Chapter 680: Chapter 306: Returning Home as a Monarch and Minister_2

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Nowadays, the Chu State has become a large country with four prefectures and thirty-four administrations, three vassal states, and over thirty thousand miles of territory.

Just in terms of the area, it has already surpassed Ning Country in Jiangdong.

In terms of military power, the eleven Forbidden armies and fifty thousand naval forces of Chu State have been gradually trained and completed. The construction of the county soldiers in various prefectures and counties has also been completed.

Adding in the Jinwu Guard responsible for defending the capital, Chu State now has a total of 382,000 soldiers and horses.

The three major vassal countries can each provide an additional fifty thousand soldiers and horses.

In total, the number is over five hundred thousand.

On Ning Country’s side, even with continuous expansion, it also has only over five hundred thousand soldiers and horses.

The two sides are evenly matched.

In terms of Inborn Grandmasters, Chu State itself has five, and the three vassal states have three, making a total of eight.

On Ning Country’s side, in the past two years stimulated by Chu State, it seems to have accelerated the cultivation of Inborn Grandmasters. They have cultivated Bai Yian and Li Dao as Inborns in the past two years.

Both men have inherited the titles of Wuan Marquis and Wuyang Marquis respectively from Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang and Wuyang Marquis Li Gui and have become the new generation of grandmasters in Ning Country.

With the addition of Wucheng Marquis Shangguan Ming, Martial Proclamation Marquis Yang Jing, Marquis Wuming Muchangqing, and Shen Qiu, the Heavenly Son, Ning Country has a total of six Inborns.

In terms of the innate quantity of Inborns, Chu State has also surpassed Ning Country.

The only thing that Chu State is currently lagging behind compared to Ning Country is the population.

Even though Lu Yuan has been constantly digging at Su Country’s corner in the South, receiving nearly four hundred thousand Su and Yi refugees from Ning State, gaining one million Yi People in Qianzhong County, and abducting nearly three hundred thousand Yi women from Jianchuan State.

Latterly, he gained five hundred thousand people from Xichuan State and three hundred thousand people from Hanzhong State.

However, once you add all of these up, it only amounts to a mere two million five hundred thousand people.

Adding in the original population of six million in Chu State, it is only a total population of eight million five hundred thousand. It is only equivalent to Ning State’s Yuzhang Prefecture, plus Jianan Prefecture.

It’s only half of the other side.

All in all, Chu State has surpassed Ning State in terms of territory and Inborn Grandmasters, is on par in military power, and has lost in terms of population. Chu State has already gained an advantage over Ning State with two victories, one draw, and one loss.

In the eyes of other countries in the world, the Chu State may still be slightly inferior compared to Ning Country at present.

That is, Chu State does not occupy the core of Yangzhou, Jinling, and is slightly inferior in terms of legitimacy, thus appearing somewhat precarious.

However, in terms of actual strength, there is no longer a significant gap between the two sides, and both have reached a level of national power.

This is a point that everyone has already acknowledged.

In the competition for the title of Master of Yangzhou, Chu and Ning States have equal qualifications and strength.

Others like Southsea, Su, Song, Nanzhao, and Dali are just remote and small countries, side characters and pawns, not worth mentioning at all.

Even the great states like Zhou and Liang, after hearing about Lu Yuan’s gains from the Western Expedition, have already dispatched messengers to Baling to establish diplomatic contacts and set up stable post houses, permanently stationed here.

It should be noted that this was originally a treatment exclusively enjoyed by Ning State, but now Chu State has enjoyed it as well.

There is no doubt that in the hearts of these two great countries, Chu and Ning are in an equal position, with the qualifications and rights to deal with them on an equal footing.

This recognition from the international community and the people of the world has made Chu State even more prestigious, gradually revealing the qualifications of a hegemon.

The prestige and recognition also transformed into a share of Qi Luck, which gathered from all over the world and blended into the Luck Heavenly Pillar of Chu State.

Thanks to all these gains, Lu Yuan’s own Qi Luck has doubled compared to before the Western Expedition.

With the help of this boundless Qi Luck, the heavenly Qi he could manipulate has also increased.

Now, each moment, Lu Yuan is operating his Mental Technique, leveraging the hidden Immortal Spirit Qi in the depths of the Heavenly Vault with his Qi Luck, borrowing the support of the Heavenly Pillar to bring it down for his own breathing and cultivation of magical power.

With the tenfold increase in spiritual energy, his cultivation speed has sharply accelerated.

In just a short period of two months, he has successively broken through several small barriers, taking a big step forward on the path of condensing secondary Qi, accumulating profound magical power.

At this rate, in five or six years, Lu Yuan will almost be able to condense a second Five Elements Qi, taking his cultivation to another level.

Not only has the growth of his magical power increased, but even his soul has also grown stronger as it is nourished by spiritual energy and nurtured by Inner Qi.

Thanks to this accumulation, Lu Yuan has a faint feeling that in another two or three years, his soul will be strong enough to split another trace of divine intent, condensing a second Yellow Turban Warrior Avatar.

By then, Chu State’s Inborn-level combat power will increase by one more person.

Needless to say, anyone would be overjoyed with these various accumulations and gains.

Therefore, listening to the cheers outside, Lu Yuan was in a good mood and felt very pleased.

After walking through several miles of the jubilant crowds on the outskirts of Baling, the procession soon reached the city gate.

Cui Changqing, along with the officials, was already here, waiting to welcome the king’s return.

The expressions on the faces of these officials at this time were not much different from those of the people around them.

As the Chu State’s power grows and its rule expands, they, as central officials, naturally gain more and more benefits as well.

For one thing,

With Chu State growing strong and its ruled territories expanding, they, as officials in the central government, naturally have their authority and position grow along with it.

With the expansion of the territories, there are more local officials, providing more opportunities for their disciples and clan members to enter the government.