Chapter 1444: Lord Gao’s Wise Counsel

“Much of Nanzhou’s strength has now been deployed into the occupied Qin territories. This is precisely the best time to send troops...”

Shang Jianxiong spoke at length, his intention obvious. He wanted to persuade the two elders and secure the full support of Xiaoyao Palace and Lingjian Mountain.

After listening to the Emperor’s lofty views, Xi Yao pondered for a while before saying, “What Your Majesty says is not without reason. But Han’s attitude is obvious. If we send troops and Han actually intervenes militarily, we have no chance of victory. Sending troops may accomplish nothing.”

Luo Mingjian nodded slightly.

That was exactly what worried them.

Otherwise, how could they have tolerated Zijin Cave eating so obscenely, wolfing down the spoils as though starving?

Shang Jianxiong snorted. “In Our view, Han is bluffing. It now has to develop the Qin lands it occupied and guard against Song. Where would it find the strength to truly send troops? There is a very strong chance this is only intimidation. Elders, We hope you will report to your sects as quickly as possible and ask them to decide early!”

Gao Jiancheng suddenly interjected, “What if Han really does send troops?”

Shang Jianxiong spun around and glared at him furiously, as though asking whose side he was on.

Luo Mingjian asked, “Lord Gao seems to have been watching coldly from the sidelines and appears remarkably calm. Do you perhaps have some superior insight?”

Gao Jiancheng truly was calm.

Meeting Shang Jianxiong’s furious gaze, he said with complete composure, “In this old minister’s view, if Shang Chaozong wants it, then give it to him. It is not worth going to war over, and it will spare outsiders the spectacle of laughing at internal disorder in Yan.”

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone was stunned.

Several pairs of eyes snapped toward his face, including those of Tian Yu, Chief Steward of the Inner Palace.

Tian Yu looked openly astonished.

As one of His Majesty’s trusted ministers, did Gao Jiancheng not know what the Emperor wanted?

Why would he say such a thing?

Even if he disagreed, surely he did not need to speak so bluntly.

The muscles in Shang Jianxiong’s face twitched. Fire seemed ready to erupt from his eyes as he enunciated every word. “Gao Jiancheng, do you know what you are saying?”

Gao Jiancheng returned to the same question. “Your Majesty, what if Han truly sends troops?”

Shang Jianxiong berated him. “On what grounds are you certain Han will send troops?”

According to his own wishes, even if Han did intervene, he still could not allow Shang Chaozong to succeed so easily.

Shang Chaozong’s strategic intent was simply too obvious.

Relying on Nanzhou’s geographic advantage, he wanted to seize the throat linking Yan proper with its occupied Qin territories, sever the court’s reach, then develop those lands for himself.

Nanzhou had exploited its geographical advantage to move first.

Not only had it occupied vast stretches of territory, it had also rushed to absorb large numbers of former Qin soldiers.

What exactly did Shang Chaozong intend?

Once he stabilized his rule over those lands, nearly all the Qin territory occupied by Yan might end up in his pocket.

The court forces isolated beyond his corridor would receive no support and become too weak to resist him. At that point, wouldn’t Shang Chaozong be able to do whatever he wished with them?

One could easily imagine what would happen if Shang Chaozong succeeded now.

He would immediately begin squeezing the court’s forces.

Perhaps he would not launch a full-scale war against them, but he would certainly leave them unable to establish themselves.

Qin’s lands had suffered one war after another. Everything waited to be rebuilt, and the region was desperately impoverished.

Without resources from the Yan court, those isolated forces could not possibly stand on their own.

Add in the territories Shang Chaozong already controlled, and one man would effectively command a full third of Yan.

Even now, Shang Chaozong never came to the capital to pay court to the Emperor.

He held troops in his own hands, acted like a power unto himself, and paid little attention to the imperial court.

That alone already made the court deeply wary.

If his power were allowed to expand explosively once again, what might Shang Chaozong do then?

The mere thought made Shang Jianxiong shudder.

If not for that fear, why would he ever have surrendered the woman he loved so easily?

