Chapter 882
Song Clan Garrison Commander
One stone stirs up a thousand waves, and the hall instantly boils over.
Although many people had similar suspicions, no one dared to be certain until Song Changsheng said it out loud.
Now, a definitive answer is before them.
Five [Barrier-Breaking Pills].
The number is very small, not even a fraction of what everyone present received, which means that only a lucky few will be able to get these five opportunities.
They probably all knew who would get it; it was either one of the few powerful, established forces or those favored by the Song family.
Those forces that don't even have a Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection cultivator would be useless even if they were replaced.
Despite this result, they were still excited because it was a very good start. The Song family had opened up upward promotion channels, and the Old Ghost of Crimson Fire was no longer an isolated case in these four prefectures and ten counties.
When the Song family's favor comes again, this opportunity may fall to them as well.
"We are deeply grateful for the Sect Master's reward. May the Song family live ten thousand years!"
The crowd chanted in unison, their expressions excited, showing a clear increase in genuine emotion compared to previous chants.
Song Changsheng pressed his hands together lightly and said in a calm tone, "The detailed list will be distributed to everyone after the meeting. The clan meeting is not over yet, so please do not disrupt the normal order of the clan meeting."
Next, I will announce the appointments of some garrison commanders and governors.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately fell silent and pricked up their ears.
People tend to pay more attention to things that concern their own vital interests.
"The garrison commander of Zhangye Prefecture is Zi Jun, the clan chief of the Zi clan."
Upon hearing this, Zi Jun, who was sitting in his original seat, was stunned. In his opinion, it was only natural that he was on the list of garrison commanders this time. He was originally the only garrison commander in Jiangzhou. In the past, there was also Yuan Tianshu who was responsible for supervising him. Later, he was transferred back to Cangmang Peak due to seclusion and never took office again.
From then on, apart from him, the Song family had no one else to rely on in Jiangzhou.
He claimed to be the garrison commander, but in reality, he exercised the power of a governor, with the three prefectures of Jiangzhou plus the Demon Suppression Guard under his control.
This is also the source of his confidence that he can remain steadfast. He is confident that no matter how the Song family changes, his position in Jiangzhou will remain unshakable.
Therefore, he fully supported Song Changsheng's implementation of the prefecture and county system, because this would further increase the power in his hands.
Unexpectedly, Song Changsheng moved him to a different post, transferring him from the original Qixia County Garrison Commander to the Zhangye County Garrison Commander.
Zhangye County was the earliest developed county in Jiangzhou, and it was more prosperous than the other two counties combined. Unlike Qixia County, it was not close to the demon realm. It may seem like a promotion, but that is not the case at all.
Although Qixia County is close to the Demon Realm and needs to be constantly on guard against invasions by demons and aquatic creatures, it is precisely because of this that he can rightfully control the elite force of the Demon Suppression Guard.
The Demon Suppression Guard's strength has increased from 500 to 2,000, and its power has expanded rapidly. It seems like it's time for him to show his skills. Now that he's been rotated to Zhangye County, without the threat of the demon race, he has no chance to interfere with the Demon Suppression Guard anymore.
Unless he can secure the position of governor.
These are all secondary; what he is most worried about is Song Changsheng's attitude and motives.
Although he was unwilling, he still showed great joy on his face and stood up to reply, "Your subordinate obeys."
He thought he had hidden it well, but little did he know that Song Changsheng had already accurately captured his psychological change and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. This was exactly the effect he wanted.
Over the years, the Zi clan has been constantly making small moves by relying on their status as garrison commanders. Previously, even Zi Jun's own son was dealt with by the Law Enforcement Hall.
Compared to the Wang family, the difference is immediately apparent.
Fortunately, Zi Jun was relatively well-behaved. Although he held great power, he did not do anything outrageous. However, if this continued, he would eventually be ruined by his descendants.
Song Changsheng did this to wake him up, to stop him from being so focused on climbing the ranks, lest he be kept in the dark when trouble breaks out at home.
If he can't even manage a small, fledgling family, how can he trust him to guard a prefecture or even a state?
After giving Zijun a warning, he immediately announced the successor: "The garrison commander of Qixia County will be Yuan Tianshu, the family's protector."
"Please rest assured, clan leader, with me here, I will absolutely not allow the demon race to set foot in Qixia Fortress even a step!" Yuan Tianshu's voice was as loud as a bell. Despite his advanced age, his spirit was even stronger than it had been in his youth.
In recent years, his path has not been smooth. He has been stuck in the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm for many years and has been in seclusion for decades, but he has never been able to make any further progress.
