Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 167 The East and West Factory Owners, Longyang Weeps for the Fish

They were all well-traveled and had extensive experience.

I have personally witnessed that in the prosperous Jiangnan region of Dazhao, the richer the family's sons, the less they could stand in the sun, carry heavy loads, or move their legs.

She also loved wearing brightly colored women's clothes, and when she went out, she would always put a fresh flower in her hair.

Even if someone's voice is slightly more masculine or their skin is slightly darker, they will be looked down upon by the other young men in the circle.

Of course, the most essential equipment for them was not clothes, jewelry, hairpins, or cosmetics, but a beautiful young pageboy.

Rumors abound of people fighting in the streets and even going to the authorities to snatch up the best-looking pageboys.

The prince had just politely declined the concubines they offered, but then he offered his children and grandchildren. Naturally, the men couldn't help but overthink things.

All I can say is that prejudice in people's hearts is a kind of Sichuan opera!
It wasn't until Wang Cheng noticed the strange looks they were giving him that he quickly placed the three documents on the table.

Upon seeing the document, Shen Yueye finally breathed a deep sigh of relief. She coughed lightly to cover her discomfort, then obediently walked to her junior brother's side and picked up the teapot to refill his cup of tea.

However, why does the senior brother who came later look a little disappointed?

When the two victims, Xu Weixue and Peng Laosheng, finally understood what was written on it, they suddenly realized.

Then, overjoyed, they all bowed down without the slightest hesitation:
"I am willing to be a lackey under the prince's command."

"Your Highness, my son and daughter have both long admired you. I will have him come to the palace to report in a little while."

"To be able to absorb even a wisp of your royal aura is a blessing he could never attain in his entire life."

The items on the table were a blank official document and edict for the General Who Guards the Sea and two for the General Who Dives into the Sea.

Their ranks are equivalent to the fifth-rank Wujie General and the fifth-rank Wuyi General in the Da Zhao military officer system, respectively.

Of course, these pirates and merchants did not mingle in officialdom, would not voluntarily go ashore to take risks, and did not deal with government troops. The difference between them and those of the fifth rank was not significant.

The key point is that all the ninth-rank officials of the imperial court are ministers who govern the country. Obtaining the official status of the Great Zhao is equivalent to joining the number one cultivation lineage in the world.

They also had the protection of official aura and the opportunity to access top-tier cultivation resources, such as the divine energy of Emperor Shi Huang of Han, allowing them to cultivate faster than others.

Not only are they virtually unrivaled among those of equal rank, but they also enjoy the systemic advantages of the entire dynasty, allowing them to bully others with their power!
In addition, there was an imperial edict: "Each General of Zhenhai shall be granted ten ship permits, which shall allow them to freely enter and exit designated ports of Dazhao to conduct trade."

Each of the generals who led the seas was granted three ship permits, which also granted them the freedom to enter and exit designated ports of the Great Zhao for legal trade.

These two sets of official documents and imperial edicts are equivalent to sixteen ship permits. They may not mean much to a vassal state, but to a small or medium-sized power, they represent immense wealth!
The two of them hadn't performed well last night, and one of their subordinates, Da Congming, even suggested giving them some clothes so they could earn a credit for joining the cause.

Everyone thought that it would be a blessing if the second-generation Prince Jinghai didn't punish them, but they never expected that they would actually have a chance to get their hands on this treasure that the whole East China Sea coveted.

"Unfortunately, there can only be one Grand General of the Sea!"

When they looked up again, Xu Weixue and Peng Laosheng looked at each other, and sparks flew between their eyes.

Wang Cheng, seemingly oblivious to their confrontation, patted the three official documents on the table and said:
"These official documents and imperial edicts are compensation given to our Wufeng Banner by Lord Luo, the chief envoy of the imperial court."

It is said that water flows downhill and people strive to rise higher. Given this opportunity to rise to the top and become a general of the Great Zhao Dynasty, the first people I thought of were you two.

Both of them are elders of the Five Peaks Banner. My father started following Yu Zhifu, the commander-in-chief of the anti-Japanese war, when he was chased away from Shuangyu Island by Yu Zhifu and his "Tiger-Subduing Dragon Zen Sword".

They have all worked diligently and made great contributions over the years, and are fully capable of undertaking important tasks.

This idea came to Wang Cheng after he received six official appointment certificates from Luo Wenlong.

If the Donghai Kingdom wants to quickly transform itself into a normal country, it needs to establish diplomatic relations with the Da Zhao and other vassal states to maintain a superficial appearance.

We must find an opportunity to eliminate a significant portion of the notorious bandits from Wufeng Banner who are registered in various countries and whom even my father could only turn a blind eye to back then.

However, they always have to do some dirty and unsavory work to ensure the overall cleanliness.

Just like the human body, the kidneys are like the sewage treatment plants inside the body. Let's just call them the East Plant and the West Plant, one on the left and one on the right.

If one factory is gone, we can still make do and survive, but if we don't have either, it's definitely not going to work.

It's perfect to hand it over to these two old guys, one as the head of the East Depot and the other as the head of the West Depot.

But Wang Cheng also had his own conditions for relinquishing this power:
"However, gentlemen, I intend to reform the military system of the East Sea Kingdom and reorganize the Five Peaks Banner."

The Donghai Kingdom is not just the Donghai Kingdom of the Tanka people, but the Donghai Kingdom of all Shenzhou people of the same origin and race. If it only has the Tanka people, how can it be called the Kingdom's Navy?

Do you two agree with this?

Old people are shrewd; they can understand the subtle meaning behind a song and know exactly what Wang Cheng wants.

Furthermore, the two were unaware of the deeper connection between Wang Cheng, Luo Wenlong, and Wang Cuiqiao, and assumed that Wufengqi had only received these three portions.

