Chapter 1995: Not Enough Money to Spend

"You say."

"Suppose Guo Bai Yu here really is a trap—can we turn the tables on them?" Then he laid out his idea.

Dong Rui listened, very pleased: "You little brat, not bad—much sharper than before."

"Well, you said it." Wan Qiliang also felt a bit pleased, "How could I be like the Weng brothers?"

He's not stupid; he was just impulsive before.

"By the way, do you need to contact the county magistrate of Miancheng? I'm afraid they can't hold out." Dong Rui glanced toward Miancheng and sighed.

"Mm. I'll quietly inform Magistrate Huang. The bird demons said they still managed to seize quite a bit of grain from the city a few days ago, so food should be sufficient for now." They can't send troops to support yet, but at least we should give them hope.

In dire straits, hope is the lone bright lamp that lets people endure.

Dong Rui asked him: "In the Dragon God's territory, the forces causing trouble—how many have we wiped out?"

"Maybe a dozen or so?" Wan Qiliang's expression wasn't relaxed at all, "But we've lost a lot of territory too, and the remaining Shan Jin forces are banding together."

During the Dragon God army's training "transition phase," relying on the Black Armor Army and local militia to maintain this situation is already no small feat.

On the Shan Jin Plains, the war surrounding the Dragon God's territory is brutal and cruel, ongoing every day.

Both sides clearly know this is a battle with our backs to the water, no retreat!

But the Dragon God's territory is so vast, there are bound to be places we can't hold.

These Shan Jin forces, carrying the local cunning unique to them, are seeking the Dragon God's weak points under the Heavenly Gods' protection, launching frenzied attacks.

Though this protection might be a deception, and though most of these forces are merely cannon fodder.

But their numbers are sufficient.

As the old saying goes, many ants can gnaw an elephant to death. Is the Heavenly God hoping that many ants can still gnaw a Dragon God to death?

This time it was Wan Qiliang who asked: "Is the Dragon God army's major training still going smoothly?"

"Fairly smooth. There were some problems, but I heard they've all been resolved." Dong Rui nodded, "Progress in this phase is already over halfway; if we persist another month or so, the main army can mobilize. It's just hard on Miancheng and these places—they have to stubbornly resist opponents like Guo Bai Yu."

Over the past two months or so, he's been rushing day and night, hardly eating a proper meal.

Wan Qiliang also perked up: "Guo Bai Yu's strong points aren't many, and quite a few have been wiped out. The Great Emperor said before, their appearance shows that Shan Jin's powerful clans are also going all-in, so victory isn't far for us."

Dong Rui rubbed his nose. The same matter, viewed by pessimists and optimists, truly admits utterly different interpretations.

￥￥￥￥￥

After scattering the allied armies and annexing the six regions, the Black Armor Army immediately marched north, charging straight into the northernmost border of the allied armies' territory, the country of Beruli, covering a hundred li in forced march, then further north lies Bixia.

Even before the news of Beruli's king's death had spread domestically, the Black Armor Army had already arrived and captured Beruli's third prince near the southern border, perfectly illustrating what is meant by "troops value divine speed."

At cockcrow, the third prince woke with a start in a beauty's arms, still dazed when captured. He was also unlucky—this spring field inspection and border patrol in the south was merely routine; a trip for food, drink, and fun would have ended it, but who knew a fierce person would descend, grab his collar, and solemnly tell him a fact:

Your father king is dead, but hasn't gone far.

If you don't obey, you'll soon be able to go see your father king.

After the Beruli king died, the throne should rightfully pass to the third prince. But after the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor kept vigil, had a serious, sincere, earnest long talk with him for two hours, the third prince shifted his thinking, became righteous and resolute, and decided to offer the whole state in tribute!

After all, his father king is dead and he hasn't prepared to inherit the throne; after all, other powers in the allied armies have already surrendered, leaving only Beruli as a lone palm unable to clap; after all, the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor can even grasp his movements, catching one with certainty—he dare not imagine what fate awaits him if he refuses.

Thus, the seven allied forces in the central-west Shan Jin Plains have all been merged into the Dragon God's domain!

Taking advantage of the time to integrate allied military strength, He Lingchuan stayed in Beruli for two days, and en route received an urgent report from Ding Zuodong.

When leading the army on the move, he couldn't handle official duties. This backlog meant many major matters needed review and processing.

This old subordinate used coded language to settle his accounts for him; He Lingchuan and Yang Shan's usable funds on the books now amount to less than thirty percent!

The Nine Abyssal Great Emperor's grain and money are also not limitless.

On the eve of launching the Dragon God war, He Lingchuan's sources of income mainly had three items:

One is the profits from Yang Shan's merchant guild.

Yang Shan's business spreads across most of the Shan Jin Plains, involving all trades and industries; in some places it has even become a pillar-like, monopolistic industry. The logistical support of the Black Armor Army and Dragon God Army heavily relies on the vast trade routes Yang Shan built earlier.

Latest⊥Chapter⊥First⊥Release⊥At⊥⊥⊥Top⊥!

Two is the vast wealth He Lingchuan seized from the Ghost King's Underground Palace, Yao State, and the Inverted Sea.

Ghost King Xuan Lu's diligent savings over several hundred years, Miao Zhantian and Qian Huan True Person's entire fortunes, all came cheap to He Lingchuan; he also legally extracted large sums from the Yao State's You Lake project and new city construction—because the Yao King also participated in profit-sharing, and when Yao State fell, the Yao King died before he could withdraw the dividends from the last few periods.

Three is the family property and assets confiscated by the Black Armor Army and Dragon God Army after carrying out heavenly justice and killing the wicked and evil.

Picking any one of these three major items, it's wealth ordinary people couldn't spend in several thousand lifetimes. Yet He Lingchuan treats them merely as war funds—no matter what money is thrown into war, it's like tossing stones into water, with no sound heard even after half a day.

Moreover, judging by the current situation, it's indeed not enough to spend.

No way—front lines need to feed troops, rear needs to safeguard people's livelihood; even if Shan Jin labor is dirt cheap, it can't withstand Yang Shan having to scatter money to countless thousands. What's more troublesome is, due to the long-term sucking by demons and immortals, Shan Jin's current grain output isn't that abundant; although Yang Shan Merchant Guild is mobilizing all resources, even purchasing from elsewhere, the crisis of material shortage still blooms everywhere.

Put plainly, grain is only so much, material is only so much, truly not enough for everyone to eat and use. Even if Yang Shan is formidable, it can't conjure things out of thin air.

Among the special products He Lingchuan brought out from the Inverted Sea, there are two or three kinds of seeds called "Yu Shu." This is the staple food of the Inverted Sea's commoners, resembling large yellow rice. In an environment rich in spiritual energy, they grow faster and yield more than the sweet potatoes He Lingchuan knows well, with extreme satiety and resistance to pests and diseases.

He Lingchuan and Wan Qifeng et al. have eaten them in the Inverted Sea too; the taste is poor—neither fragrant nor sweet, still gritty, lacking the aroma of rice and flour, but they can also be made into cakes, noodles, and various other foods.

According to He Lingchuan's words, "nutrition is sufficient."

The key is not picky about soil, grows fast, resists drought, flood, and pests—what does a bit of poor taste matter? It will make an excellent field ration.

(End of Chapter)