Chapter 261 Lu Bu in Julu (2/2)
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Two hours later, Lu Bu walked out with a bloated stomach. He enjoyed the food of this city too much that he forgot that he was full. The price of the food was on the high side, but the quality made up for it. Thus, Lu Bu did not mind.
'That brat developed this city to this extent. I've underestimated him! But I have to admit, this is a good city to live in. I should bring Lingqi and Yan'er to live here once the war is over.'
Though Lu Bu was still conflicted if he had to work under Tong or not, he enjoyed the food and wanted his wife and daughter to be in a luxurious environment such as this city.
As his stomach was full, no food aroma could make him hungry anymore. Lu Bu continued to tour the city at a leisure pace.
An hour passed, Lu Bu's eyes stopped at the announcement boards in the city square. On dozens of wooden boards, various news and announcement from the government were placed there.
Curious, Lu Bu rode over to read the nearest board.
[Latest news, Lady Hua Shi has given birth to a healthy daughter. Our hardworking governor finally has a granddaughter!]
”Ha! This is interesting!” Lu Bu laughed as the announcement got his interest. He continued to read.
Although Lu Bu's subordinates thought that he was somewhat of a muscle brain, he was a smart man in reality. Not only was he literate, but Lu Bu had also learned about the Art of Wars, Analects, and other famous records. However, he did not know how to apply this knowledge in a real situation most of the times.
In the eyes of everyone, Lu Bu was often misunderstood as a reckless brute. Little did they know that Lu Bu had solved most of the problems in the simplest way as he could use this tactic best, his martial arts.
As long as he stood strong and undefeated on the frontline, all subordinates behind him would be safe. This was the doctrine that made Lu Bu successful in his career.
Alas, constant battles and killing degraded his temper control, which turned him into a person who got angered easily sometimes.
[Warning, food price in other cities soars as drought hit all neighbor districts. Be careful about merchant scams. Don't worry about our city pricing, it's still the same! YAY!]
[Hiring military blacksmiths, please contact the city hall. Wage depends on blacksmith mastery. Minimum salary – one tael of gold a month.]
[Be careful of Yellow Turban imposters outside of the city! Several thieves and bandits are wearing yellow clothes and pretending to be a part of our city soldiers. Our soldier uniform is now blue, not yellow!]
[Merchant Network News: City Hall is buying coals, iron ores, and woods without limit. All merchant groups are in a frantic!]
[Julu Merchant Alliance won another year of spice trading concession bidding at the whopping price of 500,000 gold! They are getting richer again!]
[Note to all noble families with beautiful daughters. Our young master, Zhang Tong, do not accept any concubine. Please do not bring your daughters to the city hall or to the governor. We won't take them as a tribute either!]
[Bounty: Te Langpu. Dead or Alive. Reward: 1,000 Taels of gold. Last known location: Nanpi]
[Warning, slavery is illegal in this city. If you find a slave trader, contact the city hall immediately. We will also give every informer 10 gold if we catch the slave trader. Don't worry, we keep your identity anonymous.]
The more Lu Bu read, the more intrigued he had in this city. Most of the domestic development events in Julu could be learned here by reading the news and announcement.
But Lu Bu had noticed one thing that was missing in the announcement. There was no news about the current battle or war with Yuan Shao or any other warlords.
”There is no news about the war?” Lu Bu muttered about what in his mind.
Coincidentally, the remark was heard by a merchant nearby.
”Sir brave warrior, are you new in this city?”
”Hah? Ah, yes.”
”Then you probably don't know about this. All military activities in Julu are classified. They will only announce it when the war is over, just like when they finished repelling the Imperial armies in Liyang or Jinyang.”
”I don't see anything about those. Have the government removed the announcement?”
”I think so. It's old news. Most announcements here last for only a week before it is taken off, so all news here is fresh!”
Lu Bu nodded and pondered, thinking if he should really work for Tong.
As he was thinking, his eyes caught the recruitment notice on one of the boards.
[Hiring government workers, 150 positions. Qualification – You can write and you read this shit. Also, you must have two arms and two legs. Minimum wage, 1 Tael of Gold a month.]
Lu Bu cringed, but he noticed the anomaly. The wage was too high for a minor official position.
He turned to the merchant and asked, ”Why the wage of the workers here is are so high?”
”I know right? Well, you'll be shocked if you know what the wage of the higher-ups is. I heard that a 1000-man commander makes 50 gold a month, and the minster like Sima Fang makes 2,000 gold a month! Sir Warrior, are you interest in joining the army?”
Lu Bu's eyes widened in shock. He knew that Tong was rich, but he did not expect Tong to be rich to the extent that he could squander his gold for his subordinates.
'Wait, did Tong extort taxes from the people for his men?'
”The people are not suffering from high taxes, right?” Lu Bu asked.
”Hahaha! If they are suffering from taxes here, no one in our country can live a happy life! Heck, this city is a paradise for peasants like us! The tax is so low that I sometimes think that we don't have to pay taxes at all!”
Lu Bu touched his chin, thinking.
'I should extort that brat into giving me a high wage for my service! I say 10,000 gold a month for my service as the grand marshal should be enough. Hahaha! That's it! I'll take my wife and my daughter to live here, and leech on that brat's gold! I'm a genius! HAHAHAHA!'