Chapter 9, Taking the Initiative

Let these people know that they are not fighting for an abstract cause, but for themselves and their own future, and they will naturally fight bravely. Binding everyone's interests together is the best means of governance

In addition, if we remove Hu Xiaozhai, our northern front will be backed by the Youlong River, facing south for defense; we will no longer have to worry about being attacked from both the front and the rear

Xiao Hao spoke while surveying his surroundings

Moreover, crossbows are not inferior, and their manufacturing is relatively simple, with a complete foundation in craftsmanship, making it easy to train artisans

Great! Come back tonight for the celebration banquet! Xiao Shilong is also determined not to fall behind

As soon as Xiao Hao left, Xiang Er chuckled and carefully opened Xiao Hao's room door; as a maid, she had taken care of Xiao Hao's daily life since childhood—although many times it was Xiao Hao who took care of this clumsy little girl, Xiang Er indeed had the right to open Xiao Hao's room at any time

Moreover, even if it were developed, not many people would use it; the power of early technological development was not that formidable. It was not uncommon for infantry armed with firearms to be chased around by cavalry in those days. Logistics and technical personnel were enough to give even the greatest leaders a headache.

Technology is merely a way of thinking, and it does not necessarily have to be represented by large ships, cannons, machine guns, or missiles. In this regard, Xiao Hao possesses a unique understanding.

At this moment, Xiao Shilong and Li Yulong, these two dragons, are indeed in a time of shallow discourse. The two are seated opposite each other, and the tea has already gone cold; meanwhile, some people around them are quietly observing. Occasionally, someone enters, presumably to seek some information, but upon entering, everyone consciously stands at the back without speaking, making it very clear—let's not discuss the information here, as it would only lead to anger among us.

The Youlong River flows through the upper part of the triangle, and there are two small towns on the opposite bank. However, due to the obstruction of the Youlong River and the surrounding high mountains, they can only communicate with the outside world by boat, resulting in relative poverty

It is said that if one does not act for oneself, heaven and earth will punish them. Standing at the height of another era, Xiao Hao at www.hetushu.com understands very well that the strongest relationships are not based on righteousness or familial affection, but rather on interests! When interests are combined with familial affection and other factors, they become truly unbreakable

Young Master, the Master has been looking for you for an hour already. As soon as Xiang'er saw Xiao Hao come out, she hurriedly spoke up

However, along this journey, Xiao Hao has also come to understand what kind of abilities he has gained, enabling him to roughly assess a person's health condition. For instance, he can categorize health into six states: healthy, sub-healthy, minor issues, serious, very serious, and dying, with every two states representing a level. Additionally, he can generally discern that most ordinary people's health conditions are predominantly sub-healthy, while those who practice martial arts are mostly healthy, with some even exhibiting vigorous vitality.

Everyone left with a loud rumble

Tsk tsk... Xiao Shilong was quick-witted, swiftly retrieving his teacup. With a kick of his feet against the ground, he retreated three feet, yet remained firmly seated in his chair. It was evident that Xiao Shilong was not just an honest small businessman! In fact, making a living in Haizhou without a few exceptional skills would undoubtedly be impossible.

Once the food issues in the four towns are resolved, we will have sufficient strength to establish ourselves. Once stability is achieved, we will unify Haizhou

Xiang'er has been standing at the door for almost one and a half to two hours, but because she has been moving around, she is not very tired

One glance at a person is enough to gain a general understanding of the situation

Xiao Hao suddenly stood up, surveying the surroundings. Though he was small in stature, his presence was commanding. After a brief glance around, he recognized that those nearby were all trustworthy individuals. In this critical moment, the ones who were anxious for everyone and had been meticulously selected by the Xiao and Li families to be by his side were undoubtedly reliable.

"Good! Let's do it!" Li Yulong, known for his fiery temper, slammed his thigh, stood up abruptly, causing his chair to topple over behind him and spilling the tea on the table.

