Chapter 392: The Conclusion of the Incident
Chapter 392: The Conclusion of the Incident
The downfall of the Zhang Clan was not the end of Lu HaiKong's actions; on the contrary, this was the true signal of the beginning.
For Lu HaiKong, the Zhang Clan had never been his most pressing threat, despite this recent move to eliminate them. However, the significance of his actions lay elsewhere.
As Zhang Yi was taken away by Cheng Yi, the arrogance and killer aura on Lu HaiKong's face vanished, replaced by a somewhat cultured demeanor.
"At the Spring Breeze Pavilion, I, Lu HaiKong, have prepared a feast. Those who honor me with their presence, will you join me?"
Under such circumstances, no one dared to refuse Lu HaiKong. Everyone followed him to the Spring Breeze Pavilion.
After taking down the Zhang Clan, Lu HaiKong's next step was to win over these aristocratic families.
Although Lu HaiKong looked down upon many of these families, and they were even considered his hypothetical enemies during the initial promotion of his stronghold, as a decision-maker of a power, Lu HaiKong had to prioritize the interests of Qiangyin, or rather, the benefits of the forces under his command.
Currently, while Lu HaiKong had cattle, sheep, and warhorses in his possession, he needed the channels of these aristocratic families to sell them and convert them into wealth. Although channels in Youzhou were also being established, and recently merchants and outsiders had become Lu HaiKong's clients, overall, these aristocratic families were still the most crucial.
To ensure the development momentum of Qiangyin, Lu HaiKong had to win over these families.
Before eliminating the Zhang Clan, Lu HaiKong made extensive preparations, even compromising with the Zhang Clan, all to win over these families. Only by allowing these families to taste the sweetness over the past month would Lu HaiKong be able to ensure their continued cooperation after removing the Zhang Clan.
After making thorough preparations, Lu HaiKong used the Zhang Clan to gather the heads of these families. Then, in front of them, he forcefully captured Zhang Yi, showcasing his might to the greatest extent.
With this good start, the subsequent work progressed smoothly. At least, almost all the aristocratic families continued their cooperation with Lu HaiKong.
To stabilize these families, Lu HaiKong also made appropriate concessions. He gave up nearly three layers of interests to win them over.
This concession was also an inevitable move, as Lu HaiKong learned that the reconstruction in Jiuyuan was nearing completion. After Ding Yuan's unsuccessful attempts to trade with foreign tribes like the Xianbei, he sent troops to forcefully annihilate several tribes, acquiring a large number of cattle, sheep, and warhorses. Soon, the market in Jiuyuan would also be activated.
Once the Jiuyuan market started, Lu HaiKong's business would inevitably face a setback.
Ding Yuan held more weight among the aristocratic families, far surpassing Lu HaiKong. Compared to Lu HaiKong, these families were more likely to cooperate with Ding Yuan.
In fact, Lu HaiKong would have preferred to keep the Zhang Clan alive to counterbalance Ding Yuan. However, the Zhang Clan's appetite was too large and greedy, and Lu HaiKong couldn't satisfy them. Unable to meet their demands, Lu HaiKong had no choice but to eliminate them to prevent them from causing trouble behind his back.
After eliminating the Zhang Clan, Lu HaiKong had to give up certain interests to prevent these families from drifting towards Ding Yuan.
Under Lu HaiKong's leadership, the task of winning over the aristocratic families fell to Xin Ping for execution.
Xin Ping's loyalty was a source of great joy for Li Xiongcai, who had always been the busiest member of Lu HaiKong's camp. Xin Ping was responsible for liaising with the aristocratic families and conducting business with the Xianbei. He also handled affairs in Youzhou.
Li Xiongcai was indeed pleased to be valued and trusted by Lu HaiKong, but at times, he felt stretched thin.
With Xin Ping's assistance, Li Xiongcai's workload became much lighter. Xin Ping was no less capable than Li Xiongcai in this regard and, in some ways, even excelled him.
Under Xin Ping's management, the effort to win over the aristocratic families progressed smoothly. Not only did the families continue their collaboration with Lu HaiKong, but many also increased their investment in Qiangyin's development.
As a result, Qiangyin's growth was further bolstered.
Soon after, caravans from Youzhou began arriving in Qiangyin, signaling the resurgence of Qiangyin's development.
Everything seemed to be going well, and Lu HaiKong's mood remained positive during this time.
However, Lu HaiKong's good mood was short-lived as the world did not revolve around him, and not everything went according to his wishes.
While Lu HaiKong used Zhang Ran to take down the Zhang Family, he also revealed his financial prowess to the old eunuch. This directly ignited the old eunuch's greed, and the annual million-gold tribute was no longer sufficient.
Not only did he demand an immediate payment of a million gold, but soon after Zhang Yi's demise, the old man increased this amount several times and even planned to take away Lu HaiKong's market profits. Simultaneously, he sent several young eunuchs to oversee the process.
Lu HaiKong had to bite the bullet and tighten his belt to provide the million gold, almost depleting Qiangyin's liquid assets.
However, Lu HaiKong had no choice but to comply under the circumstances.
Before his wings were fully developed, Lu HaiKong did not want to antagonize Zhang Ran. With the market and the support of numerous aristocratic families, Qiangyin's construction would not stall due to a million gold.
Lu HaiKong had just eliminated Zhang Yi, and Zhang Ran immediately filled the vacancy. On the surface, Lu HaiKong's situation seemed unchanged, but in reality, he was much better off than before.
After all, Zhang Ran was far away in Luoyang, and the actual pressure he could exert on Lu HaiKong was not significant. Dealing with him was much easier than handling Zhang Yi.
Moreover, Lu HaiKong had prepared for this situation before taking action against Zhang Yi, so Zhang Ran's greedy demands, while frustrating, were not a significant issue.
What truly bothered Lu HaiKong, and had a significant impact on his current situation, was that right after he dealt with Zhang Yi, Ding Yuan swiftly took over as the Governor of Bingzhou.
Lu HaiKong's struggle with Zhang Yi had been observed by Ding Yuan, who not only refrained from intervening but also secretly supported Lu HaiKong, which was why Zhang Yi was so easily brought down.
With Zhang Yi's downfall and Ding Yuan's immediate ascension, Lu HaiKong was extremely displeased...
(End of Chapter)
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