Chapter 254

The Great King felt like fainting. "Bai Ge, can we first leave the giant crab alone? Once the northern part of Great Jin is gone, my Youzhou will also surely be surrounded, and we won't even get to eat sea crabs."

"Not. I'm saying the carts and horses are slow, and your information transmission is also slow. When did Marquis Hanshou rebel, and what is he doing now—you all don't know; information is seriously delayed. You in Youzhou know that Beidi Commandery is gone; maybe the Xiongnu have already seized supplies and, together with the Xianbei alliance, attacked the remnants of Jin from front and rear. Your analysis is completely correct, the possibility is great, very great."

"Destroying this great army, not only does half of the northern border land become a smooth path, but… this force also includes the troops your father brought out from Chang'an, right? Chang'an's defenses are also weakened."

"King: ……"

"Even more heartbreaking."

"★"

"After Bai Yang's analysis, the King became completely like a cabbage hit by frost."

""As the Prince of Jin, am I to rule to the end? I never imagined that, as this city lord, my greatest threat is not a city-lord's heart, but national ruin." The King wilted."

Bai Yang: "Huh? What national ruin? If Chang'an really has a one-in-a-million chance, even if those barbarians really seize it for a moment, it's only temporary. Even in the worst case, it wouldn't delay our becoming city lord. It's either the Jin Youzhou Commandery, or the Great You State! This time it's your turn to go south."

The King pouted: "Not funny at all."

"I dare not imagine how many people would die if Chang'an fell; this land would be a hundred times more miserable than its current chaotic state."

Bai Yang poked his puffed bun face, "I'm not just comforting you! Day follows month, dynasties change—this is inevitable. Under heaven, long union leads to division, long division leads to union. But Jin still has you! I believe you can reverse the tide; no matter how long, you'll eventually succeed." That's how confident he is. Such a heaven‑chosen son of great fortune surely isn't meant to be the last marquis.

"So what can I do now? Should I try to rescue my father, or delay the Xiongnu's southward advance? I can't just stand by…"

After saying that, the King suddenly bared his teeth ferociously: "I will eventually trample the Xiongnu's court just as I trampled the Eastern Xianbei!"

Bai Yang suddenly found this guy adorable; suddenly being fierce is still okay!

"Great ambition! So don't be disheartened! Jin's current situation isn't your fault; go with the flow, we have nothing to fear. This isn't even entirely your father's fault… Of course, if he had exerted himself to govern, he could have lingered a few more years without problem."

"When the troops come, block them; when water comes, earth covers it—relax. Now, above all, avoid making mistakes in the rush. Your father, as the ruler of Jin, being captured does not endanger his life. My conservative view is that we should first clarify the current situation, then see Chang'an's reaction; otherwise you'd have no just cause. It's best not to act rashly; first develop your own strength to protect Youzhou. You know the troops under the Eastern Capital Marquis well, but Chang'an doesn't. Your northern expedition just turned back; given the delay in your information, this likely hasn't spread beyond Youzhou yet. If any unexpected complications arise, and you expose more than three thousand troops openly, a blatant rebellion charge could be slapped on you. Will you then resist, fully rebel, or give up your own life?"

It's not that he's cold‑blooded; he's stopping the King from immediately rushing to rescue Jin from fire and water.

It's that the Xiongnu are eighty percent likely to besiege Chang'an.

The great army that the Ningde Emperor took with him is also eighty percent likely to be lost.

As an adult, as an observer, he feels now is not the time for the King to act.

No one in the court; acting now would only bring trouble and be thankless.

The King can field at most forty thousand troops for immediate battle; if he empties Youzhou entirely, what then? As a border commandery, Youzhou's neighbors aren't only the Eastern Xianbei he crippled, but also the Western Xianbei to the west, and the Fuyu and Goguryeo to the northeast.

Can forty thousand really sweep away several hundred thousand allied troops? The Xianbei alone number two hundred thousand, and the Xiongnu, who devised all this, will give it their all; he doesn't want the King to take such a risk.

If luck holds and we rely on superb equipment and strength to stall the Xiongnu, will the now‑safe Chang'an turn around and let the King off?

Will his brothers allow him to grow to this extent?

Of course, he never said these things out loud.

To a child with a pure, loyal heart, he cannot bring himself to say it.

The land of Jin is the King's country and home; in Bai Yang's heart it is merely an ancient state's name.

Their positions are naturally different.

