Imperial warlords: Cannons are the only truth

On the other side, within the territory of Jizhou Province—Jicheng.

"Damn it! I've seen arrogant people before, but I've never seen anyone as arrogant as Shen Moshen!"

"Who does he think he is?"

"They don't even give face to the Salo people and the Yi people!"

"I handed over the capital to him, and he actually thinks he's the boss?"

"Pah! I can talk big and argue too!"

Zhuo Yongwang was furious when he saw that Shen Moshen hadn't given him any face at all, and he immediately lost his temper: "Move forward the founding ceremony of the five provinces changing their flags and establishing independence!"

"It will be held first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Huaiyu, you should personally follow up on this matter."

"Invite as many reporters as you can, and make sure the event is well-organized."

"Didn't Shen Moshen tell me to carefully consider the consequences of the five provinces becoming independent?"

Zhuo Yongwang sneered, "I've thought it through!"

"I will hold the founding ceremony of the Yongchang Independent State tomorrow, and I will assume the presidency of the Yongchang Independent State tomorrow."

"I have already reached an agreement with the Salo people and the Yi people."

"If that Shen guy really dares to attack our Yongchang Independent State, the Shaluo and Yi Kingdoms will definitely intervene militarily."

“Salo’s army has begun to assemble in the border region.”

"As long as we need it, the Salo army can enter the country and join the war immediately!"

"The foreign fleet will also help us deal with Shen Moshen's troops."

Zhuo Yongwang's face was almost ferocious: "I'd rather give up the five provinces of Jizhou to the Salo people and the Yi people than let that bastard Shen Moshen benefit from this!"

Clearly, Zhuo Yongwang was determined to make this decision.

Their attitude was unusually firm, meaning they would rather give it to foreign enemies than let their own people benefit.

"Yes! I'll get to it right away and make sure tomorrow's founding ceremony is a grand and dignified affair, just as the president has requested!"

As he spoke, Wu Huaiyu, the chief of staff of the five-province allied forces, handed a folder to Zhuo Yongwang: "President, these are several design proposals for the flag of our Yongchang Independent State."

"If the founding ceremony is to be held tomorrow, then the flag design must be finalized now. I will immediately order people to rush to make the flag."

"No need to look anymore, I trust your judgment." Zhuo Yongwang pushed the folder directly to Wu Huaiyu: "You choose what you like."

"The most important thing right now is one word—speed!"

"In any case, we absolutely cannot delay tomorrow's founding ceremony."

"Yes!"

"The list of appointees for our Yongchang Independent State will be finalized now and announced tomorrow."

"I'll show that guy surnamed Shen that not everyone is afraid of me, Shen Moshen!"

Zhuo Yongwang, still seething with anger, said, "I refuse to believe that Shen Moshen can do anything to me as long as I stay within the five provinces of Jizhou!"

"I, Zhuo Yongwang, have painstakingly built up my business in the five provinces of Jizhou for so many years. Shen Moshen thinks he can get something for nothing? No way!"

Zhuo Yongwang then added, "By the way, tell the wealthy gentry in the five provinces of Jizhou to contribute money or labor if the Shen family's army really enters the five provinces of Jizhou. I, Zhuo Yongwang, won't be the first to suffer!"

"They must have heard about the policies Shen Moshen implemented in other provinces, right?"

"If you don't want to be a rich man who gets his land redistributed, then you should show your true colors through your actions."

"If the Yongchang Independent State really collapses, they will definitely be the ones who suffer the most!"

“I understand. These people are quite clear-headed about this issue.” Wu Huaiyu smiled. “People have already heard about Shen Moshen’s Youzhou model.”

"So, basically, I didn't even have to talk to them; they just came to me on their own."

"The donations of grain and supplies are quite substantial..."

"Hmph! At least they understand." Zhuo Yongwang nodded: "It's better to bleed a little now than to go bankrupt and lose your head later!"

"That bastard Shen Moshen is really ruthless when he gets his hands on a knife!"

