Chapter 1239: Taking Advantage of the Fire
Chapter 1239: Taking Advantage of the Fire
November 11, 2017
Due to initially refusing to ask for help, Yuan Hong had fallen into a slight misconception.
He believed that his current situation would be seen as a golden opportunity by others, and that as soon as he sought aid, everyone would rush to his assistance.
In reality, who had the time to help him now?
His 'neighbors' were few, with one being Cao Cao to the south, with whom he originally had a decent relationship. However, they had some conflicts regarding the issue of Qing Province, though those were minor matters. Nonetheless, Cao Cao ultimately chose not to lend a hand to Yuan Hong.
On one hand, it was because the drought wasn't just a problem for Yuan Hong alone; Cao Cao also faced the same issue. Moreover, when Yuan Hong annexed Qing Province, Cao Cao wasn't idle either; he had also conquered Xu Province.
Although Cao Cao's territories didn't border Lu Hai Kong like Yuan Hong's, causing a large number of commoners to flee to Lu Hai Kong, and there wasn't unrest due to the exploitation by the Qing Province aristocratic clans, the drought still posed a significant problem for Cao Cao.
More importantly, Yuan Hong's Beast Tide had sounded an alarm for Cao Cao.
It should be known that at the beginning of the year, almost all thirteen provinces in the country experienced a Beast Tide. Yuan Hong's territory was affected, and so was Cao Cao's. Despite Cao Cao's awareness of potential dangers, he started dealing with the beasts as soon as the Beast Tide showed signs at the start of the year.
But at this very moment, Cao Cao dared not act recklessly. He himself wasn't sure if all the beasts in his territory had been eliminated. What if he deployed his elite forces to Ji Province, and a Beast Tide emerged in his own territory? Who would he turn to for help then?
Therefore, in response to Yuan Hong's plea for aid, Cao Cao only showed humanitarian concern and nothing more. There was no intention of sending troops.
As for the other 'neighbor', Dong Zhuo, his response was even more straightforward. With a simple 'too busy', Dong Zhuo rejected Yuan Hong's request.
In truth, Dong Zhuo's situation was much better than Cao Cao's at this time.
Although the drought caused him some trouble, these problems were gradually resolved through the efforts of Li Su and Chen Gong. As for the Beast Tide...
After Dong Zhuo awoke from his breakthrough, spurred by the loss of Li Ru, he vented his anger on the beasts. Within a mere three months, he had nearly exterminated all the beasts within his territory.
His lack of action at this time was truly due to laziness, as he was wholeheartedly focused on the Immortality Pill Formula given to him by Lu Hai Kong.
However, Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao's unwillingness to go didn't mean Lu Hai Kong wasn't willing to go.
Regarding this kind of humanitarian rescue operation, Lu Hai Kong had shown great interest from the very beginning of the Beast Tide in Ji Province. Since then, he had been making preparations.
As soon as Yuan Hong's plea for help arrived, Lu Hai Kong issued an order, and Meng Chao, who was already stationed at the border of Changshan County, immediately led his massive army into Ji Province.
Although Meng Chao's force numbered in the hundreds of thousands, anyone with a discerning eye could see that this army wasn't sent to aid Ji Province.
This vast army, accompanied by a substantial logistical support, upon entering the borders of Ji Province, began to gather and reorganize the commoners who had been scattered by the Beast Tide.
Within this massive army of several hundred thousand, there were also numerous administrative talents, who efficiently managed and organized the civilians. Most of these organized civilians were sent to Bingzhou.
It should be noted that despite Lu Hai Kong now having over twenty million civilians under his command, he still faced a population shortage. After all, the combined area of Sili, Bingzhou, and Youzhou under his control spanned several million square kilometers, almost the size of the original Tianchao's territory. If not for the invasion of Youzhou by foreign forces, turning five counties into scorched lands, Lu Hai Kong's territory would have been even larger.
Just imagine, with such a vast territory and only twenty million people, one can understand Lu Hai Kong's dire need and longing for more population.
In addition to relocating a large number of people from Jizhou to Bingzhou, Meng Chao also mobilized the civilians to transport various resources from Jizhou, including mineral veins, food reserves, treasuries, and equipment warehouses, to his own territory.
Upon receiving this news, Yuan Hong almost spat out a mouthful of old blood in anger. Such a display was unbearable to witness. Clearly, this wasn't a rescue mission; it was an opportunistic looting!
But what could Yuan Hong do at this point? Even if the beast tide wasn't pressing him, he wouldn't dare say anything against Lu Hai Kong's shameless actions.
There was no choice; who could blame them for having the upper hand and acting as they pleased?
Moreover, they didn't barge in and loot; Yuan Hong had invited them in himself. In this situation, Yuan Hong had no ground to complain.
Thus, Yuan Hong could only grit his teeth and pray that Lu Hai Kong would have a change of heart, and while taking advantage of the situation, not forget to lend a helping hand.
Please... You... Collect... 6_9_Book_Bar (Six//Nine//Book//Bar)
The beast army had already conquered Juelu. The entire Juelu was in ruins, with nearly all cities devastated.
Fortunately, although Yu Jin had abandoned Juelu, he had given Yuan Hong five days to prepare, allowing him to establish a robust defense line in Anping Kingdom. Yu Jin used Yuan Hong's artifacts to survive the Juelu battlefield, and the defenses of Anping Kingdom were still formidable.
However, to Yuan Hong's surprise, the beast army didn't immediately target Anping Kingdom or spread to other areas. Instead, they seemed to be pursuing someone, frantically searching and ravaging Juelu Commandery.
This unexpected situation not only caught Yuan Hong off guard but also provided him with a slight relief. Although he didn't know what had happened, the current situation was still ideal for him.
But before Yuan Hong could catch his breath, the beast army's target changed again.
It seemed their pursuit led them into Hejian Kingdom, as nearly a hundred thousand beasts roared towards it.
Yuan Hong had set up a strong defense line in Hejian Kingdom, but without a powerful warrior to defend it, the beast army captured Hejian Prefecture in just three days. After seizing Hejian Prefecture, the beast army's target seemed to officially turn towards Anping Kingdom.
As Yuan Hong had hoped, the beast army charged into Anping Kingdom...
(End of Chapter)
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