Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 714 Jingzhou Development
The propaganda team exposed Yuan Shao's evil deeds and promoted Jia Changsheng's benevolent rule in the surrounding areas of Jingzhou by posting notices and spreading nursery rhymes. After hearing this, the people became increasingly dissatisfied with Yuan Shao and their expectations for Jia Changsheng grew day by day.

Li Dian was also in the process of building the navy. He recruited many soldiers who were familiar with naval warfare, collected wood from various places, and built a batch of sturdy and flexible warships. The warships were equipped with advanced weapons such as catapults and crossbows. The navy soldiers trained day and night, became familiar with naval warfare skills, and their combat effectiveness continued to improve.

Man Chong collected food and grass everywhere and organized a large transport team to ensure that the food and grass could be delivered to the front in time. He also set up multiple supply bases on the front line and stored sufficient supplies, providing solid logistical support for the victory of the war.

Xu Huang selected the best soldiers in the army and formed a vanguard unit. He personally trained the soldiers and taught them advanced tactics and martial arts, making the vanguard unit a force that the enemy was terrified of.

Xun Yu carefully selected envoys to conduct diplomatic mediation with Cao Cao and other forces. With their excellent eloquence and wisdom, the envoys successfully persuaded Cao Cao to remain neutral and secretly gave some support to Jia Changsheng.

After everything was ready, Jia Changsheng personally led the army to Jingzhou. He rode on a tall warhorse, wearing a black cloak, with a firm and confident look in his eyes. Behind him was a mighty army with flying flags and high morale. They marched towards Jingzhou with firm steps, and a battle to determine the ownership of Jingzhou was about to begin.

As Jia Changsheng's army approached, the sky of Jingzhou seemed to be covered by a layer of haze, which made people feel suffocated. Outside the city, Jia Changsheng's army was like a black tide, densely packed, with military flags waving, and swords, spears, and halberds flashing coldly in the sun. On the walls of Jingzhou, Yuan Shao's defenders were on full alert, looking nervous, and looking at the enemy outside the city, their hearts were filled with fear and anxiety.

Jia Changsheng rode a sturdy red rabbit horse, wearing black armor, and patrolled back and forth in front of the battle. His eyes were like torches, scanning every defensive fortification in Jingzhou City, secretly calculating the strategy of attack in his mind. Beside him, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang and other fierce generals followed closely, their faces full of perseverance and determination.

"My lord, the enemy's defense is tight. How should we attack?" Zhang Liao frowned and asked Jia Changsheng.

Jia Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment and said: "Jingzhou City is high and the moat is deep. A frontal attack will inevitably result in heavy losses. First, let the catapults and archers suppress the city walls with firepower to disrupt the enemy's defense deployment, and then send out the vanguard troops to test the enemy's reaction."

With Jia Changsheng's order, the horn of war was officially sounded. The catapults in Jia Changsheng's army took the lead in launching an attack, and huge stones rained down on the walls of Jingzhou. The defenders on the walls dodged one after another, and for a moment, bricks and stones flew and dust filled the air. Then, the archers bent their bows and shot arrows at the enemy on the walls. The soldiers of Yuan Shao's army held up their shields to resist, but many of them were still shot and fell to the ground, screaming one after another.

Under fire suppression, Xu Huang led the vanguard troops, shouting and rushing towards the gate of Jingzhou. Holding long spears and large shields, they quickly approached the gate and tried to destroy it with siege equipment. Seeing this, Yuan Shao's army immediately threw rolling stones and logs from the city wall and poured boiling hot oil. The soldiers of the vanguard troops dodged, but some were still hit or burned, and the attack was blocked.

"Humph, Yuan Shao's defenders are quite tenacious." Xu Huang snorted coldly, wiped the sweat from his face, and organized the soldiers to attack again. This time, he asked the soldiers to divide into multiple teams and attack from different directions at the same time to distract the enemy's attention.

At the same time, Zhang He, a general of Yuan Shao's army, was nervously directing his soldiers to defend the city. He looked solemn, watching the enemy troops pouring in like a tide outside the city, and secretly complained in his heart. "We must defend the city gate and not let the enemy enter the city!" He shouted loudly, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

While the two sides were fighting fiercely, the navy of Jia Changsheng's army also began to move. Li Dian led the navy warships and approached Jingzhou City along the moat. The navy ships were equipped with advanced catapults and crossbows, and they kept shooting at the enemy on the city wall. The navy of Yuan Shao's army was not to be outdone and sent out warships to fight. For a while, warships were staggered on the river, shouts of killing shook the sky, and the two sides launched a fierce naval battle.

