Chapter 1699: The Chaotic Situation Begins

The Yao Nation originally had three great generals: Xue Zongwu, Tu Han, and Chen Chuihua.

Xue Zongwu guarded the northern frontier, while Chen Chuihua defended the southern frontier. Usually, like Xue Zongwu, they stayed on their own fiefs and were not easily allowed to return to the capital.

For the Yao King's fifty-ninth birthday, Chen Chuihua did not return to the capital to offer congratulations because his mother and young son had died in the summer. In the minds of the Yao people, this was a sign of being plagued by bad luck, so he could not return to the capital, lest he clash with the birthday star's fortune.

However, later facts proved that there was no need for him to clash with it; the Yao King's fortune had long since vanished.

Seeing this news, He Lingchuan smiled:

"Xue Zongwu died at my hands, and Tu Han has also fled the capital to join Yuwen Yong in raising an uprising in the north. Chen Chuihua in the south is likely sitting on pins and needles."

Bai Tan personally killed the Yao King and seized Tianshui City, fully revealing his wolfish ambition. Chen Chuihua knew that he would certainly not tolerate him and would sooner or later come to collect the southern frontier.

"But Bai Tan is wielding the might of a great victory and is also widely propagating that the Heavenly Gods helped him. Chen Chuihua may not necessarily dare to provoke him at this time."

"No one wants to be the first bird to stick its head out. Even if he defeats Bai Tan, there are still packs of wolves circling." The Soul-Gathering Mirror fed him a line, "If you were Chen Chuihua, what would you do?"

"Chen Chuihua is doing quite well right now; he hasn't rashly raised an army to crusade. Having a fief means he can support an army and not worry about military pay, so he perhaps thinks the best method right now is to remain still, then raise the banner of avenging the nation, and quickly contact other forces, such as Tu Han, Yuwen Yong, and other remnants of the Yao Nation, to jointly crusade against Bai Tan." He Lingchuan paused, "After all, the Yao Nation has stood for nearly two hundred years, and the people of the nation have a sense of identity with it, so Chen Chuihua's call is useful. This point is somewhat different from other places on the Flash Gold Plain."

In other small nations on the Flash Gold Plain, they live in the morning and die in the evening; how could the commoners have any sense of identity with the nation? The people above fight to the death, which is nothing more than the city walls changing the banner of the king once again.

The mirror asked: "Is there a problem with this process?"

"This is the conventional problem-solving approach; it's steady and not easy to make mistakes. However, can Bai Tan not foresee what Chen Chuihua can think of?" He Lingchuan laughed, "Do you know how much time, energy, and money it takes to pull together an alliance and form a front, and how many interests must be conceded and how many contradictions reconciled? If you don't understand, the allied army on the Flash Gold Plain is a template."

The allied army led by the Boss Situ family was like a hot knife through butter in the early stages, but after the front line was pushed back to the Bijia people's homeland, it seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, and the progress was very slow; even now, they haven't taken out the Bijia's old nest. Once their own side gained the upper hand, the various forces of the allied army began to calculate their own small interests, and coupled with the Yao Nation blowing wind and lighting fires from the sidelines, the allied army had internal strife repeatedly; the progress of the crusade was slow, which in turn affected the enthusiasm of everyone in the allied army, and this war became a bit sluggish.

If Boss Situ He were still alive, the situation might be better; now it is his son, Boss Situ Yu, presiding over the big picture, and the maneuvering is quite strenuous.

"Then?" The mirror was confused.

"If Chen Chuihua wants to form a front or a coalition army to crusade against Bai Tan, he always needs to communicate via flying messages, right? He always needs to explain the pros and cons and negotiate cooperation, right? These all require time." He Lingchuan shook his head, "During this period, if Bai Tan takes the opportunity to attack Tu Han, or takes more prefectures and counties, and gathers more troops and horses, his subordinate army will further expand, and the new recruits he conscripts are all refugees who originally wouldn't fight, but if they taste the fruits of victory a few more times, they will also become brave and orderly."

There is no place that can temper people better than the battlefield.

"What Bai Tan needs most is time, and Chen Chuihua has given him plenty of time. The longer this war drags on, the more unpredictable the outcome."

The mirror wondered: "Didn't you just say that Chen Chuihua is doing quite well?"

"It is quite well, but it also exposes that he lacks the courage to break the situation. It just so happens that the Emperor Flowing Syrup fell for nine consecutive days, which gave him another reason not to make a move." He Lingchuan said slowly, "Look, if a person wants to retreat, they can find at least a hundred reasons. If Bai Tan were a little smarter, he could see that Chen Chuihua is afraid of the tiger in front and the wolf behind, and is not firm enough. These nine days of Emperor Flowing Syrup are very likely to change the course of the war."

"Ah, how so?"

He Lingchuan held up a finger: "The war that was originally on the verge of breaking out was interrupted and directly paused for nine days. During these nine days, Chen Chuihua and Tu Han, Shan Zezhong, and other resistance forces, and even General Lei Qing, may have communicated. The Emperor Flowing Syrup also bought them time."

"Secondly, Bai Tan swallowed Tianshui City, and he also needs time to digest it to consolidate his rule and expand his army. Compared to the forces resisting him, he has one biggest advantage—"

The mirror blurted out:

"Support from the Heavenly Gods?"

"Nonsense, the purpose of overthrowing the Yao royal family has been achieved, how could the Heavenly Gods openly support him at this time?" He Lingchuan laughed, "His advantage is that he is particularly rich! You forgot, the Tianshui eastward expansion project used a few pieces of worthless land to concentrate the wealth of officials, nobles, and commoners, and the wealth of the whole country, to the Yao royal family and the national treasury. Bai Tan seized the opportunity to kill the Yao King and occupy Tianshui City, so naturally, he pocketed a massive amount of wealth!"

The mirror let out an "Ah": "How did I forget that there is still this money!"

"It's not strange; the major events that have happened in the Yao Nation recently seem to have nothing to do with money, which is why you forgot the magic of money; but Bai Tan hasn't forgotten."

"Having money doesn't necessarily mean you can get the gods to help you, but money can make ghosts grind flour. Coupled with the famine in the Yao Nation, which was created by him and Qing Yang, his subordinates will not lack food in the short term. With abundant money and food, and no shortage of troops, this is where his confidence lies." He Lingchuan analyzed, "Looking at his opponents again, no matter which one, their days will become increasingly tight. So Bai Tan probably also thinks that time is where his advantage lies."

"Isn't it?"

"Not entirely." He Lingchuan said sternly, "The chaotic situation in the Yao Nation has begun, just like a vortex forming. They have entered the game with their bodies, and it is impossible not to drift with the tide and rise and fall. No matter how perfectly any plan is initially set, there will definitely be loopholes, not to mention that there are Heavenly Gods and Beijia stirring up trouble behind this, and Emperor Flowing Syrup confusing people's hearts. The road of rebellion is not easy to walk, and Bai Tan still has many hurdles to pass."

He said this on the fifth day of the Emperor Flowing Syrup.

As if to confirm his judgment, on the evening of the third day, new intelligence from the Yao Nation was delivered:

Tianshui City is in chaos again! It's another refugee riot.

When everyone heard this, regardless of being exhausted from refining elixirs, they hurriedly urged:

"Tell us in detail, tell us in detail."

The reason is not complicated. Since Bai Tan has become the new master of Tianshui City and uses it as a foothold, he must implement control over it to restore normal production and life as soon as possible. ===== CHAPTER 1700 =====