Not only did this thought arise in the mind of the wicked man, but many of the onlookers also sneered.
Many of these people came from small states or tribes around the Western Regions. They had long heard of the power of the Qin state and greatly admired the young man's courage.
Of course, I'm also very curious about his background!
What kind of background allows him to have such confidence when facing the Qin massacre?
"Erhe, where is the settlement located?" The wicked man ignored the other man and instead asked Zhang Erhe.
Zhang Erhe pondered for a moment, and the records about the settlements came to mind: "Grand Commandant, it is located south of Loulan, about a thousand miles away from Loulan."
"Their strength is considered quite considerable among the smaller tribes in the Western Regions, with 130,000 members and approximately 40,000 soldiers!"
"It is said that their people are fierce and can be mobilized as soldiers in times of war. Their territory is rich in gold, which they use to exchange for the supplies they need from several countries in the Western Regions."
Zhang Erhe knew the information like the back of his hand, and in just a few words, he recounted all the intelligence, which surprised the man.
He hadn't expected that the Qin state would even have their information; they were truly remarkable!
Little did he know that the wicked man never fought a battle he wasn't sure of winning; he had already obtained intelligence from the surrounding tribes and small kingdoms through the thirty-six tribes of the Western Regions.
“Tunluo has always been close to Loulan, and there have been many marriage alliances between the two countries…” Zhang Erhe added quietly at this point.
"I see!"
The wicked man's lips curled into a cold smile. "I, the Grand Commandant, won't waste any more words with you. You're just a frog in a well, trying to shake a tree like an ant?"
"Since you're so concerned, then don't blame this Grand Commandant."
He didn't care whether there was any misunderstanding. Zhang Erhe's suggestion of a marriage alliance was basically a death sentence for the young man and the forces behind him.
"Erhe, quickly go and find Zhang Han!"
Zhang Erhe immediately turned around and ran away, and the onlookers quickly made way for him.
They also wanted to see how the wicked husband would treat the young man.
"Grand Commandant, I am the eldest prince of Tunluo. Do you think I would treat something as a treasure?" the man asked again when his wicked husband ignored him.
The wicked man glanced at him sideways, then suddenly punched him in the chest.
The young man was struck as if by lightning, his body flying backward as if he had been hit by a galloping horse. He landed with a mouthful of dark red blood, his chest deeply caved in, clearly struggling to breathe.
"You're out of luck, kid. I forgot to bring my knife with me today!" The wicked man grinned maliciously, his words full of sarcasm.
"I don't care why you did this, but I, the Grand Commandant, truly admire your courage!"
The wicked man knelt down in front of the young man and said softly, "I, the Grand Commandant, have repeatedly emphasized that you are well aware of the strength of my Qin state. Why do you insist on courting death here?"
"Could it be... that you really think this Grand Commandant is some kind of pushover made of clay?"
The young man struggled, his eyes still shining with unyielding light despite the immense pain. He spoke with difficulty, "My beloved is... Princess Loulan!"
Upon hearing this, the wicked man raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by the young man's words. "Oh, you're quite the romantic!"
"It's a pity you weren't born in the Central Plains, otherwise you certainly wouldn't be like this."
"There's a saying in the Central Plains: 'Beauty is a curse.' If you try to show off in my Qin state, not only will you die, but your parents will die, your brothers and nephews will die, and your country will be destroyed."
"Still infatuated?" The wicked husband's voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "Remember this: in your next life, even if you're going to be a simp, be a smart simp, otherwise you'll only harm your family and friends."
The young man, panting, tried to sit up, but the pain in his body made it difficult for him to move. "Your Qin state may be strong, but my tribe is not weak either. Your Qin state only has tens of thousands of troops in the Western Regions... Our tribe's men, women, and children can all go to war..."
"Can your rotten bird eggs compare to the iron cavalry of my Qin army?" The wicked man smiled contemptuously.
He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding crowd, and said sternly, "Listen up, all of you! How can your small countries possibly withstand the might of the Qin army?"
"Anyone who dares to cause trouble in the market will face the consequences!"
As he spoke, he stomped down hard, crushing the young man's chest. The cracking sound of bones breaking sent chills down one's spine.
"Grand Commandant, I've arrived!"
Just then, a series of footsteps and shouts rang out from outside the crowd. Everyone turned around and saw a burly man, resembling a black bear, leading Qin soldiers. They immediately made way in a panic.
"Good timing!"
The wicked man didn't even glance at the corpse on the ground, and coldly ordered Zhang Han, "Go, quickly take men and wipe out the village as a warning to others."
At this point, his cold, emotionless gaze swept over everyone present, and he said sternly, "Let those ignorant barbarians see the might of the Qin army. Under the hooves of our horses, who can stand against us?"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Zhang Han accepted the order, immediately turned around, and led the Qin soldiers away.
The wicked man remained standing in place, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over the onlookers, who all looked terrified and dared not make the slightest move.
Seeing that no one dared to meet his gaze, the wicked man turned and strode away from the bloody scene.
His silhouette appeared particularly cold in the setting sun, as if foreshadowing that the iron hooves of Qin would trample over anyone who dared to break the rules, and no one could stop them.
Today, those onlookers feel not only fear, but also a deep awe for the Qin state.
They knew that what this man had said yesterday was entirely true.
......
"Report—!"
"The Western Regions market is open!!!"
The atmosphere in Xianyang was completely ignited by this loud roar. It was only just before dawn, and some people had not even gotten out of bed yet.
Hearing the shouts, the people came out of their homes, eager to see what good news it was!
"The Kucha Market is now open!"
"The Grand Commandant annihilated Loulan, the strongest of the thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions!"
"In just seven days of trading, we earned over 20 million Qin coins, which, when converted into cash and grain, could cover three years' worth of taxes for the national treasury!"
The scouts sent back by the wicked husband galloped towards Xianyang Palace, shouting at the top of their lungs.
The news caused an uproar among the people of Xianyang. They spread the word and their joy was palpable.
With such wealth, the Qin state's treasury would inevitably become increasingly full, its national strength would grow stronger, and people's lives would gradually improve as a result.
As expected... everything is just as the Grand Commandant predicted!
Similarly, when the merchants who had invested in the company learned of this news, their worries finally subsided. Wasn't the whole point of investing so much money for this moment of great return?
Ever since the wicked husband left, they have been unable to eat or sleep properly, fearing that the wealth they had worked so hard to earn would be wasted.
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