Ten years of dormancy: Starting as a martial arts master at the pinnacle

Li Changqing was filled with emotion.

He knew why these high-ranking members of the Grand Canal Gang had surrendered so quickly.

I wasn't entirely convinced by him.

The main reason was that they had done something wrong before and were afraid that Li Changqing would use it as an excuse to hold them accountable.

In this situation, it's not enough to simply ask them to pledge their loyalty.

Even if it meant losing everything, they would not hesitate.

Another reason is the Qin Prince's Mansion behind Li Changqing.

The Qin Prince's Mansion is now at its zenith.

The current crown prince is still alive, but if you ask who the next emperor of the Great Zhou will be?

The number of people who answered "King of Qin" was definitely more than those who answered "Crown Prince".

They also witnessed firsthand the grand spectacle of Li Changqing, the legitimate son of the Prince of Qin, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Crown Prince.

After the Battle of Baima Temple, Li Changqing's name became famous throughout Kyoto.

His prominence instantly overshadowed the other three princes who were vying for the throne.

He became the second most popular figure after the King of Qin and the Crown Prince.

These high-ranking members of the Grand Canal Gang witnessed the grand occasion at Baima Temple firsthand.

Flying knife formation, the true meaning of martial arts, the crystal body...

These were things they had never heard of before.

In that duel between grandmasters, it happened one after another.

Let alone this standoff between two sides vying for the throne, even in the martial arts world, this is a grand event that people talk about with great interest.

What reason would they have not to submit to the Prince of Qinghe?

Li Changqing was aware of all this, but he didn't care.

If he doesn't have any connections, fine, but if he does, why doesn't he use them?

He's not the kind of person who forces himself to endure hardship.

The key is that this matter can be accomplished successfully.

"From now on, the Canal Gang will be divided into two. One is the Canal Gang brothers at the local docks, who will continue to retain the name of the Canal Gang. They can be considered the Canal Gang branch of the World Society."

The canal gangs managed the port workers and also maintained the safety of local canal transport.

They also mainly handle short-distance upstream and downstream transportation.

Only long-distance transportation, the kind that can become a monopoly, belongs to the World Association.

"Organize and count all the large ships of the Canal Gang and incorporate them into the World Society."

"The World Society currently has two tasks. The first is to establish branches of the World Society in all thirteen prefectures and three hundred and fifty-eight county towns throughout the Great Zhou territory. There must be one branch in every county town. In every prefecture town, there should be three to five branches depending on the size. One branch should be set up in the core area of ​​the capital, and one branch should be set up in each of the other eight directions."

Li Changqing's opening remarks were astonishingly grand.

"Over four hundred shops, is that feasible?"

A member of the canal gang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. They were rich, but not that much?

Opening a shop isn't just about having a storefront.

Shopkeeper, employees, distribution channels, sources of goods, sales channels...

This is all money, and a lot of money at that.

"Tell the leaders of the Cao Gang in various regions that they will all be converted into branch offices from now on. After the branches are established, the profits earned will be divided among the local branches, with 20% going to them. 10% will be used for bribery, and 10% will be their share of the profits."

"With me taking the lead, they will be very proactive."

The wealthy members of the Grand Canal Gangs weren't just at their headquarters. They were wealthy in every region, even if they lacked business acumen and simply made money from transporting goods.

The commissions from thousands of people add up to a considerable sum.

Over time, their accounts will become incredibly wealthy.

Without such confidence, how could the Canal Gang have invited so many grandmaster-level retainers?

That's all built on money.

"Letting the branch offices in each region set up their own is fine. But what about the manager?"

"The locals will recommend one person, and I will send another. The two will supervise each other; one will expand the business, and the other will manage the shops. That's all for now..."

The Qin Prince's Mansion was a large and powerful family with many managers.

Li Changqing was already planning to go to the King of Qin and fleece his own father.

If all else fails, he can go to Li Zheng.

His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty has no shortage of talented people under his command.

Li Changqing didn't want to do that unless absolutely necessary.

The King of Qin was alright; father and son were basically one.

As long as it is within the Qin King's capabilities, he will fully support whatever Li Changqing wants to do.

Li Zheng said the same thing.

But his grandfather, the emperor, did not have only one legitimate son.

Li Changqing was still unaware of the situation with his other uncles. However, Li Zheng undoubtedly harbored some fatherly affection for the Crown Prince.

This sincerity is no less than that shown to the King of Qin.

Therefore, even though Li Changqing knew that Li Zheng would not hold him back, he did not want the emperor to interfere in the affairs of the World Society.

"I also need to go to the Beggars' Sect. They'll take care of the places the Canal Transport Gang can't reach. Besides the canal transport, we also need to establish caravans on land."

It's a bit hard to believe that all the martial arts disciples of the Beggars' Sect would actually go begging.

They are not incapable of self-reliance.

Once the World Chamber of Commerce is established, you can either find a job as a guard within the Chamber or help out in a caravan.

That's much better than begging.

As for the gang members who lacked martial arts skills, Li Changqing couldn't afford to support them, so he could only let them continue to rely on begging.

Then, they also took on the tasks of gathering information, passing on intelligence, and buying and selling information...

Rewards are given to those with strong abilities and those whose information is valuable.

They not only reward those who are exceptionally talented, but also promote them.

Having received a comprehensive education, Li Changqing felt quite entitled when formulating these regulations.

But for the high-ranking members of the Grand Canal Gang, even for the subordinates of the Prince of Qin's mansion...

The way they looked at Li Changqing grew increasingly shocked.

Wasn't it said that this guy had been hanging around in the canal gang in Shanhai County for 10 years and was just a minor scholar?

Why is he able to consider things from all angles?

Moreover, he would immediately suggest several teams. These teams would compete with each other while also monitoring each other.

This greatly improves efficiency while avoiding the formation of cliques and the dominance of any single entity.

Although it is not perfect.

However, under this system, the World Society will be established very quickly, and it will grow faster and faster like a snowball rolling downhill.

Ultimately, it became a behemoth powerful enough to shake the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.

If Li Changqing were not the Prince of Qinghe.

From the perspective of the canal gang and the Qin Prince's men, their prince would probably inherit the throne in the future.

They might think that their prince is preparing to launch a major rebellion.

No need to be familiar with the law.

Judging from what he did, everyone in the canal gang felt that he must have violated some taboos.

In fact, they were not wrong at all.

The World Society did indeed make two major mistakes: gathering crowds and monopolizing power.

Strictly speaking, this is something only the imperial court can do; no one else is allowed to do it.

But who can blame them when Li Changqing is the very rule of the Great Zhou?

If he says it's okay, no one objects.

Li Changqing then used Chen Changfeng's alias to make some arrangements within the Beggars' Sect.

I was busy for more than a month.

The World Society is officially open!

……