Lingzhang

Chapter 766 A Long-Term Strategy Leads to Success

This was not the answer Liu Jingqiu most wanted to hear.

However, the moment Yue Hanzhang finished speaking, Liu Jingqiu's eyebrows and eyes relaxed instantly.

Ever since the establishment of the Jade Capital Taoist Academy in Jinzhou, Liu Jingqiu has repeatedly, openly or secretly, inquired with Yue Hanzhang about the further advancement of this great undertaking.

But no matter how Liu Jingqiu asked.

Even when others mention it.

Yue Hanzhang consistently used the excuse of "taking it one step at a time" to deflect attention, and even regarding the matter of Jinzhou itself, he claimed it was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Even though the stubborn aristocratic families outside were in an uproar over this matter, Yue Hanzhang had not uttered a single word.

Until today.

This was the first time Liu Jingqiu had truly heard Yue Hanzhang's vision for the future of the revolutionary cause.

Even if it wasn't as "enthusiastic" as Liu Jingqiu and the other cultivators in the Dao Alliance had hoped, and they weren't immediately seizing the opportunity to do more great things, it was still a very good sign.

The prospects revealed behind this even cheered Liu Jingqiu up a bit!

Why wait and see how the infighting among the die-hard aristocratic families unfolds?
This indicates that Yue Hanzhang's next target is one of these stubborn aristocratic families!

Yue Hanzhang intended to strike not only the northern states with the sharp edge of this bronze cauldron, but also the rich and prosperous southern lands!

This is an ambitious goal to encompass all the states in the north and south!
To know.

The Dao Alliance headquarters and the various aristocratic families in different states are not completely distinct; in many areas, they are more or less intertwined, each with its own influence.

thus.

The agreement that the moderate families wanted to make with Yue Hanzhang had been circulating among the various families and even the Dao Alliance.

Even Liu Jingqiu thought that Yue Hanzhang's heated alliance with the moderate aristocratic families meant that he had probably accepted the proposal for such a division of power, and that in the future, the great cause of reform could only be carried out in the northern states by this generation.

But even today, the vast market for selling Dao Hai spiritual items has not dampened Yue Hanzhang's ambition.

Liu Jingqiu's excitement spread directly from her relaxed brows, clearly showing on her expression.

Upon seeing this expression, Yue Hanzhang seemed to instantly understand what he was thinking, and spoke gently and calmly.

"Some things seem like destiny."

"If it were just the Jinzhou Yudu Taoist Temple, it would still be an isolated island in a vast ocean, an isolated case. At that time, taking it one step at a time was my true thought."

"But fate had left the Su family of Wu'an with no way out, so they decided to surrender."

"Therefore, things happen repeatedly, and naturally, they will happen again and again!"

"Having reached this point, Yue had no choice but to consider where to go next."

"Therefore, we need to take a longer-term view."

"We must be clear about one thing: neither the Dao Alliance headquarters nor my Beihai Tiandu lineage actually possesses the strength and resources to promote the great cause of reform throughout the entire Dao Alliance in the north and south in a short period of time."

"Regardless of the strength of the resistance from the powerful families, even if I were to take action in every single state and wipe them out..."

"Speaking of the various states in the north and south, there are numerous state-owned Taoist academies standing side by side. Firstly, although the cultivators of my Tiandu Taoist Academy have successively advanced in their cultivation levels, they are far from being able to spread their influence and encompass the entire region."

"Secondly, the foundation of the Dao Alliance headquarters is also the same. In fact, the Three Offices and other offices have not cultivated enough core members in the past to be able to quickly spread and form a powerful structure at the town level."

"What I've never been afraid of is the resistance from either the die-hard or the moderate families, whether it's overt or covert, direct or indirect."

"What I'm really afraid of is that the powerful families will completely unite, work together from the inside out, and then, after seeing through our strengths and weaknesses, they will really harden their hearts and instantly give up a large part of our territory, forcing us to take over it just like we took over Yanzhou today."

"By the time."

"There is no need for the powerful families to put up a strong resistance."

"The mere shortage of manpower is enough for you and me to cause the corruption of officials and the deterioration of the situation in the various states during our rapid expansion!"

"The more arrogant we became back then, the more satisfying our defeat was!"

"Just like the legal rhetoric that the aristocratic families have been promoting all these years—it's not that we didn't give the Dao Alliance a chance back then, but the demon race's forces had already invaded the heartland of the Dao Alliance, and the extinction of the race was imminent. Facts have proven that it was the aristocratic families who had to step in."

"The same excuses will be used against you and me in the future."

"Look, the master-disciple lineage is nothing but a scattered mess, a flower in a mirror and the moon's reflection in the water—it only looks beautiful on the surface. To govern a province and pass on the Daoist teachings, we, the aristocratic families, are the ones who truly matter..."

"This is the most dangerous situation."

"Our vulnerabilities will be laid bare, and in the face of such a crisis, it's no longer a question of whether I can fight, or how capable I am, that can be resolved!"

"Of course, the aristocratic families are short-sighted; they neither have nor can choose such a path."

"But that doesn't mean that this weakness of yours and mine doesn't exist."

