CH 279

Rock State.

Chang Shengkai received bad news at the Governor's Mansion.

"What did you say? The security team was completely wiped out, Jiang Sheng lost contact. Didn't my ace field army send reinforcements to support them?"

Mao Renfeng lowered his head, not daring to look at the governor.

"Well, Chang, I just confirmed that the Seventh Army of the field army was ambushed halfway, completely wiped out, and the commander is missing."

"Useless!"

Chang Shengkai couldn't contain his anger and swept everything off the table.

"Useless! Useless! All useless!"

The governor's roar could be heard clearly even through the office door, and the military officers of all sizes in the corridor shrank their heads and dared not enter.

"I've said a hundred times to be cautious and careful! The situation should be reported at all times, but you have repeatedly violated my orders."

No one spoke in the corridor, only the sound of crying from several wives and ladies.

"For so many years, the army has been dragging me down. Why can't you be a little smarter, you bunch of useless people..."

The governor's angry scolding lasted a long time before it subsided, not because he calmed down, but because he received new bad news.

"Wu Zhihui's entire army was wiped out, and the residents of Ningdu County have all fled."

The office of the governor fell silent for a moment, and then a guard came out and shouted, "All officials above the county level, come in."

The office was silent, and it was not until the Chief of Staff of the Seventh Army, Hu Zong, broke the silence.

"Your Excellency, this must be the work of Changshan County. President Wu previously received reports of bandits causing trouble and resisting taxes in Ningdu County, so he led the army to suppress them."

"Yes, those bandits are actually protected by the Democratic Party of Changshan County."

This opened the floodgates, and the subordinates all began to blame Changshan County, including the rumor deliberately spread by the Council that Changshan County killed refugees.

Chang Shengkai fell silent for a moment and asked, "Renfeng, can evidence be found at the scene?"

Mao Renfeng replied, "It's difficult. Changshan County won't leave evidence to prove that they did it."

Chang Shengkai slapped the table hard, "Then it's all nonsense. They come and go as they please, and how can I raise a bunch of useless people like you?"

This was followed by a string of curses until a new message came.

"The Xingguo Granary and the Nanxing Granary were robbed! More than four thousand tons of grain were lost!"

Chang Shengkai cursed, "The little bastards dare to come and rob me..."

Director Zhang Shuangxi suddenly shouted, interrupting the governor.

"I know!"

"You know what, you little brat," the governor was angry, and the director didn't give him any face.

"Chang, I heard that Changshan County has taken in many refugees..."

Military head Bai Xishan interjected, "It's a massacre!"

"...They have been buying a lot of grain from outside for a long time, but were later restricted by the Imperial Ministry of Commerce. Maybe that's why they attacked us."

Chang Shengkai suddenly understood, "Are you saying that they really took in a lot of refugees, couldn't buy food, and had no choice but to come to me to steal grain?"

Zhang Shuangxi nodded, "That's right, otherwise it's hard to explain why they dared to commit crimes openly."

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With that said, everyone had a sudden realization. General Zhang Ling doubted, "But why did Changshan County take in so many refugees?"

"Zhonglin," Chang Shengkai smiled, "don't you understand? He's just trying to gain political capital."

"You see, in the midst of the war, he took in a large number of refugees, sheltered them from death, and saved so many people for the Empire. He gave them food, and is this not a good deed among the many heroic, kind, and compassionate deeds of the Empire? Isn't this a great achievement? Even without sending a single soldier, this county magistrate has gained a part of the fruits of victory."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone made sounds of shock.

"Oh! I see, I see!"

"So that's how it is."

"That little brat is really cunning."

"The governor is truly insightful!"

"Governor is wise!"

Chang Shengkai's mood improved a lot all of a sudden and he said, "Shuangxi, tell me all your thoughts."

Zhang Shuangxi replied, "Yes, Your Excellency."

He paused before saying, "I believe that four thousand tons of grain is not enough to alleviate Changshan County's food crisis. They will definitely come again, and as long as we wait for them, we will definitely catch them."

"Yes!" Mao Renfeng jumped up and said, "We not only need to catch them all, but also leave behind solid evidence, and then go to the highest council to accuse them. Let's see if the elders don't skin him alive!"

"Good!" Everyone clapped their hands together.

General Li Ren said, "Governor, Changshan County must still be using smuggling to buy grain. We might as well check their smuggling channels, and we might find something."

This woke up the dreamer, and Chang Shengkai immediately ordered the Economic and Logistics Director, Song Ziyuan, "Immediately investigate all our smuggling channels, and cut off all supplies involving Changshan County."

Grain is now a scarce commodity, and despite the efforts of the elder Xu Chengguo, who is in charge of the economic market, he still cannot resist the rapid rise in grain prices.Almost all the power holders within the empire were hoarding food, which further exacerbated the rise in grain prices.

