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墨書 Inktalez
To be honest, in the case of the Commoners' Nation, the common people would be more inclined to protect their country, whether by enlisting in the military or making sacrifices. After all, when the nation falls, it is their homes that will be destroyed.
In this regard, it can fully compensate for the shortcomings left by Lian Yun's absence.
However, neither Zhou Tong nor Jiang Ao had anticipated that this land distribution could also win the hearts of the people, and it didn't even require Cloud Nation to do anything deliberately. The Innocent Civilians, as they roamed about, would naturally help spread the word for Cloud Nation.
It was truly a one-time effort with lasting benefits.
Both men were greatly impressed by Han Huang.
Master Pang merely observed from the sidelines without offering any opinions. He felt like a recluse with a profound understanding of the world. Generally, he would not intervene in political matters unless it was a significant issue where Zhou Tong and Jiang Ao were lacking; often, he would guide them rather than directly remind them.
It felt as if he was 'training' the two.
Now that Han Huang could fill the gaps between Zhou Tong and Jiang Ao, Master Pang could enjoy a more leisurely existence.
It was as if he were witnessing how the three would establish great achievements.
After discussing these matters, Zhou Tong promptly sent someone to notify Murong Ying, instructing her to announce throughout the city for many Innocent Civilians in Cloud Emperor City to come out and work, so as not to waste the abundant labor force available.
This would also provide positions for managing members and security personnel among the numerous Fierce Commoners.
Moreover, since Fierce Commoners could not physically harm Innocent Civilians, there was little reason for concern on their part.
However, since currency had yet to be established, the selling price of land was temporarily calculated in terms of grain.
A month after Cloud Nation's land distribution began, the first batch of rice was ready for harvest; unfortunately, the results were somewhat disappointing.
Zhou Tong and his companions had long arranged for scientists to research hybridization and genetic modification to produce a batch of high-yield crop seeds—rice, potatoes, corn, and so on.
Yet after actual planting, the yield was pitifully low. The main reasons were poor soil quality, lack of fertilizer, and severe water shortages.
Nevertheless, there was still hope for improvement. Firstly, the environment was gradually getting better; secondly, after the first batch of food production, there would be straw and other materials available that could be burned to create fertilizer.
At present, Cloud Nation maintains an extremely strict control over food. Firstly, it does not allow citizens to hoard supplies, and secondly, it forbids any food from leaving the borders.
After all, not every power realizes the necessity of cultivating food.
Once the reserves of neighboring countries are depleted, they will initiate wars against them, providing a legitimate reason to seize foreign lands.
Currently, Cloud Nation's policy focuses on consuming compressed food reserves, while the cultivated grains are primarily supplied to the military. The main reason for this is that the cultivated food seems to possess spiritual energy, enhancing individual strength.
However, some compressed food must still be retained for future military expeditions, as it is much more convenient to carry and transport.
As the harvest season approached, the great upheaval in Huaxia had entered its eighth month.
Since the third month, a famine had erupted among certain Countries, and by this time, it had reached a full-blown crisis.
At this moment, those Innocent Civilians finally realized how foolish their initial choice of "not contending with the world" was; without contention, there could be no gain. Living in comfort was merely an escape.
The saying "born from worries and perishing in comfort" perfectly illustrated their plight.
Although they would not be attacked by Fierce Commoners, they would have to become their slaves in order to survive.
As the Great Famine began, the Heroic Leaders of various Countries took action. Some distributed food to win the people's hearts, others resorted to tyrannical oppression to harvest labor, while some drove Innocent Civilians into neighboring countries to deplete their resources.
It is important to note that while one needs to gain eighty percent of the prestige in a Base City to control it, if there are only one hundred Innocent Civilians within a Base City, then gaining the compliance of just eight Ten People would suffice.
Thus, those forces that initially occupied Twelve Base Cities were mostly not in a hurry to maintain the loyalty of Innocent Civilians. They waited for them to starve or be forced out of the city in search of survival.
This was a simple and effective plan; after all, it allowed for the eradication of powerless Innocent Civilians, akin to pests, from within the nation while directly enabling control over a Base City.
Perhaps some Heroic Leaders even believed that the corpses of these Innocent Civilians could serve as fertilizer for their crops.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Cloud Nation, beyond Cloud City, Tang Nation revealed its fangs.
In recent months, the Tang Nation has been showing weakness towards the four neighboring countries. Firstly, it has expressed a willingness to accept refugees from these nations. Secondly, it has driven its own Fierce Commoners into the four countries, and thirdly, it has supplied some food to them.
The four countries have generally welcomed the Fierce Commoners, which allows them to transport as many Innocent Civilians from their own lands to the Tang Nation as possible, thereby making room for more Fierce Commoners domestically.
Although Cloud Nation has not sent a large number of Innocent Civilians like the other Three Kingdoms, it has accepted some Fierce Commoners. However, during this Great Famine period, the population within Tang Nation consists of about seventy to eighty percent refugees.
At this point, Tang Nation sought assistance from the four countries. Interestingly, their request was not for food but for Realm Power. The implication was clear: if any of the four countries refused to comply, Tang Nation would consolidate all its refugees into one country.
Tang Nation felt emboldened because there were official documents regarding alliances and food supplies with the four countries. By simply showing these documents to its Citizens, Tang Nation could justify its actions. Originally, Tang Nation aimed to provide a stable life for its Innocent Civilians, but due to the audacity of the four countries in demanding food from Tang Nation, it found itself unable to supply food to its Citizens.
As a result, the Citizens of Tang Nation would remain loyal and obedient to their government, even if it meant causing chaos in the neighboring countries that had deprived them of food.
Initially, Tang Nation's provision of food and acceptance of refugees from the four countries seemed beneficial for them. Thus, they did not pay much attention to whether there were formal documents involved. When Tang Nation provided food, they required documentation; when accepting refugees, they did not. At this moment, however, the four countries lacked strong evidence to resist Tang Nation's coercion.
If Tang Nation's scheme succeeded, it could harness the Realm Power of the four countries to create an immensely powerful army—one with ten thousand elite soldiers capable of sweeping through enemy territories. This force would be formidable enough that they would no longer need to defend their own nation but could directly attack neighboring capitals.
Particularly vulnerable was Cloud Nation, whose capital Cloud City was located right on the border and closest to Tang Nation—making it an ideal target for an assault.
Indeed, Tang Nation's strategy was nothing short of brilliant.
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