knife

Chapter 142 The Best Opportunity
Qingtongxia is not actually a canyon; it's just a name.

In fact, it was a city, a fortress, and a military camp.

Together with the Wild Boar Ridge Fortress, it stood in opposition to the Qin Dynasty, one in the east and one in the west.

Across from Qingtongxia lies Yuan'an City.

The distance between the two is about fifty li.

Because of Xiao Changche's strength, the Tiele placed their central army headquarters at Qingtongxia, where they stationed 20,000 infantry and cavalry, while they stationed 10,000 infantry and cavalry at Yezhuling, with the two forces supporting each other.

Compared to Wild Boar Ridge, Qingtongxia is naturally much more prosperous.

Border regions are never safe places.

The Northern Yuan cavalry often raided the Qin territory, and Xiao Changche's men were not to be outdone, often venturing deep into Northern Yuan territory to raid.

Compared to the Northern Yuan people, the Xiao tribe was even more vicious and ruthless.

Because the border troops of the Northern Yuan were well-paid and had sufficient salaries, they lacked the courage to risk their lives to rob.

As for Xiao Changche, he was dirt poor; sometimes, if he didn't rob, his men would go hungry.

Xiao Changche had always encouraged the raids on the Northern Yuan people.
Those who grab the most and the best deals may not have much hope of getting rich, but they are guaranteed a promotion.

Moreover, the more you grab, the more you get.

With so much looting, the Northern Yuan people on the border naturally moved towards places where large armies gathered, and places like Qingtongxia gradually formed market towns, and then small cities.

Under the careful management of the Tiele, an agricultural area similar to that of the Qin Dynasty was formed around Qingtongxia.

Large numbers of Northern Yuan people settled in the surrounding area, cultivated the land, and made a living by farming.

Today, the cultivated land around Qingtongxia has reached more than 100,000 mu. If the yield per mu is calculated to be 200 to 300 jin, the annual grain income is about 200,000 shi.

Even disregarding the needs of the common people, the grain that the Tiele people collected from the local area each year was enough to feed their 20,000-strong army for several months.

In the past two years, while the main force of the Northern Yuan was heading north to deal with the swarms of Northern and Western Hu, and a large amount of military supplies began to be diverted to the north, the southern border was not greatly affected and could still hold on.

This is also one of the important reasons why the Tiele had a great reputation within the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

It's important to understand that when the Tiele began doing these things, they faced considerable resistance. Many elders of the Northern Yuan believed that the Tiele had abandoned their Northern Yuan traditions and was increasingly aligning themselves with the Qin state. Coupled with the influence of Tiele's mother, the Tiele faced immense pressure.

It wasn't until the outbreak of the Northern War, which lasted for several years, that the Tiele's management finally showed great results, silencing many people.

These achievements are also the reason why the Tiele people were able to surpass the eldest prince Jebe and the third prince Akdun as the most popular successor in the country.

An unexpected event in winter complicated everything once again.

The Tiele have returned to Yandu to recuperate from their injuries, but the selection of a new border commander has become a long and difficult process.

The current situation of the Beiting Protectorate is clear to everyone.

The split between Linghu Ye and Xiao Changche gave Bei Yuan the best opportunity.

With the foundation laid by the Tiele over the years, coupled with the internal problems within the Qin army, it is possible to achieve victories in the upcoming confrontations, and even defeat the Qin army and occupy the area outside the pass.

Once this goal is achieved, the struggle for the next generation of successors in the Northern Yuan will likely come to an end.

Tiele, having been seriously injured, was effectively out of the running, but the debate over whether Akdun or Jebe should win was raging in Yandu. The two factions were evenly matched, and for a time, no clear victor could be determined. Meanwhile, Yingzhuo, due to his advanced age and two years of commanding campaigns in the north, suffered a relapse of his old injuries and was exhausted, unable to stop his sons' struggle. The matter had become a protracted affair.

For Tiele, this situation is undoubtedly the best.

As long as the eldest and third brothers remain locked in a stalemate, neither can gain the upper hand. If this drags on for a year or two, and his injuries are fully healed, he can return to the battlefield.

Of course, what's good for the Tiele is bad for others, so a solution was found. Since a commander-in-chief couldn't be appointed, a temporary person in charge was chosen to temporarily oversee border affairs.

To everyone's surprise, this person was not Lengge, who had always assisted Tiele, but Shalevin, who had always been in charge of logistics.

Previously, commanding troops and fighting was the responsibility of the Tiele, but logistical support was within Akdun's sphere of influence. Therefore, this Shaliewen was Akdun's trusted confidant placed in Qingtongxia.

The reason why Shalevin won so easily was largely because Tiele did not do much to win over his confidant Lenge, and because the eldest prince Jebe had been fighting in the north, he did not have a strong enough base in the south, so he was naturally less competitive in this appointment.

Many people also realized from this incident that Tiele's injuries were indeed very serious, and he seemed quite disheartened.

With his thin frame and pale face, Li Guohua truly appeared very frail in front of Sha Liewen.

