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Chapter 351: Burning the Dingxiang Prefecture Governor's Mansion
Chapter 351: Burning the Dingxiang Prefecture Governor's Mansion
September 25, 2017
Inside the Jiuyuan Province Governor's Mansion.
Ding Yuan was studying a military map, and marked on it was Lu HaiKong's mountain fortress.
Recently, Ding Yuan had been scrutinizing this map, especially after Zhang Yan's fifty-thousand strong army was annihilated. He had been studying it even more diligently since then.
As Ding Yuan examined the map, a knock on the door interrupted him.
"Come in," Ding Yuan said, furrowing his brow and shifting his gaze from the map.
The study door opened, and a mature middle-aged guard entered, bowing to Ding Yuan, "Greetings, Lord."
"What is it?"
"News from Jin Yang. Governor Zhang requests your troops to suppress the mountain fortresses in Qiangyin County," the guard replied.
Upon hearing this, Ding Yuan's eyes flashed with determination, "Good, that old man can no longer sit still!"
Ding Yuan was not surprised by this order. He had been studying Lu HaiKong's fortress layout long before and knew that it would not be an easy conquest.
Compared to Zhang Yi, Ding Yuan had a better understanding of Lu HaiKong.
Although Ding Yuan had no direct contact with Lu HaiKong, he had been gathering intelligence on him for a long time. After all, as a crucial pawn to topple Zhang Yi, it was essential to know his opponent well.
"Immediately send a reply, informing him that the Jiuyuan Province was just attacked by the Xianbei. Although our troops fought valiantly and repelled the invaders, we suffered heavy losses. Ask him to gather ten thousand troops and provide sufficient supplies for three months, along with the necessary siege equipment."
Ding Yuan was not polite; with the opportunity in front of him, he immediately demanded troops and supplies.
Although Ding Yuan had intentions to deal with Lu HaiKong, he did not want to make his move yet. It was too early; he wanted to wait until Zhang Yi had failed a few times and the Zhang Clan's prestige was tarnished before taking action.
Only then could he maximize his gains.
............................................
While Ding Yuan and Zhang Yi were plotting against each other, Lu HaiKong had already arrived outside Dingxiang Prefecture.
When Lu HaiKong arrived, the gates of Dingxiang Prefecture were already open, but it was not his Phantom Guards who had opened them. Instead, a masked figure had done so.
Lu HaiKong's forces entered the prefecture as soon as the gates were opened.
Dingxiang Prefecture originally had nearly seven to eight thousand county troops. Lu HaiKong had killed some outside the city earlier, and another batch was transferred when the Zhang Clan mobilized their forces, leaving only a thousand or two thousand troops remaining.
With such military strength, Lu HaiKong's forces faced little resistance, akin to tearing through paper, as they stormed into the prefecture.
Many of Lu HaiKong's men were familiar with Dingxiang Prefecture, and upon entering, they rushed straight towards the Governor's Mansion without hesitation.
The original governor of Dingxiang Prefecture was Zhang He, but he was not present at the time. Without the governor, the functions of the Governor's Mansion could not be activated, making it easy for Lu HaiKong's forces to capture it.
If the governor had been present, the Governor's Mansion alone would have required several hours of attack to breach.
After all, it was at the heart of the prefecture, and its defenses were formidable. Unfortunately, Zhang He was not in Dingxiang.
Lu HaiKong's attack on Dingxiang was a declaration of war, and with both sides unwilling to seek peace, he decided to go all out. Capturing a county would undoubtedly pose a significant challenge for the Zhang family.
Lu HaiKong's approach might have been extreme, but he had no choice. With the enemy at their doorstep and their unwavering stance, it was clear they weren't interested in negotiations.
What else could Lu HaiKong say in this situation? If they wanted war, so be it. With the Yellow Turban Rebellion looming, it was time to play a risky game.
However, Lu HaiKong was in for a surprise. After securing Dingxiang and confirming his occupation, a series of system reward notifications flooded in.
"Congratulations on successfully occupying Dingxiang County. You have gained 1,000,000,000 personal profession experience points. Your personal profession level has increased to Bandit King Level 2, and your base attributes have been enhanced."
"Congratulations on successfully occupying Dingxiang County. You have obtained a random advanced troop recruitment order."
"Congratulations on successfully occupying Dingxiang County. The Black Gale Legion under your command has been promoted to the Excellent level, and its maximum member count has increased to three thousand."
"Congratulations on successfully occupying Dingxiang County. You have acquired a legendary treasure chest."
Four consecutive system notifications appeared, and as Lu HaiKong listened to the familiar chimes, he realized the extent of his rewards, feeling pleasantly surprised by their magnitude.
But the surprise soon turned to shock.
"You have occupied Dingxiang County, and your relationship with the Han Dynasty has deteriorated to hostile. You are now subject to their eradication."
Lu HaiKong wasn't too concerned about this warning. After all, he hadn't been eradicated when he first occupied Dingxiang, so another wave of attacks wouldn't faze him. It was all about a head-on confrontation anyway.
Although Lu HaiKong had captured Dingxiang, he never intended to keep the city. It was beyond his means.
He merely emptied the County Governor's Mansion of its valuables, but the owner, Zhang He, had taken the truly valuable items with him. Lu HaiKong found no such treasures in the mansion but discovered several hundred thousand gold coins and numerous books.
Lu HaiKong took the books and scattered the gold coins across the streets of Dingxiang, then set the mansion ablaze.
Had the County Governor's Mansion not been occupied by Lu HaiKong, it would have been challenging to burn down as the administrative center of a county, boasting impressive defensive capabilities.
However, with Lu HaiKong in control, the situation was entirely different. A simple fire could reduce it to ashes.
As the flames engulfed the mansion, Lu HaiKong and his men swiftly departed Dingxiang County.
Their visit was brief, but its impact was profound. Upon receiving the news, both Zhang Yi and Ding Yuan were stunned, having never encountered such audacity.
Both sides realized Lu HaiKong's recklessness and intensified negotiations, aiming to eliminate him before he caused further trouble.
Almost simultaneously, in Shanwu County, another Zhang, a man with the same surname, smiled slightly: "It's about time to meet that mountain bandit..."
(End of Chapter)
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