Before long, rumors began to spread in the Wei State that someone had obtained huge wealth in the Wa State, and such news quickly spread in the Kaifeng City.
This news was like a bombshell, causing a huge shock in every corner of Wei State. Many forces began to send their trusted aides and subordinates to secretly go to Wa State to try to find out the truth behind these rumors.
Meanwhile, considerable unrest was brewing within the Wei court. Ministers began to grow restless. After all, faced with the allure of immense wealth, few could remain unmoved. Many submitted memorials to the Imperial Administration Office, strongly urging Wei to take appropriate action against Wa.
They had obtained accurate information about Wa's wealth from other countries through various channels, and they firmly believed that this information was true. If Wei did not take action, it would inevitably miss the opportunity and cause Wa's wealth to fall into the hands of other countries, which would be more trouble than gain.
For the State of Wei, if they could successfully acquire these riches, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance the country's overall strength. And as the court ministers of the State of Wei, they would naturally also gain huge benefits from it.
Especially those officials without strong family support knew that their family power was insufficient to independently pursue wealth in Wa. Therefore, they relied more heavily on the powerful state apparatus of Wei to achieve their goals. They saw this not only as an opportunity to enhance their personal status and wealth, but also as a crucial measure to secure long-term benefits for the country.
However, these family forces and court ministers in Wei State did not know that the news that Japan had a lot of wealth was deliberately leaked by the Wei Emperor Chu Fan at the request of Empress Canglan. Chu Fan had already anticipated the reactions of these ministers of Wei State, and he wanted to take this opportunity to let these family forces and court ministers take the initiative to ask for orders to send troops to Japan.
After all, if Chu Fan himself claimed that there was abundant wealth hidden in Wa, this would undoubtedly arouse suspicion and resistance from the powerful aristocratic families in Wei.
They might think that Chu Fan's words were nothing but lies, just to find an excuse to attack Japan. In their hearts, they might even speculate what kind of ulterior motives Chu Fan had that made him so eager to invade Japan.
However, if Chu Fan spread the news through external channels and let these aristocratic families obtain such intelligence through their own intelligence networks, then they would be more confident that the intelligence they obtained was reliable and accurate. In this way, they might take the initiative to make requests and be willing to participate, thus greatly reducing their doubts and distrust of Chu Fan's true intentions.
After all, there are many people who are like this. If you tell them the truth directly, they will not believe it, but they will believe the news found out by people arranged by their family outside.
When the court ministers once again gathered at the Royal Government Affairs Office, Chu Anping smiled slightly at the ministers who came to request to send troops to Japan to obtain wealth, and said softly:
"My Lords, please be patient. Sending troops to a nation is no small matter, and our Imperial Office is not fully equipped to handle it. This matter must be reported to His Majesty for his decision. However, I understand your intentions. When His Majesty makes his decision, he will weigh the pros and cons to ensure the greatest benefit for the State of Wei."
In fact, Chu Anping was one of the few people in Wei who knew Chu Fan’s plan, and now the eagerness of these court ministers to ask for war was exactly what Chu Fan wanted.
After Chu Anping appeased these ministers, he went to the palace to report to Chu Fan about the ministers' request for war. Chu Anping knew that the plan to destroy the Japanese Kingdom could proceed to the next step. He knew that now was the time for His Majesty to complete the final layout for this matter.
Chu Anping came to the palace and bowed respectfully to Chu Fan, whispering, "Your Majesty, the aristocratic families and court officials of Wei have received intelligence that Japan has a large amount of wealth. They have all requested to send troops to Japan, hoping that Wei can also get a share of the wealth."
Chu Fan was still playing mahjong with Mu Xi and others in the Imperial Garden at this time. However, it was daytime and Chu Fan and Mu Xi and others were not punished for losing. When they heard Chu Anping's report, a gleam of light flashed in their eyes, the corners of their mouths rose slightly, and they responded softly:
"Now is not the time to attack Japan. Go find a few Japanese and, by any means necessary, make them pretend in Kaifeng that Japan is being oppressed by other countries that are frantically plundering its wealth.
Then let them spread the news throughout Kaifeng City, saying that the Japanese people are now living in dire straits and urgently need a strong country to rescue them.
This will not only make those forces within Wei more convinced of the authenticity of Wa's wealth, but will also inspire the sympathy and support of the people, providing moral legitimacy for sending troops. By then, with the combined efforts of both inside and outside, Wei's military deployment will be a natural outcome."
Chu Anping had never expected His Majesty to come up with such a brilliant plan, and he couldn't help but admire it. He replied respectfully, "Your Majesty is truly a mastermind. I will immediately implement it. Once the news spreads, it will surely arouse public enthusiasm. Then, sending troops will be justified, and Japan's wealth will be easily within our grasp."
Chu Fan said, "Sixth Master, tell the court ministers that I will hold a morning court session in two days and personally summon them to discuss this matter. Let them do their jobs well, and I will make the appropriate arrangements."
Chu Anping took the order and withdrew, while Chu Fan continued to fight with Mu Xi and others on the mahjong table. Liu Ruyan watched Chu Fan handle the affairs of the court so casually, and couldn't help but secretly sigh that Chu Fan's mind and means were really unfathomable.
After returning to the Royal Government Affairs Office, Chu Anping informed the court ministers who were waiting there that Chu Fan would convene a court meeting in two days. After receiving this news, these ministers also knew that His Majesty had his own plans, so they stopped talking and returned to their respective departments to begin preparing for related matters to ensure that their families or their court departments could obtain the greatest benefits from this matter.
That same evening, amidst the festive atmosphere of Kaifeng, the impending wedding of Chu Fan, the Wei Emperor, a group of ragged Japanese citizens, claiming to have fled from Japan, tearfully recounted the plight of their country at the hands of other powers. This drew both sympathy and indignation from the people of Wei, who urged Wei to lend a helping hand. The news quickly spread throughout the city, fueling public outrage and intensifying calls for an invasion of Japan.
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