Could it be that Lu Chuan is behind this again?

Seizing someone else's territory is no easy task, so Lu Chuan merely filed this idea away in his future plans without any intention of immediate execution.

Although the grand trend of the world would soon shift toward a struggle among warlords in the wake of the campaign against Dong Zhuo by the eighteen regional lords, this transition would still require time.

For instance, currently in the summer of 190, the anti-Dong alliance had not been dissolved for long. While warlords like Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Gongsun Zan nurtured ambitions to contend for supremacy under heaven, they would not turn on each other quite so abruptly; a period of preparation was indispensable.

According to the historical timeline, Yuan Shao was still serving as the Administrator of Bohai, plotting to enthrone Liu Yu as emperor.

Only after his bid to elevate Liu Yu failed did he conceive the ambition to seize control of Ji Province.

At this juncture, Ji Province still remained in the hands of Han Fu.

Similarly, the friction between Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao had not yet escalated to an irreconcilable degree, and neither side had any intention of resorting to arms.

In You Province, Gongsun Zan displayed no immediate inclination to lock horns with Yuan Shao.

Even Liu Bei, that super-potential stock, had merely thrown in his lot with Gongsun Zan for the time being.

As for Cao Cao, having been taught a memorable lesson by Lu Chuan, he had乖乖 returned to Henei and dared make no further disturbances.

The prevailing trend of the realm at present was for various regional lords to hunker down, foster development, and accumulate strength while awaiting a single opportunity to strike with full force and carve out territory.

Consequently, Lu Chuan could not afford to act rashly at this moment by attacking other county seats, let alone arbitrarily seizing the territories of others.

Once he provoked public outrage, and observant individuals discovered the immense prosperity of Lu County, its sovereignty would likely change hands in no time.

The only reason Cao Cao had dared to move against Lu County in the first place was his close relationship with Yuan Shao.

The Yuan clan had held high offices for four generations, possessing terrifying influence; to call them the preeminent aristocratic family of the late Eastern Han dynasty was no exaggeration at all.

Leaning upon Yuan Shao's backing, Cao Cao had felt no need for excessive restraint.

Lu Chuan, however, enjoyed no such backing.

If he pushed things too far, trouble would arrive in a matter of minutes.

Therefore, Lu Chuan resolved to spend the next year or two keeping a low profile and focusing on internal development. Once the chaotic melee among the empire's warlords truly erupted, no one would pay any mind to the maneuvers of a mere county magistrate.

When that time came, he could dispatch troops to conquer neighboring counties, plundering wealth, population, and land... Ah, no, he would simply incorporate the surrounding counties into Lu County's sphere of governance, enabling more of the toiling masses to lead happy and fulfilling lives.

Lu Chuan was by no means a warlord who waged war on a whim; he harbored exceptionally lofty aspirations.

Since armed action was out of the question for now, he decided to channel all his energy into the construction of Lu County.

Lu Chuan selected a tract of vacant land east of the county town, ruthlessly clearing away freshly sown crops to finally carve out a dedicated industrial zone.

Those farming households whose crops had been plowed under not only received full compensation, but Lu Chuan even granted them generous land requisition settlement funds.

As for how these people were to make a living once stripped of their farmland, Lu Chuan had already taken that into consideration.

He designated several street-front properties within the county town of Lu County, had them renovated into commercial storefronts, and rented them out at modest rates to those who had lost their arable land. Furthermore, he instructed Lu Shui to tailor interest-free loans for them, enabling these individuals to engage in small-scale commerce using the storefronts.

Small-scale trade might not generate massive fortunes, but it could certainly cover a family's daily expenses with a surplus left over—far more comfortable than toiling in the fields.

Should these individuals possess sufficient wit and broad vision, they might even carve out a thriving enterprise from those street-front shops, transforming overnight into prosperous merchants taking in piles of gold every single day.

In any case, following Lu Chuan's meticulous arrangements, those who lost their farmland bore no resentment whatsoever; instead, they felt profoundly grateful to Lu Chuan, for they had finally relocated from the rural outskirts into the county town itself, becoming permanent urban residents of Lu County.

Living inside the county town brought a soaring sense of security and a dramatic elevation in their standard of living—how could they possibly be unhappy?

