knife

Chapter 153 Zhang Ruo's New Mission
Hundreds of years ago, the Great Yong Dynasty collapsed, and heroes from all over the world rose up to vie for supremacy.

Ultimately, the Li family emerged victorious, seized control of the Central Plains, and established the Qin Dynasty. Meanwhile, across the river, the twelve southern prefectures were occupied by the Xiong family, another powerful clan with a history spanning millennia, who established the State of Chu.

The Qin Dynasty wanted to restore the glory of the Dayong Dynasty and launched several southern expeditions, but all of them ended in failure. At that time, there was turmoil outside the pass and the Yuan people launched a large-scale southward invasion. The Qin Dynasty was unable to fight on two fronts and had no choice but to recognize the State of Chu.

Centuries passed in the blink of an eye. The Qin Dynasty stabilized the area outside the pass, and its military might was unstoppable in both east and west, bringing almost all of the remaining areas, except for the twelve southern prefectures, under its rule.

Meanwhile, the State of Chu was not idle during those years. On one hand, it built a defense line along the river to guard against the Qin Dynasty, and on the other hand, it sent out a large army to continuously expand its territory to the south. After hundreds of years of development, the State of Chu was no longer the size of the twelve counties it once was, but a behemoth whose territory was no less than that of the Qin Dynasty.

However, the Qin Dynasty, which occupied the Central Plains and considered itself the legitimate successor of China, still looked down on the Chu people to the core.

The phrase "southern barbarian" engraved this contempt to its very core.

However, while ordinary people may look down on the Southerners, the entire Qin court regarded Southern Chu as its number one enemy, to the point that even the idea of ​​abandoning the area outside the pass was widely accepted in Chang'an.

In fact, in recent years, the Qin Dynasty has encountered strong pressure from the south.

The State of Chu encountered its crisis earlier than the State of Qin.

The Xiong dynasty was once on the verge of collapse.
It was at this time that He Qiku, the commander of the Southern Garrison, launched a campaign against the State of Chu.

However, Empress Dowager Jiang Qian suddenly appeared in the State of Chu.

However, within the Qin state, ambitious and ruthless warlords were already eager to devour the fat ox that was Qin.

The disastrous defeat in the southern campaign dealt another blow to the Qin Dynasty.

The State of Chu recovered as a result, and Empress Dowager Jiang Qian, who held great power, seized the opportunity to consolidate her authority and crack down on powerful families in the country. One by one, the once influential figures either retired gracefully or died and their families were exterminated.

Compared to the Qin Dynasty, the Southern Chu even seemed to have undergone a phoenix-like rebirth, rising from the ashes.

If the Qin Dynasty continues to decline while the Chu State regains its former glory, then the next step will not be the Qin Dynasty's southern expedition, but rather the Chu State's northern expedition.

With such ambitions, how could the people of Chu not be paying attention to the situation outside the Great Qin Pass?
After all, the troops stationed outside the Great Qin Pass have always been synonymous with bravery and invincibility, far surpassing the reputation of the Southern Garrison.

As for the Great Chu, in its battle against the Qin's southern garrison, if it weren't for internal problems within Qin, it would almost certainly have suffered a crushing defeat.

So when Xiao Changche and Linghu Ye fell out and Li Dachui suddenly rose to prominence, Zhu Chi, the intelligence chief from the south, immediately came knocking on their door.

Li Dachui believed that Commander Linghu, who aspired to rule the world, must also have some kind of connection with Southern Chu.

The only way for the State of Chu to connect with the lands beyond the Great Wall was by sea.

Zhu Chi met with Li Dachui to discuss the idea of ​​establishing a maritime Silk Road.

Xuanwu Prefecture is an unavoidable link in establishing such a communication channel.

Xuanwu Cai Ming is a very individualistic person.

He wasn't particularly convinced by Linghu Ye.

Linghu Ye couldn't do anything about him.

Cai Ming is the kind of shameless guy who runs away if he can't beat you, and then comes back after you've left.

The Cai family, whose ancestors were pirate leaders for generations, had a strong presence at sea and were not afraid of Linghu Ye and Xiao Changche's elite cavalry at all!

Does your horse not run on water?

Ultimately, Cai Ming became the fourth largest power outside the pass. However, he had little interest in managing Xuanwu Prefecture, but he was nostalgic for his ancestral business and had a strong interest in robbing people at sea!

Li Dachui once made a special trip to Xuanwu Prefecture. This Prefect Cai was so powerful that one could practically hang a skull and crossbones flag on his city wall. The strong pirate atmosphere in Xuanwu City left a lasting impression on Li Dachui.

“Such a person must be highly confident, even narcissistic. What can we do to persuade him to ally with us instead of leaning towards Linghu Ye?” Zhang Ruo asked.

Li Dachui was very pleased that Zhang Ruo asked such a question.

Although he had only been in the area outside the Great Wall for less than a year, Zhang Ruo had already changed a lot. In the past, he would have looked down on people like Cai Ming, readily condemning them as major parasites that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. But now, his first thought was how to win them over and how to make use of them.

“Cai Qi is a bit fierce and barbaric, but he also loves to indulge in refined pursuits!” Li Dachui laughed. “Perhaps it’s because he craves what he lacks most? Scholar, going to see him will be the perfect solution!”

After listening to Li Dachui recount several elegant anecdotes about Governor Cai, Zhang Ru was speechless with astonishment.

