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Chapter 374: The Current State of the Bandit Camp
Chapter 374: The Current State of the Bandit Camp
2017-09-25
After the Minor Eunuch delivered the Imperial Edict, Lu Hai Kong believed he could finally take a break.
However, this was merely an illusion. He had just broken through the 82 Strength Value and recruited two talented disciples, and before he could savor his brutal victory over Pan Feng, Wang Jun came knocking on his door.
Although Lu Hai Kong and his group had accepted pacification, temporarily stabilizing the situation, it didn't mean that all their problems were solved. In fact, the circumstances facing the bandit camp were far more complex than Lu Hai Kong had imagined.
Lu Hai Kong's pacification meant that he had turned from a bandit to a member of the Eunuch Party, at least in the eyes of the aristocratic families. To them, he was no longer a bandit but an ally of the eunuchs.
With this new identity, the external environment surrounding Lu Hai Kong's bandit camp became delicate.
Many aristocratic families strongly opposed the Eunuch Party, and public opinion had always been critical of them.
Despite Li Xiong's efforts to quickly return and handle the situation after disbanding the Fu Clan Tribe, the camp's business recovery faced numerous challenges.
Moreover, during the past two months, Lu Hai Kong and Zhang He had collaborated harmoniously. Lu Hai Kong focused on expanding their channels beyond the grasslands, while Zhang He took charge of the business dealings with the Han Empire and the aristocratic families. However, with the sudden withdrawal of the Zhang family from their trade network, Lu Hai Kong encountered significant issues restarting his business.
This was just the external business problem; the internal affairs of the camp were equally troublesome.
The first issue Lu Hai Kong faced was explaining the situation to the people in the camp. Within the camp, Lu Hai Kong had always promoted a near-salvational theory, claiming that the outside world was full of suffering and oppression. The impoverished people in the camp had experienced this firsthand, and they empathized with his message. But now, as the spiritual leader of the camp, Lu Hai Kong had accepted pacification, marking a significant shift. How could he not handle this situation properly?
Of course, this problem wasn't insurmountable. With careful management, Lu Hai Kong could still resolve it, given his established reputation.
However, some issues genuinely left Lu Hai Kong scratching his head.
Li Xiong's business was taking longer than expected to restart, and the camp was still maintaining a large number of livestock. Meanwhile, Zhang Li conveyed Zhang Ran's demand that Lu Hai Kong provide him with a thousand gold in wealth within six months.
Additionally, the Blacksmith Camp and Carpenter Camp began seeking Lu Hai Kong's attention. They all had the same problem: a lack of materials.
The Blacksmith Camp had been working tirelessly for several months, quickly depleting the small iron ore vein that Lu Hai Kong had rewarded them with earlier. They had been relying on imported iron and coal, which had finally run out.
As for the Carpenter Camp, ever since the arrival of the master mechanic, they had become major consumers of wood. To build catapults and giant machines, they had nearly deforested both sides of the camp's mountains.
Furthermore, Lu Hai Kong had previously detained some county troops' officers and an officer from Dingxiang.
Initially, as a bandit, no one dared to confront Lu Hai Kong. But now that he had accepted pacification, numerous aristocratic families were rushing to demand the release of their people.
These were just some of the camp's affairs, but with all these issues suddenly piling up, Lu Hai Kong was genuinely at a loss for solutions.
After carefully listening to the details of these matters, Lu HaiKong fell into deep contemplation.
He knew that if he were to ask Xi Zhicai for help in organizing these tasks, the latter would willingly oblige. Xi Zhicai was aware of Lu HaiKong's lack of expertise in political affairs, and he was always willing to lend a hand when needed. However, Lu HaiKong also understood that Xi Zhicai would prefer him to make an attempt first and only step in if necessary.
In the end, Lu HaiKong decided to visit Xi Zhicai, but only for a casual tea session, without seeking his assistance. After a brief chat, Lu HaiKong returned, leaving behind the various materials and information Wang Jun had given him with Xi Zhicai.
Lu HaiKong's actions were somewhat childish, as he wanted to show Xi Zhicai that he could handle these matters on his own. Immediately after doing this, Lu HaiKong regretted his impulsive decision.
He realized he had acted too emotionally, not befitting the demeanor he should have at this point. But since it was done, he had no time for regrets.
After a night of arduous contemplation, Lu HaiKong did two things the next morning. First, he announced that the mountain stronghold would remain closed, and no one outside the stronghold was allowed to enter. Second, he summoned Li Xiong back.
The first decision was clearly aimed at reassuring the people, letting them know that their lives would remain unchanged and that the pacification would not bring any disruptions. As for the second decision, Lu HaiKong intended to start with the stronghold's external business.
Upon Li Xiong's return, Lu HaiKong assigned him this task.
Lu HaiKong had thought it through; since the stronghold's business was going to be revived, and their identities had been cleared, why should he endure hardships by seeking help from others? With his current identity, he could now conduct business openly and legitimately.
Wasn't he currently the County Magistrate of Qiangyin? How could he not utilize such a favorable position? Qiangyin was the first place where Lu HaiKong had established connections, and the aristocratic families there were now mostly inclined towards him.
Of course, those who were initially against Lu HaiKong had mostly perished, and only those close to him, like the Shi family, managed to survive.
Lu HaiKong planned to relocate the stronghold's business to Qiangyin County and transform it into a trading hub for livestock in Bingzhou, or even the entire Han Dynasty.
Initially, Lu HaiKong had Li Xiong manage the business, but later, he handed over the channels to the Zhang family. Now, by creating a dedicated market, he aimed to attract interest from across Bingzhou and beyond.
With this market in place, Lu HaiKong would have no worries about business, and his original ventures might even stimulate other related industries.
Lu HaiKong's idea wasn't particularly ingenious, but it was highly feasible. If successful, Qiangyin County would undoubtedly become an economic powerhouse in Bingzhou.
However, Lu HaiKong couldn't handle such matters alone; he could only provide suggestions. The details would require someone else to oversee, and currently, the only person capable of that was Li Xiong...
(End of Chapter)
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