Chapter 835

First Volume, Chapter 835: All Is Ready Except the East Wind

Ning Hu's words directly highlighted the predicament of the traitorous generals: as soldiers, nothing is more taboo than betraying one's side; even though Lü Ci and Li Chou had devoted themselves wholeheartedly to Qin Feng, they still faced suspicion from those around Qin Feng.

After all… these two have a prior record.

Once tainted, it's not easy to wash clean.

Qin Feng did not rush to respond to Ning Hu, but turned to Liu Ming: "What do you think?"

Liu Ming lowered his head, lost in thought; after a moment, he spoke softly.

"Your servant dares to speak boldly: whether Lü Ci and Li Chou are loyal is, in fact… not important. If they behave themselves, after achieving great success, let them return home in glory. If they seek death, they can be eliminated at any time."

Hearing Liu Ming's analysis, Qin Feng was highly satisfied, his gaze toward Ning Hu filled with frustration at his inability to grasp the point.

"Little Marquis, learn from this: the way of employing people is never black or white."

"Right now, apart from Lü Ci and Li Chou, we have no better candidates; even with lingering doubts, we must temporarily use them."

"Moreover, these two are skilled only in military affairs, not in civil administration."

"In other words, their only value lies in conquering territory; the lands they seize will be governed by our own trusted men in the Northern Border. Even if we lose these two, it won't greatly affect the overall situation."

Ning Hu deeply understood that every move Qin Feng made carried hidden intent, yet the more he observed, the more terrifying Qin Feng seemed.

Before doing anything, Qin Feng had already anticipated every possible scenario.

What kind of foresight is this? What kind of strategic vision?

Ning Hu sighed inwardly—he would never, in this lifetime, reach Qin Feng's level.

"Compared to Sangzhou, Zhuozhou has greater overall strength and is more deeply influenced by the Di King; capturing Zhuozhou will surely be a brutal battle."

Ning Hu sincerely marveled: after so long by Qin Feng's side, the most important lesson he'd learned was never to underestimate the enemy.

But Qin Feng laughed: "Little Marquis, you don't actually think I truly want to take Zhuozhou, do you?"

At these words, Ning Hu froze. His gaze shifted repeatedly: "What do you mean? We've poured so much manpower and resources into Zhuozhou—could all of it be just theater? Isn't that too big a cost?"

Qin Feng's smile widened: "Too big? I don't think so!"

"If we don't launch a full-scale assault on Zhuozhou, the battlefield will shift to Sangzhou—then all our prior efforts could vanish with the war."

"Before Sangzhou is fully developed and firmly ours, we must put on a convincing show, making everyone believe our target is the richer Zhuozhou."

"The Di, trapped in desperation, will be forced to negotiate with us. Then, we can use offense as defense: pretending to focus on Zhuozhou, while actually securing Sangzhou entirely. This is the Broken Window Effect: directly demanding Sangzhou would make the Di refuse, plunging us into endless war."

"If we seize both Sangzhou and Zhuozhou at once, the Di will have to choose the lesser of two harms: trade Sangzhou to regain Zhuozhou."

"I want to open a window, but the landlord won't let me. So I'll just knock down the whole house—the landlord, embarrassed, will beg me to keep the house and open the window."

Ning Hu's mouth hung open; he stared at Qin Feng as if he were a monster.

Even Liu Ming was secretly startled—Qin Feng's age and cunning were utterly disproportionate. What a master of deceit.

Qin Feng's goal was clear: as the saying goes, seizing the empire is easy; holding it is hard.

Territory isn't better when larger; as long as he firmly controls the Liang Northern Border and the Di Sangzhou, Qin Feng would be perfectly satisfied.

These two territories are large enough, yet not too vast—sufficient for self-sufficiency in manpower and resources, without requiring massive defensive efforts.

Most crucially, these two lands occupy the central trade hub of all surrounding nations.

In plain terms, any future nation wishing to trade must pass through Qin Feng; otherwise, they must detour, increasing costs and weakening their commodities' competitiveness.

Qin Feng doesn't just want to be the King of the Northern Border—he wants to be the richest man in Heaven!

The Northern Border and Sangzhou are Qin Feng's starting point for wealth!

With confirmation that both domestic affairs and Sangzhou were proceeding steadily according to his plan, Qin Feng finally felt at ease.

But the tunnels must still be dug!

Living under someone else's eaves means being powerless; only caution ensures safety for ten thousand years.

After Ning Hu and Liu Ming left, Qin Feng lay comfortably on his bed and began planning the baijiu business.

The sample liquor had already arrived, meeting Qin Feng's psychological expectations.

Xie Yun'er had, per Qin Feng's instructions, increased production, and the trade routes were already showing signs of progress.

In short, all is ready except the East Wind.

Qin Feng had no intention of simply rolling out baijiu slowly—such a method was too slow. He needed a blockbuster to instantly open the market and embrace massive profits.

Creating a blockbuster requires hype and promotion.

At this moment, Jing Ci must step in.

Qin Feng immediately sent a messenger to deliver a letter to Jing Ci, entrusting her to host a wine-tasting grand gathering. After all, this was the Di Royal Capital—Qin Feng's words held no weight; guests must follow the host's customs, and everything required Jing Ci, as host, to act as intermediary.

While idly strolling through the Hou Gong, Jing Ci gazed at the gloomy sky and sighed.

"The weather looks like a heavy snowstorm is coming soon."

In past years, Jing Ci had eagerly awaited snowfall—white snow blanketing everything, a breathtaking sight. But this year was different; she silently prayed to heaven, hoping the first snow would come later, and later still.

The people, having endured war, were already destitute; their winter supplies of grain and firewood were far tighter than in previous years.

How many would freeze or starve to death under a heavy snow?

Every time she thought of this, Jing Ci felt unbearable sorrow.

As Jing Ci sighed, Qi Ya approached: "Your Highness, a messenger from Marquis Qin has arrived with a letter."

Qi Ya feigned calm, but her heart trembled—since secretly agreeing with Qin Feng, she had felt guilty toward Jing Ci; every time she faced Jing Ci, she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.

She silently vowed that once all was settled, she would find a lonely corner and smash her head against the wall.

Jing Ci had never doubted Qi Ya; though outwardly mistress and servant, in Jing Ci's heart, she had long regarded Qi Ya as a younger sister.

Thus, she noticed nothing amiss.

"What trick is Qin Feng up to now?" Jing Ci muttered as she took the letter.

After reading the letter about the wine-tasting gathering, Jing Ci snorted: "This man always has so many strange ideas!"