As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 195: Grassland Balance
There is a desert to the west of Qianyuan and Beilie, and further west are the pastures of some nomadic peoples.

These Huns were brutal by nature, uneducated and uncivilized, and they would plunder the border from time to time.

Seventy years ago, they launched a large-scale invasion of the Central Plains.

But he was unlucky and happened to meet Ling Yu's master, who was defeated by Hou Buchen in a battle and slaughtered 100,000 cavalry.

The Huns were defeated and fled in panic, never to recover, and the border remained stable for decades.

During Qianyuan's reign, a series of incompetent emperors came to power, the court became increasingly corrupt, natural disasters and man-made disasters occurred, and the country's strength weakened.

These nomadic Huns in the west gradually recovered.

Recently, he feels that he is capable again and harasses the western border from time to time and plunders supplies.

Now Qianyuan is facing internal and external troubles. The Blood-Clothed Army has divided the land and proclaimed themselves kings, the traitor Dong has usurped power, and the Yuan Dynasty has split into three parts.

The other party was naturally happy to take advantage of Qian Yuan's weakness to attack.

Long before the capital was established in Jiqu, Mingchen mentioned the issue of the Huns when he spoke of the grand strategy of the new dynasty.

Xiao Xinyue had seen intelligence reports about the Huns harassing Lingzhou in the west more than once, but she just hadn't had the time to deal with it yet.

Accompanied by the summons officer's shout,

Three strong, dark-skinned men of other races with oil-painted patterns on their bodies strode into the court.

Facing the gazes of his ministers, he raised his hands to his chest and bowed slightly.

In the broken common language of the Central Plains, he said, "Greetings to the respected new Qianyuan Emperor. I am the left-hand man of the Liling tribe, Hu Yanshuo Fenglie. I am here on behalf of my great Khan, Wang Shengluo, Borjigin Tielehun, to congratulate the Emperor on his ascension to the throne."

"I wish to send you a thousand sheep, a hundred war horses, and ten thousand pounds of wool and leather. I hope to establish an everlasting friendship with Qianyuan and to establish mutual trade."

"Oh?"

Xiao Xinyue raised her eyebrows.

Although the messenger did not speak the language, he spoke such a long speech with some sincerity.

It is not impossible to open up trade. On the contrary, Mingchen supports and increases the development of trade interaction.

Several ministers nodded secretly after hearing this.

I had heard that the Huns were rude, had no manners, and committed all kinds of evil, such as burning, killing, looting, and so on.

But unexpectedly, the other party was quite reasonable this time.

Xiao Xinyue nodded upon hearing this: "Yes."

However, the Xiongnu then said, "Your Majesty is wise. We were born in the midst of wind and sand and long for fertile land. We sincerely hope that Your Majesty will cede the land of Lingzhou to our tribe so that we can settle there and use it for trade and marriage."

Xiao Xinyue's eyes narrowed when she heard this: "Huh?!"

The ministers present also frowned.

Qian Yuan is now like a stranded whale, and he wants to get close to anything he can get his hands on to share his fat meat.

"impossible!"

Xiao Xinyue hasn't spoken yet.

A general in the court widened his eyes and snorted coldly.

His hometown is Lingzhou, and he knows very well how much suffering these brutal demons have brought to his hometown.

This group of barbarians did not come here for friendly alliance, but simply to invade and plunder.

The Xiongnu simply glanced at him, his expression calm, and continued, "We don't need to cede land. My king has long admired the Central Plains and is particularly in love with the celestial maiden of the Qianyuan Holy Dynasty. I hope the emperor will grant the princess a marriage, establishing a bond between our tribe and us, and ensuring a lasting friendship."

Xiao Xinyue's expression was calm: "There is no princess in our dynasty."

She hasn't married yet and doesn't even have a legitimate heir, so how could she be a princess?

A minister with a pleasant face stepped forward and said, "Our dynasty would like to appoint a noble lady, make her a princess, and send her to the Western Regions to form a marriage alliance with the Steppe Eagle. What do you think?"

Who would have thought that the Xiongnu man shook his head and said: "My king only wishes to marry with the blood of the Qianyuan royal family. Now that Qianyuan still has one, I hope the emperor will grant me permission."

