Chapter 879: Expansion

The key to a day lies in the morning; the key to a year lies in spring.

Before dawn broke, smoke rose from every household. People ate thin porridge, left their homes, and went to their fields, sowing seeds onto the ancient earth with diligent hands and hopeful expectations for the new year.

It was at this time that Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying arrived in Wang Yan's territory to serve as an envoy to Zhen Ding.

He had visited once before, but back then he had gone to Ji County in Liu Liu Youzhou, where he had already witnessed Wang Yan's might. Yet now, returning to Wang Yan's domain, he saw even more.

At every mealtime, the rising aroma grew stronger. Especially the scent of pan-fried ribbonfish; he had smelled that fragrance even in Bingzhou. Along this journey, the scent of meat was far more intense. The food of the common people naturally reflected the overall situation under Wang Yan's rule. After all, unless truly prosperous, no one would feed the people such good things.

It must be said that Wang Yan's method of making ice from saltpeter was indeed very convenient. Commoners elsewhere certainly could not enjoy it, but powerful clans and wealthy households had mastered the ice-making technique themselves. This made summers less unbearable for them and allowed food to be preserved for longer, enabling them to eat fresh fruits from farther distances without spoilage during transport.

Under Wang Yan's rule, ice production was on a massive scale. The costs were saltpeter and labor, both of which could be diluted through economies of scale. Although transport costs were high, people could still afford river fish, seafood, and melons.

Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying also discovered that, compared to his previous visit, the roads this time were wider and better. Everywhere he looked along the way, construction sites had halted due to spring plowing. The people he met on the road were full of spirit, unlike those elsewhere who bore the sallow look of hunger. The colors of people's clothing had become more varied, looking increasingly better. Moreover, the styles of clothing were beginning to change.

The feeling he got was one of prosperity, with vitality everywhere. He knew very well what each thing he saw represented. For instance, the clothing meant there had been a breakthrough in dyeing; the change in clothing styles indicated that reforms had emerged under Wang Yan's rule, challenging old traditions. All these factors added up to represent strength.

He became even more convinced that Wang Yan would surely conquer the world.

In fact, he had already been shocked when he went to the northern lands. Anding and Beidi had only recently been captured by Lu Bu and Zhang Liao; not much time had passed. Both places had only a few Han people; most were barbarians, and the nature of the barbarians was well known. Yet under Guo Jia's command, the barbarians had begun production and construction in such circumstances.

Although the time was short and no major changes were visible yet, it was this powerful administrative efficiency and the high-intensity control over the barbarians that were truly shocking.

With such strength, Wang Yan could both create things and control people. He occupied the lands north of the Yellow River, and now he was set to take Liangzhou. If he could not seize the world and ascend to the throne, it would be incomprehensible.

After traveling for over a month, he finally arrived at Zhen Ding.

He waited patiently for a few days. Hearing that Great General Wang Da was receiving envoys from the Wa Kingdom, he did not rush. Instead, he strolled through Zhen Ding daily, feeling a prosperity that was no less than the peak days of ancient Luoyang, and marveling at Wang Yan's ability to govern the world.

Wang Yan was indeed receiving the Wa envoys. He had not expected the Wa people to come to him, nor that they would seek his help.

This matter was quite interesting. The envoys came from Kyushu Island, where the ruler was a queen named Himiko. In the scant historical records, she was Cao Cao's adopted daughter. This faction was called Yamatai; at its peak, it ruled over more than thirty small states. In terms of national power, it was roughly equivalent to a single county under Great General Wang Da's command.

They had fallen into trouble and, having heard of Great General Wang Da's reputation, came to cling to his thigh in a very sycophantic manner. But how could they know what attitude Great General Wang Da held toward them?

Since they had offered themselves, Wang Yan did not refuse. He dispatched two thousand navy soldiers, preparing warships to sail out and help Himiko. Of course, the more practical reason was certainly to control the Wa Kingdom and exert actual dominion over it.

The current Wa Kingdom was not much better than primitive people. Two thousand fully armed soldiers would be an invincible force; marching through the Wa Kingdom twice should not be a major problem.

Furthermore, these were navy soldiers, with requirements far higher than normal army troops. After all, they were originally for expansion, or rather, they were sent to die. Therefore, they could not die easily. Their physical constitution had to be strong enough to withstand the hardships of long voyages, possess powerful resistance to disease, and have formidable combat capabilities.

The warships were constantly being upgraded. After many years of research, the warships had become increasingly massive, with higher technological content, quite domineering, and extremely awesome.

