Chapter 2192: Desire to Take First, Must Give First

"Just as Poison Flower said," Du Shan's eyes grew brighter, his conviction evidently strengthening. "The more Mu State desires something, the more it must appear indifferent to it, and it must also satisfy the other party's wishes. Ya State's current desire, of course, is for peace; it wants to stop fighting!"

Ya State used to constantly provoke Mu State and show off in front of it. This time, however, it was first dealt a harsh blow by Cang Yan, setting a disastrous precedent, and then invaded by Mu State, suffering a truly devastating defeat.

As of today, Ya State no longer wants to fight.

To outsiders unaware of the truth, it truly looked as if Cang Yan and Mu State had conspired to take turns punishing it.

"To take, one must first give," Du Shan said solemnly. "Therefore, what Mu State needs to do now is pretend it also wants to stop fighting. Today, it can return captives; tomorrow, it can discuss territory; the day after tomorrow, it can demand some indemnities. From the fringes, it can always extract both important and unimportant conditions to discuss. These matters are best dragged out, and there's no hurry to resolve them. The goal is to let Ya State continue to harbor the illusion that Mu State genuinely wants to negotiate and will withdraw its troops once an agreement is reached."

"What's the benefit of doing this?"

"Beijia," Du Shan said, pointing to the sand table. "Mu State is striking Ya State, but its eyes are fixed on Beijia. Beijia has always wanted to control the pace of this war. If Mu State can make Beijia believe that it might reach an agreement with Ya State and withdraw its troops at any time, then Beijia won't commit its full strength on its western front!"

He Lingchuan nodded. "That makes sense."

This was also easy to understand. When He Lingchuan first seized Hundred Peaks Spring, the Ya people were unwilling to accept it. They amassed large armies and clamored to reclaim their sacred land. However, once Mu State invaded from the west with a large army, the Ya King immediately felt immense pressure and quickly signed an agreement with the Great Emperor of Nine Netherworlds.

Conversely, if the Mu army hadn't come, the Ya people wouldn't have backed down so easily.

The same applies to Mu State. If it can unexpectedly end the war against Ya, it can escape the disadvantage of fighting on two fronts and thus concentrate its forces against Beijia in the west.

A furious and focused Mu State would be like a raging lion; Beijia certainly wouldn't want to face that alone.

Moreover, Beijia knew that Ya State was nearly crippled and desperately wanted to end the war quickly. With such mutual desire, if Mu State just showed some sincerity, wouldn't an agreement be reached?

He Lingchuan then tested Du Shan, "But these are all your deductions. How can they be verified?"

On the surface, war is a chaotic mess. Different individuals observing the same events can come to completely opposite conclusions.

Du Shan's deductions needed supporting evidence.

"That's not difficult. If I'm not mistaken, within twenty days, Mu State will certainly return to the negotiating table, and the conditions will be loosened somewhat," Du Shan smiled. "A while ago, the terms Mu State offered showed no sincerity; they were merely meant to provoke and demand exorbitant prices, which allowed it to control the pace. Now it can let its opponent haggle down the price."

"You're right, this newly appointed Grand Tutor of Mu State is quite capable, not as straightforward as Guo Shaoping."

Judging by Mu State's system, this strategy was most likely devised by You Huan.

Feigning and conniving are common in military strategy.

Thinking of this, Du Shan felt a surge of energy.

He Lingchuan looked at him and chuckled, "Very good, very good. By putting yourself in his shoes, you can see him clearly."

Du Shan gave an embarrassed smile.

Thirteen days later, the latest intelligence from the Mu-Ya battlefield arrived on He Lingchuan's desk.

Mu State proactively proposed negotiations and withdrew several of its previously outrageous conditions, appearing much more sincere. Thus, the two nations returned to the negotiating table, preparing for another round of bargaining.

Surprisingly, this time, it was Ya State that put forth several high demands, such as the Mu army being required to withdraw west of Mushroom Mountain.

Mushroom Mountain was on the border between the two nations. Ya State was demanding that the Mu army completely withdraw from Ya territory.

The preceding series of victories had made it a bit overconfident, feeling that it was capable again.

After all, Beijia was also cooperating with it on the western front.

As expected, Mu State would not agree, and its representative stormed out.

So, the negotiations would inevitably be shelved again, only to resume several days later.

And this pattern would likely repeat indefinitely.

Another piece of intelligence came from the Yangshan Archipelago.

Fu Shanyue wrote to He Lingchuan, mentioning that recently, foreign merchants had purchased large quantities of insect repellent medicines from the Yangshan Archipelago and placed huge orders, completely buying out all Yangshan-related medicines. Fu Shanyue grew suspicious and specially sent people to track and investigate, discovering high-ranking Mu State officials behind it.

However, the Yangshan Archipelago's own medicinal output was far from sufficient, requiring support from the Blazegold Plain.

The Yangshan Archipelago, with no snow year-round and high summer temperatures, has a typical island jungle climate where snakes and insects are rampant. During He Lingchuan's administration of the Yangshan Archipelago, Dong Rui and Ling Guang not only developed many repellent and plague-preventing remedies but also instructed residents on growing and producing medicine. Several of these medicines, once ingested, would cause the body to emit a scent that kept insects and ants at bay, proving highly effective.

"Medicines to repel insects and ants?" He Lingchuan smiled upon receiving the letter. "It seems Mu State has well-informed individuals already preparing war materials for the upcoming major conflict."

"Wow!" exclaimed the Soul-Capturing Mirror. "Du Shan was absolutely right. Mu State is toying with Ya State."

"You can't say they're 'toying' with them. The resources Mu State is constantly expending and the lives it's losing on the battlefield are real and tangible; it has to bear the cost itself, gritting its teeth. At the same time, it must carefully conceal its strategic objectives, so that Beijia doesn't discover them, or rather, doesn't confirm such a deduction. Fortunately, large-scale wars are inherently drawn-out. They fight, then talk; talk, then fight again. Mu State's true intentions are hidden within this pattern. Without Poison Flower's precise intelligence, even I would have difficulty discerning it."

Isn't the war between Beijia and Mu State the best example of a protracted conflict? Beijia is already accustomed to it, making it easier to mislead.

"It's just that You Huan's calculations are more ruthless and patient than I anticipated." He Lingchuan looked at the letter in his hand and said slowly, "Indeed, what Mu State desires is more than just national dignity."

"What else does it want?"

"Like me, it also wants strategic security in its surroundings! It's tired of Ya State constantly pushing its luck. Since Guo Shaoping initiated the war against Ya, You Huan, upon taking over, must win it thoroughly, and not abandon it halfway like the previous two times." He Lingchuan shook his head. "Mu State's victories in these battles were hard-won, yet it repeatedly rejected Ya State's peace proposals. In reality, it's telling Ya State, 'It's crucial that you're gone!' What a pity Ya State doesn't understand."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror was no longer the simple mirror it once was. It pondered this statement, a chill running down its core. "It... it..."

He Lingchuan uttered the war's cruelest truth: "It wants to completely dismantle Ya State!"

It wants to completely defraud the rich old man of his entire fortune!