Chapter 111: Mutual Benefit

Fang Zhe stood there in a haze, unable to understand what Niu Youdao was circling around.

Yuan Fang was even more baffled, staring blankly and wondering what Master Dao was up to now.

Zhu Shun kept his brows furrowed as he watched Niu Youdao.

Hai Ruyue looked as though she had heard the greatest joke beneath Heaven. She scoffed repeatedly. “You’re going to keep Jinzhou in my hands indefinitely? From the sound of you, you seem to have more influence over Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion than I do. I would very much like to hear what connection you have with them that lets you make such outrageous claims!”

“No, no, no!” Niu Youdao waved both hands. “The Grand Princess misunderstands. I have nothing whatsoever to do with Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion. I don’t know a single person there.”

Hai Ruyue sneered. “You don’t even know which way the gates of the capital of the State of Zhao open, and you don’t know a single person from Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion, yet you still think you can influence the situation in Jinzhou?”

Niu Youdao slowly took another sip of tea before replying at the same leisurely pace, “The person who influences Jinzhou’s situation need not have any connection with the capital of the State of Zhao or Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion. Commandery Prince Yongping can lend the Grand Princess a hand!”

“Him?” Hai Ruyue gave a mirthless smile. “Try separating him from Feng Lingbo and see what he amounts to!”

Niu Youdao set down his teacup and looked toward Zhu Shun. “I need a map. A complete map of all beneath Heaven!”

Zhu Shun glanced at Hai Ruyue. Seeing no objection from her, he immediately took it upon himself to turn and leave.

He understood that since Niu Youdao had carried the argument this far, he was probably not gambling with his life for amusement. The Grand Princess might still be mocking him, but the very fact that she remained patient enough to hear him out meant that she too wanted to know whether his claims were true. Her position simply did not allow her to let someone else lead her around by the nose.

As for Zhu Shun himself, he also wanted an answer. He wanted to know how Niu Youdao intended to resolve what he called the Grand Princess’s most urgent predicament.

Before long, Zhu Shun personally returned carrying a rolled map, without entrusting it to anyone else.

Niu Youdao rose and walked over, gesturing to Yuan Fang and Fang Zhe. “Open it.”

The two stepped forward, took the map from Zhu Shun, and spread it across the floor of the hall. When they had unrolled enough to reveal the States of the State of Yan and the State of Zhao, Niu Youdao told them to stop, then had them lift the map and hold it stretched horizontally between them.

After studying it briefly, Niu Youdao turned and extended a hand toward Hai Ruyue. “Grand Princess, please come forward and take a look.”

Hai Ruyue gave a cold snort and walked over with measured dignity. She swept her gaze across the map. She was quite familiar with it. Most women might have no interest in something so dry and devoid of beauty, but given the position she had reached, she had no choice but to deal with such things.

Niu Youdao pointed to the southeast of the State of Zhao. “Jinzhou.” His finger then shifted into Qingshan Commandery in neighboring Nanzhou of the State of Yan, stopping over Canglu County. “Commandery Prince Yongping is here.” He turned to Hai Ruyue. “What does the Grand Princess think of this situation?”

What situation was there to speak of? Hai Ruyue almost wanted to throw back an “I don’t see it” just to spite him. Instead she said, “Jinzhou is powerful. Canglu County is a tiny patch of land, hemmed in on all sides.”

Niu Youdao knew she meant to belittle Canglu County, but what she said was also true. A province-sized territory like Jinzhou and a single county were not remotely comparable.

This was not the time to quarrel with her over such a point. His finger circled Qingshan Commandery. “What if Commandery Prince Yongping unifies all of Qingshan Commandery? What does the situation become then? Wouldn’t his territory directly adjoin Jinzhou?”

Zhu Shun answered instead, “It would adjoin Jinzhou. So what?” He could hardly make his mistress keep answering such elementary questions. If she misspoke, it would only embarrass her.

Niu Youdao said, “It is very simple. Once Commandery Prince Yongping takes Qingshan Commandery, he and the Grand Princess can support one another, forming a mutually reinforcing alliance.”