The envoy was extremely happy. He did not expect Wang Yan to be so particular. He felt very at ease watching the big shots argue at Wen Chang Pavilion, or immersing himself in the ever-growing library to read books. He earnestly begged Wang Yan, hoping that once their situation stabilized, he would be allowed to send some people over to learn advanced knowledge and bring some books back to the Wa Kingdom.

To this, Wang Yan directly refused, stating that he would send people over to guide them.

This made the envoy kneel and bow deeply, kowtowing like pounding garlic. He still did not know what they would face. In fact, even if he knew, what use would it be? Ignorance makes people happy and easily satisfied.

After finishing with Himiko's envoy, Wang Yan finally received Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying, who had been waiting for many days.

"It has been many years. Great General, your bearing is even more impressive than in the past. Ying congratulates the General." After performing the rites, Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying opened with flattering words.

Wang Yan pointed to the chair opposite and said, "Meng Hui looks much weathered; it must be due to excessive fatigue. Health is paramount; rest more."

Bowing with clasped hands, Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying sat down with a bitter smile on his face. "General, do not mock me. I am old and weak, lacking spirit. Moreover, with the General's great army nearby, I am filled with worry and anxiety; how can I find peace?"

"It is not my great army pressing you, but the situation has reached this point, leaving no choice but to act."

"What the Great General says is true. My lord is weak while the General is strong. Furthermore, you control the vital route to the Western Regions, which is also the land the General needs for cotton planting. If the General does not take it today, he will surely advance westward in the future. My lord has sent me here for this very reason."

"My lord wishes to submit to the General's banner. However, the General detests powerful clans and specializes in punishing those who oppress, abuse, and bully the people. My lord hesitates and is undecided, so he sent me to ask the General: Will we be allowed to live?"

"You may keep your corpse intact." Great General Wang Da spoke words dripping with killing intent in a casual tone.

None of those who had recently emerged could survive under his command. The fact that Lu Bu was still alive was merely an accident. Since no one had reported him, he naturally survived. But Han Sui was different from Lu Bu. After all, relatively speaking, Lu Bu was merely a high-level enforcer with no fixed territory or power base, whereas Han Sui was now a legitimate regional warlord, controlling vast lands and resources.

Such a person, even if no one reported him, would have to be bound and paraded around so that more people would know of Han Sui's crimes. Finally, Han Sui must be killed in the most sensational way possible. Only in this way could the resentment in people's hearts be dissipated, thereby securing their support for Great General Wang Da's rule.

Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying was not surprised; this was something he had anticipated beforehand. So he nodded as if confirming his expectations and continued, "In that case, my lord wishes to go to the Western Regions, or even further west to the Kushan Empire, to determine his own fate. Although the Western Regions have many products, they are ultimately barbarian lands, unlike our China which has countless skilled craftsmen. Under the General's command, there are many creations: iron armor is strong, and weapons are sharp."

"Therefore, my lord wishes to establish friendship and trade with the General, exchanging military equipment and grain to expand territory abroad and manage the barbarians. What is the General's opinion?"

Wang Yan was very surprised and raised his eyebrows slightly. He truly did not let his emotions show on his face; raising an eyebrow was already his limit. To speak of it, his face, which had been smiling for a thousand years, was rather stiff; a cheerful smile was his norm, and he could not change it.

But whether one should say it or not, he was indeed very surprised by Han Sui's choice. Because ancient people never looked outward; the furthest they looked was at the various foreign tribes harassing the Central Plains from the north. They were obsessed with the Central Plains, refusing to leave, refusing to look around, and refusing to take steps to walk outside. They were simply that proud.

This pride was certainly justified, because there were indeed no rivals. Throughout history, during the peak of dynasties, foreign tribes were brutally crushed, and the four seas came to pay homage. But much was lost; it could have done better, yet it never did.

Wang Yan's mind was certainly sharp enough; a moment of thought revealed the reason. It was simply because he did not accept surrenders, and Han Sui did not want to submit to Yuan Shao. Even if he submitted to Yuan Shao, he would die later anyway, so he could only choose to go to the Western Regions. Moreover, this idea must have been thought up by Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying; otherwise, there would be no need to ask him again whether surrendering would allow them to live.

But this decision was one Wang Yan would inevitably support; just fight outward. Moreover, with a player like Han Sui, staying in the Han lands would mean death sooner or later, while going out offered a chance of survival, saving Wang Da trouble. Even Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others, if they had the courage to make such a choice instead of obsessing over the Central Plains, Wang Yan would be very willing to let them go. They were all capable people; going out, they could all carve out a world. For China, this was undoubtedly a good thing.

