Chapter 652: Birds of a Feather

"Your Majesty, I have tried my best, but Yan Wang is even more arrogant than last time." Han Yang said to Han Zheng in the Imperial Palace with a mournful face.

Upon hearing this, Sato Masahisa and Tiemuta both revealed smiles; this was the result they had hoped for most.

In this way, the matter of crusading against Yan Wang was set in stone, and Great Song would fall into an endless civil war.

Even if Yan Wang were to win in the future, all he would obtain would be a riddled and devastated Great Song.

This point was naturally extremely beneficial to both Dongying and Beidi.

"Everyone, you have all heard it. Since that is the case, we should now discuss the specific details of the crusade against Yan Wang," Han Zheng said.

Although the Lu City Alliance had ended several days ago, none of the parties were in a hurry to leave, as they were waiting for the envoys to return.

He naturally hoped to take Yanzhou without spending a single soldier or arrow.

But this was clearly a pipe dream.

How could one allow others to sleep soundly beside one's own bed? Both he and Yan Wang understood this principle.

Between Qi and Yanzhou, there could only be a fight to the death.

Therefore, he could not miss this golden opportunity of the alliance.

Otherwise, in the future, he would have to face Yan Wang alone.

Dou Wei and Xie Duan nodded one after another.

Taking advantage of Dongying and Beidi participating in the alliance, the coming period would be the most favorable time to crusade against Yan Wang.

Otherwise, once Dongying and Beidi changed their minds, only the three of them would be left.

Facing Yan Wang, they would be under immense pressure.

Dou Wei said, "King Tiemuta, for this crusade against Yan Wang, I wonder how many troops Beidi can send?"

Tiemuta said, "We in Beidi are willing to send one royal tent of Cavalry. What do you think?"

Han Zheng, Dou Wei, and Xie Duan looked at each other and nodded slowly.

They were very satisfied with this number.

If more Beidi Cavalry entered the heartland of the Central Plains, they would actually be worried.

Then, Dou Wei looked toward Sato Masahisa: "I wonder what your Dongying is willing to do for this crusade, Lord Sato?"

Sato Masahisa said softly, "We have already provided you with the forging method for the Flintlock; this is Dongying's greatest sincerity."

"However, rest assured, we in Dongying will also launch an attack on the Yanzhou Fleet from the sea. If we can defeat Yan Wang's fleet, we in Dongying will subsequently dispatch one hundred thousand Infantry to land in Qi to assist you in the crusade against Yan Wang."

"Hahaha... that is excellent." Han Zheng was overjoyed.

Tiemuta said at this moment, "We in Beidi and Dongying have both contributed effort, but what about you? You cannot just let us do the charging and fighting."

"That is naturally out of the question. This time, we in Qi will exhaust the nation's troops to crusade against Yan Wang," Han Zheng said.

Dou Wei echoed, "My Southern Liang will send two hundred thousand troops."

"My Xie Family will also send two hundred thousand troops," Xie Duan continued.

Southern Liang sending two hundred thousand troops was merely half of their military strength.

But for his Xie Family to send two hundred thousand troops, it was their entire force.

However, the territory controlled by his Xie Family was sandwiched between Qi and Southern Liang; as long as Southern Liang and Qi were not breached, the Xie Family would be safe.

Therefore, they could exhaust all their strength to support this crusade.

Tiemuta and Sato Masahisa looked at each other and nodded slightly.

Qi was composed of the Xie Family and the Wang Family; the two families possessed four hundred thousand troops, and adding the Xie Family and Southern Liang, this made an army of eight hundred thousand.

As for Wu and Nanping, their attitude remained the same as always: each would still send fifty thousand troops.

Although it was few, it was better than nothing.

Thus, the powerful clans had gathered an army of nine hundred thousand, and adding their Beidi Cavalry, this was an army of one million.

It was even more powerful than the military strength of Beidi at Ningjin Dusi.

And if Dongying could break through the blockade of the Yanzhou Fleet, this number would rise by another one hundred thousand.

In this way, the Coalition crusading against Yan Wang possessed the strongest iron cavalry of Beidi.

