Chapter 1129: Deep Planning and Far-Sighted Consideration (Part 1)

Xue Lingjun, however, clearly saw that Hu Xiaotian was killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, using the punishment of Guo Zhenhai to give himself an ugly face; this scoundrel truly changed his face as quickly as turning a page, and she dared not linger any longer, hurrying away. As she left Hu Xiaotian's residence, her pretty face turned deathly pale, her heart filled with both anger and fear; Hu Xiaotian's stern demeanor left her somewhat flustered. She boarded the small carriage waiting outside the gate, but then heard a puff! from behind, turned to see Guo Zhenhai finally unable to hold back, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground, his body swaying, nearly collapsing, fortunately the accompanying guards promptly steadied him.

Xue Lingjun bit her cherry lips and whispered, "Go! Pack up, leave this place at once!"

The sorry sight of Xue Lingjun and her companions departing was witnessed by Yu Tianxing arriving; Yu Tianxing shook his head, yet felt somewhat moved in his heart—Hu Xiaotian, for his own sake, did not hesitate to turn against the Da Yong Princess. Approaching Hu Xiaotian, Yu Tianxing fell to his knees with a thud.

Seeing him behave thus, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but feel a bit flustered; he hurriedly pulled him up from the ground: "Military advisor, why do you show me such great courtesy?"

Yu Tianxing, tears in his eyes, said: "My lord's kindness to Tianxing is like a rebirth; what merit do I have to deserve such favor from my lord?"

Hu Xiaotian took his hand and had him sit down, saying: "I have found a military advisor like a fish finding water; without the military advisor's planning in the tent, how could I have won two consecutive victories against Da Yong? Without the military advisor, how could I expand territory and secure the present favorable situation? On the contrary, the military advisor has suffered because of me, and I feel deeply guilty."

Yu Tianxing sighed: "The two consecutive victories are certainly not solely my personal achievement; they result from united efforts, soldiers of one heart. My lord possesses boundless fortune and both wisdom and courage; truly, the decisive factor is still my lord himself."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Military advisor, you need not worry. I have already made all the crucial relationships clear to Xue Lingjun; she surely dares not move against your family."

Yu Tianxing let out a long sigh: "My father momentarily muddled, in order to preserve our family's lives he advised me to surrender to the enemy; I hope my lord will not hold it against him."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Military advisor, you overthink; if it were me, I would also be flustered, let alone Elder Yu. Military advisor, please persuade him more; just set your heart at ease—I will certainly not let your two elder brothers come to harm, and as soon as an opportunity arises, I will arrange personnel to bring them here for reunion."

While they were talking, Liang Yinghao hurried in, having just received the latest news from the capital: the old emperor Long Xuan'en actually refused Li Chen Zhou's proposal to exchange grain for land. Hu Xiaotian, hearing this, felt great delight; the problem that had long troubled him finally became clear. From the final decision on this matter, it appears Long Xuan'en has not yet become so muddled as to willingly surrender territory. Although his refusal or acceptance will not affect Hu Xiaotian's decision, Long Xuan'en's action gives Hu Xiaotian a legitimate reason to continue occupying the two cities in Jiangbei without suffering the infamy of defying imperial orders.

Yu Tianxing also rejoiced at this news, laughing: "Congratulations, my lord. This is truly wonderful news!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "It seems the court has also received the news, sees that the new ruler of Da Yong is in a precarious situation, and dare not launch a full-scale war against Dakang for the time being."

Yu Tianxing nodded: "Between states, promises are even less reliable than a merchant's verbal agreement; Da Yong speaks of lifting the grain ban, speaks of lending five hundred thousand shi of grain—these are nothing but empty cakes to stave off hunger. The emperor should understand that it is more realistic to obtain tangible benefits from my lord than to rely on Da Yong's promises."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Implementing the lifting of the grain ban will still take time; even if the five hundred thousand shi of grain can be fulfilled, transporting it from Da Yong to Dakang will likely take a considerable period; by the time their grain arrives, this harsh winter may already have passed."

Yu Tianxing said: "By the way, the imperial envoy has not yet departed; my lord, are you truly preparing to agree to the court's demand for grain?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "These past two days I have been constantly calculating this matter; Military advisor, has the grain and fodder storage at Dongluo Warehouse been thoroughly checked?"

Yu Tianxing nodded: "The grain reserves at Dongluo Warehouse should be around five hundred thousand shi."

Hu Xiaotian narrowed his eyes: "No wonder Da Yong proposed to lend Dakang five hundred thousand shi of grain for free—they are making a clever calculation: they will retrieve Dongluo Warehouse, then claim we have moved the stored grain out, using that as an excuse to shirk the debt of lending grain." He had figured that Da Yong would never willingly lend grain to Dakang.

Yu Tianxing said: "I see they indeed intend to do that."

At this moment Liang Da Zhuang came in to report, but it was the imperial envoy Fan Zongxi arriving to request an audience; Hu Xiaotian knew Fan Zongxi had come this time mostly to press the grain matter, so he furrowed his brow and said: "Have him wait outside; just tell him we are discussing military affairs, and I will visit him tonight."