At first, I was a little anxious about the outcome, but now I've completely let go of it.
With his aptitude, there is no hope of breaking through to the Golden Core stage. In that case, what is the difference between the late Purple Mansion stage and the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion stage?
Instead of obsessing over breakthroughs, it's better to focus your energy on other things.
After figuring this out, he considered taking on apprentices again.
His eldest disciple, Song Qingxia, has almost caught up with him in cultivation level, so he no longer needs to worry about her. Her future achievements will definitely surpass his.
Therefore, he wanted to take on a few more disciples, both to pass on the sword techniques of their Nine Swords Mountain lineage and to have more people to care for him when he passed away.
He had no children or relatives, and relied solely on his disciples to see him off in his final days.
He had asked Song Changsheng for the position of garrison commander, as he still had the energy to do so and wanted to build up some resources for his disciples.
Even if we don't expect everyone to reach the level of their senior sister, they should at least be able to touch the threshold of the Purple Mansion stage.
"With Elder Yuan overseeing Qixia Fortress, I, Song, am naturally at ease."
Song Changsheng smiled slightly, then continued to announce: "The garrison commander of Qinghe County is yet to be determined."
The appointments of the two garrison commanders in Lingzhou are also pending.
Elder Chi Huo was appointed as the garrison commander of Qianyang County, Yangzhou.
"Your subordinates and the Chi clan will absolutely not betray the clan leader's trust!"
This result was exactly what Old Ghost Chi Huo had expected, which relieved him considerably. As long as Song Changsheng's attitude towards the Chi clan remained unchanged, that was enough.
He believed that as long as they did their job well, they would never be treated unfairly.
"The garrison commander of Tianxing County will be Song Qingxia, an elder of the family's Dharma Protector Hall."
The position of Garrison Commander of Kunyue County is yet to be determined. The position of Garrison Commander of Xuanyang County will be held by Zhang Ming, the commander of Wuxiang Guard, and the position of Garrison Commander of Xuanyin County will be held by Jiang Shuming, the sect leader of Yufu Sect.
"The governors of the four prefectures are all yet to be appointed. They will be selected from among the garrison commanders of the ten prefectures depending on the circumstances. Please do not slack off." Song Changsheng announced all the confirmed candidates in one breath, leaving four positions unfilled.
One reason is that there are no suitable candidates at present, and the other is that he already has candidates in mind for these positions. In Jiangzhou, he will support Yu Shi and Song Yulong to break through to the Purple Mansion stage. If either of them succeeds, the last vacancy in Jiangzhou can be filled.
In Lingzhou, if the Wang family proves themselves, they will surely have a place.
The other position can serve as a hook, giving the other families the motivation to improve. If they all fail to live up to expectations, he will directly select a suitable candidate from within the clan.
As for the last vacancy in Yangzhou, he also prefers to choose from several local families in Yangzhou.
He only needs to ensure that, except for Xiangzhou, there is one member of the Song clan among the garrison commanders of each prefecture.
The other garrison commanders will not become a one-man show by the garrison commanders. He will establish corresponding oversight systems to divide and dilute the power in their hands.
The garrison commander should just obediently act as the Song family's henchman.
It was for this reason that Song Changsheng recalled Song Qingxia from the East China Sea Alliance.
The East Sea has just experienced a major battle and is in a period of recuperation. The Sea Yaksha clan has also been wiped out. Song Youlin and Song Youfu are enough to handle the situation. In addition, Song Changxuan, Song Changrong, Song Qinghong and others are in seclusion to break through to the Purple Mansion realm. At least they can quickly fill the gaps without being completely wiped out.
He originally planned to give Xu Yunhe and Zhu Yiqun each a garrison commander position, but after thinking about it, he gave up.
Zhu Yiqun's current cultivation focuses on the [Devouring Law], supplemented by the [Great Dream Law]. He cultivates in dreams for extended periods, often remaining unconscious for decades, making him unsuitable for guarding a region.
As for Xu Yunhe, he could sense that the other party's ambitions lay elsewhere, and that appointing him as a local garrison commander was a waste of his talents and also a form of constraint.
Fortunately, we have surplus resources now. Promoting a few cultivators from affiliated forces can also give us some henchmen, which will help the Song family bleed less in the event of a major battle in the future.
Originally, the clan should have announced personnel appointments and removals, but most of the elders and managers of the various halls are currently in seclusion. The Purple Mansion stage is a hurdle, and many times it is a matter of life or death.
