Chapter 440: Chapter 226: Different Paths, Dead Ends_2
Translator: 549690339
Considering the miscellaneous items including food, fodder, and military equipment, the expenses would probably exceed eight million silver tales. At this thought, Su Xuange couldn’t help but feel a headache.
Although it was not impossible for the kingdom of Ninghai to raise such funds and supplies with its national strength, it was not easy.
Nowadays, he had to allocate two million silver tales and one million stones of grain to Lu Yuan every year as protection money.
At the same time, the salaries of bureaucrats at all levels, local administrative expenses, and local prefecture and county military salary would also take up to three or four million silver tales per year.
Adding up these expenses, the annual expenditure of Ninghai Country amounted to almost six million silver tales, which was already more than half of his total annual income.
Even if there was some surplus left, it would be no more than over a million silver tales. Maintaining an army of ten thousand to twenty thousand soldiers would be the limit. Where could he find the military salary for a hundred thousand troops?
‘Regrettable! Why, if my fiefdom was South Sea Prefecture, would I worry about these? A hundred thousand troops could be raised at any time.’ Su Xuange cast a surreptitious glance at Yan Wangqiu, his eyes flashing with jealousy.
The wealth of Nanhai Country, in terms of fiscal revenue and the number of registered households, was almost twice that of Ninghai Country.
It is such a waste to bestow such a rich territory to an old man on the verge of death.
If it were in his hands, he would have fortified his army, stockpiled food and fodder, and prepared for the struggle for hegemony.
How hateful, how hateful! Heaven is blind!
Su Xuange’s heart was filled with resentment at this moment.
This was not only aimed at Yan Wangqiu, who was occupying a valuable piece of land and hoarding heavenly resources.
But because he had been compromising with the court and Lu Yuan, he was forced to follow suit and pay as well, causing the already meager bottom line to be further consumed.
These grievances combined have made Su Xuange’s animosity towards Yan Wangqiu extremely deep.
In just half a year, two good friends, who were once friendly, now one of them was already secretly resenting the other.
This could not help but make people sigh. Power really drove people crazy.
This was just the rule of one prefecture. Su Xuange had already become like this. If the territory was larger, it would be hard to imagine what this person would become.
However, the thoughts of the Monarch of Ninghai were always kept deep in his heart, never revealing them, and outsiders naturally did not know this.
Yan Wangqiu, on the other hand, noticing that Su Xuange seemed to be staring at him, looked over with some puzzlement.
The latter quickly showed a smile, nodded kindly, as always.
Seeing this, perhaps it was his old age, Yan Wangqiu only thought that the other side was happy because of Lu Yuan’s achievements and did not think much of it.
He just looked at it, smiled, and nodded back, then turned his gaze to Bai Mengyang.
At this moment, Wuan Marquis, seemingly unaware of the subtle atmosphere in the tent, said resolutely, “With our army surrounding Xiangyang, Zhou people’s retreat is cut off. When the news of our victory reaches them, the bandits will surely panic.
To prevent the bandits from fleeing and attacking Changsha King in a pincer movement, I have decided that from today onwards, our army will relentlessly attack the Zhou Peoples’ camp.
This battle must not let Zhou people escape. I want to keep all eighty thousand of them in Dangyang.”
Bai Mengyang looked around at everyone, speaking decisively.
As it was a proposal for a strong attack under such favorable conditions, all present in the tent naturally agreed and nodded their approval.
After seeing the hope of a swift end to the war, Yan Wangqiu said, “I will soon reorganize the army and send troops to attack the city in order to assist Changsha King.”
Although in recent days, there have been continuous strong attacks, the one hundred thousand civilians that Nanhai Country brought along have already lost more than thirty thousand in the battle.
But for victory, Yan Wangqiu felt that his own troops could endure a bit longer and make sacrifices.
Even he, who didn’t want to come to a realization, was now watched by everyone in the camp. Su Xuange had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, “I will also count the soldiers and lead the troops to attack the city personally.”
The foundation of Ninghai Country was far weaker than that of Nanhai Country.
Thus, Yan Wangqiu could disregard the lives of his people and force those civilians to die.
But Su Xuange was not so generous. To reduce some losses, he had to lead the troops personally at this moment.
With an Inborn Grandmaster at the helm, perhaps fewer people would die, and more vitality would be retained.
“Excellent! With the assistance of the two great kings, the Zhou people will have nowhere to escape!”
Bai Mengyang looked at their morale and was very pleased. He praised the two monarchs generously.
With this, the three sides in the main camp of Dangyang reached a consensus.
On the following day, under the initiative of Yan Wangqiu, the troops of Nanhai Ninghai quickly reorganized fifty thousand soldiers.
Then, under the supervision of the two monarchs, these troops, with gritted teeth, once again stormed the heavily guarded Dangyang City Camp, stepping onto the road of death.
A bloody and brutal offensive and defensive battle began once more.
At the same time, a carefully selected messenger left the United Army main camp, heading north.
He would pass through Jingmen Prefecture and head to the northern Xiangyang Prefecture to deliver Bai Mengyang’s Military Order to Lu Yuan, who was besieging a city.
At the same time, when the United Army on this side was launching a large-scale operation again.
Inside Dangyang City, a gloomy atmosphere slowly spread among the Zhou people.
“Report, Grand General! The Yue people have dispatched a large army and have launched a strong attack outside the city again.” The messenger from the city hurriedly entered and saw the two great generals in the Government Office, promptly reporting the urgent military situation outside.
However, after saying that, the messenger waited left and right, but no orders came from the two great generals.