Chapter 7006 Right of Choice

Chapter 7006 Right of Choice

"Brother Huang, can I ask you a question?" Zhang Yong hesitated for a moment after hearing Wang Liang's words, then looked at Zhang Huang, hoping that it wouldn't really be as he guessed!

"What is it?" Zhang Huang picked up an apple from the side. In the dead of winter, the seasonal fruits available were things like apples, kiwis, and pomelos.

Thanks to the Little Ice Age, it took some time to build a cold storage facility, which was manageable for the authorities. So when Zhang Huang saw the fresh fruit, he didn't hesitate and grabbed one to start eating. The fruit was so fresh and juicy that Zhang Huang questioned his existence. Even when Zhang Yong asked him about it, Zhang Huang was still staring at the apple he had taken a bite out of.

"Zhang Ping, Huang Tao, and Slavnis, when Brother Huang killed me, didn't he also kill them?" Zhang Yong asked seriously, a question that sent chills down everyone's spines. What kind of god-level team was this? How could they be stopped? That's too much!
"No way, Zhang Er, your team got wiped out?" Wang Liang was astonished. This team consisted entirely of powerful individuals at the seventh level, with exceptional attack, defense, mobility, mechanics, stats, and debuffs. And they were all taken away? That's going too far.

"Oh, so those three pieces of equipment are for those three people, right?" Zhang Huang licked the apple juice twice and then asked casually, not realizing how outrageous his question or what he had done was. After all, turning three gods into equipment and carrying away the gods wearing that equipment were clearly not things that normal people could do.

“Hmm.” Zhang Yong nodded and said, “I thought that after I was defeated, you took those three pieces of equipment, or you turned them into points.”

The veterans around him stared at Zhang Yong as if they had seen a ghost. As expected of a man named Yong, he was incredibly brave. He actually dared to turn three level 7 weapons into equipment. This was something they couldn't even imagine.

"No, when I finally killed you, you used those three guys as a shield. I didn't kill you; I guess I just knocked them out," Zhang Huang said after thinking for a moment. When Willpower is surpassing his teammates, he usually needs to consider how much effort to put in. Going all out like he did against Zhang Yong is a rare occurrence for Zhang Huang.

Of course, he eventually stopped. If he hadn't, Zhang Yong might have really had to stay in bed for half a month. Does he even know what it means to be a Brahmin in the noble will system?
"Huh, knocked him out?" Zhang Yong was stunned upon hearing this. "Then why didn't you just kill him while you were at it and turn him into points? You would have already won."

“I gave it to Wang Pa. My will left my body. Although I could still stay inside, it wouldn’t be very meaningful anymore. So I told Wang Pa to leave him some things for self-defense and then came out.” Zhang Huang thought for a moment and said, “Wang Pa is a doctor after all, so he still needs some things for self-defense.”

If we were to rank the top veterans, those with healing abilities would definitely be at the top. As for someone like Yang Tuo, who possesses cellular-level coordination and can guarantee that as long as a teammate is brought over due to external injuries and still has a breath left, they will definitely not die. He is the best of the best among military doctors and has a very good relationship with most of the veterans.

Even people of Sun Er's or Zhang Yong's caliber would give Yang Tuo face. After all, on the battlefield, no one can guarantee that they won't get injured. And a guy who can ensure that you're carried over still alive and has a very high probability of helping you recover at super speed is definitely a superior person.

Zhang Huang shared the same line of thinking. Although Wang Pa's treatment skills were not as good as Yang Tuo's or Feng Ke's, he was at least an excellent emergency physician and had treated Guang Yuan and Zhang Huang before.

Therefore, when Zhang Huang left, he felt that it would be bad to leave Wang Pa behind, so he arranged five pieces of divine equipment for Wang Pa: three pieces dropped by Zhang Yong, Guang Yuan's Yuan Demon Sword, and the Will Transcendence Sword, which Zhang Huang created with his overflowing will to control the three divine artifacts.

