Chapter 2207: Take It or Not

"There have been no unusual movements yet." Only seven days had passed since the death of King Xiluo.

"This aligns with Beijia's consistent style," Zhao Xianhe began. "They will first observe, waiting for these factions to clash for several rounds until a few 'figurehead kings' emerge. Only then will Beijia decide which one or ones to support. This strategy prolongs the war, potentially for several more years, contributing more nightmare energy to the Sky Demon."

Beijia's methods for sowing discord and creating chaos are highly sophisticated, making direct intervention unnecessary.

With the frequent appearance of the Emperor's Nectar, the Sky Demon is growing agitated. Conveniently, King Xiluo's sudden death could help Beijia fulfill its nightmare energy quota.

From this perspective, one could even argue, "Perhaps King Xiluo's death was also Beijia's doing; he was useless to them anyway."

Beijia had initially supported his ascent to the throne, hoping to use Xiluo's identity as a "mother country" to create difficulties for Panlong City. However, King Xiluo proved even more ineffective than his father. He consistently failed to launch meaningful attacks on Panlong City, instead squandering Beijia's resources and manpower and even getting caught in two corruption scandals.

This strategy was often criticized within the Lingxu Royal Court as a waste of resources.

Given the circumstances, Beijia might as well have eliminated him to stir up unrest and contribute more nightmare energy to the Sky Demon.

It would be a form of 'resource recycling'.

Zhong Shengguang shook his head, gesturing toward the documents on the table. "A palace servant identified the sedative given to King Xiluo by his concubine as originating from a merchant in Panlong City. Consequently, rumors in the capital claim that we were the masterminds behind King Xiluo's death."

General Nankei stated nonchalantly, "Those rumors are irrelevant. Master Zhong, the state of Xiluo has fallen; that land is now unclaimed!"

With Xiluo vanquished and the aggrieved party gone, who would care about the true culprit?

Similarly, Panlong City would not be swayed by such accusations from the weak, nor would its actions be influenced by them.

Everyone's attention was fixed on the latter part of General Nankei's statement.

Indeed, Xiluo's territory had become "a prize for all to contend for."

Previously, Panlong City had refrained from attacking Xiluo because it was considered the "motherland," the ancestral home of countless Panlong City residents.

With that constraint gone, what reason did Panlong City have not to act?

Wen Daolun also spoke up. "The summer before last, a white-yttrium ore vein was discovered in Xiluo. King Xiluo became arrogant then, demanding exorbitant prices from neighboring countries. Now, with the political turmoil, the value of this mine has become even more pronounced."

In the past two years, everyone has recognized the immense role of specialized weapons on the battlefield. White steel, notably, is a crucial material for refining these weapons.

While white-yttrium is not the primary material for specialized weapons, it is an indispensable auxiliary metal for synthesizing silver-manganese and white steel.

Although Panlong City's territory has expanded repeatedly in recent years, raw materials for specialized weapons remain scarce and must be imported from overseas. Lingshan consistently uses this as leverage against Panlong City.

If they could secure the white-yttrium ore vein within Xiluo, Panlong's future smelting techniques would be more versatile, and its supply of military equipment would be more abundant.

This was a crucial strategic consideration.

He Lingchuan listened in silence.

The future Shen state would also encompass Xiluo's territory, meaning this white-yttrium ore vein would naturally fall within Shen's borders. He Yue had told him that the mine's reserves were substantial, having been exploited for nearly a century without depletion, and it had once been a vital economic source for the Yuan state.

Several generals eagerly called for war. "My lord, public sentiment is very strong; the people want to reclaim their homeland. This is a golden opportunity!"

"Indeed, everyone is eagerly discussing it, hoping the Panlong army will advance eastward and reclaim the former Xiluo territory!"

For many years, the Panlong Wasteland was Xiluo's territory. They would frequently issue decrees, scolding and ordering them about. Now, the tables could turn, making Xiluo a territory of Panlong City!

The mere thought of it brought immense satisfaction to everyone, from soldiers to commoners.

What a sense of vindication, a true turning of the tables!

It was thus natural for the populace to be eager for war and for public opinion to support Panlong City's military intervention.

However, Xu Shichu, the dean of Shumin Academy, countered, "The political upheaval in Xiluo is recent. Even Beijia isn't rushing to act, so why don't we wait for things to settle?"

General Nankei disagreed. "What's the point of waiting then?"

"It's rare for Panlong City to have been at peace these past few years; our economy is booming, and our people are growing prosperous. With the frequent appearance of the Emperor's Nectar, it's best to focus on peaceful development and not easily start a war," Xu Shichu argued. "The outside world is complicated; Panlong should prioritize internal stability."

He Lingchuan cast a glance at Xu Shichu.

Dean Xu rarely expressed his opinions proactively in such military meetings; his behavior today was uncharacteristically forward.

Was there something more to this?

Therefore, He Lingchuan remained silent.

Seeing his silence, seven or eight senior generals, including Menban, also held their thoughts and remained quiet.

"Precisely because the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is surging, it's even more crucial for us to expand our territory. More territory and more people mean more spiritual energy, more production, and more wealth!" General Nankei argued. "Why are we developing so well now? Isn't it because we seized the Maohe Plain and many other territories? If we had merely guarded the Panlong Wasteland as we did before, we wouldn't be flourishing as we are today."

Many people nodded in agreement.

Panlong City's steady rise to power indeed began with their eastward advance, conquering the Jinyou State and securing the Maohe Plain.

The Maohe Plain was not only fertile but also provided access to a sea outlet. This immediately diversified Panlong City's external connections.

Similarly, Xiluo also possessed other sea outlets, connecting it to other nations.

"If our Panlong City conquers Xiluo, our territory will almost double, allowing us to rival major powers," General Nankei continued. "Furthermore, Xiluo's land has always been far superior to the Panlong Wasteland."

Xiluo's terrain consisted mainly of plains and small hills, with only one-third mountainous land. How could it not be superior to the original Panlong Wasteland? Had it not been for years of continuous warfare, Xiluo would never have declined to such a weak and impoverished state.

Xu Shichu remained partially unyielding. "With the current instability in Xiluo, if we plunge in now, there's no telling how long the conflict will last. War is a quagmire, as everyone here must keenly feel. If we truly intend to fight, it's not too late to wait until the situation in Xiluo becomes clear before we make our move."

Without waiting for General Nankei to respond, he continued:

"Don't forget that Xiluo's eastern border is right next to Beijia. Will Beijia simply stand by and watch us comfortably and smoothly seize Xiluo?"

No one answered, but everyone knew the answer was no.

The long-standing animosity between the two sides was widely known.

"Beijia will surely seize this opportunity to drag Panlong City back into a vortex of war, preventing our stable development. If we rush in now, we might just be walking straight into their meticulously laid trap."

Zhao Xianhe was about to speak when Zhong Shengguang raised his hand.

A sudden hush fell over the room as everyone waited for their leader to speak.

"I understand your fervor. Since Xiluo is now unclaimed territory, open to anyone, why shouldn't Panlong City be the one to claim it?"

The generals nodded in unison; that was precisely the point.