What he did not know was that Shang Chaozong dared act so aggressively, dared devour the spoils with such an ugly appetite, precisely because Niu Youdao stood behind him as a guarantee.

Niu Youdao had already spoken.

He had told Shang Chaozong to prepare to take over all of Yan.

Naturally, Shang Chaozong intended to seize this opportunity and lay out his position ahead of time.

Xi Yao lifted one hand slightly. “Your Majesty, calm your anger. Since Lord Gao has spoken this way, he must have some reasoning behind it. We may as well hear him out first.”

“Hmph!” Shang Jianxiong flung his sleeve and clasped his hands behind his back, waiting to see what Gao Jiancheng could possibly say.

Once he calmed slightly, he too realized Gao Jiancheng would not speak so pointedly without reason.

He still found the man’s words grating.

Gao Jiancheng said, “Han never rises early unless there is profit to be made. Why would it help Shang Chaozong? This old minister does not believe it is out of kindness. The situation is obvious. Han deliberately intends to support Shang Chaozong and create an internal restraint within Yan.”

“That way, a Yan divided by internal constraints cannot act recklessly against Han, and if Han ever has need, Yan will likewise be unable to concentrate all its strength against it. By supporting Shang Chaozong, Han is also deepening the conflict between Shang Chaozong and the imperial court.”

“So we return to the same question: what if Han truly sends troops? Once Han intervenes, then even if we send an army, we will still be unable to change the outcome. Instead, the imperial court will lose face. If the court’s troops are defeated, what will officials and commoners throughout Yan think? It will only further inflate Shang Chaozong’s arrogance.”

Shang Jianxiong retorted, “You have said all this and still said nothing different.” He pressed again, “Why are you so certain Han will send troops?”

Gao Jiancheng asked in return, “Your Majesty, why does Shang Chaozong dare act at precisely this moment, when his forces are already spread thin? Does he not know the imperial court will refuse to sit by and watch? He knows perfectly well that the court will intervene, yet he still dares eat so greedily. Why?”

“He must possess some certainty. He must be convinced Han will send troops to support him. Otherwise, why would he take such an enormous risk for what could easily become a loss rather than a gain?”

The hall instantly fell silent.

That was true.

If Shang Chaozong had no confidence, how could he dare do this?

And if he did have confidence, did that not prove Han would indeed send troops?

While everyone was thinking, Gao Jiancheng watched their expressions and then casually added, “Even if the imperial court yields, that does not necessarily mean it loses. And even if Shang Chaozong swallows the territory, that does not mean he will be able to digest it.”

Everyone immediately looked at him.

Luo Mingjian at once asked humbly, “What does Lord Gao mean?”

Gao Jiancheng said, “Anyone with eyes can see that Qi is already a spent force. It cannot hold out much longer. Jin already possesses sharp weapons and powerful armor. It now has one hand wrapped around the grain-producing lands. Once the other hand closes around the resources needed for warhorses as well, sending troops east will be inevitable. Jin’s ambition is known to everyone.”

“May I ask: once Jin’s army marches out through Xiping Pass, who will stop it?”

“If the imperial court’s forces stand before Xiping Pass, then the court will have to fight.”

“If Prince Yong’s forces stand before Xiping Pass, then naturally Prince Yong will have to fight.”

“Given the ferocity of Jin’s armies, if the court fights Jin to the death, the court’s strength will suffer catastrophic losses. If Prince Yong’s forces fight Jin to the death, then Prince Yong’s strength will suffer catastrophic losses instead.”

Light flickered in several pairs of eyes.

Everyone fell into thought.

They finally understood Gao Jiancheng’s intention.

Shang Jianxiong’s anger visibly subsided as well. He hesitated before asking, “If Jin marches east and Shang Chaozong is defeated, the imperial court will eventually have to fight Jin too. Can we stop it?”

Gao Jiancheng said, “Your Majesty, it will not be the court’s turn to fight Jin so easily. Han is not some decoration. How could it sit by and watch Shang Chaozong be defeated?”

