Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 123 Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Eight Trigrams Formation, Cai Zhenji's Three Blood
The corner of the Sun family patriarch's mouth twitched involuntarily.

It has to be said that Ji Qiu's reply was cheeky, but also very useful.

The terrain of Taishan County is truly awful.

Although he still doesn't understand how Ji Qiu managed to fight his way out of the Taishan Army.

This can only be attributed to the utter incompetence of Zang Hong and the Tian family's private army, who were blocking the passage to Qingzhou in Taishan County.

But letting the troops outside Taishan County break in is truly impossible.

When Yuan Wei used economic blockade against Ji Qiu, did they really intend to use this method to deal with Ji Qiu?

It's because the cost of directly attacking Taishan County would be too high.

Were we forced to choose this method only after weighing the pros and cons?

I thought that even if this method couldn't trap Ji Qiu to death, it would at least greatly weaken his strength.

But to everyone's surprise, Ji Qiu's strength actually increased rather than decreased after spending a year in Taishan County.

It's unbelievable that they were able to take down both the Tian family of Qi County and the Sun family of Le'an in succession!

Of course, at this point, it is meaningless to discuss how Ji Qiu actually increased his strength during the economic blockade.

At least for the head of the Sun family, it meant nothing.

At this moment, all he knew was that with Ji Qiu's current strength, as long as he retreated to Taishan County, no one would be able to do anything to him!

Moreover, there is currently no force within Qingzhou that can force him back to Taishan County.

Whether the forces capable of forcing Ji Qiu back to Taishan County actually intend to do so is another matter entirely.

Even if there were a force that both had the power and the will to force Ji Qiu back to Taishan County, it would probably take a long time for them to arrive.

This period of time was enough for Ji Qiu to completely wipe out the Sun family of Le'an!

Therefore, if he didn't want his family, which had been passed down for nearly a thousand years, to perish along with him, he actually had no choice.

Finally, the head of the Sun family lowered his noble head and surrendered to Ji Qiu, saying, "Your Excellency is benevolent. I am willing to surrender and hope that Your Excellency can forgive my sins and those of the Sun family!"

"Good!" Ji Qiu chuckled.

He was not surprised by the result.

In fact, from the moment he met the head of the Sun family, he knew that this would be the inevitable outcome.

It has nothing to do with the Sun family. The head of the Sun family is not the kind of person who would bravely sacrifice himself!
Otherwise, he would never have appeared before him.

There are so many opportunities to die on the battlefield; if he wanted to die, he would have died long ago.

The fact that he was captured by Zhao Yun and brought before Ji Qiu shows that he wanted to live.

So, whether it's a family or clan, it's all just an excuse.

Of course, Ji Qiu didn't care what the reason was for the Sun family head's surrender to him.

All he needed was this result!

After the Sun family head surrendered, the pace of the conquest of Le'an County accelerated dramatically.

The head of the Sun family sent letters to the magistrates of the nine county towns in Sunwu Fort and Le'an County.

Then Sun's Wubao and the nine cities of Le'an surrendered directly to Ji Qiu.

This demonstrates the influence of the Sun family of Le'an. These powerful clans, who control an entire prefecture, have long since sidelined the imperial court.

They are the true rulers of this place.

Han Ting was merely the nominal master!

Therefore, Ji Qiu sent troops to take over Sun's Wubao and the nine cities of Le'an.

As for him, he returned to Taishan County.

The first stage of conquering Qingzhou is now complete.

The next phase will be a period of rest and recuperation for the troops, and a period of internal governance.

During this period, there was no need for him to stay in Le'an County.

As for why only Qi County and Le'an County were captured, which was considered the completion of the first stage of the conquest of Qingzhou, it was determined by both planning and practical factors.

In terms of planning, the initial operational plan was to take Qi County and Le'an County as the first-stage objective.

First of all, the Qingzhou Pass is located within Qi County, so if we are going to send troops to Qingzhou, we must take Qi County as soon as possible.

However, if the plan goes smoothly, it won't take long to take over Qi County.

So, in order not to waste this rare opportunity for a surprise attack, let's just take over Le'an County as well!

Secondly, these two prefectures are located in the central part of Qingzhou. Taking these two prefectures would be equivalent to dividing Qingzhou into two parts, north and south.

