Chapter 1690: The Chaos Begins

South of Yaoguo, in the tribute land, another powerful general, Chen Chuihua, quickly mobilized his troops upon learning of King Yao's death.

Yaoguo originally had three renowned generals: Xue Zongwu, Tu Han, and Chen Chuihua. Xue Zongwu guarded the northern border, while Chen Chuihua defended the south. Both typically remained in their respective tribute lands and were rarely permitted to return to the capital. Chen Chuihua did not return to the capital for King Yao's fifty-ninth birthday because his mother and young son had both died that summer. The people of Yao believed that such misfortune rendered him "plagued by bad luck," making him unfit to return to the capital and risk offending the King's auspicious aura. However, subsequent events proved that there was no need for him to intervene; King Yao's fortune had long since vanished.

He Lingchuan smiled when he saw this news: "Xue Zongwu died by my hand, and Tu Han fled the capital to join Yuwen Yong's rebellion in the north. Chen Chuihua in the south must be on tenterhooks."

Bai Tan's personal killing of King Yao and his capture of Tianshui City clearly revealed his ruthless ambition. Chen Chuihua knew that Bai Tan would never tolerate him and would eventually move to seize the southern territories. "However, given Bai Tan's overwhelming victory and his widespread propaganda about divine assistance, Chen Chuihua might not dare to confront him right now."

"No one wants to be the first to stick their neck out. Even if Bai Tan were defeated, other factions would be circling like wolves." The Soul-Capturing Mirror chimed in, "If you were Chen Chuihua, what would you do?"

"Chen Chuihua is handling this well; he hasn't rashly launched an attack. With control over tribute lands, he can sustain his army and doesn't need to worry about provisions. Therefore, he probably believes the best course of action right now is to bide his time, raise the banner of avenging the nation, and swiftly contact other forces—such as Tu Han, Yuwen Yong, and other loyalists of Yaoguo—to jointly suppress Bai Tan." He Lingchuan paused, "After all, Yaoguo has existed for nearly two hundred years, and its people feel a strong sense of identity with it. This makes Chen Chuihua's call to arms effective, which is quite different from other regions on the Blazing Gold Plain."

In other smaller states on the Blazing Gold Plain, which rise and fall with astonishing speed, commoners have no genuine sense of national identity. To them, the power struggles at the top simply mean another change of banners on the city walls.

The mirror asked, "Is there a flaw in this process?"

"That's the conventional and safest approach, with minimal risk. But if Chen Chuihua can conceive it, couldn't Bai Tan anticipate it?" He Lingchuan chuckled, "Do you have any idea how much time, energy, and money it takes to forge alliances and battlefronts? How many concessions must be made, and how many conflicts resolved? If not, the allied forces on the Blazing Gold Plain serve as a perfect illustration."

The allied army, led by the Situ family, was initially unstoppable. However, once the front lines were pushed back to the Bixia people's homeland, they became mired in a quagmire, making extremely slow progress and still failing to dismantle Bixia's stronghold. As soon as they gained the upper hand, the various factions within the allied army began to pursue their own agendas. With Yaoguo subtly fanning internal discord, the alliance frequently experienced infighting. This slow progress, in turn, dampened the enthusiasm of everyone involved, making the campaign feel sluggish. If Situ He were still alive, the situation might be better. However, with his son, Situ Yu, now in charge, managing the operation is proving to be quite challenging.

"So?" The mirror seemed puzzled.

"If Chen Chuihua wants to establish a front or coalition to oppose Bai Tan, he'll need to send urgent communications, explain the stakes, and negotiate terms of cooperation, won't he? All of this takes time." He Lingchuan shook his head. "During this period, Bai Tan could seize the opportunity to attack Tu Han or capture more prefectures and counties, thereby gathering more troops. His army would expand even further. While his newly recruited soldiers are displaced people with no prior combat experience, allowing them to taste victory a few times will make them brave and disciplined."

No place sharpens people more effectively than the battlefield.

"Time is Bai Tan's most valuable asset, and Chen Chuihua is unwittingly providing him with an abundance of it. The longer this war is prolonged, the more uncertain its outcome becomes."

The mirror asked curiously, "Didn't you just say Chen Chuihua was handling things well?"

"It is good, but it also reveals his lack of courage to break the stalemate. What's more, the nine consecutive days of Imperial Dew have given him a convenient excuse not to act." He Lingchuan said slowly, "You see, if a person wants to retreat, they can always find at least a hundred reasons. If Bai Tan is smart enough, he'll perceive Chen Chuihua's timidity and indecisiveness. These nine days of Imperial Dew could very well alter the course of the war."

"Oh, how do you mean?"

He Lingchuan held up a finger: "The impending war was interrupted, effectively paused for nine days. During this period, Chen Chuihua, Tu Han, Dan Zezhong, other resistance forces, and even General Chongwu likely engaged in communication. The Imperial Dew also bought them valuable time."

"Secondly, Bai Tan, having taken Tianshui City, also requires time to consolidate his rule and expand his army. Compared to the factions resisting him, he possesses a significant advantage—"

The mirror blurted out: "Divine support?"

"Nonsense. The objective of overthrowing the Yao royal family has been accomplished; why would the gods openly support him now?" He Lingchuan smiled. "His true advantage is his immense wealth! You've forgotten that the Tianshui Eastward Expansion project, using a few seemingly worthless plots of land, had funneled the wealth of officials, nobles, commoners, and the entire nation into the Yao royal treasury. Bai Tan shrewdly seized the opportunity to kill King Yao and occupy Tianshui City, thereby naturally acquiring this vast fortune!"

The mirror gasped, "How could I have forgotten about that money!"

"It's not surprising. The major events in Yaoguo lately seemed unrelated to money, which made you overlook its power. But Bai Tan certainly hasn't forgotten it."

"While money may not guarantee divine intervention, it certainly makes things happen. Furthermore, the famine in Yaoguo was largely orchestrated by him and Qingyang, ensuring his forces will not face food shortages anytime soon. Abundant funds, ample provisions, and an inexhaustible supply of soldiers—this is his true foundation. In contrast," He Lingchuan analyzed, "his opponents, every single one of them, will find their situations growing increasingly dire. Therefore, Bai Tan likely believes that time is on his side."

"Isn't it?"

"Not entirely," He Lingchuan said earnestly. "With the unfolding chaos in Yaoguo, a vortex has formed, and those who have entered it cannot avoid being swept along, rising and falling with the currents. Any plan, no matter how perfectly conceived initially, is bound to have flaws. Moreover, there are still the gods and Beijia stirring up trouble, and the Imperial Dew is unsettling people's minds. The path of rebellion is fraught with peril, and Bai Tan still has many challenges ahead."

He said this on the fifth day of the Imperial Dew's descent.

As if to corroborate his assessment, new intelligence arrived from Yaoguo on the evening of the third day: Tianshui City was once again in turmoil! Another riot, this time by displaced people.

Upon hearing this, everyone, despite being exhausted from their alchemy, eagerly pressed for details: "Tell us more! Elaborate!"

The reason was straightforward: since Bai Tan had become Tianshui City's new ruler and established it as his base, he needed to assert control and restore normal production and daily life as quickly as possible.