Bad News
Chapter 81 – Bad News
February 28th.
Reports from the capital arrived in Julu. Emperor Ling was dead, and Liu Ping was next in line for the throne. The coronation ceremony was set on June 15th.
Zhang Jiao, Lu Zhi, Tong, and all officials were in the government hall. All of them had different kinds of expression. Zhang Jiao was indifferent toward the royalties, so he did not mind who would sit on the throne.
The officials were in a panic. They had secretly expanded their intelligence network into nearby cities and obtained information about the Blood Prince Liu Ping. The crown prince was not someone who seemed to be benevolence or suitable to sit on the throne. They expected chaos to happen within the capital soon.
Meanwhile, Tong and Lu Zhi had a solemn face. The prince dared to kill his two brothers, so the emperor's death was just a matter of time. However, the prince made this move way faster than they had estimated, and it caught them off guard.
They were listening to the discussion of the officers, then Tong recalled the Soulmate Quest content.
…
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**Soulmate Mission No.2**
The chaos is about to begin! You know what will happen in the future, right?
It's about time that you develop a good base to prepare for the upcoming disasters.
Clear Condition:
- Occupied Ye City and Julu City. Other cities are optional.
- Protect the cities from the invaders until the time limit runs out.
- Make at least 50% of your citizens happy.
- Zhang Tong and Hua Shi must participate in this mission together.
Failure Condition:
- One or more of the cities is not under your control when the time limit exceeded.
- Zhang Tong or Hua Shi did not participate in this mission.
Clearing Reward:
- 100,000 Lifespans for completing the main objective.
- 20,000 Lifespans for killing an enemy general.
- 20 Lifespan for killing each enemy soldier.
- 10,000 Lifespans for each city controlled. The reward is given annually.
- One shopping ticket for each city controlled. The reward is given annually.
- One Lifespan for each happy population each year. The reward is given annually.
- One shopping ticket if more than half of your population is happy. The reward is given annually.
Time Limit: Midnight, December 31st, 190 A.D.
Mission Failure: Soulmate Contract will be nullified and one of you will die.
System Note: As usual, you have to kill the soldiers or the generals yourself to get the reward.
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…
The system never gave out a quest which was unrelated to the quest takers, so there should be a reason behind this mission.
'If this Liu Ping is actually Ping, and he knew who I am or where I am, what will he do?'
Tong's frown deepened. There was no need to question himself or put himself into his shoes. That "Ping" would definitely declare him as a rebel or would give out an edict to eradicate his family.
Thinking up to this point, Tong asked Lu Zhi.
"Master, in Luo Yang and nearby cities and counties, how many soldiers can the emperor or the grand commander rally in short amount of time?"
Lu Zhi stopped thinking and looked at Tong. He did not understand why Tong suddenly asked him about the imperial inside information, yet he answered him nonetheless.
"If it's an urgent mobilization within a month or two, He Jin, Zhu Jun, and Huangfu Song can have 20,000 to 50,000 men on each unit. But if they thoroughly plan the deployment beforehand and take more times, they can dispatch up to 200,000 soldiers. They can get more if they recruit more men from Chang An."
"About those soldiers, are they conscripted militias or professional soldiers?"
"In the Capital, they don't conscript militias. All of them are trained soldiers. But if they are serious and those eunuchs don't get in the way, the emperor himself can gather up over 500,000 soldiers and militias with just an edict."
The face of Tong lost all of its colors. The power of the royal capital was insane! Just relying on one city and nearby counties, they could round up 500,000 soldiers if they wanted to. Then what would happen if they were smart enough to form a crusading army that conscripted volunteers as they marched forward? Would not the number reach a million?
"If the emperor chose the latter option to gather half a million soldiers, how long will it take to deploy if they want to attack Julu?"
Lu Zhi stared at Tong in confusion. Why did he suddenly bring up this topic, and why would the new emperor attack Julu?
"The royal treasury is abundant with gold and treasures. The granaries are always filled up to the brim. If they are serious in taking this city down, three months will be enough to gather 200,000 elites, six months if they conscript more militias. Heck, if they are smart and take their times for a year, a million elites army is even possible. And from the capital to here, they will spend another two months of marching."
Tong's heart skipped a beat. He thought that the fight with Guo Dian and his coalition forces were harsh. Comparing to the situation at hand, if he had to fight with Liu Ping and this massive army with his puny force, the last battle would be nothing but a joke.
'My dad in the history had 360,000 followers against half a million army. But I only have 20,000 soldiers right now. Will he launch an attack after the coronation right away? Will he order the nearby warlords to attack me? Fudge! Why does it feel like a déjà vu!?'
Tong's thought was in a mess because of the panic. He gazed into the distance as he lost in thought.
"Why do you ask me this? Why would the new emperor attack you? Did you steal his wife or something?"
Lu Zhi asked Tong which made him snapped out of his random thoughts.
Tong smiled at his master awkwardly as he answered.
"It's just a hunch, master. Just a hunch."
"…"
Lu Zhi could tell by Tong's expression and his subtle movements, Tong was hiding something from him.
'It doesn't matter. He has his own worries. I have mine.'
Lu Zhi gave up trying to ask Tong about his motives. He was more worried about the fate of the Han Dynasty.
'I hope nothing would happen to this country. I truly hope for its peace and prosperity.'
…
…
The morning council meeting was over. Before Zhang Jiao could leave the hall, Tong stopped him.
"What's wrong, son?"
"Dad, I need your help."
Zhang Jiao was delighted. Tong came to him and asked for his help. He was glad that there was something that Tong could not do and had to rely on him for once. He had been feeling inferior to his own son after the incident with the Yuan family. It was about time that he could act more like a father to Tong.
"Go ahead. Tell me your problem. I'll do what I can to help you."
Tong nodded and started narrating his plan for the future of Ye City and Zhang He whom he had planted into Han Fu's rank as a mole.
"There you have it. I need your help from your underground society or something to infiltrate Ye City for both info and establishing the influence within the city. I need to know how Zhang He fares. Also, I need to know the status and activities of Ju Shou and Xin Ping. What position are they holding now and is there anything worthy to take notes of."
The eyebrows of Zhang Jiao twitched. This brat thought too far ahead that Zhang Jiao could not keep up with Tong. Furthermore, the secret organization that he found had already been discovered. Thinking about its name, Zhang Jiao was embarrassed.
Still, he was capable of helping his son in this matter. This organization was designed by Hua Shi for expanding the influence in secret and gathering information as its core. Therefore, it was easy for him.
"Alright, I'll help you on this. But take care of yourself. I've been seeing you staggering back home lately. Don't push yourself too hard and be easy on your schedule. It's not like anyone is going to die if you don't work for a day. Take a break sometimes, understand?"
Tong nodded in earnest, yet he bid his father farewell and rushed to the outer city. He had to inspect the construction sites of the "Wall-Marked" and "Swing-Eleven" buildings and several factories he designed. They were crucial for the commercial development of this city and would be the role models for the other cities and counties under his control in the future.
Seeing that Tong did not listen to his advice, Zhang Jiao shook his head. Instead of getting angry for his eccentric son, he chuckled. Afterward, he followed his subordinates to his office. He, too, would never take a day off. Building an empire for every commoner was his dream, he swore that he would not lose to Tong's enthusiasm.