"Insanity!"

"Surround me!"

A conflict broke out but was quickly calmed down. Wang Jing didn't even have to make a move, and the twelve Iron Scale Sword Guards accompanying him easily subdued the soldiers guarding the city gate.

There were more than a hundred people, whose faces were covered with blood, tendons and bones were broken, and they were lying on the ground screaming in agony.

These twelve men are heroes and righteous men selected by Wang Jing from the Northern Army. Each of them has reached the peak of the third realm of martial arts, and has taken the Black Dragon Bone Tempering Pill, which has enhanced their martial arts skills. After Wang Jing's careful cultivation, they are proficient in the White Ape Sword Formation and have good coordination. Once they form a formation and fight, even Lu Bu will have a hard time taking them down.

Although there are only twelve of them, their fighting power is very strong. They are known as the "Twelve Black Scale Guards" in the army and their strength is quite amazing.

Therefore, even though they only have twelve people, they are enough to defeat an ordinary army of a thousand people head-on. Ordinary soldiers are just there to serve as food for them.

The chaos at the city gate soon alarmed the defenders inside the city.

One of them was a middle-aged general in his thirties, wearing gray-white armor and a fine iron leopard helmet. He led a thousand light cavalrymen out of the city gate and looked at the soldiers lying on the ground with a worried look on his face. "What happened?"

Gongsun Yue was in a very bad mood. He thought that Yuan Shao had suddenly launched a surprise attack, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

Outside the city gate, there was no sign of enemy troops at all, but there were quite a few people watching the fun.

"Captain, this man has bad intentions, quickly capture him!"

Seeing his boss arriving, the young guard at the city gate who had been knocked to the ground immediately struggled to get up, then pointed at Wang Jing with a vicious look and made the first complaint.

When Gongsun Yue heard that someone was causing trouble, his face turned even uglier. He looked up at Wang Jing and said, "Who are you? How dare you come to Bohai City and make trouble? Do you want to die?"

Angry shouts were heard, and thousands of cavalrymen filed out and surrounded Wang Jing tightly again.

Although the cavalry unit in front of them was not as strong as the White Horse Volunteers, it was also a rare elite unit with superb riding skills, swift movements, and tacit cooperation. They exuded a faint murderous aura with every move they made.

There is no doubt that this is an elite cavalry that has been tempered in blood and fire on the battlefield.

Wang Jing was just passing by, not coming to challenge, so after beating him up and venting his anger, he did not intend to escalate the situation, so he took off his helmet and revealed his true face: "Wang of Taiyuan, Wang Jing, Wang Yuanxu."

"Marquis Qi!"

When Gongsun Yue heard Wang Jing introduce himself, he was dumbfounded, and then he exclaimed: "Marquis Qi is not in Luoyang, why did he come to Bohai City?"

"I heard that Gongsun Bogui of Liaoxi is a local hero, so I came to meet him."

Wang Jing smiled calmly, but Gongsun Yue's heart was filled with shock. He felt that Wang Jing's arrival was related to the war that was about to break out in Hebei.

"Marquis Qi is famous throughout the world and is feared by all. My Liaoxi Gongsun clan has also long heard of his great name. It just so happens that my elder brother is in the city. If he knew that Marquis Qi was coming, he would certainly make room for him. Please."

Gongsun Yue personally led the way and took Wang Jing into the city. At a time when Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao were about to clash, it would be great if they could have more friends.

The conflict between Wang Jing and Yuan Shao was no secret, so Gongsun Yue welcomed Wang Jing's arrival, and then he casually asked about the conflict just now.

Upon learning that someone had dared to have evil thoughts about Wang Jing, Gongsun Yue was so angry that he drew his sword on the spot: "Those blind bastards, please rest assured, Marquis Qi, I will give a satisfactory explanation for this matter."

Wang Jing didn't take it seriously as it was just a trivial matter. He just kindly reminded Gongsun Yue about military discipline.

In broad daylight, at the city gate where people were coming and going, a mere gate guard dared to commit robbery in front of so many civilians under the pretext of arresting spies. This shows to what extent the discipline of Gongsun Zan's army had been corrupted.

Military discipline is the soul of the army. Losing military discipline means that the generals have lost control over the soldiers, which is a very dangerous signal.

