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Chapter 779: The Beginning and the End
Chapter 779: The Beginning and the End
September 25, 2017
Indeed, the recent Wandering Practitioner uprising was undeniably orchestrated by Lu HaiKong.
The purpose, as Bai Li Mu had guessed, was to eliminate the noble families in the Four Provinces.
On one hand, Lu HaiKong's wings had indeed become stronger, and he now had a firm grasp over the manpower in the Four Provinces. However, this was not the primary reason for Lu HaiKong's urgency to eradicate the noble families. The main issue lay in the cultivation of two types of crops: potatoes and sweet potatoes.
With Lu HaiKong's relentless financial investment and the diligent efforts of the Divine Farmer Department, it took several months to cultivate enough seedlings to cover the land of two provinces.
In just a few months, Lu HaiKong's financial commitment and the hard work of the Divine Farmer Department were evident, as they managed to cultivate enough potatoes and sweet potatoes to cover the land of two provinces.
However, just as Lu HaiKong was preparing to cultivate these crops, he encountered resistance.
When the noble families in the Four Provinces realized that Lu HaiKong had decided to grow some random crops, they didn't hesitate or bother to understand his intentions before taking action.
Of course, they dared not confront Lu HaiKong directly, but they didn't need to. They had other ways to oppose him.
It was common knowledge that although Lu HaiKong had weakened the noble families in the Four Provinces over the past year, they still controlled most of the arable land. If these families were unwilling, they had countless ways to hinder Lu HaiKong's plans.
Initially, the noble families in the Four Provinces didn't consider this a significant issue. They thought Lu HaiKong had merely acted on a whim, and they could easily suppress his idea. After all, they believed Lu HaiKong would still rely on them to manage the Four Provinces, and he wouldn't dare to do anything drastic.
However, they didn't realize that their actions had triggered the downfall of the noble families in the Four Provinces.
By this time, Lu HaiKong was no longer the same person he had been before. He now had a powerful army and a large number of experienced students from the Talent Academy under his command.
Moreover, Lu HaiKong had Wang Jun, Tian Feng, and Xin Pi, among others, by his side. At this point, even if he couldn't completely control Bingzhou, he could easily manage the Four Provinces.
Given this situation, when the noble families in the Four Provinces challenged Lu HaiKong on the issue of food, which he valued the most, weren't they asking for trouble?
Lu HaiKong didn't bother trying to convince them; instead, he employed the most brutal methods. Using the Wandering Practitioner uprising as an opportunity, he thoroughly purged the noble families in the Four Provinces!
Within fifteen days, fifty percent of the noble families in the Four Provinces were uprooted by Lu HaiKong, and the remaining ones were also significantly affected. Even the official positions they once held were taken over by Lu HaiKong.
It could be said that during this half-month, the noble families in the Four Provinces under Lu HaiKong's command were completely destroyed. In those fifteen days, Lu HaiKong's people were promoted to positions previously held by the noble families, who were now completely removed from Lu HaiKong's administrative system.
Although this approach was brutal and bloody, it was also the most effective. After this round of purging, the Four Provinces were firmly under Lu HaiKong's control.
However, this bloody method inevitably brought some negative consequences for Lu HaiKong, such as the unease among the remaining noble families in the other counties of Bingzhou and the resentment and wariness of noble families throughout the realm.
After all, Lu HaiKong's actions were ruthless but not particularly cunning, and it was impossible to deceive everyone. There was no other way; this was the price to pay for such efficiency, but it was a cost Lu HaiKong could afford.
With his formidable strength, Lu HaiKong was unafraid of the remaining noble families in Bingzhou. After eliminating the noble families in the Four Provinces, these remaining families had only two choices: either submit to Lu HaiKong's bullying and give him whatever he demanded, or rise up in rebellion.
Regardless of the noble families' actions, in Lu HaiKong's eyes, the outcome would be the same.
As for the noble families throughout the realm? Lu HaiKong didn't care about them at all. In a few years, Dong Zhuo would enter the capital, and the world would plunge into chaos. Who knew how many powerful outsiders would rise to prominence? Even if Lu HaiKong didn't purge the noble families, they would still be swept away by the impending turmoil. Why should Lu HaiKong worry about them?
Therefore, Lu HaiKong temporarily disregarded the reactions of the remaining noble families in Bingzhou and focused on his own affairs.
Lu HaiKong's primary tasks at this time were twofold: seizing the assets of the noble families he had annihilated and appeasing the remaining ones, who had become exceptionally obedient.
Lu HaiKong could never completely eradicate all the noble families. His true intention was not their annihilation but to seize their land and power. As long as these resources were handed over, Lu HaiKong didn't mind the noble families existing in a different way.
Regarding this matter, Lu HaiKong entrusted Li Xiong and temporarily recalled Xin Ping from Luoyang to handle it.
Aside from this, another crucial task was to vigorously promote the cultivation of potatoes and sweet potatoes. After all, March was just around the corner, and the most suitable season for growing these crops was right ahead. Although they could still be planted if they missed this window, the yield would significantly decrease.
Therefore, Lu HaiKong and his team had to focus on this matter. A considerable portion of Bingzhou's financial expenditure was allocated to food supplies, making this issue of utmost importance from any perspective.
In comparison, Lu HaiKong genuinely didn't pay much attention to the so-called wandering practitioners.
Although he had utilized them, he didn't hold them in high regard. He didn't think there was anything wrong with using these practitioners.
He didn't even mind if his plan leaked or how it would affect the wandering practitioners. In Lu HaiKong's eyes, even if the plan was exposed, it wouldn't matter.
This wasn't because Lu HaiKong was arrogant or looked down on the practitioners; instead, he clearly understood what they were.
The wandering practitioners were unorganized outsiders, often acting as individuals or in small groups. While the top-tier practitioners among them could indeed cause headaches when they stirred up trouble, they were also relatively easy to deal with.
The practitioners manipulated by Lu HaiKong would pose no problem if he could eliminate them all. At most, some practitioners might complain and curse Lu HaiKong, but no one would seek revenge for the deceased, as that would be seeking death, not trouble!
Moreover, if anyone tried to cause trouble over this matter, Lu HaiKong wasn't afraid. He could directly suppress them with bloody means.
(End of Chapter)
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