Li Dian stood at the bow, holding a spear, commanding the warships to charge. His warships were like a sharp blade, breaking through the defenses of Yuan Shao's navy and heading straight for the water gate of Jingzhou City. Seeing this, Gao Lan, a naval general of Yuan Shao's army, hurriedly led his warships to stop them. Gao Lan shouted loudly: "Li Dian, stop being so arrogant! Today is the day you die!"

Li Dian smiled and said, "Gao Lan, you'd better surrender. Yuan Shao is doomed. Jingzhou will be ours sooner or later!" Then he commanded his warship to ram Gao Lan's warship. Gao Lan dodged quickly, and the warships of both sides launched a thrilling chase on the river.

On land, Jia Changsheng saw that the vanguard's attack was blocked and decided to change tactics. He ordered Zhang Liao to lead an elite cavalry to bypass the rear of Jingzhou City and attack Yuan Shao's army's food and supplies. After receiving the order, Zhang Liao immediately led the cavalry to set off. They quickly ran to the rear of Yuan Shao's army along a hidden path.

Soon, Zhang Liao's cavalry arrived at Yuan Shao's army's food and fodder camp. The defenders in the camp panicked when they saw the enemy coming. Zhang Liao shouted loudly: "Kill!" The cavalry rushed into the camp like a tiger descending from the mountain, wielding long swords and killing the defenders wantonly. For a moment, the camp was ablaze, the food and fodder were set on fire, and thick smoke billowed.

When Yuan Shao's army learned that their food and supplies had been attacked, they were in great disarray. The defenders on the city walls also began to waver and their defense became lax. Jia Changsheng saw that the time had come and personally led the army to launch a general attack. He waved his sword and shouted loudly: "Soldiers, charge! Take down Jingzhou City, now!"

The soldiers were encouraged and their morale was boosted. They rushed towards Jingzhou City like a tide. They bravely rushed forward regardless of the enemy's arrows, rolling stones and logs. Under Jia Changsheng's command, the soldiers finally broke through Yuan Shao's defense line and climbed the Jingzhou city wall.

On the city wall, the two sides engaged in fierce close combat. Jia Changsheng's soldiers were all extremely brave. They brandished their weapons and fought a desperate battle with Yuan Shao's army. Under the fierce attack of Jia Changsheng's army, Yuan Shao's soldiers gradually couldn't resist and retreated one after another. Zhang He saw that the situation was hopeless and was extremely sad. He watched the soldiers around him fall one by one, knowing that Jingzhou City could no longer be defended. In desperation, he led the remnants and surrendered to Jia Changsheng.

With Zhang He's surrender, the defenders of Jingzhou City laid down their weapons. Jia Changsheng rode his horse and slowly entered Jingzhou City. He looked at the people in the city with a lot of emotion in his heart. The battle of Jingzhou finally ended with his victory, and his road to hegemony also took a big step forward in these fierce battles.

After Jia Changsheng entered Jingzhou City, he realized the importance of people's livelihood. He understood that only by allowing the people to live and work in peace and contentment could he truly consolidate his rule in Jingzhou and lay a solid foundation for his hegemony.

First, Jia Changsheng ordered to appease the people. He sent officials to various neighborhoods to post notices to inform the people that the war was over and they no longer had to worry. At the same time, he opened the granary and distributed food and clothing to those who were affected by the war and had difficulties in life, so that they could maintain basic life.

In Jingzhou City, Jia Changsheng personally inspected and talked with the people to understand their needs and difficulties. He saw that some houses were damaged in the war and many people were homeless, so he immediately ordered the collection of craftsmen and building materials to start large-scale repair and reconstruction of houses. He also encouraged the people to help each other and participate in the reconstruction of houses. For those poor families, Jia Changsheng provided certain subsidies and support so that they could own their own homes as soon as possible.

In order to restore the economy of Jingzhou, Jia Changsheng took a series of measures. He attached importance to agricultural production and encouraged the people to reclaim wasteland and plant food crops. He sent agricultural experts to the fields to teach the people advanced planting techniques and experience to increase the yield of crops. At the same time, he also reduced the tax burden on farmers so that they could have more harvests.

