Chapter 2225: The Plot Unfolds Revealing the Dagger

He Lingchuan smiled as well. "The Baoshu Kingdom sent only three thousand troops to the war, which sparked discontent in the imperial court."

The Baoshu Kingdom, the largest and most prosperous vassal demon kingdom within Beijia, with a strong economy and formidable power, sent only three thousand soldiers for this campaign against the Mou Kingdom. This was a clear sign that they were not serious about contributing, merely going through the motions.

"King Baoshu is a staunch supporter of the Demon Emperor," He Lingchuan continued, "echoing his views in court and aligning his actions with him. After Qingyang's fall from power, the Demon Emperor's influence in the court was severely diminished; he no longer held absolute sway as he once did. This large-scale invasion of the Mou Kingdom by Beijia seems somewhat rash, uncharacteristic of the Demon Emperor's typical approach."

You Huan, a shrewd individual, grasped the meaning instantly. "It's the Celestial God," he stated.

"The less smoothly the Mou-Beijia conflict proceeds, and the longer it drags on, the quicker and more intensely Beijia's internal contradictions will surface," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Given the Mou Kingdom's strength, handling this for six months to a year should be no problem, right?"

"Naturally," You Huan replied without hesitation.

"The second key word is 'raise'," He Lingchuan said, holding up a second finger. "You must also make every effort to bolster your domestic economy. If, even as the war progresses, the Mou Kingdom's economy and its people's livelihoods continue to prosper—meaning the conflict doesn't impede development or daily life—then Beijia, witnessing this, will grow disheartened and cease hostilities sooner."

You Huan sighed. "My great Mou Kingdom certainly doesn't want to miss out on the benefits of this current spiritual energy resurgence."

Only when Beijia realizes it's gaining no advantage, and that its opponent is actually improving, will it lose confidence in the fight and eventually falter.

This principle sounds simple, but is far from easy to implement.

"War between great nations isn't solely about victories and defeats on the battlefield; ultimately, it's often a test of a nation's ability to sustain its people's livelihoods," He Lingchuan stated calmly. "If you wish to wage a sustainable war, you cannot cut yourselves off from the outside world. You've maintained trade with the Baoshu Kingdom and the Chiyan Kingdom, haven't you? The more frequent these interactions, the greater the internal discontent within Beijia will become."

"Yes," You Huan confirmed.

"To safeguard your people's livelihoods and economy during wartime, you must not cut off trade with the outside world, or even civilian and economic exchanges with Beijia," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "You primarily conduct business with Beijia through the Yangshan Archipelago, don't you?"

At the mention of "Yangshan Archipelago," You Huan's eyes narrowed, and then a look of sudden realization dawned on his face.

He understood why the Great Emperor Jiuyou had pulled him aside for a private consultation: this was the true purpose.

The Great Emperor Jiuyou's words were truly pearls of wisdom, offering invaluable guidance for You Huan's governance and policies. Emperor Mou would never impart such insights to You Huan, leaving him to gauge his own actions, right or wrong.

The Great Emperor Jiuyou's advice also bolstered You Huan's confidence in his own existing strategic policies.

However, the Great Emperor Jiuyou also intended to warn the Mou Kingdom through You Huan:

Do not touch the Yangshan Archipelago!

This archipelago's location and function are exceptionally critical. As the war between the Mou Kingdom and Beijia intensifies, it is indeed highly probable that the Mou Kingdom might target Yangshan, either by imposing a blockade or by launching a military offensive to seize it.

In fact, this notion had repeatedly surfaced in the Mou Kingdom's imperial court, with proposals being made quite often.

However, the Yangshan Archipelago is one of Cangyan Kingdom's crucial channels for foreign trade. Should it be closed, at least half of Cangyan's commercial goods would be unable to be exported, which would be a severe blow.

