Chapter 559: Lin Chu Changes Hands, Wei Bo Arrives |
Among the four feudatories of Mo'ao Chuan, Caiqiu has the smallest territorial area.
Caiqiu governs four counties, two lakes, and one valley. The four counties are Linchu, Baishui, Qingcang, and Donghe; the two lakes are Yanze and Hanbo; and the final valley is Evergreen Valley. The total territorial area is 120,000 square kilometers.
Yanze Lake is shared by Caiqiu and Chencang; Hanbo Lake serves as a barrier between Mo'ao Chuan and the external domain of the Lulong feudal town; and Evergreen Valley is resource-poor. If it weren't for the Bone-Erosion Path to its south, basically no one would even look in this direction.
With these three premises, the basic foundation of Caiqiu's territory becomes very clear.
That is the four counties!
And the status of these four counties also has a hierarchy.
The current situation among the four feudatories is very clear.
Hecang's Fang Bo, Fu Wanhe, is nearing the end of his lifespan, solely focused on extending his life, to the point where he hardly manages the affairs of his own feudal town anymore; Wei Bo, though strong in power, has its Fang Bo, Li Gangfeng, obsessed with immortality and indifferent to governance. The region suffers frequent natural disasters, has a stagnant population, and lacks the capacity for external expansion.
Only Chencang stands out. The situation of "two suns hanging in the sky" is certainly a source of internal strife, but it is also the strongest deterrent to the other three feudatories. Moreover, Fang Bo Chu Longteng is ambitious, his descendants are all exceptional talents, and its population size, army strength, and number of powerful individuals have all opened a significant gap with the other three feudatories.
These measures may appear to be Chencang's own internal affairs, but anyone who isn't foolish can easily spot the underlying trend.
Chu Longteng wants to unify Mo'ao Chuan!
Limited by the natural barrier of Mo'ao Mountain, the four feudatories have no room for outward expansion anymore. Originally, Chencang and Caiqiu could still expand southward, but the Blood Mire Plains emerged halfway. Even without considering the recently risen Great Xia, simply trying to bypass the Blood Mire Plains is no easy task.
Unable to expand into unfamiliar lands, naturally, they would turn their attention to familiar neighbors.
If Chencang merely had ambition, it wouldn't be a big deal. The key is that it possesses the strength to match that ambition, which makes Cai Qianshan extremely uneasy.
Among Caiqiu's four counties, Linchu County holds the highest importance for two reasons:
First, its neighbor Chencang is ambitious, and it borders both Chencang's Yanling and Heyang counties. It serves as Caiqiu's frontline defense against Chencang, so its importance goes without saying.
The second reason is actually more important: Linchu County's elevation is significantly higher than that of Caiqiu's other three counties.
The overall topography of Mo'ao Chuan is generally higher in the west and lower in the east. To be more precise, Chencang has the highest overall elevation, while the other three feudatories are lower. Chu Longteng's ambition to unify Mo'ao Chuan is largely due to this unique topographical feature.
Chencang holds a commanding, high-ground advantage over the other three feudatories.
Of course, this is on a macro level. In local areas, including some minor, detailed locations, the other three feudatories still have their own unique advantages.
And Caiqiu's local advantage lies in controlling Linchu County, which shares the same elevation as the entire territory of Chencang.
Linchu County, as the name implies, means "bordering Chu territory." Before Chu Longteng unified the entire Chencang, the old stronghold of the Chu Clan was in Yanling. Yanling's former name was Chuqiu, which is how the name Linchu came about.
This also shows that the name Linchu predates the establishment of Chencang as a feudatory. But if we delve deeper, it would bring up a century-old grudge between Chencang and Caiqiu.
"What nonsense 'Linchu'! This is Chuqiu!
Over a hundred years ago, fifteen towns within the feudatory stood side-by-side, constantly warring with each other. Fang Bo led his army out from Chuqiu, campaigning east and west, subduing various clans one by one, thus laying the foundation for establishing the feudatory!
That despicable Cai Qianshan, seeing Chuqiu was undefended at the time, took advantage while Fang Bo was leading the main army in a great battle against the Chen Clan at Longxing City, and sent troops to occupy Chuqiu.
Chuqiu was, after all, the foundation of our Chu Clan. At that time, everyone thought Fang Bo would lead his army back. Who would have thought Fang Bo didn't even bother with it? Instead, he continued besieging Longxing City, finally defeated the Chen Clan's army, secured the foundation for establishing the feudatory, and only then turned back to deal with Caiqiu's army..."
East of Linchu County City, within a snowy forest, over a dozen armored soldiers were patrolling. The leader's armor specifications were clearly higher than the others, and he was telling the group about the old story of Linchu County.
"Right after the great battle with the Chen Clan ended, turning back to deal with Caiqiu's army... that seems too rushed. Could they win?"
Interrupted, the man didn't show displeasure. Instead, he turned to look at the questioner, a look of appreciation on his face, and nodded. "Of course not. Although our feudatory's army was strong, fighting consecutively left the soldiers exhausted. A hasty return to battle, how could they defeat Caiqiu's army, which was fresh and waiting for a weary enemy?"