Needless to say, the three divine weapons each possess astonishing power. Although Guangyuan's Yuanmo Sword is not as powerful as the Huangshen Sword, it has the power to slay gods at the limit-breaking level. It is highly controllable, possesses strong willpower for attack, and will not kill the opponent instantly with a single strike.

From a certain perspective, Zhang Huang's decision to leave the Yuan Demon Sword behind was a painstaking one, greatly compensating for Wang Pa's shortcomings without causing any deaths.

As for the other sword, the Will Transcending Sword, formed from Zhang Huang's shed will, it is the true divine weapon compared to the four mentioned above.

However, Zhang Huang did not create this thing so that Wang Pa could use it to kill people, but so that Wang Pa could better control the other four divine weapons.

Without the will to surpass the sword, the King Rake, transformed into the Burning Armor by Slavnis, wouldn't last long. That's a will to break limits. Although Zhang Huang used heavy force to make Slavnis sleep for at least half a day, the problem is that after half a day, when Slavnis wakes up, without Zhang Yong's suppression, Slavnis can easily refine the King Rake and then get his hands on the other four divine artifacts.

Then came an even stronger opponent than Zhang Yong, so it was necessary to have a backup plan.

Furthermore, with the Yuan Demon Sword in Wang Pa's hands, it's like a tree without roots or water without a source. Without the support of a will at the limit-breaking level, it should dissipate in just a few dozen strikes.

All of these troubles can be resolved by the Sword of Transcendence created from the will that Zhang Huang shed when he left the stage.

Slavnis might wake up, that's alright. After a while, use the Sword of Transcendence to strike twice. Even without any enhancement, just two strikes with the Sword of Transcendence, based on the transcendence of will, would be enough to keep Slavnis, who is already in a deep sleep, asleep.

Similarly, Zhang Ping and Huang Tao could solve it in the same way; it's just a matter of a few quick blows.

Furthermore, the will consumed by the Yuan Demon Sword can also draw upon the power of the Transcendent Sword. If Zhang Huang's shed will were used to enable the Yuan Demon Sword to unleash the God-Slaying Technique, it could easily be used hundreds of times.

That solves all the problems.

"..." Zhang Yong remained silent for a while, and finally didn't say anything, but just gave Zhang Huang a thumbs up. Zhang Huang really knew how to play.

"What? Is there a problem?" Zhang Huang asked with a hint of curiosity, seeing Zhang Yong's hesitant look. What's wrong? Is there a problem with leaving a gift for our military doctor before leaving?
“It’s not a big problem.” Sun Er glanced at Zhang Huang and Zhang Yong and gave his answer. “However, I’m more curious about how many times Wang Pa has been forged. I want to get a general idea of ​​his combat strength.”

"I estimated the level of the five-fold forging before leaving the arena. Since the wills of those three pieces of equipment had fallen into slumber, Wang Pa could only unleash its most basic power. Combined with the Yuanmo Sword and the Transcendence Sword that I left behind, it would only reach a considerable level in terms of attack, defense, and mobility. However, its inherent foundation would make it difficult to maximize its existing power. Against those below the seventh level, it would have an advantage over those at the seventh level, but against those at the seventh level, it would be just so-so." Zhang Huang explained his actions, which were simply to make the doctor happy for a bit, boost his score, and not affect the final result.

As for the five-fold and six-fold smelting teams that were wiped out by Wang Pa during this process, Zhang Huang didn't really feel anything special except that they were a bit unlucky. After all, they were veterans from the previous generation, and their ideas were still somewhat out of touch with the times—a bunch of idiots have no rights!

"Look, Brother Wang, it seems you can only be categorized as unlucky," Zhang Yong said helplessly to Wang Liang, then handed him the snacks on his table.

"Sigh, after getting my arm reattached, I came to the grand martial arts competition with great enthusiasm, hoping to win a prize. I think I'll probably be outside the top 100 this time," Wang Liang said with some regret. He used to be Zhang Yong's superior, but now it's just a case of the younger generation surpassing the older!

