NCCnovel 110th Eastern Palace
110th Eastern Palace
Shen Qing drew a line from the Di Kingdom through the Northern Desert to the Jing Kingdom. "Back then, the Northern Di invaded the south and established a regime. Later, it split into the Northern Desert and the Di Kingdom. It's hard to guarantee that they won't cooperate again now. The Jing Kingdom is guilty of possessing a treasure, and it is in an awkward situation of being surrounded by six countries. It also needs a breakthrough."
The current Crown Prince Zhao Zheng of Jingguo is an ambitious man who will never allow himself to remain in a passive position at the mercy of others. He has every reason to cooperate with other countries.
The second route takes Shen Qing from Jingguo through Qiguo to Anguo. "The situation in Qiguo is complicated now. Although the Qi Emperor and Crown Prince are close to Xuanguo, they still married Princess Fukang to form an alliance with Jingguo. Qiguo has been suffering from frequent natural disasters recently and is unable to launch any external attacks. Moreover, it needs Jingguo's grain and supplies to support disaster relief."
In other words, Emperor Qi would not launch a military campaign against Xuan Palace, but since he had received a bribe, he could turn a blind eye and allow Jing Kingdom to pass through, thus providing some convenience.
In an era of warring states, there are no permanent enemies or allies, only permanent interests.
The third line, which Shen Qing drew as a semicircle, allowed the Di Kingdom to travel overland around the northern border of the Xuan Kingdom to reach the sea, and then take a boat around the Xuan Kingdom's coastline to land in the An Kingdom.
"It certainly seems like a lot of trouble. The three countries are far apart, but they are also the best partners. By forming alliances and attacking nearby states, they can divide up Xuan's territory from three directions. The benefits are huge, and there will be no conflicts in the short term."
"It's not that I'm being paranoid, but the Di Kingdom and the Jing Kingdom are invading our borders at the same time, and they're both drawing troops from Pingshan Pass. What a coincidence!"
"The darkest place is under the lamp; the most dangerous place is the safest place, and vice versa; the safest place may be hiding the greatest danger!"
Shen Che remained silent. Although he had been cultivating his sister's perspective and vision, it seemed that he had gone a bit too far.
Lu Zhen frowned and fell into deep thought. He had never thought of this before, but now that it had been pointed out, he had no choice but to consider it.
As the saying goes, pride comes before a fall. A leader must always be vigilant and never let his guard down. The fact that he didn't think of this before wasn't because he was stupid, but because this move was too big for most people to make such a connection.
If that's the case, then this game has a profound strategy, and the player must possess extraordinary talent.
Lu Zhen looked at Shen Qing. If he had guessed correctly and was able to see through this situation, then this person was not to be underestimated.
"What is your name, young man?"
“I am Shen Qing, the third son in my family, and I do not yet have a courtesy name. If the Marshal does not mind, you may call me Sanlang.”
Lu Zhen nodded. "Whether your speculation is right or wrong, having such insight shows that you are quick-witted and resourceful."
"Marshal, you flatter me. These are just some of my humble opinions."
Shen Qing wasn't being modest; he was simply working backwards from the fact that Lu Zhen and his son were in trouble recently. Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought about it in such a complicated way.
Humility and politeness, and the fact that she was not easily arrogant or complacent, further improved Lu Zhen's impression of Shen Qing.
After another round of pointless pleasantries, Shen Che, seeing that Lu Zhen still had things to attend to, wisely got up to take his leave and left the camp with Shen Qing.
On the way, Shen Che really wanted to ask Shen Qing how she could think so far ahead, but asking would make him seem unintelligent, so he held back from asking.
Seeing that Shen Che had a cold face the whole way, Shen Qing thought that she had offended him by interrupting without respecting his age, so she obediently kept quiet.
And so, the two, lacking any tacit understanding, returned to the Yucheng Inn in an eerie silence.
