Chapter 454: Chrysanthemum Island

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The roar of the Artillery sounded like a thunderclap.

The gates of Fanyang City shattered instantly.

With Yuan Li fleeing south, Fanyang City was effectively left without a backbone.

The officials and generals remaining in the city had no will to fight.

When the Artillery roared, they were terrified to their very cores.

Now that the city gates had been blasted open by the Artillery, they climbed down from the city walls and ran for their lives.

"Kill!"

As the city gates swung wide, Lv Chang led the Heavy Infantry in a great roar and charged into Fanyang City.

Gazing at these Yan Wang soldiers, wrapped head to toe in Armor with only their eyes exposed, how could the private troops of the Rich Clan dare to step forward and resist?

After a moment of hesitation, they followed the Rich Clan officials and generals and fled.

"General, should we pursue Yuan Li now?" Qin Shan asked.

The chaos on the city walls made it clear to him that they would take Fanyang without the slightest effort.

It was just that they probably wouldn't be able to catch Yuan Li this time.

Chang Wei looked toward the south, "No need to pursue. This time we will swiftly sweep through the Southern Three Commanderies and take everything we can carry; otherwise, if the Prefect of Qizhou, Han Qi, takes action again, it will be very troublesome."

Yan Wang was collecting a debt from Yuan Li this time, but he had no intention of making an enemy of the whole world.

If the Han Family were to send troops to Fanyang again, they would be in a dilemma whether to fight or not.

Qin Shan nodded upon hearing this.

Half an hour later, Lv Chang returned.

Relying solely on the Heavy Infantry, they had gained control of Fanyang City.

"General, the Fanyang City treasury, Granary, and other important locations are all under our control, and all four city gates have been taken." Lv Chang removed his Helmet.

Although the weather was cold, he was still drenched in sweat after walking around Fanyang City in this heavy Armor.

A smile appeared on the corner of Chang Wei's mouth.

Just like their proactive raid on the Grassland to plunder the Black Iron Royal Tent this time.

This was once again Yan Wang's way of paying someone back in their own coin.

The Black Iron Royal Tent plundered them, so they plundered the Black Iron Royal Tent.

The Yuan Family had repeatedly played tricks and schemes on them, so this time they were playing tricks and schemes on the Yuan Family as well.

He agreed a hundred percent with Yan Wang's approach of always collecting on debts.

Why should they, who honestly built up their fiefdom without stealing or robbing, be repeatedly plotted against by them?

"Qin Shan, lead your troops to Dai Commandery. Under the pretext of the local Rich Clan aiding Yuan Li, confiscate the mansions of the Rich Clan, and most importantly, burn their land deeds and those of the commoners," Chang Wei said.

The North Four Commanderies only had a ten percent tax rate, a fact that had long since spread throughout Yanzhou.

The commoners of the Southern Three Commanderies yearned for it.

But unfortunately, the Yuan Family had repeatedly issued decrees forbidding the commoners from easily leaving their home counties.

Even if they wanted to leave the county, they had to have a travel permit issued by the Government Office, otherwise, they would face imprisonment.

However, even so, there were still commoners who yearned for the North Four Commanderies and had escaped.

With the hearts of the people like this, they could take advantage of Yuan Li's rebellion to transfer the people and wealth of the Southern Three Commanderies to the North Four Commanderies.

As for Yuan Li, he seemed less important compared to this matter.

"Yes, General." Qin Shan acknowledged the order and immediately gathered his troops to head toward Dai Commandery.

Then, Chang Wei had Guan Tong lead troops to Guangning Commandery.

As for Fanyang Commandery, he would handle it personally.

After Qin Shan and Guan Tong departed, Chang Wei entered Fanyang Commandery.

He first inspected the Government Office treasury and the Granary.

Because Yuan Li had left in such a hurry, the contents of these two storehouses had not been taken away.

Now, they would all become the property of the North Four Commanderies.

