Chapter 709: This Man is Extremely Dangerous! |
"Hss!" Zi Ping Xu sighed, stroking his mustache. A strange glint appeared in his eyes, as if his interlocutor had reminded him of something.
Gu Wu Chun added, "I even have my doubts. Perhaps Meng Shan Min deliberately buried six hundred thousand prisoners of war to infuriate the Song Kingdom's warriors. Was it so that Shang Chao Zong could use them to eliminate his rivals? So that we would help him clear the path to the throne!"
Zi Ping Xu nodded, then shook his head, saying, "Things have reached such a pass. The Song Kingdom has suffered great losses. If our troops return empty-handed, His Majesty will have nothing to say to the people. That would be extremely awkward!"
Gu Wu Chun: "It's awkward now, but it's bearable. After all, isn't it better than putting the Song Kingdom in a desperate situation? For it is he who laughs last who laughs best! If Shang Jian Xiong's power is truly broken, then Shang Chao Zong will be able to ascend the throne. He will have a stable position, and the three sects will support him!"
"Shang Jian Xiong's people are already in a weak position, and under the pressure of the three sects, they will fall completely into Shang Chao Zong's hands. Then Shang Chao Zong will seize the moment and take power for himself! If power remains in Shang Jian Xiong's hands, and his people are in control, then it will be difficult for the three sects to exert pressure on him. They will not want internal chaos. The three sects will not accept that."
"And Meng Shan Min's people. They are currently united under Meng Shan Min's leadership. But if power is in Shang Jian Xiong's hands, they will be divided. If Shang Jian Xiong remains in power, how could he allow Shang Chao Zong to retain military authority?"
"If Shang Jian Xiong continues to hold power, the Yan Kingdom will only weaken. A weak Yan Kingdom is advantageous to our Song Kingdom! But if power is in Shang Chao Zong's hands, he will unify the kingdom. Everyone will obey him, and thus the kingdom will rapidly develop. With such a strong neighbor, our Song Kingdom will not enjoy peaceful sleep!"
"Luo Zhao is an outstanding commander, but still young. For him, battle is important, but not matters of state. Luo Zhao is good for battles, but not for matters of state. Is His Majesty like that too? It has come to this point. Even if Luo Zhao conquers the Yan Kingdom's capital, he won't destroy the kingdom itself. If we fight for too long, we will merely grant Shang Chao Zong an opportunity. Is it fitting for two kingdoms to fight impulsively?"
"Now, we must stabilize our own position. The Song Kingdom must preserve its strength and avoid descending into chaos within its own borders. If the Han Kingdom attacks the Yan Kingdom, then we can attack the Yan Kingdom once more. If Shang Jian Xiong's people remain in power, the Yan Kingdom will increasingly fall into chaos. Even if the Han Kingdom does not attack them, the Yan Kingdom will still be a tempting prize that the Song Kingdom can swallow at any moment!"
Zi Ping Xu immediately nodded, "Your counsel, Sir, is excellent! I will act as Sir has said. Only..." He leaned slightly towards Gu Wu Chun, "Cheng Shao Tong, if he begins to gather troops and attack Meng Shan Min, Meng Shan Min might strike back. And he won't let our forces return safely from the Yan Kingdom. That will be difficult!"
Gu Wu Chun waved his hand, "If General Cheng goes out to fight him, he will defeat Meng Shan Min!"
Again? Some of the words gave Zi Ping Xu a headache. He lightly tapped the teapot, "Sir, you jest? At present, the imperial court can only muster a few hundred thousand soldiers. How can they contend with two million Yan Kingdom warriors? Especially when led by Meng Shan Min. They won't even withstand a single blow! In confidence, Sir. I personally asked Cheng Shao Tong. Cheng Shao Tong himself said that in such a situation, if he went into battle, he would simply be going to his death. He doesn't consider himself Meng Shan Min's opponent. He is reluctantly going to lead the troops. After all, I forced him!"
Gu Wu Chun smiled, "That is His Majesty's wisdom. At this time, we must rely on the Chancellor's abilities!"
"Me?" Zi Ping Xu clenched his fists in surprise, "Sir must be jesting. I influence the imperial court, that much I concede. But what can I do in a war between two kingdoms? The enemy forces won't play games with us. They'll annihilate us, and it won't be pretty!"
Gu Wu Chun: "Chancellor, you are wise, and you have been in the Song Kingdom's imperial court for quite some time. How many people are under your command? You should not underestimate your influence. Who would dare show disrespect to you in court? You only need to make good use of everything. Then even countless armies can be defeated. Even if the Chancellor were to appoint his daughter as a general, she would then be able to defeat any army. At that time, the Chancellor will display his mighty power, and everyone will begin to fear him!"
"Mighty power?" Zi Ping Xu smiled bitterly.
Gu Wu Chun, ignoring his smile, continued, "Chancellor, capturing the capital is not a swift matter. You should not delay with this. It would be better to quickly go to the imperial court and recall the troops!"