"I remember Chen Hou said that the top 500 would all receive a reward, so being in the top 100 or so wouldn't be bad either," Zhang Yong comforted Wang Liang. This old guy was incredibly powerful back then, but he had broken his arm for ten years and then entrusted everything to his son. To be able to reach the sixth level, he must have a very solid foundation.

“That’s true. We’re here to soak up the atmosphere, it’s not good to be too preoccupied.” Wang Liang said with a hint of wry smile. “Speaking of which, I heard from my daughter-in-law that your gifts for the Marquis of Guannei have been distributed. What are your plans now?”

"Of course, I'll go to Central and Southern China to seize land and build a small country to have some fun!" Zhang Yong said with a grin, making no attempt to hide his intentions; he had already planned it out.

Zhang Yong's initial idea was to go to Tulan to see if he could take over the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and then try to become a Marquis within the Pass, and then place his fiefdom in Tulan. But now, he's already a Marquis within the Pass, so what's the point of trying?

I, Zhang Yong, am already a Marquis within the Passes. Why should I go to Turan to set up a ranch? The Grand Commandant has more than enough resources at his disposal. I have many more and better options. Why should I go to Turan?
It's not that Turan is bad, but Liu Bei has many better places at his disposal!

Even if the best part of the Kushan territory is already occupied, the Indochina Peninsula is still a good place!

Having traveled all over the world, seen and eaten everywhere, and even consulted with professionals like Wan Zhen about which places in the world are suitable for making a living, Zhang Yong knows very well what kind of quality the more than two million square kilometers of land in the Indochina Peninsula is.

As for heat, miasma, malaria, and so on, the former can be solved by large-scale cooling etching, and the latter now has universally applicable herbs.

The terrain and transportation barriers that a unified dynasty needed to consider to rule the Indochina Peninsula, namely the mountain ranges, dense river networks, and difficulties in military logistics, were actually a good thing for those who established fiefdoms there.

This means that people who are granted fiefdoms here face far less pressure if they want to become local tyrants than in other places, and most importantly, there is no shortage of food here!
Previously, the Han dynasty's influence could not penetrate deep into the Indochina Peninsula, so it simply regarded the Indochina Peninsula as a barren wasteland with little output. In addition, the hot and humid climate, miasma, and malaria made the area sparsely populated, so the entire Indochina Peninsula was considered a wasteland.

In reality, the fact that Chen Xi was able to get Liu Bei to grant fiefdoms to this area, and that the veterans here remained silent as they were granted fiefdoms, actually showed that the situation here was quite good.

After all, the problems of damp heat, miasma, malaria, and other diseases have been completely solved. What remains as drawbacks for a unified dynasty are all benefits for small and medium-sized vassal states.

Zhang Yong had at least traveled to the Indochina Peninsula with Wan Zhen, and even personally visited places like Thailand and Cambodia in later generations. In Wan Zhen's interpretation of these places, they were all quite good. Take Thailand as an example: in later generations, Thailand was only 50 square kilometers, but its arable land area reached more than 20 square kilometers, which is equivalent to more than 3 million mu.

Moreover, due to its tropical climate, Thailand truly has three harvests a year, and thanks to this advantage, it has even become the world's second-largest rice exporter.

What food meant in the feudal era is self-evident. Compared to the situation in Turan, it is clear that later places like Thailand, Cambodia, and South Vietnam were more suitable for farming. Even though Zhang Yong was from Liangzhou, he was well aware of the importance of farming.

More importantly, from a security perspective, places like the Indochina Peninsula are easy to find with fragmented, easily defensible terrain. Moreover, because they are far from the emperor's reach and not on the front lines of war, and there are no enemies around, the cost and difficulty of farming and developing are very low.

The simplest point is that both the Yuan family and Central Asia need to confront Rome. Turan and the Pamir Mountains may be advantageous, but they will eventually be destroyed because of their strategic location.

