Chapter 941 – The Three Cities We Are Owed Must Be Returned (Part 3)
“Even so, the Fourth Prince still threatened with a hint of menace.”
“Mr. Sun, saying this before me, do you not fear that I will punish you for it, or even—kill you?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a menacing glint flashed in the Fourth Prince’s eyes, and his curved blade had already been unsheathed from his side.
“Fear? Naturally, I fear! Who doesn’t fear death? This old man may be forty-six this year, but I haven’t lived enough yet.”
Calm and composed, Sun Wen gazed at the Fourth Prince with a half-smile, his eyes sparkling with wisdom and confidence. The look in his eyes clearly conveyed a message—he was unafraid! He didn’t fear the Fourth Prince’s death threat and didn’t believe that the other would truly inflict punishment.
The two stared at each other for a while. The Fourth Prince was panting heavily, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, before he finally sheathed his blade.
“Fine, Mr. Sun, say what you wish. I’m all ears.”
With that, he begrudgingly returned to his seat.
When it came to cunning and strategy, the Fourth Prince was no match for Sun Wen.
In terms of mental resilience, Sun Wen achieved a state of “unfazed by a looming mountain, unmoved by a deer on the left,” a truly transcendent level.
In this clash of wills, Sun Wen emerged victorious, completely dispelling the Fourth Prince’s suspicions.
Sun Wen smiled, “The three cities of Shangyu County are tasteless and not worth mourning if discarded. Rather, why not make good use of them? Use them as bait to not only wound Liu Xi, forcing her to refrain from military action against the Northern Frontier for a year or two, but also assist His Highness in eliminating the lurking danger?”
A sliver of sternness flashed in the Fourth Prince’s eyes. “A lurking danger to me?”
Sun Wen replied, “The Northern Frontier has always valued merit and ability, regardless of noble birth or lowly origin. His Highness is certainly qualified to ascend to the throne.”
If we followed the Han dynasty’s primogeniture succession system, it could well be that all the brothers died, and the Fourth Prince would still have no claim to the throne.
Who could blame him? His mother was merely a plaything, a female slave.
However, customs in the Northern Frontier differ from those in the Central Plains.
The rules in the Northern Frontier are rule-less. The child with the most strength may inherit more property.
Even if the Fourth Prince is just the son of a slave, he is still entitled to the throne, as long as he is strong enough.
With just a few words, Sun Wen precisely struck at the Fourth Prince’s soft spot.
The Fourth Prince’s hand, gripping the curved blade, trembled, and even his breathing seemed suspiciously halted.
He certainly knew he was qualified, but being qualified didn’t mean having hope.
His maternal clan was too weak, his initial resources meager, and he started lower than his brothers.
To topple the eight brothers around him and ascend to the throne, he would have to overcome numerous challenges.
“Do you think I… have hope?”
The Fourth Prince breathed heavily, considering the schemes crafted by Sun Wen. If Sun Wen could assist him wholeheartedly, perhaps the throne wouldn’t be impossible.
“Everything is possible; how would you know if you never tried?” Sun Wen’s expression remained indifferent, unphased by material joys or personal sorrows, as if he were above the fray. “Among the nine princes, the Second Prince has the strongest military force. If you wish to lay claim to the throne, he is the first you must eliminate. The Eldest Prince is scheming to protect himself and is quietly amassing his own power; he cannot be overlooked. I have a plan that hatches multiple birds with one stone. Exchanging the three cities of Shangyu County would hamper Liu Xi’s ability to mobilize, while disposing of both the Eldest and Second Princes. Do you think that’s worth it?”
If Jiang Pengji heard this, she’d probably have twisted the man’s head off by now.
Do you know what it means to give no inch of land?
Even if it means letting the land lie fallow or turn into a cesspit, no one should dare lay a finger on it.
Jiang Pengji once pointed a cannon at the foreheads of neighboring Federals, forcefully pressing them into negotiations for a mere three-meter boundary.
