Chapter 603: Pacifying Sibao County (Myself) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang's plan to mobilize 20,000 troops to deal with Qiu Wenyan was something Qiu Cheng never expected, and even Shen Tang's own civil and military officials were surprised. After all, this move was far too risky, and not everyone enjoys the thrill of walking a tightrope high in the air.
Jiang Sheng: "...Please think it over carefully before you act, my lord."
I'd like to add a silent complaint: Kangxi corrupted our lord.
At such a young age, what's wrong with liking gambling?
Shen Tang said innocently, "I've thought it over."
This was her decision after "thinking it over" thrice.
Jiang Sheng could only patiently analyze the pros and cons for Shen Tang—family members understand their own affairs, and their foundation is not as weak as outsiders think. It would be very difficult for more than 10,000 troops to swallow up the entire Sibao County, but it would not be difficult to nibble away at half of it over several months.
As the defender of the city, Qiu Cheng has a certain advantage. He can plan slowly and deliberately, and does not necessarily have to be aggressive.
Furthermore—
If Qiu Cheng were to be captured too easily, it would expose our own strength, attract unnecessary covetousness and vigilance, and prematurely create enemies, which would be detrimental to future expansion. It would be better to delay the war and mislead the outside world, which would also be a wise way to protect ourselves.
Shen Tang also seriously considered Jiang Sheng's proposal.
But in the end, I still wanted to stick to the original plan.
She had her own reasons.
"...Under any other circumstances, I would definitely have taken Xian Deng's suggestion. Making a fortune in silence is the most suitable thing for me. But the situation is different now. Zheng Qiao is in imminent danger. The Dragon Slaying Game seems to be at a stalemate, but in fact, it has reached the most critical moment to decide the outcome. If we don't get in now, we may not even get a sip of soup. Once Huang Lie and the others have finished dividing up the spoils, the butcher's knife will immediately turn around."
Shen Tang might become a fat sheep.
Either brazenly join early on.
Either seize the opportunity to expand outwards.
Shen Tang didn't need to hesitate much.
What choices should adults make?
Naturally, we want both.
The only difference is the order of the steps.
Jiang Sheng pondered for a few breaths: "Two years ago, everyone said he wouldn't live long, but he has harmed all sides and is still alive. I have carefully studied this man and found that although he is violent, he is extremely good at manipulating people's hearts. He is not greedy for gold, silver, treasures, luxury cars, beautiful women, fame and fortune, but he is also willing to share his meat to raise a group of jackals and tigers that come for the smell of meat... Even a centipede dies but does not fall down."
Shen Tang and Zheng Qiao are both students who excel in some subjects but are weak in others.
The former is more scholarly than martial, while the latter is more martial than scholarly.
He has a lot of henchmen whom he keeps with a lot of money, and he firmly controls military power, which protects his head.
Although Huang Lie possesses the ability to raise puppets on a large scale, the powerful force of these puppets comes at the cost of countless lives and resources. It's hard to say whether Huang Lie's side will crumble first, or whether Zheng Qiao will be devoured by the wolves and tigers he has personally raised.
"As long as Zheng Qiao keeps Huang Lie and other ambitious forces at bay, we can still focus on our own development in peace..."
Shen Tang looked at the scenery outside the window.
I just remarked, "It's too small."
Jiang Sheng asked in surprise, "Too small?"
Shen Tang: "Longwu County is too small."
The decision to send troops against Qiu Cheng wasn't simply because Nanyu County had been plundered. She pitied the common people within her borders and felt the pain of hard-won grain, but these two points alone weren't enough to make her so resolute in sending troops. How many people actually died in the Nanyu County attack?
Once the two sides go to war, the casualties will be ten or even dozens of times greater than that of the former, and in some cases, hundreds of times greater.
At that time—
How many ordinary people have lost their blood relatives?
How many families have lost their breadwinner?
The grudge in Nanyu County is not something that cannot be tolerated.
The real reason was that she had no choice but to take military action!
She circled the map of Longwu County with her finger. Her young face, usually so playful and carefree, now wore a deep and composed expression, her eyes dark and unfathomable.
"For the past two years, we have been working hard to take in refugees from all over the country. If we want refugees to truly settle down, we need to give them land to cultivate, provide them with food and clothing, and make them feel at ease. Only then will they feel close to this land, be grateful to the government, and respect me. However, Longwu County is too small and has limited land. The number of refugees is still increasing, but the amount of arable land is not increasing."
"First, this is dangerous."
"This is the beginning of turmoil!"
“I have never believed in the so-called ‘simple folk customs.’ When you feed them, they are kind and friendly to everyone. But try letting them go hungry? Ha, anyone would kill someone for a bite of food! They would also raise hoes and sickles at me! But if we don’t take in refugees, how can we recruit more soldiers and produce more food? There is only one answer.”
Shen Tang gave a cold, mocking laugh.
"We need our neighbor's land."
Her tone was light, yet tinged with cruelty.
"Anyway, Qiu Wenyan can't manage it well, can he?"
"This is similar to how the best way to resolve internal conflicts is to wage war against external forces, which can shift or alleviate the conflict."
"My reputation didn't actually start in Heyin County, but rather in Sibao County. I don't know how many commoners in Sibao County remember me, but I did work hard for them. Winning their hearts and minds was relatively easy."
She wants to go to war.
Then Qiu Cheng handed over a pillow.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Sheng was convinced that his lord had truly given this matter considerable thought. He also understood that supporting 25,000 garrison troops and 20,000 border guards in the small Longwu County would have been an impossible task without Shen Tang's painstaking efforts. The pressure was immense, and he needed an outlet.
Looking at it this way—
Qiu Cheng is indeed very considerate.
Jiang Sheng bowed deeply and said solemnly, "Since my lord has made his decision and is so shrewd, I, Sheng, will do my best to follow him."
Shen Tang suddenly broke into a smile, his previous deep and scheming demeanor vanishing, and even his tone became light and cheerful: "I suddenly remembered—Xian Deng, we sent out 20,000 people in one go this time. Anyone would think we have no one left at home, right? If Qiu Wenyan or the people he recruits want to use a 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' or 'draw the firewood from under the cauldron' strategy... then things will get interesting, and there will be no shortage of excitement."
Jiang Sheng: "..."
He thought about that scene.
It was indeed quite lively.
No one could have imagined that Shen Tang would set his sights on the border garrison; not only did he dare to think it, he actually did it...
After Shen Tang and Jiang Sheng finished their discussion, the government office held another small meeting, the main purpose of which was to confirm the list of personnel to be deployed.
According to her plan, young people like Tu Rong, Lin Feng, and Lu Ji should go out and broaden their horizons and gain experience.
Only when they have truly established themselves can Bai Su and other female warriors/scholars appear fearlessly.
Before that, focus on your development.
As for the battle plan—
Should we divide our forces or launch a combined attack?
Chu Yao and the others were surprisingly in agreement.
"Combined attack!"
Qi Shan glanced at her cousin, Yuan Zhong, and said, "Why don't we have Ji Shou lead a thousand men to harass their spies and scouts, and then gather the rest of the troops? Taking over the neighboring Linshan County shouldn't be a problem."
Kang Shi pointed to himself: "Why?"
His tone was resistant.
Under the lord's command, he was the only reliable scholar. The main force of the battle did not include him, and they planned to release all the brave warriors.
(ω)
Kang Shi thought:
Going into battle without him is like playing a game without a healer.
He was the family's only hope.
In fact:
Kang Shi, that gambler, is more unreliable than anyone else when he goes crazy.
(End of this chapter)
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