Chapter 1110: Discussing the Current Situation

“Bailei’s location and output are excellent, and it has deep ties with Lingshan. But if the cost of protecting Bailei is too high, exceeding its benefits to the State of Mu, then…”

The strategic calculations of great nations might entail the sacrifice of smaller powers.

“That’s why Lu Zhensheng has been desperately trying to prove Bailei’s usefulness to the State of Mu. He might not fully grasp Emperor Mu’s thoughts, but he instinctively senses danger.” He Lingchuan sighed deeply. “Unwittingly, Bailei has reached this point, all because the main branch of the Lu family is so weak.”

Entrusting one’s hope for survival to others inevitably leads to a tragic end; the only difference is whether that day comes sooner or later.

Looking at the sand table again, the Soul-Capturing Mirror felt a sense of urgency. “So what are you, what are you going to do?”

“Nothing special,” He Lingchuan shrugged. “It’s business as usual. Let them fight their battles, and I’ll focus on my development.”

“Huh?” This answer greatly surprised the mirror. It had expected its master to speed up and seize Bailei first. “Aren’t you afraid Bailei will be swallowed whole by the State of Ya?”

Did He Lingchuan have the ability to make the State of Ya spit out the fat it had consumed? The mirror was worried for him.

“No rush,” He Lingchuan chuckled. “Do you think the State of Ya will simply swallow Bailei whole?”

“Won’t it?” The Soul-Capturing Mirror felt its mind was struggling to keep up.

“It could have done that long ago. Why is it still skirmishing with Lu Qinglin on the front lines now?”

“Uh…”

“The State of Ya and Beijia have always had a tacit understanding; attacking Bailei is likely part of their strategy.” He Lingchuan tossed a flag onto the Bailei region of the sand table. “If I were the Grand Chieftain of Ya, I wouldn’t swallow Bailei whole to avoid fierce retaliation from the State of Mu. After all, taking Bailei would make Ya border Mu, and it surely wouldn’t want to shoulder all of Beijia’s war pressure itself.”

“A better approach for Ya would be to continuously attack Bailei, forcing Mu to divert troops to its aid, thus causing constant attrition and draining its combat strength. This move would also be part of Ya’s coordinated plan with Beijia.”

“Therefore, Ya’s harassment of Bailei should last at least a year or two, intermittently, wearing down Mu until it’s forced to abandon Bailei. Only then would Ya effortlessly swallow its prey.” He Lingchuan’s own thoughts became clearer the more he considered it. “While Ya’s warfare is wild and fierce, the Grand Chieftain’s past actions suggest a steady, non-aggressive approach, which explains why he heavily relies on generals like Wulu.”

Ever since taking in Wanqifeng’s Bailong tribe, He Lingchuan had paid close attention to gathering information and intelligence on the State of Ya, especially meticulously analyzing its famous past battles.

After all, this would be a troublesome and permanent neighbor in the future.

“For the foreseeable future, Bailei should be in danger but not in immediate crisis; I’ll also have time to handle my current affairs.” While others coveted Bailei, he himself was in no rush. “The biggest variable is actually with the State of Mu. If it suddenly loses to Beijia and its situation deteriorates rapidly, then Ya would accelerate its annexation of Bailei. But for now, that possibility is very small.”

The State of Mu still had a very solid foundation and vast untapped war potential.

“When Mu considers Bailei a ‘chicken rib’ – too wasteful to discard, yet too difficult to hold – that’s when Ya will be about to annex it.” He Lingchuan’s eyes gleamed. “If we intervene and snatch it then, how do you think Mu and Ya would react?”

“Ya would definitely be furious,” the mirror chuckled twice, pleased at the thought. “As for Mu, well, it’s going to abandon Bailei anyway, so what difference does it make who takes it?”

“Of course it’s different,” He Lingchuan smiled. “If I take Bailei then, it’s called ‘keeping fertile water within one’s own field.’ As long as Ya doesn’t get it, Mu will be happy.”

Moreover, he had good relations with Lingshan and Mu. Bailei falling into his hands would surely be better than into Ya’s, wouldn’t it?

In that case, the difficulties he would face after taking Bailei would be greatly reduced.

“As for Lu Qinglin—” He Lingchuan relaxed after figuring it out. “He’s defending Bailei, so let him have his moment in the spotlight at the border. But he’s a general of the State of Mu; he can’t stay there indefinitely. Once he’s recalled to Mu, who will guard Bailei?”

The mirror mumbled, “Won’t it still be Lu… Qingbang and his sister?”

“Lu Zhensheng and his son have suppressed Lu Laoliu’s family, yet they’ll still have to rely on them to defend Bailei’s borders later. Don’t you think Lu Laoliu and the rest of the Lu family will feel disheartened?” He Lingchuan chuckled. “If Lu Zhensheng and his son hadn’t dug their own grave, how many counter-intelligence schemes would I have needed to achieve such alienation? So, let’s give them a bit more time to make a mess of things.”

He stood up and stretched.

His mind was made up; the plan to seize Bailei would be postponed!

Since he had no urgent matters left to attend to, he decided to accept the tasks from Lingshan and Mu, temporarily leave the Yangshan Archipelago, and take a trip to the Shanjin Plain.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror then asked, “Lingshan’s mission this time is very far away. Do you really want to do it? What’s the benefit?”

