Chapter 1051: The Two Young Men
Chapter 1051: The Two Young Men
September 25, 2017
Since Lu HaiKong's domination over the three heroes, the entire northern Zhongyuan had more or less stabilized.
Under Lu HaiKong's formidable aura, the northern Zhongyuan embarked on a period of rapid development, and the economies of various provinces began to flourish.
Meanwhile, the southern Zhongyuan, or rather, the regions beyond the northern Zhongyuan, remained embroiled in constant warfare. However, after years of battles, the power structure had gradually taken shape, and the flames of war were slowly subsiding. Some powerful forces had officially emerged.
Among those who rose to prominence, Liu Bei, who had entered Shu early on with the assistance of Tan Tai Ming Jing and gradually developed his power, was one of the more successful ones.
After all, with Tan Tai Ming Jing's strategic guidance and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's military prowess, Liu Bei's expansion in Yizhou could be described as a fish in water. Within a few years, Liu Bei effortlessly conquered all of Yizhou, and the former governor, Liu Yan, had essentially become a puppet by this time.
After securing Yizhou, Liu Bei was already showing signs of extending his reach towards Jingzhou.
In this world, Liu Bei did not experience decades of hardship as in the original history, and with Tan Tai Ming Jing's early arrival and assistance, he matured quickly, resulting in some differences in his personality.
Deep within his heart, he secretly considered himself the heroic leader of the revival, and while he possessed benevolence, he exhibited more of a domineering demeanor.
As Liu Bei rose in the west, the Sun family in the south also emerged as a formidable force.
Sun Jian was already a valiant warrior, and under his command were the four great ministers. Additionally, there was Sun Ce, who was only in his teens but could almost match Sun Jian's prowess with a single spear, and another young man who, despite his youth, had become their family's strategist. Starting from Changsha, the Sun family swiftly conquered most of Yangzhou within a few years and stood in opposition to Yuan Shu, who had established himself in Yangzhou.
Speaking of Yuan Shu, he had been rather unlucky in this world.
Yuan Shao's generals, who were supposed to dominate the Central Plains or at least make a significant impact, were snatched away early on. The three pillars of Hebei—Lu HaiKong, Wang Jun, and Xin Ping—claimed three of them, and Yuan Hong managed to secure one. However, before Gao Gan and Qu Yi could make their mark, they were swiftly eliminated by Yuan Hong.
While Yuan Shao suffered in the north, Yuan Shu's situation in the south was not much better.
Sun Jian, who was supposed to die on his way back from the campaign against Dong Zhuo, survived and returned. The Sun family, who should have been under Yuan Shu's command, rose to power. As a result, Yuan Shu, who was supposed to rule over the prosperous Yangzhou, was thoroughly defeated and left with a feeling that he might be on the brink of annihilation.
On the other hand, Cao Cao's development was relatively smooth. After the coalition against Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao's power rapidly expanded. By the time Lu HaiKong defeated the three heroes, Cao Cao had already gained control of Yanzhou.
Initially, Cao Cao was not the only one developing in Yanzhou. There was also an exotic lord in the region.
Being an exotic, this lord had the advantage of both knowing the plot and having the system's assistance, which allowed him to develop faster than Cao Cao. Therefore, he believed he could put up a decent fight, especially after witnessing Lu HaiKong's overwhelming dominance over the northern Zhongyuan. As an exotic himself, he thought he could still turn things around.
However, this lord had made a mistake from the very beginning. Lu HaiKong was not just an exotic; he was a 'hangbi' (a term indicating an overpowered character). And the Cao Cao he faced was also a 'hangbi' in his own right!
His resistance did not last long, and he was swiftly and easily defeated by Cao Cao.
Joking aside, Cao Cao had powerful warriors like Xu Chu and the Xiahou brothers, as well as strategists like Xun Yu and Cheng Yu, and he himself was a 'hangbi,' capable in both military and political affairs and an exceptional leader in battle. The exotic lord simply couldn't compete, and Cao Cao easily defeated him.
