Chapter 552: Chu Tianming’s Strategy to Break the Deadlock — Forming Alliances and Leveraging Rivalries |
"Reporting to the Department Chancellor, all citizens in the city have already evacuated. The 140,000-strong army is also fully assembled outside the southern gate, awaiting only your order to depart at any moment!"
In the thirteenth year of Great Xia, on the third day of the first lunar month, just as dawn broke.
In the great hall atop the Department Office Building of Dongchuan City, Liu Yuan, Commander-in-Chief of the Cloud Python Army, strode in briskly and directly addressed Xia Chuan seated above, delivering his report.
Xia Chuan sat upright in the main seat. Below him, over ten commanding generals including Yue Feng, Zhouyuan, Meng Yi, Mu Longhe, and Mu Qinghe stood divided on both sides.
Hearing Liu Yuan's report, everyone immediately turned their gaze towards Xia Chuan.
"Good. Issue the order immediately. The entire army is to withdraw to the Dongchuan Camp. Have the army's scouts deployed around Dongchuan City. Report immediately upon any unusual movement from the Chencang army."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Xia Chuan stood up directly and gave the order. Liu Yuan bowed with clasped hands, then swiftly exited the great hall to relay the withdrawal order to the army.
As soon as Liu Yuan left, those below immediately opened the floodgates of discussion.
"That Fang Tianqing is no simpleton either! Barging into the camp alone, yet daring to be so arrogant as to demand we withdraw. Chu Tianming had him relay the message that Chencang only wants Dongchuan and will not touch a single blade of grass in the rest of Great Xia's territory. That statement probably has at most thirty percent truth to it."
"Thirty percent truth? You're being too naive. In my view, there's not a shred of truth. Chu Tianming currently has his eye on the position of Little Fang Bo. Capturing Dongchuan City to satisfy Chu Longteng, once he becomes Little Fang Bo, he will inevitably lead his troops southward, continuing to attack cities and seize territories, encroaching upon our Great Xia's lands!"
"It's not that simple, is it? Chu Longteng isn't that petty. Can capturing a single Dongchuan City be considered completing the test?"
"The possibility is small. But then again, Chu Tianming also had no need to proactively send someone to negotiate with us. The Southern Foothills are crawling with scouts from the feudal towns. The Lord Leader is locked in a stalemate with Caiqiu in Jinyang; he must know this. With a hundred thousand troops and two hundred Sun Manifestation Level experts, and Dongchuan not being some impregnable fortress, it's not like he wouldn't dare to fight, right?"
………………
Hearing the discussions of the generals below, a glint flashed in Xia Chuan's eyes. He turned his head to look at the map on the shelf to the left of the great hall.
It was a massive map covering the territories of both the Four Feudatories and the Southern Foothills. All the major cities, camps, villages of the Four Feudatories, as well as the official road networks connecting these settlements, were clearly marked. Even the topographical features of all regions were laid out in full view.
"According to the message Jiang Xinfan sent back..."
Xia Chuan suddenly spoke, interrupting the generals' discussion. After everyone shifted their gaze to him, he continued, "The test Chu Longteng set up most likely aims to sever Chu Tianming's ambitions for succession. And Chu Tianming himself is fully aware of this. Given Chu Longteng's absolute, unchallenged authority in Chencang, changing his mind is probably eighty percent impossible. For Chu Tianming to save himself, he can only strive to gain the support of the vast majority of people in Chencang, apart from his father..."
As Xia Chuan dissected the situation thread by thread, everyone's brows furrowed slightly. They began to ponder how Chu Tianming could possibly win the support of the vast majority in Chencang.
"The Lord Leader, though not in Dongchuan himself—whether the Beast Emperor-Level Puppets are here or not, no one in Chencang knows. With just the hundred thousand troops Chu Tianming has brought so far, unless Chu Longteng and all of Chencang's top experts come out in full force, where would they get the absolute confidence to crush us?"
Yue Feng seemed to have grasped something. Staring at the map in front of Xia Chuan for a moment, he vaguely caught onto something and asked, "Does the Department Chancellor mean that Chu Tianming also knows he cannot defeat our Great Xia on his own, so he can only find a way from elsewhere to pass the test Chu Longteng has set?"