"Our strength and resources dictate that, in the short term, we can only extend the great cause of reform to a certain number of states and territories, and then, over a sufficient period of time, bring these states and territories under our complete control."

"To thoroughly digest and absorb the expanded foundation."

"Similarly, in the process of governing the borders of various states, we rely on the surge in these resources to cultivate more manpower and more core personnel."

"In order to accumulate the revolutionary power that truly encompasses the entire Dao Alliance."

"Fellow Daoist Liu, you, and all your colleagues at the Dao Alliance headquarters, must realize the existence of this 'recuperation period' and its necessity!" "Then, based on this, let's look at the matter at hand."

"Since the boundaries of the states that can be encompassed in a short period of time are limited, the selection process is of paramount importance."

"Either start with the difficult parts and then move to the easy parts, or start with the easy parts and then move to the difficult parts."

"Start with the easy and then move to the difficult. This means bringing most of the northern borders, where the Beihai Tiandu lineage has the greatest influence, the stubborn factions have less influence, and even the moderates tacitly approve, under the control of the great cause of reform."

"First, we must develop the northern region into an impenetrable block."

"But this also means that during the period of recuperation that you and I go through, the various aristocratic families may very well actually finalize the terms they used to use to demarcate the borders!"

"And establish an extremely meticulous defensive line to counter the sharp edge of the revolution."

"At that time, perhaps a war on the scale of an internal conflict and bloodshed—yes, a war—will be needed to rebuild the final order on the foundation of the devastated ruins!"

"Not to mention the covetous eyes of the demon race during this process."

"The golden age of this era will inevitably be worn away in this process."

"I suppose this is not something that you or I would like to see."

"If the goal is to tackle the difficult issues first and then move on to the easier ones, then we must finalize some matters of 'righteousness' right now, so as not to give powerful families any more room to engage in underhanded schemes!"

"We must take over the northern provinces, and we must also take over the rich and prosperous southern provinces where the diehards reside!"

"If necessary, we should even take over the territories of the moderate aristocratic families!"

"It's better to open a gap now than to confront them head-on after they've all become an impenetrable wall!"

“If necessary, we can occupy fewer state borders, and while smoothly entering the ‘rest period,’ we can also reserve a sufficient number of mobile personnel to deal with the counterattacks from moderate and conservative families.”

“Even if they don’t react, we will have to take the initiative to cause trouble, so that they don’t have a peaceful day or time to carry out their various shady schemes.”

"It could even allow them to perpetuate the divisions and chaos of today."

"This may prolong the 'recovery period'."

"But time itself is on our side."

That’s all I have to say.

Liu Jingqiu's eyes were already shining.

These words were a reassurance from Yue Hanzhang to the Dao Alliance headquarters.

Having captured Jinzhou, it was one thing, but then they captured Yanzhou as well. The great undertaking of reforming the dynasty had truly gained momentum.

At such a critical juncture, we must not allow the cultivators at the Dao Alliance headquarters to become restless.

and.

Yue Hanzhang painstakingly explained his thoughts and considerations, which was also a form of admonition to the Dao Alliance headquarters. He, Yue Hanzhang, had his own plans and pace of deliberation.

There are urgent and less urgent aspects to this matter. We must not be greedy for quick success and act rashly, just like the things that Dao Alliance did in ancient history. One-tenth of their success was due to bad luck, and nine-tenths was due to their eagerness for quick success and instant benefits.

Liu Jingqiu also realized the warning in Yue Hanzhang's words.

Having been reassured, he naturally wanted to reassure Yue Hanzhang as well.

"Elder Yue has pondered this for a long time, and I, Liu, now understand the reasoning behind it."

"It's better to start with the difficult ones and then move on to the easy ones!"

"I, Liu, will take care of the work of all my colleagues at the headquarters."

“We have failed many times before and missed many precious opportunities. Now that we have Elder Yue as our guiding light, we will naturally not act rashly again.”

"However, since we intend to take the rich lands of the South and the territory of the stubborn aristocratic families, the current intensity of the internal strife and bloody battles is actually still a bit lacking."

"The Dao Alliance also has some personnel arranged in some aristocratic families."

"Liu's idea is to get them moving and intensify the infighting among the die-hard families!"

"Moreover, in the long run, the more intense the infighting, the more the aristocratic families will suffer losses, and the more they will need reserve forces. This will make it easier for the Dao Alliance to place more people into the stubborn aristocratic families!"

"The purpose of doing this is not only to address the current chaos. Only by honing this group of people can we more proactively perpetuate the rifts and infighting among the powerful families."

Upon hearing this, Yue Hanzhang nodded repeatedly.

Letting things unfold unchecked is a passive approach; actively guiding the situation is a more proactive one.

"If the Dao Alliance has such methods, that would be excellent."

"As their infighting intensifies, the power they project onto the ancient battlefield will naturally decrease further."

"At that time, I, Yue, will voluntarily leave the Heavenly Capital Sacred Realm and go to the ancient battlefield to take charge."

When he said this, Yue Hanzhang's tone was low and somber.

"Only after I leave can they truly act freely..."

(End of this chapter)