He can't even find Jin in the history books, and it's truly hard to empathize. There, he only knows a living, breathing King, whom he has almost watched grow up. Now this child comes to ask him, and he considers the matter solely from the King's interests.

Seeing the King lost in thought, Bai Yang spoke up again: "By the way, can you bring out that warship? If you can, pulling a few cannons out would give tremendous deterrent power! Don't look down on those cannons as outdated; in your hands they'd surely be rare. Anyway, the navy looks like you won't need them for now."

The King finally lifted his head, revealing a resentful little glance; he'd been dazzled by the name of the warship's cannons, which look extremely formidable, but to Bai Yang's mouth they're just "outdated and useless"…!

"If the dock isn't finished in a day, the warship can't be brought out for a day. I don't know why, but it must be a military dock to berth. Our Youzhou ferry is also for repairing treasure ships—super deep, right!"

"Hasn't the project already started? I recall it began in March."

"Yes, the schedule is forty days. As of today, there are ten days left."

"That's soon enough; just take the ten days as a limit and wait for further news. In ten days you might have the big cannons, and they might actually be useful."

The King, thinking of the warship's configuration, finally showed a hint of pleasure.

"In ten more days, I'll have not only cannons but also arrows and explosive‑tipped bolts! When the time comes, I'll first have the artisans study them—more advanced weapons, the better." At this point, the King places ever greater weight on military strength.

When leaving the homestead, the frost‑hit cabbage regained a bit of moisture.

The King is naturally broad‑minded and open‑thinking; after Bai Yang's three rounds of persuasion and two diversions, he relaxed considerably.

The King ran through it himself and also felt it wasn't yet the most desperate moment. What's already happened, he can't change even if he's anxious.

As long as Youzhou City stands firm and the King lives, who will win the deer remains unknown.

No worries.

First hold Youzhou, with a ten‑day limit.

Then just wait a bit longer for news from Chang'an—what if Chang'an summons the feudal lords to the capital to help defend it?

Then he'd have a legitimate cause.

…………………New Chapter………………

………………New Chapter…………………

………………New Chapter…………………

The King temporarily stopped frowning, but that doesn't mean he forgot Bai Ze.

This guy drags a little stool and doesn't sleep, just sits beside Bai Ze's head, staring intently at people.

Even the transcendent Bai Ze can't stand that stare.

"Say what you want to say."

The King stretched out his hand, indicating a tiny distance: "Can you… give me a hint? No, an instruction! Tell me what I should do now to make the best choice."

Bai Ze lifted his head and looked at him seriously: "Your own choice is the best choice. Hesitant matters are best not done." If even he hesitates, that shows a flaw.

It won't directly interfere with the King's direction. Pulling Wei Tinghou aside once was already an exception.

As soon as the King heard that familiar Taiji talk, he knew there was no hope.

"But my troops all come from Youzhou; I can't lead them to abandon Youzhou and go all‑out to stall the Xiongnu. However… the north is vast and sparsely populated; if the Xiongnu pass Anding Commandery, they're at Chang'an. Chang'an is the capital, and I have a sister there. She and Consort Wei Zhao are still trapped in the deep palace; if the fighting really reaches Chang'an, what good fate could a princess have? I'm not ignorant of the records left by previous dynasties."

Bai Ze nodded: "The Chang'an affair is too big, but your sister can still be saved. Let Zhuti make a trip and bring her out—wouldn't that work? Otherwise, even if we dodge this time, she'll grow up, and staying in the deep palace won't bring anything good either."

Great King Zhang Dazui, the child obviously hasn't thought of that yet.

His father is still alive, and he stole the princess out?

"How to get her out? Storm the palace and seize her, or sneak her out?" The Great King's eyes lit up.

Bai Ze lay back lazily, "That's why I said let Zhu Ti go. As a woman, she has more leeway to enter the inner palace, and she also has martial prowess. One of you being in Youzhou is enough; you first lie low for a few days, then let her make a trip to Chang'an."

No delay is advisable; he doesn't trust that old fool in court who only knows how to quarrel.

The Great King immediately summoned him: "Zhu Ti, you need to make a trip to Chang'an. The Fifth Princess is still in the palace; this king wants you to bring her and Wei Zhaoyi back."

Zhu Ti nodded calmly, as if it were nothing worth mentioning.

This trip might go through a war zone, encountering enemy troops, yet she spoke of it lightly.

"How many Xiao Ying do we need this time?"

"We can't storm the palace; your sister doesn't know martial arts, and forcibly taking her out would be troublesome. So having more people this time is useless, the target is still too big. Take ten, to protect them on the way back."

