Chapter 902

"Oh?" Seeing his confident manner, Zhong Shenghuang was also a bit curious, "What are you going to do?" "When I had the uniforms and waist tokens custom-made for these water bandits, I got the roster." He Lingchuan said sternly, "The bandit leaders wanted to hide it, but I told them that bonuses and supplies are distributed according to the headcount and the roster. Those not registered on the roster get no money."

"If they don't report the full names, they get less money, and even less to distribute to their subordinates. At that time, the subordinates will suspect them of embezzling funds." He Lingchuan added, "They aren't stupid; they falsely reported the names of idlers to claim bonuses, but I posted red notices and publicized them in several major villages and towns. The interior of the Qianjin Stronghold and the Qiuhua Gang became very ugly. I heard they argued back and forth several times, and although unwilling, they finally submitted the list."

Zhong Shenghuang said happily: "You got the names? Good, excellent!"

One of the main reasons why the Longchuan water bandits are difficult to deal with is that Yuheng City cannot distinguish who are the fierce bandits and who are the good citizens in the water marshes.

The villagers in the water marshes will also hide things for the fierce bandits.

In the past, when Captain Xiao Maoliang Maoliang led troops into Longchuan to suppress bandits, it was because he accidentally injured too many civilians that he provoked fierce resistance from local tribes in Longchuan, who joined forces with the water bandits to fight the enemy.

Now that He Lingchuan has obtained the roster of the water bandits bloodlessly, except for the Xiji puppet troops, most water bandits have been registered, so there is no difficulty in identifying them.

If they want to rebel in the future, the Yuheng City army can aim at the target and follow the map to find them.

"In the past, the bandit problem in Longchuan was hard to eliminate because the water bandits were like weeds; wild fires cannot burn them out, and they grow again in the spring." He Lingchuan said, "I won't remove the weeds; I want to domesticate them into crops!"

"What are you going to do?"

"Power and profit." He Lingchuan said seriously, "Water bandits can be transformed into guards for the trade route, but guards cannot turn back into water bandits; holding a knife to rob is definitely not as comfortable as sitting and collecting money. Once they put on uniforms and hang up waist tokens, they will find out in less than two months that the ones paying them salaries are not the original bandit leaders, but Yuheng City! Their real immediate superiors are no longer those bandit leaders, but the Yuheng Army."

"By then, they will know who to listen to—the old leaders or me? If they want to listen to the old leaders, they will either die under the blades of the Yuheng Army or return to Longchuan to resume their dead-end old business; if they listen to me, they can still sit comfortably and earn money."

He Lingchuan stretched out his intact left hand and made a throat-slitting gesture: "By then, I can start reorganizing these water bandits, thereby breaking the original pattern in Longchuan and registering the personnel of the villages and strongholds household by household."

Zhong Shenghuang raised an eyebrow and understood.

This kid is quite dark-hearted.

"This plan consumes the least amount of resources and time for Yuheng City and the army. We can then devote more energy to training troops and guarding the borders."

He Lingchuan said some more details, and Zhong Shenghuang listened with extreme focus.

Finally, he said: "If it can really be executed smoothly, it is indeed a brilliant move, but it requires Old Wen's cooperation. Your ideas are sharp, and he is good at governing the city, but he is not as flexible as you. As the heads of Yuheng City's politics and military, you two should communicate more often."

Hearing his tone, He Lingchuan understood that his report on his duties was finally successful, and next he should strike while the iron is hot and go a step further: "Commander Zhong, I don't know if I should ask a question?"

Zhong Shenghuang said unpleasantly: "Then you shouldn't ask."

I didn't realize this kid was so glib before; was it practiced in Yuheng City or was he hiding it well in the past?

He Lingchuan smiled: "Why did you transfer me to Yuheng City?"

