Chapter 2074

He didn't say it outright. It was precisely because he had seen through all these causes and effects that Fu Shanlie, dragging his old and sickly body, came in person to stand up for his son.

"Before today, there were already rumors spreading in Lingxu City that you had defected to Yangshan." Fu Shanyue had been missing from Beijia for quite some time, and although the King of Chiyan claimed externally that he had made other arrangements, there are no walls that don't let the wind through.

Upon hearing this, Fu Shanyue clicked his tongue, not hiding his disgust: "A meddling fool stirring up trouble!"

"Slander wears away the bone. Once you obtain Yangshan, you will have great merit and can silence those with ill intentions." Fu Shanyue's incompatibility with Lingxu City was just like his own youth—how could the King of Chiyan not know? "The Flash Gold Upheaval—Beijia will henceforth have dealings with Flash Gold, and will most likely still need to pass through the Yangshan Islands. You happening to be here is perfectly timed; even if the Emperor wishes to transfer you, no one can replace your position."

He patted Fu Shanyue on the shoulder: "This place is simply tailor-made for you by heaven and earth."

This old thing—doesn't he want him to return to Chiyan? Fu Shanyue saw him cover his mouth and cough twice, and finally couldn't help but say: "Old man, when are you going to die?"

Fu Shanlie turned around, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked down the deck with a four-cornered step, only one sentence drifting over leisurely:

"Soon."

……

The reports from Lu Qinglin and Qi Chuanqing were soon delivered to Emperor Mou's desk.

The imperial study was filled with a low pressure.

Seeing Emperor Mou's face as if a storm were about to break, the ministers dared not even breathe loudly.

After who knows how long, Emperor Mou softly said: "Drain the pond to catch the fish—good, good."

According to Qi Chuanqing's later inquiries, before the King of Chiyan appeared out of nowhere, the Yangshan Islands had always been peaceful, with steady flow of visitors and business as usual, and no armed conflicts had occurred.

That is to say, the King of Chiyan's so-called "seizing the Yangshan Islands from He Xiong" likely never used a single soldier!

Did the Yangshan Islands really change hands so peacefully?

The only explanation is that He Xiong and Chiyan had already staged this play in advance—once Mou sent troops, Chiyan would simply plant its flag.

He Xiong's calculations are truly far-reaching—while one end is entrenched in the war on the Flash Gold Plains, the other end is doing everything possible to preserve the foundation of the Yangshan Islands!

From the very beginning, he has been guarding against Mou!

"What do you all think?"

Left Supervising Censor Qian Bingmao stepped forward: "Perhaps it's just a good show put on by He Xiong and Chiyan—Yangshan hasn't actually changed hands. I heard that during He Xiong's travels in Beijia, he became very close with the Crown Prince of Chiyan."

Wang Xingyi, however, shook his head: "If it were just a fake show, it wouldn't be worth the King of Chiyan personally rushing to the Yangshan Islands."

What rank is the King of Chiyan? He is the founding ancestor of one of the Thirteen Vassal Demon States of Beijia. For He Xiong to move him, without solid bargaining chips, how could it work?

Emperor Mou raised his hand to support his forehead: "I want to know when He Xiong laid this move? In haste, he couldn't possibly sway Chiyan."

In haste, Chiyan also couldn't dispatch so many troops to circle behind Mou.

This must have been premeditated, arranged in stages and batches, to secretly cross Chen Cang.

Qian Bingmao resentfully said: "This shows He Xiong has long harbored disloyal intentions toward Great Mou—likely he began plotting as soon as he entered the Inverted Sea."

"He Xiong raised the banner of resisting the Heavenly Demon and Beijia, but from this matter, it seems he doesn't mind collaborating with Beijia at all." Wang Xingyi pondered, "In the future, dealing with him will probably require even greater caution."

Qian Bingmao sneered: "This isn't exactly a good thing—openly resisting the Heavenly Demon, yet secretly colluding with Chiyan. Hey, his Yangshan Islands—he'd rather give them to the enemy Chiyan than to us Great Mou!"

The usually silent Grand Tutor Guo Shaoping suddenly said: "He handing over the Yangshan Islands to Chiyan does indeed bring real benefits. At least, Beijia's sanctions on the Yangshan Islands will be lifted."

The ban previously imposed by Beijia on the Yangshan Islands was known to Mou, and he had even taken it in good spirits.

Being shut out by the strongest state today, Yangshan's largest and most important partner can only be Mou, with no bargaining power whatsoever. This was originally the price He Xiong, with his wolfish ambition, should pay for annexing Flash Gold—there's no such thing as having it both ways.

But now it's different.

With the Yangshan Islands annexed by Chiyan, they have, in a broad sense, become Beijia's territory. How could Beijia sanction its own territory and industry?

If Chiyan merely goes to Lingxu City to give a little persuasion, this ban will most likely be lifted soon.

He Xiong's move is a two-birds-one-stone tactic: it not only severs Mou's future control over Flash Gold, but also lifts Beijia's ban on the Yangshan Islands, and the cost is merely the islands he bought for a few ten thousand taels of silver—

After all, he already possesses the vast expanse of the Flash Gold Plains—how could its area be merely a few hundred times that of Yangshan?

Furthermore, by pulling this stunt, he has made Mou's relations with Beijia even more tense. The Yangshan Islands seized by Chiyan are like a thorn in Mou's back, keeping it restless.

This creates a larger room for maneuver in domestic and foreign affairs for the current He Xiong and the future Flash Gold Plains.

Qian Bingmao, filled with righteous indignation: "Yangshan's position is too important—how could it fall into Chiyan's hands? Why not strike while they're unsteady, send troops to expel them, and eliminate future troubles!"

Grand Tutor Guo Shaoping glanced at him.

This fellow clearly knows his own proposals are radical and even reckless, yet he insists on saying them anyway. The very nature of his office demands "directness."

Guo Shaoping could only shake his head: "The King of Chiyan personally facing Lu Qinglin is precisely to use his own stature to suppress Yangshan. If we act against the King of Chiyan, it's tantamount to declaring war on Beijia. The Yangshan Islands have already planted Chiyan's flag, and Beijia is unwilling to abandon that place. In that case, our war with Beijia would have to expand again."

Warfare stresses offense and defense, stresses having tension and release. Being forced to quicken the pace is absolutely not Mou's intention.

"Beijia has stretched its hands all the way behind Mou—are we just supposed to watch helplessly?" Qian Bingmao fumed, "Besides, the King of Chiyan cannot possibly stay forever in the Yangshan Islands."

This fellow, every time he adds a sentence, is deliberately picking on Guo Shaoping's shortcomings—after all, the proposal for Lu Qinglin to send troops to seize Yangshan was Guo Shaoping's idea.

According to his original plan, this move should have been able to handle He Xiong.

Regarding the Yangshan Islands, there has indeed always been an agreement dispute between Bailie and He Xiong. Lu Qinglin taking advantage of the Flash Gold chaos and He Xiong's inability to attend to the west to recover the Yangshan Islands was Bailie's doing, and He Xiong cannot blame Mou for it.

Sometimes, reasons and excuses are just that important.

But He Xiong also cannot simply send troops to retake Yangshan, because he clearly knows that Lu Qinglin's actions were done under Mou's direction and support.

He is still in the midst of the great battle with Yao State—would he dare to break with Mou at this time?

This loss, he will most likely have to hold his nose and swallow it down.