Among the original 8 cities of Huaiyuan Palace, the new city of Yiyang City in Yanghe Prefecture was Embracing Tiger City.
Geographically, Embracing Tiger City was similar to Yiyang City. They were both on the seaside and had sea trade. Yiyang City was against Yiyang Mountain; Embracing Tiger City was surrounded by Embracing Tiger Mountain. Although Embracing Tiger City had just been established for a short time, its development potential was greater than that of Yiyang City. Additionally, the environment of Embracing Tiger Harbor was better than that of Yiyang Harbor. Given this, Huaiyuan Palace had made great efforts in this city.
There were many mountains in the east of Youzhou Province near the sea. Embracing Tiger Harbor was one of the two big harbors in Youzhou Province near the sea. Besides developing sea trade with the coastal provinces in Taixia Country, the two big harbors in Youzhou Province were also an important hub connecting Chaosang Sub-continent in the northeast of Eastern Continent and Taixia Country. Therefore, it had a unique geographical advantage — — connecting Chaosang Sub-continent with the north and the south. This was the real portrayal of the function of Embracing Tiger Harbor and the foundation of its prosperity.
After returning to Golden Light City these days, Zhang Tie gradually learned about the affairs in Youzhou Province and Taixia Country.
On the continent, there was a barren province in the north of Youzhou Province. The barren province had not been established yet. There were only some small cities and human settlements in the vast territory. On the map, the borders of the north, east and west of the barren province were not clear either. There were a lot of grey and black unexplored and undeveloped regions. The largest city in the barren province was called Liao City. According to the conventional name of Taixia Country, Wild Province was temporarily called Liaozhou Province.
Taixia's policy towards the Barren State. Since the ancient times, Taixia Country didn't set any official across the barren provinces; neither did it collect a single copper coin of tax. Even the public security and arresting of thieves were handled by the local barren provinces themselves or by bounty hunters in the local Buildings of Righteousness. Under such a policy, all the barren provinces in Taixia Country would recover as fast as possible. The Barren Province of Taixia Country was also a place full of weeds and dragons in Taixia Country. Besides Gold and Power Law, all the other 6 major sects in Taixia Country were in their own barren provinces like the overlord of their own barren provinces. This was also the compromise of the imperial court of Taixia Country to the top six sects.
However, in a lower province like Youzhou Province. Although Taixia Country slightly tightened its policy on lower provinces, it was still much looser than that of Zhongzhou Province and other big provinces. In Taixia Country, the more backward and slow the economic development was, the less the imperial court of Taixia Country would interfere with it and grant it greater freedom. Take the selection of the provincial governor of Youzhou Province as an instance. This kind of treatment was only available in the lower states. If it was in Zhongzhou Province or Shangzhou Province, although there was competition for the position of provincial governor, it was basically appointed by the imperial court of Taixia Country. Additionally, the 9 immortal provinces of Taixia Country were directly controlled by the imperial households of Taixia Country. As the position of provincial governor was appointed by Emperor Xuanyuan, nobody could fight for it.
However, Chaosang Sub-continent was also very weird. After coming to Youzhou Province, Zhang Tie was told that people in Chaosang Sub-continent admired the prosperity and culture of Taixia Country. They would dispatch diplomatic missions to Taixia Country every year and request to be incorporated into Taixia Country. They hoped that Taixia Country would assign officials and provincial governors to Chaosang Sub-continent so that people in Chaosang Sub-continent could call themselves citizens of Taixia Country and pay taxes to Taixia Country. In Zhang Tie's opinion, Taixia Country had no reason to refuse such a good thing. However, what was more weird was that those influential officials in the imperial court of Taixia Country didn't want to accept the request of incorporating Chaosang Sub-continent into Chaosang Sub-continent at all.
They even had to be picky about the meat being delivered to their mouths. If they didn't like it, they would be too lazy to eat it. After coming to Taixia Country, Zhang Tie finally had a faint understanding about the honor and pride of Hua people in Taixia Country.
Embracing Tiger City was brightly lit and boisterous in the evening. Even though the other sub-continents had been in flames, the so-called holy war in remote places like Youzhou Province could still not shake the prosperity of Taixia Country even a bit.
Zhang Tie felt a bit moved inside.
Zhang Tie's arrival seemed to have been noticed by those people below. Closely after that, a knight's qi was released in Embracing Tiger Mountain as if it was greeting Zhang Tie. After sensing that qi, Zhang Tie directly flew towards Embracing Tiger Mountain like receiving a navigation signal.
A complex of attics and palaces with green tiles and cornices was located in the most magnificent place of Embracing Tiger Mountain. In the complex, Zhang Tie caught sight of the Ancestral Shrine Palace of Huaiyuan Palace at first sight. Every brick and tile of the Ancestral Shrine Palace remained unchanged.
Elder Muen was waiting on the steps outside the gate of the Ancestral Shrine Palace. Zhang Tie landed on the balcony outside the gate.
"Elder Muen!" Zhang Tie cupped his hands towards Elder Muen.
"Elder Mushen!" Elder Muen replied with a smile as he cupped his hands towards Zhang Tie, "After a few years, I know that Elder Mushen has made a great progress in your cultivation base. Congratulations!"
"Thanks for your compliment, Elder Muen!" Zhang Tie replied with a modest smile, "May I know what's the purpose of this gathering?"