Zhong Shenghuang remained silent. He couldn't tell him that after Panlongcheng conquered Xiji, they just promoted new generals to practice, not expecting the water bandits and external enemies to collude and poke a huge hole; even less did he expect that this newly appointed Yuheng City commander would actually do such a good job, dealing with the bandit problem that even Captain Xiao Maoliang Maoliang couldn't handle.

He could only say: "As you said, the Longchuan trade route is too important to Panlongcheng."

"But it's not easy to guard the Longchuan trade route well, even after the bandit problem is eliminated." He Lingchuan said sternly, "Beijia has already set its sights on us; if one plan fails, there will definitely be a follow-up. Yuheng City is not as strong as Panlongcheng, so we must train and strengthen our troops within a limited time, otherwise, the Longchuan trade route will be in danger."

Zhong Shenghuang frowned: "You are a city commander; are you telling me you can't guard the Longchuan trade route?"

"I can guard it!" He Lingchuan said immediately, "As long as the conditions are met!"

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"Yuheng City must re-enter a state of combat readiness, with military affairs as the priority!"

Zhong Shenghuang was startled, looked at him steadily for a long time, and then suddenly realized: "Good kid, after such a big circle, it turns out you are asking me for power!"

With military affairs as the priority, internal affairs come second. Is this kid He trying to climb over Old Wen's head to become the number one?"

"The Panlong Wasteland and Xiji will not be peaceful forever." He Lingchuan said sternly, "Time is precious; don't you want one more ace force under your command?"

Zhong Shenghuang stared at him closely, wanting to find his true thoughts in his eyes.

He Lingchuan faced him openly.

Zhong Shenghuang picked up the teacup at hand and took a sip of cold tea: "Let's go, Mr. Lu should be back."

When Wen Daolun accompanied Lu Xun back to the office, they happened to see Zhong Shenghuang and He Lingchuan coming out, both looking very relaxed.

Zhong Shenghuang smiled: "Mr. Lu, how about having a meal at the Juxian Manor?"

Lu Xun naturally had no objection.

On the way to the restaurant, He Lingchuan and Lu Xun talked and laughed, while Wen Daolun looked at Zhong Shenghuang with a questioning gaze.

Zhong Shenghuang shook his head slightly at him.

Wen Daolun was a bit surprised. Commander He actually persuaded Commander Zhong? Can Commander Zhong really agree to continue throwing money at the water bandits?

Zhong Shenghuang smiled at him, his eyes hiding deep thoughts: If the situation develops as smoothly as He Lingchuan planned, that would be great.

Lu Xun suddenly turned back and asked Zhong Shenghuang: "Commander Zhong, when did the dragon head pattern on the wall appear?"

The three of them looked in the direction of his finger and indeed saw a dragon head pattern on the wall. This wall was built of blue bricks, so the dragon head pattern was also made of blue brick material, slightly protruding and exceptionally vivid.

It was even a relief sculpture.

Zhong Shenghuang looked at Wen and He upon hearing this. He had arrived in Yuheng City only a step earlier than Lu Xun and had no idea when this pattern appeared.

And the content reported by He Lingchuan and Wen Daolun was too much, so this didn't make it to the list.

"Three days ago." Wen Daolun replied, "That morning, we discovered the dragon head pattern had appeared; there were four walls in the whole city that had it."

At that time, it even attracted curious onlookers among the city residents.

After all, there are few Panlong people here, and most residents have never seen this pattern.

At this moment, a young boy was doodling on the wall with ochre, first drawing two turtles, and then painting the majestic dragon eyes on the dragon head ochre-colored.

The group watched from the side without stopping him.

The boy noticed something unusual behind him, turned around and saw several adults staring at him intently, and ran away in a flash.

Only then did Lu Xun walk up, reach out and stroke the dragon head: "So Yuheng City has already received the praise of Heaven's Dao; this is good, this is good!"

Heaven's Dao? He Lingchuan couldn't help but ask: "Heaven's Dao... praise?"

