Chapter 918: The Art of Language

"King, although it is true that once our pigeons are exposed, the Xuanyuan Tribe will certainly use them too, and we will lose a means of transportation superior to theirs, that is the only downside.

However, if we don't tell them this time, they will surely discover it in the future; we cannot hide it or keep it secret forever, it is just a matter of how many years we can keep it hidden.

But if we tell the Xuanyuan Tribe, not only will our information and intelligence communication be faster for this war, allowing us to gain more convenience and reduce unnecessary losses, but future exchanges with the Xuanyuan Tribe will also be more efficient.

Just think of how many resources are wasted on every boat and messenger sent to communicate with Xuanyuan, not to mention the time; time is also very important to us, yet pigeons can solve this problem.

Of course, even if the Xuanyuan Tribe knows the use of pigeons, it will still take them several years to capture pigeons, breed them to a certain scale, make them unafraid of people, and get them to recognize their nests.

What if we, Huaxia, take on this trade? Let them use their wealth to exchange for the years of time they would otherwise waste; I believe they would be willing.

We have enough pigeons, perhaps even too many; as long as we trade the pigeons we use for meat to the Xuanyuan Tribe for them to use, there is a great profit to be made here.

What if we also limit the quantity of this trade? A single message transmission requires seven or eight pigeons, and even more for longer distances; how many times would the Xuanyuan Tribe need to use pigeons in a war?

Never mind one or two hundred pigeons; even if we gave them a thousand, or even a thousand pairs, the few years of this war would simply not be enough for them to breed enough usable pigeons.

As long as they want pigeons and want to use them, they can only use Huaxia's; by the time they can catch their breath and raise their own pigeons, we will have long since stopped losing out.

King, do you think my way of thinking is correct?"

Baifeng clapped his hands in admiration: "Oh, Sanxin, it really had to be you. The things I thought about for a long time without figuring out, you pointed out in an instant. I was indeed trapped in short-term interests and didn't think it through thoroughly. You are worthy of being the Prime Minister of my Huaxia. I adopt your viewpoint; for this expedition, we will bring pigeons, and bring plenty of them!

Do not hide it from Xuanyuan; just let Xuanyuan watch, learn, and let him try to use pigeons himself, then come to negotiate with us on his own!"

Sanxin was a bit embarrassed by the praise, but he dared not say he was better than Baifeng, so he had to praise Baifeng back: "King, it is not that I think further or more thoroughly, but because I don't have to be as busy as you, thinking about so many things every day, so I have enough brainpower to think about this problem.

If there were no war now, and you were to think about the pigeon problem, you would certainly be able to think more thoroughly than my current viewpoint and have better solutions."

With his worries gone, Baifeng lay comfortably on his chair and said with a smile: "Hey, Sanxin, you don't need to say that. That you could bring it up shows your ability is sufficient. I am not someone who knows everything or understands everything; there are certainly places I cannot think of. Otherwise, I wouldn't cultivate so many officials and select talents like you to help me govern Huaxia."

Xiong listened the whole time without changing his expression, but it was Shaoyin's first time encountering such a scene. He found it hard to imagine that a single pigeon could lead to so many things. And Uncle Sanxin, he really knows how to speak; the things he said sounded comfortable even to him.

But if he were to speak, it seemed he really couldn't say it; mainly, he didn't know how to speak, and his father probably couldn't either. Shaoyin knew very well that his family was not that smart; one could only say they were not stupid.

Xiong chose this opportune moment to end the topic: "King, do you have any other orders or instructions?"

Baifeng thought for a moment; the things he needed to arrange now seemed to be mostly done, but there was indeed one thing that required Xiong's attention.

"Xiong, when you are on the battlefield, see if the territory of the Shennong Clan is suitable for cavalry operations—not oxen, but horses. I am worried that the Shennong Clan's territory, or the road from the Xuanyuan Tribe to the Shennong Clan, is too slippery and has too many swamps and water areas for horses to fight.

I am not very worried about oxen; their speed is not fast, but they have the ability to walk on those muddy roads, and there are many of them, so I can accept a certain amount of loss.

But you know horses; from the time we caught them until now, we have only a few hundred, and those that can be used as warhorses for riding are only just over two hundred. They are indeed very precious; not a single one can be damaged carelessly.

Otherwise, for this operation, I would have wanted the warhorses to be tested. So, you pay attention; if you think the warhorses can enter the field, then when I find an opportunity, I will let the cavalry also engage in actual combat.

Having spent so much energy and resources to build the cavalry, I cannot let it be trapped in this Huaxia City forever."

Mentioning horses, Shaoyin's expression became a bit uneasy. He remembered past events and could not help but lower his head. Xiong knew those things had long since ended; what should have been punished had been punished, and what should have been compensated had been compensated. What else was there to say?

As for that child from back then, no one cared about him anymore. Xiong would not care, and Baifeng would care even less, as long as Shaoyin could safely walk the path they had arranged for him.

As for Sangtang, that is, the little boy, when his father died, he had already felt a very special emotion. He did not understand what this was, nor could he explain it to his ignorant mother and uncles. He could only hope that the Advanced School where he was taught knowledge could answer his doubts.

So many years had passed, and in the public's view, Sangtang had basically grown into an adult. He had successfully been admitted to the Advanced School, specializing in law. One day, he suddenly grew up and understood the name of that emotion: it was called justice, called fairness, and it was also a sense of powerlessness.

He did not harbor any resentment toward Baifeng or Huaxia, because the education he received from childhood filled him with respect and worship for Baifeng. He did not know what other tribes were like, but he knew what Huaxia was like; without Baifeng, there would be no life like the one he had now.

He had also seen with his own eyes the appearance of the savages who came to Huaxia City. As a low-level Resident like him, he felt a sense of pride in front of them, and the savages' praise for Huaxia City made him respect Baifeng even more.

But he also had his own pursuits and goals, which was that Nobles should also receive the same degree of legal sanctions as commoners, allowing ordinary people and Nobles to be in the same position before the law.

Perhaps Huaxia had not had other cases, but there happened to be such a case, a very famous one, that happened to himself. Therefore, his feelings could not be more real, so he wanted to change this situation through his own efforts.

Nobles only surpass ordinary people in status and wealth, but the law should be above everything else. This was the rule set by the King of Huaxia, a god-like man. Nobles are also people, so they must also obey and comply.