Yu Tianxing asked: "My lord, have you not yet decided?"

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "How could a mere storage of grain at Dongluo Warehouse possibly relieve the entire Dakang? This matter truly puts me in a difficult position."

Yu Tianxing said: "Actually, I see that none of them truly intend to disrupt the current situation; they are merely trying every means to extract benefits from my lord."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and spoke softly: "Everyone, go rest now; Military advisor, you go bring Elder Yu to reside in the city, so as to avoid further disturbance by outsiders."

Yu Tianxing nodded: "My lord, rest assured, I will certainly persuade him well."

Just as several people left, Wesa came to invite Hu Xiaotian over, but it was Zhuge Guanqi and his wife who had arrived; during these days, Wesa and Hong Lingxue have gotten along well, quite compatible, and have already become sworn sisters.

Hu Xiaotian, busy with governmental affairs, was unaware of their situation; hearing that Zhuge Guanqi had also arrived, he immediately followed Wesa to meet them.

Wesa had already prepared the hot pot; several people sat down beside it, and Hu Xiaotian laughed: "These past few days I have been so busy my head is spinning; it has been a long time since I sat down to enjoy a proper meal."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Sir, your governmental duties are numerous; perhaps you should cherish your own body."

Hu Xiaotian meaningfully said: "It is a pity that I lack sufficient manpower; if I had a few more people to help me, I could be more carefree."

Zhuge Guanqi smiled: "Sir, you have only now realized this problem; in fact, you should long ago have faced the world and widely recruited virtuous talents."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Although the world is vast, truly great talent is rare to find."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Sir, your words are mistaken; what constitutes great talent? True great talent need not be versed in everything; some excel in internal affairs, some in diplomacy, some in rites, some in commerce, some in military strategy, some in actual combat, some in weaponry, some in medicine, some in calligraphy and painting. The world is vast, and the categories of skills and arts number in the thousands; how could you judge the magnitude of talent based solely on your own limited view?"

Hong Lingxue secretly kicked her husband under the table, obviously blaming him for speaking too bluntly, which might show disrespect toward Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian heard this and burst out laughing, nodding: "Zhuge Guanqi brother, your words exactly hit my heart; my side indeed lacks a close friend who can constantly remind me."

Zhuge Guanqi smiled: "If Sir does not mind my chatter, I am willing to speak a few more words."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Zhuge Guanqi brother, please speak freely."

Zhuge Guanqi asked: "I do not know which aspect Sir would like to hear about?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Da Yong is employing a two-pronged approach, seeking to resolve the issue through diplomatic means; the Da Yong Princess Xue Lingjun has come to Dongliang Jun, using every possible inducement to make me change my stance and surrender to Da Yong, promising me wealth, honor, and promotion."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "If Sir's ambition is as vast as the great sea, then granting you a single lake is clearly insufficient sincerity." He had already seen that Hu Xiaotian's lofty aspirations extend far beyond that.

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "They value not me, but the land I occupy; once I lose this land, I also lose my utility, and I understand this clearly."

Zhuge Guanqi laughed: "Since Sir understands, I need not waste words."

Hu Xiaotian added: "The matter concerning Kangdu has already been settled; the emperor has rejected Li Chen Zhou's peace terms."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "It appears the emperor is still able to see the present situation clearly."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Now the envoy awaits my reply; the emperor wants me to allocate ten thousand shi of grain for emergency relief in the capital. This is what truly makes Hu Xiaotian hesitate—if I agree to the court's demand, the grain I have painstakingly obtained will be greatly diminished. Previously, Yu Tianxing suggested we could outwardly agree to the court's request while secretly arranging personnel to seize the grain back."

Zhuge Guanqi asked: "Has Sir already considered this?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am undecided; even if I agree to the emperor's demand, these ten thousand shi of grain cannot solve Dakang's predicament, yet refusing would be hard to justify morally; therefore I wish to seek your advice."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "The innocent who carries a jade is guilty!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaotian's heart stirred; Zhuge Guanqi was telling him an obvious truth: because he seized Dongluo Warehouse and obtained these five hundred thousand shi of grain, he has now become the focus of everyone's attention; if he wishes to keep this grain for himself, he will inevitably become the target of public criticism; even if his present strength can safeguard the grain, he will lose the hearts of the entire Dakang populace, making the people think he ignores those in distress, and simultaneously give the court grounds to blame him.

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Grain and fodder will eventually run out, but popular support is hard to grasp. If Sir wishes to completely solve the grain problem, he must seek the root cause; only by letting the people return to the fields and work in peace can the famine be resolved."

Hu Xiaotian said: "After sending out these ten thousand shi of grain, we can silence the court's endless chatter."

Zhuge Guanqi shook his head: "Whether Dongluo Warehouse holds much or little grain, even if Sir does not speak, the Da Yong side will surely know clearly; if we cannot smoothly retrieve Dongluo Warehouse, they will certainly publicize this matter; if the court learns that Sir holds five hundred thousand shi of grain in hand yet only takes out a small portion, they will wonder what to think."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Does Zhuge Guanqi brother mean I should take a bit more?" (To be continued~^~)