Although Qingzhou is a region where each prefecture governs its own affairs, if Ji Qiu exerts too much pressure, it is hard to guarantee that they will not join forces.

However, if they are divided into two parts, north and south, then even if they want to join forces, they will be powerless to do so.

Third, these are two prefectures, and the population of each prefecture is no less than that of the original Taishan prefecture.

In particular, the territory occupied by Ji Qiu was different from that occupied by other feudal lords.

When other lords occupy territory, it does not change the original power structure of that territory; they merely occupy the top position and receive fixed benefits.

Therefore, other feudal lords could occupy large territories with fewer troops.

But Ji Qiu is different; when he occupies a place, he completely changes the local power structure.

For example, his current approach to Qi County and Le'an County is to relocate all the population of these two counties to Taishan County.

Such a decree would inevitably require the assistance of a large military force to be implemented.

Therefore, given Ji Qiu's current strength, occupying these two counties would be his limit.

Occupying more territory would not only bring no benefit, but might also backfire.

Too much to chew.

So it's best to stop here and call it a day while you're ahead!

As for the practical aspects...

Although the Battle of Shouguang Guandao resulted in the complete annihilation of 30,000 Tianqu troops, Ji Qiu's forces also suffered considerable casualties.

Each battalion needs to be rested and repaired.

This is the real factor that forced Ji Qiu to stop.

Soon after returning to Taishan County, a steady stream of good news arrived.

This was naturally the troops who went to receive Sun's Wubao and the nine cities of Le'an, and they were reporting on the spoils of war they had obtained.

Ji Qiu wasn't very interested in the other spoils of war, but he was quite interested in the legacy of the military strategist.

So I made a point of learning about this.

Then I learned that the so-called legacy of the Sage of War was actually just two things.

One of them is Sun Tzu's Art of War.

This is not the modern version of Sun Tzu's Art of War, but the supreme legacy left by Sun Tzu, the military strategist, in the world of Dragon Qi Three Kingdoms.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu records the training methods for the Sky Chariot Army.

Ji Qiu was quite envious of it.

He had witnessed the power of the Sky Drive Army firsthand.

It possesses the ability to change military formations on the spot, automatically transforming into a targeted formation to counter the enemy's formation.

It is truly extraordinary.

Most importantly, training the Skyward Army does not conflict with cultivating the secret techniques for strengthening the army.

It is entirely possible to train the elite troops who have mastered the secret techniques of strengthening the military into the Sky Destroyer Army!

This will further enhance the combat effectiveness of an already powerful military force.

Ji Qiu was naturally eagerly anticipating it.

However, according to Sun Tzu's Art of War, training the Sky Chariot Army requires the blood essence of demons as an auxiliary material.

That's pretty messed up.

These days, demons have long since disappeared. Where can you find demon blood essence?
However, since the Sun family of Le'an was able to train the Sky Chariot Army, they must have a way to obtain the essence and blood of demons.

This relates to another element in the lineage of the Military Sage.

That was a high-grade second-rank dragon artifact called the Blood Coagulation Pearl.

As the name suggests, the secret technique contained in this second-grade high-level dragon artifact is the Blood Coagulation Technique.

The Blood Clotting Technique can extract demonic essence blood from the bodies of demonic beasts whose demonic bloodlines have been activated.

The higher the level of the monster, the faster it can condense the essence of the monster's blood.

The lower the level of the monster, the slower the speed at which its essence blood is condensed.

But right now, let alone high-level monsters, even low-level monsters are hard to find.

Therefore, using the Blood Clotting Bead to condense the essence of demons and monsters is destined to be a long process.

The Sun family of Le'an has been doing this for decades.

However, only enough demon blood essence to train 30,000 Sky Chariots was extracted, and these were still the lowest-level ninth-grade beginner Sky Chariots.

Therefore, for Ji Qiu, this is indeed a long and arduous task.

Besides the training methods of the Sky Chariots, Sun Tzu's Art of War also records a secret technique.

That's a secret architectural technique called the Eight Trigrams Formation!
hiss!
The Eight Trigrams Formation?
Isn't this something from Zhuge Liang?