Mentioning this, Zhuo Yongwang couldn't help but sigh, "I heard that in many provinces, almost all the gentry with bad records were executed on the spot by the man surnamed Shen."

"Are any of the landlords and gentry in the Great Qian Dynasty clean, if not clean?"

"That guy surnamed Shen really has a big appetite."

"They call it speaking up for the people, but in the end it's just that they got carried away with confiscating property and couldn't stop!"

“President, what Mr. Shen did is actually quite advantageous to us,” Wu Huaiyu said. “If Mr. Shen hadn’t been so ruthless, the landlords and gentry in the five provinces of Jizhou wouldn’t be following us so devotedly now.”

"That's true. If it weren't for the ruthless Youzhou model implemented by Shen Moshen, these opportunists would have already secretly colluded with that Shen guy!"

Zhuo Yongwang's face showed a hint of disdain: "That's good. At least we don't have to worry about those bastards stabbing us in the back anymore."

As he spoke, Zhuo Yongwang's gaze swept over everyone attending the meeting: "I won't say anything more."

"All of you here are pillars of the new nation. You should all understand the principle that we share both prosperity and adversity."

"To safeguard the independent state of Yongchang is to safeguard our homeland!"

"I, Zhuo Yongwang, will make this clear from the start—if the Shen army really attacks, anyone who dares to be cowardly or afraid to fight will not be expected to uphold our years of friendship!"

"Today, I'm going to reiterate my position in front of you old buddies."

Looking at the various expressions on the faces of the crowd, Zhuo Yongwang tapped the table and declared, "I, Zhuo Yongwang, will definitely live and die with the Yongchang Independent Nation!"

"Moreover, my promise to everyone remains unchanged—as long as we overcome this difficult time together, I guarantee that I will not let you down."

"As long as the Yongchang Independent State exists, your descendants will enjoy endless wealth and glory."

Zhuo Yongwang immediately painted a rosy picture for everyone: "So, you are not only fighting for yourselves now, nor are you only fighting for me, Zhuo Yongwang!"

"You are actually fighting for your descendants!"

People used to say that it's easy to share hardship, but difficult to share happiness...

Zhuo Yongwang looked sincere and said firmly, "Today, I, Zhuo Yongwang, swear on the oath of my ancestors and descendants—if I, Zhuo Yongwang, ever do anything like 'the cunning rabbit is killed after the hunt is over,' or 'the bird is shot down after the bow is put away,' I will surely be punished by Heaven!"

"President, that's all I have to say. I won't say anything more."

"I, Hu Guanyong, owe my success today to the president's promotion. Without the president, I, Hu Guanyong, would not be where I am today."

"If anyone surnamed Shen dares to come, I, Hu Guanyong, am willing to be the first to fight!"

"President, I won't say much more! Brothers swear to live and die with the Yongchang Independent Nation!"

"We control five provinces, and if everyone is a soldier, we can easily raise an army of several million."

"We have the perfect timing, location, and support. I don't believe Shen Moshen can really cause any trouble!"

"That's right! After all, we're fighting on home soil, so we still have an overall advantage."

"Perhaps, we won't even need the Salo people and the Yi people to intervene militarily; we can wear down Shen Moshen's army ourselves!"

After receiving such a promise from Zhuo Yongwang, everyone present expressed their determination—to live and die with the Yongchang Independent State!

It must be said that the promises Zhuo Yongwang made to them were indeed very tempting.

Zhuo Yongwang knew that only by offering tangible benefits could he bind these people together to the greatest extent possible.

He wanted these people to understand one fact from the bottom of their hearts: if they protected the five provinces of Jizhou, everyone would enjoy wealth and prosperity; if they couldn't, it would be utter ruin and everything would be for naught!

As it turns out, Zhuo Yongwang's strategy was quite effective.

At the very least, after this round of pep talks and empty promises, the generals of the five-province allied forces are determined to follow Zhuo Yongwang down this dark path.

As the old saying goes, cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents!

In their eyes, Shen Moshen was undoubtedly the mortal enemy who wanted to cut off their source of income and destroy their wonderful life!