Douluo: Wuhun Qimen Formation, control everything!

Chapter 143 Men, seize him!
Since Principal Li had accepted the position of city lord, Zhou Xuan naturally wouldn't stand idly by.

Although he had no intention of staying long, the basic framework had to be established.

"Elder Li, the affairs of the city are numerous and complex. The most urgent task is to appease the people and restore order," Zhou Xuan said clearly and logically.

"Some of the money confiscated was used to compensate the victims, and some was used as start-up capital for urban reconstruction."

As for manpower, the trustworthy teachers in the academy can be temporarily assigned to assist you.

Old Li nodded: "I also have some old friends in this city. If you trust them, you can let them fill in for a while."

In fact, these old friends of his were all officials in Sai City before, but after the current city lord took office, they were no longer willing to assist him and retired one after another.

"Of course, Mr. Li's friend is probably of good character, so you can go ahead and do it. After all, the ultimate goal is for these people. As long as they can live well, it doesn't matter to me who the official is."

I'll leave everything else to Mr. Li. Considering the time, it's time for me to leave. I'll leave some funds behind.

I've also written a few suggestions for your reference. How to implement them and how to develop the city further depends on you and the people of Sai."

Wang Bo silently took out a stack of papers, on which were some simple drafts that Zhou Xuan had prepared overnight. They were all based on the history of his previous life, and he didn't know if they could be applied to the present society.

However, Zhou Xuan was too lazy to worry about these things. Otherwise, why would he have asked Elder Li for help?
Old Li accepted the note and money bag, and put them away carefully. In the current state of Sai City, everything requires money, so he didn't stand on ceremony: "This old man thanks you in advance, young master. Sai City will definitely repay your kindness in the future!"

Meanwhile, in a city a thousand miles away.

Inside the palace, several officials dressed in fine robes were discussing an urgent intelligence report.

This city is equivalent to the "provincial capital" of the Star Luo Empire, and Sai City is a small city under its jurisdiction.

"The city lord of Sai City and his main forces were wiped out overnight? Is the news true?" A dignified middle-aged official, the city lord, asked in a deep voice.

An official quickly bowed and said, "Reporting to you, sir, it is absolutely true. According to the spies lurking in Sai City, the ones who made the move were three outsiders, one of whom is a Title Douluo."

"A Title Douluo?" He frowned slightly. "How could a remote place like Sai City attract a Title Douluo? And cause such a commotion?"

Clearly, as a high-ranking figure, he was unaware of the shady dealings in Sai City.

Another slightly overweight official's eyes flashed with shrewdness: "Sir, although Sai City is small, its geographical location is special, and it is close to Shrek City, so it is not impossible for a Title Douluo to emerge there."

Moreover, I had long heard of the former city lord's insatiable greed; however, the area was a melting pot of all sorts of people and involved some shady forces, so I had never been able to make a firm decision to rectify it.

He paused, then continued, "Now that someone has removed the cancer for us, there is a power vacuum in the city."

In my humble opinion, this is the perfect opportunity for us to directly intervene, regain actual control of Sai City, and place our own people there!
"Simply send a capable lieutenant with the imperial appointment document, and Nasay City will be within our grasp!"

As soon as he said this, several people immediately echoed his sentiment. This was undoubtedly a golden opportunity to reap the benefits.

You can control a city without doing anything. Although it's a small city, there's still a lot of money to be made.

Previously, Sai City was a mess, and no one was willing to clean it up. The Empire only nominally took control, but in reality, it let things run their course. Now that it's clean, naturally some people want to reap the rewards of victory.

However, the city lord fell into deep thought: "Hmm, a Title Douluo... This matter cannot be taken lightly. Since the other party dares to act in this way, they may not take the empire seriously."

If handled improperly, it could anger a Title Douluo, resulting in more harm than good.

However, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the fat official. He was sure there were things he didn't know, but that wasn't the focus right now, so he didn't bring them up.

The portly official, however, dismissed the concerns: "Lord City Lord, you are overthinking it. Our Star Luo Empire is renowned for its prestige. Even if he is a Title Douluo, would he dare to oppose the entire empire?"
Furthermore, his purge of local tyrants is perfectly reasonable; after all, we are officials of the empire, and if we were to take over, he couldn't object. We only need to offer him some benefits, or appoint him as a guest minister, and surely he wouldn't be ungrateful.

