Chapter 718: Chapter 319: Chu State Dominates


    “With elite soldiers, abundant supplies, this level of reserves within Great Chu, I owe it all to you gentlemen.”


    After ounting for the resources at their disposal, Lu Yuan, filled with delight, scanned the ministers present at the gathering and gave credit where credit was due.


    “We dare not take the credit.”


    “This is all due to Your Majesty’s effort.”


    The attendants, one by one, paid their respects, not daring to ept the praise.


    “Ha ha!”


    At that sight, Lu Yuanughed loudly and waved to the gathered officials. “Gentlemen, there’s no need for this. I could conquer the world, but I couldn’t govern it. The only contribution I could make to governance is to appoint the wise and capable, and let everyone do their part.


    The present prosperity of Chu State has been possible only due to the contributions of the many talented schrs gathered here. I would not dare topete with my ministers for des.”


    Upon hearing this, the ministers hurriedly expressed, “We are ashamed.”


    In the hall, harmony between monarch and ministers was immediately evident.<div>


    After the mutual praises subsided, the atmosphere gradually calmed down. Then, Sun Siwen cleared his throat and began to give a rough report.


    “As I have already reported to Your Majesty regarding the treasury and the taxation, this summer, the results of the poption census conducted in the ninth year of Shenwu reign are also avable.”


    Having bowed in tribute, Sun Siwen fetched a book and handed it to Lu Yuan through the eunuch. He then announced, “Great Chu has five prefectures. Dongting and Xiangyang have been under our rule for over ten years. They could be called the foundation of our nation.


    Qianzhong and Xichuan, under our governance for over five years now, have seen a continuous influx of people, enhancing their local development, and have subsequently be significant sources of finance and food.


    Though Hegu is a newly opened prefecture, with established local administrations and ongoing agricultural development efforts during the past couple of years, it’s really started taking shape.”


    “Earlier this year, Your Majesty ordered a census across all prefectures and counties, which includedption of household records, apanied by the dispatching of imperial historians to supervise the process in each prefecture.”


    “Half a year has passed since then, and the poption census of Great Chu has beenpiled. After verification by the Ministry of Revenue, we havee up with a figure, which I now present for Your Majesty’s consideration.”


    “There are ten counties in Dongting, currentlyprising seven hundred thousand households, or three and a half million people.”


    “Xiangyang, with its four counties, has two hundred thousand households, or one and a half million people.”


    “In Qianzhong, one county has ten households, amounting to two hundred and eighty thousand households, or one million four hundred thousand people.”


    “Xichuan, one county with ten households, has four hundred thousand households, or two million people.”


    “There are six counties in Hegu, with one hundred and fifty thousand households, making up eight hundred thousand people.”


    “So, in total, across the five prefectures and forty counties of Great Chu, there are one million seven hundred and thirty thousand households, and eight million and eight hundred thousand people.”


    Being deeply familiar with governmental affairs, with an improved memory following the Breaking through Innate, Sun Siwen confidently, fluently delivered all the statistical numbers.


    Each individual present intently listened to his report, quietly contemting the significance of the provided data.


    After he had finished presenting the poption census of the five prefectures, followed by a summary, several people were visible shaken, disying looks of stupefaction.


    The shocking figure of eight million eight hundred thousand people had an undeniable impact.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Some facts, unless pointed out explicitly, are underestimated in their dreadfulness.


    The power of Chu State was one such fact.<div>


    Many were aware of the might of Chu State, which was, after all, in possession of five prefectures, covering tens of thousands of miles. Looking solely at territorial expansion, one could conclude that Chu was a great country.


    While thebel of a great country was well recognized, the real scale of its greatness was often difficult to articte.


    And yet, with the most straightforward data, Sun Siwen informed the entire gathering that Chu was a major power with a poption of eight million eight hundred thousand people.


    In this world, a countrymanding military forces exceeding a million, and a poption of over ten million, would meet the standards of a hegemonic power.<div>


    At the moment, Great Chu maintains a standing army of four hundred ny thousand soldiers. A little mobilization would effortlessly push that force beyond a million. With a poption of eight million eight hundred thousand, Chu is only short of one million two hundred thousand from reaching the figure of ten million.


    Even considering the provinces of Jianchuan, Chilih, and Kunhai, Chu’s poption has actually already exceeded ten million.


    The three provinces of the southwest, obeying Chu State’smands, paying tribute and acknowledging the King of Chu as their ruler, are naturally Chu’s subjects.


    When the countries of the world perceive Chu, they instinctively include Jianchuan, Chilih, and Kunhai as parts of Chu, adding them to Chu’s strength.


    This is reminiscent of the time when Changsha, Southsea, and Ninghai, were considered part of Yue Country.


    Indeed, even without considering these three provinces, the remaining gap to attain hegemony is merely a matter of time for Chu State.


    This is mostly owing to the fact that unlike the deeply developed prefectures of Xiangyang and Dongting, the prefectures of Xichuan, Qianzhong, and Hegu in Chu State have recently been opened up. With vastnds and few people, there arerge tracts of wastnd that have yet to be developed.


    Thends of these three prefectures could easily sustain an additional five million people.


    Furthermore, even in Dongting and Xiangyang, there were many outlying areas that were left uncultivated.


    If all thisnd was to be developed, it could easily support an additional two million people.


    All of this is merely considering the agricultural poption.


    If one considers the urban areas, as the poption multiplies and moreborers are absorbed into the industries, just the urban poption within these five prefectures could increase by another two million people.


    Considering all this, the presentnd holdings of Chu State, given the existing agricultural and industrial technology at its disposal, can support a poption that is double its current size.<div>


    Given the current poption growth rate,


    If Chu State maintains the status quo and simply continues to recuperate, at the most, in ten years, the poption can naturally multiply to a count of ten million.


    In three to four decades, the poption can double.


    And if the poption doubles, so does the military might.


    If at present Chu State maintains a standing army of four hundred and ny thousand, thirty years hence, it will, logically have a standing army of over one million.


    With such strength, it will undoubtedly deserve the title of Supreme Dominator.


    It’s now clear why the attendees at the gathering were so shocked, isn’t it?


    Bearing in mind the current resources of Chu State, a simple consolidation over thirty years will see its poption rival Ning Country. Moreover, in terms of national power, it would significantly surpass it.