Kays Translations

Chapter 297: The Sea Is Not Peaceful Either

When Li Xian arrived at the main hall, Xu Ren was leaning against the carved stone Pixiu at the doorway, yawning; one hand was holding a feather fan propped behind his head. After the recent period of intense planning and hard work, he was feeling a bit worn out.

Upon seeing Li Xian approaching, Xu Ren quickly stood up. “Young Master, Xiao Liming has mobilized his troops. The situation is as follows…”

With just a few words, Xu Ren explained the reasons behind Xiao Liming’s military action and the confrontations between the various powers. He concluded: “I think Xiao Liming’s real intention isn’t the battle itself.”

“He wants to attack my Anyang?”

“No!” Xu Ren smiled mysteriously. “I believe he came to Anyang to get beaten up!”

Li Xian couldn’t wrap his head around it for a moment. “He brought 200,000 troops to Anyang just to get beaten? Why?”

“To trade a military defeat for a political victory. If Xiao Liming attacks Anyang and loses, then he can push the First Prince out to take the blame. In doing so, he’ll completely oust the First Prince from the throne and seize the crown for himself!”

As soon as this was mentioned, Li Xian’s eyes lit up. “So what you mean, sir, is that Xiao Liming has completed all the groundwork and is now ready to ‘kill the donkey once the millstone is done with the grind’—to get rid of this puppet that isn’t truly a puppet.”

“Killing the donkey might be an exaggeration, but removing the millstone is definitely happening,” Xu Ren’s analysis was sharp and to the point. “The situation is already set. The First Prince has a mind for internal politics, but lacks the broader vision and macro-level political and military strategy. So, if Baofeng County keeps the First Prince in charge, it’s bound to decline sooner or later.

And Xiao Liming has been preparing for decades, waiting for this very moment.”

Li Xian blinked his still-drowsy eyes. “How can you be so sure that Xiao Liming came here to get beaten? With his abilities, if he has 200,000 elite troops, he could definitely conquer Anyang.”

Xu Ren wasn’t the least bit worried. “That won’t happen. If Xiao Liming really took Anyang, even if he succeeded, who knows how many of his 200,000 elite troops would be left? Baofeng County can’t afford that kind of loss.

So, Xiao Liming purely came here to get beaten. I think His Majesty (Li Yulong) can see that too.”

“Then what should we do?”

Xu Ren gave a wry smile. “That’s where Xiao Liming’s brilliance lies. Since he’s attacking, we have no choice but to fight. And we must win in order to protect Anyang’s interests and dignity. But Xiao Liming is, after all, the maternal grandfather of the Princess Consort (Xia Qingqing). As long as he doesn’t go on a killing spree against Anyang’s civilians, we can’t be too ruthless.”

“Tch…” Li Xian smacked his lips helplessly. “These old foxes—family ties are nothing more than bargaining chips to them!”

“Exactly, this is a no-win situation. Of course, Xiao Liming ascending to the throne won’t have much negative impact on us, so there’s no need to worry too much. In fact, a stronger Baofeng County could bring a bit more peace to the Great Xia Kingdom, giving us more time to develop. In a way, it benefits us.”

“Alright then. Notify the front-line generals to cooperate properly. But if Xiao Liming dares to push his luck, give him a solid blow in return. Oh, and have Daoist Feiyu take a few Nascent Soul-level experts to tour the border—call it sightseeing.”

Suddenly, Li Yuanming, who had arrived at some unknown point, spoke up: “Young Master, actually, there is a way—we could ‘retreat to advance.’

Once Xiao Liming is defeated, we can ask the Princess Consort (Xia Qingqing) to step in, and we’ll say: ‘For the sake of the Princess Consort, we won’t pursue the matter, but this is a one-time exception.’

That way, Xiao Liming’s entire plan would fall apart.

And we’d gain a pretty good reputation out of it.”

Xu Ren frowned slightly. “Not appropriate. That would put the Princess Consort in a very difficult position. Others may exploit family ties—we cannot. At least, not when we have a choice. I don’t agree.”

Seeing this, Li Xian quickly mediated. “Alright, alright. Li Yuanming, you’re not suited to devising strategies for the conservative faction. I’ll give you a task—go sow discord among Dongyuan County, Nanyang County, Guangling County, Songzhou County, Baofeng County, and the nations of Cai, Chen, Qi, and Jin. Make sure there are unforgettable grudges between every pair.

Also, last time I went to the Daoist cultivation ground on Mount Mang, I was ambushed by assassins from Nanyang County.

They say a gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years, but I think now is the perfect time! I’m putting that matter in your hands too.

For now, I’ll give you two million taels of gold and five thousand Foundation Establishment-level experts, plus one hundred at the Core Formation stage. As for Nascent Soul-level experts, go persuade them yourself—see who’s up for this kind of fun.

Also, for all information, intelligence, and business channels, I’m giving you the full authority of a top-ranking official. I only care about the final results!”

Li Yuanming was overjoyed when he heard these things. “Young Master, don’t worry. At most, in a month, you’ll see a good show. From then on, there will be a good show every month!”

This task was most suitable for Li Yuanming. After serving under Li Xian for so long, he had finally gained “absolute and complete trust.”

After saying that, Li Yuanming left in a hurry.

Xu Ren looked at Li Yuanming’s departing figure. “There won’t be a shortage of news from now on.”

Li Xian chuckled smugly, then suddenly changed the subject, “Sir, you should replace that feather fan. Now that you are the Grand Tutor of Anyang, you should at least use feathers from some phoenix-blooded bird or beast. Go put up a bounty.”

Xu Ren looked at Li Xian with disdain. “Young Master, your intentions clearly lie elsewhere. What are you really planning? More importantly, where do you intend to post this bounty?”

Li Xian was completely unbothered by being seen through. “Oh, nothing much. I just suddenly thought of a semi-official, semi-civilian, semi-jianghu organization — an ‘Adventurers and Mercenaries Association.’

This association has several benefits.

First, it can recruit martial experts from among the people, making it easier for us to bring them in, and also force some hidden experts into the open.

Second, it can conceal our military power and underground forces.

Third, it can gather intelligence.

Fourth, it can extend our influence into all corners.

Fifth, it can serve as a supplement to our military strength.

Sixth, it can be used to issue bounties, functioning as a semi-official, semi-underground trading institution, which helps us control the underworld.

Seventh, through missions, we can accomplish many tasks.

Eighth…”

“No need to go on, I understand,” Xu Ren said seriously. “It truly is a good institution — and an important one. It must be kept completely under our control.”

Seeing Xu Ren’s agreement, Li Xian was overjoyed: “I think Li Yuanming is the most suitable person to lead this organization. What do you think, sir?”

“The power is too great. It needs to be divided.”

Li Xian thought for a moment. “Guo Sihai — that Nascent Soul stage expert who loves to wander around — can be the vice president. Li Yuanming will be the real president but won’t appear publicly. On the surface, he’ll still be the ‘Inspector’ supervising officials.”

As he spoke, Li Xian was about to send someone to call Li Yuanming back.

But instead of Li Yuanming, the Sea Clan embassy’s representative, Wei Zhe, arrived. From a distance, his voice could already be heard:

“Prince Xian, help! The Eastern Sea Dragon Palace of Yingzhou and the ‘Northern White Sea Dragon Palace’ have started fighting!”

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