Nodding, Wang Yan said, "Meng Hui has great ambitions, unlike us who only focus our gaze on the Central Plains, with no intention to expand China's territory. The Western Regions are ours to take, but there will be no plans for them within twenty years. You may use the Western Regions as a base, then advance west to attack the Kushan Empire. If you vainly attempt to occupy the Western Regions, spy on the Central Plains, and face me with weapons in the future, even if you die, I will still dig up your graves and whip your corpses."

"Great General, rest assured. Since we are going west, it is to expand territory. If we cannot expand territory and establish ourselves in the Kushan Empire, we shall all die."

"In that case, I will certainly provide assistance. After you return, you may trade with Guo Jia. At most, I can give you thirty thousand sets of equipment, with delivery completed this year. Next year, you must withdraw from Liangzhou. This year, you must focus all efforts on planting cotton to offset the cost of the traded equipment."

"Thank you, Great General. Ying guarantees that before next summer, we will definitely retreat to the Western Regions."

"Expanding territory for China; I hope you will keep your word and truly do it." Wang Yan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Return early, depart early. Go."

"Ying bows and thanks the Great General."

Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying stepped back three paces and performed the great bow with deep respect, kowtowing.

Great General Wang Da truly had a broad mind, although it was also true that they were too weak to catch his eye. However, equipment was different; the equipment of Wang Yan's soldiers was the strongest, with the best technology. Thirty thousand sets was not a small number, and once armed, their combat power would increase even more. If they did not honor the agreement, they could still cause trouble for Wang Yan. Yet even so, thirty thousand sets were given on the spot, although they still had to pay for them.

Great General Wang Da nodded with a smile and said once more, "Go. I await good news here."

Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying respectfully stepped back a few paces before leaving with the personal guards at the door.

Shortly after, Grand Secretary Jia Xu entered very conscientiously to await the Great General's instructions. After meeting the envoys, regardless of whether the matter was settled, some arrangements were necessary. If there were arrangements, it required someone like him, the Grand Secretary; this was inevitable.

Wang Yan said, "Just now, Watching Cheng Cheng Gongying stated that Han Sui wishes to go to the Western Regions, or even further west to the Kushan Empire. He agreed to withdraw from Liangzhou before next summer and to focus all efforts on planting cotton this year to offset the cost of the traded thirty thousand sets of equipment. You will arrange the specific details."

"Yes, Great General."

After answering cheerfully, Jia Xu said, "However, if next year Han Sui does not withdraw but instead relies on the advantage of the equipment to resist us, although his strength is exhausted, if he again allies with various barbarian tribes, he could still cause trouble for us and increase casualties."

"Han Sui is already terrified and will surely not dare to reverse his decision. Wen He need not worry; just arrange the trade."

Having said what needed to be said, and seeing that Wang Yan insisted on this, he did not say more, bowed slightly, and left the study.

Wang Yan looked cheerful. Old Jia's standout trait was steadiness; he was watertight. In fact, according to Jia Xu's abilities, he could have long ago gone out to serve as a high-ranking official in a region. However, because he was used to working smoothly, he was kept on as a secretary. And although called a secretary, Jia Xu's actual power was much greater; he handled many government affairs and was somewhat akin to a prime minister.

But the good thing about Jia Xu was that the greater his power, the more cautious he became. It was not an act; it was genuine caution. Even though he clearly understood Great General Wang Da's broad mind and grand vision, he still exercised caution passively.

As for Han Sui's possible treachery, just as Wang Yan said, he was truly so terrified that his courage was shattered and he had lost the will to fight. If not for that, he would absolutely never have spoken of surrender and whether he could survive his life from Cheng Cheng Gongying's mouth. For this is a matter that shakes the political line, leaving no room for negotiation. Cheng Cheng Gongying is a wise man; naturally, he could not fail to understand this principle.

Resistance is the most unwise choice, even a foolish one. Even if Han Sui were lucky enough to achieve victory in Liangzhou, what use would it be? Later, when Wang Yan mobilized troops to move there, they would still be beaten into submission, and Han Sui himself would find it difficult even to die a good death.

Moreover, the lineup on the Liangzhou side is quite luxurious; basically all those capable of fighting are over there. Equipment is equipment, and people are people; the most basic soldier quality is not the same. Furthermore, with Guo Jia stationed to command, Han Sui would not want to seek his own death.

The matter was settled. Cheng Cheng Gongying quickly rushed back. Wang Yan also sent a letter to Guo Jia, ordering him to hold his troops in place, develop the currently occupied lands, and govern the barbarians there well. Meanwhile, the navy soldiers had already set out aboard massive warships, equipped with doctors and several civil officials, beginning the initial overseas campaign...