They believed they had given sufficient bribes to officials and thought that even just outside King City, there must be some rule ofw. They paid taxes on time yet suffered from extortion, so they felt there should at least be a way to survive.
But the truth was cruel: despite their efforts, they still ended up with nothing—like chickens flying and eggs smashed.
"Make way! This ce now belongs to Zheng Country!" the leading officer said with a smirk, shouting without any hesitation.
This time, Zheng Tong''s order to them was to confiscate those factories and workshops, turning them all into his private property. His decree was very vague, giving his subordinates a lot of room to maneuver when carrying out his orders.
Originally, Zheng Tong had intended to conscript heavy industry workshops, including metallurgy and steel furnaces, gun and cannon foundries—to support his military preparations.
But as his subordinates executed the orders, the oue changed; profitable civilian workshops naturally suffered the same fate.
The workshop before them was just like that. They were thergest leather processing workshop near King City, boasting over 1000 craftsmen. Making money was certainly possible.
With a hastily found excuse—iming the site could be a production ce for military belts—Zheng Tong''s trusted guards appropriated the workshop for themselves.
Around King City, not a single notable workshop was spared! Vinegar brewers, salt dryers, weavers, millers—all were forcibly conscripted, turned into private property of the royal family.
Amid the chaos, Zheng Tong had thoroughly lost the hearts of the merchants this time. Zhang Ming hurried to request an audience, but Zheng Tong ignored him under the guise of another excuse, leaving the entire King City in a state of panic.
They were unaware that Linshui City had already changed rulers; they didn''t know that in many ces the Dragon Banner was already flying high. But as time passed, they would eventually find out—a storm wasing.
As Zheng Tong sent his confidants to take control of evenrger factories further afield, Zhang Ming finally got his chance to face Zheng Tong. Enjoy more content from empire
This powerful official, although a threat to Zheng Tong''s royal authority, still had some capabilities. Upon meeting, he immediately advised Zheng Tong, "Your Majesty! Doing this, I fear you may harm the people''s sentiment!"
"The country is in imminent danger! Without taking extraordinary measures, I have no other choice," Zheng Tong snorted, defending his actions.
Thinking about the intelligence reports he had gathered, Zhang Ming knew that if Zheng Tong didn''t take action now, he might never get the chance. So he nodded and didn''t pursue the matter further, speaking up, "Since Your Majesty has made a decision, your servant has nothing to add! As Your Majesty said, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures...
however, I suggest we ''invite'' Minister Pang Tong here to discuss the next steps."
He deliberately emphasized the word "invite," the implication couldn''t be clearer. First, he didn''t trust this suddenly emergent Minister Pang; second, he truly believed that since so many factories had fallen into royal hands, someone should manage and n them thoroughly.
Hearing what Zhang Ming said, Zheng Tong was somewhat pleased. In his view, at least Zhang Ming still had some patriotic spirit, so his tone softened quite a bit, "Good! Someone! Go invite Minister Pang here!"
"Your Majesty!" Before the messenger could leave, a military officer rushed in, kneeling on one knee and urgently reporting, "Just now, just now, the—Minister Pang''s residence has caught fire!"
"What?" Zheng Tong stood up abruptly from his seat, ring fiercely at his subordinate upon hearing the news.@@novelbin@@
Zhang Ming was also taken aback, then his brow furrowed—it was all too coincidental; why did Minister Pang''s house catch fire just as the operation to confiscate factories began?
"What exactly happened? Speak!" Zheng Tong also realized something was amiss, and filled with anger, he sternly demanded an exnation.
The military officer steeled his heart and spoke the truth, "Your Majesty, the—the fire was set by the Duke of the State; he—he imed that Your Majesty had been bewitched by Minister Pang, and that— that led to the confusion, to seize his—his iron factory..."
"What?" Upon hearing that it was his own rtive who, in a fit of rage, had set someone else''s house on fire, Zheng Tong waspletely stunned.
Minister Pang''s strategy to collect civilian funds to open factories was no secret, and the Duke of the State had also profited from opening an iron factory, riding on the coat-tails of the policy.
But of course, the subsequent conscription operation was confidential, which Zheng Tong would never reveal beforehand. Not many people knew about the Duke of the State''s investment in the iron factory, who had nned on quietly making a fortune... hence, the debacle urred.
In an instant, Zhang Ming couldn''t tell whether this incident was a coincidence or part of a grand conspiracy.
He approached the guard and asked, "Tell me, where is Minister Pang now? Why has he note to report this to His Majesty?"
The guard nced at Zheng Tong, lowered his head, and replied, "Responding to the Prime Minister... I also couldn''t find Minister Pang..."
"Find him immediately! I must see him alive, or his body if he''s dead!" Zheng Tong snapped out of it, mmed the table, and ordered, "Go quickly! Take as many people as needed!"
Just then, another officer stumbled in, shouting in terror, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! A telegram from Great General Li! Linshui—Linshui City... it''s lost!"
"What!" Zhang Ming was shocked beyond measure.
"What?" Zheng Tong took three steps in two to approach, snatching the telegram, and reading the contents clearly.
Originally, Zheng Tong had dispatched Li Jun to Linshui to personally oversee the seizure of thergest industrial area near Linshui Port in Zheng Country.
But who would have thought that Li Jun would hear news of Linshui being upied by Great Tang Group while on his way there?
"It''s over..." A thought shed through Zhang Ming''s mind.
"This, this..." Zheng Tong staggered, supported by a nearby guard, barely keeping his bnce.
Amidst the chaos, the war between the Great Tang Kingdom and Zheng Country broke out.
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Dragon Spirit is still recovering from illness, feeling weak, and can only update one chapter. Please forgive the sparse updates; it seems like the debt of owed chapters is growing.
Being ill, my appetite isn''t great, and because I''m not in a good mood, I had a light dinner—BBQ ribs, stewed beef, braised prawns, eggnt in soy sauce, shredded potatoes, marinated duck gizzards, stir-fried cabbage, raw fish slices, fried meatballs, and peanuts... and even drank a bottle of c...