Chapter 448: Chapter 229: Sowing Discord and Plotting
Translator: 549690339
Regarding the second Wuan Marquis, everyone trusted Lu Yuan’s strength in view of his continuous series of achievements.
In particular, Lu Yuan had previously rushed hundreds of miles in Dongting Prefecture and managed to defeat 100,000 Miao People in the Southern three states. Now with this brilliant victory of rushing hundreds of miles and besieging Xiangyang City, he killed two Inborn Grandmasters.
With these precedents, everyone was positively optimistic about whether Lu Yuan could accomplish this strategy and successfully capture Xichuan Prefecture.
However, despite this, it involved a rush of thousands of miles, passing through Xiangyang, Hanzhong, and Xichuan. Moreover, the month-long journey had too many dangers and uncertainties that could not be ignored.
Therefore, although everyone unanimously believed that King of Changsha should be the one to take the task, they were unsure whether he would be willing to do it.
Meeting the gaze of the crowd, Lu Yuan contemplated for a moment and then said, “This plan is indeed brilliant. However, going from Xiang to Hanzhong, and then from Hanzhong to Wushan, traversing mountains and ridges and crossing rivers and bridges, the journey is probably close to two thousand miles.
Such a lengthy raid is risky;
If I am not careful, it could lead to the destruction of the mighty army and even death on the battlefield.
The risk and cost are too great.”
Lu Yuan looked at the crowd with a calm expression, telling them the real difficulties of this plan.
Understanding his meaning, Bai Mengyang, who had experienced it last time, immediately spoke up and said, “The journey ahead of King Changsha is indeed dangerous and strenuous. The Northern Expedition is an affair of our Four Nations, and it is somewhat unreasonable to let King Changsha take the risk alone.
However, considering the united army, the only suitable candidate for this mission is none other than King Changsha.
This journey is crucial for the success or failure of the Northern Expedition and cannot be skipped.
In that case, King Changsha can put forward some demands. As long as they are not too difficult, our United Army and Four Nations will do our best to meet them.
Would these conditions be enough for King Changsha to send troops?”
Upon hearing this, Yan Wangqiu quickly agreed and said, “Indeed, King Changsha can put forward any requirements, and as long as we can accomplish them, we will not shirk.”
Su Xuange also said, “I, too, agree.”
With the three of them speaking, it basically represented the attitudes of Yue, Ninghai, and Southsea Nations.
If they made a request at this time, as long as the three of them discussed it, the matter would be resolved.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan was finally satisfied and said, “I am not opposed to leading the troops to attack, but there is one condition: after this raid, if we can reclaim Xichuan Prefecture, then I want Yuzhong, Linjiang, and Wushan Prefectures.
If you grant me these three prefectures, I will carry out this raid.”
He looked at Bai Mengyang and stated his conditions.
His desire for Yuzhong, Linjiang, and Wushan Prefectures was mainly due to their strategic locations.
Xichuan Prefecture was located to the west of Dongting Prefecture. If the court or Ji Hui and Qiao Kangquan, who were loyal to the court, controlled it, there would be a threat from two Inborn Grandmasters on the west side of the Changsha state.
If these two raised troops to attack from the west, and the court attacked from the east and north (with control over Xiangyang Prefecture and Yuzhang Prefecture), then Lu Yuan would quickly find himself in a besieged situation.
Therefore, if he could capture the eastern three prefectures of Xichuan Prefecture, he could build a defensive line there and establish a western barrier to cut off the threat from Xichuan Prefecture.
Especially since Xichuan Prefecture was a basin with many mountains and rugged roads, there were numerous dangerous passes where one man could hold off ten thousand enemies.
Among these, the most difficult were Yuzhong, Linjiang, and Wushan Prefectures. In Linjiang and Wushan Prefectures, there were two strong passways of Yufu and Wushan. Yuzhong Prefecture was a mountain city with a river around it, and the mountains and rivers served as natural defenses.
If he could occupy these three prefectures, then he would only need to station 30,000 troops and one Inborn Grandmaster in Yuzhong Prefecture to withstand any attacks from the two nations of Xichuan.
In this way, the threat to the west of Changsha State would naturally be eliminated.
Lu Yuan could then concentrate his efforts on dealing with the threat from Yue Country.
While the plan was good for Changsha State, it was not that great for Yue State court, which aimed to pacify the Three Nations and restore the prosperity of the past.
Therefore, Lu Yuan was unsure whether Bai Mengyang would agree to these conditions.
He only mentioned it to test the waters.
If Bai Mengyang agreed, they would be overjoyed, and Lu Yuan would get a great benefit. If Bai Mengyang disagreed, it wouldn’t matter. Lu Yuan was determined not to go on a thousand-mile raid anyway.
Overall, there was no loss.
However, after hearing Lu Yuan’s conditions, Bai Mengyang’s expression darkened, and his voice grew a little colder, “Is King Changsha joking? Xichuan Prefecture has already been promised to Ji Hui and Qiao Family Head by the court.
How will they be pacified if these three prefectures are taken away?
They have also contributed greatly to the court this time, so surely one cannot simply take away the territories promised to them by King Changsha’s request alone?”
Not to mention Xichuan Prefecture, this matter concerns the court’s future strategy to pacify Changsha State.
Taking away the three prefectures today would leave the court unable to explain itself to White Phoenix Temple and Guanhai Villa.
Although the power of these two sects was relatively weaker compared to other sects in Jianghu, they had always been on good terms with the court.