Chapter 1996: Busy with State Affairs

After He Lingchuan returned to the Gilded Plain, he instructed the Yangshan Merchant Guild to vigorously promote the cultivation of jade corn in various regions. However, the window of opportunity was too short, and only a limited number of areas were planted with jade corn; most regions still cultivated less advanced crops.

The new round of Emperor's Dew had just fallen, and it would be several months before the crop yields in the Gilded Plain could be significantly increased.

This meant that he and the Dragon God Army would have to endure these next few months before they could expect further supplies.

There was also good news: crops in some areas seemed to have matured ahead of schedule.

Ding Zuodong also reported another troublesome matter:

Recently, the number of Beijia merchant ships stopping over at the Yangshan Islands had significantly decreased.

The reason was obvious: several large Beijia merchant guilds had issued notices prohibiting their merchant ships from docking at the Yangshan Islands or engaging in trade and transit there. Their stated reasons were that the origin of goods from the Yangshan Islands was unclear, counterfeit goods were rampant, and inferior products were being passed off as superior.

Previously, the Yangshan Islands had enjoyed the favor of large Beijia merchant guilds, partly because He Lingchuan had sent people to maintain good communication with them, and partly due to the arrangements made by State Preceptor Shuangye.

Now they were no longer coming. The reason, of course, was not the stated poor quality of Yangshan goods, but rather Beijia exerting pressure on He Lingchuan and cutting off his financial lifelines.

Since He Lingchuan was determined to oppose Beijia and the gods, he would have to feel Beijia's wrath.

Many of the Yangshan Islands' specialty products were originally sold directly to Beijia. Now, with the sudden halt in sales, goods were piling up in warehouses. Distributors were full of complaints.

Besides Beijia, who else could absorb such a large volume of goods? Mou Country?

Even if Mou Country could take them, at what price would the goods be sold?

The worst part was that Beijia's order was also a significant statement from a major power. If it rejected the Yangshan Islands, how would other countries and forces view and interpret that?

This was economic sanction, albeit a preliminary one.

Undoubtedly, over the next few months, Yangshan's visitor traffic would rapidly decrease.

Mou Country's trade was far less developed than Beijia's; Mou Country alone certainly couldn't fill this gap.

He Lingchuan naturally understood Beijia's actions. With the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities acting as an adversary to the Qingyang Regent/Protector they had sent, why would Beijia's merchant guilds continue to funnel money to the Yangshan Islands?

Ding Zuodong also expressed a deeper concern: if Beijia could cut off Yangshan's financial lifelines, the next step would likely be to cut off those of the Gilded Plain.

"This trouble has come remarkably early," He Lingchuan muttered to himself, "earlier than I anticipated."

The Soul-Seizing Mirror didn't understand. "What trouble is this? The Gilded Plain is so vast, not a tiny place like the Yangshan Islands. How can Beijia constrain you there?"

"Both now and in the future, Beijia is the biggest and best client for both Yangshan and the Gilded Plain. Merchants in the Gilded Plain need to make money. Beijia has already stated it doesn't want to do business with Yangshan; if it then states it doesn't want to do business with the Gilded Plain, will its commercial goods and specialties still sell well?"

He Lingchuan knew that, in fact, they still could, but it would involve several more procedures and layers of disguise, all of which would incur costs.

Becoming an object of Beijia's disdain would also make other Western powers hesitate to continue trading with Yangshan, increasing the cost of trust.

Higher costs mean lower profits.

If the Yangshan Merchant Guild earns less, its funding for the Dragon God War will also decrease.

Beijia had probably figured out that He Lingchuan had been using money earned from Yangshan to subsidize the war. The Great Emperor of Nine Serenities had three main sources of war funds: divine legacies and illicit assets were one-time gains and couldn't grow, but only income from Yangshan was continuous.

Even if this source wasn't entirely cut off, merely restricting it would make the Dragon God War much more difficult.

Once merchants in the Gilded Plain started earning less, the unity and stability of the Dragon God Territory's rear would inevitably be affected.

This problem had only just surfaced, but it absolutely had to be resolved; otherwise, He Lingchuan and Yangshan would soon find themselves in a precarious financial situation.

As expected of Beijia, its influence was immense and its methods diverse. The Gilded Plain was too far for its military might to directly reach, but it could still use economic means to make its small opponent suffer a significant loss.

"It's certainly unrealistic to expect Beijia to be lenient and resume active trade with us," He Lingchuan said, stroking his chin. "If this problem isn't resolved, I'll still be troubled by it even after I've taken control of the entire Gilded Plain."

He casually sifted through some documents, and a letter fell out.

He opened it and saw only a few bold, free-flowing characters on the stationery:

"All in place."

The letter was from Fu Shanyue, as concise and cryptic as ever. There was no need for code words; no one else would understand what he was talking about.

He Lingchuan, however, smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, some good news, and it's very timely."

Good news? Even though the Soul-Seizing Mirror had been with him the entire time, it didn't understand the hidden meaning in Fu Shanyue's few words.

He leaned back, closed his eyes for a moment, then picked up his pen to write a reply to Ding Zuodong, instructing him to go all out and raise war funds through various channels.

Furthermore, the full text of "A Letter to the People of Yao" that Baitian had issued in Yao Country was also placed on He Lingchuan's desk.

He scanned through it, reading three lines as two, and couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

The Soul-Seizing Mirror asked him, "What is it?"

He was feigning profundity again.

"Baitian is practically desperate to establish a new nation and reform the system, yet he issues this proclamation... ha, this can only be Qingyang's doing."

The Soul-Seizing Mirror said resentfully, "That old geezer, so persistent, and so troublesome."

If Baitian hadn't received advice from Qingyang, he might have suffered a backlash even without the master's intervention.

The old woman is almost two hundred years old; can't she just quietly await death?

He Lingchuan sighed. "She is Qingyang; how could she end her days in senility like an ordinary elder?"

Some people continue to shine and contribute until their very last breath.

Others, upon seeing them, would lament, "A setting sun like blood."

At this point, he suddenly recalled Lu Wushuang from the Coiling Dragon World—how steadily her formidable ambition had emerged.

He realized that, inadvertently, he had almost witnessed the entirety of State Preceptor Qingyang's life story.

"Qingyang instigating Baitian like this indirectly shows the sharp contradictions in Yao, forcing Baitian to make concessions and compromises." He Lingchuan chuckled, "To uphold old systems and return to orthodoxy, ha, Baitian actually said that."

Baitian's stated reason for rebellion and regicide was to eliminate evil, cleanse impurities, and clear away old grievances. Yet, in less than a year, he's buckling under pressure and going back to the old ways?

Why was Yao Country so mired in its problems, making it difficult to recover? If Baitian dared not innovate and overturn these antiquated practices, he was destined to remain trapped in the mire, and many aspiring individuals would be deeply disappointed.

However, Qingyang offering him this strategy was not out of good intentions; she merely wanted him to hold on for a short period.

It was a so-called expedient measure, with no regard for the endless harmful consequences it would unleash later.

Another letter came from the Purple Dock Society in Duo City.

That was one of the Dragon God Army's primary training grounds, their true rear base and headquarters. When He Lingchuan saw the letter, his heart sank, fearing that something had gone wrong.

However, upon opening it, he saw that someone had arrived from Ling Mountain.