Gongsun Yue was also helpless when he heard this: "Regarding the issue of military discipline, I have mentioned it to my elder brother several times, but in the end it was never resolved."

Gongsun Yue obviously had something to hide in this matter.

In fact, if the army wants to maintain military discipline, it must either strengthen ideological construction and have a sense of justice, or it must make the grassroots soldiers understand why they are fighting.

Or, you spend money to ensure the wages and supplies of the lower-level soldiers.

Obviously, Gongsun Zan did not have any of these two points, and was even far inferior to Yuan Shao in terms of financial resources. Due to the lack of investment and support from the noble families behind him, Gongsun Zan was simply unable to maintain the expenses of the entire army, and could only turn a blind eye to the private "income-generating" behavior to maintain morale.

Seeing that Gongsun Yue changed the subject and was unwilling to talk about it anymore, Wang Jing naturally didn't bother to continue persuading him.

After all, these problems can only be solved by spending money. They cannot be solved without spending money. No matter how much you talk, it will be in vain.

Wang Jing asked about the change of ownership of Bohai City: "I just looked around, and it seems that this city has never experienced a battle?"

When Gongsun Yue heard this topic, his mouth curled up immediately, and he was in high spirits: "Bohai County was specially sent by Yuan Benchu ​​to please his brother."

"A gift from Yuan Shao?"

After hearing this, Wang Jing was a little surprised. After all, Bohai was a big county in Jizhou with a large population and decent economic development. It was also the place where Yuan Shao started his attack on Dong.

Not even fighting, just giving it away?
Gongsun Yue was very proud, thinking that Yuan Shao was afraid of his own army, but Wang Jing felt that the matter was not that simple.

"Messenger? Who did Yuan Shao send?"

"A guy named Xun Zhan. If you want to meet him, I can help you."

"It turned out to be him."

Wang Jing was not surprised at all when he heard Xun Zhan's name. After all, he was Xun Youruo, one of the three Ruos of the Xun family. With his wisdom and eloquence, he could even talk the dead back to life from the coffin.

It would be possible to meet him, but Wang Jing is not in a hurry. He likes to use force to pressure others. Negotiation skills such as talking nonsense are dispensable to him, so he does not really need talents like Xun Zhan.

After all, the Northern Army could get what they wanted on their own, and what they couldn't get on the battlefield, they couldn't get at the negotiating table either.

The most important thing right now is to go with Gongsun Yue to meet Gongsun Zan first.

In the prefect's mansion, Wang Jing met Gongsun Zan who was reviewing official documents.

He just turned forty this year. He has a tall and handsome figure. After defeating Zhang Rao, he became famous north of the Yellow River and gradually developed the power and bearing of a local overlord.

Just sitting there quietly, he has an aura of majesty that makes people impressed.

"Brother, Marquis Qi is here to visit!"

As soon as he entered the door, Gongsun Yue spoke.

He was Gongsun Zan's cousin and was deeply trusted by Gongsun Zan. He also commanded the personal guards in the palace. Therefore, he was able to bring Wang Jing directly to Gongsun Zan without any notification, giving Gongsun Zan a big surprise.

"I have long admired the reputation of Marquis Qi, but I have never met him. Now that we meet, I know that there are always people who are better than you and there are always better things!"

Gongsun Zan himself is also a martial arts master. His cultivation has reached the peak of the fourth realm and is only half a step away from the fifth realm. Therefore, he can feel even more how strong Wang Jing's foundation is and how amazing his cultivation is.

Gongsun Zan was first surprised and then ecstatic at Wang Jing's arrival.

The forces of the two sides do not directly border each other, and they have no grudges in the past or present. They also have a common enemy in Yuan Shao, so it is really suitable for them to form an alliance.

The three of them moved to a side hall, set up a few tables, brought in some wine and food, and soon they became brothers and began to drink happily.

Wang Jing raised his wine jar and said with a smile: "Brother Bogui, I heard that you recently defeated Zhang Rao's 300,000 Yellow Turban Army of Qingzhou, which can be said to be the limelight. This cup is for you." "If someone else said this, it would be fine. Yuanxu, your record in Yanzhou is not worse than mine."

Although Gongsun Zan had a smile on his face, his eyes also concealed a hint of suspicion and fear.

For the sake of the world and power, fathers and sons, and brothers may kill each other, not to mention that these two people are only meeting for the first time and may become rivals in the future.