“Bold!!!”

As soon as the words fell, the minister, who was quick to react, understood instantly.

The Qianyuan royal family was killed by Dong Zhenghong's men during the palace coup that day.

Who is the remaining one?

It couldn't be more obvious!
Xiao Ling glared and roared, regretting that he didn't have a sword in his hand.

For a moment, the court was filled with outrage.

However, the Xiongnu man was not nervous: "Your Majesty, my king is the heroic Wolf King, blessed by the sky and the grasslands. Your Majesty is also a hero. It is truly a match made in heaven."

"Why not?"

Now Qianyuan is in trouble both internally and externally and is in a mess.

No one will feel inferior, but only think of themselves as noble.

The Huns' way of thinking was different from that of the Central Plains people, and they did not feel inferior.

In his opinion, this is a very normal thing.

"My tribe has gathered tens of thousands of cavalry outside of Lingzhou, just to congratulate the two kings on their happy marriage and becoming one family."

This foreigner kept talking
However, Xiao Xinyue had a gloomy face, showing neither joy nor sadness.

The originally relaxed atmosphere in the court seemed to have dropped to freezing point at this moment.

An invisible aura pressed down, as if the entire world was roaring, and everyone present felt as if a landslide or tsunami was about to come.

"In the future, my tribe will be able to send troops to aid Your Majesty in his campaigns. Our brave and skilled warriors, armed with a hundred thousand men, will surely conquer the east and west, helping Your Majesty unify the world and create a name that will live forever..."

The Hun was still self-righteously reporting his beautiful blueprint to Xiao Xinyue.

However, the next moment, his eyes widened and his voice suddenly stopped.

"Whoosh!"

A flash of green light passed by and accurately pierced through the Hun's neck.

"Puch!"

Blood splattered three feet.

The whole incident happened so quickly that no one could react.

He was a little dazed, staring blankly as the long jade stick slowly retracted into the young man's hand.

The jade stick was stained with blood. The handsome and elegant young man was dressed in white and had a strange smile on his face, as if he was a jade-faced Shura.

Killed!

In this court, the envoys from the Huns were killed.

Everyone stared blankly at the strange young man.

He had just been awarded the highest rank among ministers, but now he ignored everything and started a fight in the court without even saying a word.

He is clearly a weak scholar, but he is more unrestrained than those generals.

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

"You stupid barbarian, why are you staying here if you don't kill him immediately?!"

"It's disgusting to the ears!"

Young and energetic people are not at all hesitant when it comes to fighting.

Mingchen shook off the blood stains on the jade stick with disgust, and spoke in a cold voice.

He can't even be a dog, and he's thinking about putting his paws on the dining table.

"you!"

“￥#……&……#Do not kill the envoy……%*”

"We...￥&#￥will ride our horses and trample you all to the ground#@%￥#"

The Hun envoy was as straightforward as that.

It was not until Mingchen's cold words were heard that the remaining two Huns reacted.

They widened their eyes and roared at Mingchen in a language that was half Xiongnu and half common, swinging their fists and rushing towards Mingchen.

The court was filled with blood and became as noisy as a vegetable market.

"enough!"

Suddenly, a low growl came from the elder seat.

In an instant, a fierce gale blew.

The powerful force seemed to shake the soul, and huge pressure weighed on the shoulders.

The two Huns trembled all over, their eyes full of fear.

"Crack!"

They were actually forced to kneel on the ground, and the powerful force shattered their knees.

"The Huns insulted me."

Rage erupted like a volcano. Atop the throne, the empress, clad in a dragon robe, her long hair flowing. Her eyes seemed to glow with golden light, imbued with the power of the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers. She exuded boundless might, like a god: "I will destroy your country and enslave your people, for eternity to come, and you will never rise again!!!"

The tyrannical power rippled out in circles. This was different from the magic practiced by cultivators. It was an indescribable power, as if it should be so, as if the entire world was obeying her orders.

The two Hun envoys were not very proficient in the common language and could hardly understand what Xiao Xinyue said.