How could it be in Sun Tzu's Art of War?
Could it be that, according to the normal development of the Dragon Kingdom world, Zhuge Liang will obtain Sun Tzu's Art of War from the Sun family of Le'an in the future?
Well, we can't rule out that possibility.

However, such a history is clearly unlikely to repeat itself now.

Since Sun Tzu's Art of War has already come into Ji Qiu's hands, unless Ji Qiu then gives it to Zhuge Liang.

The Eight Trigrams Formation is undoubtedly a very powerful architectural secret.

Within its effective range, it can significantly weaken the enemy's combat power and greatly enhance one's own combat power.

It's a god-tier skill on the battlefield!

As for the extent of its effect, it is determined by the grade of the materials used to build it.

If all the building materials could reach the peak of Grade One, the Eight Trigrams Formation could even cover an area of ​​30,000 li!

hiss!
Even the area of ​​modern Tokyo University, if calculated in terms of square meters, is about 1.5 square kilometers.

The territory of the Eastern Han Dynasty was approximately 4800 li in circumference.

However, the top-tier Eight Trigrams Formation can cover an area of ​​30,000 li, which means it covers the entire East Asia.

If one day such a powerful Eight Trigrams Formation could be built, it would truly protect the Han Dynasty for ten thousand years!

Of course, building a top-tier Eight Trigrams Formation is by no means an easy task.

In fact, let alone a top-tier first-grade Eight Trigrams Formation, even the lowest-level ninth-grade beginner Eight Trigrams Formation is not so easy to build.

The construction of the Eight Trigrams Formation requires hundreds of types of dragon energy materials. Not only are there many types, but the quantities are also numerous.

Let alone ordinary forces, even a top-tier family like the Yuan family probably couldn't come up with so many resources.

No wonder the Sun family of Le'an, despite possessing the secrets of the Eight Trigrams Formation for so many years, still only has the Sun Family Fortress, an Eight Trigrams Formation building that was built incidentally when the military strategist Sun Tzu oversaw its construction.

It's not that they don't want to build it, it's just that they can't!
However, after carefully examining the materials required for the Eight Trigrams Formation, Ji Qiu was astonished to discover that perhaps, possibly, maybe, he could actually construct the Eight Trigrams Formation!

Because the Ministry of Industry's Materials Bureau can provide most of the materials needed to build the Eight Trigrams Formation.

Ji Qiu knew where to find the two types of dragon energy materials that the Bureau of Materials could not provide.

"That's the advantage of having a complete industry chain!"

"Sure enough, it was the right decision to have the Ministry of Industry train all the Dragon Qi Material Scholars in advance. I was so damn prescient!" Ji Qiu thought to himself.

He happily accepted the legacy of the military strategist and began a grand banquet in late autumn.

Having captured two counties in one fell swoop, gaining a large number of people and wealth, and significantly increasing their power, it was only natural to have a good celebration.

The banquet was filled with the sounds of clinking glasses and lively conversation.

Ji Qiu and his civil and military officials were all thoroughly drunk, and then, supported by their personal guards, they went home.

Of course, on the surface they were all drunk.

But in reality, probably very few people were actually drunk.

The political significance of this banquet far outweighed its celebratory significance.

Anyone with a modicum of political acumen would not allow themselves to get truly drunk.

As for why he acted as if he was drunk.

It's just that they're using their drunken state to say things that they wouldn't be able to say when they're sober.

Alcohol is a very magical thing.

It can quickly bring two people closer and also defuse awkward or serious atmospheres.

Some things that cannot be said under normal circumstances can be said after drinking alcohol.

Some things that are impossible under normal circumstances can be done after drinking alcohol.

Some things that you can't listen to under normal circumstances, you can listen to after drinking alcohol.

Some things that you wouldn't agree to under normal circumstances, you might agree to after drinking.

Anyway, once you're sober, if you don't want to do it, you can always blame it on being drunk.

As for whether he was really drunk at the time...

Generally speaking, most people who do this while intoxicated are not actually drunk!

Therefore, not only were most of Ji Qiu's civil and military officials pretending to be drunk, but Ji Qiu himself was also pretending to be drunk.

Although he drank quite a bit at the banquet, he always managed to keep himself in a slightly tipsy state.

So after Cai Zhenji helped him back to the bedroom, he remained clear-headed and retained his innate masculine abilities.