Hebei has now become a huge powder keg. Just a small spark can ignite a vigorous war.

Gongsun Zan wanted to test Wang Jing. After a few words, he stared into Wang Jing's eyes and asked, "Although Yuan Benchu ​​has occupied Yecheng and all the fertile land in Jizhou, as long as you and I join forces and attack from the south and the north at the same time, he will definitely become a caged beast and will not be far from death. How about it, is Yuan Xu interested in hunting with me in Jizhou?"

It looked like an invitation, but in fact it was a test. Gongsun Zan was full of ambitions for Jizhou, so how could he tolerate others interfering?

Wang Jing was so smart that he saw what Gongsun Zan was thinking at a glance. He shook his head and refused without hesitation: "Forget it, Brother Bogui, you want to dominate the north, but your opponent is only Yuan Shao. In the south, I have to face threats from Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Kong Rong, Tao Qian and others at the same time. I really don't have the energy to go north, so I can't help you."

"Hahaha, in that case, I won't force it."

After getting the answer he wanted, Gongsun Zan smiled and began to urge others to drink. The atmosphere of the banquet became much more lively.

Being able to dominate the north, Gongsun Zan was certainly unwilling to share it with Wang Jing, and even secretly regarded the Northern Army as a huge threat.

In other words, Wang Jing showed no interest in Jizhou, otherwise today's banquet might have turned into a Hongmen Banquet.

Although Gongsun Zan did not necessarily want to surround and kill Wang Jing, he could not avoid keeping him under house arrest for a period of time.

Although Wang Jing was confident that he could break out of the siege, there was no need for him to clash with Gongsun Zan at the moment, otherwise wouldn't it be a waste of money for Yuan Shao?

After drinking cup after cup of fine wine, the three of them were drunk and excited. Gongsun Zan was so happy that he opened up to Wang Jing: "Brother Yuanxu, to be honest, there are no less than 30,000 heroes who have come to join me recently. My army is no longer short of manpower, but weapons and armor are extremely scarce. I wonder if you can help me, brother?"

Gongsun Yue also chimed in: "Yes, we need the Lord Qi's help in this matter. If it doesn't work, we can also spend money to buy it. But can the payment date be postponed a little? Anyway, I, the Liaoxi Gongsun clan, will never let my friends suffer. After we take over Jizhou, I will definitely reward you handsomely."

Gongsun Zan and Gongsun Yue were making their plans very quickly. Before they even took Ye City, they were already thinking about how to spend the money and grain in Yuan Shao's treasury.

Wang Jing is not stupid. Only a fool would do a business that loses money.

After all, in history, Gongsun Zan couldn't even cross the boundary bridge, let alone enter Yecheng.

Just when Wang Jing was thinking about how to politely refuse, Gongsun Zan spoke again: "Liaoxi lacks everything except war horses. If you agree, Yuanxu, I am willing to open a horse market and trade."

Gongsun Zan saw that Wang Jing hadn't spoken for a long time, and he immediately became anxious: "Yuan Xu, is there anything difficult?"

"Difficult? What's difficult? This is not difficult at all!"

When Wang Jing heard that Gongsun Zan was willing to exchange the war horses, he immediately changed his attitude.

From now on, Gongsun Zan, you will be my good brother for life!

Wang Jing slammed the table and stood up, saying in an impassioned tone: "Brother Bogui, don't worry. A man's word is as good as gold. How can I be stingy? The weapons and armor will be presented to you soon, but I also have a condition, and I hope Brother Bogui can agree to it."

Gongsun Zan and Gongsun Yue looked at each other, feeling relieved but also curious: "Oh, what are the conditions?"

Wang Jing immediately told them about the trade agreement signed by both parties. Wang Jing obviously had his eyes on the huge markets of Qingzhou and Youzhou. After all, a large number of workshops had been built in Sili and Bingzhou, and the surging products urgently needed a new market for dumping. Otherwise, once there was overcapacity, the economic crisis would destroy the good situation that Wang Jing had worked so hard to create.

Once Wang Jing completes the industrial layout, the backward production capacity in the territory under the rule of Gongsun Zan will be replaced by more advanced technology and production processes.

Therefore, in reality, the trade agreement signed by Wang Jing and Gongsun Zan seemed equal, but in fact it was sucking Gongsun Zan's blood and cutting off his financial resources, completely eroding the productivity and production system at the grassroots level.