"Absurd!" a middle-aged official shouted.

His sharp gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on the stout official: "What do you take a Title Douluo for? A street thug that you can take down with a few soldiers?"

The portly official was startled by the sudden outburst: "Lord Cheng, there's no need for this. I don't mean to look down on Title Douluos, it's just that our empire has quite a few Title Douluos ourselves."
"Just because the other party is a Title Douluo, are we supposed to hand over this city without a second thought? What about the dignity of my Star Luo Empire then?"

"Face?" The official surnamed Cheng snorted coldly, leaning forward slightly. "If we anger a Title Douluo because of improper handling, and he causes a scene, tell me, will we save face or lose even more face?"

"Who will clean up this mess then? Are you, Mr. Qian, going to do it?!"

Manager Qian's throat moved, but he was momentarily speechless.

He usually held some influence in the city lord's mansion, and he thought his suggestion today would be taken seriously, but he never expected to run into trouble.

The city lord, seated at the head of the table, said in a deep voice, "A Titled Douluo is someone who can single-handedly influence a local war."

Moreover, he was eliminating local bullies who preyed on the people, so morally we have no grounds to condemn him.

Sai City is just a small city. Even if you give a titled Douluo some face, even the people of the imperial city won't say anything.
But if we really anger them, regardless of how the Empire deals with them, we'll definitely be dragged into the mess and made to take the blame.

Another official spoke up at the opportune moment: "What the city lord says is absolutely right. Titled Douluos often act as they please. Although the empire is strong, it will not easily make enemies with a powerhouse of this caliber. It's not worth it for a remote little town."

"Qian Xing, since you are in charge of Sai City, you will lead the people to negotiate. Your task is to find out the situation, express goodwill, and strive for a peaceful resolution."

That titled Douluo should be befriended if possible, but absolutely no conflict should be allowed!
If the other party's request is not too unreasonable, we can agree to it first and then report back to me for a decision.

If the new administrator of Sai City can stabilize the situation, the Empire may retroactively recognize his status. The core of your trip is 'stability' and 'peace,' understand?

"Subordinate to obey!"

Seeing this, Qian Xing had no choice but to agree, but he was still somewhat unwilling. After all, Sai City had paid him a lot of tribute over the years; otherwise, how could the things they had done not have reached the city lord's ears?

Originally, his plan was that once the original city lord died, he could simply arrange for someone else to take over, thus eliminating the middleman and maximizing his own gains. However, this presents a real opportunity. Perhaps due to his long tenure in this high position, he has become somewhat complacent about powerful figures like Title Douluos.

After all, the general of their city was a titled Douluo, and his position was equal to his.

Over time, in his mind, position seemed to be equated with ability.

Little did they know that for a titled Douluo, a civil official like him was only being given face because of the empire. For those who had no fear of the empire, crushing him was no different than crushing an ant.

He spoke earnestly, but in his heart he was unconvinced. What stability, what harmony—it was nothing more than the city lord getting old and timid.

When Qian Xing went to Sai City, he was representing the Star Luo Empire!

How dare a mere Title Douluo disrespect the Empire?

The city lord watched Qian Xing's departing figure, but his brows remained furrowed.

He felt uneasy, after all, Qian Xing was a troublemaker, but he was capable enough, so he turned a blind eye to it. However, this matter involved a Title Douluo.
After everyone left, the city lord muttered to himself, "Manager Qian, please don't go looking for your own death."

Upon returning to his residence, Qian Xing immediately adopted an arrogant and haughty demeanor.

He summoned his trusted steward and instructed him: "Immediately gather fifty elite guards, prepare the best carriages and horses, and also prepare a... well, a gift that is neither too light nor too heavy."

"I will depart for Sai City early tomorrow morning to inspect the area on behalf of the city lord and reassure the people!"

The butler asked with some doubt, "Master, isn't Sai City supposed to be... quite chaotic? It even involves a Title Douluo. Isn't bringing only fifty people a bit too few?"

Chief Qian waved his hand impatiently: "What do you know! I am representing the Empire!"
Even if that Title Douluo is powerful, he is still a subject of the empire. He should know how to show respect to me. Bringing too many people makes us seem petty, as if we are afraid of him.