Okay, here's a little-known fact that's not exactly obscure.

A truly drunk person will not engage in promiscuous behavior.

Alcohol can inhibit sperm production and numb nerves, causing the penis to lose its ability to stand.

If one engages in sexual activity while intoxicated, it will leave one feeling extremely tired and unable to experience any pleasure.

Therefore, what people often refer to as "sexual misconduct after drinking" is not actually sexual misconduct caused by being drunk.

Instead, like Ji Qiu, they drank some wine, but not too much.

I just wanted to get myself into a slightly tipsy state.

At this moment, he would feel slightly excited, and the tension he had been holding in would ease a little.

If there were a woman of above-average quality by his side at that moment, and he didn't have to pay too high a price for her, it's self-evident what would happen.

So, as Ji Qiu leaned against the sandalwood couch, his gaze followed Cai Zhenji's figure moving between the curtains.

Watching the pearl tassels hanging from the silver hairpin that held her hair up, swaying gently with her movements, brushing against the sleeves of her moon-white dress, refracting the candlelight into tiny fragments of light.

Her delicate hands held the two corners of the lotus-patterned brocade quilt. As she bent down to smooth out the wrinkles, a few strands of hair fell from the back of her neck, like water plants swaying in a spring stream.

The fragrant sachets hanging from the bed curtains exuded a subtle warmth, mingling with the faint scent of orchids and musk from her hair.

Suddenly, I felt a tightness in my throat.

It must be admitted that Chae Jeong-hee was truly beautiful.

Ji Qiu had never met her sister, the renowned and talented Cai Wenji.

But in Cai Zhenji's opinion, Ji Qiu believes she deserves the description of being a beauty of unparalleled grace.

Of course, beauty was not Chae Jeong-hee's most attractive feature.

Her most alluring quality is her temperament.

She stood before the carved window, the morning light filtering through the bamboo blinds, casting dappled shadows on her moon-white dress, much like the subtle and poignant poems within her heart.

The silver phoenix in her hair, holding a pearl, trembled slightly, but it couldn't compare to the subtle trembling of her eyelashes when she lowered her eyes, which stirred the imagination. Her phoenix eyes held a calmness nurtured by classical texts, and the fragrance of ink lingered in their flow.

As she walked, her wide sleeves fluttered like flowing clouds, and the sound of her skirt brushing against the blue bricks was rhythmic, like the tones and rhymes in the Book of Songs.

When speaking to others, her red lips parted slightly, and her words fell like pearls on a jade plate. Her words were appropriate and elegant, and she could easily quote classical allusions without being ostentatious. It was as if she had transformed the entire "Zhaoming Anthology" into the graceful beauty between her brows.

With every gesture, the noble bearing of an aristocratic family and the refined elegance of a scholarly household blend seamlessly, like a meticulously painted portrait of a lady unfolding slowly, revealing its enduring charm the more one appreciates it.

Such women are no longer found in modern times.

Even Ren Hongchang and Zhang Ning, whom Ji Qiu had previously taken in, were both charming in their own way, but in this respect, they were not as good as Cai Zhenji.

Most importantly, in everyone's eyes, this woman was already his.

If a woman is considered by everyone to belong to him, but is not actually his woman, wouldn't he be at a disadvantage?
Ji Qiu walked behind Cai Zhenji, his arm hanging down naturally like a spring vine, resting on her slender, fragrant shoulder, his fingertips able to touch her slightly warm skin through the soft satin.

Cai Zhenji trembled slightly, but did not shake off Ji Qiu's arm.

Her back was ramrod straight, and the magnolia flower in her hairpin trembled violently, but she maintained the dignified demeanor of a lady from a noble family.

Her knees trembled slightly beneath her pale white dress, yet she managed to maintain a semblance of composure in her voice: "The magistrate is drunk."

Her final note trembled with a dryness in her throat, like a string on an autumn night dampened by dew, taut to the extreme yet stubbornly clinging to its last vestige of reserve.

"Be my woman from now on, and I will treat you well."

Ji Qiu's hand slid from Cai Zhenji's fragrant shoulder to her slender waist, and then gently pulled her back into his arms.

Cai Zhenji lowered her head, leaned against Ji Qiu's chest, and said softly, "Then please have pity on me, my lord."

