Chapter 901

"That's not all. But it's best to use one Punishment Dragon Pillar for one purpose; don't use it to collect other things after collecting Nightmare Qi, otherwise, it will be difficult to separate later." Zhong Shenghuang paused, "Of course, if you collect it to feed the Great Fanghu, then it doesn't matter." "So that's how it is!" He Lingchuan nodded repeatedly, "So that's how it is, that's great!"

The Punishment Dragon Pillar is truly a treasure, and his whimsical ideas seem to be becoming more and more reliable.

"Alright, let's discuss a serious matter." Zhong Shenghuang's expression was solemn, "I already know the method you used to pacify the Longchuan water bandits. It seems to have some effect for now, but I do not approve. Many complaints have been sent to me; Yuheng City soldiers and civilians near Longchuan are very dissatisfied with your approach, believing that Yuheng City is harboring bandits and creating trouble. Some people even traveled specifically from Yuheng City to Panlongcheng just to report you."

The journey from Yuheng City to Panlongcheng is not short. He Lingchuan thought that this "petitioning" will was very firm.

The civilians near Longchuan were once targets of the water bandits' looting, so naturally, they couldn't understand or accept He Lingchuan's "harboring tigers" approach and were very angry.

He Lingchuan opened his mouth, but Zhong Shenghuang waved his hand to interrupt him: "I have held several meetings about this matter. Others also disapprove, but General Hong insists that you should be given a chance. Honestly, these meetings were not very pleasant."

Even the high command of Panlongcheng believes that even if Beijia is secretly making trouble, the Longchuan water bandits are ultimately a mob that cannot be brought to the table. Why is Yuheng City treating them like masters?

Not to mention the fact that the water bandits not only take the road taxes but also receive salaries from Yuheng City, which in itself damages Yuheng City's fiscal revenue.

Not only can they not earn road taxes, but they also have to pay money out.

This is equivalent to using the money of good citizens to support water bandits; the nature of this is very bad, no wonder the military and civilians oppose it.

To deal with such enemies, Panlongcheng's consistent approach is forceful conquest and military suppression. Once beaten into submission, the opponent naturally softens.

Over the past dozen years, this tactic has been very effective in the Panlong Wasteland.

"So I came to Yuheng City to hear your overall plan." This is also a chance Zhong Shenghuang is giving He Lingchuan, "I should have come a month ago."

He Lingchuan immediately said: "Thank you, Commander!"

He has been an official for several months now, and his emotional intelligence has soared; he knows that words don't need to be spelled out. Zhong Shenghuang should have come a month ago but delayed until now—why? Delaying the trip for over a month was to buy time for He Lingchuan.

As long as He Lingchuan achieves actual results, it is more persuasive than a glib tongue.

Now it seems Zhong Shenghuang's choice was correct; He Lingchuan's method indeed consumes the least, yet it has pushed the progress of bandit suppression forward by a large margin.

But He Lingchuan noticed that what Zhong Shenghuang wants to hear is his "overall plan," which is the part not mentioned in Wen Daolun's report.

Yes, he is well aware that Wen Daolun sent a report to Panlongcheng.

Mr. Wen has always been gentle and elegant; that he could do this shows he was truly angered.

But He Lingchuan is not worried about the higher-ups replacing him. He deduces that Zhong Shenghuang will either make him stop the plan or order him back to Panlongcheng to report on his duties, and the latter is more likely. After all, He Lingchuan is already a high-ranking official sent by Panlongcheng to guard the territory, no longer the small soldier of the past.

Zhong Shenghuang still has to give enough respect on the surface.

Some things are more persuasive when spoken face-to-face than in dry written text.

But Zhong Shenghuang's reaction was even better than he expected; he actually came in person.

Although Zhong Shenghuang's main purpose is to meet Lu Xun, this still shows the importance he places on He Lingchuan.

He gave He Lingchuan the most direct opportunity, and he also hopes He Lingchuan can grasp it well.

Now is not the time to hide one's light; He Lingchuan must impress the supreme ruler of Panlongcheng: "The primary task of Yuheng City is to maintain the smooth and safe passage of the Longchuan trade route, not to exterminate how many water bandits. With this great artery, the entire Panlong Wasteland can continuously receive supplies of money, grain, and people from the outside world, and Panlongcheng can become even stronger! For example, Mr. Lu's visit and our later dealings with Lingshan must all be based on the premise of a smooth trade route. By comparison, Yuheng City's own income is insignificant."

Zhong Shenghuang gave a hum; considering it from his perspective, there is indeed such a calculation.

In a sense, the Longchuan trade route is another lifeline for Panlongcheng.

"But to accomplish this, we cannot rely on Panlongcheng and the Dafeng Army. The Panlong Wasteland has been at war for years, and recently Baling has invaded our borders again. How can the Dafeng Army have the energy to look after us here?" He Lingchuan sighed, "Ultimately, the Yuheng Army must become strong itself to ensure the peace of the Longchuan trade route and the eastern gateway of Panlong."

Zhong Shenghuang listened quietly.

"You just said that Panlongcheng's crisis actually stems from Beijia. With Mitian and the Great Fanghu, it will definitely not let Panlongcheng go. Only by quickly eliminating the source of internal chaos in the old land of Xiji and training the Yuheng Army into a battle-hardened force can we act as horns for each other and watch over one another." He Lingchuan said slowly, "This window of time is very short; Yuheng City cannot waste time on the internal chaos of Xiji and the puppet troops."

"Go on."

"Therefore, the Longchuan water bandits should not be suppressed unless necessary, but if they are to be suppressed, it must be fast." He Lingchuan added, "They have always received secret support from Jin Tao and Beijia, so we must cut the Gordian knot to avoid internal and external troubles colluding, making the hole bigger the more we try to plug it."

Who can compete with Beijia in a war of attrition? Yuheng City certainly cannot win, so we must be fast! "The Qianjin Stronghold and the Qiuhua Gang took the lead in accepting the amnesty. Now the interior of Longchuan is in chaos. Fushan Lie led the Xiji puppet troops to ambush and kill the leader of the Qiuhua Gang, Xu Zeshou. Several bandit groups like the Qianjin Stronghold and the Qiuhua Gang have already united to resist him. I took the opportunity to insert many Yuheng soldiers inside, and the interior of Longchuan is full of our eyes and ears."

There are new tricks in the interior of Longchuan every day; the residents of Yuheng City don't know, and Panlongcheng may not know either.

"Now that the situation is excellent, we should add more fuel to the fire! Half of Longchuan is already under our control; we just need to take out the Xiji puppet troops, and the bandit problem will be eliminated!"

"The bandit problem will be eliminated?" Zhong Shenghuang laughed, "How do you know these water bandits in Qianjin Stronghold won't turn against you again? You recruited them with money, not by military might. They lack awe in their hearts and have too much cunning; once the situation changes, it's hard to avoid them having second thoughts."

He never went soft when clearing out bandit nests in the Panlong Wasteland in the past; he would slaughter the entire nest of those who committed many evils, leaving none behind. Only when the reputation of the Panlong Army's killing god spread would other fierce bandits surrender at the sight of them.

By luring them with profit like He Lingchuan, the Longchuan water bandits neither fear might nor cherish virtue, which plants hidden dangers for the future.

He Lingchuan shook his head: "On the contrary, my method can solve the Longchuan bandit problem, let Yuheng City firmly control the entire Xiji territory, and it is bloodless and once-and-for-all!"

(End of chapter)