Chapter 69
Following that, Lin Beifan continued to recruit talented individuals.
Although he has not encountered any more striking figures like Li Linfu and Shi Siming, he has supplemented the ranks with a dozen or so talents, distributing them among the six ministries and nine high officials, allowing the court to finally operate, albeit with difficulty.
At this time, the Shang Kingdom welcomed a distinguished guest whom the Emperor of the Shang Kingdom personally received.
Liu Familys Liu Linzheng pays respects to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!
The guest spoke with a somewhat defiant tone, not showing much respect.
However, the Emperor of the Shang Kingdom did not take it to heart, for the other party had the standing to do so.
The Liu Family was a prominent noble family of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with many members holding official positions in the court and possessing considerable strength.
Yet, this was only their outward identity.
The Liu Familys legacy has spanned 500 years, while the Great Zhou Dynasty in which they reside was established merely a century ago.
For noble families like theirs, the emphasis is on heritage.
To preserve their lineage, they cultivate talents within the family and dispatch them to serve as officials in various countries, continuously branching out and expanding.
Should the heir in one country perish, another from a different country will take up the mantle.
They never put all their eggs in one basket and never meddled with the direct power of the throne. They serve loyally as officials while covertly seeking benefits and development for their own clan.
Although they operate independently of one another, they maintain a tight-knit connection.
Deeply rooted, branches flourishing and leaves abundant, the torch is passed on from one generation to the next!
Hence, there is a saying: There are millennia-old noble families but no millennia-old dynasties!.
On average, a nation undergoes a change every 20 years, but for them, to carry on for hundreds or even thousands of years is a simple matter.
With hundreds or thousands of years of heritage, their influence is immense!
Some speculate that their covert power may even rival that of dynasties!
Therefore, the Emperor of the Shang Kingdom had to treat them with due seriousness: No need for excessive formalities! What brings the Liu Family here?
The purpose of my visit
The elder said, is to represent the Liu Family in seeking a collaboration with you!
Whats the matter? the Emperor of the Shang Kingdom asked.
Your Majesty, do you wish to take revenge, to annihilate the Xia Kingdom, to behead that foolish emperor?
The Emperor of the Shang Kingdom said through gritted teeth, I dream of it! After all, this is a great humiliation to me, and I swear not to rest until I have my revenge! However, I lack the power and opportunity.
Now, we are offering you that opportunity!
Liu Linzheng said with a tempting tone. As long as you send troops to attack the Xia Kingdom, our Liu Family is willing to lend you a helping hand! For instance, providing some armor and food, as well as money
Upon hearing this, the Emperor of the Shang Kingdom was somewhat tempted.
After all, since being plundered by Lin Beifan, his Shang Kingdom could be said to be destitute, with nothing left.
If we can get the support of the Liu Family, we will surely recover swiftly.
But after some thought, I decided to abandon this idea.
The Xia Kingdom is no longer the Xia Kingdom of the past; they now have 600,000 troops and three Innate mastersstrong soldiers and sturdy horses, a formidable force! And my Shang Kingdom
The Emperor of the Shang Kingdom sighed: Since that battle, our national power has been greatly diminished; we truly have no strength left for another war! To fight would mean certain defeat!
Theres no need to worry about that!
Liu Linzheng said with a smile: Apart from you, the An Kingdom and Peng Kingdom will also send troops! The Zhao Family and Zhu Family have already gone to negotiate, and it should be fine! With the combined forces of three kingdoms, I refuse to believe that we cant take down the Xia Kingdom!
The Emperor of the Shang Kingdom was moved: The An Kingdom and Peng Kingdom will also send troops? And the Zhao Family and Zhu Family have also taken action?
If the An Kingdom and Peng Kingdom also join in, gathering the forces of three kingdoms, that would be at least 600,000 troops!
The most critical point is that both the Zhao Family and the Zhu Family have gotten involved!
These two noble families are by no means inferior to the Liu Family!
What virtues and abilities does the Xia Kingdom possess to have three major noble families take action at the same time?
What do you want? the Emperor of the Shang Kingdom asked in a deep voice.
We want the mineral resources of the Xia Kingdom! Once the deed is done, those resources will belong to us, and everything else will be yours! Liu Linzheng revealed a greedy expression.
The mineral resources of the Xia Kingdom are quite ordinary, and when looked at separately, they are not enough to entice them.
However, the beauty of these mineral resources lies in their exceptional concentration, the variety of types, and their proximity to cities. They have it allfavorable weather, advantageous location, and human harmonyresulting in a strong scale effect!
Mining the same ore, the costs can be more than halved.
All the savings are money!
Loads and loads of money!
Yet, that foolish emperor doesnt know how to use it. Sitting on such a vast treasure trove, he could have made a fortune, but instead, he squanders the earnings on supporting the common people, utterly wasting it!
Waste is shameful, so they could no longer stand idly by!
With new grievances piling on top of old ones, they decided it was time to take down the Xia Kingdom.
Thus, those mineral resources would belong to them.
And all the citizens of the Xia Kingdom would be demoted to slaves, all of them sent to mine without pay, only needing to be fed.
In this way, wouldnt they stand to make a fortune?
Therefore, the three great noble families decided to support the three nations in their campaign against the Xia Kingdom.
The Emperor of the Shang Kingdom inwardly exclaimed that it was just as he expected; he knew these noble families were insatiable in their greed, never stirring without the promise of profit. They must have seen a lucrative opportunity to invest such money and effort.
To tell the truth, he too was tempted by those mineral resources.
But before the noble family, he could only settle for soup. (TLN: Settle for soup, settling for less share of benefits. Akin to being at a feast but only being able to partake of the soup while others enjoy the main course (e.g., meat).)
But at that moment, the Emperor of the Shang Kingdom suddenly thought of Lin Beifan, and an ominous premonition surged in his heart. The opponents eerily confident smile made his hair stand on end, and his body felt cold and chilly.
It was as if deploying troops would inevitably lead to something bad happening.
He hesitated and said, This matter I shall not get involved!
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