Nine Protectorates, Sweeping Reforms!

In the blink of an eye, more than a month has passed.

As agreed, the Qin Clan successfully took over Beitai Province...

Beitai Province covers an area of over eight million square kilometers, bordering Southern Province. Now it belongs to the Qin Clan, Qin Clan sphere of influence...

Its area also increased dramatically to over 24 million square kilometers, with the Northern Province as its core hub, under which were nine protectorates!

They were later named: Luo'an Protectorate, Luochuan Protectorate, Luoyuan Protectorate.

Northern Cold Protectorate, Northern Cry Protectorate, Northern Wind Protectorate

Nanli Protectorate, Nanyang Protectorate, Nanshan Protectorate!

The nine protectorates were initially established, but the Qin Clan did not officially appoint officials. Instead, they held a grand examination, gathering many scholars from the north...

Nine outstanding talents were selected from among them to serve as the Protectors of the Nine Prefectures.

To prevent local powers from becoming too powerful, the Protector-General is re-selected every thirty years, or he is transferred elsewhere...

This will achieve centralized power and fundamentally prevent local governments from becoming too powerful!

And local powers, after reaching a certain limit of strength...

They would be forcibly relocated. According to the current laws of the Great Qin, they would either choose to move to the territory of the Northern Province and become a core force in the Northern Province.

Alternatively, they could choose to become independent, break away from the Qin Clan, and establish their own territory...

Or perhaps, with the support of the Great Qin, they expanded the Great Qin territory and established entirely new protectorates, or even protectorates they created independently...

They will have some autonomy, but will still be subject to the Qin Clan's Nine-Rank Immortal Registry system, and their responsibilities will also increase!

Coupled with the Qin Coin system and the monopoly of the Four Great Immortal Arts, it was virtually impossible for local powerful families to grow indefinitely...

Thus, complete control can be achieved!

Secondly--

The military units of the nine prefectures of Northern Province, formerly known as the Yingchuan Army, Cloud Dream Army, and Cloud River Army, will have their designations abolished...

From this day forward, there will only be the basic legion, the Northern Province Army!

Above them stood the elite forces of the Northern Province: the Black Dragon Legion!

And the Northern Province troops: Qin Elite Soldiers!

The nine subordinate protectorates were prohibited from commanding their own troops. Instead, each protectorate recruited and trained soldiers from other protectorates...

They will all be stationed in other prefectures, with their garrisons overlapping and alternating.

The military code names are uniformly written as "Northern Province XX Army," such as the Luo'an Protectorate, which is the Northern Province Luo'an Army, belonging to the basic army of Northern Province...

The number of troops in each protectorate was maintained at one million...

The ratio of Warrior to warriors must be ten to one!

As the system of Northern Province gradually improved, the entire Northern Frontier fell into peace, and the Northern Province increasingly resembled small kingdoms...

Soon after--

As agreed with Emperor Zhou, once the situation in Northern Province stabilizes, Myriad Treasures Pavilion will represent the interests of the Da Zhou Imperial House and thus intervene in Northern Province...

As luck would have it, this Myriad Treasures Pavilion's agent in Northern Province...

It was Qin Lu's old acquaintance, Liu Ruyan, the shopkeeper!

And now...

Things have changed. The former Qin Lu has transformed into the ancestor of the Qin Clan of the Northern Province, a colossal force...

Liu Ruyan, on the other hand, climbed the ranks and became the person in charge of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in Northern Province!

Her cultivation had reached the Qi Condensation Seventh Layer, making her a true heroine of her generation, and she had also established a deep partnership with the Qin Clan...

certainly--

In order to counterbalance the existence of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, the Qin Clan's Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce naturally became Myriad Treasures Pavilion's main competitor...

From that time onward, trade in the Northern Province was divided into two!

Myriad Treasures Pavilion and Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce each occupy half the market!

The new head manager of the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce is a beautiful rogue Rogue Cultivator who has long since disappeared: Nalan!

Nalan has lived in the Northern Province for many years, and even once considered marrying Qin Minghan, a much younger dao companion...

But in the end, it all fizzled out.

