Chapter 940: First Volume_Chapter 940: Rebellion Inducement of Night Owl

First Volume_Chapter 940: Rebellion Inducement of Night Owl

A great building does not collapse suddenly; long before it falls, signs appear. If repaired early, its collapse might be delayed; if ignored, under an overturned nest, how can any egg remain intact?

The chaos in Northern Di today can be traced back to the National War; when it became clear the enemy's DefensiveLine could not be easily breached, they should have withdrawn promptly to limit losses, or at least shifted from large-scale battles to a Consumption War.

Of course, this is hindsight; under the intensity of battle at that time, no general—not even Qin Feng—could have such long-term foresight, and often, whether to fight or what kind of war to wage was not decided by generals but by politicians in the Rear. Ultimately, generals were merely implementers, not decision-makers.

This prolonged, high-intensity National War inflicted deep damage on Shedynasty, but for Northern Di—a nation addicted to Bo Bing Du Wu—it was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Though the war ended, Northern Di's National Treasury was empty, grain prices kept rising, and local Country Gentlemen and powerful elites, to avoid a food crisis, exhausted their wealth to hoard grain, further driving up grain prices.

On the surface, high grain prices should benefit farmers who grow grain, but the problem is that all good fields across Heaven and Earth are monopolized by landlords and elites; common people can only rent land to farm, and even with soaring prices, farmers gain almost nothing—ultimately, the Country Gentlemen grow fat while the Common People suffer.

Added to this was a once-in-a-century harsh winter, rendering the entire Northern Di territory utterly "people's livelihood collapsed."

Those in power did not lack the will to act, but lacked the ability; heavy snow blocked mountains and roads, making travel impossible, so edicts could only linger in the Jingji Region and rarely reached the localities. Even if they did, as the saying goes, "Above, policy; below, countermeasures"—landlords and elites still had countless ways to turn benevolent policies into tools for personal enrichment.

With no way to survive, the Common People first saw local governance deteriorate, then officials tightened controls and cracked down harshly on crime, further fueling civilian morale.

Northern Di's civilian morale has now reached its breaking point; only one final step remains before rebellion erupts.

Officials in Wang Du, though living in comfort, were by no means incompetent; they knew full well the suffering and fury brewing across the land. But again, it was not that they did not want to act—they simply could not.

All officials were certain that if no major chaos erupted this winter, they could endure until spring, calm the people, and allow the nation to recover.

Unfortunately, ideals are plump, but reality is skeletal.

Qin Feng, this "national enemy," has been watching closely, all his preparations, favors, and negotiations with official factions merely biding time, seeking the moment to strike Northern Di a fatal blow. Now that opportunity has arrived—how could Qin Feng miss it? Northern Di officials wish to endure until spring? Qin Feng will ensure their corpses litter the entire winter.

Qin Feng does not consider himself evil, and he empathizes with the people's suffering, but he is a citizen of Shedynasty, and the King of the Northern Border. Any kindness shown to Northern Di is cruelty toward Shedynasty; it can be definitively stated that once Northern Di recovers and regains strength, its first act will be to tear up the peace agreement and resume its attack on Shedynasty.

This is not due to treacherous hearts or Northern Di's ingratitude, but to unequal resource distribution.

Shedynasty occupies fertile lands, while Northern Di is vast but sparsely populated and poor in materials and supplies. All men are born equal—why should Shedynasty live so easily while Northern Di struggles to survive?

No matter which Emperor rules or which official faction holds power, attacking Shedynasty and seizing its fertile lands remains an unavoidable imperative.

Even if Jing Qianying becomes Northern Di's first Female Emperor, she will inevitably face pressure from all sides and be forced to consider attacking Shedynasty.

The only way to permanently end endless warfare is for Qin Feng to consolidate the Northern Border and Sangzhou, positioning them between the two nations to strangle Northern Di's desire to attack Shedynasty at its root.

Chang Tong Bu Ru Duan Tong—only by halting war can the people live in stability; whether they achieve prosperity is not Qin Feng's concern, but that of those in power.

As Northern Di's great building tilts, not only do all manner of demons and monsters emerge, but many "cautious individuals" have already begun seeking escape routes.

The estrangement between the Di King and Night Owl was no accident—it was the inevitable result of a chain reaction.

Though the Di King has long harbored resentment toward Jing Qianying and seeks her death, this is merely his "personal matter"; at the grand strategic level, the Di King is a formidable ruler, no less capable than the Liang Emperor, whose ultimate goal is to make the nation strong—but in implementation, he inevitably infringes upon others' interests.

Night Owl's influence spans Heaven and Earth; even the Liang Capital, the Northern Border, and the inner ranks of the Brocade Uniform Guard have been infiltrated by Night Owl, revealing its immense strength—and strength is authority.

All spy organizations in Heaven and Earth are the same: dogs cannot change their habit of eating feces; once their power grows too great, they inevitably turn on their masters.

Qin Feng exploited precisely this.

Night Owl members know full well that one day, the Di King will purge them utterly; thus, their goal is to prevent that day—and inevitably, they stand opposed to the Di King.

Li Yu is the Di King's confidant, yet Night Owl aided Lü Li in ambushing Qin Feng mid-journey, disrupting state policy, and has also colluded with the Wang Du Garrison—clearly, Night Owl is riddled with factions, at least four major ones!

They are the Imperial Party, the Hawk Party, the Neutral Party, and the Chaotic Faction driven by private ambition.

The faction Qin Feng ordered the Brocade Uniform Guard to infiltrate and recruit is precisely the Chaotic Faction.

Though relatively marginal, this faction is the easiest to subvert; though they cannot access core Jiwei, they are fully capable of serving as Qin Feng's eyes and ears, monitoring every move in the Di Royal Capital.

Precisely because Qin Feng successfully turned many Chaotic Faction members within Night Owl, he even obtained the complete list of all "Nightingales" infiltrated into Shedynasty's circles of power and profit.

Of course, now is not the time to deal with these "Nightingales."

At this moment, Qin Feng and the Night Owl's Chaotic Faction are "in each other, and each other in us."

The exchange of benefits is merely basic procedure; what truly matters is the reallocation of resources.