He stroked his chin: "It's time for someone else to taste that piece of fat meat, Sai City. Send the order to the guards to be on their best behavior. Once we arrive in Sai City, I'll have my own arrangements in place, and they'll certainly get their share of the benefits!"

"Yes, sir!" The butler dared not ask any further questions and quickly withdrew to make arrangements.

Several days later, at the city gate of Sai.

Qian Xing leaned back on the wide, luxurious cushions of the carriage, while a graceful maid fed him peeled grapes.

At the head of the convoy were fifty so-called elite guards, each clad in gleaming armor, yet their nonchalant demeanor was hard to conceal.

They thronged around Qian Xing's car, making a show of themselves, which seemed out of place in the still simple and vibrant atmosphere of Sai City.

"Master, we've reached the city of Sai." The butler cautiously reported from outside the carriage window.

Qian Xing grunted in agreement, lazily lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and glanced outside.

At the city gate, several simply dressed but spirited young people were maintaining order and guiding people in and out of the city. Although they were dressed simply, there was a light in their eyes!
These are all students and teachers that Principal Li selected from the college to temporarily assist in managing city affairs.

"Hmph, a bunch of commoners." Qian Xing curled his lip and lowered the carriage curtain. "Tell them that Lord Qian, the Minister of the Star Luo Empire, has arrived. Have the person in charge come out to greet him!"

The steward quickly agreed, spurred his horse forward, and shouted loudly to the young men, "Who is in charge of the city? Lord Qian from the Star Luo Empire is here on inspection. Why don't you come out and pay your respects!"

The young men exchanged glances, and one of the older ones quickly stepped forward: "May I ask what brings you here, sir? Principal Li is currently acting as the city lord of Sai City. If there is anything important, you may come with us to report it."

These people were all students of Elder Li in the past, and now they are teachers at the academy. They have some knowledge and can tell that this group of people are of extraordinary status.

"Principal Li? What is that?!" Qian Xing heard from inside the carriage, his voice filled with impatience. "I was appointed by the Empire to take over Sai City. Tell him to get out here and see me right now! Can he afford to delay me?"

The arrogant tone made the young men frown slightly, but they didn't say anything because of the other party's status.

"Please wait a moment, I will go and inform them immediately."

Before long, Principal Li arrived in a hurry, accompanied by Gao Hongyu.

Zhou Xuan and Wang Bo remained hidden not far away, observing the situation. Zhou Xuan had considered that the Star Luo Empire would send people, but he did not expect it to happen so quickly.

"I am Li Zheng, temporarily serving as the city lord of Sai City. I was unaware of your arrival, sir, and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me." Principal Li bowed respectfully, his attitude humble.

After all, he was a member of Xingluo, and he still respected Xingluo officials. At least until they did something outrageous, he would maintain the respect he deserved.

Qian Xing then slowly got off the carriage. He looked Li Lao up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt: "You're that so-called principal."
I have been ordered by the city lord to officially take over the city of Sai. From this day forward, all affairs of Sai shall be under my control.

You old codger, you should be enjoying your retirement at home, don't meddle in this mess."

Principal Li's expression changed slightly, but he still said in a deep voice, "Lord Qian, Sai City has just undergone a major change, and everything is in need of rebuilding. The people's hearts are not yet settled."

I have been entrusted by the people to temporarily manage this area, in order to restore order as soon as possible. I will obey the imperial appointment, but…”

"But what?" Qian Xing interrupted him impatiently. "I think you old man are just greedy for power and unwilling to let go, aren't you? Let me tell you, Sai City is now mine! The city's treasury, grain, and all its people are at my command!"

But from beginning to end, he didn't even have any official documents from the empire; it was all just talk.

"Lord Qian, you are mistaken," Gao Hongyu said coldly. He was never one to have a good temper, and seeing the fat man so arrogant, he could no longer contain his anger.

“The reason why Sai City is where it is today is thanks to my boss’s efforts to set things right and Principal Li’s hard work. You’re trying to take credit for it as soon as you arrive; you’re really not taking people seriously.”

"And who are you? How dare you speak to me like that! Guards, seize him!"

(End of this chapter)