If the previous news had filled Zhiduoxing with grief and indignation.
The next moment,
When Qin Feng informed him that he was to be the Prefect of Zhongshan in Jizhou…
Thump!
Zhiduoxing, his face flushed with excitement, knelt on the ground, his voice trembling as he exclaimed:
“My Lord, I, Wu Yong, have nothing to repay you with, but I pledge to…”
“Stop!”
Before Zhiduoxing could finish speaking, Qin Feng waved his hand to interrupt him.
“I’ll say it again, from now on, except for corruption, learn from Heshen in everything else!”
“Yes, yes…”
Zhiduoxing nodded repeatedly, his face showing complete agreement. It was as if he was saying, whatever you say goes!
As long as I can be the Prefect, I don’t mind calling him dad!
As for this,
Qin Feng didn't have much else to say, but he found the man quite obedient.
That’s a good habit!
Ability can be developed later, but obedience is key.
Thinking this,
Qin Feng’s gaze fell upon Heshen, who was kneeling on the ground, and he began to ponder, stroking his chin.
This fellow didn’t seem very obedient. He really wanted someone to supervise him!
But who could he find?
Although Niu Gao was designated as a military general, he didn't seem like the type to supervise anyone.
Yu Huatian?
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was good at supervision, but the problem was, he didn't have any Embroidered Uniform Guards under him.
The only Embroidered Uniform Guard was himself, and he still had to find the Ten Eunuchs in Luoyang.
Hmm?
Wait!
As if struck by an idea, Qin Feng’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he turned to Yu Huatian with anticipation.
“Eunuch Director, you have no subordinates now. Would you be willing to train some yourself?”
“Yes!”
“Excellent!”
Having confirmed his guess, Qin Feng slapped his thigh with a sudden realization.
“Then I, the Provincial Governor, will give you ten thousand men. Train them as quickly as possible!”
“No problem!”
Yu Huatian, having received his new appointment, wasn't as excited as Zhiduoxing.
Training soldiers was not the same as leading them. It involved less power and a lot more work.
However, even so,
Yu Huatian, who was leading ten thousand troops at such a young age, still made the other three look at him with newfound respect.
This guy is not simple!
Just as they had this thought, they heard Qin Feng continue:
“Niu Gao?”
“I am here, my Lord!”
“I, the Provincial Governor, will give you twenty thousand men, ten thousand cavalry, and ten thousand infantry.”
“…”
As Qin Feng’s words fell, Niu Gao neither knelt down excitedly like Zhiduoxing,
nor did he readily agree like Yu Huatian.
Instead, he cupped his hands and said with great respect:
“Please instruct me, my Lord!”
“Good~!”
Looking at Niu Gao, who remained unfazed by praise or blame, Qin Feng said in a calm voice:
“Your task is simple: follow Heshen and become the bodyguard for the Zhen family!”
“Bodyguard… bodyguard?”
Even the usually calm Niu Gao raised his head in astonishment at this point.
A bodyguard unit would require twenty thousand men?
And ten thousand of them were cavalry?
What kind of family was this?!
“That’s right!”
As if sensing the surprise of Niu Gao and the others, Qin Feng explained with a smile:
“The Zhen family primarily deals in commerce. When they travel for business, they need a bodyguard unit to protect their goods and assets.”
“I see!”
Hearing Qin Feng’s explanation, Niu Gao was relieved and then asked:
“My Lord, if the bodyguard unit encounters enemies, how should they deal with them?”
“Kill them if you can!”
Thinking of the atrocities committed by the bandits and Yellow Turbans in the late Han Dynasty, a cold glint flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes.
“Even if you can’t kill them then, call for reinforcements and make sure they are dealt with!”
“Remember!”
“The Zhen family, or rather, the merchants and commoners of my You Province, will face utter destruction if they are harmed!”
“This…”
Sensing the domineering tone in Qin Feng’s voice, Niu Gao and the others trembled slightly, their faces beaming with excitement.
“My Lord is wise~!” x4
………………
In the year 184 AD,
the first year of Zhongping,
November.
Just as You Province and Liaodong were about to enter winter, the You Province First Army finally returned to Zhuo County.
On this day,
the streets were emptied of people!
The citizens, having heard the news, poured out in droves, eager to witness the grandeur of the First Army.
Capturing one hundred thousand, annihilating over a hundred thousand enemies, and completely crushing the entire Wuhuan.
What kind of power was this?
Let alone the commoners,
even the aristocratic families, who harbored deep resentment, couldn't help but flock to the scene.
They had no choice!
Since Qin Feng’s rise was unstoppable, they could only try their best to get on his good side.
Didn’t they see that most of the recruits in recent days were from aristocratic families?
And they were as meek as little quails, making it impossible for Qin Feng to find any excuse to cause trouble.
Fortunately,
the aristocratic families were also aware of the situation and dared not harbor any ulterior motives elsewhere.
Otherwise,
Qin Feng would not have cared whether they were good or bad, and would have simply swept them all away.
“Here they come, here they come…”
“Listen!”
“It’s the sound of horseshoes!”
Just as Qin Feng was lost in thought, the cheers of the surrounding citizens reached his ears.
Listening carefully,
it was indeed the case!
The faint sound of horseshoes was gradually approaching them.
“These people have sharp ears indeed~!”
Glancing at the crowd of citizens, Qin Feng suddenly turned to Liu Qi.
“Prefect Liu, you didn’t force these people to come here, did you?”
“Ah?”
Liu Qi, who was already troubled by the noisy crowd, looked at him with a look of bewilderment in his eyes.
Am I crazy?
Why would I force them to come here?
I’m already on edge, worried they might offend your excellency.
“Hehe~!”
Li Xiuning, who was in a good mood nearby, saw this and interjected:
“My Lord, looking at them, do they seem like they were forced?”
“That’s true!”
Turning to look at the smiles on the faces of the citizens, Qin Feng’s mood improved significantly.
Although he enjoyed this scene of rejoicing with the people, he didn’t want it to turn into a mere show, like in later generations.
Of course!
The reason Qin Feng felt a bit artificial was that he hadn’t really done anything for the people.
Although he had been in the late Han Dynasty for nearly half a year, he had either been fighting foreign tribes or beating up the aristocratic families.
His focus had not yet shifted to economic development.
Because of this,
the living standards of the people in Zhuo County, or rather, the entire You Province, had not significantly improved.
He was cruel.
If other transmigration characters had arrived, they would probably have started reducing taxes and developing the economy.
But he didn’t!
Qin Feng’s plan was to sweep away all foreign enemies before focusing on economic development.
However, by doing so,
the people who had suffered for so many years would have to endure a few more years of hardship.
“My Lord~!”
Perhaps sensing the change in Qin Feng’s mood, Li Xiuning comforted him with a smile.
“Once the coal is promoted, the people will probably be even more grateful to you.”
“It saves so much trouble!”
“Not only can it be used for cooking and boiling water, but it can even be kept in the house for heating.”
“Especially that coal stove, it can keep the coal burning for a day and a night without going out.”
“It’s practically a miracle!”
“Hehe~!”
Listening to Li Xiuning’s slightly exaggerated praise, Qin Feng, who had returned to his senses, chuckled and shook his head.
“You, you always say nice things. Have those coal briquettes started mass production?”
“Of course!”
“Huh?”
Qin Feng was taken aback and looked at her, slightly confused.
“Didn’t you say yesterday that it hadn’t been successfully shaped?”
“Yes!”
Li Xiuning nodded her small head affirmatively, her smile looking quite cunning.
“But it was successfully shaped today!”
Qin Feng: “???”