Chapter 1174: The Prelude
Chapter 1174: The Prelude
October 18, 2017
For Lu HaiKong, who had suddenly entered seclusion, time seemed to freeze, as he was completely unaware of its passage during his secluded cultivation.
Of course, at this moment, Lu HaiKong was the only one who couldn't sense the flow of time. His personal time was paused, while the world outside continued to move at an astonishing pace, rapidly progressing.
Whether it was on his side or among the various vassal states, time marched on.
On his side, during his seclusion, Luoyang City underwent rapid development under the personal supervision of Xi Zhicai.
In just three months, Luoyang City, having recently advanced to a commandery city, had developed to the pinnacle of a commandery-level city in all aspects except for population. It was just one step away from being promoted to a capital city.
This was a goal that Lu HaiKong had estimated would take half a year to accomplish, but Xi Zhicai had achieved it in merely three months.
During these three months, Xi Zhicai did more than just improve and construct Luoyang City. In the second month of his arrival in Luoyang, he had already started organizing the relocation of the capital.
After two months of hard work, many institutions from Luoyang had already been moved.
Today, Luoyang was essentially half of Lu HaiKong's administrative apparatus. Except for the Northern Defense Tower, which required Lu HaiKong's approval to move, most of the institutions had already relocated.
This relocation wasn't limited to administrative matters; the economic aspect followed suit.
From the beginning, Lu HaiKong had been open about his ambition to relocate the capital to Luoyang and become a king. Coupled with Xi Zhicai's continuous transfer of various administrative institutions to Luoyang during this period, everyone knew that Lu HaiKong was serious this time.
In this situation, the merchants who had been developing in Bingzhou flocked to Luoyang like sharks sensing blood in the water. Each of them was eager to establish themselves in Luoyang, for they knew that it would soon become Lu HaiKong's capital, offering the best opportunities for development.
Even though Luoyang was still in its developmental stage, and Xi Zhicai hadn't fully relocated all the administrative institutions yet, he didn't intend to allow a large influx of merchants into the city. However, during the construction of Luoyang, he made good use of the merchants' resources, employing them in the city's development.
With the involvement of capital, this newly built city, despite having a small population, began to exhibit a vibrant commercial atmosphere within a few short months.
If this city truly flourished, it would become incredibly prosperous in a very short time.
It could be said that in these three months, Xi Zhicai had presented Lu HaiKong with a result that left him speechless. However, as Lu HaiKong was still in seclusion, he was unaware of Luoyang's progress.
In fact, at this very moment, it's safe to assume that any vassal state in the world had a better understanding of Luoyang's situation than Lu HaiKong.
After all, ever since the Coalition Against Dong Zhuo, Lu HaiKong, having reached the pinnacle of the Three Kingdoms' highest echelon, had been under constant scrutiny by the various vassal states.
This time, when Lu HaiKong expressed his desire to become a king, the vassal states were paying even more attention, especially to Luoyang's development.
Even some extreme individuals were contemplating sending people to sabotage the development of Luoyang City, and indeed, some took action. They dispatched numerous spies to hinder and disrupt the construction of Luoyang City.
However, before these spies could take any action, Xi Zhicai made the first move.
Xi Zhicai, who had been in charge of the intelligence system for a long time, maintained a 'monitor and allow freedom' approach towards foreign spies.
In other words, Xi Zhicai was aware of the details of almost every spy who entered Luoyang, but he chose not to act because he deemed it untimely. When these spies attempted to cause trouble, Xi Zhicai could no longer tolerate it and took decisive action.
In just one night, Xi Zhicai's actions turned Luoyang City into a river of blood. Whether they were spies from various vassals planning to target Luoyang or other people, Xi Zhicai annihilated them all.
The slaughter wasn't limited to Luoyang; on the same night, in Northern Sealed City, Jinyang, and the Youzhou's Left Beiping County, countless people were massacred, numbering in the tens of thousands.
In one fell swoop, Xi Zhicai crushed the spy networks that various vassals had painstakingly built over several years. Even if not entirely eradicated, they were severely crippled. This move sent a chilling message to all the vassals.
Because of this bold action, during Luoyang's subsequent development, the vassals suppressed their restless intentions and refrained from making any foolish moves.
Although the vassals didn't openly confront Luoyang, their covert activities intensified.
Three months prior, Tan Tai Mingjing had already left Liu Bei and started contacting various vassals.
With Lu HaiKong's formidable presence and Tan Tai Mingjing's skillful maneuvers, significant progress was made in just three months.
In fact, their actions couldn't be considered covert; their interactions were mostly public.
On one hand, Tan Tai Mingjing was aware that his actions couldn't be hidden from Lu HaiKong, and on the other hand, there was no need for secrecy.
He wasn't concerned about Lu HaiKong intervening to stop their alliance; he even anticipated and welcomed Lu HaiKong's interference. If Lu HaiKong did intervene, it would indicate their alliance was a threat, making his task easier.
Within three months, while preparations in Luoyang were nearly complete, Tan Tai Mingjing's side was also ready. A massive Anti-Lu Alliance was formed once again.
This alliance encompassed nearly all forces in the world, excluding Lu HaiKong. It included Liu Bei from Yizhou, Dong Zhuo, Ma Teng, and Han Sui from Liangzhou, Cao Cao from Yan Province, and Sun Jian from Jiangdong.
The Anti-Lu Alliance faced numerous challenges, but this time, it was the most powerful alliance in history.
Amidst these circumstances, Lu HaiKong, who had been in seclusion for three months, finally emerged from his prolonged isolation.
The prelude to the coronation of a king began as Lu HaiKong awoke.
(End of Chapter)
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