Chapter 35

Zhang Hao did not explain the specific situation to Cai Yong and the others, but they were all exceptionally wise. They noticed that many of the estate's managers were hurrying about, and the guards were more densely stationed, which made them somewhat suspicious and uneasy.

Especially when their families were gradually brought in, this unease and suspicion gradually turned into anxiety.

That evening, Zhang Hao hosted a banquet for Cai Yong and their families who had already arrived. These were mainly those from nearby areas. Families like Man Chong's were estimated to need more time to arrive.

Clearly, if Zhang Hao did not explain clearly, Cai Yong and the others would not be able to eat.

Zhang Hao, not being overly stubborn, complied with their request, gathered everyone together, and explained what he was about to do.

Upon hearing that Zhang Hao was planning to raise an army and rebel, Cai Yong and the others turned pale, but they maintained their composure, showing their extraordinary demeanor.

Perhaps after spending so much time in the estate, although they could not access many areas or information, they must have had some doubts about the details. They had not delved into these matters before, but now, upon reflection, they realized that everything had been planned from the beginning.

Zhang Hao praised their calm and composure in his heart. He then told them about the story of his being a celestial being sent down to earth and demonstrated it right in front of them. This time, they could not remain calm.

Cai Yong and the others had heard the story of Zhang Hao being a celestial being before, but they dismissed it as the idle talk of the ignorant and superstitious. The previously surprising out-of-season vegetables and fruits, once they saw the greenhouses, seemed to have a reasonable explanation, and they did not think much more about it.

Moreover, their main focus was either on compiling new laws or studying the many books provided by Zhang Hao. They had little contact with the outside world, and Zhang Hao's deliberate actions had led to this situation.

Now, with the plot twist, Cai Yong and the others were extremely conflicted, feeling both shocked and at a loss.

Zhang Hao's trump card exceeded their expectations, and they guessed that he might have decided to pull them into his plans. For a moment, they did not know how to choose.

Zhang Hao did not force them. He only said that if they really did not want to, they could choose to stay here temporarily, where at least their safety could be guaranteed. Otherwise, once the war started, safety in other places would be questionable.

The banquet clearly could not continue. Knowing that they needed time to consider, Zhang Hao left.

He then visited the injured soldiers and various managers. The people under Zhang Hao, along with the many civilians under his jurisdiction, were already aware of the uprising. Despite some fear of war, they were willing to support Zhang Hao. Some even looked forward to it.

Since Zhang Hao had fabricated the story of being a celestial being, he had established a hierarchy of celestial beings and combined various religions to create a set of doctrines that were very appealing. Added to the fact that their current stable and happy life was all provided by Zhang Hao, although there were some concerns, the overall morale was quite high.

Through this, Zhang Hao alleviated some of his nervousness.

The next day was New Year's Eve, and Zhang Hao distributed a large amount of wine and food.

Zhang Hao's workers and civilians already had a very good standard of living. They had three meals a day, and each meal was enough to fill them up. The large quantities of seafood from the nearby fish farms were sold to them at very low prices. Compared to other civilians, they felt as if they were living in paradise.

However, New Year's Eve should have a festive atmosphere. Each household received a certain amount of wine, beef, mutton, vegetables, and sweets for the children. New silk fabrics had been distributed to each household beforehand. On this day, adults and children wore new clothes, and the children ran around with sweets in their mouths, creating a lively scene.

In the evening, Zhang Hao's subordinates, managers, and their families gathered together. As midnight approached, the fireworks display that Zhang Hao had arranged was about to begin.

As the bodyguards lit the fireworks, one after another soared into the sky with sharp whistles, and in an instant, a myriad of colors burst forth, the brilliant light causing everyone to be amazed or exclaim in awe.

The fireworks display lasted for about ten minutes, and the entire large fortress complex gradually became noisy. Gradually, the sounds became unified, "Purple Star Descends, Rejuvenate the World!" The massive wave of sound echoed in all directions.

Zhang Hao smiled and raised his wine glass in a toast, "With this morale, we will surely win!"

Just as Zhang Hao had imagined, the fireworks display was directly regarded as a miracle by the people and soldiers.

On New Year's Day, the estate was bustling early in the morning. After finishing breakfast, with the help of Xiao Zhu and Xiao Cha, Zhang Hao put on his armor.

This armor was specially crafted by Zhang Hao's own craft factory, with a magnificent and stylish design. It was made of new materials, lightweight but with good protective capabilities. However, in terms of practicality, it was quite average.

But what Zhang Hao valued was its imposing appearance. As for practicality, well, as the commander-in-chief, if he had to personally go to the front lines, it would mean the war situation was about to collapse. At that time, Zhang Hao would simply open a portal and escape.

Pinching Xiao Zhu and Xiao Cha's cheeks, Zhang Hao strode out of the room, surrounded by his bodyguards, heading towards the training ground outside the estate.

Along the way, guards, maids, and servants gathered behind Zhang Hao, all heading towards the training ground outside the estate.

In the courtyard, Zhang Hao met Cai Yong and his group, who had complex expressions. Clearly, at this moment, they still had not made up their minds.

Zhang Hao was not concerned. Once they saw the future developments, they would naturally know what to do.

