Chapter 2174: Like Fire and Flames

Ten days later, the new border trade agreement with Mou and Ya states officially commenced operation. After the Mou army withdrew, the first caravan crossing the border from Mou State was warmly welcomed in the Baile region.

Its arrival signified the normalization of bilateral relations between Mou State and Cangyan.

A new order was established.

In Baile's capital, firecrackers boomed throughout the city all day, making it livelier than a festival. People's faces were filled with smiles.

From today, from this moment on, Baile could stand tall again, no longer needing to submit to Mou State or pay tribute, and no longer having to endure Ya State's rampant plundering.

This was because a powerful regime had risen behind it.

The war within Ya State was in full swing.

The Mou army launched a massive invasion from Ya State's northwestern border. As most of Ya State's forces had been redeployed to the Holy Land, the Mou army captured four prefectures as if entering unoccupied territory.

By the time Ya State redeployed its defenses, large swathes of land in the western region had already fallen.

The two armies fought a bloody battle for over half a month.

When the Mou army entered, it numbered 70,000. Half a month later, it had surprisingly increased to 300,000, a number far exceeding that on the Beijia battlefield!

It should be noted that Mou State had only deployed 80,000 troops to the Beijia front.

Mou State's determination stunned the world.

He Lingchuan himself returned to Baile, but reports from the Ya State battlefield, delivered by avian demons, continued incessantly, with up to five messages arriving in a single day.

The fact that he, as an observer, could detect so many variables, indicated the complexity of the situation and the entangled nature of the conflict on the Ya State battlefield.

He Yue, observing the war situation alongside his elder brother, was constantly alarmed.

Each of those horrifying figures represented vanished lives.

This was truly a war between great nations.

In comparison, the war in Yuan State that he had experienced seemed like villagers brawling with hammers and hoes.

By this point, the intensity of the war had surpassed the Battle of Hundred Peaks, initiated by the Dragon God Army in Ya State. After all, at that time, the Ya army had hastily dispatched a few elite units to respond. The main Ya army that later truly assembled did not engage with the Dragon God Army; instead, it was directly deployed to the front against Mou.

Both sides comprised elite soldiers and fierce generals.

For He Lingchuan, this was a rare and valuable opportunity to observe Mou State's military strength.

He analyzed war reports day and night, and had to admit that Mou State's main forces were on par with the Black Armored Army he had personally trained. There was not much difference in combat readiness or individual capability, but their numbers far exceeded the Black Armored Army, and each unit had its own distinct characteristics.

However, regarding the Mou army's tactics and combat philosophy, he had reservations.

He Yue watched the "tigers fight from atop a mountain" with him, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Big Brother, Mou State was initially unable to even assist Baile. Why is it now attacking Ya State so fiercely, like a madman? Its conflict with Beijia has clearly never ceased."

He Lingchuan was reviewing construction plans for Cangyan's capital. Hearing the question, he didn't even look up: "What do you think? The fact that you can ask means you've already given it some thought yourself."

His elder brother was testing him again. He Yue scratched his head: "Is it because the Ya army suffered heavy setbacks in the Battle of Hundred Peaks, taking hits to both its military strength and morale, and is no longer at its peak?"

"That's right, they've lost a great deal of confidence. This is a very important point." He Lingchuan never underestimated his own side's influence.

The significance of the Dragon God Army winning the Battle of Hundred Peaks far exceeded the battles themselves. The Holy Land being conquered was an unprecedented humiliation for Ya State since its founding. Furthermore, the Ya army later failed to avenge this disgrace; instead, Ya State ceded northern territories to Cangyan.

This was an extremely heavy blow to both the nation's confidence and the army's morale.

"Furthermore, Ya State is a multi-tribal nation. You shouldn't view it entirely as a single entity; it's different from vertically centralized states like Cangyan." He Lingchuan elaborated, "In the Battle of Hundred Peaks, it was primarily Ya State's royal tribe, meaning the main tribal army, that suffered the heaviest losses. Among the Ya soldiers we killed at that time, one out of every three was a Kolin tribesman, and several high-ranking generals of the Kolin tribe also perished. With the main tribe's combat strength diminished, its control over other tribes would also decline. Look at the intelligence we received yesterday: in the past two days, the Ya army has made at least five or six mistakes, large and small, and one Ya army unit even charged into its own camp. This is what we've gathered from intelligence; the actual number might not even be clear to them. If the Ge brothers were still alive, this might not have happened."

In large-scale wars, especially campaigns with such long front lines and rapid frequencies, all sorts of bizarre accidents can occur.

He Yue nodded as he listened, acknowledging that his elder brother's observations were more comprehensive.

He Lingchuan continued to test him: "What else?"

Wars involve two sides; having discussed Ya State, now let's talk about Mou State: "Is Mou State in a difficult situation, like riding a tiger from which it's hard to dismount? Big Brother, you once said that war is a quagmire, and once you're stuck, it's hard to get out?"

"That's right," He Lingchuan nodded. "Mou State was never 'powerless' to assist Baile; rather, it was conserving strength. Ultimately, whether or not to deploy troops is simply a matter of cost."

"Previously, if it had assisted Baile, it would have plunged itself into a quagmire. This was originally a ploy conspired by Beijia and Ya State. Mou State was very reluctant to get deeply involved, so it kept avoiding Ya State's provocations." He smiled. "We have to say, former Chief Assistant Guo had considerable self-control. But allowing Baile to be bullied by Ya State made Mou State lose significant face. Even without our intervention, once Beijia's war pressure lessened, Mou State would have found a way to reclaim its standing and teach Ya State a lesson."

When a great nation loses face, it cannot simply let it go, otherwise, other nations will always demand that it let things slide in the future.

Prestige is the most valuable asset for a powerful nation. Once lost, it's unknown how many times the cost it would take to regain it.

"But now the situation is completely different. This current war between Mou and Ya was initiated by Mou State. Ya State was first severely weakened by my attack, and only then did Mou State seize the opportunity, effectively getting a good deal. Furthermore, we successfully compelled Ya State to sign an agreement and cede territory. With our precedent, if Mou State cannot achieve impressive results or a great victory, its hegemonic position in the region will be shaken!"

This is indeed like riding a tiger from which it's hard to dismount.

He Lingchuan pointed at the sandbox model and said, "That's why we see Mou State continuously sending reinforcements to the Ya State battlefield. In fact, Beijia is also constantly increasing pressure on Mou State's western front, attempting to tie it down. But Mou State's strategic focus has now shifted to the Ya State battlefield, so it must be determined, come what may, to win this round at any cost."

If they fight, they must win!

"That's why one should not lightly start a war. It's easy to get in, but hard to get out."

He Yue gasped, "So Mou State is now fighting on two fronts."

"That's right, this is Mou State's most challenging period." He Lingchuan sighed, "It's a pity I signed a truce with Ya State. Now I can only stand by and watch. Otherwise, if I were to lead a large army south again, Ya State would surrender instantly."