Chapter 63: Chapter 63 The Emperor Has Died_1
After Luo Yong returned to Luo Family’s territory in Qingshi Town,
he went to the location of Blackwind Stockade’s lair to conduct a thorough search.
However, to his disappointment,
aside from some refugees who had been forcefully abducted by bandits,
a small amount of gold and silver, and supplies such as grain that weren’t very plentiful,
there seemed to be no other useful items left in the old lair of Blackwind Stockade.
Luo Yong had thought that even if Blackwind Stockade’s assets weren’t as abundant as those of the Zhao Family,
they should at least amount to one-third, or at the very least one-fifth of the Zhao Family’s wealth, right?
But as it turned out, it was not even one percent.
“Tsk, they’re really damn poor!”
Luo Yong couldn’t help but curse aloud in the middle of Blackwind Stockade.
“General, what should we do next?”
“What about these refugees?”
“Are we going to take them back?”
Standing next to Luo Yong, a deputy general asked in a low voice.
“What do you mean ‘are we going to take them back’?” Luo Yong glanced at his deputy with a bit of helplessness and said quietly, “Of course we’re going to take them back. Otherwise, should we leave them here to die?”
“Even though we have just slaughtered ten thousand bandits from Blackwind Stockade, we are not heartless and cruel people, are we?”
“Besides, they’re just refugees. What could they possibly do to turn the situation upside down?”
“Alright, I’ll leave the handling of the next steps to you.”
“I’m leaving now!”
After speaking, Luo Yong twisted his neck, loosened his muscles, and walked away from Blackwind Stockade on his own.
The lair of Blackwind Stockade, although not small, was in quite a dilapidated state.
Moreover, due to some mismanagement,
there was always a strange odor wafting through Blackwind Stockade.
This made Luo Yong feel somewhat uncomfortable.
…
After resolving the issue with Blackwind Stockade, the Luo Family in Qingshi Town no longer faced any restrictions.
Eventually, the Luo Family in Qingshi Town began to experience a period of rapid development.
As time went on, the number of refugees flowing into Qingshi Town each day gradually increased.
However, it didn’t matter.
The Luo Family in Qingshi Town took in all the refugees,
no matter how many there were.
Regardless, whether it was for mining the Qingshi veins, expanding the town, repairing the walls, or opening up farmland to plant grain after the winter,
all these tasks required a significant amount of labor.
And most importantly,
all these refugees needed was a place to shelter from the wind and rain,
and a bowl of hot rice.
As for what’s called a wage?
What wage?
You’re refugees and you still want to be paid?
In this era, being alive was already quite good.
The Luo Family in Qingshi Town provides you with food, drink, and lodging — they are already one of the few great benefactors in this world.
If it were someone else, they would certainly exploit you to death.
They’d only give you one meal a day at most.
And if you died? No problem!
Just bring in a new batch of refugees and continue the exploitation.
After all, in this chaotic world, there’s no shortage of anything except refugees, who are everywhere.
You can easily capture a large group of them with just a few sentries.
…
The Luo Family did not deliberately conceal the fall of Blackwind Stockade.
Even if the Luo Family wished to hide it,
they probably couldn’t fool the intelligence system of the King of Huai Shui.
Therefore, on the third day after the fall of Blackwind Stockade, Feng Wentai, the King of Huai Shui seated in Huai Shui County, had already been informed of the news of its destruction.
“Prince, Blackwind Stockade has now been vanquished.”
“Regarding the Luo Family in Qingshi Town, what are your plans for them next?”
In the center of Huai Shui County, within the most bustling residence adorned with two jade lion statues at the entrance,
Feng Wentai, the King of Huai Shui, was silently reclining in a Taishi Chair.
In the courtyard, basking in the sun.
“Blackwind Stockade has been destroyed?”
Upon hearing this, Feng Wentai couldn’t help but slightly open his eyes.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
The fall of Blackwind Stockade was indeed somewhat beyond his expectations.
However, for a small fortress like that,
he had at least a couple more under his control.
If he were to make a fuss every time a small fortress he supported fell, how could he properly rule as the King of Huai Shui?
How could he compete with the large grain merchant, the Tang Family, and the established Chen Family within Huai Shui County?
“I am aware of this matter,” he said.
“A mere Qingshi Town Luo Family is not worth worrying about.”
Having said this, Feng Wentai once again closed his eyes, silently enjoying the rare sunlight of early winter.
The old servant beside Feng Wentai, having received his master’s response,
bowed his head slightly and quietly disappeared from the courtyard.
…
In the blink of an eye, another three days had passed.
After the extermination of Blackwind Stockade,
the development of Qingshi Town began to quicken even more.
Indeed, it seemed as if it changed every single day.
As the Luo Family’s reputation for being charitable and benevolent gradually spread, the number of refugees pouring into Qingshi Town each day increased yet again.
As of today, even Luo Ping, the current Family Head of the Luo Family,
was somewhat unclear about the exact population within Qingshi Town.
One hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand?
No, no, no, it should be more than that.
Perhaps it even exceeds three hundred thousand.
Regardless of the exact number,
the expansion of Qingshi Town must be scheduled sooner.
…
Time flew by swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, another three days had passed.
As Luo Changfeng diligently worked on improving his cultivation,
as Luo Ping began to research how to expand Qingshi Town,
as Luo Yong underwent a second military expansion, seemingly in preparation for increasing the Luo Family’s territorial reach,
a shocking event that stunned countless people across the Da Feng Dynasty suddenly occurred.
The Emperor of the Da Feng Dynasty had passed away.
Logically, upon the Emperor’s demise, the Crown Prince should succeed the throne.
But because the power of the maternal families of the Second Prince, Third Prince, Fourth Prince, and Fifth Prince was excessively formidable,
and because the forces behind these princes also intended to fight for that supreme throne,
what was a barely maintainable Da Feng Dynasty completely collapsed at this moment.
…
“A dynasty that existed for over a thousand years is just gone?”
Qingshi Town, Luo Family Ancestral Land.
In the courtyard where the Ancestor of the Luo Family resided,
Luo Changfeng, who sat under the Stone Pavilion sipping tea and savoring life, couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
He had thought that even if the Da Feng Dynasty was in decline, it should at least endure a few more years.
But who could have anticipated that the old emperor of the Da Feng Dynasty would just die outright?
The princes are now nearly coming to blows over the succession.
This situation is somewhat preposterous.
However, upon reflection,
things might not be so straightforward after all.
If the Da Feng Dynasty could exist for so long and control such a vast empire,
there should undoubtedly be some old monsters hidden within the Imperial Palace, right?
So as long as those old monsters in the Imperial Palace haven’t died out,
the rule of the Da Feng Dynasty will remain as solid as Mount Tai.
The current chaos is just a temporary disorder.