Chapter 964: Guangyang County
Chapter 964: Guangyang County
In the year 2017, Guangyang County, located in Guangyang City, was under the leadership of Zhang Wei, the county governor and head of the Zhang family, a prominent clan in Guangyang.
Many were aware that Zhang Wei had been a neglected illegitimate child of the Zhang family just a few years ago. Within a short span, he had climbed his way up from the bottom, securing the position of the family head and county governor. Not only that, but he also managed to train a formidable army and govern the county with remarkable efficiency.
His achievements were legendary in the eyes of many in Guangyang City, making him an inspiring success story.
However, only a few knew that Zhang Wei was merely a puppet controlled by a hidden power.
The recent development of Guangyang County was not solely due to Zhang Wei's leadership but was, in fact, orchestrated by the force that pulled the strings behind him and the Zhang family.
This hidden power, using Zhang Wei and the Zhang family as a facade, successfully infiltrated the neighboring counties, spreading their influence throughout the region within a few years. The force behind this infiltration was the Huangjin faction, led by Zhang Yan and Ye Junru, allies of Lu HaiKong.
The Huangjin faction had been growing steadily over the years, and while they couldn't compare to the massive Lu HaiKong, they were considered the second-tier power across the realm.
Despite their growth, the Huangjin faction remained in a dormant stage, even during the period of the Warring States. They continued to hide behind the Zhang family, particularly Zhang Wei.
As their power expanded, it became inevitable for traces of their existence to surface. At the very least, their neighbor Gongsun Zan was aware of their presence.
The Huangjin faction was no longer concerned about hiding their identity. They had established their headquarters in Guangyang City, moving most of their resources there. Even their leaders, Zhang Yan and Ye Junru, resided in the city.
At this time, as Lu HaiKong was conquering the Shi Huang Mausoleum, the two leaders of the Huangjin faction were meeting at their headquarters in Guangyang City.
"The people from Lu HaiKong have arrived," Ye Junru said, addressing Zhang Yan, who was engrossed in a book.
Zhang Yan quietly continued reading, seemingly oblivious to Ye Junru's words. However, Ye Junru was well aware that Zhang Yan was listening.
"They've sent people to purchase our 'Insect Repellent Powder' and 'Insect Repelling Talismans.'"
Ye Junru's faction had been specializing in the production of talismans, and due to their expertise in this field, they had turned talisman-making into a thriving industry.
Lu HaiKong had previously engaged in several in-depth transactions with the Huangjin faction, and he was aware of their research and development of the 'Insect Repellent Powder.' With the recent large-scale locust plague in the southern part of Bingzhou, it was only natural for Lu HaiKong to send people to procure these products.
If the quantity requested by Lu HaiKong was small, Ye Junru could make the decision herself. However, the large amount they required meant that their current stock was insufficient. To meet Lu HaiKong's demand, they would need to halt the production of other talismans and focus all their efforts on creating the 'Insect Repelling Talismans.'
Ye Junru had always held Lu HaiKong in high regard, and her diplomatic approach towards him was one of conciliation. So, when Lu HaiKong faced difficulties, Ye Junru was always willing to lend a hand. That's why she sought out Zhang Yan.
However, even after hearing this, Zhang Yan remained unmoved, continuing to flip through the pages of her book.
Ye Junru's expression turned slightly unpleasant, and after a moment of hesitation, she continued, "The price offered by Lu HaiKong is very high, and our profit margin is significant. So, should we..."
Before Ye Junru could finish her sentence, Zhang Yan closed the book in her hands and spoke up, "Junru, is Lu HaiKong's situation that troublesome?"
Ye Junru, taken aback by the question, quickly replied, "According to my understanding, Lu HaiKong's situation is quite complex. In the southern part of Bingzhou, Lu HaiKong's control was already weak, and now they face this large-scale locust plague. There are even signs of drought, which could have a significant impact on southern Bingzhou. The situation there is quite complicated, and if not handled properly, it could lead to major troubles."
Zhang Yan nodded in agreement and then lowered her head to continue reading, "Let the workers from Workshop Number One handle it for him!"
After giving the instruction, Zhang Yan returned to her book, seemingly unaffected. However, Ye Junru, standing beside her, couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
Action:
In the lavish white space of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, Lu HaiKong and San Gong were busy sorting through their loot.
After appraising the items obtained from the palace, Lu HaiKong's spoils were almost all accounted for.
Although there were a few treasure chests left unopened, Lu HaiKong glanced at the space before ultimately deciding against opening them here. After all, whether gold or supplies could be teleported out of this space was uncertain, and since they were about to leave anyway, Lu HaiKong wasn't in a rush.
Having made this decision, Lu HaiKong tidied up the items they had obtained and then checked the attribute interface to see how much time was left for the system task rewards.
Lu HaiKong and San Gong spent about two hours organizing their loot, and by the time they were done, there was only about an hour left until the system task settlement. This hour seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
Lu HaiKong didn't engage in any mischief during this time, but they weren't idly waiting either. They used this hour to check in on their troops and understand the post-war situation of their legions.
The ten-plus days of intense combat had earned this army a wealth of war experience. Among them, the [Ironblood Guard] had already reached the pseudo-top-tier level. The amount of experience required for them to level up was terrifyingly vast. Even with Lu HaiKong's help, after ten days of high-intensity combat, the [Ironblood Guard] was still some distance away from leveling up.
However, their leveling speed, though terrifyingly slow, was matched by terrifyingly low casualties.
After ten-plus days of high-intensity combat, the over 2,500 [Ironblood Guard] were almost all still alive.
In contrast, the other 2,000-plus [Heavy Armor Guard] could be said to have suffered heavy losses. After ten days of fighting, nearly a fifth of them were wounded, and many even bore injuries. This was unavoidable, as their strength was not only a level below the [Ironblood Guard], but also a level below in this high-intensity combat situation, making this degree of casualties inevitable.
However, their casualties, though significant, were still minor compared to the gains of the [Ironblood Guard].
When the [Heavy Armor Guard] joined, they were mostly ordinary-level troops. Now, after this battle, most of the survivors were [Elite]-level, and some were even climbing towards the [Exquisite] level.
This improvement was a not-insignificant comfort for Lu HaiKong.
Of course, facing the casualties, even though they were just cold, hard numbers, Lu HaiKong still felt a sense of sadness.
This complex individual, sometimes, was just so sentimental.
However, this emotion didn't last long, as Lu HaiKong had witnessed life and death too many times, and their control over this emotion had deepened with each experience.
After a simple assessment of the casualties, Lu HaiKong helped the members of the Fire Camp treat the wounded soldiers' injuries.
As Lu HaiKong treated these soldiers' wounds, time flew by.
Soon enough, the countdown timer reached zero, and the system task rewards that Lu HaiKong had been waiting for finally arrived...
(End of Chapter)
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