Zi Ping Xu: "That is not difficult. The difficult matter is Cheng Shao Tong's. That gives me no peace."
Gu Wu Chun dipped his finger in the water again and wrote three characters on the table: "Myriad Beast Sect!"
"Myriad Beast Sect?" Zi Ping Xu furrowed his brows.
Gu Wu Chun: "The birds of the Myriad Beast Sect can be used as warriors. This should not be underestimated! If only the Myriad Beast Sect lends its assistance, then Meng Shan Min will be doomed to defeat. And General Cheng to victory!"
Zi Ping Xu said doubtfully, "I hadn't thought of that. But the Myriad Beast Sect is not on good terms with the three sects. And they do not interfere in worldly affairs. Asking them is pointless."
Gu Wu Chun waved his hand, "I beg to differ on that. But now is not the time for discussion. When the Chancellor returns, I will explain everything! The Chancellor must now hasten to the imperial court and halt our army's attack on the Yan Kingdom's capital. First, we must stabilize our position!
"Good!" Zi Ping Xu stood, "I shall go to the court, Sir. Await news from me!" Having said that, he swiftly departed for the imperial court.
Gu Wu Chun calmly watched him leave, then began to stroll leisurely through the courtyard. Eventually, he entered a garden and started to enjoy the beauty of the flowers.
More than an hour passed, and then Zi Ping Xu hastily returned. He immediately entered the garden to find Gu Wu Chun.
"Sir, His Majesty has already issued a decree. He has recalled Luo Zhao!" Zi Ping Xu said immediately upon seeing him.
Gu Wu Chun gently released the branch of a flower, looked up at the sky, and calmly said, "I hope we are not too late. Otherwise, we might inadvertently help Shang Chao Zong ascend the throne. A weak kingdom with a unified populace, from top to bottom, will be difficult to overcome. Seeing hope, the Wei and Qi Kingdoms will offer support to the Yan Kingdom, against us!"
However, Zi Ping Xu was not concerned with that for the moment. He was now worried about Cheng Shao Tong. If Cheng Shao Tong lost, it would be his loss too. So he asked, "The Myriad Beast Sect is on bad terms with the three sects. Because of their trade relations with everyone, they have not interfered in worldly affairs. Asking them is useless. How does Sir intend to persuade them?"
Gu Wu Chun lowered his hand, "That is not a problem. I am, however, worried about another person!"
"Hm?" Zi Ping Xu was surprised, "Another person? Who could cause Sir such anxiety?"
Gu Wu Chun simply said, "Niu You Dao!"
"Niu You Dao?" Zi Ping Xu froze, then recalled and said, "Is that the cultivator who is hiding in the Southern Domain?"
Gu Wu Chun nodded.
Zi Ping Xu: "This man is capable. But when two kingdoms are fighting each other, and even the three sects can do nothing, what can he do? As soon as the war began, there seemed to be no more news of him. Whether beside Shang Chao Zong or Meng Shan Min, he was not seen. The three sects of the Yan Kingdom searched for him at one point. Is Sir not overly concerned?"
Gu Wu Chun slowly said, "Overly concerned? As far as I know, Shang Chao Zong's rise is connected to him. With one foot, he kicked the Heavenly Jade Sect out of the Southern Domain, and with the other, he kicked Shao Ping Bo out of Beizhou. Yet Shao Ping Bo put so much effort into developing Beizhou. I constantly kept an eye on Shao Ping Bo, and that man is far from simple. And yet Niu You Dao so cruelly drove him out, which exceeded my expectations. This Niu You Dao holds the Southern Domain in his hands. Shang Jian Xiong, with the full might of the kingdom, could do nothing to Niu You Dao. And Niu You Dao even seized his provisions. And the three sects of the Yan Kingdom did nothing to Niu You Dao."
"This man constantly hides within the cultivation world. But every one of his appearances is connected to Shang Chao Zong. At every critical moment for Shang Chao Zong, Niu You Dao appears. And he constantly eliminates dangers for Shang Chao Zong! After the war began, this man vanished. And as I understand it, the Yan Kingdom's imperial court did nothing to Shang Chao Zong because of him. Because Niu You Dao disappeared. Does he truly pay no attention to Shang Chao Zong? The Chancellor was correct, he hides behind the people of the Southern Domain! He stands in the darkness, not in the light, like a venomous snake. And no one knows from which direction he will bite a man!"
"I worry that he will not sit idly by when Meng Shan Min is on the verge of collapse. But when he will act, and from what direction, is very difficult to predict. And will we be able to counter his attack?! Chancellor, this man is extremely dangerous!"
Zi Ping Xu thought in silence, finding Sir's words reasonable. But at this moment, one could not be preoccupied with fearing a single person.
Worry alone would not resolve matters. And Gu Wu Chun could not worry incessantly. At present, they wouldn't even be able to find Niu You Dao.
First, the matter with the Myriad Beast Sect had to be resolved. The two men conversed, and then Zi Ping Xu secretly dispatched Gu Wu Chun with his own man on a Bird King to the Myriad Beast Sect.