Chapter 169: Development Strategy

Liu Zheng laughed heartily: "Brother Du, allow me to keep you in suspense for now; once we return to Yinzhou, I will tell you all about it in detail!"

Du Biao gave a wry smile and did not ask further.

Looking out the window again, Du Biao, who had once been one of the three big bosses of the Baiya Army, was today forced to leave this familiar, beloved land; how could his heart not be filled with sorrow? He only hoped to take one more look, only hoped that in the future there would be another chance to return here.

The great army marched on in a grand procession.

Seven days later, they finally returned to Yinzhou.

From afar, one could see Qingyang Shuo in his wheelchair, having already come out from Yintan City to welcome them.

"Congratulations, Young Master, you have gained much from this trip!"

Seeing Liu Zheng return, Qingyang Shuo revealed a long-absent smile.

Liu Zheng hurriedly jumped off the horse carriage and said affectionately with a smile: "If it weren't for the Military Advisor's strategic planning, I would have lost my life at Baiya!"

Seeing Qingyang Shuo again, Liu Zheng realized just how important this person was to him; he had a mountain of words in his belly that he wanted to share with him.

The crowd laughed one after another.

The eighty-thousand-strong army, under the coordination of Qin Zhangfeng, returned to their respective posts.

This group entered Yintan City together, yet before Liu Zheng had even gone inside, he discovered something that shocked him greatly: not only had Yintan City been completed over the past month or so, but every workshop had also entered into intense operation, and furthermore, the "Silk Road" that Liu Zheng had designed had actually already extended dozens of miles toward the Gobi Desert!

"Military Advisor, this... why is the progress so fast?"

Liu Zheng was quite pleasantly surprised.

Qingyang Shuo smiled: "With the farmers of Yinzhou, Yangzhou, and Kezhou working together in unity, why worry about it not being fast?"

He explained: "Young Master, rest assured, I did not press-gang anyone; everyone came of their own volition."

Only after he said this did Liu Zheng understand what was going on.

It turned out that the news of Liu Zheng going to Beijing to resist the Xiongnu had spread across the land. Not only had he gone, but he had also performed a great service, almost single-handedly keeping the Xiongnu at bay. Once this story got out, coupled with the embellishments of storytellers, it became extraordinary. This Liu Zheng had practically become a Heavenly God descended to earth, a reincarnation of the Martial Star; in short, there were all sorts of legends.

And when the common people within the territory heard this, they were all stirred to excitement.

Who wouldn't want a wise ruler in the place where they lived?

Who wouldn't want the one governing the people to be a Heavenly God descended to earth?

So, this was the benefit that fame brought in this era.

Young Master Liu is out fighting a war with the army, what can we do? Help with the work! Isn't it just building a road? Let's go! And so, this heart-stirring scene appeared.

From the three prefectures, every laborer who could move came.

According to Qingyang Shuo, at the peak, there were thirty thousand people—men and women, old and young, all came to help, and they didn't want a single cent of pay, just food and lodging.

Therefore, over this past month, that road had actually been built sixty miles in the direction of Loulan!

According to Qingyang Shuo, if it weren't for their Cement supply not keeping up, he feared even a hundred miles would have been possible.

Liu Zheng was moved to tears hearing this: "This, this..."

Is this the power of the masses?

Du Biao smiled bitterly from the side: "The Young Master has won the hearts of the people; the Baiya Army cannot compare!"

Only at this moment did Du Biao realize that the gap between the Baiya Army and Yinzhou was no longer just a small matter; the Baiya Army suffering such a disaster was inevitable.

At this time, the maidservant responsible for attending to Qingyang Shuo's daily needs brought tea, and everyone sat down; having not seen each other for over a month, there was naturally much to talk about.

Liu Zheng took the lead and said with a wry smile: "Sir, you must have known the sequence of events from the letters; everything was dangerous but ultimately safe. The regret is that we did not succeed in heading north in the end."

In the plan Qingyang Shuo gave to Liu Zheng, from Baiya up to Hanzhong, this was the order of territorial expansion. Yet this time, after so much trouble, Baiya was still taken back by the old Emperor.

Qingyang Shuo looked at Liu Zheng with amusement and smiled lightly: "Young Master, this trip to Baiya has given you a sense of being reborn. Great vessels take time to complete; what does a mere northward advance count for?"

Liu Zheng looked embarrassed.

