldn't finish his sentence.

"I will do my best to save Xier!" Jiang Chenxing patted Du Roshan's shoulder, relieved. If they couldn't find it, he would have to risk surgery, and the outcome would be left to fate!

"Boy, what do we do next?" The old man asked in a trembling voice, his lifelong struggle with the incurable disease finally seeing hope. Even with his cultivation, he couldn't control his excitement.

Zhao Zixiang felt the same. Although he was worried about Jiang Chenxing, as a physician, no one wouldn't want to see an incurable disease cured!

"Nothing, just rest well. We'll wait for the body to arrive!" Jiang Chenxing said.

The old man and the others, hearing this, forced down their excitement, nodded, and returned to their rooms.

After they left, Jiang Chenxing didn't go to sleep but went to Grandma Yun's house!

With the body found, he needed to start preparing for the surgery. The first step was to distill high-proof alcohol for disinfection before the surgery.

Shiwazi had already prepared two large jars as he was instructed. Jiang Chenxing arrived and started working.

He understood the principle of distillation. Alcohol has a boiling point below 80 degrees, so it vaporizes before water. By sealing and condensing, the alcohol content could be increased. However, this was his first time doing it.

Fortunately, his hands were very dexterous. Whether sealing the jars or drilling holes and connecting them with hollow bamboo, he was very skilled.

Soon, a still and a condenser were ready. Jiang Chenxing poured the alcohol into a large ceramic basin, placed it inside an inverted jar, sealed the edges with mud, left the bottom of the basin exposed, and lit a fire to heat it.

Soon, clear liquid began to flow from the condenser's funnel, and a strong alcohol smell filled the air, stunning Grandma Yun and Shiwazi...

After repeated distillation, when Jiang Chenxing confirmed the alcohol content was around 70%, he stopped, sealed the remaining half a liter of alcohol in a small jar, and took it back.

He did this secretly at night to avoid the old man seeing and constantly asking for this alcohol...

Over the next two days, the old man focused entirely on Xier, while Jiang Chenxing climbed the hill every day, thinking about how to expand the fief and claim the ten thousand mu of wasteland.

During these two days, some physicians from Hongyuan City had already arrived in Green Mountain Village.

But after arriving, they regretted it. The village was small and dilapidated, and the villagers found it crowded even for themselves, let alone for guests.

"Want to see our failure? Freeze first, then we'll see!" Jiang Chenxing and the old man exchanged glances and laughed sinisterly, like an old and a young fox, making Du Roshan shiver.

Over the past two days, Zhao Zixiang had told Jiang Chenxing that the physicians from Hongyuan City were all waiting to see his failure. Although he didn't care about his reputation, he was very annoyed by their attitude! As physicians, it was fine to doubt and investigate, but to think about how to take advantage of his failure was unforgivable.

During these two days, the villagers were amazed to see one carriage after another arriving in the village.

"What's going on! Are all these people here for the lord?"

"Look at their clothes; they must be of high status... In this weather, they all came to visit the lord, showing how important the lord is now!"

"Indeed! Much better than the old lord! Back then, no one would visit for half a year... Look, a noble even nodded at me! It's the first time a noble has nodded at me..."

"So many people, where will they stay... Should we invite them to our homes? We have fire pits, so it's not cold inside..."

"No! Let's ask the lord what to do first!" Finally, Grandma Yun stopped the villagers and went to the lord's residence to ask Jiang Chenxing.

The answer was naturally to ignore them. They didn't have enough space for themselves, and if they wanted to stay, it would cost 100 yellow crystals per night.

"Ah!" Hearing this, Han Xiaowu and the others stumbled, almost falling into the snow. 100 yellow crystals per night, was this a black inn!

However, Jiang Chenxing didn't pay attention to them. A fast horse galloped in, and the body finally arrived.