Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1652 - 1645: Hakka’s Peaceful Hometown

Chapter 1652: Chapter 1645: Hakka’s Peaceful Hometown

"Speaking of which," Luo’er frowned as he pushed her away, saying seriously, "why is Hun Jiansi always pestering Ziang?"

"Who knows? Maybe it’s because that guy looks handsome." Tangmo pouted and replied dismissively.

"No way. Do you really think Hun Jiansi is the kind of person who freezes at the sight of a handsome guy?" Luo’er shook his head and said.

"That’s why I have to keep an eye on you. If some other girl sets her sights on you, you’ll probably end up with even more romantic debts," Tangmo said with a hint of grievance.

"You’re always bringing up old matters," Luo’er sighed and said.

"I know the reason. Luo’er, don’t bother with that woman. Let me tell you," Fulajie’er said as she circled around Luo’er, giving Tangmo a disdainful glance.

"Why should I leave? You third wheel!" Tangmo asked indignantly.

"Alright, let’s focus on the real issue," Luo’er said, turning to Fulajie’er with a serious look, "so what is the reason?"

"Hmm, how should I put it," Fulajie’er folded her arms behind her back, tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then looked at Luo’er. "It seems that little girl feels invisible most of the time, but Cheng Ziang noticed her. Because of that, she developed feelings for him."

"That’s the reason?" Luo’er felt a bit incredulous.

"Yes," Fulajie’er nodded, then added, "Actually, it’s not Cheng Ziang’s own ability to notice Hun Jiansi; it was his ancestor secretly helping him. But it seems that little girl hasn’t realized the connection between Cheng Ziang and Liseya. She thinks they’re one and the same."

"Isn’t this just randomly matchmaking two people?" Luo’er said with a wry smile, shaking his head.

"I think it’s pretty nice—left arm embracing, right arm hugging, just like you," Tangmo said pointedly, looking at Luo’er with a teasing expression.

"I don’t think Ziang is that kind of person." Luo’er shook his head.

"So you think Ziang is just playing along?" Tangmo asked.

"Not quite, it’s just... never mind, let him decide for himself. If he doesn’t like Luoya, so be it."

"But she’s our little sister! How can you be so indifferent?" Tangmo interjected, clinging to Luo’er once again.

"What do you mean, our? Stop taking liberties with your words," Luo’er said helplessly, pushing her away once more.

"Why are you so resistant to my affection for you?" Tangmo asked, looking hurt.

"What nonsense are you talking about? There are people watching, show some restraint," Luo’er said, his face instantly turning red.

Hearing this, Tangmo let out a deep sigh, rolled her eyes, and turned to look at Fulajie’er.

It was rare to see Tangmo at a loss, but Fulajie’er didn’t seem embarrassed at all. Instead, she met Tangmo’s resentful gaze with a playful smile.

Escorted by the garrison soldiers, the carriage traveled northeast along the official road. After fifteen days, they arrived at the border between Hua State and Qi State.

At this point, they had two routes to choose from. The first option was to head east into Jiangzhou. The terrain near Jiangzhou’s riverside was mostly plains, making transportation relatively convenient.

The second option was to continue northward, entering Qi State. The border region between Hua State and Qi State was mountainous, but once they crossed the mountains, they would reach Qi State’s plains and river networks, which could take them to the outskirts of Yin State near Shengyuan Prefecture.

Once they entered Yin State, they would be essentially close to Shengyuan Prefecture.

After internal discussions within the Advance Team, a majority voted to continue north into Qi State rather than traveling through the plains of Jiangzhou.

The reason was straightforward: they wanted to avoid encountering more trouble.

Heading east into Jiangzhou offered convenient transportation, but anyone aiming for Shengyuan Prefecture would inevitably have to pass through Qi State. So rather than crossing two states, it was better to enter Qi State directly and avoid drawing the attention of Jiangzhou’s state clans.

The prominent state clan in Qi State was the Anxiang family. The primary difference between the Anxiang family and the Huayu family lay in their names: the Anxiang family name is a literal translation, unlike the Huayu family, whose name derives from transliteration.

