text: Treasury: 0 yuan (+150)
  Army: Small (-25)
  Masses: High
  
  Workers: Low (-25)
  Buddhists: Low {-50}
  
  You hold long meetings with your director of horticulture to ensure that the project will be a success. After many hours of precise planning, you commission your planters to buy the best lychee seeds for planting in your most fertile soil. You eagerly anticipate the opening harvest and its boost to your economy.
  
  Just as your laborers sow the last batch of seeds, you learn to your surprise that President Min and his allies have marched their armies to a position a few miles outside your castle. "No rest for the weary," you mutter to yourself.
  
  Your militia knocks on every door rallying citizens to help defend your city. The next day, Min and his allies unfurl a large white banner half a mile away from your castle. It reads:
  
  "Astute Governor Toleron, we offer you a proposition. If you relinquish your claim to China and open your castle gate, we will spare the lives of everyone inside. Otherwise we will have no choice but to lay siege to your castle. At that point, we will no longer show mercy."
  
  You keep your gate closed. They stay true to their word and blockade your castle. Weeks pass, but your citizenry's faith in your guidance keeps their spirits high. The attacking force, on the other hand, begins to lose cohesiveness. One warlord cites your small Army and insists on launching a full scale attack on your walls. Another advocates a long-term siege, using their pooled advantage in resources to wear you out, taking years if need be. Another has citizens back home pushing for more attention to other matters and would rather call off the attack completely. President Min is unsure of what to do. He is not quite prepared for actual bloodshed, thinking originally that his larger forces would induce your surrender. On the other hand, resigning so easily would be a bitter pill to swallow. After much bickering and deliberation, they halfheartedly send their troops to attack your walls.
  
  Foot soldiers carrying rope ladders charge at your parapets. Your archers respond with barrages of burning arrows. Many attackers expire before reaching your walls. The ones who do encounter dense fire as they climb up their ladders. Some fall to their doom when your warriors cut through their rope. Those who manage to reach the top meet ferocious resistance from everyone stationed inside. Sparks fly between clanging swords while crimson blood flows readily over the battleground.
  
  Your ranks gradually shrink, but for each of your warriors killed in battle, the invaders lose five of theirs. Without a strong leader, the remaining attackers outside your castle lose their resolve and give up. Remnants of the invading force disperse, to the cheers of your triumphant defenders.
  
  Warlords all over China learn of your improbable victory. Many now think so little of President Min that he will never wield much diplomatic influence again.
  
  While recovering from this clash, you hear from spies that General Nahru is preoccupied with capturing and executing disloyal subjects in his kingdom and consolidating his power base in northern China. He will not be free to attack you anytime soon. No other warlords remain much of a threat.
  
  On the domestic front, many Workers threaten to desert you and work for other warlords if you do not increase their wages now. The Temple also grows impatient with your lack of communication. And your colonels still suggest an increase in conscription.
  
  What will you do next?
  
  Treasury: 0 yuan (+150)
  Army: Small (-25)
  Masses: High
  
  Workers: Low (-25)
  Buddhists: Low {-50}
  
  > increase Soldiers' pay (-75 yuan instead of -25)
  Treasury: 50 yuan (+300)
  Army: Large (-75)
  Masses: High
  
  Workers: Low (-25)
  Buddhists: Low {-50}
  
  You raise your Army's wages, rewarding old veterans and attracting new recruits. On occasion you join your colonels at muster and personally inspect the raw cadets. Improved morale and increased enlistment soon transform your military into a formidable fighting machine.
  
  While other warlords are impressed by your newfound might, your domestic tradesmen are unswayed. Disappointed by your stingy ways, your Workers followed through on their threats of mass desertions while you focused on your soldiers. Workers leave your fallow kingdom for greener pastures. This brain drain leads to inefficiency throughout your realm. Your castle falls into disrepair, military supplies dwindle, and rations become scarce.
  
  You regret ignoring your skilled tradesmen's demands. You quickly enact labor reforms for professionals- raising wages, increasing vacation time, and even offering free education for their children.
  
  Your new soldiers have barely left basic training when you learn that General Nahru had conquered all of northern China and, upon hearing of your domestic turmoil, decided that this would be his best opportunity to dispose of you. He begins to accumulate troops along your northern border.
  
  Your attempt at restoring your workforce comes a bit late. A week later, when General Nahru marches one million troops to your castle, many government posts remain unmanned.
  
  General Nahru, aware of your sizable Army, sieges your castle instead of risking his troops in an immediate clash. You too are wary of engaging the enemy, knowing that your inexperienced rookies are no match for General Nahru's seasoned veterans. You wait behind your stone walls and hope that Nahru succumbs to attrition before you do.
  
  Unlike President Min, General Nahru's army is well disciplined. No supplies or persons enter or exit your capital for months while you cling onto your defensive fortifications. Meanwhile, the lack of qualified professionals cause breakdowns in every area of your kingdom. Inefficiency saps funds from your Treasury, decreases your Army's morale, and damages your relations with the Masses and the Buddhist temple.
  
  The siege weakens your kingdom day by day. General Nahru waits until the odds turn in his favor. He then attacks. A long bloody battle ends with General Nahru's soldiers capturing you alive. Recognizing your symbolic significance as the last major obstacle between him and all of China, General Nahru leaves your severed scalp on a stake outside your former castle.