Currently, it is known that Chu Tianming's southward expedition with his army is a test set by Chu Longteng. Although the exact criteria for ultimately passing this test are unclear, even guessing suggests that mobilizing a hundred thousand troops is definitely meant to seize benefits for Chencang. Winning battles is absolutely the minimum requirement.
Chu Longteng is well aware that Chu Tianming cannot contend with Great Xia. Therefore, this test will most likely end in Chu Tianming's failure. Chu Tianming is also fully aware of this.
Right now, he is trying to find a way to break this deadlock.
What he wants is not merely winning battles; he needs to produce military achievements substantial enough to gain the recognition of his father, Fang Bo Chu Longteng. Even more broadly speaking, these achievements should also gain recognition from the entirety of Chencang as much as possible.
Capturing a single Dongchuan City falls far short of achieving that.
"Sending his advisor Fang Tianqing to placate us and make us withdraw is precisely because he wants to avoid direct conflict with Great Xia. Chu Tianming clearly knows our Xia troops are currently confronting Caiqiu in the Bone-Erosion Path. Could it be that..."
As Yue Feng's words fell, everyone in the tent instantly reacted. Their gazes sharply turned to the map, all focusing on the central hinterland of Mo'ao Chuan—that is, the location of Caiqiu.
To be precise, the western frontier of Caiqiu, Linchu County!
"Right! Brother Yue's words have awakened me. The three other feudatories of Mo'ao Chuan all view Chencang as a flood beast, so it's absolutely impossible for them to ally with Chencang. This is also the foundation of the Lord Leader's confidence in confronting Caiqiu head-on this time. In that case, rather than attacking us and indirectly relieving the pressure on Caiqiu, wouldn't it be better for Chencang to take advantage of this excellent opportunity while Cai Qianshan is pinned down by us to carve a piece of flesh from Caiqiu!"
Speaking of which, Mu Longhe's age was enough to be Yue Feng's great-grandfather. But given Yue Feng's current status and strength, he could only address him as "Brother Yue."
And Mu Longhe's words essentially laid bare Chu Tianming's intentions. All the generals in the hall instantly grasped the situation.
"So that's how it is! In that case, this Chu Tianming is quite a figure!"
"Just a desperate move to break the deadlock. If Chu Longteng hadn't concocted this test and Chu Tianming was truly determined to attack with a hundred thousand troops, our Great Xia would likely have suffered significant damage."
"After all, Chencang has the makings of a state. Today's Fang Bo could very well be the future lord. Chu Tianming also has quite a few supporters; how could he have no thoughts at all about the position of Fang Bo?"
"Speaking of which, it's a mess of Chu Longteng's own making. According to the intelligence Jiang Xinfan gathered, Chu Longteng initially intended to establish his eldest son as heir. Who would have thought he'd change his mind later? How could Chu Tianming possibly accept that?"
………………
Hearing everyone's words, the corner of Xia Chuan's mouth lifted slightly into a faint arc. He smiled and said slowly, "I'm afraid he has no issues. Since Chencang has this succession turmoil, that is our Great Xia's opportunity. Chu Longteng wants to use our hands to help him resolve his succession problem. We will deliberately not give him what he wants. What's a mere Dongchuan City? If we can add more fuel to the fire, I, this Department Chancellor, am even willing to give up the entire Dongchuan district!"
Hearing this, everyone's hearts gave a slight jolt, stunned by Xia Chuan's resolve.
Currently, all seven districts of the entire Beishuo territory have been incorporated into Great Xia. Xia Chuan was not only willing to give up a Dongchuan City but was also prepared to surrender the entire Dongchuan district. This boldness was truly startling.
However, after the initial shock, everyone quickly understood.
Xia Chuan's willingness to surrender acquired territory was, on one hand, to add fuel to the succession turmoil in Chencang. On the other hand, this was probably also the best choice for Great Xia at present.