“Hah!” Hai Ruyue scoffed. “A little Qingshan Commandery is supposed to be something Jinzhou can rely upon?”

Niu Youdao shifted his finger to Guangyi Commandery. “Then what if you add Guangyi Commandery? Guangyi is populous and rich in grain, and it already fields a hundred thousand elite troops! Once Commandery Prince Yongping takes Qingshan Commandery, he will naturally expand his forces as well. The Grand Princess should not forget that both Feng Lingbo and Commandery Prince Yongping serve Tianyu Sect. When one moves, the other moves with him. What if the troops of both commanderies support you?”

Hai Ruyue remained disdainful. “And what of the troops of two commanderies? Do I truly need such a trifling source of support?”

Niu Youdao said, “The Grand Princess should not forget who Commandery Prince Yongping’s father was. A centipede dies but never falls stiff. Prince Ning still left his son some foundations! If Commandery Prince Yongping trains a truly formidable army—if the ten thousand Yingyang and Wulie Guards of Prince Ning’s day reappear—will the Grand Princess still consider that a trifling source of support?”

“Never mind how Prince Ning’s ten thousand iron cavalry smashed through a hundred-thousand-strong army of the State of Han like rotten wood. I personally witnessed the might of the Yingyang and Wulie Guards. The the court of the State of Yan sent several thousand men to intercept and kill Commandery Prince Yongping, including more than a thousand cavalry, yet his five hundred riders shattered them head-on in a single charge!”

Hai Ruyue fell silent. Zhu Shun’s eyes flickered as well.

“Add the forces of Guangyi and Qingshan Commanderies, and if the emperor of the State of Zhao dares move against Jinzhou, the Grand Princess will not only have Jinzhou’s own troops to resist him. The two sides are right next to one another. Ten thousand Yingyang and Wulie Guards could cross the border on horseback and strike into the State of Zhao in the blink of an eye, with the bulk of Guangyi and Qingshan’s forces supporting them. Unless the emperor of the State of Zhao musters a major army in response, stopping them will be no easy matter.”

“And if the State of Yan wishes to threaten Jinzhou, it must likewise pass through Nanzhou. Even if Commandery Prince Yongping does not directly block the State of Yan, merely adopting a posture of supporting the Grand Princess in taking advantage of the chaos to strike into the State of Yan’s interior would force the court of the State of Yan to hesitate!”

Niu Youdao turned back to the map and pointed at Jinzhou, tracing around it. “To Jinzhou’s west lies Pingzhou, and to its north Guangzhou. Both are under the control of the emperor of the State of Zhao and both eye Jinzhou covetously, pinning it from two sides. Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion fears instability in Jinzhou precisely because of this. They are afraid the forces of those two provinces will seize the opportunity to move in. Jinzhou borders the State of Yan’s Nanzhou to the east. To the south is the vast sea. One can flee across it, but it is no road of retreat.”

“But once the Grand Princess gains Commandery Prince Yongping’s full support, the situation changes completely. Within the State of Zhao, it makes the emperor wary. Beyond the State of Zhao, it makes the State of Yan afraid to act rashly. Jinzhou becomes secure. Would Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion not be delighted to see such a situation?”

“By the same token, if Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion dares replace Jinzhou’s ruler—if it dares replace the Grand Princess—Commandery Prince Yongping naturally will not agree. The moment he assumes an attacking posture, the moment his troops enter Jinzhou, Jinzhou will fall into disorder, and the emperor of the State of Zhao will certainly seize the opportunity to take it! Replacing the Grand Princess would mean losing Jinzhou. Would Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion still dare do it? Does this not resolve the Grand Princess’s most urgent predicament?”

Hai Ruyue and Zhu Shun exchanged a look.

After a short silence, Hai Ruyue sneered again. “How very strange. You clearly came here begging me to send troops to help you, yet after listening to you for all this time, somehow it has turned into Shang Chaozong sending troops to help me.”