But meeting his gaze, it was like a sea of blood and corpses, a hell on earth, all the tribes on the grassland were slaughtered, and the scene of a world-destroying disaster kept swirling in my mind.

One of them was so frightened that he kept shaking his head and fell to the ground.

With eyes wide open and mouth wide open, he was silent.

The empress's voice was like thunder, leaving all the ministers present speechless.

Xiao Xinyue's expression returned to calm, and she said calmly, "Drag these people away."

Several guards came and carried the body and the frightened Hun envoy out.

On the first day of court session, someone died in the court.

For a moment, the hall was eerily quiet.

The ministers all had different expressions, and no one spoke first.

Killing the Hun envoy basically means the road is blocked. What should we do next?

Start a war?

If a war breaks out, how should it be fought?
How to divide the troops?

Will Qi and Chen in the east take advantage of the chaos?

Xiao Xinyue spoke in a domineering manner, but in reality their actual conditions were not that good.

Just as the court was discussing matters, Xiao Xinyue had allocated 170,000 troops, some of whom were required to stay in Ji Qu and for some other miscellaneous purposes.

The remaining troops did not seem to be enough to march west to destroy the Huns.

Moreover, the Xiongnu grasslands are vast and difficult to grasp, so it is not easy to send a large army in. The grasslands are desert-like and difficult to discern directions, and the consumption is huge.

Over the years, the Huns have repeatedly invaded the border and are well versed in the essence of guerrilla warfare, fighting, looting, and then running away.

The vast grassland made it impossible to organize a large army to pursue the enemy.

It will cost a huge amount to eradicate it.

Xiao Xinyue leaned against the throne: "What do you think?" The ministers were silent for a moment, but no one accused Mingchen of taking such a rude action and blocking the chosen retreat route.

Xiao Ling said, "Fight, Your Majesty. I am willing to be the vanguard."

With his start, the ministers in the court also began to speak.

"The Xiongnu are provoking us, and we must return the favor. I believe we should fight!"

Yun Zheng's face was cold as he spoke, "Those who are not of our race must have different hearts. Not only should we fight them, but I believe we must root them out, leaving no woman, child, old, or weak alive."

"kill!"

The cold words are chilling.

"Your Majesty, how are the troops being deployed?"

Ling Yu's face was calm as he asked Xiao Xinyue, "Should we abandon Luzhou first and turn to annihilating the Xiongnu?"

The envoy just said that tens of thousands of cavalrymen have gathered at the border of Lingzhou. It was said to be a congratulation, but it was actually a threat.

If the negotiations fail or the envoy dies, these tens of thousands of cavalry will ride down on horseback, burning, killing and looting along the border.

So we need to send troops to resolve this matter quickly.

In this case, a choice needs to be made.

The simplest strategy is for Ling Yu to give up attacking Luzhou and instead go to the border to repel the Huns.

Compared to attacking Luzhou, she actually wanted to attack the Huns.

After all, the Huns are not of our race. Just like fighting the Northern Lie, we can fight them at will and kill them whenever we want without any constraints.

Xiao Xinyue frowned when she heard this and turned to look at Mingchen.

She wanted to unify the previously planned territory as quickly as possible and did not actually want to transfer the army.

But the threat of the Huns had to be dealt with.

Mingchen said he wanted to wipe out the Huns before he came here, so he had some plans in mind.

In response to Xiao Xinyue's gaze, Mingchen nodded and said, "There's no need for a large army to enter the border. Just 20,000 to 30,000 troops are enough to fight a battle."

"This……"

Several generals were stunned for a moment.

This man had just brazenly killed the Hun envoy, so why was he so conservative when a fight was about to begin?
What's the point of fighting a war with such a small number of people?

Even if the Huns were defeated, they could flee to the grasslands and come back after some time, without any harm at all.

"Everyone, Chen believes that our dynasty's strategy towards the Xiongnu has always had some problems."

Either leave it alone or gather an army to attack.

Unless the Huns abandon the grasslands and march into the Central Plains in large numbers, this move would be too barbaric and brutal, only treating the symptoms and not the root cause, and wasting resources.

"The Xiongnu were a nomadic people. Their state system was different from ours. It was a confederation system consisting of tribes united together."

