A Brand-New World
"Qi Zhen and his son Qi Hao have arrived."
Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Qin Yan showed a slight look of surprise.
But then I thought about it again, and it made sense.
With Prince Jing and General Qi Hong killed in the war, it was certain that Qi Zhen and his son would not side with the enemy.
However, he was somewhat surprised that the other party had come to his place.
Qin Yan quickly went to greet the two.
Meanwhile, Qi Zhen and his son also saw the appearance of Youshan Prefecture along the way, where the people lived in peace and contentment!
It was completely unaffected by the war.
This left them quite moved.
Having traveled all the way from Capital, every prefecture along the way was ravaged by war, with countless bandits and outlaws.
Yet here lies a scene of prosperity.
He was particularly impressed by the morale and spirit of the soldiers in the area.
Each of them was full of fighting spirit, their eyes revealing a desire for military merit.
This secretly alarmed Qi Zhen; the spirit and morale of these soldiers were completely different.
An absolutely elite force.
The region under Qin Yan's rule was indeed extraordinary, and it also gave him a highly autonomous army!
What is Qin Yan trying to do?
Qi Zhen's heart pounded wildly. Logically speaking, a prefecture should not have so many soldiers!
But Qin Yan did just that, and everyone in Youshan Prefecture obeyed his orders.
This is undoubtedly a case of mercenaries being overconfident.
A terrible thought flashed through his mind, sending chills down his spine.
"Is this kid planning a rebellion?"
Once the thought popped into his head, he couldn't stop it.
The more I learned, the more convinced I became of this idea.
He discovered that Youshan Prefecture was Qin Yan's personal fiefdom, and that the other party had already taken control of both the military and political spheres in the area!
Even the common people praised him highly.
With the formidable strength he had developed during this period, Qin Yan had already suppressed the major powerful clans of Youshan Prefecture.
Any Lineage that resisted was wiped out that very night, completely eradicated from the world.
If Qin Yan showed the utmost love and respect for ordinary people, then he was absolutely harsh and repressive towards those powerful and influential figures!
Anyone caught committing a crime by him will be severely punished, if not killed.
If he were to find any serious evidence against his family, he would not hesitate to destroy the entire Lineage!
The sights and sounds they encountered along the way felt like a dream to Qi Zhen and his son.
When they arrived in Qinghe Town, the orange lights illuminated the entire Qinghe Town under the night sky, making it look like a city that never sleeps.
"What kind of treasure is that pillar standing by the roadside that can emit such a bright light?"
Qi Hao was dumbfounded when he saw this!
Qi Zhen looked at the cement road beneath his feet. It was a wide and neat road, far superior to the official road.
It would take an enormous amount of manpower and resources to build this.
Even the streets of Capital are not this luxurious, especially the streetlights that emit a soft glow.
How were they manufactured?
All of this made it impossible for him to see through Qin Yan's intentions.
"May I ask if you are Lord Qi or Young Master Qi?"
Chen Ergou clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two men, a faint smile on his face.
"Who are you...!"
"I am the head of the Hidden Dragon Platform under the command of Marquis Qin, and I have come here specifically to welcome you two!"
Chen Ergou smiled slightly.
Although Qi Zhen didn't know what the Hidden Dragon Platform was for, he could glean some information from the other party's behavior!
"Oh, no, no, thank you for showing me the way."
Qi Zhen smiled calmly, but his heart was already in turmoil. This Qin Yan was indeed just as he had imagined.
They probably already harbor rebellious intentions.
Thinking of his father's death, Qi Zhen felt happy instead; his father had devoted himself to the cause of Great Li.
But what did we ultimately gain?
Defined as traitors by Hongwen Emperor, if the father and son hadn't escaped quickly, the best outcome would have been exile.
The streets are neat and clean, and the streetlights have dispelled the darkness.
"Brother Chen, what exactly is this glowing lamp? It doesn't seem to be an oil lamp."
Unable to contain his curiosity, Qi Hong couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, the streets are lined with lights like these; it's even more luxurious than Capital."
Qi Hao couldn't resist his curiosity either!
"The streetlights you're talking about are electric lights manufactured by the Marquis. They emit light because they are powered by electricity."
As for the underlying principles, I'm not entirely sure.
Chen Ergou answered calmly.
"Electricity, could it be thunder from the sky?"
Qi Zhen's eyes widened in disbelief.
"It is indeed the same as thunder, except that the electricity we wield is not as violent."
Chen Ergou nodded, his back straightening unconsciously.
Qi Zhen and his son were even more shocked upon hearing this; Qin Yan had actually mastered the power of thunder.
That's Thunder Method that only a few Daoist masters can master, yet Qin Yan used it for lighting.
What a waste!
The night market in Qinghe Town is extremely lively, and its prosperity is not diminished even at night.
After finishing their get off work, many factory workers from the surrounding area come to town to spend money!
Working at Qin Yan's factory, you earn a good monthly wage.
As people become wealthier, they inevitably want to spend money, which in turn stimulates the economy of Qinghe Town.
The streets were bustling with people, and everyone's face was beaming with smiles.
The human spirit of offering incense is vividly displayed here.
The people here were not affected by the war. They only needed to work hard every day to earn enough money to have enough to eat and a place to live.
A smile is a sign of hope and anticipation for the future!
Qi Zhen himself was a martial artist, and he heard many people praising Qin Yan.
His words were filled with fervent admiration!
They regarded Qin Yan as a god.
"This is what the people want!"
These four words involuntarily popped into Qi Zhen's mind.
He didn't need to take a deep breath; what he saw and heard in Qinghe Town convinced him that Qin Yan was indeed a genius in governing the world.
A capable minister in prosperous times, a ruthless hero in chaotic times.
All sorts of strange and wonderful things appeared in the town, dazzling him with their sights, but at the same time, he keenly realized that these things were beneficial to the people!
This will ensure that the living standards of these people are in no way inferior to those in the Capital!
He also saw constables patrolling the town, and these constables got along very well with the people.
The people were not very afraid of them; many even greeted them warmly.
Such a scene is unimaginable in other places.
Ordinary people would see constables as mice before cats, or at least show obvious fear!
The constables here were just like the soldiers he had seen before.
Each one of them exuded vitality and energy; this transformation was entirely an inner quality emanating from within.
He was very curious about how Qin Yan had changed this group of people.
He soon spotted a bright, open space.
The surrounding lights were extremely bright.
Many children and adults gathered here, and a schoolteacher stood in front of a black wooden board, teaching everyone to read and write.
Qi Zhen and the others stopped to listen, but upon hearing what the teacher was teaching, their expressions changed drastically, and they looked horrified.