Ji Chang was all smiles, his old face blooming as brilliantly as a chrysanthemum.
But after reading the bamboo slip, he could no longer smile.
"Damn! How is this reclaiming lost territory? Aren't these just two giant burdens?!"
Ji Chang could not help swearing.
Everyone in the hall grew curious upon hearing this.
What could have happened to make the Great King lose his composure and become so furious?
The bamboo slip had specifically marked the current state of the entirety of Binzhou and Chuzhou.
Farmland had been destroyed, water sources polluted, and the entire population relocated. Desolation stretched everywhere; the sight was unbearable, riddled with devastation.
These two places had already lost all value.
Now that they had been reclaimed, they would have to invest manpower and resources into repairing and maintaining them.
The investment would be enormous.
The returns would be slow.
It could be said that Binzhou and Chuzhou were now nothing but two complete deadweights.
"No wonder Ji Dan and Ji Fa took them so easily. Great Shang had deliberately made these burdens for us."
Ji Chang was heartbroken and furious, but in the end, he could only accept it helplessly.
"Report!"
Another Messenger Officer rushed in, shouting an urgent report.
But unlike the previous two, who had joyfully delivered good news, this Messenger Officer was filled with panic. "Report! General Ji Liu's surprise attack force has been completely wiped out! Jiameng Pass... Jiameng Pass has not only the Mo Family Four Generals, but also a fierce general named Yang Jiao. He alone slaughtered every one of our commanders!"
Everyone knew that commanders were like the alpha wolves of a pack, playing an absolutely vital role on the battlefield.
If the core commanders were gone, the remaining soldiers would have no one to lead them. They