While ordering soldiers to take inventory of the treasury and the Granary, Chang Wei also ordered his generals to confiscate the property of the Rich Clan within Fanyang City.

At the same time, he sent a portion of his generals to the seven counties under Fanyang Commandery to likewise seize the property of the Rich Clan and guide the commoners toward the North Four Commanderies.

"Ugh..."

On the vast ocean, twelve Warships bobbed and pitched in the wind and waves.

After a night of sailing, a strong wind suddenly blew across the sea the next day.

Giant waves rolled, and the Warships were like fallen leaves in a torrent, rising and falling one moment to the next.

Amidst the tossing, the Wangfu Army soldiers could not take it, and almost all of them vomited everything they had eaten.

"This is killing me, this is killing me." Bai Shang clutched a ceramic jar, squatting in the captain's cabin, his face pale. "We haven't even reached Ningjin Dusi, and I've already lost half my life."

Zhou Yi chuckled, seemingly very happy to watch Bai Shang make a fool of himself.

"You should be glad. If these were ordinary Tower Ships, I'm afraid they would have been capsized by the wind and waves by now, and both you and I would be in the sea feeding the fish," Zhou Yi said.

Thinking of this, he admired Yan Wang even more.

If not for Yan Wang, he would not be able to be so majestic amidst the sea waves today.

"Father, what you didn't do, your child has done; what you wanted to do, your child will also help you realize." The swaying Warship made Zhou Yi suddenly think of his father.

In the past, when his father was in the Ningjin Dusi Navy, he would often take him on the ships.

Every time he looked into the depths of the ocean, his father's eyes often carried a sense of unwillingness.

Until his father passed away, his father stroked his head and told him his own wish.

"How I wish to go and see the end of the sea."

Whenever he recalls this sentence, his heart beats violently.

Therefore, upon learning that Yan Wang was secretly building a fleet, he immediately volunteered.

"Father, your child will go to the end of the sea for you," Zhou Yi muttered, a smile rising at the corners of his mouth.

Bai Shang glanced at Zhou Yi, thinking Zhou Yi was still mocking him, so he said, "This ship is naturally not bad, otherwise it wouldn't be so expensive; the Silver for building one Warship is enough for the Wangfu Army's military pay for a month; twelve ships is a year's military pay."

Pausing, he said, "Originally, this Silver should have been given to us."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi was immediately displeased.

He knew that these Wangfu generals were dissatisfied in their hearts about the Navy consuming so much Silver.

Snorting, he said, "Can one hundred thousand Northern Di soldiers not compare to your one year's military pay? Just wait, in the future, our Navy will bring even more wealth to the North Four Commanderies."

Upon hearing this, Bai Shang was instantly silenced, only stubbornly saying, "So what? Can your Warships go onto land? Don't the battles on land still have to be fought by us?"

"..."

While the two were bickering, the wind and waves gradually ceased.

Sunlight shone down from above.

At this moment, they heard a soldier on the watchtower shout, "Chrysanthemum Island has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Shang and Zhou Yi were instantly energized, scrambling to climb onto the deck.

At this moment, a small island appeared less than three li ahead of them.

To the west of the small island, the coastline was only twenty-some li away.

This small island was Chrysanthemum Island.

In the past, people from the Ningjin Dusi liked to call Chrysanthemum Island Turtle Island.

Because the entire shape of the island was like a crawling turtle.

It was only because they lost the Ningjin Dusi that they referred to it as Chrysanthemum Island after Juhua Cun on the island, to express their nostalgia.

"Take Juhua Cun first!" Bai Shang suddenly became energized, and the feeling of seasickness instantly vanished.

Before setting out, the first thing Yan Wang entrusted to him was to take Chrysanthemum Island.

Relying on the Navy's Warships, as long as they occupied this place.

The Northern Di could never take it back.

Afterwards, if they built a Fort here and stockpiled troops and horses, they could threaten the rear of the Northern Di at any time.

Zhou Yi was also invigorated, and he shouted loudly, "Full speed ahead!"