knife

Chapter 496 Learn and apply
Jiang Qian stood up, her bare feet tracing the magnificent landscape of the Great Chu Kingdom, a masterpiece embroidered over years by countless skilled artisans. The towering mountains, turbulent rivers, treacherous shoals, villages, and towns were all depicted beneath her delicate feet. Her toenails were painted a vibrant red, perfectly complementing her flowing black hair and billowing veil—a truly exquisite image. Yet, in the hall, whether old and frail, young and vigorous, or youthful and spirited, no one dared to look her directly in the eye.

It's not at all enchanting; instead, it adds a touch of eeriness.

Jiang Qian said softly, "Although Li Dachui and Xiao Changche of the Beiting Protectorate have destroyed the Yuan Kingdom, they cannot rush into the pass without regard for the consequences. The Yuan Kingdom was a great power, and its demise was too quick. This is not a good thing for the Beiting Protectorate."

Everyone in the hall nodded in agreement.

If the Yuan Kingdom had been gradually annexed step by step, the people of the Yuan Kingdom would have had a general expectation and their rebellious spirit would not have been so strong. But now that it has been suddenly destroyed, a considerable number of people will inevitably be unable to accept it, and resistance will certainly exist for a considerable period of time, which will greatly divert the energy of the Beiting Protectorate.

Judging from the governing style of Li Dachui, Xiao Changche and others in the Beiting Protectorate, it is a steady and cautious approach, the kind of people who take one step at a time and are unwilling to make any mistakes. Therefore, it is estimated that the possibility of Beiting entering the pass on a large scale will not exist within two or three years, but small-scale wars will certainly not stop.

“Li Dachui has taken over Shu Commandery, which is like a knife to Linghu Ye’s waist. Even if Linghu Ye takes over Chang’an, he won’t be able to pacify the world within a few years because of Shu Commandery and the troublemaker He Zudao. This is also why Li Dachui is helping this man take over Fancheng. By controlling Xiangfan, he will control the throat of Linghu Ye’s southward advance.” Jiang Qian pointed barefoot at the area south of the Yangtze River.

"So what should we do now?" Lin Yunqi asked.

Jiang Qian smiled and walked to the southwest region, saying, "Prefect Zhou's suggestion was actually quite good. We should take this opportunity to attack He Zudao, but it's not just about attacking He Zudao. We should also try to resolve the southwest issue while attacking He Zudao. Up until now, the southwest has always existed in a tributary system. The chieftains and local lords in the southwest are outwardly respectful to us, paying tribute every year and sending hostages to the capital. But how loyal are they to Danyang? Just look at those guys who have been hostages in Danyang over the years. Which one of them has gone back to power? They all died young."

Han Tan asked, "Does the Empress Dowager intend to use this opportunity to completely resolve the southwest issue?"

“I’ve always wanted to abolish the native chieftain system in the southwest, but I just didn’t have a good excuse!” Jiang Qian narrowed her eyes, a cold glint in them, and said, “Now the opportunity has come. Let’s use the excuse that Prefect Zhou just mentioned. The court will provide grain and pay to send the southwestern barbarian troops to Jiangnan. Let’s use He Zudao as a whetstone to hone them properly.”

“In all parts of the Southwest, Na Wei from Guangxi Prefecture is the leader. This man is quite insightful, but I’m afraid he won’t come!” Lin Yunqi said.

"It doesn't matter if he doesn't come! We'll lure him with big money and high positions. There will always be people from the southwest who are willing to come. Those who come first will naturally have more benefits!" Jiang Qian said with a smile. "As long as these people get the benefits, will those who come later be able to sit still? As for how to handle this, well, let Prefect Zhou take care of it. All the soldiers from the southwest should first come to Danyang for training, and then go to the Jiangnan region!"

"Understood!" Zhou Zheng nodded.

"Those who arrive first, don't be stingy with your money. Zhu Chi, invest all of this year's maritime trade profits here!" Jiang Qian said to Zhu Chi.

"Yes!" Zhu Chi was somewhat excited, as this was his first time attending such a high-level meeting.

The discussion at hand is not about specific matters, but about the strategic plan for the Great Chu over the next few years. His participation in such a meeting demonstrates his importance in Jiang Qian's eyes.

