Chapter 940 – The Three Cities Owed to Us Must Be Returned (Part 2)
Sun Wen secretly despised the Fourth Prince but maintained a face as calm as a mountain, unfazed even by the impending chaos.
The Fourth Prince seemed to realize he shouldn’t act childish in front of Sun Wen, swiftly changing the subject.
However, Sun Wen kept control of the conversation, deftly steering it toward border issues.
“Mr. Sun, what do you think we should do about the Liu Clan in Chongzhou?”
The Fourth Prince, with his eyes on Jiang Pengji, merely sought to gain some superiority from his male identity, boosting his own confidence.
In reality, he was just the son of a female slave and had no grounds to engage Jiang Pengji on equal terms.
Sun Wen raised an eyebrow, his expression steady as he inquired, “The Fourth Prince believes the most urgent matter is addressing the Liu Clan?”
The Fourth Prince’s expression stiffened, showing signs of confusion.
“The Liu Clan is amassing troops at the border, resembling an imminent invasion. Isn’t that enough? Or do you think it’s better to secure our own affairs before dealing with external threats?”
The Fourth Prince posed his question subtly.
What was more crucial now, dealing with Liu Xi or eliminating the competing brothers?
Sun Wen smiled and countered, “If the Liu Clan were to march out now, how would the Northern Frontier respond?”
The Fourth Prince fell silent.
“She wouldn’t dare do that.”
Even if the Northern Frontier was a famished camel, it was still much bigger than this horse named Liu Xi.
What courage did she have to challenge the Northern Frontier?
Sun Wen asked again, “But what if the Liu Clan did?”
The Fourth Prince proclaimed proudly, “If she dares to come, we’ll take her down!”
Sun Wen coldly laughed, a sneer playing at his lips.
“Wrong. If the Liu Clan comes, it will be the Northern Frontier retreating step by step.”
The Fourth Prince’s face darkened with fury.
Just as he was about to blow up, Sun Wen continued calmly, “A horse plague has decimated half of the Northern Frontier’s fighting strength, leaving it unable to rebound. Wu Libai proposed purchasing breeding mares from Cangzhou at a high price, hoping for a quick recovery. A decent idea, but he forgot that while buying those mares gives the Northern Frontier a chance to be reborn, it also puts it on a path of no return! Once the Central Plains lords notice the Northern Frontier’s facade of strength, they’ll gather their forces for another ‘Huangshui Conference.’ What then for the Northern Frontier?”
The Fourth Prince’s face instantly turned ashen.
Even while in the Northern Frontier, he knew that the Huangshui Conference gathered over four hundred thousand soldiers from the twenty-three lords of Dongqing.
Given the current state, the Northern Frontier was simply not a match.
As a prince of the Northern Frontier’s royal family, he understood its internal situation best.
Although he told himself countless times that the Northern Frontier cavalry was invincible, the truth was, after the horse plague, their forces had been reduced by at least seventy to eighty percent.
Without the cavalry, the Northern Frontier lost a significant advantage in battles against the Central Plains.
In pursuit of dominating the Central Plains, the Northern Frontier royal family had invested tremendous effort over several years.
Now, as they sought to regain their strength, there could be no mistakes.
If any leaks occurred at this critical time—The Fourth Prince clenched his fists silently.
“Liu Xi wouldn’t dare do that. Other lords might not respond to her summons—”
Sun Wen splashed cold water on him, “That may not be the case. There’s an old saying in the Central Plains—‘Those who are not of my tribe will have different hearts.’ The Northern Frontier’s threat to Dongqing can be inferred from how the South Barbarians treat Nan Sheng. To avoid ending up like Nan Sheng, many lords will surely respond.”
The Fourth Prince’s face turned a sickly shade, devoid of any color.
Following Sun Wen’s train of thought, he felt cold sweat prickling down his back.
Liu Xi was not a lord who acted according to norms; she had begun gathering troops in Chongzhou years ago, stockpiling both grain and soldiers, poised for action.