The Seventh Legion is one of the three main combat legions.
She directly sent a message to the messenger—
Either back off, or war will commence!
Fortunately, Sun Wen’s conversation partner was the Fourth Prince, not the ruthless Jiang Pengji.
The Fourth Prince’s eyelids twitched violently, and his heart pounded uncontrollably.
He was of similar age to the Eldest and Second Princes and had been bullied, humiliated, and shoved around by the two of them when they were children.
To the Fourth Prince, those two were towering mountains before him, tall enough to cast a shadow of despair.
At this moment, Sun Wen was telling him he could eliminate both—and even prevent Liu Xi from mobilizing!
“Sir—quickly tell me!”
The Fourth Prince nervously clenched his fists, his emotions entirely under Sun Wen’s control without him realizing it.
“Your Highness, lean in.”
Sun Wen lowered his gaze, and the Fourth Prince hurriedly leaned closer, all ears.
“Mr. Sun, please go on.”
“Right now, as the autumn harvest comes to a close, grain is gradually being stored in granaries. The Second Prince is impulsive and seeks instant results, but he’s not good at management. In recent years, grain prices in the Northern Frontier have skyrocketed, and with so many private soldiers under his command, he’s long been out of pocket. You should privately create a map of the Chongzhou granary and leak it to the Second Prince. Given his temperament, he will inevitably guard the secret and monopolize the benefits.”
What does it mean to raid a granary?
Without supplies, completely relying on soldiers to forage for food, plundering common folk’s grain and wealth to sustain themselves.
The Northern Frontier cavalry often plagued the common people of Chongzhou, raiding and pillaging for food supplies.
Initially, they aimed to repeat their tactics against the granaries when they learned about Jiang Pengji’s grain storage, but she was far too cunning; every year the storages were in different locations.
After several failed attempts, the Northern Frontier realized Jiang Pengji was no easy target, and raids yielded minimal results.
Now, large-scale cavalry raids had become rare.
If the Second Prince wanted to discreetly monopolize this autumn’s harvest, he certainly couldn’t approach the border under the guise of raiding.
Sun Wen continued, “Thus, the Second Prince, wishing to keep the secret from leaking, will surely volunteer to guard the three cities of Shangyu to facilitate his plans. You could then employ a small tactic, sending someone disguised as Liu Xi’s troops to kill a few of his guards, and the Second Prince will lay the blame on Liu Xi. But remember, you must not let your own guards masquerade; it’s better to have someone from the Eldest Prince’s camp do this. Even if the ruse is uncovered, people will only trace it back to the Eldest Prince, deliberately igniting tensions between the Second Prince and Liu Xi.”
The Fourth Prince nodded along as he listened.
Sun Wen added, “Liu Xi’s temper is explosive, and given the Second Prince’s stubborn nature, if they clash, there’s no chance they won’t fight. However, no matter how many private soldiers the Second Prince has, how long can he resist Liu Xi? The three cities of Shangyu County have not been maintained for years and will hardly withstand Liu Xi’s strong forces. If the Second Prince perishes, so be it; but if he doesn’t… he will not only suffer losses among his carefully nurtured soldiers but also give the Eldest Prince a clear view of his ambition. As for the Eldest Prince, who orchestrates the conflict, he similarly reaps no benefits.”
As the Fourth Prince listened, dread filled his heart, mingling with an uncontainable excitement.
Realizing his thoughts, he quickly came back to reality—
“And what about Liu Xi?”
Sun Wen smiled, “With the three cities of Shangyu reduced to ruins, Liu Xi will have to deal with the aftermath after capturing them, perfectly diverting her focus! In a year or two, where will she find the energy to wage war again?”
The Fourth Prince’s eyes lit up.
Indeed! As long as they pass this year or two, the situation in the Northern Frontier will greatly improve!
“Mr. Sun is indeed brilliant!”
Sun Wen chuckled lightly.
