Urban Sims

Hyun Qingcheng.

It is an inconspicuous small city located on the edge of the Hundred Cities Alliance.

It has a population of more than 800,000 and an average level of economic development. Its specialty industry is dried fruit processing, with nearly 10,000 tons of dried fruit snacks exported every year.

Since the added value of dried fruits is relatively low, other industries cannot develop, so they are at the bottom of the Hundred Cities Alliance.

Although he is not rich enough, Bai Tao, the lord of Xuqing City, is sincere and frank, generous and loves the people. He is also chivalrous and fair, helping the strong and the weak, and is very popular among the people of the city.

Under Bai Tao's governance, the per capita happiness index of Hyun Qing City is very high.

Coupled with the rapid economic development in the past ten years, life has become the same every year. Bai Tao's prestige is even higher and he is sincerely supported by the city residents.

However, at this time, a fierce quarrel was taking place in the palace of the city lord of Hyunqing City.

The object of the quarrel is also surprising. It is actually the city lord Bai Tao, who is quarreling with his son Bai Ze and daughter Bai Xue.

It was very noisy and very loud.

"Father, join Wancheng Kingdom quickly. Joining the country won't do much harm to us. You are still your city lord and no one will take your city away!" said his son Bai Ze.

"Father, Hyunqing City is the last city-state that has not yet joined the country. The other 109 cities have all joined. What are you still insisting on?" His daughter Bai Xue also didn't understand.

Bai Tao looked at the senior student uniforms of "Daxian Academy" worn by his son and daughter. He knew that his son and daughter had been completely assimilated by Wan Chengguo, and their stance was different from his own, so he deliberately changed his stance from He took a leave of absence from school and went home to persuade himself to join the Wancheng Kingdom. The truth he said was irrefutable.

but……

Once he joins Wancheng Kingdom, some things that belong to Hyun Qing City will be completely lost.

Even though this thing doesn't have much value in the eyes of his son and daughter, for him, it is really inseparable.

If a little bit of freedom is taken away, can it still be called freedom?

"Father, if you don't join us, do you know what the consequences will be if you wait for Hyun Qing City? Blockade, suppression, then warnings, and finally military suppression. If our little Hyun Qing City can't resist, it will be your life. , is also in danger."

His son Bai Ze said in a worried tone.

"Father, have you read the "Zhenlin Daily" in the past few months? What happened to the city-states that refused to join the Wancheng Kingdom? The controlling families in the nine cities were jointly overthrown by other families. This Nine families were almost wiped out."

"There are also thirteen city-state controlling families who, under heavy blockades, could not bear the losses and finally chose to compromise."

"There are still seven families who were directly exterminated by the National Defense Forces. They were accused of financing thieves, disrupting trade routes, arbitrarily raising road taxes, and killing businessmen... The evidence is conclusive and sufficient. They were exterminated. The people of the country are very happy and applaud. Praise... no one sympathizes with them.”

Bai Ze looked at him and said: "Father, now there is only one city left, Hyun Qing City! Everyone's eyes are looking at us, and many newspapers are also speculating, what will the country do with Hyun Qing City?"

"Father, don't insist on it unnecessarily. We won't lose anything by joining the country. We can also get some loans from the country and build a bluestone brick factory to earn more spiritual coins. Wouldn't this be better?"

"Yes, father, you are old. For the sake of the family, don't be an old fool!"

My daughter Bai Xue also came over and said.

"No!"

"Don't join!"

Bai Tao shook his head firmly, "Xuan Qingcheng is living a good life. There is no need to join the country or earn so many spiritual coins. We are very satisfied with our current life."

"Xuan Qingcheng, there is no need to change or be controlled by others!"

Bai Tao's slightly cloudy eyes were full of uncompromising light.

Bai Ze and Bai Xue looked at each other with disappointment written on their faces.

Old man, there is really no hope.

They even took the initiative to knock the old man unconscious, summon the clan elders, and pass a resolution to join the Wancheng Kingdom to prevent him from leading the family to a dead end.

but--

Looking at the half head of white hair on his stooped back and his unhurried and firm steps, the two of them finally failed to make the move.

Everyone was uneasy.

Countless people are speculating behind the scenes: What will be the fate waiting for Hyun Qingcheng?

So, half a year passed.

It was calm and nothing happened.

Even those who were suffering through the day in anxiety were stunned, and their hearts were full of questions: What happened to the country?

Why haven't you taken action against Hyun Qingcheng yet?

Have you forgotten this city?

Is the last city-state that has not joined the country just left alone?

"Capital, why haven't you annexed the city of Huanqing? Why are you keeping that city? It's such an eyesore?"

Deputy Head of State Yang Linkong came over specifically to ask this question that day, and he did not understand what the Head of State was doing.

Zhou Ming held his forehead, shook his head and said: "It's not that I want to keep them, but I really can't find an excuse to annex them."

Excuse?

What excuse is there for annexing a small city with a population of 800,000?

What excuse does the strong have to annex the weak?

Yang Linkong was even more confused about what the head of state was thinking.

Zhou Ming had no choice but to explain to him.

"Hyunqing City is different from other uncooperative city-states. In this city-state, the Bai family is absolutely dominant, and other families are very weak. The strategy of a group of wolf-eating tigers will not work."

"The Bai family's public support is very high. The people regard their city lord as a good man and a saint. The people's hearts are like a solid wall. We can't find any loopholes."

"Even if we use forceful means to annex such a city-state, the people's support will not return. It will be a big trouble to manage in the future. It will even become more chaotic, and it will also affect the reputation of the central government. The side effects are very serious, because this is an unjust way. Lift.”

"Don't ignore the role of 'dao'. The reason why we can easily win the other 29 city-states and leave people speechless is because we have occupied the moral and moral principles and won the hearts and minds of the people."

"If these city-states could be like Xiuqing City, the city owners would be kind and generous, sympathizing with the weak, making the atmosphere in the territory simple and friendly, instead of being arrogant and extravagant, enslaving the lower class, relying on the strong to bully the weak, and governing the city-state like a human being. Hell, why can’t it be crossed at a touch and destroyed easily?”

"So, it is better to keep the city-state of Hyunqing City. If their people's hearts and moral principles are still there, we will not touch it and give them complete freedom."

"If one day in the future, Hyun Qingcheng loses the support and morality of the people, we will get their freedom back."

Yang Linkong nodded. These words of the leader of the country do make some sense. If you can't find any reason or excuse to take action, annexing them will only cause indigestion.

Moreover, Xuanqing City is located in a remote area and does not have much economic influence. Its location and function are not critical, and it has little overall impact.

Therefore, it is better not to worry about Xuan Qingcheng for the time being.

As a result, this small Hyunqing City became a very unique free city in Wancheng Kingdom, enjoying complete freedom and existing for a long time.