Sure enough, Jiang Qian's next words made Zhu Chi's heart flutter with joy: "Originally, I wanted Lin Hong to come back as the Vice Minister of Revenue, but he's not very capable. As for you, after you've settled things in Beiting, you'll come back to take over as the Vice Minister of Revenue. You'll still be in charge of maritime trade. Can you do a good job?"

Zhu Chi turned over and knelt down on the ground, shouting, "Your Majesty's great kindness! I, Zhu Chi, will do my utmost, even if it means being shattered to pieces or braving fire and water, to accomplish every task Your Majesty has entrusted to me!" "Hmm!" Jiang Qian nodded. The Zhu family had experienced many ups and downs, falling into the abyss only to rise again with great difficulty. Such people cherish opportunities exceptionally and work much harder than ordinary people.

Inside the room, Zhou Zheng, Lin Yunqi, Han Tan, and others all cupped their hands in congratulations to Zhu Chi.

Zhu Chi's promotion was no surprise to everyone. After all, he had indeed made a lot of contributions to the Great Chu in the past few years. The development of the intelligence system outside the pass and the increase in maritime trade revenue were all significant, accounting for an increasingly larger proportion of the annual fiscal revenue. The key point is that this money is inexhaustible and will only increase in the future.

"There's no need to rush the war with He Zudao. We can fight, observe, wait, and negotiate. It's all about wearing He Zudao down!" Jiang Qian walked back to the eight towns of Jiangnan, bent down and stared at the map. "Han Tan, this war should focus on He Jiong's side, with you playing a supporting role. Your main objective should still be to persuade He Zudao to surrender."

Han Tan laughed heartily and nodded, saying, "Your subordinate understands, and I will certainly handle this matter thoroughly."

"Let's sit back and watch the tigers fight. When the time comes, we should try to make the fight between Beiting and Linghu as intense and long as possible!" Jiang Qian laughed. "We might as well learn from Li Dachui's methods for dealing with the three kings of Beiyuan. If Linghu Ye can't hold on when they enter the pass, we'll support him. If Li Dachui can't hold on, then we'll naturally help him. It would be even better if they could fight for ten or eight years."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

If the Qin people had fought for ten or eight years, they would have been devastated and destitute. Even if the people did not rise up in rebellion, they would probably have been full of resentment. Meanwhile, the Chu state had been able to recuperate for more than ten years. With the two sides rising and falling, who would rule the world in the future? It goes without saying.
“Zhu Chi, tell everyone about the situation outside the pass! Speaking of which, Li Dachui is really carefree. During the war of national annihilation, he wasn’t even keeping an eye on things outside the pass. Instead, he came to our Great Chu and was leisurely enjoying himself. What surprised me was that without him in charge, the war actually went smoothly. Could it be that the Northern Protectorate is the same whether Li Dachui is there or not?”

"Your Majesty, that's not really the case. Li Dachui can be said to be the soul of the Beiting Protectorate!" Zhu Chi said seriously, "However, what Li Dachui advocates most is to manage things through systems rather than through people."

"Oh, why don't you explain to everyone why things should be governed by systems rather than by people?"

Zhu Chi thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, let me tell you something very direct, and you will have a general understanding. That is the army of the Beiting Protectorate. They are called 'ordered generals, but unordered commanders.' In plain terms, it is an army whose combat effectiveness can be roughly the same regardless of which general commands it. For example, in this war to destroy the Yuan Dynasty, Quanxin and Zhang Quanyi, who had just arrived outside the pass, were directly entrusted with important tasks, but they did not encounter any difficulties in command. However, when these two went to the army, they were all alone, without even a single attendant."

These words caused everyone present to change color slightly.

Lin Yunqi and Han Tan were both military commanders, so they naturally knew how difficult it was to do this. In fact, they always believed that such a thing was possible.

But now, it seems that Beiting has succeeded.

"Then let's get back this method of having a controlled army but no uncontrolled generals!" Jiang Qian said. If Great Chu could also achieve having a controlled army but no uncontrolled generals, then the invisible shackles still binding her could be removed. "With this method, when you return, you'll be the Minister of Revenue, not just a Vice Minister!"

(End of this chapter)