radicalducati Page 672
Page 672
As for Meng Tian?
After learning that Meng Tian had been rescued by the Zhang family, Li Si abandoned his plan to assassinate Meng Tian.
Meng Tian was crucial to the stability of the north. Killing Meng Tian would not only offend the imperial army stationed in the north, but also the Zhang family, which would be a losing proposition.
With a three-year grace period, the Luo Wang network will be in place, making the assassination of Meng Tian a piece of cake.
On the contrary, it was Zhang Xiaoshan's prediction that the empire would collapse within three years that worried Zhao Gao.
Zhang Xiaoshan had anticipated some of the things that were going to happen.
Even his opportunity to break through to the Grandmaster level was like this, a destiny second only to one person and above ten thousand.
Zhao Gao vaguely sensed that his breakthrough to the Grandmaster level had happened in the short term.
Add to that the saying, "Heaven's way is with Zhou, and the one who will destroy Qin is Hu," which was a prophecy from eighteen years ago, and it was told to Zhang Xiaoshan by the Bad Commander.
Zhao Gao had no doubt about the strategist's methods.
If he hadn't suffered a great loss at the hands of Zhang Xiaoshan, he would surely have had a place as the future leader of the Bad Guys.
Thinking of a way to break the deadlock, Zhao Gao remembered something left behind by the Dragon Emperor—
The Dragon Ball of Fortune and the Twelve Golden Men.
By mastering the Dragon Ball of Destiny, one has the opportunity to change their fate. The Twelve Golden Men are top-tier mechanical beasts modeled after the Demon God of Weapons, each comparable to or even surpassing the Azure Dragon of the Mo Family.
At that time, the twelve golden men will be able to kill gods and Buddhas alike if they stand in their way.
People naturally believe in good fortune, which is just a nice-sounding saying;
As for the number of calamities, there are countless people who want to defy the heavens and are confident in doing so, and Zhao Gao is one of them.
···
"As expected, the Celestial Realm, break through!"
The deepest part of the Luowang Zhaoyu prison.
At this moment, Zhao Gao's body was filled with a powerful aura that raged like dragons and snakes, while the crimson true qi between his eyebrows shone like the blazing sun, enveloping his spirit.
The true qi cultivated by Zhao Gao was not much different from that of the Sunflower Manual. In addition, the wedding dress divine skill was extremely yang. The true qi was mainly yang, but it also carried a trace of evil charm. It was definitely a precursor to the Sunflower Manual.
However, what Zhao Gao craved was power.
His upbringing instilled in him an extreme obsession with power.
Therefore, Zhao Gao had long since cultivated his true qi to the perfect state. When he received the Divine Skill of the Wedding Dress, his power increased greatly, but he still had not broken through that bottleneck.
After Huhai ascended the throne, Li Si controlled external affairs and Zhao Gao controlled internal affairs, wielding immense power.
Having tasted the satisfaction that power brings, Zhao Gao's (Zhao Haohao's) bottleneck in his cultivation finally showed a flaw, so Zhao Gao announced that he would go into seclusion to break through to the Grandmaster level.
Once Zhao Gao breaks through to the Grandmaster level, his abundant true qi, combined with the various 'nutrients' he had previously accumulated, will allow him to directly reach the strength of a top-tier Grandmaster.
This might be a perk for the villainous boss.
Even so, Zhao Gao didn't dare to provoke the Zhang family.
Regardless of the number of Grandmasters or Zhang Xiaoshan's Celestial Realm, unless Zhao Gao is completely out of his mind, he wouldn't provoke the Zhang family.
Moreover, the Zhang family has always maintained a neutral stance.
The banquet celebrating Hu Hai's ascension to the throne, featuring all sorts of top-tier luxury goods, was funded by the Zhang family.
Moreover, the supply and demand of military equipment, steel, and tribute have doubled due to the establishment of the western base.
Therefore, on the advice of Zhao Gao and Li Si, Hu Hai enfeoffed the Zhang family as the King of Donghai, making them the only non-royal kings in the Qin Empire, with their fiefdoms including the Guanwai Plain, Goguryeo, and Dongyinghuai.