Once they were equipped with Flintlocks, the Infantry of the powerful clans would also be unprecedentedly formidable.

With such immense strength, the hope of eliminating Yan Wang was great.

Thinking of this, he could not help but laugh.

They in Beidi had a blood feud with Yan Wang.

If they could wipe out Yan Wang this time, it would truly resolve the surging hatred in his heart.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Han Zheng say, "Since the number of troops each family is sending has been decided, it is time to set the date for the crusade against Yan Wang."

Dou Wei said, "How about we set it for three months from now? What do you think?"

Xie Duan pondered for a while after hearing this, "The longer the time drags on, the more Flintlocks we can forge, but we must avoid long delays. Three months is quite appropriate. By then, our Xie Family's Infantry will be able to equip at least eighty thousand Flintlocks."

In his view, eighty thousand Flintlocks were enough for the Xie Family's army.

Plus Southern Liang and Qi, the total number of Flintlock-equipped troops would be a considerable figure.

Moreover, Wu and Nanping had both promised to provide them with Flintlocks, so the actual number of Flintlocks they would be equipped with would be even higher.

Han Zheng had no objections to this time, and Beidi and Dongying naturally had even fewer problems.

They wished they could start the war with Yan Wang right now.

Having settled this matter, everyone left the Imperial Palace; they would each return to prepare for the war.

Tiemuta and Sato Masahisa walked side by side, seemingly with a tacit understanding.

After walking for a distance, Sato Masahisa said, "Does King Tiemuta have time to gather at the Dongying Huiguan?"

After establishing a Dongying Huiguan in Qingcheng, he had also established one in Lu City.

"It would naturally be an honor," Tiemuta revealed a smile.

Upon arriving at Lu City, his gaze was cast toward Dongying for the first time.

Previously, he only knew that Dongying was across from Gaoli, but he never knew that Dongying possessed advanced firearms and was a powerful nation.

Now that he understood this point, Dongying also shared the same goal as the Northern Di, which was to strangle Yan Wang.

He felt it was necessary to establish contact between the Northern Di and Dongying, and to agree to act in concert.

Arriving at the Dongying Huiguan, Sato Masahisa invited Tiemuta to sit opposite him.

The reason they had not established contact with the Northern Di was Gaoli.

Due to the hostile relationship with Gaoli, and Gaoli being a vassal state of the Northern Di.

Furthermore, the Northern Di was once incomparably powerful, and under the slander of Gaoli, Khan Mule Hongzhen was naturally unwilling to interact with Dongying.

But now, the situation is completely different.

The Northern Di is no longer high and mighty; since they have lowered their stance to cooperate with the powerful clans of Great Song, they can naturally cooperate with them, Dongying.

In fact, the distance between the Northern Di and Dongying is very close.

One only needs to cross the Dongying Sea, and Dongying's Merchant Ship can reach the riverbank north of Gaoli within two days and enter Dongying territory.

In this way, they can not only establish a solid trade relationship with the Northern Di but also curb Yan Wang by supporting the Northern Di.

Of course, he hopes that this Anti-Yan Alliance can wipe out Yanzhou in one fell swoop and kill Yan Wang.

But if that is not possible, while Dongying continues to support the powerful clans of Great Song, it is also necessary to stand with the Northern Di.

After all, compared to the powerful clans of Great Song, in his eyes, the Northern Di people have greater utility value.

They only lost miserably in the war against Yan Wang because they lacked an understanding of firearms.

If they improve in terms of firearms, relying on the vast territory and powerful Cavalry of the Northern Di, the Northern Di will surely rise again and become a fatal enemy of Yan Wang.

Besides this, he has one more purpose.

Among the countries of the Western Lands, the relationship between the British and the Ross nation is extremely poor, and for these years, they have been trying their best to curb the expansion of the Ross nation toward Zhongtu and Dongtu.

This idea of the British naturally also became the will of Dongying.

They are likewise unwilling to see the Ross nation continue to expand eastward.

Because this will threaten Dongying in the future.

Supporting the Northern Di, besides curbing Yan Wang, clearly also helps to curb the Ross nation.