To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 834: 357: The Second Strategy of Controlling Chu_3

Chapter 834: Chapter 357: The Second Strategy of Controlling Chu_3

“`

At this moment, Bai Yian was asking them to give their all in a life-and-death struggle against the Chu army, which at the time was notoriously ferocious, invincible, and unstoppable. Was this a joke?

How much money has the court actually given me?

They expect me to abandon my home and business, to disregard my life, and to wager the foundation laid by my ancestors.

Are you dreaming, or am I the fool?

The high-ranking aristocratic families, accustomed to commanding others to fight and die for their slightest rewards, had lost the brave and bloodthirsty spirit of their forefathers that had fought for everything.

Faced with Bai Yian, who wanted to change all this and had encroached upon their interests, their instinct was to refute and resist.

And their reasons for rebuttal were quite justified.

Unlike the unruly Chu State, they were all Millennial Aristocratic Families, Noble of the imperial family, of dignified status and profound heritage. How could they be as rash as commoners, wishing to fight to the death at the slightest provocation?

The lowly commoners of Ning Country have not all died out yet!

The coffers, filled with gold, silver, and grain, have not yet been exhausted!

With such a substantial family fortune, was there any need for them to take risks, to fight to the death with the desperate Chu thieves?

Just as Li Minghao said, Ning Country still had tens of millions of people and a decade’s worth of reserves. At a moment’s notice, they could raise an army of a million more soldiers.

Don’t worry about the quality of these soldiers for now, the quantity alone is overwhelming.

Once the men are recruited, even if they can’t be expected to fight as valiantly as the current elite troops in head-on battlefield confrontations with the Chu people,

they could at least defend the city and protect the land like the county soldiers, an achievable task.

At present, as the one launching the offensive, while the Chu are bent on defense, repeated failures and grievous losses from unsuccessful assaults are not really a cause for concern.

After all, the defenders always have the advantage over the attackers.

A momentary setback does not mean they have utterly failed.

This only proves that Chu State is indeed powerful, and even with Ning Country allied with the Three Nations of Lingnan, it could not be eliminated.

This does not signify that Ning Country is weak.

Although Bai Yian’s proposal had some merit, it could not conceal the alarmist undertones within.

Of course, upon hearing this proposal, Shen Qiu felt it was preposterous and absurd, just like many other ministers present, instinctively opposing and resisting it.

However, considering the veiled criticism from Bai Yian and the fact that his own position was somewhat unstable, he did not want to offend the representative of the pro-war aristocratic faction too much.

Thus Shen Qiu tactfully said, “Wuan Marquis’s words are reasonable; indeed, now is a time for struggle. However, while our great Da Ning still has the strength, there is no need to gamble everything in a death match with the Chu thieves.

“Our ancestors passed the Altars of Soil and Grain on to us so that we could continue for ten thousand years with an unextinguished legacy,

not to act recklessly or to quarrel over a fleeting moment of pride at the expense of the world’s treasures.

At this point, I find this proposal somewhat inappropriate; Wuan Marquis, what is your second strategy?”

Without any surprise, Shen Qiu conformed to public opinion and rejected Bai Yian’s proposal.

Bai Yian, however, had anticipated this response. Yet, seeing the pervasive fear of battle throughout the hall, he could not help but sigh in disappointment.

He had completely given up hope for the Coastal Aristocratic Family, corroded by a thousand years of opulence.

So when Shen Qiu asked for his second strategy, he did not hide his thoughts and said bluntly, “Since the king and all ministers believe a decisive battle is inappropriate, let it be so.

However, unwilling to engage in a decisive battle, and given our current strength, defeating Chu State on the battlefield is highly improbable, nearly impossible.

Therefore, in my opinion, since victory on the battlefield is out of reach, we might as well abandon the thought of conquering Chu State altogether and focus on preserving the Altars of Soil and Grain.

I request that the king withdraw the Western Expedition forces and lead the troops back to the nation.

Then, with our navy, several times larger than that of Chu State, we’ll blockade the river, prevent the enemy from advancing eastward, and protect the Yangtze River Natural Barrier.

At the same time, in Yuzhang Prefecture to the west and south, and Jian’an County to the south, where we border the Chu thieves, we’ll build forts and establish cities and passageways, relying on the natural defenses of the mountains and rivers to bar the enemy at the gate.

But to achieve this, ensuring the eternal security of our land and rivers, Da Ning’s current army of six hundred thousand is insufficient.

I have heard that to bolster their military strength, the rogue state of Chu is implementing a policy that conscripts one adult male out of every two households, thus sustaining an army of seven hundred thousand with their meager national power.

This strategy will strengthen the country and the military. I implore the king to put aside the kindness for the people and, following Chu’s policy, to widely conscript soldiers throughout the nation to enhance our military might.

With this, out of Da Ning’s three million four hundred thousand households, we can gather another million soldiers.

In addition, the king may dispatch naval forces to sail to the Sea and reach out to Southsea, Su, and Song, to summon the allied forces from these three countries back to our homeland.

“Although these three nations have been defeated by Chu, their elite forces still remain, which together amount to two to three hundred thousand soldiers, and they have two Inborn Grandmasters.

If we can bring them all back to our country, Da Ning’s combined forces will reach over two million, with more than sixteen Inborn Grandmasters.

Furthermore, inside the Immortal Martial Sects such as Purple Cloud Dao and Liuyang Sect, there are many Inborn Grandmasters remaining.

These sects are within the territory of Ning Country; they are citizens of Ning and should obey the Heavenly Son’s command.

The king could dispatch a Messenger to summon the Grandmasters from these two sects—this might garner another three or four Inborns.

With all the country’s might, constructing extensive fortifications, even if Chu State captures lands to the north of the Yangtze or Lingnan, facing our forces of two million and twenty Inborns, as long as we are determined to defend, what could they possibly do?”

It is unclear whether Bai Yian was being deliberate or it was just his character to do so.

In the hall, after the denial of his first proposal that had shocked everyone, his second proposal followed with yet another extremist approach, again causing a stir.

It completely switched from the prior extreme advocacy for battle to vehement avoidance of conflict, shocking the assembly once again.

However, compared to the previous gamble, Bai Yian’s passive-aggressive stance was more acceptable to the crowd and even resonated deeply with some.

After all, regardless of how Da Ning would look or be perceived, and putting aside any shame,

there was an undeniable sense of security.

With a force of two million and twenty Inborns defending, Chu Country could not breach this impenetrable defense even in a hundred years.

This was indeed the counsel of a seasoned statesman!

Many faces showed signs of agreement.

Thus, once Bai Yian finished speaking, no one immediately jumped out to voice opposition.

“`