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“Does Your Highness intend to assassinate the Prince of Wei?”
“The Prince of Wei has many guards around him; how can assassinating him be easy?” Xiao Ming shook his head. He said, “I must also send envoys to the Prince of Yan, the Prince of Zhao, and the Prince of Liang to resolve this crisis.”
After a pause, he said, “How well do you understand the situations of the Prince of Yan, the Prince of Liang, and the Prince of Zhao now?”
Wang Xuan recalled and said, “The Prince of Wei and the Prince of Yan are old enemies. There have been frictions on the Wei-Yan border more than once, and both sides have suffered casualties among their soldiers. As for the Prince of Yan, he has been very low-key since the chaos in Chang’an. He neither supported a prince like the King of Chu nor openly accused the Prince of Zhao of rebellion. However, according to the information I have received, the local craftsmen in Bozhou have been stepping up the forging of weapons during this period, which shows that the Prince of Yan also has his own ideas now.”
“The Prince of Yan has always been good at enduring. He neither declares independence nor has any conflict with the Prince of Zhao. This clearly shows he’s preparing to be an opportunist,” Xiao Ming frowned.
Wang Xuan continued, “As for the Prince of Zhao, he is currently waging war against the King of Shu. However, Shu is mountainous and easy to defend but difficult to attack. So far, the Prince of Zhao and the King of Shu are merely fighting to a draw. And the Prince of Liang and the Prince of Zhao are equally ambitious and ruthless; both acknowledge thieves as their fathers. However, under the mediation of the barbarians, the Prince of Liang and the Prince of Zhao now seem to be avoiding conflict. But according to the information I have received, the Prince of Liang seems to have intentions of using troops against Your Highness.”
“The Prince of Liang regards the Second Prince as his own son. I had the Second Prince demoted to a commoner, so he naturally holds a grudge. However, if he wants to attack me, he must first get past the Prince of Yong. For now, he is not to be feared. However, he is the most likely to ally with the Prince of Wei.” Xiao Ming said.
Wang Xuan nodded. “As for the barbarians, they now largely resemble opportunists reaping benefits. The Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Liang have been conquering cities and seizing land during this period. The cities in Guanzhong have basically been occupied by the two, and half of their spoils of war have been handed over to the barbarians. If this continues, the barbarians might soon recover their strength.”
This news also worried Xiao Ming. In the Battle of Jizhou, Beishan was demoted, and the Blood Wolf Tribe was much weaker than before. Moreover, in the past two winters, many barbarian cattle and sheep starved to death, and food was scarce. Now, the Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Liang nourishing the barbarians with the wealth of Great Yu Empire was tantamount to feeding a tiger with one’s own body. Once this tiger was full, rested, and gained enough strength, that would be the time for it to extend its claws.
Although he was worried, he could not stop it at this moment. The only way was to strengthen his own power and unify the North as soon as possible. Before that, he had to stably annex Wei’s territory without being besieged.
Thinking of this, he said to Wang Xuan, “Now, quickly call Zhan Xingchang and Pang Yukun. I need to discuss this matter with them.”
Wang Xuan responded with a “yes” and turned to leave.
Half an hour later, Pang Yukun and Zhan Xingchang appeared at the royal residence.
After he relayed the intelligence Wang Xuan had obtained, the two were also greatly alarmed.
Pang Yukun said, “Your Highness, the Prince of Wei’s scheme absolutely cannot succeed, otherwise the fief’s situation will become extremely difficult.”
“Your Highness, since the Prince of Wei can send envoys to form an alliance and attack us, we can also send envoys to dismantle their alliance. Please entrust this matter to me, and I will surely not disappoint Your Highness.” Zhan Xingchang said loudly.