It was hard to say if this madwoman would risk her life to hold her ground against the Northern Frontier.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, the Han people were not lacking in madness, nor were they short of righteousness that would make them sacrifice themselves for a cause.
Their pride and integrity were something the Northern Frontier could never comprehend, despite their reverence for Han culture.
The Fourth Prince hurriedly inquired, “Mr. Sun, you must teach me!”
Sun Wen smiled, “Of course.”
While wearing a smile on the surface, inside he cursed Wei Ci repeatedly.
That lunatic Wei Ci crazily tried to squeeze every ounce of labor from the old man.
First, he tasked him with sowing discord among the nine princes of the Northern Frontier, causing Sun Wen all sorts of pain and suffering as he lost countless brain cells, but finally, he saw some success.
Before he could enjoy the fruits of victory, Wei Ci sent him another message.
This time, it was even more outrageous, actually asking him to assist Liu Xi in reclaiming a significant portion of Shangyu County, which had been occupied by the Northern Frontier for over twenty years.
When the Northern Frontier invaded, Shangyu County had fallen entirely, losing all six cities.
Even though Mr. Yuanjing had traveled to the Northern Frontier and reclaimed three cities, three remained firmly in the Northern Frontier’s grasp.
If they couldn’t even retrieve those three cities, how could they talk about recovering the Northern Frontier?
Jiang Pengji was troubled, and naturally, Wei Ci was tossing and turning as well.
Thus, this hefty hat was placed squarely on Sun Wen’s head.
Go ahead, Sun Zai Dao!
(‵′)┻━┻
“I have a plan, which could sacrifice a pawn to save the king and achieve multiple objectives,” Sun Wen said, his smile knowing.
“Multiple objectives?”
The Fourth Prince bowed deeply, “I implore Mr. Sun to enlighten me.”
Thanks to Sun Wen’s analysis, the Fourth Prince suddenly felt as if clouds had parted—he snapped back to reality.
Chongzhou had a vast number of soldiers and generals, all elite troops. Rumor had it that these soldiers had trained for over three years.
What does three years mean?
Whether in the Central Plains or the Northern Frontier, soldiers trained for three months could already be considered elite.
What about troops trained for over three years?
The Liu Clan of Chongzhou was truly a formidable opponent.
If they weren’t eliminated, peace would be difficult to come by.
“The Fourth Prince knows that now is not a good time for the Northern Frontier to engage in warfare, yet we cannot let Chongzhou see our intentions.” Sun Wen’s voice turned low, echoing like a wise teacher, causing the Fourth Prince to instinctively straighten his back and listen closely. “If that’s the case, we might as well tread a different path and sacrifice our pawns. The three cities in Shangyu County could be the best bargains.”
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince felt a surge of discomfort, casting suspicious and scrutinizing glances at Sun Wen.
The Sun Wen before him was also a Han person.
“Are you saying to abandon those three cities?”
Sun Wen seemed oblivious to the Fourth Prince’s skepticism and wariness, flashing a mysterious smile. “Not at all.”
The Fourth Prince’s heart skipped a beat as he pressed on. “Please don’t jest with me, just speak plainly.”
“To the Northern Frontier, those three cities are less than useless.”
The Fourth Prince interrupted, anger brewing within him. “How dare you say such a thing?”
He felt a hint of murderous intent rising inside.
Sun Wen continued, “The Fourth Prince probably doesn’t know the conditions within those cities? The Han people either fled, died, or were captured and sold into slavery. The good lands lie fallow and unplowed; houses are leaking and unrepaired; the city walls are left unattended. How many proper Han citizens are left in those cities? To the Northern Frontier, such places are no different than slums.”
The three cities had become barren and devoid of any value, even their strategic significance greatly diminished.
Once-thriving cities now merely served as hideouts for Northern Frontier horse bandits or criminals.
The Northern Frontier, like the South Barbarians, thrived on destruction and looting far more than governance.
They could steal, kill, and seize, but managing effectively was beyond them.
The Fourth Prince, both furious and aggrieved, felt the urge to lash out at Sun Wen, yet he couldn’t because every word the man spoke rang true.