"Alright, young master." Xiang'er looked in astonishment at the garbage on the floor, her mouth slightly agape: The young master closed the door for an hour, and it turns out he was sorting through this garbage; but how could there possibly be so much garbage in the room

It is nothing much, uncle; I have made some progress in martial arts. Previously, in a moment of anger, I unexpectedly broke through and gained a somewhat strange ability. We will discuss this later; for now, let us talk about the current situation.

"Unifying Haizhou!" Xiao Hao's words indeed surprised both Xiao Shilong and Li Yulong, and even many people around turned their gaze towards Xiao Hao

After discussing the general details, it was nearly noon.

Xiao Hao finally calmed down for a long time, allowing his expression to appear less ecstatic and impatient; only then did he open the door

Prepare early, perhaps in the future, each one of us present will have the opportunity to be among the esteemed officials

Father, Uncle, I believe that since things have come to this point, we might as well go all in and unify Haizhou directly! Xiao Hao's words are truly astonishing and relentless

Hello, everyone, and hello, uncles. Xiao Hao's clear and cheerful voice could be heard from afar

They are so fortunate to be the first to taste the crossbow that we have crafted over the course of several years

As Xiao Hao finished speaking, the people around him all lit up with excitement. In this world, the nobility is like a great mountain pressing down on the commoners; yet this mountain is also a mountain of gold, and everyone desires to climb it and take a bite! Therefore, becoming a noble, becoming a ruler, is something that everyone has yearned for since they became aware of the world! This is a more advanced goal of striving than merely being well-fed and well-clothed—at least, it is suitable for them

Father, uncle, many people are now laughing at us, and each one is ready to add insult to injury. Therefore, taking a step back now is not a vast expanse of sky, but a bottomless abyss

In fact, by now, Xiao Hao also understands one issue: many so-called technological weapons require a foundational basis, and it is not just any ordinary foundation; without that foundation, scientific-level weapons are merely a pitfall. The cost of a single aircraft carrier is enough to bankrupt an ancient society for several thousand years.

Looking at the map, everyone made a swift decision with a stroke of the pen. Alright, we will first take down Hu Xiao Zhai, and then turn back to eliminate Shi Tang Zhen. We will spend three days consolidating our position, after which we can mobilize over ten thousand people to start digging the channels. Once the situation stabilizes, we will advance southward

By taking down Huxiao Village, we can turn back and easily eliminate both Huxiao Village and Shitang Town, allowing both our families to head northeast towards Haizhou together

Certainly, these abilities may seem modest, but when utilized effectively, they can be quite substantial, though they are certainly not as exaggerated as one might think. Therefore, regarding Xiao Hao's statement, neither of the two pursued the matter further.

Wow... Xiang'er looked inside in surprise. Many items, just by being slightly repositioned, made the room appear so tidy and orderly. It felt like an ordinary person's room before, but now it resembled that of a noble. Some things truly can only be understood intuitively and cannot be expressed in words

"Father, Uncle." Xiao Hao walked up to the two of them in a few steps, his smile still lingering on his face

Father, uncle, after everyone has eaten, we will advance immediately; speed is of the essence in warfare, and we are about to catch the enemy off guard

However, these abilities are not particularly exaggerated. Generally speaking, they include: a strong sense of crisis, great strength, bright eyes, a keen sense of smell, acute hearing, tough skin, an exceptionally loud roar (like Zhang Fei), sensitivity to certain things, and the ability to read quickly, among others

At this time, much of the household waste can be directly incinerated, and the pollution is not as severe as it later became on Earth; many items that we might casually discard are considered very valuable here

However, Li Yulong did not conclude, "Xiao Hao'er, I heard that you couldn't hide your joy just now. What good news do you have? Share it with everyone."

By the way, this is the terrain I saw at Tiger Howl Village this morning, everyone take a look. "Xiao Hao's eyes were squinted with joy."