Xiao Ming looked at Zhan Xingchang. He said, “I know you are resourceful, but without immense benefits, it will be difficult to thwart the Prince of Wei’s scheme. After all, whether it’s the Prince of Zhao, the Prince of Liang, or the Prince of Yan, they all see me as a thorn in their side. Previously, the Prince of Zhao hesitated because the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Yong were both my shields. Now that one arm has been severed, it’s hard to guarantee he won’t be tempted.”
“Your Highness is right. However, the Prince of Zhao wants to obtain the Bashu region and has already mobilized one hundred thousand troops to deploy along the border. It will be difficult for him to disengage quickly to deal with us. This time, Zhan Xingchang can openly mention Your Highness’s alliance with the King of Chu. If the Prince of Zhao allies with the Prince of Wei, we will sell firearms and cannons to the King of Shu. At that time, he will surely find it difficult to take the Shu region.”
“Hmm, that’s a plan, but what if the Prince of Zhao is determined to be my enemy?” Xiao Ming asked.
“Your Highness, the King of Shu recognizes the Third Prince as his sovereign, and will undoubtedly obey the Third Prince’s command. If the Prince of Zhao attacks, we can use firearms and cannons as bait to have the King of Chu instruct the King of Shu to deploy troops along the border. If the Prince of Zhao attacks then, his rear will surely be vulnerable. With the Prince of Zhao’s character, how could he abandon Chang’an at that point?” Zhan Xingchang mused.
“In that case, you might be able to persuade the Prince of Zhao. Now there are only the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Liang left. There’s no need to go to the Prince of Liang; he will definitely collude with the Prince of Wei. Now the most important one is the Prince of Yan.” Xiao Ming said.
Pang Yukun smiled faintly, “Your Highness, the conflict between the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Yan is ultimately just about the fief’s land. The most concentrated area of conflict is Shouzhou. Since the Prince of Wei can persuade the Prince of Yan to attack us, we can also persuade the Prince of Yan to attack Wei with us. However, Your Highness only needs to promise to give Shouzhou and its surrounding prefectures and counties to the Prince of Yan.”
Zhan Xingchang echoed, “Chief Grand Councillor Pang is absolutely right. Shouzhou is rich, and it is also the ancestral home of the Prince of Yan. The Prince of Yan has always harbored a longing for Shouzhou. If we promise Shouzhou to the Prince of Yan, he will certainly consider it. If he still remains obstinate, there is still a way. I can say that whether we are at war or peace with the Prince of Wei is entirely at Your Highness’s discretion. At worst, we can truce with the Prince of Wei and jointly attack Yan. Wei and Yan are already suspicious of each other, and at that time, the alliance will naturally not be achieved.”
As the saying goes, “three humble cobblers make a Zhuge Liang.” Xiao Ming’s purpose in calling Zhan Xingchang and Pang Yukun this time was precisely this. He said, “Since that is the case, you will depart for Yan’s territory tomorrow, and then proceed to Zhao’s territory.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Zhan Xingchang said.
Pang Yukun stroked his beard with satisfaction. He said, “A great man can bend and extend. Your Highness now understands better than before how to sacrifice immediate small gains for greater benefits.”
“Chief Grand Councillor Pang, do not mock me. In fact, I am merely helpless. If I could single-handedly resist the four kings, why would I need these overt and covert schemes? The current situation of Great Yu Empire is no different from the Warring States period, and we are akin to the rising Qin Dynasty. None of the other vassal kings are our match. At this time, they will surely be afraid of us. However, the advantage of a great power over a small power lies in its ability to deftly manage their relations. Whether to attack or reconcile is within our grasp.” Xiao ming said
Pang Yukun nodded, “Your Highness is absolutely right. However, since the Prince of Wei has harmed Your Highness in such a way, he certainly cannot be allowed to be comfortable. I believe we should teach the Prince of Wei another lesson.”
“This matter has already been entrusted to Yue Yun. Tongzhou is only a hundred li from Jinling City, and one can directly reach Jinling City along the Yangtze River. This time, I will make him unable to advance or retreat.”