Chapter 344: Opening the Hall of Heroes
Chapter 344: Opening the Hall of Heroes
September 25, 2017
Lu Hai Kong had secretly kept some men in Qiangyin, who were mostly trained by Li Xiong, specifically for communication with the aristocratic families.
When the war against Lu Hai Kong's Fort began, these men started to shift from being open supporters to working undercover. Although some were captured, most managed to survive.
But their survival didn't mean they remained inactive.
They wanted to know why the court had suddenly launched such a large-scale crackdown. However, gathering this information was challenging.
The aristocratic families in Dingxiang and Qiangyin only later learned that the conflict between the Zhang Family and Ding Yuan had led to the court's encirclement of Lu Hai Kong. When the court took action, Lu Hai Kong's external forces were suppressed, and the families in both Dingxiang and Qiangyin were aware of Lu Hai Kong's intelligence capabilities. This made them hesitant to discuss the matter, making it difficult for Lu Hai Kong to gather information.
It wasn't until Lu Hai Kong defeated Zhang Yan that the aristocratic families in Dingxiang and Qiangyin began to have other thoughts. At this time, an aristocratic family in Qiangyin contacted Lu Hai Kong's men through previous communication channels, claiming to have inside information about the encirclement and wanting to share it.
After receiving this message, the person in charge of Qiangyin was overjoyed but also cautious, not revealing their hiding place. Instead, he went alone to meet with the aristocratic family.
To his surprise, the aristocratic family immediately captured him after confirming his identity. They subjected him to harsh interrogation, aiming to extract information about Lu Hai Kong's intelligence personnel in Qiangyin.
Many aristocratic families in Qiangyin had their own agendas, but these agendas didn't necessarily align with Lu Hai Kong's interests.
For instance, the aristocratic family that captured the Qiangyin leader had some connections with the Zhang Family. In such a situation, they would naturally side with the Zhang Family. Unable to openly choose a side, they sought to demonstrate their value in this matter, which essentially meant currying favor with the Zhang Family.
This was why they lured the Qiangyin leader, intending to eliminate Lu Hai Kong's informants in Qiangyin.
However, their plan was slightly rushed, and their interrogation methods were a bit lacking. The captured leader showed resilience.
Despite subjecting the Qiangyin leader to intense interrogation, they ultimately failed to extract any valuable information. This created an awkward situation.
............................
The cleanup of the battlefield was swiftly completed.
A list of casualties and a tally of spoils of war reached Lu Hai Kong's hands.
In the battle, Lu Hai Kong's forces captured over 23,000 enemies, killed over 10,000, and a few thousand managed to escape from the 50,000-strong army.
Additionally, Lu Hai Kong's forces confiscated a small amount of supplies and a large number of weapons and armor. When converted to gold, these resources were worth approximately several hundred thousand gold.
Lu Hai Kong's side suffered nearly 2,000 casualties, most of whom were ordinary bandits, with some being members of the Bandit Elite Guard and many more being blade and spear handlers. There were also some from the Second Battalion. In reality, Lu Hai Kong's losses in this battle were already impressive, with over 20,000 to under 1,000.
Lu Hai Kong ordered all the names of the fallen to be recorded, with those who performed exceptionally to be highlighted.
Lu HaiKong planned to have the fallen warriors inscribed in the Hall of Heroes, but he was well aware that not all of them could be recorded within the hall. After all, there were only three thousand slots available on the Heroic Monument.
From the start, Lu HaiKong built a memorial park outside the Hall of Heroes, erecting a massive stone tablet with several designated spots for smaller tablets.
These smaller tablets were prepared for those whose names couldn't be inscribed on the Heroic Monument. The names of the fallen would be recorded on these tablets, and only the exceptional ones would be honored on the Heroic Monument.
After the battle ended and the battlefield was cleared, Lu HaiKong instructed Wang Jun to prepare a grand opening ceremony for the Hall of Heroes.
Apart from inscribing the names of the fallen warriors in the hall, Lu HaiKong also wanted to pacify the sentiments of the people in his territory and motivate his soldiers.
The Hall of Heroes was a unique building, designed to be open to the public. Only through the people's veneration and faith could heroes be born.
So, after the opening of the Hall of Heroes, it would also be accessible to the public, but not entirely or all the time. Certain areas would be restricted, and it would close at specific times.
Lu HaiKong didn't need to worry about these details; his subordinates would handle them. He only needed to make an appearance on the day of the opening ceremony.
To quickly soothe the people, the opening ceremony was scheduled for the day after the battle's end. Due to the rushed preparations, the hall was closed to visitors that day, but Wang Jun still set up a proper program.
In the 16th book, the 9th chapter, a bar, and a look, there was no mistake in this version!
The fallen warriors were cremated, and their ashes were collected and placed in several horse-drawn carriages. Lu HaiKong personally drove the carriage carrying the ashes of the Second Battalion warriors, slowly passing through the mountain fort's walls, slowly circling the commercial street and residential areas, and finally stopping outside the Hall of Heroes, all under the watchful eyes of the people.
Amidst the people's gaze, Lu HaiKong proclaimed, "In life, we are of the Yan and Huang, and in death, we remain Yan and Huang. Warriors never die; their spirits live on as heroes."
Then, he led the ashes into the Hall of Heroes, concluding the opening ceremony.
This ceremony didn't carry much sorrow, as most of the fallen warriors were data NPCs. They had no families, friends, or even acquaintances, and few mourned their deaths.
The fallen warriors of the Second Battalion, however, had the honor of being escorted by Lu HaiKong himself, which alleviated the grief of their loved ones.
Lu HaiKong's purpose was achieved, as the Hall of Heroes was opened, and the people learned about and understood the significance of this place. As for pacifying the people's emotions, Lu HaiKong somewhat painfully realized that he didn't need to do much in that regard.
After more than a year of management, the people had unwavering faith in the mountain fort. They believed that the court officials outside were incapable of posing any real threat.
In this situation, Lu HaiKong wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or laugh bitterly at the boldness of his subjects. Nevertheless, after the Hall of Heroes ceremony, Lu HaiKong finally had time to open some treasure chests...
(End of Chapter)
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