"Even if a powerful Khan unified the grasslands, it wouldn't change some fundamental disadvantages. Nomadism is highly uncontrollable, and each tribe is highly autonomous. Even the Khan can't interfere with the operations and will of a specific tribe. Taxation is extremely difficult, and the state-like bureaucracy is destined to fragment its rule. Only the tribe itself can command its own troops."

"The Xiongnu are not united, and there are many contradictions. If we send a large army to suppress the bandits, it will only make the various grassland tribes feel insecure. They will put aside their frictions, unite, and fight us to the death."

"Even if our combat power is stronger, it will inevitably lead to a huge waste of resources."

Since the tone had been set here, Mingchen could not help but consider the disaster that was right in front of him. He studied a lot of information, even the relationship between the various Xiongnu tribes, and almost had some countermeasures.

I just didn't expect that the other party would come and cause trouble.

Mingchen's magic has left a deep impression on the ministers.

This person is extremely smart and talented, and he can always find the best way to solve problems.

Listening to Mingchen's words, even Yun Zheng, who advocated for annihilation, lowered his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and turned to ask him, "Then according to Master Ming's idea, what should we do?"

Mingchen smiled and said to the ministers, "From a macro perspective, I have an idea about grassland balance. I wonder if you agree with it."

“I wanted to create a divided prairie.”

As soon as these words were spoken, all the smart people present seemed to understand something.

"Chen believes that the best way to deal with the grassland regime is not to send a large army and expend a huge amount of manpower and material resources to wipe it out. There is no room for maneuver, so the only option is to let these barbarians unite and fight to the death."

"It is a method of supporting the weak to defeat the strong, a method of fostering, suppressing and balancing."

“There are no eternal enemies, no eternal friends, only eternal interests.”

"Help the weak and beat the strong. The strong become weak and cowardly, and the weak become arrogant when they become strong. Then support the weak and beat the strong again."

"Constant alliances, constant instigation, constant infighting."

"Help the weak in exchange for their cattle, sheep, and warhorses, and squeeze out their value."

"When the two sides are at war, they will not lend a helping hand until the very end."

"This cycle repeats itself, trapping them in a cage and consuming them. We then gradually nibble away at them from the outside, expanding our territory."

“Always hold the initiative in our own hands, always leave room for maneuver, and always be prepared.”

It is most useful when dealing with countries with a federal system.

The words of a counsellor are more deadly than the sword of a general on the battlefield.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the court shuddered unconsciously.

Staring at this person in a daze.

They felt inexplicably fortunate that such a person was from their camp.

If the enemy were… secretly plotting these schemes, how would we respond?
Xiao Xinyue looked at the man who was talking eloquently in the court, and inexplicably felt as if her own treasure was shining, and she felt proud.

His anger dissipated, and he couldn't help but smile at him: "Master Ming, please continue."

She liked seeing him like this, bright and cheerful, confident and proud, full of charm.

Mingchen smiled and continued, "It's actually not that difficult to do when you put it into practice."

"The Xiongnu were not a monolithic entity. The previous Great Khan, Tiege Khan, inherited the throne from his brother. When he was about to die, he wanted to issue an edict to return the Great Khanship to his brother's son, Hunye Khan. However, after Tiege Khan's death, a rebellion broke out among the people. They refused to accept Hunye Khan's position as Great Khan and supported Tiege Khan's son, Borjigin Tielehun, as Shengluo Khan."

"Besides that, there are other tribes with their own ideas."

"The grassland tribes place great importance on immediate interests. Under these circumstances, we have ample room for diplomatic maneuvering."

"We can send envoys to establish contact with Hunye Khan, offer him benefits through an alliance, and promise to help him regain the throne of Great Khan."

"At the same time, on the front battlefield, lead the army to defeat the tribe led by Shengluo Khan head-on and ease the siege of Lingzhou. That's all."

"If Shengluo suffers a crushing defeat, their reputation will undoubtedly be damaged. Shengluo and Hunxie have always been at odds, and friction is constant. Furthermore, having heard that Hunxie has established contact with our army, they will undoubtedly suspect treason. All we need to do is send some gifts to corrupt their ranks, create some minor friction, and we'll surely cause them to fall into chaos and kill each other."