On the contrary, the three places that Liu Bei held in his hands were all treasure troves. The black soil of Outer Northeast, and if he only chose the coastal areas, relying on the warmth brought by the ocean currents, they would all be temperate maritime climates. If the construction of bastions and small kingdoms were permitted, he would be a local emperor.

Similarly, the Indochina Peninsula appears fragmented due to the cutting of mountains and waterways, but if small states and countries were to live there, to put it bluntly, they could survive by not farming, but by picking fruit in the forest or fishing in the river.

As for the future Kushan heartland, namely the Indus-Ganges River basin, it was a place Zhang Yong dared not even think about. After all, he had invaded it before. To put it bluntly, if he were to establish a country in that place and do whatever he wanted, wouldn't that be similar to when Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang?

What's even better is that there are no unreasonable orders from above, and you can do whatever you want!
Unfortunately, Zhang Yong knew he had no hope of getting a piece of land there, as too many people wanted it. However, the registration was already completed. In Wan Zhen's words, after Lu Su exposed the matter, Chen Zichuan seemed to have done nothing, but the registration was already completed.

Despite the current uproar, some mid-level officers are still thinking about how to kill others so that they can get more benefits for themselves. In reality, everything that needed to be divided has already been divided.

Even if the four kings were dead, they would still have the legacy of the four kings. There were 11 to 14 people who were called county marquises, but in reality, they were granted titles that surpassed those of county kings. There were also more than 80 people who were called ministers, but in reality, they were granted titles with the potential of county kings. As for the leftovers, they were all benefits that even county marquises in this era could not obtain.

The only thing that left Zhang Yong speechless was that Wan Zhen said that no matter how big Lu Su's plan was, he would still be able to receive a reward that surpassed that of a prince in the end. From the moment Liu Bei became the Prince of Jin, it was destined that Liu Bei would not actually go to the Ganges River. Therefore, the only person who could help Liu Bei deal with the fiefdom in the Ganges River was Lu Su. So it was only a matter of time before Lu Su received the fiefdom.

From a certain perspective, this made Zhang Yong somewhat unwilling. After all, after learning the cause and effect of the matter from Wan Zhen, he made a judgment based on the mindset of a Liangzhou native: Lu Su deserved to be killed!

As a result, not only was the person not killed, but he also received such benefits. What could Zhang Yong say? He could only say that he was indeed a key figure who was among the earliest to follow the Grand Commandant.

However, setting aside these unrealistic ideas, if we only consider the Indochina Peninsula, the options would include later-era Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnam, and West Malaysia, totaling over 170 million square kilometers.

The Central and Southern Base, which is the area controlled by Liu Zhang and Yuan Shu, was not considered as their fiefdom by either of them. However, when Liu Bei was distributing fiefdoms, he directly regarded that area of ​​over 300,000 square kilometers as the fiefdom of Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang, even though the two of them actually only occupied a small part of it.

More importantly, if the two men's fiefdoms were actually located in that position, it would severely block the southwestern passage for the Han dynasty to rule the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges River in later generations. However, Liu Bei still tacitly accepted that extremely important node area as an extension of Liu Zhang and Yuan Shu's power at this stage.

As for what to do when that time comes, in Chen Xi's words, we'll talk about it then. After all, some problems that seem very difficult at the present stage will become extremely simple as we develop. Solving problems through development is a correct approach.

Although Zhang Yong didn't know Liu Bei and Chen Xi's thoughts, as a veteran who had actually been to the Indochina Peninsula with Wan Zhen and seen its mountains and rivers, he naturally knew that if he had the right to choose, it would be better to choose the Indochina Peninsula, specifically the region where Thailand is located in later generations.

As a Marquis within the Pass, Zhang Yong could freely claim land in that area. If Liu Bei gave him a quota of 10,000 square kilometers, Zhang Yong could easily draw up 20,000 square kilometers, and no one would care.

As for the only population problem, there will naturally be a solution after the Kushan Empire is destroyed. For now, let's occupy good places first and then talk about other things.