Chapter 803 Zhang Sheng's Marriage - Lü Su of Pei County
The King of the East Sea, a king of a different surname in the Great Qin Dynasty!
The East China Sea is vast, encompassing not only Korea and Japan, but also Yizhou Island, the Ryukyu Islands... and even the Pacific Ocean is the Zhang family's backyard.
The fiefdom granted to a king is larger than that of an empire.
However, the Zhang family was originally the King of the East Sea. The title of King of the East Sea in the empire was merely nominal. The Zhang family's true fiefdom was actually the land outside the Great Wall.
Moreover, the Zhang family's investments in the three provinces outside the Great Wall will eventually be theirs.
But with the empire's investiture, the Zhang family could now develop openly and legitimately.
Within their territory, apart from the officials who were officially dispatched by the empire, the Zhang family were essentially the local tyrants beyond the Great Wall.
As for the restrictions on being granted the title of king?
If Zhang Xiaoshan doesn't give the empire face, he can be ignored; if he does give the empire face, then on the surface, development should proceed according to regulations, and privately, there's no need to concern oneself with him.
It can be said that this imperial bestowal granted the Zhang family immense power.
Especially the enfeoffment system; this was the first king of a different surname after the empire unified the nine provinces, and he was also the King of Donghai, who held real power in the enfeoffment.
Even Meng Tian, who lived beyond the Great Wall, never expected that the empire would pay such a huge price to win over the Zhang family.
However, as everyone could guess, Hu Hai's ascension to the throne was illegitimate, and he needed to win over the Zhang family to maintain appearances.
Even Zhao Gao was just an ordinary person.
Although the Zhang family wiped out three of Luo Wang's top assassins, this also made Luo Wang even more hesitant to offend the Zhang family.
It is terrifying that a mere ghost palace master from beyond the Great Wall possesses such formidable strength.
Even the High Priestess of Loulan has broken through to the Grandmaster level, making her an unparalleled queen in the Western Regions.
Moreover, the Zhang family also has ranches in the north, caravans and Dajue Temple in the South Seas, and Xiaoleiyin Temple and Yingcheng in the East China Sea. These are all branches of the Zhang family that have entered the threshold of top-level or transcendent power, and are hegemon-level existences.
Not to mention the Zhang family's true foundation, their mysterious base deep within the East China Sea.
At this moment, stabilizing the Zhang family is Zhao Gao's most important task.
A gentleman's revenge is never too late.
At least Zhang Xiaoshan promised that as long as the empire exists, the Zhang family will remain unmoved.
Giving the Zhang family a title of "King of a Different Surname" would be more conducive to stabilizing them.
If the Zhang family were to rebel, not only would they be branded as traitors, but they would also be branded as faithless and treacherous.
You should know that the title of a king of a different surname in the empire is an immense favor.
Even if Hu Hai acts recklessly, the Zhang family cannot immediately rebel against him unless they abandon their decades-long reputation.
···
"What a grand gesture!"
(bjca) But why not take advantage of this opportunity?
Zhang Xiaoshan, who received the imperial appointment, was also surprised by Zhao Gao's actions.
However, Zhang Xiaoshan did not refuse. Although this seemed to tie him to the empire, Zhang Xiaoshan had no intention of overthrowing the empire.
When the empire falls, the Zhang family's entry into the pass will naturally be legitimate.
Moreover, having this title of "King of a Different Surname" makes things easier for the Zhang family.
The Zhang family can openly and legitimately provide the greatest convenience to the bustling, high-intensity construction in the plains outside the Great Wall.
This period also marked three years of accumulation for the Zhang family.
Store up grain, build high walls, and delay declaring yourself king!
This is the nine-character mantra for plotting to usurp the throne.
Moreover, with Shanhaiguan Pass serving as a natural barrier, the Zhang family's influence in Yanjing was such that they could both attack and defend.
Zhang Xiaoshan, after becoming the King of Donghai, did not become arrogant. Instead, he wrote a letter to Manager Song—
He built his own palace on the site of the former Later Jin capital, Shangjing; he established a cabinet headed by Wan Sanqian to manage the plains beyond the Great Wall, responsible for the economy and taxation, serving as the core of the Donghai Prince's Palace; and he selected three thousand warriors, modeled after the Iron Pagoda, to serve as the palace's guards...