Hmm! Xiao Shilong nodded, looking at Xiao Hao. As for the emergence of certain special abilities after martial arts training, it is not surprising here, because martial arts is originally a lower-level method of strengthening the body that stems from cultivation. Ultimately, it is still a form of cultivation; therefore, it is not unusual for a large number of people to develop some abilities each year.

Bang! Xiao Hao threw the trash in his hand onto the ground, "Alright, Sister Xiang'er, find someone to dispose of these things, throwing them in the kitchen to burn is also fine. Also, help me prepare to write..." As he spoke, he rattled off items like hard yellow paper and vermilion.

"Then let us listen to Uncle." Since it was the advice of a "professional," Xiao Hao did not oppose it. "Father, Uncle, I believe we must first take down the Tiger Howl Stronghold. Not far behind the Tiger Howl Stronghold is a valley, and to the north of the valley is the Youlong River. If we can open up the Youlong River here, it will not only bring disaster to Haizhou, but will instead transform Haizhou into a prosperous land of lotus ponds

Since you are selfish, we have also learned; everyone, the elder brother does not speak of the second brother

In an instant, both Xiao Shilong and Li Yulong turned their heads in excitement. Once upon a time, both heads of the family had to place their hopes on a single child

Xiang Er is looking around here and there, while Xiao Hao has already strode into the front hall.

The grand palace of the Great Li Kingdom is on the verge of collapse, and it is time for us to make preparations

Moreover, due to the higher elevation of the northern region, as long as river water is introduced, it will naturally flow downward; the north will not suffer from disasters; rather, it is the south that will encounter problems—however, we had reached out to you in advance, and it was your refusal to cooperate non-violently that has led us to selectively ignore your existence! No, it seems we can only resort to violent cooperation with you.

I went to the valley to bring out the already designed crossbow. Although the defenses of Tiger Roar Stronghold are not very strong, we are not a real army, and it is difficult for our usual means of attack to be effective.

The remaining areas are in the southwest and south. Here, mhetushu.com is also closely related to the southern city of Gyeongju, which may be somewhat challenging and requires long-term memory

Good, speed is of the essence in warfare! Tonight, we will return to celebrate the victory feast!" Li Yulong was filled with passion

These are the social norms that have been established over tens of thousands of years in this world, and Xiao Hao does not believe he has the ability to change them in a short period of time; guiding with the flow is the most astute approach

After Xiao Hao left, everyone had a few bites of food, reaching a state of semi-satisfaction, and then set out on horseback. As the saying goes, speed is of the essence in military affairs, and given the long-distance surprise attack, this time it was all cavalry or those with horses. Being able to ride does not necessarily mean one is cavalry.

Moreover, despite the dilapidated state of each village, if any household colludes with the outside nobility, they might possess some means. Therefore, it is better for us to unite and guard against potential treachery from within. Having been a long-time escort, Li Yulong has his own views on combat.

Since retreat inevitably leads to death, it is better to advance courageously! While everyone is still unresponsive, our two families should strike, and we should at least be able to capture two locations. With the population from these two places assisting us, we should have enough manpower to excavate the natural Yellowstone River dam in the northwest within a month, irrigating the surrounding fields, and that will be sufficient

"Come back tonight for the celebration feast!" Everyone shouted in unison! Each person had their eyes shining brightly, clearly captivated by the future described by Xiao Hao

Little Mouse said, who should we take down first! Also, I think it would be more prudent for our two families to attack together; as long as we strike with overwhelming force, taking down both families should not be a problem! This way is safer and faster. If there is an opportunity, we might even have a chance to take down another town!

Although Haizhou is narrow and elongated from east to west, due to geographical features such as mountains and rivers, the northern area near the Youlong River is narrow, while the southern and southwestern areas are expansive. It resembles a right triangle, with the right angle formed by the sides along the East China Sea and the south, and the hypotenuse extending to the northwest

"Xiao Hao, come sit next to your uncle." Li Yulong pulled Xiao Hao over, and with plenty of empty chairs nearby, Xiao Hao sat down immediately.