However, Gongsun Zan had no idea what the industrial scissors gap was. In his opinion, this was just a simple business, so he readily agreed to Wang Jing's conditions: "No problem, you can send someone to discuss the details of the contract when the time comes."

In Gongsun Zan's view, as long as these so-called workshops were willing to pay taxes to him, everything would be fine.

He had no idea that once he agreed to open up the market, the economic lifeline of the territory under his rule, including food, clothing, housing and transportation, would probably all fall into the control of Wang Jing.

This is a more terrible result than failing in a war. It is equivalent to having one's life and death in the hands of others, and even one's own survival depends on the hands of others.

However, Gongsun Zan was, after all, just a local warlord during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Even though he was an extraordinary martial artist and well-versed in military strategies, he knew nothing about economics. Gongsun Zan was not even good at how to manage and govern his own territory, let alone have the vision that transcended his time by thousands of years to analyze economic problems.

In this way, Gongsun Zan was completely plotted against by Wang Jing from beginning to end.

Gongsun Zan thought he had made a profit. When he heard that the first batch of weapons, 3,000 swords, 5,000 spears, and 100,000 arrowheads, would be delivered to Bohai City within seven days, he smiled brightly: "Yuan Xu, I don't need to thank you for your kindness. I will come and drink with you after I capture Ye City."

"Brother Bogui, you are too polite. This is a matter of mutual benefit. It is just a small favor and it is really not worth mentioning."

Wang Jing had a smile on his face, because he knew very well that he was the one who really made a fortune.

Once the trade agreement is signed, a large amount of goods from Luoyang will flow into Youzhou and Qingzhou, using the trade surplus to frantically plunder the wealth of the people.

The money you earn will be a thousand times more than what you spend today.

Moreover, Wang Jing could also slowly erode Gongsun Zan's power and control his army by lending money to him. When the necessary moment came, he could even directly annex him.

This is a very profitable business.
Wang Jing, who had once been the old man next door, now truly recognized Gongsun Zan as his good brother, and even planned to help Gongsun Zan after his defeat.

However, Gongsun Zan knew nothing about what Wang Jing was thinking, otherwise he would not have toasted him but would have drawn his sword instead.

During the conversation, Gongsun Zan mentioned Liu Bei: "I heard that Xuande is now working under Yuan Xu?"

"It is true. I appointed Xuande as the magistrate of Luoyang and also made him responsible for measuring the land in the capital."

Wang Jing did not hide anything and told Gongsun Zan about Liu Bei's recent situation one by one.

"Hey, Xuande is my junior fellow apprentice after all, so don't make it too hard on him."

After all, they were all taught by the same master, so Gongsun Zan was very close to his junior brother Liu Bei.
Wang Jing understood what Gongsun Zan meant: "Okay, measuring the land is indeed easy to offend people. After I go back, I will find an opportunity to promote Xuande."

Because of the land measurement, Liu Bei's reputation among the aristocratic families has become very bad. It can be said that he has been collectively ostracized by the upper class circles. It is no exaggeration to say that everyone is calling for his death.

There's no way around it. Who asked him to lead a group of Mohists to offend people everywhere every day?

However, there must be a limit to how much trouble one can cause. In fact, even if Gongsun Zan had not mentioned this matter today, Wang Jing was planning to promote Liu Bei after returning to avoid any rift with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Moreover, Liu Bei has diligently done so many "dirty jobs" for the court. Even if Wang Jing has no conscience, he should give him some reward. Otherwise, who would be willing to work seriously in the future?
This is not the way to command cattle and horses.
After the discussion, Wang Jing also made plans to leave.

However, before leaving Bohai City, there is one more person I want to meet.

At Wang Jing's request, Gongsun Yue introduced him to Xun Zhan, and the two met in a relatively secluded tavern in the city.

Because a war was about to begin, most of the merchants in the city had already fled. The taverns that were bustling in the past were now deserted, with few customers coming. It looked very cold and deserted.

"Zhan, meet Lord Qi."

"Sir, please sit down."

On the table, there were two celadon wine bowls and a pot of rice wine.

The wine had been warmed up in advance, emitting steam, and the intoxicating aroma wafted to the tip of my nose. (End of this chapter)