knife

Chapter 666 Surrender
Xiao Zhongren felt that he was 99% sure he wouldn't choose the wrong person to follow this time.

Especially after Jiang Chong also went up the mountain.

The Jiang family of Jiangling in the State of Chu was a prominent and influential family, and Jiang Chong was a master of the Innate Realm.
Didn't they also rush all the way to Moshan just to see Li Dachui?

Now, when Xiao Zhongren looks at Li Dachui again, he truly feels awe as if he were seeing a celestial being.

Think about it carefully.
Before Li Dachui went south, the political landscape in the south was relatively stable.

He Zudao occupied eight towns in Jiangnan.
Jiang Qian controlled the Chu Kingdom with one hand, suppressing Xiang Ying and others to the point that they could hardly breathe.

It seems unlikely that this situation will be broken in the short term.

But then Li Dachui arrived.

Then, the seemingly powerful Chu Kingdom disintegrated in a very short time. Even the arrogant Chu Queen Dowager Jiang Qian eventually became Li Dachui's woman, and Xiang Ying was defeated and killed in battle.

And what about General He Zudao?
He was defeated even more swiftly, his head being severed by the man before him with a single stroke.

When Li Dachui was outside the pass
Everyone has only heard that this person is very capable.
Once he entered the pass, wherever he went, even ghosts and spirits would flee in terror.
Those innate masters, who were like gods, fell one by one at Li Dachui's hands.

Shu County was given to Li Dachui.

The eight towns of Jiangnan fell to Li Dachui.
It now seems that the State of Chu will soon fall into Li Dachui's hands as well.

In addition, the mighty army outside the pass,
Unbeknownst to many, Li Dachui had already essentially completed his grand plan to conquer the world.

Although Linghu Ye has occupied the Central Plains, his outward reach has been firmly bound by Li Dachui.

Consider Li Dachui's identity again.
It's likely that about 70-80% of the world will fall into his hands.

If Li Dachui could annex the State of Chu during this process, he would have accomplished a great feat that the Qin Dynasty had failed to achieve even after hundreds of years of existence.

Truly, their lineage surpasses even their ancestors.

He stood up and refilled the glasses of the two people sitting on the opposite bank.

Xiao Zhongren originally wanted to avoid it.
But Li Dachui kept him.

This is certainly another manifestation of trust. Although it may seem intentional and somewhat superficial, Xiao Zhongren is still very happy.

After all, being able to leave one's mark in a meeting of this caliber is itself a sign of status and seniority. Moreover, in a sense, Li Dachui's participation in this meeting was also a deliberate attempt to get him to have more contact with Jiang Chong and to establish a certain tacit understanding.

Don't underestimate these things.
When it was finally time to divide the fruit...
These are very important.

When Jiang Chong arrived at Moshan and saw that the officers and soldiers there still maintained such high morale in such harsh conditions, he was also surprised by how powerful Li Dachui's personal charisma was.

He was unaware, of course, that before he went up the mountain, Li Dachui had just paid back half a year's wages and bonuses to everyone on the mountain.

The soldiers, having received a large sum of money, were naturally in high spirits.

"This year, our Jiang clan will send key members to the front lines outside the Great Wall to prepare for the future!" Jiang Chong said. "We expect to invest around one million taels in the first phase, mainly to purchase land, shops, and some franchise rights." "Excellent!" Li Dachui's eyes lit up.

What does the area outside the Great Wall need now?
Money is needed, a large influx of money is needed, and the potential within the Beiting Protectorate has been almost fully tapped, but for the area outside the Great Wall that has just annexed the Northern Yuan, this is far from enough.

Without the influx of external resources, the economy outside the pass would be in danger.

"After the spring of next year, we will arrange for relevant personnel from our clan to go north. On the way to see the Protector-General, I made a silent estimate that, without attracting attention, we can mobilize no more than a thousand people engaged in various specialized tasks. If we exceed that, it will affect our operations in Chu, and if the operation is too large, it will be impossible to keep it a secret."

“These things naturally require a gradual and long-term approach!” Li Dachui laughed. “Moreover, the Jiang family’s continued influence in Chu will be of great help when we head south in the future. Even if you go to the borderlands now, you cannot use the Jiang family’s name!”

“Of course we know that!” Jiang Chong said, “Governor Li, Xiang Zhuang’s momentum is very strong now, what should we do next?”

Li Dachui laughed and said, "I estimate that Na Wei will suffer a loss. The influence of the Xiang family is there, and the Xiong family and the Xiang family have always been closely connected in private. Don't be fooled by Na Wei's seemingly strong army now. If a real fight breaks out, he may not be able to win. So you and the Zhu family will naturally help Na Wei!"

“I don’t think the Zhu family is entirely loyal to the Protector-General!” Jiang Chong said. “Protector-General, this isn’t meant to sow discord, nor would I stoop to such a thing. It’s just a feeling!”

"We come together for profit, and we part ways for profit. Patriarch Jiang, aren't we the same?" Li Dachui laughed loudly. "But I still extend my warmest welcome to Patriarch Jiang. The same goes for the Zhu family; they're also receiving a large influx of funds from outside the Great Wall!"

"I admire the Protector's magnanimity the most!" Jiang Chong said. "I was a little apprehensive when I came, but now I feel more confident. I can act more freely now."

"The world isn't black and white, and not being able to be friends necessarily means being enemies." Li Dachui extended his hand to Jiang Chong. "Pleasure doing business with you?"

Jiang Chong reached out and shook hands firmly with Li Dachui: "It's been a pleasure working with you. Protector Li, I now sincerely hope that you can unify the world and ascend the throne. Seeing a part of the whole, one can understand the whole picture. If someone like Protector Li controls the world, it will be a blessing for this world."

Li Dachui laughed loudly: "I don't have any good feelings towards the aristocratic families that have been passed down for thousands of years. However, I am different from He Zudao. He Zudao thinks that killing all these aristocratic families will make the world a better place. I think we can use another method. You will gradually understand these things when you go to the border!"

"I'm prepared to go in person for the first time!" Jiang Chong said. "Seeing is believing, and I'm afraid the people below me are unreliable!"

"You want to see Xiao Changche, right?" Li Dachui joked.

Jiang Chong blushed, "General Xiao is renowned throughout the land. Now that he's gone beyond the Great Wall, I'll naturally have to pay him a visit!"

Li Dachui laughed loudly: "My wife is notorious for being greedy for money. If you're going to see her, you'd better prepare plenty of gifts!"

"Huh?" Jiang Chong was a little taken aback, and after a long while, he said, "These are all minor matters."

Li Dachui was too lazy to explain. Xiao Changche was indeed greedy for money in the past, the kind of ruthless person who would squeeze oil out of even stones and wring water out of even dry towels. The main reason was that she was so short of money at that time that she was infuriating.

However, after Li Dachui came along, this woman's extravagant spending of money left everyone speechless.

In short, Xiao Changche was always in a state of financial difficulty.

Even now, she is still short of money.

Jiang Chong's trip to the border was clearly a sign that he wanted to join Xiao Changche and make preparations for the future. Li Dachui naturally wouldn't expose this, since no matter what they did, the meat would eventually rot in their own pot.

(End of this chapter)