Chapter 332 – The Red Makeup of Ten Miles (Part 5)
As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.
The outcome of a war does not solely rely on the strength of the armies involved, but also on the duel of information between both sides.
Why were strategists in ancient times held in such high regard?
That’s the crux of it.
A good strategist, even with scant information, can accurately gauge the enemy’s intentions, seize the initiative, and secure victory from afar.
In Jiang Pengji’s eyes, these individuals not only possess extraordinarily keen minds, but their ability to analyze and predict the surrounding situations is astonishing—while an ordinary person has barely grasped the beginning, the strategist has already calculated the ending. This highlights the difference between the common folk and the strategist.
But what if one has detailed, accurate, and timely information?
Ordinary folks can catch wind of things, while strategists would be like tigers with wings.
Thus, if Jiang Pengji wishes to use Chongzhou as a foothold to seize the Northern Border, she must understand every aspect of the Northern Border in detail.
“I will personally write a letter to Father, instructing him to send someone to gather information on the Northern Border in advance…” Jiang Pengji declared, “The Northern Border princess An Yina has been married to the Dongqing royal family for nearly three years now, and the honeymoon phase has long passed; it’s time for secrets to be revealed.”
The Northern Border princess marrying into the Dongqing royal family was anything but noble.
Let’s not mention that she was seen flirting with the Fourth Prince Wu Ma Jun under a rocky hill before their wedding—Jiang Pengji witnessed it!
If she truly wanted to foster good relations with this marriage, flirting with her future brother-in-law is hardly the way to go!
She married the Second Prince, becoming his main consort, and stirred up more than her fair share of trouble in these years.
Unfortunately, the Zhenbei Marquis House ended up as the biggest casualty.
Princess An Yina is indeed the jewel of the three clans in the Northern Border, possessing considerable wisdom. After entering the royal family, she swiftly took charge of the rather low-status Second Prince and turned him into her mouthpiece in the Dongqing court.
Back in the day, when Nansheng sought assistance from Dongqing to repel the enemy, the Second Prince followed Princess An Yina’s plan and recommended the Zhenbei Marquis House.
Their reasoning was solid and beyond reproach!
The Zhenbei Marquis House was known for its formidable warriors, with the old marquis being a general undefeated in battle. If the elite forces from the Zhenbei Marquis House were dispatched to aid Nansheng, it would not only showcase Dongqing’s sincerity towards Nansheng, but it would also elevate Dongqing’s prestige in front of other nations.
Recommending the Zhenbei Marquis House was flawless.
The flaw lay in the prince responsible for logistics—he was the one who had deep-seated grudges against the Zhenbei Marquis House!
As soldiers fought valiantly at the front, the supplies at the rear were trickling in.
The reinforcements that were supposed to coordinate the effort always arrived late, wounded soldiers were neglected, and supplies and mounts were frequently lacking…
The elite troops of the Zhenbei Marquis House were tortured by such malevolent acts, rendering them worn and weary.
In the final battle, information reached late, and out of ten elite troops, only two or three survived!
After sending troops back to the capital, the Zhenbei Marquis House, having suffered immense losses, was reprimanded and had its titles downgraded, along with their military insignia stripped away.
Without elite soldiers as a backup, and with the imperial family’s distrust towards them, the Zhenbei Marquis House now stood on the brink of collapse, teetering on the edge, ready to fall and shatter.
If it weren’t for the imperial family’s concern for reputation, it’s likely the Zhenbei Marquis House would have completely vanished from Dongqing by now.
From this perspective, it may seem like Princess An Yina did nothing, but Jiang Pengji did not underestimate this woman.
In the current state of the Dongqing court, this princess is far from insignificant.
Xu Ke frowned, leaving behind a few shallow creases.
“Secrets revealed?”
Jiang Pengji smirked coldly, “Isn’t it? The majority of the Zhenbei Marquis House’s elite have already perished on the battlefield of Nansheng, practically cutting Dongqing’s forces by a third or fourth. The remaining forces are concentrated among the imperial family, the Cangzhou Meng Clan, and Changshou Wang, who are not on the same page.”
“You speak truly, Young Master; Xu Ke was mistaken.”
Xu Ke sighed, raising a hand to massage his forehead, continuing Jiang Pengji’s thought process.
“Dongqing is rife with internal conflicts; if a brawl breaks out, the three clans of the Northern Border can benefit as the fishers at the pond’s edge. Furthermore, there’s the looming threat from the south. Back when the four nations assisted Nansheng, the four Southern Barbarians took advantage of it to negotiate peace, buying two to three years to recuperate. Now they are fresh and strong, while Nansheng has lost land and sought peace, struggling to recover without the strength to withstand the Southern Barbarians’ aggressive invasion.”
The Southern Barbarians had rested long enough; they were now in full force, while Nansheng was still barely clinging to life—total annihilation was just around the corner.
Should Nansheng fall, Dongqing would inevitably face the pressure of being sandwiched between the Northern Border three clans and the Southern Barbarians.
With external threats and persistent internal troubles.
In such a situation, it’s easy to see that Dongqing would be the next Nansheng!
This was an almost insurmountable deadlock, yet Jiang Pengji intended to carve a path for herself out of this impasse!
“This is our opportunity, Xiaoyu,” Jiang Pengji said calmly, “The fate of success or failure hinges on this moment.”
Who says that it will be the three clans of the Northern Border who reap the benefits in the end?
To break open the situation, the only option is to eliminate the three clans of the Northern Border—this is the only way out.
It must be said, this thought is extremely bold, but since Jiang Pengji voiced it, she naturally had the confidence to fulfill it.
Dongqing’s terrain is mostly flat, suitable for cavalry warfare, overall easy to attack but hard to defend, while the Northern Border clans are abundant in pastures and cavalry. Once Chongzhou falls, the cavalry from the Northern Border clans would invade Dongqing, and given the current circumstances, Dongqing would have almost no strength to resist.
Jiang Pengji wanted to hunt for supremacy, and the Northern Border clans would serve as the best springboard.
Conquering the Northern Border, annihilating Dongqing, staving off the Southern Barbarians, and even destroying them—then she could vie for equal standing with the other three nations.
To achieve this goal, she would need a crucial piece on her chessboard.
This piece must have the strength to anchor the Northern Border clans nestled within Dongqing—a certain Princess An Yina.
“All is prepared; we just await the wedding of the Fourth Prince Wu Ma Jun.”
Jiang Pengji smiled with a mysterious air, and Xu Ke, sensing a puzzle, scratched his head in confusion.
What does the Fourth Prince Wu Ma Jun’s wedding have to do with this?
Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Pengji’s sharp glance made him instinctively swallow his words.
After a moment, footsteps echoed from outside.
“Young Master, everything has been arranged.”
The gentle voice of Ta Xue came from beyond the door.
Xu Ke raised his eyebrow silently at Jiang Pengji, exchanging glances.
Indeed, their Young Master is impressive; the way the footsteps sounded from so far away, and yet Ta Xue could hear them.
“Hmm, I’m tired too. Please prepare hot soup and clean clothes; I’d like to bathe soon.”
Ta Xue bent slightly, obediently replying, “Yes.”
Jiang Pengji’s gaze darkened as she rose to retrieve a box from the shelf in the study.
“Now that we’ve discussed business, it’s time for personal matters.”
Jiang Pengji pushed the box in front of Xu Ke, signaling him to open it.
Xu Ke complied, only to find that it contained no gold, silver, or jewels; merely two dark yellow bamboo slips.
“What is this…”