This was a mystery that had troubled him for a long time, but when facing General Hong or Zhong Shenghuang, he always couldn't remember it.

Unexpectedly, it was broken by Lu Xun today.

"Have you not heard 'Heaven's principles are clear'? This is the sign that Yuheng City is acting on behalf of Heaven and following Heaven's principles." Lu Xun nodded repeatedly, "With Heaven's Dao as proof, it shows that Brother Zhong and Panlongcheng have an exceptionally firm determination to resist the Heavenly Demons. When I return to report, I will specifically mention this point to the Council of Elders!"

A turning point in the situation? Zhong Shenghuang beamed with joy: "Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Lu."

Wen Daolun also said: "Is the dragon head pattern so important? It appeared in Panlongcheng long ago."

"This is an important consideration."

He Lingchuan asked: "Have dragon head patterns appeared in other places too?"

He thought of the Yuan Nation.

In the illusion before the fall of the Yuan Nation, he had also seen the dragon head pattern.

"Of course, this is the affirmation and reward of Heaven's Dao." Lu Xun smiled, "Actually, the Council of Elders has studied it; this mark usually appears in places that act on behalf of Heaven and resist the Heavenly Demons most fiercely."

He Lingchuan immediately asked: "Since it is a reward, what are the substantial rewards?"

He asked very practically, but the atmosphere in Panlongcheng has always been pragmatic, so Zhong Shenghuang and Wen Daolun had no objections.

Lu Xun nodded: "There are. Wherever the dragon head pattern appears, the climate gradually becomes mild, the produce becomes abundant, and there are few disasters. None of these require the use of Yuan power; they can be obtained in the silent nourishment of Heaven."

He Lingchuan thought about it; indeed, the Chapa Plateau where Panlongcheng is located has absurdly good water and soil conditions, as if it were two different worlds from the Panlong Wasteland. The grain and crops on the plateau have bumper harvests every year, otherwise, how could it support so many people?

He originally thought it was because Zhong Shenghuang deployed Yuan power, but he didn't expect it to be a reward from Heaven's Dao, without the people having to exert their own efforts.

Now, under the jurisdiction of Panlongcheng, a second city favored by Heaven's Dao has appeared.

This also shows from the side that Wen Daolun and He Lingchuan's governance of Yuheng City is quite successful.

Zhong Shenghuang smiled: "Juxian Manor is here. I'm treating today!"

This is a joyous occasion, so he paid out of his own pocket to celebrate.

By the time He Lingchuan returned to his residence, the moon was on the treetops.

He was a wounded man, so Zhong Shenghuang didn't let him drink alcohol and sent him home to rest after the meal.

The personal guard sent him to the courtyard gate and then returned.

He Lingchuan was just about to push the door to enter when he saw Sun Fuling walking down from the mountain path, dressed in pale yellow clothes, as tender as egg flowers blooming in spring, her thick hair casually pinned behind her head with a wooden hairpin, simple and elegant but not lacking in liveliness.

Seeing a beauty under the moon, her complexion was still a bit pale. He Lingchuan also discovered she had lost a little more weight.

She saw He Lingchuan's right hand hanging in front of his chest, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed: "How did you get injured after a trip to Baishawan?"

"On the way to escort the VIP, we encountered an ambush by Fushan Lie."

A simple sentence made Sun Fuling's expression change.

But she didn't ask more; since He Lingchuan could return here and stand in front of her, it meant he had returned safely.

"Have you eaten?"

"Juxian Manor, Commander Zhong treated, I accompanied him."

Sun Fuling immediately leaned in front of him, narrowed her eyes and sniffed lightly a few times, then said with satisfaction: "It's okay, no smell of alcohol."

Thanks to 3TNT and Jiguang Pianyu for their enthusiastic praise.

Thanks to Weishui Fenglu Lizhongxiao, Mao Ersasi, missll3, the charming lazy cat who loves sunbathing, and Brazil wood for their support~

(End of chapter)