Chapter 2165: An Endless Fight, One Must Not Fight

Yu Huan's lips curled into an involuntary smile.

Tang Heyuan had originally been the strongest contender for the position of Grand Advisor. However, at the last internal military council, Tang Heyuan strongly advocated for dispatching troops to Ya and for doing so without notifying Cang Yan, fearing Cang Yan would gain an advantage. This proved to be a significant strategic misjudgment, as Cang Yan undermined Mu's army after their powerful offensive against Ya. Others had already reached shore, while they were still wallowing in the mud.

Although Grand Advisor Guo Shaoping bore the primary responsibility for this blunder, Tang Heyuan's proposal still exposed the limitations of his strategic foresight. This series of events demonstrated the value of Yu Huan's counsel. Given that the Mu-Ya war was unlikely to end quickly, Yu Huan believed that if the Emperor held a balance in his heart, his own standing should now be heavier, while Tang Heyuan's had correspondingly lightened.

Indeed, wasn't this cause for celebration? To Huanxiang Tower!

Mu Capital had a peculiar characteristic: whenever it rained at night, it would pour endlessly. Tonight, with such heavy rain, Huanxiang Tower had less than half its usual customers.

The Yu brothers were regulars. Their usual private room was on the second-floor corridor, set back and directly facing the entrance. The advantage was that it wasn't as noisy as the main hall, yet if one looked down, they could still see the koi swimming in the central fish pond.

As the two brothers discussed the war in the south, Yu Su asked:

"Brother, how long do you think this war will last?"

"The Emperor's will is hard to fathom," Yu Huan said, clinking his cup against his brother's. "If it were up to me, we'd fight until we win."

"Brother is a divine strategist; can you calculate when Ya will surrender?"

Yu Huan shot him a glance. "What, are you getting some crooked ideas again?"

Yu Su offered a flattering smile. "Oh no, nothing of the sort. It's just that war brings one big business opportunity after another, and I haven't come across any yet, which is quite a shame."

"For items like grain, livestock, leather armor, wound medicine, and weapons, the military has specialized procurement channels. You've never been involved before, and you won't be in the future either."

Yu Su already knew all this; he couldn't intervene because everything was already allocated. "Brother, is there anything else I can do?"

Yu Huan thought for a moment. "Yes. If the war continues until autumn, you'll have an opportunity."

"Oh, that's not far. Tell me more, Brother?"

"Every autumn, the plains of Ya are often plagued by autumn gadflies. These are venomous insects unique to the region; their bites are worse than fleas, causing red boils and unbearable itching all over the body. While elemental power can reduce their toxicity, being bitten is certainly uncomfortable, leading to sleepless nights for some soldiers and impacting their combat effectiveness."

"At that time, the authorities will certainly procure large quantities of medicine or herbs to repel gadflies and treat boils," Yu Huan advised his younger brother. "If you, like me, believe the war won't end easily, you should start acquiring them now. Of course, if my judgment is wrong, these herbs will be a financial burden on you."

Yu Su nodded repeatedly. "Understood, understood!"

He poured his brother another cup of wine, his voice dropping further. "I was on duty at the palace today. I heard that Emperor Jiuyou killed three hundred of our brave warriors, and Cang Yan is trying to seize Qing's Blade Port, which made Qing rush to us for help? And Royal Grand Master Wang is to be an envoy to Cang Yan?"

Wow, one explosive piece of news after another this morning! All of them related to Cang Yan.

Yu Huan nodded. "You could also say Bailei is reclaiming Blade Port; that port was forcibly leased by Qing forty years ago, and the lease is now up."

Yu Su asked the question that concerned him most: "Will the Emperor help Qing? Will we end up fighting Cang Yan?"

Yu Huan answered without hesitation: "Even if Royal Grand Master Wang's diplomatic mission to Cang Yan secures terms that are only half of what Qing offered us, I still believe the Emperor will favor peace with Cang Yan."