It's not good to make changes until they have tangible results.
According to his plan, the chief elders of the clan's major halls will all be Purple Mansion cultivators in the future. After this wave of "breakthroughs", it will be clear who will rise and who will fall.
It is foreseeable that the Presbyterian Council will undergo frequent changes in the next decade; optimistically speaking, at least half of its members will need to have their positions adjusted.
To put it pessimistically, the council of elders will face a major reshuffle.
After some further management details were announced, the clan meeting gradually came to an end.
Before the meeting adjourned, Song Changsheng left four people behind: Chi Huo Lao Gui, Wang Qianqian, Song Yulong, and the most unexpected choice for everyone—Yu Xueqian.
……
Inside the side hall, Wang Qianqian sat upright, holding a cup of fragrant tea, but seemed somewhat absent-minded.
All she knew was that Song Changsheng would meet with them separately, so she didn't know when it would be her turn.
Just then, the door to the side hall suddenly opened, and Song Changsheng's clear voice rang in her ears: "I've been quite busy with clan affairs, sorry to have kept my cousin waiting."
Wang Qianqian stood up slightly flustered and bowed: "Really..."
Before he could finish speaking, Song Changsheng's face showed displeasure: "I already said that we are cousins, there's no need to be so polite, it makes us seem distant."
Wang Qianqian opened her mouth slightly and finally called out "Cousin".
Upon hearing this, a smile immediately appeared on Song Changsheng's face. He warmly invited her to sit down and said without any airs, "How is it? The pressure of being the clan leader is a bit much, isn't it?"
You should smile more often; this makes you seem a bit too serious, which is making me a little uncomfortable.
At this moment, he seemed not to be the Song clan chief who ruled over four states and ten counties, but an approachable elder brother, which made Wang Qianqian, who was originally somewhat hesitant and at a loss, feel much more at ease. She said softly, "As a new clan chief, I don't know how to win people's hearts, so I can only pretend to be serious. Please forgive me, elder brother."
"In a family, besides ability, only strength can explain everything. Once you reach a certain level of strength, all problems will be solved."
"How confident are you about breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage, cousin?" Song Changsheng asked with a smile.
"My sister has been on the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection stage for some time now, but as for the breakthrough, I'm only about 30% confident," Wang Qianqian said nervously.
"A 30% chance is already quite high, but it's still a bit risky."
"You'll really like this gift." Song Changsheng reached out and took out a jade bottle, handing it to her.
"This is……"
"【Breakthrough Pill】".
Upon hearing this, Wang Qianqian's heart nearly skipped a beat, and she said somewhat at a loss, "This...this gift is too precious."
Song Changsheng placed the jade bottle directly in front of her and said, "Please accept this. Since my uncle passed away, I have been busy cultivating every day and have neglected to take care of my cousin. In the blink of an eye, you have become the head of a clan. Consider this your brother's belated congratulatory gift for your succession."
Besides, the family only released five Breakthrough Pills this time, so there's more monks than porridge, and my cousin doesn't need to compete with others for them.
The contribution points you have can be used to exchange for other resources. Have you received the list? Have you made any plans? I see some pretty good cultivation techniques on it.
Hearing him say that, Wang Qianqian felt a warm current flow through her heart. Her previous hesitation and unease disappeared at this moment, and she said sincerely, "Thank you, cousin."
"Breaking through to the Purple Mansion is a major event, so we can't rush it. We need to calm down and adjust our state to the best before trying again."
If you have any questions, feel free to ask now, and I'll try my best to answer them.
"If you can break through to the Purple Mansion stage this time, then the position of Garrison Commander of Wutong County will be yours." Song Changsheng once again painted a rosy picture for her, while also showing how much he valued her and the Wang family.
However, after saying all this, the main reason is still out of respect for the late Wang Wanzhou.
Otherwise, the bond between the Song and Wang families would have been exhausted when Wang Qingquan concealed the news of his breakthrough in seclusion.
Wang Qianqian was shocked and quickly stood up, saying in a deep voice, "Little sister, I will never let my brother down."
"You should prioritize your own well-being. It's not impossible for you to break through at Cangmang Peak. If something happens to you, I can look after you."
Go and prepare well; I'm really looking forward to attending your Purple Mansion Ceremony.
Song Changsheng's words moved her deeply, and her voice trembled slightly as she said, "Yes, sir."
After seeing Wang Qianqian off, Song Changsheng's next audience was with Old Ghost Chi Huo.
He had an even more important plan for this loyal servant…
...(End of chapter)