With the rise of Liu Bei, Sun Jian, and Cao Cao, along with Meng Hu Ju in the south and the ruler of Jiaozhou, the southern regions, particularly the areas outside Lu HaiKong's influence, had gradually stabilized.
This doesn't mean that there would be no more battles, but rather that each subsequent major battle would have a profound impact, causing all parties to approach warfare with caution. As a result, the smoke of war in the south, or rather, outside Lu HaiKong's sphere of influence, gradually dissipated.
Coincidentally, it was around this time that Lu HaiKong's grand wedding was about to take place, once again drawing the attention of the entire world to his side!
...
Bingzhou.
A team from Yangzhou slowly advanced along the official road, carrying a batch of congratulatory gifts.
This group consisted of around five hundred people, all mounted on horses, forming a highly elite cavalry unit despite their small number.
The two young men leading this force into Bingzhou themselves found it somewhat unbelievable.
When they first entered Bingzhou, they had prepared for Lu Hai Kong's men to confiscate their cavalry, but not only did Lu Hai Kong not do so, he showed no signs of caution whatsoever. Instead, he simply assigned a single person to guide them, considering the matter settled.
Lu Hai Kong's attitude deeply impressed upon the two young leaders of the cavalry the confidence and dominance of the Central Plains' foremost warlord. Yet, beneath this, they also felt a vague sense of being overlooked, a slight they couldn't quite name.
Despite their youth, the two young men were not impulsive and would not act irrationally over such a minor matter. One of them even tried to befriend the guide Lu Hai Kong had sent, hoping to gather some intelligence about Bingzhou from him.
What surprised the young man was the guide's alertness. Despite his friendly demeanor, he quickly became silent whenever they asked about Bingzhou's military affairs, sensing the underlying intent behind such questions.
The young man merely smiled at this, not overly concerned, and didn't press the issue. He understood that someone of the guide's status wouldn't have access to highly sensitive information.
So, the two young men shifted their focus to the sights they encountered along the way, wanting to see for themselves what made this so-called top warlord of Tianxia so impressive.
These two ambitious young men entered Bingzhou through Dingyang City, heading north towards Bei Feng, scrutinizing everything with their own eyes.
As they ventured further into Bingzhou, they began to see its true nature.
In the southern part of Bingzhou, they didn't find the grandeur they had anticipated. In fact, it wasn't as prosperous as many places in Yangzhou, but the details they observed made one of the young men ponder deeply.
He could sense the rapid development in southern Bingzhou—countless caravans, people with smiles on their faces, and unique aspects that set Bingzhou apart. However, the young man didn't pay it much mind, as Yangzhou was also undergoing development, and its momentum was no less impressive.
Given this, it was easy for him to think, 'It's not that impressive after all,' even though they knew Lu Hai Kong's primary focus was on northern Bingzhou. Still, they didn't expect the northern part to be significantly different.
However, when they finally entered northern Bingzhou, they realized their mistake. On their very first day there, they were deeply shaken!
They didn't have the opportunity to see what the cities in northern Bingzhou looked like as they rushed along, but even along the official road, they witnessed much.
Countless caravans came and went, and on the roadside, there were vast fields stretching as far as the eye could see, filled with all sorts of strange and wondrous machines.
But what truly amazed them were the farmers working in the fields.
Despite being mere farmers, their clothing, tools, and even their mode of transportation left the two young men in awe.
Everything they had was so damn good! They didn't look like farmers at all; instead, they seemed more like landowners.
The two young men observed this for a long time, and one of them had a strong urge to curse.
Especially as they neared Bei Feng, the urge to curse grew stronger and stronger.
It was understandable; anyone would have a hard time accepting the sight of so many people, well-dressed and often plump, barefoot and tilling the fields.
Amidst this frustration, the two young men's cavalry finally arrived at Bei Feng City, the first city they encountered in northern Bingzhou.
And what awaited them there was an even greater shock!
(End of Chapter)
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