He believed that Mu could fight Ya indefinitely, but could not afford to fight Cang Yan.

"Why?"

"Qing's significance is too slight," Yu Huan said, weighing Qing's documents in his hand. "No matter how many conditions Qing offers, they are insignificant; any benefits it yields to us are negligible in the long run. The Shanjing Plain is vast, offering infinite potential for cooperation."

Qing is merely a tiny, insignificant state.

These two nations, in terms of area, national strength, military power, development potential, and the ruler's leadership, cannot be placed on the same scale for comparison. It would be entirely unwarranted for Mu to antagonize Cang Yan over Qing, or over a small place like Blade Port.

Ya's invasion of Shanjing during the Dragon God War, and its subsequent declaration of war against He Xiao, provoked Emperor Jiuyou's retaliation, shaming even the sacred land of Baiqiuyuan. After this incident, everyone knew that Emperor Jiuyou had an unyielding temper, and Cang Yan, though poor, was defiant and had no intention of quietly enduring insults. It would be wise to avoid provoking such an opponent in the short term.

"What's more—" Yu Huan paused before continuing, "Ever since Cang Yan was established, the situation around our great Mu has not been favorable."

Originally, the Shanjing Plain was fragmented; even if Mu couldn't conquer it, there was no need to worry about it posing any threat. In the region east of Mu, it only needed to occasionally keep the troublesome Ya in check. This was its expansive rear. Who knew He Xiao would arrive and unify Shanjing? With Cang Yan's emergence on the historical stage, the security landscape in Mu's east was completely disrupted.

Now, Mu finds itself sandwiched between two immense nations: Beijia to its west and Cang Yan to its east. Anyone in Mu's geographical position would feel a chill run down their spine.

Although Cang Yan severely punished Ya, it also has ties with Beijia. If Cang Yan and Beijia grow closer, and Beijia engages Mu on the western front while Cang Yan raises an army on the eastern front, wouldn't Cang Yan effectively become an even larger version of Ya? Could Mu still win, or even expect to have peaceful times?

"If our country further antagonizes Cang Yan, our relations with Ya, Cang Yan, and Beijia will all become tense," Yu Huan said, choosing his words carefully. "Even a power as strong as great Mu would find it incredibly difficult to manage such a situation."

Yu Su scratched his head. "So both these matters are just being dropped? We sign a new agreement with Cang Yan and become good neighbors from now on? Oh, that sounds a bit cowardly; it doesn't feel right."

Yu Huan glanced at him and chuckled. "Tell me, what loss has great Mu suffered?"

"Uh, Bailei was taken by Cang Yan? That was originally our tribute land."

"Yes, we did lose a tribute land, but the Lu father and son managed it poorly, and Bailei's tribute was already minimal. Besides, it was originally a free territory; as long as it could bear the consequences, it was free to decide who to ally with."

What does 'bearing the consequences' mean? It means precisely this: its newly found patron is willing to provide support.

"Common people only want immediate retribution because it comes quickly; they simply need to stubbornly confront their opponents without needing to strategize. But in the grand strategy of nations, not all pieces are crowded into one corner to fight. It's best to fight your own battles, I fight mine, feinting in one direction and striking in another, without being led by the enemy."

Yu Huan sighed. "How can great nations act like common folk in a fit of pique? Furthermore, if great Mu truly wanted to settle this score, why not do so elsewhere? In the future, there will be countless opportunities for Cang Yan to interact with our country, and just as many opportunities for them to make mistakes or face difficulties."

In Mu's strategic game with Cang Yan, it cannot stubbornly fight only in areas where it has no moral high ground; that would be both exhausting and disadvantageous.

Yu Su pressed his hand to his chest and said dramatically, "Hearing you say that, Big Brother, I feel much better."

Yu Huan casually scanned the hall below, but as his gaze swept past the entrance, it suddenly sharpened.

Several women arrived together, each followed by a maid or a page. One of them was none other than Mei Wuniang!