They believed they had given sufficient bribes to officials and thought that even just outside King City, there must be some rule of law. They paid taxes on time yet suffered from extortion, so they felt there should at least be a way to survive.
But the truth was cruel: despite their efforts, they still ended up with nothing—like chickens flying and eggs smashed.
"Make way! This place now belongs to Zheng Country!" the leading officer said with a smirk, shouting without any hesitation.
This time, Zheng Tong's order to them was to confiscate those factories and workshops, turning them all into his private property. His decree was very vague, giving his subordinates a lot of room to maneuver when carrying out his orders.
Originally, Zheng Tong had intended to conscript heavy industry workshops, including metallurgy and steel furnaces, gun and cannon foundries—to support his military preparations.