Nodding, Zhang Hao did not say much and continued forward. With a large crowd gathered, people surrounded Zhang Hao and directly arrived at the training ground. A sacrificial altar had been hastily built on the training ground.

Taking a deep breath, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhang Hao walked to the sacrificial altar, with Tian Feng leading the ceremony.

In the sixth year of Zhongping, 189 AD, on the first day of the first month, Zhang Hao sacrificed to heaven and proclaimed himself as the King of Qian, with the slogan "Purple Star Descends, Rejuvenate the World," and raised an army.

Although the first to stand out often faces the most challenges, especially in rebellion, many of those who take the lead are often the vanguard for the king. But with the time portal as his backup, Zhang Hao was not superstitious. Moreover, there were already many rebels at this time, and the Yellow Turbans had set a good example.

As for the title, Zhang Hao thought about it all night.

Throughout history, rebels have called themselves all sorts of things, such as kings, great generals, or even "World-Knowing Lords." Many of these titles had a makeshift feel. Zhang Hao calling himself a king was also a makeshift title, but he hoped to make it more formal and at least have a good-sounding name.

The reason he called himself the King of Qian was recommended by Xi Zhicai.

"Hao" means "sky," and "sky" means "Qian."

Completely linking it with his name, Zhang Hao felt very good about it. This was not just a royal title but would also be the name of the future country.

Although the Divine Might Army had not yet returned, Zhang Hao still managed to gather an army of ten thousand, including three thousand cavalry and seven thousand infantry, along with some auxiliary troops.

The army set out, its momentum overwhelming. Within a month, it had swept through the entire commandery, causing a stir in Yangzhou.

In the early morning, at the governor's residence in Wuxian, the seat of the Wu commandery.

In the back hall, Zhang Hao extended his hands, and Xiao Zhu, Xiao Cha, and other maids helped him put on the elaborate and magnificent royal attire. Xiao Zhu and Xiao Cha both had joyful expressions, clearly their confidence in Zhang Hao had skyrocketed after sweeping through the entire commandery in just a month.

Zhang Hao was not overly concerned; he knew very well how everything had come about.

Wu commandery was Zhang Hao's base. Although the powerful clans were greedy, in other places, Zhang Hao had made ample preparations.

Despite the limited troops, he still divided them to attack various counties.

In each county of Wu commandery, Zhang Hao had already placed spies and soldiers. Even if the county officials reacted, with the help of the spies and soldiers, and the neglect of military preparedness, they could not resist Zhang Hao's army.

It was only in Wuxian that they encountered some trouble. The surrounding powerful clans, knowing their deep-seated hatred for Zhang Hao, and to some extent, even saying that Zhang Hao was forced into rebellion by them, did their best to mobilize troops to help the governor defend the city.

Among the officials in Wuxian, there were no shortage of intelligent people. With sufficient manpower, they had long been prepared to prevent spies from opening the city gates or causing chaos. This made the battle in Wuxian the first real battle Zhang Hao faced in Wu commandery.

However, the battle did not last long. When the cannons appeared, the people, who had never seen such weapons, were stunned by their extraordinary power, especially the thunderous explosions, which intimidated them.

Zhang Hao's people, who were spreading rumors, did not miss the opportunity in Wuxian. The stories about Zhang Hao being a celestial being sent to rejuvenate the world were still fresh in the people's ears. The appearance of the cannons made many people start to believe this. Otherwise, how could such a weapon like a heavenly thunder appear?

Taking advantage of the shock of the people in Wuxian, Zhang Hao's army planted explosives at the city gates and blew them up.

The earth-shattering, mountain-shaking explosion completely shattered the morale of the soldiers and the guards of the powerful clans in Wuxian.

When Zhang Hao's army entered the city, the resistance was minimal, and there were people everywhere begging for mercy.

The officials, including the governor, were directly captured, and the army maintained order. It did not take long for Wuxian to seemingly return to normal.

The news from Wuxian spread, and the already weak resistance almost disappeared, leading to the sweeping of the entire commandery within a month.

However, if asked how well Zhang Hao now controlled Wu commandery, he had little confidence.

To solidify his foundation, today Zhang Hao specially planned a grand performance. That was why he was wearing such formal royal attire.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror brought from the modern era, Zhang Hao looked at his image. Although he did not see any aura of a king, he still looked quite imposing.

"Xiao Cha, am I handsome?" Zhang Hao pinched Xiao Cha's chin and asked with a smile, showing no solemnity.

Xiao Zhu and Xiao Cha, who had been with Zhang Hao for half a year, were already very accustomed to his ways. They had learned many things they never knew before under his guidance. They had long developed immunity to such situations.

"Master, no, Your Highness, of course, you are the handsomest," Xiao Cha said sweetly, her words not sounding like flattery, which made Zhang Hao very pleased.

At this moment, Ding Xuan reported from outside the door.

Zhang Hao's expression turned serious, and he walked out, "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, Your Highness. The magical artifacts you entrusted to us have been set up. Additionally, most of the people and the gentry in the city have been gathered outside," Ding Xuan said respectfully.

Zhang Hao nodded, said no more, and directly left the city in a carriage.