Saying this, he couldn't help but sneer a few times, then a look of pride appeared on his face as he continued, "But Chuqiu was, after all, the foundation of the Chu Clan. The ancestors who served in the army at that time fought desperately, finally managing to seize half the territory back from Caiqiu. If Caiqiu hadn't finally pulled in Wei Bo for support, Fang Bo would have definitely recovered the entire territory."
"Wei Bo's hand reaches way too far. Meddling in matters they shouldn't, no wonder their region has so many disasters. Serves them right that so many people die there every year."
"With two feudatories joining forces, Fang Bo could only withdraw his troops then."
"No wonder. I'd heard before that old Chuqiu was very large, far bigger than today's Yanling. I used to wonder about that. So Caiqiu's Linchu County was also part of Chuqiu in the past."
………………
Hearing the words of his subordinates around him, Chu Dongying couldn't help but sneer coldly. "Wei Bo's intervention to help Caiqiu back then was clearly because they didn't want to see our Chencang rise and wanted to maintain the balance among the four feudatories. Although Hecang didn't openly intervene at the time, they also pulled many strings behind the scenes. It must be said, looking at the situation of the four feudatories over the past hundred-plus years, the actions of Li Gangfeng and Fu Wanhe were indeed effective."
Of course they were effective!
Losing half of Chuqiu, Caiqiu gained Linchu County, allowing them to push their defensive line right up to Chencang's face. Chencang, having lost its commanding high-ground advantage, also dared not rashly use military force against Caiqiu.
Among the four feudatories, Chencang was the strongest and the most likely to strike first. If Chencang didn't move its troops, naturally, the other three feudatories wouldn't either.
Thus, the current peaceful scene among the four feudatories was able to be maintained for a full hundred-plus years.
Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately had this thought arise in their hearts. Thinking about losing half of Chuqiu's territory, their faces couldn't help but show regret and indignation.
Regret because, if that half of Chuqiu's territory hadn't been lost, Chencang might have long ago marched its army eastward and conquered Caiqiu.
Indignation, naturally, was because of Caiqiu and the other two feudatories taking advantage of their vulnerable moment.
"However, starting today, the situation has completely reversed!"
But soon, as Chu Dongying spoke another sentence, the regret and indignation on everyone's faces instantly vanished, replaced only by smugness and pride.
Starting today, the situation had indeed completely reversed.
Because just moments ago, their Chencang's army of 150,000 had already breached Linchu County City, stormed into the Commandery Governor's Mansion, and completely routed Caiqiu's 100,000 defenders. Although Cai Qianshan appeared at the last moment and managed to reorganize the routed troops in time, the change of hands for the county city was already a foregone conclusion.
"With Fang Bo personally present, even if Cai Qianshan had more ability, it would be useless. The remaining troops in Caiqiu's city number at most fifty to sixty thousand now. The battle is already entering its final stages. Otherwise, Father wouldn't have sent me to keep watch on the eastern side. Even if Caiqiu sends reinforcements now, it would be too late to matter. Next, it depends on whether Fang Bo can kill Cai Qianshan."
Chu Dongying's face was now full of excitement.
For a general, the greatest merit is none other than recovering lost homeland.
Recapturing the old lands of Chuqiu this time, it can be said, all the credit belongs to Heyang Commandery.
He is the prince of the Chu Clan's Heyang Commandery government. The Heyang Commandery Governor, Chu Tianming, is his eight-generation ancestor. He could already see that after this battle concluded, the Commandery Ancestor's status within Chencang would inevitably rise to an incomparably high level.
"Recovering the old lands of Chuqiu, such a great merit... Great-grandfather being enfeoffed as Little Fang Bo is almost a certainty. Once the heir position is secured, Yanling will never be able to contend with our Heyang lineage again from now on."
The Chu Clan has spanned several hundred years, with five lineages of descendants passed down for over ten generations. The second and third generations might still have some feelings for each other, but beyond that, there's almost no familial affection to speak of.
According to the system of primogeniture, Commandery Ancestor Chu Tianming becoming Little Fang Bo should be unquestionable. However, with Fang Bo's increasingly obvious favoritism towards Yanling Commandery Governor Chu Tianxu in recent years, even a junior descendant like Chu Dongying, separated by several generations, could see something amiss.
The primogeniture system was originally established by Fang Bo Chu Longteng himself. Furthermore, as a descendant of the Heyang lineage, Chu Dongying naturally stands on the side of Commandery Ancestor Chu Tianming. He would be delighted to see Chu Tianming succeed in seizing the heir position and ascending to the great position of Little Fang Bo.
At this point, the Commandery Ancestor's ascension should already have no obstacles.
Capturing Linchu County City is just the beginning. Both Fang Bo and the Commander-in-Chief have arrived. When he left the city earlier, he personally witnessed Caiqiu's Fang Bo, Cai Qianshan, being besieged by the two of them, in a perilous situation. If they could truly kill Cai Qianshan here, then the gains from Chencang's military expedition this time would likely far exceed just Linchu County.