This episode also inspired Lu Chuan with a new realization: while arable land within Lu County's sphere of influence was limited, he did not necessarily have to force everyone to farm. Instead, he could encourage the populace to engage in petty commerce, stimulating economic development and bringing prosperity to the markets of Lu County.

Thus, Lu Chuan introduced a new policy: all residents of Lu County could apply for interest-free or low-cost loans from the county yamen to venture into small businesses.

As for the specific domain of commerce, Lu Chuan pointed them in a clear direction—selling various edible goods, such as meat burgers and roasted meat skewers.

Such snacks required no complex skills; anyone who applied a little effort could master them. The overhead was low while the profit margins were quite substantial.

As Lu County continued to expand, its population would inevitably swell, yet arable land would remain relatively scarce, rendering food supplies critically important.

Steering these people toward the snack-vending trade held immense promise.

Moreover, Lu Chuan intended to compile and promote a broader array of snack recipes, adding vibrant color to the markets of Lu County.

Naturally, having sacrificed vast tracts of farmland, Lu Chuan specifically charged Lu Shui with intensifying the acquisition of grain, setting a clear objective: to fill every single granary within the county town of Lu County, as well as those currently under construction in the northern outer city.

With limited farmland and meager grain yields, the prudent course was to buy in bulk while prices were low and stockpile the reserves, ensuring they could never be easily manipulated by others.

While the construction of Lu County was proceeding with fervent intensity, the refined salt produced within its borders finally flooded the market through the channels of the Zhen clan, the Mi clan, and numerous merchants. The very first to discover this development was none other than Cao Cao, who was stationed closest to Lu County.

Upon returning to Henei, Cao Cao had truly turned over a new leaf, behaving with absolute obedience and daring not make the slightest misstep. Even when Lu Chuan bluntly informed him that the intelligence agents planted around him were being withdrawn, Cao Cao did not dare utter a single word of protest.

He had genuinely been beaten into submission.

Not only Cao Cao, but Xiahou Dun had also quieted down considerably upon his return, primarily because his injuries remained quite severe.

Although Lu Huo had been personally trained by Lu Chuan, Lu Huo excelled in grand strategy rather than breaking enemy lines; consequently, when trading blows with Xiahou Dun, he had held nothing back, and the cavalry under his command had operated similarly. This relentless onslaught resulted in severe wounds for Xiahou Dun, who would likely require two or three months of recuperation before making a full recovery.

Fortunately, all was quiet in Henei, allowing Xiahou Dun to tend to his wounds in peace.

With Xiahou Dun acting so docile, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong were naturally even less inclined to voice any dissent.

At present, Cao Cao's primary focus remained the development of Henei, utilizing the funds and provisions borrowed from Lu County to recruit troops and drill them rigorously, striving to forge a sufficiently formidable army within a short timeframe.

He harbored no illusions of matching Lu Chuan in combat, but he at least needed the capacity for self-preservation.

To achieve this goal, Cao Cao kept himself relentlessly busy every single day, at times even forgetting to eat.

Lady Ding, witnessing Cao Cao's grueling schedule, felt a pang of sympathy and frequently delivered freshly prepared meals directly to him.

"My lord, partake of some food first."

"Very well, just set it aside there; I shall eat later."

Still consumed by a headache over official duties, Cao Cao waved her away, too preoccupied to dine.

Unable to stand by any longer, Lady Ding picked up a pair of chopsticks, lifted a morsel of food, and brought it to Cao Cao's lips. Unwilling to rebuff her kind intentions, Cao Cao could only open his mouth and consume it.

At first, he noticed nothing unusual, but after swallowing a few bites, Cao Cao suddenly frowned and turned his gaze toward Lady Ding.

"My lady, was salt omitted from today's dishes?"

"It was added. Why? Do you find the food too bland?"

"No, it's... why is there none of the usual bitter aftertaste of salt in these dishes?"

"Oh, you mean that? This is refined salt I recently purchased; it simply lacks the bitter taste inherent in coarse salt."

"Refined salt?"

Cao Cao raised an eyebrow. "What sort of thing is that? How is it I have never heard of it before?"

"It is a fine commodity brought back by merchants originating from Lu County, touted as a local specialty there. It has only just entered the market now, so it is quite normal that my lord has not yet heard of it."

"A specialty of Lu County?"

Upon hearing those two words, Cao Cao's complexion instantly turned grim.

Could this be another creation of Lu Chuan's?