Rock State was the largest grain-producing area and could not possibly hoard food in an unusual manner; otherwise, it would be directly criticized for not selling grain and maliciously manipulating the market.

They could only profit from smuggling, which was quite substantial. Rock State currently relied entirely on this income to maintain its huge military expenditure.

Therefore, as the largest grain smuggling merchant, Rock State could completely cut off Changshan County's smuggling channels unless they offered an exorbitant price. Otherwise, no one would risk offending Rock State to supply Changshan County.

Moments later, Song Ziyuan indeed reported back, "Changshan County purchases about one thousand five hundred tons of grain through smuggling every day. Now, all channels have been cut off by me; they have no grain left."

Applause erupted in the office, and to the uninformed, it might seem as if the empire had won a war.

Chang Shengkai rarely had a day of joy. Changshan County had offended him multiple times, making them his arch-enemy, as well as the arch-enemy of the Qin Clan Group.

Eliminating Changshan County also meant getting closer to the Qin Clan Group.

This was a case of killing two birds with one stone.

In his excitement, Chang Shengkai also thought of his major concern—the Rock State rebels were valiant and fearless in battle, having achieved consecutive victories.

Although their main base had been occupied by the rebels, the Hu District remained firm and impregnable. The nearby areas of Jinrui, Hefeng, and Shicheng had fallen one after another, with the rebels showing a tendency to expand outward.

What was most irritating was that the rebels had received assistance from an unknown force. Not only did a large amount of military supplies flow into their hands through unknown channels, but their combat also became more organized and experienced, to the point where even the regular imperial forces could not prevail.

"Still too many incompetents!"

Chang Shengkai cursed and personally made a call to the front line to command.

"Don't position your battalion there, General Yanxi! Move forward a hundred meters, hold the mountain pass!"

"Shift your machine gun position thirty meters to the left! If you can't even set up a proper triangular formation, how are you going to kill the enemy?"

"Do you know to hold a grenade for two seconds after pulling the pin before throwing it?"

—

East Qin Prefecture.

The Governor's Mansion.

Sheng Huaixuan was listening to the report from his chief of staff, Ling Huayue.

"...A very beautiful annihilation battle. In less than two hours between the two battles, the Changshan County forces, with less than twelve hundred troops, annihilated over four thousand men from the security brigade and a thousand from Rock State's elite field army, the Seventh Regiment, capturing at least three thousand. The brigade commander Jiang Sheng was injured by an explosion and captured, brought back to Changshan County."

Sheng Huaixuan took a deep drag of his cigarette, surrounding himself in smoke.

"That is to say, in addition to the previous two thousand nine hundred men from the joint brigade, Changshan County, with just over six hundred men, has consecutively won three battles, annihilating enemy forces totaling up to eight thousand men and capturing over four thousand prisoners?"

Ling Huayue nodded: "That's correct, Governor, we didn't see the full picture of the entire battle, but the general situation is accurate."

"What's your assessment?"

"First-rate troop leadership, superior tactical level, and demon-like battlefield intelligence work."

Sheng Huaixuan nodded, and Ling Huayue sat down. Beside him, the state political hall director Nuopesi, the interior minister Mei Xingan, the first and second commanders Dong Qianwang and Ren Qingshan, as well as many other trusted officials of the Governor's Mansion, were all present.

The state political hall director Nuopesi stood up, setting the tone for the entire event.

"This is a great defeat for Rock State, and a great victory for us."

Everyone applauded, and Li Yuchen, standing next to the governor, clapped vigorously with a flushed face.

After the applause subsided, Sheng Huaixuan spoke, "Have the movements of Rock State's new army been investigated clearly?"

Mei Xingan coughed a few times and laughed, "It's been investigated clearly. They plan to set up an ambush at Little Twin Mountains."

"Is the Huaiyin River channel open?"

Ren Qingshan, who had returned to his original post as the second commander, replied, "Reporting to the Governor, it's open. The officials in the Huaiyin River area are all in cahoots, greedy and lecherous, easily taken care of."

"What about the other resistance organizations?"

Nuopesi said, "The remnants of the Agricultural Prosperity Association have followed Lin Wen to Changshan County; their power in Rock State has been completely eradicated."

"The Progressive Association and the New China Society are also in a dire situation; they are entangled by Mao Renfeng's spies."

Sheng Huaixuan was about to ask more when the chief secretary Cheng Hexin burst in.

"Mr. Shouren is here!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone in the governor's office stood up, including Sheng Huaixuan. He strode out the door, smiling and shaking hands with a middle-aged man in his forties.

"Mr. Shouren, I've been waiting for you for a long time. Please come in."

The man smiled politely, "You're too kind, Governor Sheng, let's go inside."

"Please."

The moment he stepped through the door, everyone shouted.

"Welcome to the revolutionary leader, Mr. Chang Shouren."