"Commander, look east! It seems someone is coming!"
Chu Dongying was just envisioning the future glory of the Heyang lineage when he was interrupted by a subordinate's words.
Although displeased in his heart, Chu Dongying didn't forget his mission. He quickly followed the soldier's pointing finger and looked towards the eastern sky.
At this sight, his expression instantly froze.
In the eastern sky, over a dozen figures were speeding over. They all emitted intense, blazing light. Even from several kilometers away, Chu Dongying could clearly feel the terrifying pressure contained within that light.
"Tribulation Body Realm, definitely Tribulation Body Realm. Someone's coming!"
"Does Caiqiu have this many Tribulation Body Realm experts?"
"They're not from Caiqiu. They must be from another feudatory."
"East... there's only Wei Bo! Did Wei Bo get the news this quickly?"
"Wait, isn't there also Great Xia to the south?"
………………
Chu Dongying himself was at the Sun Manifestation Level, so he immediately judged that the dozen or so people in the sky were all Tribulation Body Realm powerhouses. He didn't bother with the speculations of the soldiers beside him. His body initially moved towards the west, but as if remembering something, his expression changed several times rapidly, and he stopped.
"It's too late to rush back and report now. That group isn't even trying to conceal their auras. Our mission is to see if Caiqiu has reinforcements coming. Continue patrolling here with me. Fang Bo and the honorable sirs are in the city. Just focus on doing our own job!"
Hearing this, everyone immediately nodded in agreement, withdrew their gazes, and followed behind Chu Dongying, continuing to observe the situation to the east.
The group, who had been exceptionally excited moments ago, suddenly became very quiet.
Chu Dongying at the front, though his gaze was fixed eastward, his face had become extremely grim. The smugness from before had completely vanished.
He had mentioned the century-old story of Chuqiu earlier. The main reason back then was precisely that Wei Bo and Hecang didn't want Chencang to grow too powerful, so they supported Caiqiu in sending troops to occupy Chuqiu. In the end, Chu Longteng's expedition only recovered half the territory.
The scene before him made it hard not to connect the two events.
Wei Bo was intervening again. Were they planning to recreate the scene from a hundred years ago, pressuring Chencang once more to aid Caiqiu?
"This time, the situation is absolutely different. Linchu County City has already been captured. Even if Li Gangfeng comes personally, Fang Bo will never back down. Perhaps Cai Qianshan has already been killed. What use would Li Gangfeng's arrival be then? Hmph!"
Chu Dongying quickly figured out the key point and snorted coldly.
Although he was unwilling to admit it in his heart, he had to acknowledge that he could roughly foresee the subsequent development of events.
If Wei Bo could rescue Cai Qianshan and then fully support Caiqiu, then Chencang's gains this time would likely be limited to occupying Linchu County City. The chance of swallowing more territory was probably slim.
Wei Bo didn't just represent itself!
Li Gangfeng excelled in life-extension techniques, and Fu Wanhe, nearing the end of his lifespan, most desired methods for longevity. Therefore, for several years now, Hecang had been aligning itself with Wei Bo. The two were practically breathing through the same nostrils.
If Wei Bo came to pressure Chencang, Hecang would inevitably follow closely behind. Thus, it would be no different from a hundred years ago. Chencang would once again face pressure from three sides simultaneously.
Then, apart from compromise, there would be no other path!
Fortunately, this time, Chencang had captured Linchu County City before the other two feudatories could react. What was already in their mouth naturally wouldn't be spit out again. Even if Wei Bo and the other three feudatories threatened, it would be useless.
BOOM………………
About half an hour passed. While Chu Dongying was internally cursing Wei Bo nonstop, a tremendous roar suddenly came from the western sky. He and the other dozen or so patrolling soldiers quickly looked up towards the west.
"Such intense light!"
"What is that?"
"It must be those dozen or so people who flew over earlier taking action."
…………
"You all continue watching from below. I'll go closer to take a look!"
Chu Dongying had Sun Manifestation Level strength. Seeing it was too far to see anything clearly, he directly instructed his subordinates, then flew into the air, quickly moving closer towards the western direction.
This commotion probably involved more than just one or two Tribulation Body Realm experts. The dozen or so people from Wei Bo who passed by earlier must have all taken action.
So many people acting together... what were they trying to do?
As Chu Dongying sped forward, countless thoughts swirling in his mind, he suddenly saw something above, his body jolting to a halt as he rapidly tried to descend and land.
Whoosh…………
Over a dozen streaks of intense light suddenly shot over from the west. They practically didn't even glance at him, directly sweeping past overhead.
"Li Gangfeng, how many times can Wei Bo save Caiqiu? Forming an alliance, fine! This Fang Bo is right here in Linchu County, waiting for the armies of your three feudatories to arrive!"
It was Fang Bo's voice!
Chu Dongying, who hadn't yet landed, instantly recognized the slightly angry voice from the west as belonging to Fang Bo Chu Longteng.