"Elder Mushen has just returned to Yanghe Prefecture from Waii Sub-continent. He's reuniting with his family members. If there's nothing important, Huaiyuan Palace would indeed not summon all the elders here. However, this event is related to the competition for the provincial governor of Youzhou Province, which is a major plan of Huaiyuan Palace in the next 100 years. Therefore, we had to summon all the elders here to discuss the countermeasures!"
Zhang Tie's heart raced as he asked, "Have the other elders arrived?"
"Elder Muray is in Liyuan City. It's a bit far away. Besides Elder Muray, all the other elders have arrived!" Elder Muen replied.
Liyuan City was built by the branch of Stars Viewing City of Huaiyuan Palace in Yanghe Prefecture. It was in the westernmost part of Yanghe Prefecture. Previously, the branch of Stars Viewing City in Huaiyuan Prefecture handled the largest slave trade in Huaiyuan Prefecture. After coming to Youzhou Province, they started to trade slaves as they were familiar with it. There were also non-Chinese slaves in Taixia Country. Slave trade was also legal in Youzhou Province or Liaozhou Province. Both Youzhou Province and Youzhou Province were vast but sparsely populated; especially Liaozhou Province, which had a greater demand for slaves. There was a great market demand for non-Chinese slaves in Taixia Country, slaves from Chaosang Sub-continent and other sub-continents even border residents in Liaozhou Province and Youzhou Province.
After hearing Elder Muen's words, Zhang Tie nodded as he entered the Ancestral Shrine Palace.
After entering the Ancestral Shrine Palace, Zhang Tie let out a sigh inside. From the inside to the outside, it was exactly the same as before. Zhang Tie even thought that he had returned to Yiyang Mountain.
"Elder Mushen …"
At the sight of Zhang Tie, Elder Muyuan, Elder Muan and Elder Muyu, the three elders had arrived. At the sight of Zhang Tie, the three elders fixated onto Zhang Tie at the same time. They greeted Zhang Tie politely at the same time.
After greeting the three elders, Zhang Tie took his seat too.
In front of these elders, Zhang Tie was neither humble nor overbearing. As a result, the three elders sighed with admiration inside, 'Knights don't have a fluke.'
"Before Elder Mushen arrived, we were discussing about Waii Sub-continent. During the last few years when Elder Mushen stayed in Huaiyuan Prefecture, the three of us were discussing about Waii Sub-continent. In the last few years when Elder Mushen stayed in Huaiyuan Prefecture, Hurricane Corps not only improved its battle strength, but also guaranteed the interests of Huaiyuan Palace in Waii Sub-continent to the greatest extent. In the war, the entire Huaiyuan Prefecture was in good order under the control of Elder Mushen. Even though Huaiyuan Palace evacuated in the end, it suffered the least loss among the major clans of Jinyun Country. Those border residents of Hebrews who came to Youzhou Province have been spreading Elder Mushen's fame and benevolence. As Elder Mushen handled the situation in Huaiyuan Prefecture well, those people were very obedient after coming to Youzhou Province. They soon settled down. Elder Mushen has made the greatest meritorious deed for Huaiyuan Palace to root in Youzhou Province! "Elder Muan said seriously as he watched Zhang Tie. The other two elders nodded at the same time.
Honestly, when Zhang Tie stayed in Huaiyuan Palace for a few years, it was completely out of their imagination that Zhang Tie could make such a great achievement. Especially compared with the other clans of Jinyun Country, Zhang Tie's achievement became obvious at once. Later on, Zhang Tie found that the system of Huaiyuan Palace was very effective. All the elders and corps of the major clans across Jinyun Country almost copied the system of Zhang Tie in Huaiyuan Prefecture, including the adjustment and division of the three-level establishment of Hurricane Corps, the measures of special military management and circuit military court for garrisoned cities, even the method of offering porridge to comfort refugees and stabilize people's morale. After the rotating chakra ceremony, Zhang Tie's reputation spread over the major Hua clans of Jinyun Country and Qilan Country once again, which made Huaiyuan Palace proud.
"Fighting against foreign forces; defending Waii Sub-continent for a few years, Elder Mushen has really made great meritorious deeds!" Elder Muyu praised as he stroked his beard.
"I'm just being lazy. The main reason for my achievement is that Huaiyuan Palace's prestige and the soldiers of Hurricane Corps. If the other elders stayed in Waii Sub-continent, I believe that you could make better achievements!" Zhang Tie replied with a smile.
Watching Zhang Tie's modest and mild performance, the other elders had a better impression about Zhang Tie as they started to acknowledge Zhang Tie's position as an elder from the bottom of their hearts. To be honest, even though Zhang Tie had promoted to a clan elder after the rotating chakra ceremony, the other three elders still doubted that Zhang Tie could be on an equal footing with them at such a young age. As the saying went, a long journey tests a horse's stamina and time reveals a man's heart. Zhang Tie's achievements in Waii Sub-continent over the years had completely established his position in Huaiyuan Palace.
"After that, Elder Mushen returned to Waii Sub-continent. It's said that Waii Sub-continent has been turned into a perilous place by Gorath, the black-robe knight. Could you tell us about the details?" Elder Muyuan asked as the three elders fixated onto Zhang Tie once again.
After a short consideration, Zhang Tie told them all the information that he had learned about Waii Sub-continent in the Sacred Iceland Kingdom.
After hearing that such an accident happened in Waii Sub-continent, Elder Muyuan became silent. Elder Muan let out a sigh while Elder Muyu let out a deep sigh. Each of them had different feelings and thoughts.
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