Later, after Qin Zhao returned to his clan, he remained stationed in the Boundless Mystic Realm, but would occasionally venture out to oversee the Lineage's business affairs...

Although the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce was not established solely by Qin Zhao...

However, it was Qin Zhao who single-handedly nurtured it until now, transforming it into the lifeblood of the Qin Clan's business. As for Nalan, Qin Zhao had known her for a long time.

After all, in his early years, Nalan was just a lowly servant in the Myriad Treasures Pavilion...

At that time--

Qin Zhao had just taken over the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce and inevitably had to deal with the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, which naturally led him to meet Nalan...

He was well aware of Nalan's abilities and skills, so after the Myriad Treasures Pavilion intervened in Northern Province, Qin Zhao recommended Nalan as a countermeasure!

Nalan and Liu Ruyan were quite a pair of rivals back then...

Now, representing the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce and the Myriad Treasures Pavilion respectively, the two women, who haven't seen each other for many years, have once again become rivals!

It's hard to say whether this was a dramatic coincidence or an inescapable twist of fate...

This truly proves what Nalan once said, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never underestimate a young girl's poverty." Now, their hardships have finally come to an end...

Boundless City – Central Business District.

Inside the dining hall, two women and a man were enjoying a spiritual meal while engaging in a lively verbal battle, the two women exchanging barbs...

The moment they met, he launched into a sarcastic and unfriendly tone!

"Old woman!"

"You shameless hussy!"

After each woman uttered a curse, they ignored each other and turned their gazes to Qin Zhao, as if they wanted him to judge the matter...

See here--

Qin Zhao smiled calmly and changed the subject, saying, "Manager Liu, we're all old acquaintances, and I know your difficulties..."

"As agreed, the Da Zhou Imperial Family will take 50% of the profits from the Northern Province, and there's no problem with that."

"But since we're in Northern Province, Myriad Treasures Pavilion naturally needs to abide by Northern Province's rules and laws. Currently, Qin Coin is being widely promoted in all nine prefectures of Northern Province..."

"Therefore, Myriad Treasures Pavilion also needs to use Qin Coin for transactions!"

"And every year, Myriad Treasures Pavilion can exchange Qin Coin for corresponding Spirit Stone and resources from the Qin Clan, thus fulfilling its obligations to the Da Zhou Imperial Family..."

"The original purpose of Qin Coin was to facilitate trade and clearly define the value of goods."

"And in doing so, to stabilize order in the Northern Province, Myriad Treasures Pavilion must use Qin Coin if it wants to enter the Northern Province market..."

"There is absolutely no room for negotiation on this point."

"Secondly, there are the Four Great Immortal Arts. In the Northern Province, these four arts are monopolized by the Qin Clan and the Four Great Sects. If Myriad Treasures Pavilion gets involved, the Four Great Sects will not provide supplies..."

"Therefore, you will need to mobilize the necessary goods yourselves."

"At the same time, the Northern Province does not accept any outside cultivators specializing in the Four Arts; they must either leave or join Four Great Sects..."

"Those who are unwilling to join or leave must undergo certification by the Northern Province and pay a large sum of money annually in order to remain within its Northern Province."

"I hope Manager Liu will be aware of these points."

"If Manager Liu has no objections, then let's sign the contract..."

Speaking of this--

Liu Ruyan accepted the contract. Of course, she knew what these requirements meant, but she had no choice; when you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head...

Since they couldn't source the goods domestically, they had to ship them from other states.

This inadvertently increases costs, ultimately resulting in the same goods being priced far less affordably than those offered by the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce...

Secondly, the Qin Coin policy completely shut down Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

We can only operate according to the rules of the Qin Clan!

But as Qin Zhao said, 50% of the profits are attainable, but the high-value items will ultimately only flow into the Qin Clan...

This is undoubtedly a calculated, open conspiracy!

In the end, Manager Liu still signed and affixed his seal; what could he do if he didn't?

It's better to be straightforward; at least you'll leave a good impression.

"Fellow Daoist Qin is right. On behalf of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, I agree to this contract..."