Chapter 34: Gold as Bait, Waiting for the Fish to Take the Hook

The annihilation of the Luodian Tribe was like a massive boulder crashing into a calm lake, stirring a towering wave within the Seventy‑Two Caves Alliance.

Those minor tribal chiefs who had thought that the law would not hold them accountable, and that merely waving flags and shouting would earn them a share, were utterly panicked; they had never imagined the risk of a tribe's destruction.

The Tang Dynasty, like a ferocious tiger, may hold back, but once it strikes, it is thunderous and crushing, leaving not even bone fragments behind. The Luodian Tribe is a blood‑soaked example.

They are scared.

Truly scared.

Thus, Wang Jin began his third move, "Bestow Imperial Grace Widely," and achieved remarkable results with almost no effort.

The envoy he sent to pacify had not even reached the gates of those minor tribes when the tribal chiefs, already bearing cattle, sheep, and women of their clans, knelt on the road, wailing and pleading that they had been misled by Mo Zhe Nian, were willing to surrender, and only asked the Court for forgiveness.

For these fence‑sitting opportunists, Wang Jin's handling was simple and direct.

"Leave the cattle and sheep as war supplies. People may go back. Tell them the Court will not hold past offenses against them, but if they harbor any more treachery, the Luodian Tribe will be their tomorrow."

Within just ten days, of the so‑called hundred‑thousand‑strong allied army, nearly thirty‑thousand troops chose to withdraw.

In Mo Zhe Nian's main camp, the atmosphere was oppressively tense.

"Useless! All of you are useless!"

Mo Zhe Nian slammed the wine cup in his hand onto the ground with a harsh crack, his eyes blood‑red as he roared in anger. He could not understand how the situation had suddenly taken such a sharp turn.

He had originally thought that with a single rally, the Seventy‑Two Caves would respond, and the Tang Dynasty Court would inevitably be flustered—either sending high officials to pacify with generous rewards, or dispatching a great army to suppress. Yet the southwestern lands are mountainous and remote, making a large force sluggish, which he could exploit with terrain advantage, wear them down layer by layer, and wage a protracted war.

But he never imagined that the opponent would not play by the usual rules.

They kept their main force idle, sending only a detachment, and with such ruthless tactics, eliminated one of his allies outright, instantly intimidating everyone.

That move struck directly at his seven‑inch point.

"Re—" a personal guard scrambled in, rolling and crawling, "M-Major! Trouble! The strongest Wumeng Tribe chief, with his troops, broke camp overnight and headed east!"

"What?!" Mo Zhe Nian, as if struck by lightning, sprang to his feet. "Why is he going east? That's the direction of the Tang army's main camp!"

A chilling thought rose within him, impossible to suppress.

The Wumeng Tribe has rebelled!

……

Meanwhile, in a hidden mountain valley a hundred li from Mo Zhe Nian's main camp.

Wang Jin sat on a large boulder, leisurely roasting a wild rabbit he had just caught.

Beside him stood Zheng Ping, dressed in ordinary merchant attire.

"Sir, your 'Entice with Benefits' move is truly superb," Zheng Ping said, gazing at the dust‑filled scene in the distance, praising sincerely.

There, the Wumeng Tribe chief's army was marching—not back to their own lands but straight toward the Tang army's main camp, evidently to 'surrender.'

Wang Jin tore off a sizzling, oily rabbit leg, handed it to Zheng Ping, and took a bite himself, mumbling, "That's not enticement, that's a bright scheme."

"The Wumeng Tribe chief, named Ah Hui Nan, is an ambitious man. The only reason he answered Mo Zhe Nian is to seize the chaos and expand his own territory. Would he willingly stay subordinate to Mo Zhe Nian? Dream on."

"I'll send someone to tell him that if he rebels against Mo Zhe Nian, all of Mo's lands and wealth will be his. The Court could even grant him the title of King of Yaozhou. So, what will he choose?"

Zheng Ping took the rabbit leg, bit down hard, and felt a fragrant taste. "Is there even a choice? Even a fool knows which to pick! A vague, ethereal 'purify the ruler's side' offers nothing as fragrant as solid territory and a throne."

"That's right," Wang Jin smiled. "Mo Zhe Nian binds them together with benefits; I'll use even greater benefits to split them apart."

"What I offer Ah Hui Nan is something he dreams of obtaining. Even if he knows I'm using him, he'll gladly leap in, because this temptation he cannot refuse."

Wang Xiu, while steering Wang Jin's move, felt a flood of emotions.

In modern society, he is merely a graduate worrying about a few thousand coins of salary.

Here, however, he can sit atop a mountain, using the entire southwest as a board, ten thousand lives as pieces, and with a smile cause a powerful rebel alliance to crumble.

The feeling of holding others' lives and stirring the world's fortunes is… simply mesmerizing.

"Sir, what shall we do next? Should we inform Prince Zhang and prepare to cast the net?" Zheng Ping asked.

"No rush." Wang Jin shook his head, calculation flashing in his eyes. "Let Ah Hui Nan first go dog‑fight Mo Zhe Nian's troops. The fiercer they fight and the more they die, the more advantageous it is for our Tang Dynasty."

"When they are both exhausted, we'll claim to 'suppress the rebellion' and reap the fisherman's profit."

"As for the investiture of the 'King of Yaozhou'…" Wang Jin's mouth curled into a cold arc. "It depends on whether Ah Hui Nan has the fate to enjoy it."

Zheng Ping's heart jolted at those words.

Only then did he realize the young man's scheming was far deeper and harsher than he had imagined.

Bestowing a kingly title is merely an empty promissory note.

From the start, Wang Jin never intended any tribal chief to truly grow strong in this rebellion.

What he wants is a southwest that has been utterly crippled, powerless to resist, and forced to obey.

Only then can he claim merit and return to the capital, allowing the Wang Family, a rising clan, to establish itself in Luoyang, within the Tang Dynasty.

As for those who died in this pacification, aside from the Imperial Guards who had long escorted him, the rest are merely numbers; this is just a game, and every action is aimed at securing his family's foothold.

He knows that with this merit, his family's glory is guaranteed for at least fifty years. Originally the emperor granted him only the authority to pacify, while anti‑bandit operations remained the purview of the Jiannan Circuit garrison, but Prince Zhang was magnanimous, directly granting him the right to mobilize three thousand troops.

That is not merely good foresight; to him it is a favor, and if possible, he will intervene at a crucial moment to ensure they enjoy a peaceful old age.

As for when I return to the capital, I'll have to keep a low profile for a while; after all, this time I've taken the limelight, and back there, not only Wu Sansi and the others but also other court officials will keep a close eye on me.