I switched allegiance to Zhang Han and rebuilt the Qin Dynasty; Liu Bang was heartbroken.

Lu Matong was not familiar with Lu Jia, but had only vaguely heard Zhao Long mention him, saying he was an important talent in the Han army.

This person was one of the big fish that the Han army was trying to catch during the fishing operation at Madaoguan.

Unexpectedly, this man actually escaped with Liu Bang!

Now that they've met again, Lü Matong is determined not to let Lu Jia off the hook.

Lü Matong remarked with some emotion, "This trip will bring back more than just three thousand cavalrymen to Qin."

"We can also bring back a great talent."

Thanks to Zhao Long's advance arrangements, he not only gained Xiang Yu's deep trust, but even Fan Zeng had no complaints about him later!

This trip to Pengcheng was truly a steal!

Before the Qin state re-established control of the Three Qin regions, it basically didn't need to worry about Xiang Yu's attention.

Once Xiang Yu is dealt with, Lü Matong feels there's no need to worry too much about other warlords like Wei Bao and Zheng Chang, as they can't outmaneuver Zhao Long.

Once the Qin Dynasty has re-established control over the Three Qin regions, there will be no need to fear Xiang Yu discovering any signs of Qin's weakness.

"Now, the Qin state is truly about to take off."

"I also want to stay in Qin, follow the prince, and serve him well."

With such great merit, if Qin were to establish itself as the supreme ruler of the world in the future, wouldn't he be the highest-ranking noble among the twenty ranks, the Marquis of Che?

This is a thriving force that instills a strong sense of confidence in people.

It will give you the energy to charge forward!

……

The great fire that once burned in Xianyang has long since been extinguished, but the once prosperous city, the number one city under heaven, has been reduced to ashes.

After returning to Guanzhong, Zhao Long stepped onto this ruin for the first time. Looking at this shattered world, he finally let out a long sigh!

He could have viewed this upheaval from the perspective of later generations, and supported Liu Bang in using his power to dominate the world more quickly and steadily.

Only when he personally participated did he realize that he could change or influence very little.

Zhang Han's expression was not good either. Even though he kept trying to move forward, the sight of the ruins of Xianyang when he looked back still made him feel heartache and guilt.

"General, young master, there is no need to worry!"

"Even if Xianyang is gone, the people of Qin still live on. We will never give up our ambition to restore Qin!"

"These traitors from the six states, what makes them think that the Qin Dynasty is tyrannical? If it weren't for the Qin Dynasty, the world would have been at war for hundreds of years, and even more people would have died!"

Yang Duanhe sighed and spoke.

Zhao Long nodded in agreement: "Yes."

The Qin conquest of the six states was a clash of civilizations, and in a sense, it ended centuries of struggle for supremacy. The standardization of carts, writing, and gauge became the foundation of the empire for millennia.

Even under Liu Bang, the Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, with virtually no major changes.

The biggest problem with the Qin Dynasty was that the First Emperor accomplished the work of several generations in one generation.

As for the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, many records in the Qin bamboo slips obtained before Zhao Long's time show that the Qin state did indeed have strict laws, but they were all relatively reasonable.

This was unbearable for the people of those six kingdoms!

This makes one even more appreciative of the hardships endured by the people of Qin.

Within the laws of the Qin Dynasty, they contributed to the empire for hundreds of years, working tirelessly to build it up.

They never complained about the hardships, but instead united as one, with everyone working together to drag this ancient country step by step toward the mountains.

After a moment of reflection, Zhao Long asked, "What is the current situation within the territory of Yong Kingdom?"

Zhang Cang clasped his hands and said, "Currently, the territory of Yong State includes Longxi County and Beidi County. Sima Xin does not manage the Inner History, so I am in charge of managing it as well. For the time being, things are relatively stable."

Zhang Cang is indeed talented; in just three or four months in the north, he had already reorganized the management structure in various regions.

Once Zhao Long left Xieyu Pass, he could feel the vibrant life in Guanzhong today, a stark contrast to when the allied forces were there.

However, seeing that Zhang Cang's expression was not good, Zhao Long asked in a deep voice, "Is there something else that's difficult to handle?"

After Guanzhong was ravaged by the feudal lords, even Longxi was in ruins. It was indeed a difficult and distressing task for Zhang Cang to rebuild the ecology of Guanzhong.

However, something that could make things so difficult for Zhang Cang must be no small matter.

Yang Duanhe stepped forward and said, "Does Your Majesty know that His Majesty swept across the world, collecting treasures from various countries and relocating nobles from six kingdoms to Xianyang?"

"knew!"

In order to quickly implement the policies of the Qin state, the First Emperor forcibly ordered the nobles of the six states to enter the Guanzhong region.

I feel more at ease when it's right under my nose.

"Didn't most of these people leave Guanzhong during the turmoil of the previous few years?"

Yang Duanhe explained with a livid face: "Not all of them left. Many nobles also established themselves in the Guanzhong region, just like the Qu, Jing, and Zhao families of the former Chu state."

"They were originally powerful families in the State of Chu. Xiang Yu's entry into Guanzhong was inseparable from the support of these three families. After entering Guanzhong, Xiang Yu naturally reciprocated. Now, a lot of land in Guanzhong is in the hands of these three families."

"Besides these three families, there's also the Huai family of Wei, etc..."

"These are just a few large families; there are countless other greedy and wealthy people in Guanzhong."

Zhao Long understood: "Are these people dissatisfied with the rule of Yong Kingdom, or are they simply greedy and want more?"

Zhao Long also recalled that after Liu Bang established his capital, he moved as many as 100,000 nobles from Chu Zhao, Qu, Jing, Huai, and Qi Tian clans into Guanzhong.

This is not only because these families held extremely high power and status in various regions, but more importantly, during the great feast of chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, these families hid in the shadows and ate their fill.

Their immense power is such that they could easily establish their own country.

Liu Bang was not at ease with these families, but he also wanted to use their wealth to enrich Guanzhong.

Now, they are naturally frantically dividing up the spoils of victory in Guanzhong.

Zhang Cang clasped his hands and said, "They are insatiable and have controlled grain prices."

“Since last year, there have been continuous battles in Guanzhong, which have been devastating and the people have suffered terribly.”

"When the allied forces of the feudal lords retreated, all that could be seen in Guanzhong was devastation."

“When I came to Guanzhong, the price of grain had already risen to a thousand coins per bushel, and it continued to rise.”

Zhao Long narrowed his eyes. These families were profiting from the Qin Dynasty's national crisis.

This is the parasitic beast that lives on Guanzhong, devouring the flesh and blood of the Qin people in Guanzhong!

There was another very important reason why Liu Bang later found himself in a precarious situation when he fought against Xiang Yu.

When Zhang Han was defeated and committed suicide, the price of grain in Guanzhong was 10,000 coins per bushel!

Liu Bang managed to alleviate this farce by transporting grain from Bashu to Guanzhong and relocating a large number of people to Bashu.

Considering why Liu Bang later relocated these noble families to Guanzhong, Zhao Long roughly understood that these people were currently hidden deep within the Qin Dynasty, an invisible force at work.

Backed by Xiang Yu and possessing immense power, they became like elephants roaming freely over the Qin Dynasty, doing whatever they pleased.

This is the most difficult thing for Zhang Cang to handle.

"These few companies..."

As Zhao Long narrowed his eyes and was pondering, a messenger reported, "Young Master, General Lü has returned."

As soon as Lü Matong returned, he went straight to Zhao Long and said excitedly, "Reporting to the young master, we have obtained three thousand cavalry this time, all of them are elite warriors who can ride two horses each!"

"And they even caught a big fish!"