Chapter 1117: Great Xuan General Creates Ominous Phenomenon to Intimidate Hanjing
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At this moment, the expressions of everyone who heard those words matched Secretary Qiu’s just now.
One by one their eyes reddened!
They had been holding it in for so long.
Everything they did was sanctioned, development could only proceed bit by bit.
The reason the Great Han developed so quickly when it first rose was because everything was new, there were limits but also room, so its growth felt like flying.
In recent years the Great Han’s development had slowed down, even stagnated.
That was because there was no more space.
Otherwise, a properly developing Great Han would be far stronger than it is now!!!
There’s a saying that fits: it’s easy to go from thrift to luxury, hard to go from luxury back to thrift.
Those who experienced rapid growth in the Great Han feel suffocated and resentful every time they’re restrained!
So much energy that could have been spent elsewhere had to be used to deal with these nations.
If the Great Han wasn’t mighty enough to stand against multiple opponents without falling behind,
who knows what would have happened to the Great Han.
But at least it didn’t fall behind.
Now things were better, our reinforcements were about to arrive!
Damn it, your good days are over!
Next, the Great Han’s good days are about to begin!!!
The leaders present stopped debating.
One after another they stood up: “I’ll prepare the honor guard.”
“I’ll set up the formation!”
“I’ll clear the area!”
“I’ll notify the others to be ready!”
“I’ll sort out the procedures right away!”
“I’ll handle the miscellaneous arrangements!”
They did not question Secretary Qiu’s words, nor did they doubt the truth or stability of Lu Ding’s situation.
As long-term comrades in arms, they believed Secretary Qiu!
Because of Elder Shui’s backing, as the Great Han’s new nobility, and as meritorious officials in many areas, they believed Lu Ding!
Every nation has factions and internal divisions, open contests and secret rivalries.
The Great Han was no exception.
But in foreign affairs the Great Han always had two words: unity above all!
The Great Han didn’t ban internal fighting; only with competition could one grow. But the Great Han would never allow someone to pull the nation back at a crucial moment!
On the other side,
that Great Xuan Envoy, burning with rage after leaving, arrived at the Great Han border and stayed near the stationed Great Xuan border troops, not yet entering the country’s interior.
The moment he saw the commanding officer on duty, he complained at once!!!
“My lord, my lord, look, the Great Han people beat me — they’re barbarians, unreasonable!!!”
“I asked them politely why they suddenly changed their investment and diplomatic commitments with Great Xuan, and they angrily beat me.”
“I nearly, nearly couldn’t come back.......”
“This is a contempt for our Great Xuan.”
Seated on the high dais ahead,
the man looked at his wine cup, and as his gaze swept it, a chill crept over the cup until the entire goblet froze.
Only then did he look down at the figure below.
“Enough!”
“We grew up together, don’t I know what kind of person you are!?”
“I told you, some things need moderation, otherwise you bring disaster on yourself and deserve the consequences.”
The envoy on the ground, Kang Hong, upon hearing this, stopped yelling and causing trouble. He lifted his head with a sinister look: “What? Is General Bai blaming me?”
The general on the dais rose and slowly walked forward: “Blame you for what? I am advising you. No matter what, you are our Great Xuan’s envoy, you represent Great Xuan, you represent the king.”
“Whether you’re wrong or not, I will settle it, the king will decide — it is not for those Great Han people to take action!!”
“Come, bring me there and I will seek justice for you, let’s see whether these Great Han people can learn respect!!”
The man whipped his cloak and strode forward.
After leaving the camp, his guards followed.
The man ordered: “Muster troops, half a battalion, push into the Great Han, head straight for Hanjing!!!!”
Inside the camp, Kang Hong walked out with his hands behind his back, his expression arrogant.
And so what!?
If people take advantage and keep taking, isn’t the world like that? If he doesn’t take, how would General Bai take? If General Bai didn’t take, how would the higher-ups take!?
It’s not wrong for the king to govern strictly, but for some matters the king will turn a blind eye.
Although Great Xuan was powerful, compared with the Great Han’s system of high pay to maintain honesty and strict laws against corruption,
Great Xuan’s internal system couldn’t match the Great Han’s level of allowances and salaries from top to bottom.
But that also had to do with the larger environment.
Soon, the fully armed Great Xuan troops swept into Great Han territory.
Yet they met no warnings or resistance.
Instead, their advance was eerily smooth.
They went straight into the wide-open central gate of Hanjing.
This baffled General Bai, who asked Kang Hong beside him: “Did you change your mind? You didn’t make any harsh threats before leaving?”
Kang Hong frowned: “That’s strange. I said I’d go stir people up, is there a conspiracy by the Great Han?”
General Bai thought for a moment: “Conspiracy?”
“With a state like theirs, conspiracies can’t defeat Great Xuan’s iron cavalry; in the end strength speaks. All sorts of schemes, I will break them by force!!!!”
His gaze fell, his eyes fixed on Hanjing’s city: “People of the Great Han, come out and talk.”
As his words fell,
several figures rose up within Hanjing.
Secretary Qiu was among them. He glanced at his watch; half an hour was still a few minutes away. Knowing Lu Ding’s personality well, he knew Lu Ding usually arrived early, sometimes right on time, and never late.
Immediately,
Secretary Qiu stepped out of the crowd and stood at the forefront.
“General Bai, you rashly entered Great Han territory — are you trying to start a war with our Great Han!?”
The general laughed: “Ha ha ha ha... start a war? I don’t understand what confidence you have to make such laughable words.”
“Start a war? Does your Great Han have that capability?”
“Before me you do not kneel or show respect, you can’t even say ‘your honor’, Secretary Qiu, right?”
Secretary Qiu stood perfectly straight: “I’ll give you my true name: Qiu Lü!”
General Bai’s nod seemed to say he heard it, then: “What audacity you have!!!!!!”
His momentum burst outward, rattling the long sky; behind him the dark birds shaded the heavens, ferocity fully revealed.
The next moment,
the Lü Mountain Flying Vessel chased in.
Bang!!!!!
The dark birds exploded.
General Bai lunged forward and spat a mouthful of blood.
He turned his head and looked up, anger flaring in his eyes.
Until the terrifying shadow of the Lü Mountain Flying Vessel filled his pupils, his anger was suppressed, replaced by rising doubt.
General Bai hurriedly sank to one knee.
He clasped his fists and raised them above his head.
“Unaware that the Lü Mountain immortal masters had arrived, Bai Cheng failed to greet them upon arrival!!!”
Over a hundred figures leaped down from the flying vessel.
The Black-Robed Great-Grandmaster led Lu Ding at the forefront, coming straight to Bai Cheng.
Lu Ding produced his credentials and placed them before him: “Do you recognize what this is?”
Bai Cheng looked up in disbelief, seeing Lu Ding and the Black-Robed Elder standing together, with 749 shoulder insignias on their shoulders.
The shock and doubt in his eyes faded, replaced by fear.