Zhang Yong didn't directly express these thoughts. He simply and directly told Wang Liang that he would go to Liu Bei to ask for a fiefdom order and then enfeoff himself in the Indochina Peninsula. The others didn't really understand this, and after Zhang Yong spoke, they mostly congratulated him.

"Speaking of which, what are your thoughts, you two?" After Zhang Yong said that he would ask Liu Bei to grant him a fiefdom in the Indochina Peninsula, he naturally steered the conversation toward Sun Quan and Wei Shuang.

"I haven't thought it through yet, and I never even imagined I could become a Marquis within the Passes," Wei Shuang said with a dry laugh. "So the matter of a fiefdom is even more beyond my expectations."

Sun Er stroked his chin, deep in thought. “There are actually many places to choose from, and I don’t know which one to choose. The only drawback is that no matter where we choose as our fiefdom, there is a lack of population, so it’s all quite a headache.”

“If you don’t have a strong ambition, I suggest you choose the Indochina Peninsula like I did,” Zhang Yong said casually. After all, the advantages of the Indochina Peninsula are too great, especially in a feudal era where having enough to eat is everything. The food production of the Indochina Peninsula can guarantee the prosperity of the feudal state in the future.

As for the current difficulties in development due to human resources and other issues, well, the location of the Indochina Peninsula means that war is unlikely. They have plenty of time to develop. Establishing a feudal state is not something that can be done in one or two generations. They can take it slowly. Once the foundation and potential are established, they can gradually dig deeper. Why be in such a hurry?

“Indochina Peninsula, huh? Okay, I’ll look into the situation there when I have time.” Sun Er nodded and said. Like most veterans, he knew very little about Indochina Peninsula, just as most Chinese people in later generations thought that Indochina Peninsula was a truly rotten place. But in reality, the reason why Indochina Peninsula was rotten was entirely due to geopolitics and the problems of incompetent local politicians.

To put it bluntly, if those places were truly under the Emperor's control, they would all be top-quality grain-producing areas, where three harvests a year would be the norm.

Zhang Yong didn't say much after hearing this. Everything he knew was told to him by Wan Zhen, but Wan Zhen told him not to spread it. In Wan Zhen's words, Liu Bei and Chen Xi left behind plenty of high-potential land with development issues resolved, but most of the veterans didn't realize this.

Even from the very beginning of the plan, Chen Zichuan may have already divided everything up. The Parthian Empire had a solid foundation, but there were different cultures and religions in the region. Assimilation was very difficult for Liu Bei's generals and officers, who were only engaged in small-scale operations. Therefore, the territory was given to the major aristocratic families. This was because the geographical and climatic limitations of the Parthian Empire meant that unless the Central Asian aristocratic families were unified by a powerful family, their potential could only be explored to the limit, which would only give them the level of a top-tier kingdom.

Eastern Europe is undoubtedly a good place, but after Wan Zhen visited it once, he realized that while everything was good, the future development of the region would inevitably be dominated by a common leader, not an emperor. In other words, no matter how hard the Yuan family tried, they could not defeat Cyprian and the local environment that led to their alliance.

Chen Xi hadn't mentioned this, but he'd known it for ten years. To put it bluntly, Putin still needs to gather all the Russian elites at the Kremlin for a meal or something in the winter. Normal people would think this is some kind of crazy bribery, but from a historical perspective, it's simply the Russian monarch bringing together all the bigwigs in the winter to maintain stability...

This practice has continued for thousands of years and will continue indefinitely.

Do you think Yuan Tan could avoid this problem? No, when Eastern Europe is truly under Yuan Tan's control, he will naturally find that due to climate and winter separatism, he will need to maintain stability every winter, which does not conform to China's logic of unification!

What happens?
Friends, when discussing history, please consider the cultural context influenced by the local climate and environment. For example, the acrobatic performances India still performs during its military parades today are rooted in the legacy of King Ashoka over three thousand years ago.