Being able to decide who gets the position of general is already a great honor.

They were not worried about scarcity but about inequality, so they immediately made promises to Wang Cheng one after another.

Old Man Peng patted his chest and said:
"I am willing to return four of my eight sailing warships to the public treasury, along with the sailors."

When the old prince was alive, these military equipment were not their private property, but were allocated to them for management. Like Mao Haifeng, they all took advantage of the six-month power vacuum in the Donghai Kingdom to embezzle a lot, so it is only right that they return some of it.

Xu Weixue, a merchant by trade, relied entirely on connections and channels for survival. He was far more decisive than Peng Laosheng, stating firmly:

"I am willing to return six of my nine sailing warships to the public treasury."

Furthermore, I guarantee that all my men who are willing to join the navy will be allowed to pass unconditionally.

Seeing that Xu Weixue was so willing to spend so much, Peng Laosheng gritted his teeth and said:
“We are originally from the Donghai Kingdom. We need to rely on Your Highness for ports, logistics, and supplies. Even if we go out and become the General Who Guards the Sea or the General Who Dives into the Sea, we will still be your troops. Why should we distinguish between us?”
I will also release my men unconditionally.

After several rounds of heated debate, Xu Weixue, who was richer, ultimately prevailed and won over the fifth-rank Zhenhai General.

Peng Laosheng didn't suffer too much of a loss; he obtained two positions as a fifth-rank sea-crossing general, which he could use to do his brothers another favor.

The price was that a considerable number of followers who were loyal to the Cai Shui Wang family broke away from their faction and officially joined the Five Peaks Banner.

This also allowed Wang Cheng to directly control over 70% of the armed forces in Wufeng Banner, thus firmly securing his throne.

"Not bad."

After practicing it firsthand, Wang Cheng became increasingly adept at applying "The Dictator's Handbook".

"Xu and Peng were excluded from the core of power because the smaller the winning alliance, the better, and the smaller the winning alliance, the better it is to provide benefits."

They keep recruiting and expanding their base because, nominally, the larger the group of people they choose, the better.

A large group of alternative supporters provides ample alternatives, reminding the indispensable to always remain loyal and obedient, or they will be replaced.

This is why those in positions of power must employ checks and balances.

"Next, I will have 100% control over taxation, finance, and the distribution of all income. Only with money can we transfer benefits to the winning alliance."

Paying core supporters just enough money to ensure their loyalty is appropriate; too little money is not enough to buy loyalty, while too much money is wasteful and will only inflate their appetites.

Finally, always remember that once you've risen to power, your initial winning alliance is your real threat!

When the Five Peaks Banner was first established, Mao Haifeng probably didn't intend to rebel. Times change, and power ultimately changes a person.

Wang Cheng could not possibly tell any of these things to his subordinates, nor could he hear the secrets of being a ruler from any of his subjects.

Only the ruler himself can understand and apply it.

A ruler like Emperor Shaozhi, who succeeded to the throne from a foreign branch and was still able to firmly grasp imperial power, might only appear once every few hundred or even a thousand years.

In a sense, he was also "envied by gods and ghosts" in the art of power struggles!
"You two go ahead. I'll have Master Longwei accompany you to complete the handover."

After the two men took their official documents and bid farewell to their granddaughter and daughter, they left.

Wang Cheng picked up the tea his senior sister handed him and gave a self-deprecating smile:
"The gentry of the Qingliu clan wanted to put a rope around the Tanka people and water collectors and do everything they could to prevent them from breaking free. Aren't I the same?"
Peng Laosheng's men were brave and fierce, with strong fighting capabilities, but they lacked channels for purchasing and distributing goods.

Xu Weixue's group consisted mostly of businessmen with warehouses, suppliers, and stable customers throughout the East and South China Seas, but their overall military strength was relatively weak.

Neither of them, relying solely on themselves, is like a cripple with only a crutch, unable to walk fast or far.

They must rely closely on the Donghai Kingdom to live a comfortable life.

Their position in the economic niche means they can't escape it no matter what they do; this is determined by objective factors and has nothing to do with their subjective will.

With the added safety net of children and grandchildren serving as hostages, this system should remain stable for several years.

Years later, with the divine authority returning to its own system, the Great Power will be able to fill the final gaps in my system and truly allow me to sit back and relax my grip on power.

Little did he know that after Xu Weixue left the palace...

When sending a message to her youngest son, she still did not completely give up her initial idea and maintained her path dependence of using "a thousand pieces of gold" to pave the way.

“Hostages usually serve as guards in the palace, but even if the prince takes my son as a ‘page boy,’ I can accept it.”

Anyway, I have many daughters and quite a few sons, so I can afford to compensate for one or two.

But I'm a little unsure about this gentleman's tastes.

Thinking this, he reached into his storage bag and pulled out a black and white "Dragon Yang Weeping Fish Pendant" shaped like two fish.

Legend has it that during the Warring States period, Lord Longyang was as beautiful and charming as a woman. He was favored by the King of Wei, and all the beauties in the harem paled in comparison to him.

Because his legend of "Longyang Weeping for Fish" was so famous, this treasure of the county was ultimately preserved.

Wearing the jade pendant allows one to transform into a woman, just like the legendary "transformation technique," and can freely switch between male and female forms, its mysteries are endless.

Everyone who has tried it says it tastes great.

I'll give this treasure to my youngest son; who knows, it might come in handy someday."

Fortunately, Wang Cheng's Thunder Listening skill couldn't hear the thoughts of a fifth-rank official. If he could, he would definitely pull out his Five Emperors Golden Coin Sword, which could fly a full hundred steps, and kill him with one strike!

(End of this chapter)