Standing nine feet tall with a four-foot waist, Sha Liewen looked like a mountain of flesh when he sat there. If someone stood behind Sha Liewen, they wouldn't be able to see Li Guohua at all.

"Now is the best opportunity!" Li Guohua's words were full of temptation. Shaliewen felt that every word that came out of this short man's mouth was like a beautiful woman enticing him to make a quick decision.

"What does the Third Prince lack most right now? Military merit!" Li Guohua said, "Having been stationed in Yandu for many years and controlling the entire empire's finances, the Third Prince has used his financial power to win over countless nobles and court officials. However, the Great Yuan is still a country where military merit is paramount. Therefore, if the Third Prince wants to successfully ascend to the top, military merit is an unavoidable factor. In this respect, the Third Prince is far inferior to Jebe and Tiele. Astu, who supported him, was defeated by Xiao Changche in one battle and became a laughing stock of the whole world. He's not very useful now, is he?"

Slice off a piece of golden-brown roasted mutton from the large plate in front of him and placed it on the small plate in front of Li Guohua. Sha Liewen nodded and said, "We all know that. The Third Prince went to great lengths to make me the temporary commander-in-chief, and that's exactly why. But I know that Xiao Changche is not easy to deal with at all! He's a vicious wolf that eats people without spitting out the bones!"

He chewed on a piece of mutton with gusto, then spat out a mutton bone with a "plop," and laughed loudly, "If I had to choose, I'd rather choose to beat you all up!"

Li Guohua sneered, "Is that really what you think? Commander Linghu has 100,000 troops, ready for battle. Sha Liewen, you should know that the reason you've remained so calm these past two years isn't because we really can't do anything to you, but simply because our ambitions lie elsewhere, and we're too lazy to fight to the death with you. Just think about it, Xiao Changche's few thousand troops are enough to keep you on your toes. What would be the effect if you mobilized all 100,000 troops?"

Shaliewen said, "I know that your Commander Linghu wants to rebel and become emperor, so he wants to preserve his strength to invade the interior and doesn't want to fight us to the death, hahaha."

“Xiao Changche is now blocking our commander’s way!” Li Guohua made no attempt to hide his intentions. “All obstacles in the way should be smashed. Sha Liewen, you will have no worries about your troops’ departure to Yuan’an. In fact, we have even prepared some other things for you.”

"We will definitely have to take action, but General Li is also aware that Lengge does not agree with this war, so the number of troops I can mobilize is limited. Even with the Third Prince's strong support and the reinforcements he has brought, I still feel it is not enough. So, will Commander Linghu be able to help me in this regard? It would be good if he could tie down some of Xiao Changche's troops. Of course, it would be even better if he could send troops to fight alongside me."

Li Guohua said calmly, "We used to have some dealings with Prince Tiele, but now that Prince Tiele has withdrawn from this competition, our dealings partners will naturally change. But whether it's the Third Prince or the First Prince, it all depends on who is the master of Qingtongxia."

Shalievin nodded.

He understood what Li Guohua meant.

Linghu Ye wants to enter the pass, and whoever becomes the master of Qingtongxia, he will give the entire area outside the pass to them. It could be the Second Prince, or even the Third Prince.

“We can take some actions, and how the other side judges it is their business, but it’s impossible for us to send troops directly!” Li Guohua said.

Shalievin cursed inwardly, "Isn't this just wanting to be a prostitute and also wanting to have a virtuous image?"

The other side had him figured out and knew that this battle was inevitable. The Third Prince hoped to use a victory to save face, and as the Third Prince's trusted subordinate, he naturally had an inescapable responsibility.

"Now is the best opportunity!" Li Guohua said, "Xiao Changche's main force is still in Baoping Prefecture. One part is continuing to wipe out the remnants of the Yan clan, and the other part is reorganizing. Yuan'an is only guarded by three thousand infantrymen who are half soldiers and half farmers. Taking Yuan'an will be a piece of cake! Once Xiao Changche has finished reorganizing and stationed a large force in Yuan'an, you, the Third Prince, will not even have this opportunity. Of course, you will not get any credit either. I don't think you want to be in charge of logistics forever!"

Shalievin grinned, said nothing, but cut off a large piece of mutton and chewed it vigorously.

When Li Guohua walked out of Qingtongxia, it was already completely dark. Looking back at the scattered lights on the city wall, Li Guohua smiled coldly.

For Commander Linghu, the important thing in this war was not who won or lost.
The more you fight, the better.

In this way, Commander Linghu has even more leverage to negotiate with you.

Whether it's the Northern Yuan being weakened or Xiao Changche being weakened, it's a cause for celebration for our side.

The Black Domain has been cultivating a large number of people for many years, and their next target is quite clear.

The State of Aquarius is indeed very wealthy, so let this wealthy place be left in ruins!
With a flick of his wrist, Li Guohua lashed the horse's rump with his whip, and the warhorse galloped off with a neigh, disappearing into the darkness.

(End of this chapter)