Chapter 2224: The Way to Cease War

"From a surface analysis, Beija's large-scale invasion of your country is due to two reasons: first, your country adopted your strategy and utterly crushed Ya State right under its nose, causing Beija to feel utterly humiliated and enraged; second, your country also suffered losses in the war against Ya State, and Beija sees an opportunity to take advantage and gain a cheap victory." He Lingchuan summarized, "Looking at both reasons, neither is sufficient to make Beija engage in a death struggle with Mou State."

You Huan nodded.

As for the fleet that was completely annihilated in the southern seas of Mou State, neither of them mentioned it.

Who doesn't know that was merely the prelude to war? He Lingchuan even has sixty percent confidence that this was not done by Mou State.

"So I ask you, when your country first began invading Ya State under the leadership of General Zongfu over ten months ago, did you have the determination to destroy it?"

You Huan's brow slightly furrowed.

The answer was, of course, no. He knew what the Nine Nether Great Emperor was about to say.

"At the time, General Zongfu decided to invade Ya State for two reasons: one was to save face, the other was seeing an opportunity—how is this different from Beija now? Now that you are the one in charge, tell me why, in the later stages of the Mou-Ya war, Mou State's goal became 'to crush Ya State at any cost'?"

The reasons for Mou State's invasion of Ya State are not complicated: first, Ya State had previously bullied Bailie to support Beija's battlefield offensive, which amounted to loudly slapping the face of Mou State, Bailie's protector; at the time, Mou State endured it in silence, but afterward, it was certain to seek compensation. This has nothing to do with Bailie, but with Mou State's face. A great power's dignity cannot be tarnished.

Secondly, Cangyan launched a single surprise attack and penetrated deep into Ya State's territory, even seizing Ya State's holy land, Baiqiu Yuan, which made Mou State's previous forbearance appear as cowardice, and General Zongfu also genuinely saw an opportunity, prompting Mou State to launch a full-scale mobilization—

Is this not strikingly similar to the reasons behind Beija's invasion of Mou State?

Upon realizing this, You Huan felt a chill run down his back.

He spoke in a deep voice: "Crushing Ya State is out of our state's strategic security considerations."

Mou State's war against Ya State resulted in over 200,000 casualties, not to mention the materiel consumed over a year and a half of fighting—just looking at the ledger, it's clearly not cost-effective.

Yet Mou State still had to do this, because it had other strategic considerations across dimensions; losses alone cannot be calculated.

He Lingchuan laughed: "What if Beija also thinks this way?"

"This..."

It's not that, but You Huan momentarily didn't know how to rebut. Who dares to guarantee anything on the battlefield?

"You fiercely crushed Ya State because you discovered its weakness during the war, realized you could do this." He Lingchuan said each word deliberately, "If, as the war deepens, Beija notices you showing signs of fatigue and weakness, believes that gritting its teeth and paying sufficient cost could destroy your state—given Beija's temperament, do you think it would also resolve to do the same?"

"Don't waste words on strategic considerations—Ya State has been hopping and jumping behind Mou State for over a decade; back then, Mou State wouldn't have needed to consider anything?"

"Isn't it because Mou State gained confidence the more it fought, discovered it could truly destroy Ya State, and thus actually did so?"

True strategists, as the war deepens, promptly seize new opportunities.

That is, they consider according to time and circumstances.

Saying it's impossible now is premature.

"Moreover, needless to say, the Mou-Ya war has indeed wounded and bled your country, which has never recovered. Right now is the best opportunity for Beija to launch troops in nearly forty years."

Therefore, Beija's invasion force against Mou State is also the largest in forty years.

Strike while it's sick—best to take its life.

With Beija's strength, if it were determined to fight to the death—no, to beat Mou State to death……

This thought is truly chilling.

You Huan gave a bitter smile: "Great Emperor, if you were to take charge of this war?"

The Nine Nether Great Emperor put his heavy words forward, merely laying groundwork for what follows, but one cannot say his reminder lacks reason, for war is truly the most unpredictable event under heaven.

Besides, even Mou State a year and a half ago never imagined it would later go berserk and directly crush Ya State.

You Huan is the one in charge of operations; he knows best how this change occurred.

"So what you should consider is not how to quickly make Beija lay down its arms." Not thinking about how to end this war as soon as possible, "but to make it deeply realize that continuing to fight would be utterly uneconomical."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror in He Lingchuan's bosom let out an "ai": "You're not speaking correct nonsense? Who fights a war until it's uneconomical and still doesn't stop?"

You Huan's eyes flickered: "Utterly uneconomical?"

He is adept at drawing inferences from one instance; upon hearing just these few words, a hint of enlightenment stirred in his heart.

"The first character is 'consume'." He Lingchuan raised a finger, "You need to give Beija some time, let it calm down from its fury, then the problems will surface."

You Huan immediately asked: "What kind of problems?"

"Which country's interior has no problems? Mou State has existed for over 150 years—court, people's livelihood, clan lands, military— which one dares claim it's spotless and pure?" He Lingchuan laughed, "You should now be the clearest about this."

You Huan also laughed, then sighed: "Indeed!"

He entered officialdom in his youth, already accustomed to hearing things that would horrify common folk, which he now regards as ordinary. Yet, even after becoming General Zongfu and encountering many internal secrets and personnel matters, he remains deeply shaken.

"Mou State is like this, and Beija—whose duration of existence is four times that of Mou State—do you think its internal problems are four times those of Mou State?"

At this moment, You Huan also relaxed, leaning on the railing: "Far more than that—I'd say ten times over."

His mind spun rapidly, pondering the purpose of the Nine Nether Great Emperor summoning him for a private talk.

Such a prominent figure, in such a setting, would not speak without purpose.

"The Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Palace check and balance each other, the vassal demon states and the Lingxu City check and balance each other, the demon race and human officials check and balance each other—from these three fundamental contradictions arise countless major and minor problems, tangled and inextricable." He Lingchuan faced the evening wind over the river, "If Beija attacks Mou State with only seven-tenths of its strength, likely only two-tenths will reach the battlefield, the rest consumed by their own internal strife."

"Of course, even if Beija exerts only two-tenths of its strength, it's still considerable. But don't forget, it initially came to take advantage. Once its losses become too great, it must reassess." He Lingchuan saw through Beija's internal contradictions as if observing fire, "In the end, war is nothing but an economic calculation. Even if the Heavenly God wishes to continue, the Demon Emperor must act from practical reality."

The Demon Emperor is the true master of Beija, responsible for the final victory or defeat, not the Heavenly God.

You Huan immediately said: "Indeed true. This time, Beija's mobilization drew its main force from the seven vassal demon states, while Lingxu City itself contributed very few troops—less than seventeen thousand."