It is an indisputable fact that Great Xia currently lacks the capability to wage war against two major feudatories simultaneously, even counting the Lord Leader's Beast Emperor-Level Puppets.
Giving up an already evacuated Dongchuan City could both add fuel to Chencang's succession turmoil and avoid direct conflict with Chencang. Why not do it?
Once this offensive from Caiqiu is resolved, they could free up their hands later to deal specifically with Chencang, which would be much easier.
As for Xia Chuan, his thinking differed from the others.
Being willing to give up the entire Dongchuan district was his genuine, heartfelt sentiment.
According to the message Jiang Xinfan sent back, if the reform and transformation in Yanling Commandery succeeded, it could greatly increase Chencang's strength. Correspondingly, Chu Tianxu would successfully ascend. Therefore, it was inevitable for Great Xia to ally with Chu Tianming and find ways to cause trouble for Chu Tianxu.
Now it seemed that Chu Tianming's ascension would best serve Great Xia's interests!
"Department Chancellor, not only did we let Chencang's hundred thousand troops exit the Blood Corridor, but now we're also handing Dongchuan City over to them. This hard-won entire territory of Beishuo—a full seventh of it—given away for free. In the future, wanting to recapture it probably won't be so easy, will it?"
Hearing this, Xia Chuan raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at the speaker, Mu Qinghe. A look of appreciation immediately appeared on his face.
The advisor Fang Tianqing sent by Chu Tianming had stated very clearly: Chencang's hundred thousand troops would only take Dongchuan City and would not continue southward.
Putting it another way, Chencang's hundred thousand troops would very likely be permanently stationed in Dongchuan City from now on. That is to say, although Chu Tianming's current aim is Caiqiu, he has still inserted a hand into the Southern Foothills territory.
And this move is actually quite vicious.
The pass for Chencang's southward advance is at the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor. A hundred thousand troops exiting the Blood Corridor, occupying the fifty-kilometer stretch of land south of Danxue Peak, and seizing Dongchuan City, which Great Xia spent years of painstaking effort to build—this firmly wedges a nail into the southern territory. Once this campaign ends, in the future, whenever Chencang wants to use military force against Great Xia, it will be much simpler.
Conversely, by giving up Dongchuan City this time, it will be difficult for Great Xia to recapture it later. The possibility of severing Chencang's extended hand again is even more remote.
Xia Chuan took a slight breath and said solemnly, "This is probably the biggest hidden danger we're leaving behind this time. However, there's no need to worry too much. Times change. Even if Chu Tianming cannot capture the entire Linchu County this time, he can still make Caiqiu lose a significant chunk of flesh. By then, Cai Qianshan will surely become even more wary of Chencang. We can then timely extend an olive branch and join forces with them to deal with Chencang."
Hearing Xia Chuan's words, everyone was instantly stunned.
It couldn't be helped. The Xia troops' withdrawal from Dongchuan City right now was essentially cooperating with Chencang to deal with Caiqiu together. But according to Xia Chuan's statement, once this cooperation ended and their conflict with Caiqiu concluded, they would immediately cooperate with Caiqiu next to deal with Chencang.
"This... wouldn't our Great Xia become a fence-sitter?"
"It's a bit embarrassing!"
"After all, they are feudal towns. Lowering our stance and being flexible is understandable."
………………
Hearing everyone's words, a faint smile appeared on Xia Chuan's face. Remembering the words his eldest brother had previously asked Xu Ning to bring over, he shook his head slightly and said to everyone:
"Cooperation between people, of course, requires integrity and keeping faith. But between towns, it need not be so. Whether it's our Great Xia, Chencang, or Caiqiu, each possesses vast territories and commands millions of subjects. A single move can determine the life and death of tens of thousands, even millions of people. How can we act on emotion so casually?
Today, if you are strong, I will cooperate with you to deal with others. Tomorrow, if you become weak, I will naturally cooperate with others to deal with you. Forming vertical and horizontal alliances, the external affairs of major feudatories have always been this way. All of you are now high-ranking commanders leading armies. If you cannot even understand this principle, how will you fight for Great Xia in the future?"
Hearing these words, everyone's bodies trembled slightly.