Only then did Du Biao realize that Liu Zheng had always had designs on the Baiya Army, but at this moment, he could only smile bitterly.

Qingyang Shuo smiled: "Young Master must already have his own ideas; why not speak them out?"

Liu Zheng sighed: "As expected, I cannot hide anything from you, Sir..."

He looked at Qingyang Shuo with burning eyes and said: "Since the Baiya Army has already been disbanded..."

"Then, why can we not take the place of what the Baiya Army has done for many years?"

"What?"

The others had not reacted much, but upon hearing this, Du Biao was so startled he stood up.

Qingyang Shuo, with a calm expression, looked quietly at Liu Zheng, as if he had long known of this idea, and said faintly: "Young Master, please elaborate!"

Only then did Liu Zheng begin to speak with great animation and enthusiasm.

He laid out his entire plan.

"Dark Web?"

"Blockchain?"

"Decentralized Trading?"

Qingyang Shuo was left stunned by what he heard.

Even more so was Du Biao.

Liu Zheng explained several times before the two of them slowly began to understand, and the look in their eyes as they watched Liu Zheng was already filled with shock.

Liu Zheng smiled: "What does Sir think?"

Qingyang Shuo sighed: "Young Master's speed of growth is something Yangshuo cannot hope to match!"

Liu Zheng hurriedly said he did not deserve such praise.

The Baiya Army's development over these years had been mercantilism, but their mercantilism was only based on War Horses, and then other commerce; what experience, what fine wine—in reality, what the Baiya Army engaged in, according to the law, was all done in the shadows; to put it bluntly, it was all smuggling!

So, now that the Baiya Army had been disbanded, this smuggling channel was bound to collapse.

Then...

Why shouldn't he pick it up?

This is a ready-made mountain of gold and silver!

Liu Zheng looked at Du Biao and smiled: "Brother, do you know why I said I would entrust you with a heavy responsibility?"

He said with a solemn face: "The commercial dealings of the Baiya Army were always handled by you, brother. I know you have a vast network of connections and channels, and we need to rebuild this network!"

Du Biao had been listening in a daze just now, and then he took a deep breath.

Only at this moment did he truly begin to admire the young man before him.

Such immense ambition!

Such incredible audacity!

The world laments the fall of the Baiya Army, calling it self-inflicted, yet at the same time, they envy the vast amounts of gold and silver the Baiya Army earned over the years; when people discuss it, they are both envious and gloating.

But what about Liu Zheng?

He is not.

He is considering the reasons for the Baiya Army's failure, the reasons in every aspect.

And then, in that detailed plan of his just now, he is avoiding these risks.

And furthermore, he intends to take over all of the Baiya Army's business channels!

Great talent and bold strategy.

What is called great talent and bold strategy?

This is it!

Du Biao woke up as if from a dream, once again feeling the excitement of having a place to put his skills to use; he stood up abruptly and said resolutely: "Young Master, Du Biao will certainly serve with heart and soul, until my dying day!"

Liu Zheng hurriedly laughed: "Don't talk about dying; we must all live well. From today on, Du Biao is the General Administrator of this Yintan City, with a status equal to Zheng Yueru! Brother Du, Yue Ru is a woman after all, so in the future, the matters of running around outside will depend on you and your brothers."

Du Biao was moved to tears and almost knelt to the ground.

Everyone offered their congratulations one after another.

Zheng Yueru even blushed and cast a glance at Liu Zheng.

Is this because she is concerned for me?

After this round of tossing and turning, Liu Zheng was also exhausted. Du Biao settled down in this Yintan City; he had been to Yintan City once before, but he had never come into contact with the most confidential workshops here, so this time it was different...

The Brewery Workshop, Cement Workshop, and Steelmaking Workshop opened his eyes wide, and he could not recover for a long time.

His determination to follow Liu Zheng became even firmer.

Another few days later.

Zheng Yueru came to report that the representatives of those Feudatory Kings who used to purchase weapons and equipment back in Baiya had arrived in Yinzhou and were jointly requesting an audience with the Prefect Liu.

Liu Zheng smiled: "It is time to issue our Yinzhou Coin. Thinking that a pile of paper can be exchanged for real gold and silver, aren't you a little excited?"

Zheng Yueru rolled her eyes at him, smiling charmingly.

"Let's go, time to fleece the rich!"