Chapter 123: The Price of a Bloodless Victory

I am planning to promote this nationwide; Leizhou is currently a pilot area. Once construction is complete, I will continue to expand to other regions. As long as I capture a prefecture, that prefecture will undergo a new round of renovation.

Leizhou is our important military base; only by developing it can we increase population, recruit more troops, and these novel constructions are a major selling point.

Shen Tianxing could only say that; he couldn't say it was because the system required him to raise prosperity. Moreover, if he built Leizhou according to the original world's architecture, the resulting prosperity would fall far short of what these new buildings bring.

Yang Hongyue nodded instinctively, feeling that Shen Tianxing made a lot of sense.

You're right; we're almost at Lecheng. I'll first make a trip to Humen Pass. Don't go fooling around anymore—we five sisters are enough. If you dare to misbehave again, be careful when we return, we'll deal with you.

Your Yang General, your husband will someday become Emperor—can you guard against the first and the fifteenth? My demand isn't high; a dozen or so would suffice. Now we only have five, still far short.

Besides, with my looks, this status, and so many troops under my command, it's hard to control those aristocratic ladies, noble maidens who like me.

If they have good looks and decent temperament, how could I bear to refuse them? Of course you can rest assured; I'm not someone without discretion—those with ill intentions, no matter how beautiful, I won't bring back.

Yang Hongyue rolled her eyes, feeling somewhat frustrated like playing music to a cow; in the end she could only glare fiercely at Shen Tianxing, snap her whip, and gallop away.

Anyway, it's still the same saying: if you dare to misbehave, just wait for a whipping when you return.

Shen Tianxing smiled, stroked his chin, and muttered to himself:

I don't know who will get the whip; never mind, let's focus on the important business—beauties can be found anytime, and besides, the system can still summon them, right?

Just as Shen Tianxing was stroking his chin and muttering, a fast horse came galloping from ahead; riding it was a Hubaqi cavalryman.

"This One pays respects to the Emperor; the Lecheng Prefect and General fled with Lecheng's garrison, while Tang Bohu has already led us to open the gate and is awaiting the Emperor's entry."

The Hubaqi cavalryman's mention of Tang Bohu naturally referred to Tang Bohu; Shen Tianxing also didn't expect Tang Bohu to work so efficiently. How chaotic must it have been for the Lecheng Prefect and General to abandon the city and flee, not even defending it?

"Tell me, what exactly did Tang Bohu do?"

"Tang Bohu didn't do much; mainly he just treated the people to meals and chatted. I don't know what they talked about, but after speaking with the populace, their emotions became highly agitated."

This continued for several days; each day the populace, upon seeing Tang Bohu, acted respectfully, yet repeatedly caused trouble in the city—mainly a group went to wealthy families' homes to take revenge and, incidentally, looted their money and valuables.

Afterward they even besieged the prefect's residence, throwing rotten eggs and vegetables, and some stormed in to beat the prefect; there were simply too many people, and I don't know how Tang Bohu managed to incite them.

In any case, Lecheng is a mess, but they targeted only the wealthy families and officials, not harassing ordinary folks who didn't participate—of course, mainly because most of the populace participated.

The more Shen Tianxing listened, the more curious he became; he knew Tang Bohu was exceptionally skilled at painting, of course also a well-read literatus who likewise loved beauty, yet he had never heard of Tang Bohu possessing such an outstanding ability to incite the populace.

Of the four people dispatched this time, Shen Tianxing's biggest worry was Tang Bohu, yet he didn't expect that Tang Bohu would be the first to complete the mission.

"Then we should properly ask our Tang Bohu about it. troops, hear the order: speed up the march; we must reach Lecheng before nightfall."

"We will obey the commander's order."

The Yue Family Army and the Leizhou Army replied in unison, then followed Shen Tianxing, galloping ahead.

As evening approached, Shen Tianxing's group arrived at Lecheng's city gate; as expected, the gate stood wide open, and Tang Bohu led the city's populace in lining the streets to welcome Shen Tianxing's arrival.

Shen Tianxing was quite surprised; especially, he saw in these people's eyes a light—the kind of radiance that comes when long-held anticipation is finally fulfilled.

"We pay respects to the Governor; thank you, Governor, for rescuing us from dire straits."

"You've all worked hard; I didn't expect such enthusiasm, which really surprised me. Please rise."

Shen Tianxing smiled and waved hello, growing ever more curious about how Tang Bohu managed this, and how he rescued these people from dire straits.

"We aren't the ones suffering; it's the Governor who toiled traveling a thousand miles. We've prepared everything to welcome the Governor with a feast and cleanse the dust."

Again they spoke in unison, leaving Shen Tianxing somewhat dazed—how long have they been trained?

"Then thank you all; I won't stand on ceremony. From now on, under my administration, Lecheng will surely let you all live and work in peace."

"We trust the Governor; we will obey all of the Governor's orders."

Shen Tianxing felt as if he had returned to Leiming City; indeed reactions of the populace, these folks were even more excited than those of Leiming City.

Finally, amidst the escort of the city's populace, Shen Tianxing at last reached the prefect's residence; after everyone withdrew, only Shen Tianxing, Zhang Wenyuan, Zhao Zilong, and Tang Bohu remained in the hall.

"How did you manage this? I feel they are even more fervent than the Leiming City populace upon seeing me."

In response to Shen Tianxing's question, Tang Bohu merely smiled and replied in a calm tone:

"I fabricated a story—three parts truth, seven parts falsehood. First I constructed for them how wonderful the lives of Leizhou's residents were; then I magnified the hardships they suffered in Lecheng."

"With comparison comes harm; then I indoctrinated them, telling them that as long as the Governor arrived, they too could live like the Leizhou populace, and that the Emperor had already prepared to dispense silver to them upon entering the city."

"It's not actually that much—Lecheng has nearly 300,000 people; giving each one a tael of silver amounts to 300,000 taels. The Emperor surely doesn't lack these silver taels, does he?"

"Moreover, the nearby townsfolk totaling about 100,000 also wish to come; if we gave them silver as well, that would be another 400,000 taels—would the Emperor really begrudge that?"

"Of course, if it were merely a single tael of silver, it wouldn't be enough to make them so eager for the Emperor's arrival; the key is that the Emperor can bring them the life they yearn for."

Shen Tianxing laughed and cried at once; indeed, the bloodless conquest method truly requires a price—this price is 400,000 taels of silver.

"Congratulations, Host, for fully securing Beizhou Lecheng, completing the hidden mission without loss, taking the city bloodlessly. Reward: 1,000,000 Killing Value, pick three Ultimate Grade Martial Arts Fragments, one Feilong Spear Fragment (Divine Weapon), one Advanced Lottery draw, three Intermediate Lottery draws. Reputation +50,000, Popular Support +5,000, Fortune +2,000, Martial Arts Experience +50%, Silver 500,000 taels."