In terms of commerce, Jia Changsheng ordered the repair of markets and shops destroyed by the war to provide merchants with a good business environment. He reduced commercial taxes to attract more merchants to come to Jingzhou to do business. He also organized some commercial activities and trade fairs to promote the circulation of goods and economic prosperity.

Education was also a focus of Jia Changsheng. He established many schools in Jingzhou City and hired knowledgeable teachers to teach the children. He believed that only by cultivating a knowledgeable and cultured next generation could Jingzhou have long-term development. Jia Changsheng also encouraged people to send their children to school. For those students from poor families, he provided scholarships and grants so that they could receive a good education.

Jia Changsheng knew the importance of medical care to the people. He set up several medical institutions in Jingzhou City and hired doctors and nurses to provide medical services to the people. He also organized health and epidemic prevention work to improve the sanitary environment of the city and prevent the spread of diseases. For those people with serious illnesses, Jia Changsheng would arrange special people to take care of them and provide necessary medicines and treatments.

In terms of infrastructure construction, Jia Changsheng invested a lot of manpower and material resources. He ordered the repair of roads and bridges to make transportation more convenient. He also built water conservancy facilities, improved irrigation conditions, and ensured irrigation water for farmland. At the same time, he also built parks and leisure places in the city so that the people had places to entertain and relax.

Jia Changsheng paid attention to the selection and appointment of talents. He posted notices in Jingzhou City to recruit talents. No matter their social status, as long as they had talent, they could apply. He personally interviewed each applicant and arranged suitable positions according to their abilities and expertise. Under his governance, officials at all levels in Jingzhou City worked diligently and served the people.

In order to enrich the cultural life of the people, Jia Changsheng organized various cultural activities. He held poetry recitations, opera performances, calligraphy exhibitions and other activities, so that the people could enjoy cultural influence after their busy lives. He also encouraged the people to inherit and promote local traditional culture and protect historical sites and cultural relics.

Thanks to Jia Changsheng's efforts, the people's livelihood in Jingzhou City has been greatly improved. People's lives have gradually returned to normal, and smiles have appeared on their faces again. The city's economy has also begun to recover, business is booming, and agriculture has a good harvest. Education has flourished and cultivated a batch of outstanding talents. Medical and health conditions have been greatly improved, and the health of the people has been guaranteed. The infrastructure is becoming more and more complete, and the city has become more beautiful and livable.

Jia Changsheng was not satisfied with this. He continued to work hard and constantly improved his governance measures. He often went to the grassroots to understand the latest needs and opinions of the people and adjusted policies in a timely manner. He also strengthened the management of social security and cracked down on criminal activities so that the people could live in a safe environment.

As time went by, under the governance of Jia Changsheng, Jingzhou City became a prosperous city. It was not only a military stronghold, but also an economic and cultural center. Jia Changsheng's reputation also spread widely in the Jingzhou area, and the people were full of gratitude and admiration for him.

Jia Changsheng knows that the improvement of people's livelihood is a long and continuous process. He will continue to pay attention to the lives of the people and make continuous efforts to strive for the development of Jingzhou City and the happiness of the people. He believes that under his leadership, Jingzhou City will usher in a better future.

In the following days, Jia Changsheng further strengthened trade exchanges with surrounding areas. He sent envoys to communicate with other forces and signed trade agreements, which promoted the circulation of materials and economic complementarity. Jingzhou's specialties such as silk, tea, and porcelain were sold to various places through trade channels, bringing rich wealth to Jingzhou.

At the same time, Jia Changsheng also focused on developing industry. He encouraged craftsmen to innovate and improve production technology and craftsmanship. Some handicraft workshops were set up in Jingzhou City to produce various exquisite handicrafts and daily necessities. These products not only met the needs of local people, but were also exported to other regions, enhancing the popularity and influence of Jingzhou.

Jia Changsheng also vigorously promoted the development of science and technology. He organized a group of scholars and craftsmen to research and develop new agricultural technology, water conservancy engineering technology, and military technology. In agriculture, they developed more efficient agricultural tools and improved agricultural production efficiency. In water conservancy engineering, they improved the irrigation system so that more farmland could be irrigated. In military technology, they developed new weapons and fortifications to enhance Jingzhou's military defense capabilities.

(End of this chapter)