The Great King nodded: "Gather more news along the way and in Chang'an, return to Youzhou as soon as possible. Wei Zhaoyi, she treats this king and my sister well; even my father emperor doesn't like her, so I will definitely bring her out too. If she wants to go home, arrange for someone to send her to Changzhou; if she doesn't want to come back to Youzhou together, that's fine."

Zhu Ti nodded, then asked the Great King: "What about my affairs this time we go out?"

The Great King's head swelled, and he weakly said: "This king only handles intelligence; I really can't manage anything else～"

Seeing Zhu Ti open his mouth to rebut, the Great King quickly interrupted: "Silver! I'll give you silver to splurge! Just as much as last time!"

Only then was Zhu Ti satisfied; he quietly went out to wait for dawn to depart.

The Great King wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead: "Spending money wards off disaster! Silver really is a good thing～"

Bai Ze: ……

The Great King actually wasn't sure either; Chang'an is too far, and if Zhu Ti doesn't return, the situation could change.

But the Fifth Princess can't wait either; each extra day adds more danger. Think of the Fourth Princess who married far away to the Wusun……

"The Fourth Princess died in vain; even the Prince of Han Shou rebelled, and her brother, the Prince of Wuling, was killed. With the north in such chaos, who knows when we'll be able to spare troops to suppress the rebellion. If it were me, I'd immediately send troops to seize Wuling for myself. My father holds onto good land and refuses to grant it to anyone, but now it's fine—it's become someone else's rebel king!" The Great King recalled this, and his resentment soared.

As his son, look at the fief his father gave him.

Bai Ze followed behind, leisurely saying: "I've given you Wuling; today Youzhou is just Du Ye. Youzhou is better than Du Ye, after all, knowing the ropes."

Upon hearing that, the Great King exclaimed: "Oh, are you praising this king? Why so tactful?"

Bai Ze: ……

Being so tactful makes your tail almost perk up; this guy's mood has clearly improved ever since hearing he could steal the sister out.

At such a young age, he worries about nothing lacking.

The Great King, idling, even made a trip to Shanggu Pass; helplessly, all the information the Marquis of Dongdu knew was told to him, and he still didn't know any further news.

An old man and a youngster sat opposite each other, sighing.

Liang Ben came running in just then, slapped the Great King on the shoulder with a palm, and the Marquis of Dongdu's eyebrows twitched.

"Prince You, you little brat, finally back! I was about to come settle accounts with you! You didn't say Bai Ze could be casually picked up in Youzhou? I've been here how long, and I still haven't caught a single one; even the locals haven't heard of it."

The Great King: …… Huh? Something happened?

He solemnly corrected Liang Ben: "Liang Erge, did you misremember? This king said I picked up in Youzhou; Youzhou is merely where Bai Ze was found, not that you can casually pick up in Youzhou~"

Liang Ben scratched his head: "Did I misremember? Really?"

The Great King nodded firmly.

The Marquis of Dongdu: …… Who'll toss out this idiot!

Too bad it can't be done. Prince You seems to like this cheerful idiot a lot; the two have plenty to talk about when together, and when the Great King left, he even invited Liang Ben to stay in the city.

"Fine, I'll stay in Youzhou City for a while. You don't know my father bought a residence in Youzhou City and has been renovating it. He also sent people back to fetch my grandmother and the others, insisting the whole family live together……"

The Great King heard that the Marquis of Dongdu had brought his family to Youzhou and was quite pleased, showing that this old fox looks favorably on him. Then they can stay on the same front.

Seeing Liang Ben, the Great King wasn't surprised; that's exactly what he had been hinting at—the Marquis of Dongdu bringing him to and sending him to Youzhou was the Great King's idea. He hadn't expected the whole family, young and old, to be sent over.

When the Great King left, he directly took Liang Ben along.

The Liang family's good-for-nothing, on the road, envied the guards beside others; those people at a glance are no pushovers, and he also has some insight into family relations.

"Taking this out would be far more imposing than what I have nearby!" Liang Ben drooled the whole way.

Although the Xiao Ying today wear plain clothes without armor, from horse to saber they are extremely stylish. The Xiao Ying have already adopted the Great King's newly specified narrow blade; weapons made by John Pu are quite on point in appearance. Liang Ben thinks the empty-handed attendants his father gave him are pathetically weak!

The Great King roughly figured it out and sincerely asked: "Want a blade? I can purchase on your behalf."

Making money, but still have to be picky about people?!

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