Overall, the plains outside the pass were governed by a separation of powers, as Zhang Xiaoshan had planned.
The imperial prefects held administrative and law enforcement powers, the royal cabinet held economic management powers, and, most importantly, military power beyond the Great Wall.
On the surface, administrative and military power were entirely in the hands of the empire, while the Zhang family only had economic management power, thus giving the empire ample face.
However, in reality, despite the clear separation of the three powers, they were all in Zhang Xiaoshan's hands.
After all, the Zhang family is not independent of the empire, so they naturally cannot be too arrogant.
However, within the Zhang family's territory, unless the prefect is an idiot, no one will oppose the Zhang family.
The Zhang family provided the food, supplies, and benefits to the imperial troops stationed there. As for which side they chose, the supervisors and generals were merely appointed by the empire.
···
"Young master, we've reached Pei County."
Pei County!
Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, led a few brothers from Pei County to slay a white snake and start a rebellion.
Zhang Xiaoshan's visit to Pei County was not intended to eliminate Liu Ji, who had returned to Pei County to avoid trouble.
Instead, based on Zhang Sheng's letter, he came here to discuss the marriage with the woman's family, so naturally Zhang Xiaoshan, the "old father," needed to step in.
At this time, Zhang Sheng, who was nineteen years old, was also of marriageable age.
However, the person who was in love with Zhang Sheng was no ordinary person.
According to Zhang Sheng's letter, it is unknown whether it was a coincidence or a preordained match.
However, on his way to Sanghai City, Zhang Sheng encountered a family being robbed by bandits and rescued them.
Undoubtedly, the hero rescuing the damsel in distress is the most romantic and heart-stirring encounter.
And so, during the escort along the way, Zhang Sheng and the youngest daughter of the man, Lü Su, fell in love and even prepared to discuss marriage.
As Zhang Sheng's parent, Zhang Xiaoshan did not object to Zhang Sheng's free choice in love.
Even if they were a good match, given the Zhang family's social standing, they would still be considered a powerful and influential family or even a royal princess.
However, Zhang Xiaoshan had no such intention, or rather, he didn't need to.
"Are we there yet?"
Zhang Xiaoshan poked his head out, causing a commotion.
At this time, the appearance of the dragon-elephant horse in Pei County had already alarmed the local officials and gentry.
The Dragon Elephant Steed is no secret in Kyushu, but it is basically controlled by the Empire and the Zhang family.
One was trained as a heavily armored cavalryman, while the other was merely a drugged horse for hauling goods.
However, due to their scarcity, a single dragon-elephant steed entering the market is worth a fortune.
For no other reason than its extraordinary size and the legend of its dragon-elephant power.
Of course, the most important thing is their scarcity.
Unfortunately, apart from the Zhang family, who were able to successfully raise the dragon steeds, other forces that obtained them generally died of old age and illness within a few years.
"father!"
Suddenly, a startling greeting rang out.
To everyone's surprise, a young man dressed in a brocade black robe and holding an ancient divine sword slowly approached the boy and bowed respectfully.
A father and son, only two or three years apart in age?
But judging from Zhang Xiaoshan's expression and Zhang Sheng's extraordinary demeanor, everyone realized that the newcomer was no ordinary person; he was well-preserved and seemed to defy aging.
"Liu Ze, the magistrate of Pei County, pays his respects to Your Highness!"
Chapter 804 The Destiny of an Empress
The Lü residence!
Originally the host's head, Zhang Xiaoshan now firmly holds the reins.
Zhang Xiaoshan's purpose in coming here was merely to arrange a marriage. The magistrate of Pei County's address of "Your Highness" completely revealed Zhang Xiaoshan's true identity.
The only non-royal king of the Great Qin Empire, with a dragon-elephant steed and a ten-thousand-year-old sandalwood chariot, and a well-maintained youthful appearance, how could those local gentry not know who the newcomer was when they came to their senses?