"When both sides are equally defeated, we can send troops to help. We must not let one side be killed, and we can also demand compensation while sending troops."

"We will see how things develop in the future. We will help the weak to fight against the stronger ones."

"As the grassland tribes grow weaker, they will undoubtedly recognize Qian Yuan as their leader. We can also exploit their abundant warhorse resources."

"What do you think?"

The despicable people of the Central Plains set the tone of slavery for the generous grassland tribes in advance.

Otherwise, why did Britain instigate the second-largest power to fight the largest power all over the world?
Their goal is also to create a divided Europe.

Looking at Mingchen's smiling face, everyone was shocked.

"What Lord Ming said is extremely reasonable. I think this can be done."

I don't know who spoke first.

"I agree."

"I agree."

If you want to oppose Mingchen, then please come up with a better strategy that costs less and brings more benefits.

The ministers thought for a moment, but seemed unable to think of any better solution.

Mingchen has formulated the next strategies for them from both macro and specific perspectives, and they just need to implement them step by step.

Many newcomers who didn't know Mingchen well now understood why this overly young guy could sit on the throne of this monster, the most powerful minister. He was truly a freak.

As the supreme ruler, Xiao Xinyue sat on the throne and approved Mingchen's decision: "Okay! Let's do as Lord Ming says."

"Your Majesty, who should we send to fight the Xiongnu?"

No matter what, a battle must be fought.

Ling Yu raised his eyes and asked Xiao Xinyue.

She had a vague feeling that if Mingchen said so, he would have to go to the Huns in the west.

She wanted to go on this business trip with Mingchen.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go!"

Xiao Ling, whose arm had been restored, seemed somewhat confused. He directly clasped his fists towards Xiao Xinyue and challenged her to a fight, saying, "I am willing to be the vanguard and will definitely avenge today's humiliation."

Ling Yu: ...

She decided to practice sparring with Xiao Ling after leaving the court.

Xiao Xinyue shook her head upon hearing this. "The two generals are busy with the northern attack on Luzhou and the defense of Shenjiang. It's better to let someone else do this."

Mingchen raised his head and said to Xiao Xinyue with a smile: "Your Majesty, let Chen go."

With the establishment of the new dynasty, there will definitely be a lot of complicated things to do.

Sister Dai went north to lead the army, and he stayed here just as a soldier.

He had to find a chance to go out for a walk. He was extremely curious about this mysterious world and wanted to go out and see more to see if there were any monsters, demons, fairies or ghosts. He was destined not to stay in one place and work like a slave.

He was not just going to the Huns' territory in the west.

After returning, he would go north to see what was going on with the Jinglan Alliance that suddenly appeared on the northern border.

Xiao Xinyue raised an eyebrow: "Master Ming can also lead the army into battle?"

"Lord Ming is a scholar, so please don't get involved in the fighting on the battlefield. Swords have no eyes. If Lord Ming gets injured, I will lose more than I gain."

This man!

Want to run away again!
Xiao Xinyue finally understood.

Why did this guy say he wanted to negotiate with the Blood-Clothed Army when he first arrived in Linguang?

When things were almost done, he ran back and moved forward with the team.

Damn, this guy just wants to slack off under the pretext of a business trip!!!
Mingchen smiled and said, "I understand a little bit. Your Majesty, don't worry. Although I am not as strong as General Ling, I still have some confidence against the Xiongnu."

"This strategy was proposed by Chen. I know best how to run it and how to negotiate."

"If Your Majesty is concerned, you can send General Wang Hanbo to accompany me."

This General Wang was the general who had taken the lead in opposing the Huns. He was from Lingzhou and was familiar with fighting against the Huns.

After hearing this, Xiao Xinyue knew that she couldn't stop him. After all, the project's chief designer knew best how to execute the project.

She glared at Mingchen and said, "Then go ahead!"

"If you fail, I will punish you."

When the ministers heard these words, they did not hear any warning at all, but rather sounded like a coquettish act.

"Chen will definitely live up to your majesty's trust!"

(End of this chapter)