After Shen Che and the others left, Lu Zhen also issued a military order to strengthen patrols and report any disturbances immediately!
Meanwhile, far away in Xuandu, in the Imperial Study of the palace, Emperor Yongxi was reviewing memorials when a young eunuch guarding the gate entered to report.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince requests an audience."
"Xuan."
"promise."
The young eunuch received the order, left the imperial study, and jogged towards the palace gate.
A moment later, Emperor Yongxi put down his pen, looked at his son who had entered the hall, and his brows relaxed. "Yan Qing, what brings you here?"
The young man in the hall wore a black satin robe with gold trim and embroidered dragons. The wide sleeves had dark cloud and silk patterns on the edges. He wore a moon-white belt and his black hair was tied up with a purple-gold crown. He exuded an air of nobility.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty," Que Jin said respectfully, before continuing, "I was somewhat worried upon seeing the military reports on troop movements today, and I have come to report this to Your Majesty."
Emperor Yongxi frowned, waiting for the next development. The Crown Prince had already begun overseeing the country and was known for his prudent and unpredictable actions. Therefore, this matter must be of great importance.
Que Jin handed over the memorial in his hand. Emperor Yongxi opened it and read the document, which stated that troops were to be transferred from Pingshan Pass to Jiayong Pass.
"What's the problem?"
“Previously, Father had already mobilized troops from Pingshan Pass to assist the General in suppressing the rebellion, and continued to withdraw troops from the garrison at Pingshan Pass. Now that Pingshan Pass is short of troops, if Anguo takes this opportunity to attack…”
“No,” Emperor Yongxi said confidently. “Pingshan Pass is strategically located and well-defended; Anguo’s military strength is nothing to fear.”
"What if there's outside help?"
"Qi Kingdom is allied with us, and besides, it is currently in turmoil at home and can hardly spare the resources to support An Kingdom."
Emperor Yongxi also fell into a misconception. After all, looking at the map, Jingguo and Diguo were too far from Anguo, with other countries in between.
Que Jin looked solemn as he walked to the diagrams hanging on the wall of the Imperial Study and began to analyze them one by one, finding that his analysis was similar to that of Shen Qing.
Emperor Yongxi pondered for a moment after hearing this. Theoretically, it made sense, but in practice, it would be too difficult. He still didn't quite believe that the three kingdoms could be so united.
"Yan Qing, what do you want to do?"
"Your subject believes that troops should be mobilized from nearby prefectures and counties to support Pingshan Pass."
"No, mobilizing troops is no child's play. How can we make a big fuss over a mere guess?"
Que Jin also knew that this matter was of great importance. Before the troops could move, supplies had to be prepared. It would be unwise to waste resources and manpower on a baseless guess.
Sigh... the national treasury isn't very wealthy. I hope I'm just overthinking it.
"Your subject takes his leave."
He knew that continuing the stalemate would not yield the desired result, so Que Jin bowed and left the Imperial Study.
Walking down the corridor with a heavy heart, I almost bumped into someone without noticing.
Que Jin then came to his senses and said apologetically, "I almost offended the Imperial Concubine. I was very rude."
Jiang Qin shook her head, "Your Highness is preoccupied with state affairs, and it was I who did not have time to step aside."
Seeing that Jiang Qin was carrying a tray with a bowl of nourishing soup on it, Que Jin understood. "Is she going to give this to Father Emperor? Then I won't disturb you any longer."
After saying his farewell, Jiang Qin stared blankly at Que Jin's departing figure.
If given a choice, who would turn down a handsome young man to pursue a decrepit old man? Back in the hunting grounds, she also targeted the Crown Prince first, but he remained unmoved and said, "The young lady is very beautiful, but unfortunately the Crown Princess has a bad temper. To avoid your tragic end, you should go somewhere else."
This change ended up affecting Emperor Yongxi. It didn't bother the Crown Princess, but it did bother the Empress. I wonder if the Crown Prince will regret it.