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Chapter 1238: August (2)
Chapter 1238: August (2)
November 11, 2017
August 190, Ji Province!
After the chaos caused by a recent drought, Yuan Hong had been swamped with various issues.
In Ji Province, a large number of commoners fled to Lu Hai Kong due to the drought, heavy taxes, and the allure of the province's fertile and peaceful land.
Lu Hai Kong had always been welcoming to refugees, offering them decent conditions. When the refugees from Ji Province arrived, they felt like they had found paradise and quickly sent letters or even returned themselves to bring their relatives and friends.
A wave of migration was about to hit, and Yuan Hong couldn't sit idly by. He had just managed to mobilize his troops, using both coercion and persuasion, to stop the situation. But soon after, another crisis emerged in Qing Province.
It's important to note that Yuan Hong had only acquired Qing Province less than a year ago. In such a short time, it was uncertain if he had even fully consolidated his control, let alone started developing the province.
During this year, aside from some major cities, most of Qing Province was under the management of aristocratic clans.
In turbulent times, it's always the commoners who suffer the most, while the aristocratic clans thrive. Throughout history, these chaotic periods have been the times when the clans' power expanded the fastest.
Over the year, the aristocratic clans in Qing Province had been exploiting the commoners, seizing land, and forcing them into slavery, making their lives miserable.
Many commoners were relying on this season's crop to survive, but the drought shattered their hopes. It was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, pushing the people of Qing Province to the brink.
The situation escalated like a spark falling into a barrel of gunpowder, igniting a massive rebellion!
Throughout history, peasant uprisings have been numerous, but successful ones are few and far between. In a world like this, it was even more challenging for ordinary people to overthrow tyranny. Even someone as powerful as Zhang Jiao, with his heaven-defying abilities, couldn't achieve this, let alone regular commoners.
Although the rebellion spread like wildfire across Qing Province, burning down many aristocratic estates, and wiping out numerous clans, there were also many clans that survived, protected by their fortified walls. Yuan Hong quickly responded with overwhelming force, and within a few days, the untrained commoners were brutally suppressed by the well-equipped aristocratic clans.
It seemed like fate was conspiring against Yuan Hong. Just as he had finally taken harsh measures to quell the rebellion, with rivers of blood flowing, another major crisis emerged in Ji Province, and this time it was a true calamity.
In the previous two instances, whether it was the migration to Lu Hai Kong or the peasant uprising, Yuan Hong's main adversaries were the commoners, who were no match for him in terms of organization or strength. But this time, the situation was vastly different.
An Aberrant Beast Tide had emerged in Ji Province, with countless ferocious beasts and aberrant creatures pouring out of the forests of Changshan County, Zhongshan Commandery, and Zhao Kingdom, relentlessly assaulting the cities of Ji Province.
What are Aberrant Beasts? They are beasts that have undergone a certain degree of metamorphosis, possessing strength far beyond that of ordinary beasts.
Not only are these beasts powerful, but they also possess a certain level of intelligence. Typically, the weakest wild Aberrant Beasts have an ability value of around 60. Due to their size, speed, and other factors, they are generally much stronger than ordinary warriors.
A single Aberrant Beast with a Strength of 60 can easily contend with a fully armed, elite Hundred-Man Squad with a collective Strength of around 30 in specific terrain.
This elite Hundred-Man Squad is considered a formidable force within Yuan Hong's army. To suppress the rebellion in Qing Province, he had deployed a significant portion of his troops there, leaving Ji Province's defenses weakened. This vulnerability led to the swift collapse of the defenses when faced with the Aberrant Beast Tide, resulting in a devastating defeat.
Unlike the previous Aberrant Beast Tide, this one was far more ferocious. The last time, the beasts only lasted for a few days, and Yuan Hong didn't even put up much resistance before they dispersed, causing minimal damage.
This time, however, the Aberrant Beast Tide was incredibly fierce and brutal.
Within just five days, Changshan, Zhongshan, and Zhao Kingdom's three counties were completely overrun. Hundreds of thousands of lives were devoured, millions of commoners were displaced, and countless large and small towns were reduced to ruins. The losses inflicted on Yuan Hong were beyond immense, and it seemed like this was just the beginning.
After the three counties fell, the Aberrant Beasts from Changshan, Zhongshan, and Zhao Kingdom gathered, forming a massive army of nearly 100,000 beasts. This army had a clear objective and marched towards Juelu Commandery.
Facing this terrifying Aberrant Beast army, Yuan Hong's forces dared not underestimate them. On one hand, they dispatched elite troops and even hired Wanderers to clear out the beasts in the mountains of Bohai Commandery, Juelu, and other counties. On the other hand, they stationed Yu Jin in Juelu to try and halt the Aberrant Beast army outside the commandery.
Yu Jin, one of the best defenders in the Three Kingdoms, lived up to his reputation. With an army of over ten thousand, not all of them seasoned veterans, and less-than-ideal military fortifications, he managed to hold off the Aberrant Beast army for five whole days, slaying over ten thousand beasts.
Please... You... Collect_6_9_Book_Bar (Six//Nine//Book//Bar)
However, despite this glorious achievement, his defenses were eventually breached by the Aberrant Beasts.
On the fifth day, when hundreds of one-zhang-tall wild boars, led by a two-zhang-tall boar, charged, the already fragile defenses crumbled, exposing Juelu to the nearly 100,000-strong Aberrant Beast army.
A bloody massacre once again befell the people of Juelu.
When news of Juelu's fall reached Yuan Hong, he could no longer hold back. At this point, he had no choice but to seek help.
Despite the overwhelming Aberrant Beast Tide, he hadn't considered asking for aid before because he had limited options for allies, fearing that inviting them might lead to further trouble after dealing with the beasts. But now, he had no other choice.
If he didn't seek aid, his entire foundation might be destroyed by these beasts. So, reluctantly, he sent out a plea for help to several 'neighbors'.
(End of Chapter)
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