Niu Youdao lowered his hand from the map and said sincerely, “Because this is mutually beneficial from the beginning. Of course, before Commandery Prince Yongping can support the Grand Princess, he first needs the Grand Princess’s support.”

He brushed past that point lightly, then shifted the subject. “There is another benefit. This arrangement helps not only the Grand Princess, but also Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion by securing the benefits it receives from Jinzhou. At the very least, for a considerable period it would no longer need to worry about instability here. If the Grand Princess presents them with this plan, I see no reason Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion would refuse something so favorable. Likewise, if this helps Tianyu Sect swallow Qingshan Commandery, Tianyu Sect has no reason to refuse either.”

Hai Ruyue stared at the map, her gaze flickering. She glanced sidelong at him. “Shang Chaozong is trapped in a scrap of territory with only several thousand troops, most of them borrowed. Ten thousand Yingyang and Wulie Guards? There isn’t even a shadow of them. You have painted quite the grand promise.”

Niu Youdao said solemnly, “The Grand Princess is mistaken. What Commandery Prince Yongping lacks is merely an opportunity. Once he takes Qingshan Commandery, he will have enough territory, enough men to recruit, and enough grain and supplies. The reappearance of ten thousand Yingyang and Wulie Guards will only be a matter of time. This is entirely feasible, so how can it be an empty promise? Even five thousand cavalry alone would be a deterrent no one could ignore! Once this arrangement takes shape, neither the Grand Princess nor Commandery Prince Yongping will be someone others can casually replace whenever they please.”

Hai Ruyue turned away and slowly returned to the principal seat. After sitting, she said, “From the sound of it, once this arrangement exists, you will have something to rely on. Does that mean it no longer matters whether you obtain the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit?”

Niu Youdao waved a hand and walked toward her of his own accord. “Your son’s illness is naturally important. One matter is one matter. Treating the illness is treating the illness; resolving the Grand Princess’s predicament is resolving the Grand Princess’s predicament. I will still do everything I can to obtain a Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit for you. I offer this plan to resolve your predicament only because I want to exchange it for one condition.”

“A condition?” Hai Ruyue raised a brow. “Let me hear it.”

Niu Youdao said, “The Grand Princess cannot delay. You must send troops as soon as possible to help Commandery Prince Yongping take Qingshan Commandery!”

The reason he had personally come here to deal with this was precisely because Shang Chaozong’s side could not afford further delay. Shang Chaozong had been stalling on the pretext of stabilizing Canglu County, but that could not continue forever. Tianyu Sect would not allow the search for the hundred thousand Crow Generals to drag on indefinitely.

Hai Ruyue said indifferently, “What is the hurry? Bring me the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit first. It will not be too late to send troops afterward.”

Niu Youdao said, “The Grand Princess knows how deeply the emperor of the State of Yan fears Prince Ning. Under pressure from the court of the State of Yan, Tianyu Sect is already considering whether to abandon His Highness. Commandery Prince Yongping cannot wait any longer! Second, and I hope the Grand Princess will forgive me for saying it, obtaining the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit will take time. Even the journey there and back will consume a considerable amount. What if Xiao Tianzhen’s condition suddenly changes during that interval? When the Grand Princess has trouble enough protecting herself, how much authority will you still have to dispatch troops? Does the Grand Princess truly intend to return to the capital?”

“I will not hide it from the Grand Princess. Commandery Prince Yongping is under immense pressure and is nearly at the end of what he can endure. If I cannot persuade the Grand Princess to send troops this time, he will withdraw and flee overseas. By then, even if the Grand Princess wishes to cooperate with His Highness, I fear there will no longer be an opportunity!”

“Flee overseas? Shang Jianbo enjoyed a lifetime of heroic renown. How did he produce such a spineless son?” Hai Ruyue gave a cold snort, using the insult to give herself a way down. “Allow me some time to consider this matter.”

“Very well!” Niu Youdao cupped his hands. “Once this matter is settled, I will immediately set out to seek the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit for the Grand Princess!”

[End of Chapter 111]