“You’re going this time in your personal capacity. You’re now the Vice Censor-in-Chief and Inspector General of the Passes, so it’s only natural that you visit him. Let’s build a relationship first, and then we can discuss other things later!” Li Dachui said. “This man is quite perceptive. Haste makes waste. If your purpose is too obvious, it might not be good!”

Zhang Ruo was delighted to hear this. Now that he was building the Inspectorate, the stronger the external support he could get, the better. This Cai Ming was far away from the center of the conflict between Linghu Yehuai and Xiao Changche, and his strength was also quite good. If he could become his assistant, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

Pretending to be cultured?

Perfectly, Mr. Zhang is skilled in poetry, calligraphy, painting, music, chess, and music—aren't they all top-notch choices?
Yao Dali had already drunk a cup of tea in the side room until it tasted bland and tasteless. These past few months had been extremely agonizing for him.

As a naval commander, he felt powerless in the battle that led to the downfall of the Yan clan last year. As a member of the navy, he ended up fighting on the city walls with his own weapons, while his ships were still stranded on the shore. Every year, he would suggest breaking the ice in advance so that at least some of the ships could be put into operation, and the navy could serve as a backup for the city should something happen. However, his suggestions were ignored by his superiors.

On the contrary, he was disliked by his superiors because he said these unpleasant things every year. If it weren't for his expertise in naval warfare and his high reputation in the navy, he would probably have been kicked out of the team long ago.

When the crisis truly arrived, none of the naval officers and soldiers had a chance to demonstrate their abilities. The defense of Aquarius City was nothing short of a joke.

When the heads of Yan Sheng, Yan Dong, and others appeared below the city, the army collapsed like a house of cards, and the soldiers scattered like monkeys when the tree fell.

As an important general of the Yan family, he and his entire family were imprisoned.

I don't even dare to think about how I got through those days.

Every day people were taken away, and then they never came back.

From the few words spoken by the prison guards, Yao Dali basically guessed the fate of those who were taken away.

Then one day, their entire family was also taken out of prison.

Yao Dali felt that his time was probably up.

When the family saw the sunlight again, but no one was happy and instead filled with despair, an official stepped forward and announced that they were all free and could go home.

Returning home with great anxiety, Yao Dali stayed indoors, awaiting his fate. He refused to believe that the occupiers would let them off so easily.

Sure enough, after a period of anxious anticipation, he was taken to the Protectorate General's office, where Li Dachui wanted to see him.

If Yao Dali didn't have any feelings about Li Dachui before, after being captured, imprisoned, and then regaining his freedom, he was already very familiar with Li Dachui's legendary life.

The establishment of the Anxi Protectorate and the partnership between Xiao Changche and Li Dachui shocked him even more.

The situation outside the Great Wall has undergone earth-shattering changes; it would be apt to describe it as a transformation unseen in a century.

As a member of the people from outside the Great Wall, his life will inevitably undergo drastic changes as a result.

Where to go?

he does not know.

The downfall of the Yan family saddened him greatly; after all, his former employer had treated him fairly well.

But it was just sadness. The Yan family had been wiped out, and he still had to work hard to keep his family alive.

Farming? He doesn't know how, and does he even have any land left? All that land should now be the spoils of the victors.

Business? He doesn't know how.

His only skill was training and leading the navy in battle.

These days, he stayed at home and wrote a thick book of strategies on how to manage the Juma River and Qingshui River based on his past experiences. Then, he boldly submitted the book to the Protectorate General.

After a long and arduous wait, he finally reaped the rewards today.

The gears of fate will turn today.

"The sinner Yao Dali greets the Protector!" Upon seeing the gate of the public hall, Yao Dali knelt down with a thud, touching his forehead to the ground.

It's not that he lacks backbone; when the lives of dozens of people in a large family depend on him alone, no one can stand up for himself.

As Yao Dali stepped through the gate, what lingered in his mind's eye were the expectant gazes of his family, young and old.

"Get up!" Li Dachui said, "Yao Dali, I've read your strategy for developing the naval forces of the two rivers and the key points along the coast. It's well-written and full of ideas. Haven't you mentioned these things to Yan Sheng and Yan Dong before?"

He stood up and stood with his hands at his sides: "In reply to the Protector-General, of course I have mentioned it, but the Yan family only wants to be kings in Baoping Prefecture and has no ambition to expand outwards, so my ideas have naturally been shelved!"

Li Dachui chuckled and said, "Establishing nodes along the two rivers, then connecting these nodes to gradually encroach on territory and expand influence is a great idea, but it will be extremely difficult to implement."

“Yan Sheng’s vision is too narrow, while the Protector-General is broad-minded and can see how great the benefits will be if this plan is successfully implemented!” Yao Dali said boldly, “With just a few years of effort, the territory beyond the Great Wall will surely be ours!”

"Whether it succeeds or not is another matter, but the investment alone is daunting!" Li Dachui said.

Yao Dali remained silent. To accomplish these things, the investment would certainly be enormous, but compared to the rewards after success, the current investment was nothing.

"In any case, I quite like your strategy. Would you be willing to join the Protectorate and put your expertise to good use?" Li Dachui said.

"The sinner is willing, of course he is willing!"

Yao Dali's voice was so loud that even he felt a little embarrassed.

So urgent!

I'm afraid Li Dachui will look down on me.

“Alright!” Li Dachui stood up: “Before you officially join, escort Scholar Zhang to Xuanwu Prefecture. If you perform well on this mission, you will definitely have a place in the Anxi Protectorate.”

(End of this chapter)