The fairy is charming and beautiful, her flesh and bones are equal, and her heart is drunk with the green yin.

Their deep affection led to a meeting in Peach Blossom Spring, and their exquisite frown resembled Xi Shi's willow-leaf brow.

A spring springs forth in the cave, and butterflies flutter among the flowers, embracing a vibrant spring.

It is obvious that it is difficult for you and me to tell the difference. God has given us a perfect match in this world.

……

Just as autumn was falling, he acquired a beautiful woman and became so engrossed in her gentle embrace that he forgot all about home.

Meanwhile, his civil and military officials, following his orders, were busy relocating all the people of Qi Commandery and Le'an Commandery, totaling over a million, to Taishan Commandery.

News of his expedition to Qingzhou and his occupation of Qi and Le'an counties began to spread in all directions.

The news reached the ears of those who should know it.

Beihai domestic.

The prime minister Kong Rong looked delighted and said to his advisors, "Prefect Ji Qiu of Mount Tai has sent troops to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou."

This is really great.

The Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou are entrenched in the North Sea region, which is causing me great anxiety. If I could use Ji Qiu's help to eliminate them...

But this has removed one of my biggest worries!

"The Prime Minister must not be careless."

In my humble opinion, this autumn's true intentions are probably not what they seem.

He nominally came under the banner of suppressing the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, but in reality, he was probably there to seize territory.

Otherwise, why did he stop advancing after conquering Qi County and Le'an County?

For the past year, the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou have remained entrenched in the Beihai Kingdom.

"If he really came for the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou, then he should have informed the magistrate in advance to cooperate, and then led his army straight to the Northern Sea Kingdom!" the strategist hurriedly said.

But Kong Rong shook his head in displeasure and said, "Don't judge a gentleman by the standards of a petty person!"

As Lord Ji said, the reason he occupied Qi Commandery and Le'an Commandery was because some people in these two commanderies colluded with the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou and plotted a rebellion!
He wanted to eliminate these rebels first, cut off the retreat of the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, and then quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou!
The Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou have been repeatedly suppressed but never eradicated. I had long suspected that someone in the prefecture was secretly colluding with them, but I never expected it to be a powerful family from Qi County and Le'an County.

Lord Ji and I truly share the same view!
I have also heard that when Governor Ji went to Le'an County to eliminate the rebels who colluded with the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou, the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou sent their elite troops to attack Governor Ji.

Fortunately, Magistrate Ji possessed formidable strength and exceptional skills, which enabled him to eliminate both the elite Yellow Turban rebels of Qingzhou and the traitors who colluded with them!

The strategist was completely dumbfounded, looking at Kong Rong with the eyes of someone who was an idiot, finding it hard to imagine how he had come to these conclusions.

What Ji Qiu said?

How could anyone believe that?

The only plausible part of this entire argument is probably the claim that someone colluded with the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou.

But those who colluded with the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou might not be the powerful families of Qi County and Le'an County; it's quite possible that it was Ji Qiu himself!

However, seeing Kong Rong's smug expression, the strategist had no words to say.

He knew Kong Rong's character well: Kong Rong was not practical, loved empty talk, lacked wisdom, and was extremely self-confident.

Once he's made up his mind about something, no one can change it!
The strategist could only sigh inwardly: "So be it. At worst, we'll just lose the Beihai Kingdom."

Given Kong Rong's family background and reputation, he should not be in any danger to his life.

With chaos looming, for someone like him, losing the Beihai Kingdom sooner rather than later might not be such a bad thing.

On the contrary, I should probably start thinking about my options and future.

This chaotic world is both a calamity and an opportunity. If one can assist a wise ruler to quell the chaos and restore peace, a bright future is assured!

But where can we find a wise ruler?

"How about we go check out the situation under Ji Qiu's jurisdiction first?"

Pingyuan County, Huashi Wubao.

Hua Xin, the head of the Hua family who had recently resigned from his official post and returned to his clan, frowned as he looked at the letter in his hand.

"Ji Qiu actually sent troops to Qingzhou?"

"And they occupied Qi County and Le'an County in just a few days?"

"How could he possess such formidable strength?" Hua Xin murmured.

(End of this chapter)