“How much do you know about the Shanjin Lands and the Qian River Basin?”

“Huh?” The Soul-Capturing Mirror looked bewildered. “Before you got that booklet, I hadn’t really heard of it.”

It had awakened from a long dormancy, having previously slept in Beijia’s Azure Palace. How could it know about the vast changes outside?

He Lingchuan walked back to the sand table and reactivated his divine ability.

Soon, a completely new landscape of mountains and rivers appeared on the sand table.

This place had no shortage of mountains or water, with diverse landforms including mountains, plains, snowfields, lakes, and plateaus. The Soul-Capturing Mirror even saw several barren deserts.

This vast land was located northeast of the State of Ya, separated by a large lake.

For He Lingchuan, it was another entirely new world.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror stared for a long time. “Why does it look so familiar?”

“Perhaps you’ve been there?” He Lingchuan prompted. “This place has a very long history.”

“I…” The Soul-Capturing Mirror remembered. “My first master went there, but that was a very, very long time ago, and it wasn’t called the Shanjin Lands back then!”

The mirror’s first master? That was more than two thousand years ago.

He Lingchuan pointed at the sand table. “Let’s talk about more recent times. Roughly one thousand to eight hundred years ago, a powerful empire, known as the Shanjin Empire, rose in this region.”

The mirror interjected, “That didn’t last long, did it? Did the empire’s glory only endure for two hundred years?”

“Two hundred years is quite resilient. Most small states are like revolving lanterns; very few manage to last fifty years.” For centuries, “turmoil” had been the defining theme of this world.

“The Shanjin Empire vanished, leaving only the plain named after it. Since then, various small states have constantly emerged in this region, invading, annexing, and replacing each other. However, a powerful kingdom like the Shanjin Empire has never reappeared. To this day, it remains a cluster of small states.” He Lingchuan sighed. “I’ve heard their relationships are quite complex.”

“Neighbors always have disputes, don’t they?” The Soul-Capturing Mirror mused. “Hey, did you read all of this in books?”

“Not just books. I also attended a few lectures at the Imperial Academy in Lingxu City, specifically on the human landscapes of various regions worldwide. Two of those lectures covered the Shanjin Plain.” The Imperial Academy in Lingxu City held open lectures irregularly for the public, allowing even outsiders like him to audit and ask questions. Shao Jian’s book only covered events from over 160 years ago; He Lingchuan had to keep track of the current situation in the Shanjin Plain himself. “Currently, there are twenty-four large and small states there, not counting various lawless, unclaimed territories. Natural and man-made disasters are constant, and it’s known as the ‘Land Abandoned by Heaven’.”

Beijia was a nation favored by Heaven, but the Shanjin Plain had become a land abandoned by it.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror casually asked, “What’s the reason for this?”

“According to the old scholars at the Lingxu Imperial Academy, the reasons are history and long-standing feuds.” He Lingchuan had developed a diligent study habit in the Dragon Disc World. “That region has been fragmented for nearly a millennium. Most people there have no concept of or desire for a unified empire. Some states have accumulated deep-seated hatred over years, even generations and dozens of generations, continuing to attack each other even after their own nations were ruined and families destroyed.”

“In short, it’s summarized as historical issues. Of course, such public lectures don’t delve into deeper content. Some underlying reasons might not be suitable for ordinary people.” He Lingchuan smiled. “Actually, I truly want to visit the Shanjin Plain, and these tasks are quite suitable.”

The Soul-Capturing Mirror was perplexed. “Why? Isn’t this entire Yangshan Archipelago enough for you to manage?”

This master was busy and bustling all day; wasn’t he tired enough already?

“Honestly, no,” He Lingchuan smiled slightly. “Being a leader is energizing; you wouldn’t understand.”

After nearly a year of hard work, the Yangshan Archipelago’s tourism, commerce, internal administration, labor, military defense, and foreign relations were largely on track. Economically, it had established a self-sufficient, surplus-generating positive cycle. External trade was frequent, military strength grew daily, and the external environment had stabilized.

Within three months of taking the Yangshan Archipelago, he had successively resolved Beijia’s open threats, Bailei’s covert schemes, and the pressures from Lingshan and Mu. He successfully gained tacit approval from the two great empires, Mu and Beijia, which allowed him to establish a foothold and grow in this new world.

The various systems of the Yangshan Archipelago were not yet perfect, with many areas for improvement. For instance, the Yangshan Guard’s rapid growth in numbers and complex composition meant its military structure needed further optimization. The permanent population on the islands had tripled within six months, requiring new management regulations for residents. Furthermore, the island’s agricultural products were limited in variety, with room for improvement and introduction of new species, among other things.

However, He Lingchuan did not intend to personally handle these matters.

He was already a regional lord and should not micromanage every detail. His future focus, and indeed the challenge, would be strategic planning and effective delegation.

His old subordinates had grown with him, and those still in their positions were capable, so they should take on most of the development burden for him.

If they couldn’t share the load, he would replace them.

As for He Lingchuan himself, he had more important things to do.

The small Yangshan Archipelago, once developed to this extent, could be partially left to its own devices.

Hadn’t he worked hard for over half a year precisely so he could eventually become a hands-off manager?