It was as if a lock had been opened in their minds. The light in their eyes grew brighter, and their gazes towards Xia Chuan became filled with immense reverence.
Xia Chuan never missed an opportunity to bolster Xia Hong's authority. Seeing everyone's expressions, he immediately said, "Don't look at me like that. This is what the Lord Leader said. Engrave these words firmly in your hearts; you will definitely need them sooner or later!"
"An enlightening revelation! The Lord Leader is truly a transcendent being. If our Great Xia's future interactions with external feudatories can follow this principle, forget the mere Southern Foothills territory; even the entire Mo'ao Chuan will inevitably become the possession of our Great Xia in the future!"
Among all the generals present, Mu Longhe was probably the one with the deepest understanding. After all, Chuishan had gradually perished in the cracks between the nine towns. Looking back now, if Duan Hong had acted according to Xia Chuan's words back then, Chuishan would never have perished so quickly.
Hearing this, everyone nodded slightly, repeatedly reciting the words Xia Chuan had just spoken in their hearts, secretly resolving to strictly adhere to this principle in future dealings with external feudatories.
"Alright, enough talk. It's time to go!"
Xia Chuan didn't continue further. Now that dawn had broken, since he had agreed to withdraw, he naturally wouldn't linger.
Chu Tianming's words sounded pleasant, but if he truly had an opportunity to strike Great Xia, he probably wouldn't hold back either. On paper, Chencang's hundred thousand troops are still more than enough to crush the 140,000-strong Xia army. And that's not even considering Chencang's mysterious and unpredictable Trickery methods.
The reason Chu Tianming was intimidated into turning against Caiqiu ultimately boiled down to being deterred by Great Xia's fourteen Beast Emperor-Level Puppets.
But while others were unaware, Xia Chuan knew full well.
Those fourteen Beast Emperor-Level Puppets had one usage restriction: they must operate within the irradiation range of the Sacred Cauldron.
This matter was known only to him and Li Xuanling in all of Great Xia.
Both Chencang and Caiqiu were newly in contact with Great Xia, so they definitely couldn't uncover this point in a short time. Therefore, for now, the problem wasn't too significant.
"It's enough to have intimidated Chencang. Next, we just need to wait for eldest brother to defeat the Caiqiu army. The contingency plan over at Evergreen Valley should also be set in motion by now. Caiqiu will take a major fall this time and should behave more properly afterwards!"
Watching all the generals leave the hall, Xia Chuan pondered internally for a moment, then also stood up and walked towards the hall exit, preparing to withdraw with the army.
However, just as he stepped outside the hall, a figure came streaking through the sky from the southeast direction, rapidly approaching the Main Building.
"It's me, no need to be alarmed!"
The group of generals who had just exited the great hall immediately grew vigilant, preparing to ascend and intercept the newcomer. But before they could even take flight, the person spoke.
"It's Xu Ning!"
"He's back from Jinyang. Could it be news of victory?"
"Look at his expression; it must be good news!"
………………
Seeing Xu Ning indeed had a smile on his face, Xia Chuan's mood also lightened considerably.
Last night, as soon as he finished negotiating with Fang Tianqing, he immediately sent Xu Ning to report to his eldest brother Xia Hong in Jinyang. For Xu Ning to return so quickly, and with a smile on his face, there must surely be good news.
"Department Chancellor, just now, the entire 200,000-strong Caiqiu army arrived. Cai Qianshan personally acted to blast open the exit of the Bone-Erosion Path, widening it by a full three times. All of Caiqiu's top experts were mobilized, yet they utterly failed to break through. The Lord Leader displayed divine might, successively slaying over twenty of Caiqiu's top experts, including even one at the Tribulation Body Realm! When the Lord Leader sent me to report, the Caiqiu army had already begun to retreat!"
Indeed, at the Bone-Erosion Path, the Xia army had won.
And it was a great victory!
"Hahahaha, excellent, excellent, excellent..."
Xia Chuan laughed heartily, uttering the word "excellent" three times in a row.
Below, Yue Feng and the other generals also wore expressions of immense excitement.