“Once Jin marches out of Xiping Pass, Han will inevitably join hands with Shang Chaozong and fight desperately. With both sides working together, Jin will not be able to win easily. Even if it does win, it will have to pay a substantial price.”

“If the Qin front collapses and Jin’s forces eventually reach our border, forcing the imperial court to act, that will mean Shang Chaozong’s strength has already been nearly exhausted.”

“Shang Chaozong will have nowhere left to retreat. Han, however, still possesses vast lands outside Qin and a huge population in Han proper.”

“Once Shang Chaozong’s strength is exhausted and he loses his value, Han cannot possibly stand alone against Jin. It will inevitably come begging Yan to cooperate against Jin. At that point, Yan will not be fighting alone either.”

“And once Shang Chaozong has lost his value, if Your Majesty asks for it, Han will be forced by circumstances to abandon Prince Yong.”

“As for Zijin Cave, once Shang Chaozong loses his value and the benefits in Qin are lost, Zijin Cave will still have many interests inside Yan proper that it needs to protect. Furthermore, after supporting Shang Chaozong in his war against Jin, Shang Chaozong’s defeat will inevitably cause Zijin Cave itself to suffer heavy losses.”

“When matters reach that point, so long as Your Majesty speaks, not only will Han abandon Prince Yong, Zijin Cave will likewise cast Shang Chaozong aside as a discarded piece. Zijin Cave itself will bind him, escort him here, and respectfully present him to Your Majesty for judgment!”

Shang Jianxiong’s eyes flickered wildly.

Shang Chaozong was the thorn in his flesh, the nail in his eye.

At the thought of Shang Chaozong bound and dragged before him, completely at his mercy, Shang Jianxiong’s brows twitched several times.

Gao Jiancheng continued, “Whether we can ultimately defeat Jin is another matter. The imperial court must preserve the strength that can resist until the very end rather than care only about the present.”

“If the court’s power is badly weakened and it loses the ability to resist, Shang Chaozong may seize the opportunity to usurp the throne.”

He turned toward the two elders. “May I ask the Elders: if matters reach the point where Shang Chaozong is needed to stabilize the hearts of Yan’s people and lead resistance against Jin, what choice will Lingjian Mountain and Xiaoyao Palace make then? Will you still protect His Majesty with all your strength?”

The two elders exchanged a look.

Both understood perfectly well, and neither answered.

Gao Jiancheng declared righteously, “This old minister and the Nanzhou faction are mortal enemies. This old minister will never allow Shang Chaozong to succeed in the end!”

He cupped his hands again, looking every bit the loyal minister offering earnest counsel. “Your Majesty, since sending troops now cannot change the result anyway, we may as well plan for the long term. This old minister begs Your Majesty to decide!”

Xi Yao and Luo Mingjian were already nodding repeatedly, as though enlightenment had dawned.

Xi Yao praised him. “After hearing Lord Gao speak, the fog has cleared from my mind!”

Luo Mingjian said, “Your Majesty, Lord Gao’s wise counsel is the seasoned strategy of a man planning for the state.”

Shang Jianxiong said nothing.

Instead, he could not help lifting his face and releasing a long sigh toward Heaven.

His heart ached faintly.

If he had known matters would develop this way, if he had known sending Aque to Nie Zhenting would change nothing, why had he ever given up the woman he loved?

If events truly unfolded as Gao Jiancheng predicted, one day Han itself might have to come begging Yan for help.

Perhaps then Shang Jianxiong could even ask to have Aque sent back.

But if that day truly came, what face would he have left to meet her?

When he had taken her from Mu Zhuozhen, people had already criticized him.

If he now sent her out to become another man’s woman, then later took her back as his own woman again, what would that make him?

Perhaps an ordinary man could disregard such things.

But he was the ruler of a state.

How could the entire court tolerate him acting with such abandon?

If the father and ruler of Great Yan behaved like this, how could he serve as an example to the people of Yan?

At the thought, regret pierced his heart and bones, endless and unbearable.

Inside, he wailed in grief and unwillingness:

My Que’er is gone!

[End of Chapter 1444]