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Fengzhou City

In the market square, a play of executing nobles was happening. The square was crowded with common people who used to fear these nobles but now were happy to see them punished.

"Okay."

When another person lost their head, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Lin Jiang, watching from a nearby tavern with other high-ranking officials, said. See that? The common people, they are both smart and foolish. They are like a river, flowing aimlessly. If we build dams, they will flow within limits.

"Sir, the nobles and wealthy residents in the city have been taken care of. Their riches have been confiscated for the army. What should we do with their shops and houses?"

"Distribute the land to the poor, give the houses to the poor, we will manage the shops ourselves. The army needs its own source of income. Also, ensure that the military officers are not allowed to reside in private residences."

Lin Jiang insisted on keeping the shops to promote state-owned economy, as it had many benefits. Additionally, Lin Jiang prohibited the military from becoming corrupt.

The core of the army were once migrants, all of them poor. Suddenly taking control of a large city like Feng State could easily lead them astray with temptations. Therefore, Lin Jiang was strict on military discipline during this time to prevent rapid corruption.

"Sir, with your ambitious vision, the army should understand."

"Even if you don’t understand, you still need to understand. Tell the people below that if the rebels sweep the world, the truly worry-free days will come. I won’t be stingy with high positions and wealth, but not now."

Lin Jiang said that when he was the Emperor Xia before, he was never stingy. The rewards that should be given were always timely, but it’s not time yet.

"Yes, sir."

"Do we have any news from the people going to Daizhou State?"

"Not yet, but considering the time, King Dai should give a reply soon, probably in a few days."

"Okay, get our men ready. No matter how Daizhou State responds, our plan cannot change. We must take control of the Feng StateSix Commanderies and Twenty Three Prefectures within three months."

Lin Jiang mentioned that they currently only controlled about one-seventh of Feng State’s territory. There are still many areas they haven’t taken over, all under the influence of local powerful figures, and Lin Jiang won’t miss out on them.

He must conquer Feng State first, then after two to three years of preparations, he will sweep the world directly. It may take a few more years to consolidate before advancing north. Without training many Martial Arts Masters, it’s uncertain if they can defeat the Demon Humans.

Tian Xiong also returned from Qishan Prefecture. Fengzhou City is the center of Feng State, naturally to be focused on. Tian Xiong’s military skills aren’t impressive, but he does well in the internal affairs. He progresses quickly. Lin Jiang entrusts Tian Xiong and the strategist with significant responsibilities to handle most matters in Fengzhou City.

Lin Jiang is responsible for the army, focusing on improving their martial arts skills, while Qin Yong is in charge of training the army.

Particularly for the military officers, many of them come from reputable families with their own martial arts backgrounds. With Lin Jiang’s guidance, their martial arts skills are rapidly improving.

Lin Jiang’s schedule for the army is full – studying in the morning, training in the afternoon, extra practice in the evening, and attending lectures at night. Under Lin Jiang’s guidance, the army is highly praised in Fengzhou City.

A few days later, a messenger returned with King Dai’s approval of all of Lin Jiang’s requests, appointing him as the General of Feng State with authority over taxes and personnel.

Upon hearing the news, other factions in Feng State were dismayed as the court not only didn’t send troops to quell them, but also recognized Lin Jiang’s authority.

Lin Jiang’s morale soared as the news spread. Northern nobles, previously reluctant to accept his rule, now came forward due to the court’s approval.

Even the scholars and warriors from smaller families began to accept the authority of the Zhenguo Army, understanding the power of tradition.

The rebel army transformed into the Zhenguo Army of Chen Kingdom under Lin Jiang’s leadership, issuing orders for officials of Feng State to meet him in Fengzhou City within a month or be considered traitors.

Lin Jiang anticipated that some officials would not comply, so the army continued daily training in Fengzhou City.

One month passed, but none of the main officials from the other six counties and twenty-one prefectures of the Feng State had arrived in Fengzhou City. Instead, they sent some deputies, but it was unclear if this had been agreed upon.

Lin Jiang didn’t meet any of these deputies. He immediately gathered ten thousand elite soldiers and began the conquest. When they reached a county town, Lin Jiang attacked it directly without even giving them a chance to surrender. He didn’t want to show any mercy; if they surrendered, he would still punish them.

In Feng State, there was only one Martial Saint, who had escaped from Fengzhou City earlier. Without the Martial Saint, no one could stop Lin Jiang. He demolished the county town, eliminated most of the officials inside, and left some to govern the town. However, Lin Jiang took away all the military forces from the town, leaving behind a thousand of his own men.

Lin Jiang didn’t bother with the towns below; his plate was too small to handle such a vast territory. He decided to leave them for now.

As they continued attacking other counties and prefectures, by the time they captured the third one, the remaining officials in the cities were frightened, and they sent envoys to beg for mercy.

This time, Lin Jiang didn’t mistreat them. Instead, he told the envoys to inform their lords that within three months, they must submit their resignation to Daizhou State. Lin Jiang allowed them to leave Feng State with their families and personal belongings, but they had to wait for Lin Jiang’s people to escort them before leaving.

The main officials were outsiders and could run away, but the noble families were not allowed to. They were Lin Jiang’s targets. Although commoners didn’t have much wealth, the nobles, especially those long-standing families with centuries of accumulated wealth, held a different status in Lin Jiang’s eyes.

The noble families, helpless against Lin Jiang, resorted to their final strategy: tarnishing his reputation. Within a few months, a large number of poems and essays appeared, full of negative terms to smear Lin Jiang’s image like tyrant, cruel, incompetent, and more. Perhaps in some uninformed regions, these writings could influence the public opinion.

However, in Feng State, the people gradually leaned towards Lin Jiang. He not only distributed land to the poor and assisted disaster victims but also cracked down on corruption, executing many corrupt officials, clearing numerous wrongful cases, and abolishing unreasonable taxes. The people, though not very clever, saw the improving living conditions day by day.

As time passed, more and more people who had received short-term training from the Zhenguo Army began serving as officials at different levels, and Lin Jiang had firmly gained control over Feng State.

"The main taxes in Xia were still collected as usual, but all other miscellaneous taxes were abolished. Internal supervisory teams were established to rigorously investigate corruption."

"For now, we don’t need to deal with those wealthy landlords in the countryside on a large scale, but we shouldn’t go easy on them either. Strict interest taxes should be implemented, and usurious practices should be abolished."

"Strict collection of business taxes is required, and adding a little more won’t hurt. Tax exemptions for the nobles should be abolished completely."

"Paying taxes to Daizhou State? Forget it, all taxes will be intercepted and retained. Half will be used to support the military, and the other half for improving people’s livelihoods. You decide how to proceed."

"Continue recruiting soldiers, continue training administrative talents. By the end of the year, train another fifty thousand elite soldiers and one hundred thousand administrative personnel, all meeting the qualifications of junior officials. Next spring, we will target Taizhou State."

In the summer, Lin Jiang issued many decrees, such as tax collection. The agricultural taxes imposed by each dynasty were very low, but the common people still suffered due to numerous miscellaneous taxes and official corruption, which needed to be addressed.

Additionally, the nobles and landlords, like those involved in usury, were the main causes of poverty among ordinary people.

After completing these tasks, Lin Jiang turned his attention to Taizhou State nearby. If it weren’t for the concern of managing the conquered territory, Lin Jiang would have acted sooner. Now, let him be casual for another six months.