Reincarnation in the Three Kingdoms Era with a System

Afterwards, Lu Ming met with King Duosi and other chieftains, but the others remained indifferent.

Only King Duosi showed him any warmth. As one of the few wise men among the southern barbarians, he knew that opposing Lu Ming was a path to certain death.

Anyone who had investigated would know how Chengdu had fallen and how those powerful clans had been destroyed.

Blood flowed freely, heads rolled.

And it wasn't just indiscriminate slaughter, but rather annihilation followed by support.

This was completely different from Sun Ce's simple killing spree.

As for the feelings of the powerful clans, it was more of a sense of annexation and conquest…

rather than enmity.

Although both were enemies, eliminating powerful clans and annexing them evoked entirely different feelings.

"If the King of Qin wishes to conquer Nanzhong, he must first pacify Yongchang Commandery.

To pacify Yongchang Commandery, he must first deal with Meng Huo.

If Meng Huo can be subdued, the other leaders will submit."

This was the advice of King Duosi, who also offered his method.

"Meng Huo will not leave alive today."

Lu Ming nodded, looking at King Duosi, a well-dressed man in a Central Plains long robe, who stood out among the many Nanman leaders because he lacked that wildness.

"Of all these leaders and chieftains, only you have realized this.

Very good, very good!"

"Thank you for the praise, King of Qin. I am merely acting in accordance with the situation.

If the King of Qin is weak, even if I were willing to help, I would be powerless."

King Duosi was sincere. If Lu Ming had already suffered heavy losses by the time he reached Yongchang, he would certainly want to join the fight and get a share of the spoils.

As for any subsequent retaliation, that will have to wait until they organize their forces and attack again.

To put it bluntly, this place is far from the reach of the emperor; nobody can interfere.

"Once this matter is settled, if you are willing to offer me advice, you can become my military advisor.

If you are unwilling to leave your homeland, then stay and oversee the affairs of Yongchang County.

What I desire is stability and harmony. Anyone who disrupts this will be killed."

Lu Ming began to explain his plans: building roads and developing the mountains and forests.

First, ensure a sufficient food supply, then the workshops.

Sufficient workshops can accommodate more Yi people to work, allowing them to support their families with their wages.

Compared to fighting and killing, now there is no need to risk one's life; simply working earns wages and food—an irresistible temptation for ordinary people!

Moreover, besides food, there is also education and healthcare.

Food and healthcare are the most important aspects of people's livelihood.

Once these two are resolved, their hearts will essentially be won over.

Literacy was merely a pathway to advancement, a privilege reserved for the nobility.

As the conversation deepened, King Duosi's understanding of Lu Ming grew further.

The other man's ability to rule half the kingdom wasn't based on slaughter or coercion, but on a highly sophisticated, cyclical supply system.

This broadened his horizons and deeply impressed him.

Lu Ming wasn't afraid of him learning it, because this required strong control, resource allocation, and skilled craftsmen.

Give you the blueprints for an atomic bomb, and you still can't build one—it's the same principle.

Only intelligent people can see the future…

But a fool like Meng Huo cannot see the future.

Meng Huo's tribe and Zhu Rong's tribe were the most powerful tribes in Yongchang County. A marriage alliance between them would benefit everyone.

However, Lu Ming's interference seemed to have caused Zhu Rong's attitude to waver; they clearly wanted to assess the situation before making a decision.

Simply being powerful isn't scary; what's scary is having many people echoing this sentiment.

King Gao Ding of Yi and King Duo Si supported submission. King Duo Si, in particular, wielded considerable influence among the Southern Barbarians and was considered a wise man.

Even though their clothing was incongruous, they were deeply respected.

If even such wise men submitted, it's hard to say this wasn't a good choice.

Soon, it was time for lunch.

It was basically a communal meal, with few formalities; people simply gathered to eat, drink, and discuss matters.

Meng You had been looking at Lu Ming with obvious displeasure from the start, clearly harboring significant hostility towards him.

Lu Ming, however, seemed unfazed. After sitting down, he drank and ate heartily, frequently raising his cup to King Duo Si.

Learn from the barbarians to subdue them…

And using the Southern Barbarians to fight the Southern Barbarians was also a strategy.

"Gentlemen," Meng Huo said, "from ancient times to the present, we have always been free.

No one has restrained us; we were born and raised on this land.

The Han Chinese are the foreign invaders; they want to enslave us, and now they want us to submit.

Have you forgotten how they exploited us?

The imperial court wants to collect three hundred black dogs…

And their chests must be black, along with three bushels of mites and three thousand three-zhang-long pieces of chopped wood. Can you produce them?

If you can't, you'll be beheaded! This is making things difficult for us!"

Meng Huo continued his impassioned argument, outlining the pros and cons. More and more neutral chieftains wavered, some even being persuaded.

Lu Ming, however, remained unmoved. Sipping his wine, his eyes narrowed, he looked at Meng Huo's grand pronouncements as if he were a fool.

Some things, if you can't get them on the battlefield, don't even think about getting them at the negotiating table!

For a full twenty minutes, Meng Huo's voice grew hoarse from shouting. Finally, he glared at Lu Ming with hostility. "King Qin, this is our land! Please leave!"

"You?"

Lu Ming stood up. His imposing presence intimidated Meng Huo, who hesitated to approach and even took a few steps back. "All land under heaven belongs to the king; all subjects under heaven are subjects of the king.

Every flower, every blade of grass, every tree here belongs to me.

What right do you have to lecture me!

Only if I wish can you stay. "If you refuse, you will be uprooted."

"Meng Huo, don't say I'm bullying you.

Now pick up your weapons. I'll give you a chance. Defeat me, and I'll withdraw from Yongchang County and no longer concern myself with its affairs."

"If you lose!

Then leave your life behind!"

Lu Ming's voice was indifferent as he beckoned to Meng Huo, "Call your men and attack!"

Meng Huo was somewhat suspicious. He didn't know what Lu Ming's scheme was, but he felt that Lu Ming was definitely plotting something.

"Lu Ming, don't push your luck! Do you think we in the South are helpless?"

"Don't drag others into this. You're just not confident, so you're dragging them along to be your scapegoats.

Meng Huo, I promise you, I will definitely have you executed by slow slicing!"

Lu Ming's smile was sinister and evil, bluntly exposing Meng Huo's plan.