The Great Emperor Jiuyou spoke eloquently about the Mou Kingdom continuing trade while at war and retaining the Yangshan Archipelago as a channel for interaction with Beijia. The underlying message was clear:

"I have specifically warned you today. If the Mou Kingdom dares to target Yangshan later, do not blame Cangyan for retaliating without courtesy!"

Earlier, he had been conversing cheerfully and amicably with Emperor Mou in the main hall, but this did not prevent him from turning around and subtly influencing You Huan with veiled threats.

He was simultaneously extending goodwill and delivering a warning.

A wise person understands quickly. You Huan felt a tremor in his heart but maintained an expressionless, respectfully humble demeanor.

It would have been inappropriate for Du Shan to deliver these words, as his status was comparable to You Huan's. Only the Great Emperor Jiuyou, from his elevated position, could admonish You Huan and elicit such deferential compliance.

"Great Emperor, your words of wisdom are deeply etched in my mind!" You Huan declared.

Their unequal statuses meant that an immediate retort from You Huan would have been meaningless. Furthermore, the Great Emperor Jiuyou was aware that Emperor Mou would certainly be briefed on You Huan's conversation with him tonight.

Knowing the Great Emperor Jiuyou's time was precious, You Huan concluded his questions, bowed once more, and respectfully took his leave.

Only after watching You Huan's figure vanish from the elegant hall did the Soul-Capturing Mirror inquire:

"You advised against the Mou Kingdom acting against Yangshan, but isn't Beijia currently closing its borders? Won't they also shut down the Yangshan Archipelago, that golden trade route?"

"No, they won't. Beijia itself still requires foreign trade," He Lingchuan stated with certainty. "In fact, precisely because they've closed other borders, the vast majority of goods cannot be rerouted and must pass through free ports like the Yangshan Archipelago and Blade Harbor. Isn't that even more beneficial to us?"

"Oh," the Soul-Capturing Mirror responded. "No wonder you were so kind to advise this man, You."

"It's not quite like that," He Lingchuan said, his smile fading. "The Mou Kingdom serves as the most formidable barrier between us and Beijia. The more stably it resists Beijia, the more advantageous it is for us. After all, Beijia is a common adversary for both our nations."

In international diplomacy, it's crucial to maintain a proper balance.

Just then, Dong Rui, having finished his meal in the banquet hall, wiped his mouth and approached them.

"When did you return?"

"Just three hours ago," Dong Rui replied, leaning against the railing. "Seeing how busy and celebratory things were here, we decided not to disturb you."

He Lingchuan casually cast another barrier. "Was your trip reasonably smooth?"

"It was acceptable, but that cursed place was heavily guarded. We waited for a hurricane to arrive before making our move. The hurricane conveniently took care of the aftermath for us."

"A volcanic eruption?"

"It was Jieshui Zhenren," Dong Rui chuckled. "That place is situated right on a volcano that's due to erupt soon."

Jieshui Zhenren's true form is a large lizard that dwells in a volcanic lava pool, possessing certain innate abilities.

He Lingchuan smiled, then changed the subject without further questions. "The Thousand-Eye Cave's entrance is underwater. How did you manage to infiltrate it?"

"Pure luck. A hurricane directly struck the Nantao Archipelago that day, unleashing furious waves that destroyed the formations at the entrance and rendered all warning systems useless." Those formations couldn't withstand such divine power. "The Blood Demon hijacked a giant stonefish, and we all hid inside its mouth, simply crashing our way in. At that time, the Thousand-Eye Cave's entrance was being battered by the surging water, with large and small fish frequently swept in by the waves. The Beijia guards were busy clearing the entrance, and they were utterly startled when our stonefish suddenly appeared. Later..."

He shrugged. "We later heard that two demon puppets had escaped their cages amidst the chaos and were injuring people everywhere, so the Thousand-Eye Cave was already in an uproar."

He couldn't help but grumble, "The management of these experimental facilities is truly subpar. Remember, Xiao An also escaped from Cao Wendao's Red Abode before."

He Lingchuan was unsurprised. "Wherever there are many people, management will always be a significant challenge."