Why did the Advance Team choose to translate "Anxiang family" literally? The answer is simple: this family name carries their history.

"Anxiang," meaning "settling in a new homeland," originated from a poem that stated, "From distant lands, we plant roots here and settle." Therefore, the Anxiang name signifies establishing a new home in this land.

The Anxiang family were not native to Qi State; they were outsiders. Using modern terminology the Advance Team understood, they were "migrants."

Before the Chang Empire fell and the Dongsheng Empire rose, wars raged across the north and south. The south remained relatively stable, forcing many Northern families to migrate southward.

A portion of these Northerners fled to Qi State, where they clashed fiercely with the local natives. As underdogs in a hostile environment, they had no choice but to unite. Over time, their interwoven bloodlines formed a large and complex lineage.

These ancestors of the Anxiang family carried a martial spirit in their blood. After numerous conflicts with the local natives, they managed to defeat the original inhabitants and establish a foothold in Qi State.

From then on, they adopted the Anxiang family name, took root in Qi State, and became a dominant state clan there.

One of the most significant differences between the Anxiang family and other state clans was their highly mixed bloodlines, making them less focused on lineage purity than others.

In Qi State, Anxiang family members were numerous, with one branch recognized as the legitimate ruling faction of Qi State.

Thanks to their mixed lineage, the Anxiang family grew to an immense scale—so vast, in fact, that they almost became akin to a small ethnic group.

Because of their complex familial ties, the Anxiang family was incredibly cohesive. The soldiers of Qi State were considered some of the most battle-ready in the Empire, second only to the imperial border troops. The central army of the Imperial Court often recruited heavily from Qi State.

However, their large scale came with downsides. The sheer number of Anxiang family members caused significant resource strain. Every member was entitled to Foundation Building cultivation. This "cultivation for all" policy made mediocrity commonplace.

The Anxiang family had no choice but to distribute substantial cultivation resources broadly among their people, neglecting elite training. Consequently, while everyone cultivated, no one stood out as exceptionally strong in their mastery.

The Anxiang family’s scale and centralized power often brought them into conflict with the Imperial Court, particularly regarding the appointment of state officials and their advocacy for the Wu Family’s traditional values.

As previously mentioned, the Dongsheng Empire adhered to a policy of "no state clans governing their home states" when appointing officials. This approach worked well in most regions.

But in Qi State, nearly every county, and even towns and villages, were dominated by Anxiang family members, unlike other clans that controlled only specific counties.

In such circumstances, Anxiang members naturally resisted outsider governance and advocated for their kin to hold official posts in Qi State.

The Dongsheng Cabinet outright rejected this proposal, sparking the first conflict between the Anxiang family and the Cabinet.

To this day, state officials sent by the Cabinet could only oversee up to the county level. Below that, the Cabinet had no authority. Even when officials were sent, they dared not manage the powerful local Anxiang family.

The Dongsheng Cabinet was deeply dissatisfied with this. Although imperial authority traditionally didn’t extend to villages, the Cabinet believed that, unlike Emperor Wu, they represented governance, not conquest. Thus, they insisted on appointing officials even at the village level.

This ongoing tension left the Cabinet perpetually antagonistic toward the Anxiang family.

A secondary conflict involved the divide between civil and military governance, which was especially pronounced in Qi State. The Anxiang family resisted scholars sent by the Cabinet as state officials, as they were civilians rather than cultivators.

The Anxiang family’s lack of a core group of elite cultivators, due to their egalitarian resource distribution, left them a populous but weak entity.

As a result, the Anxiang family strongly supported the Wu Family’s military traditions to maintain their influence in Qi State.

This short-sightedness among the Anxiang family leaders was evident. Given their middling cultivation abilities, abandoning cultivation altogether to embrace scholarly governance might have allowed them to thrive under equal conditions.

However, reform was easier said than done. The Dongsheng Cabinet had been pushing societal reforms for over a century but still hadn’t fully eradicated the martial culture in Kyushu. If everyone else continued cultivating while the Anxiang family gave it up, the outcome would be disastrous for them.

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