Chapter 400 Zhu Wen’s Choice
The plan of the White Deer Sect determined the keynote of Li Ye’s contention for the world, or when Li Ye adopted the plan, it set his attitude toward the current court. Li Ye had no feelings for the court. All he needed to do was to ensure Li Yan’s safety.
Li Maozhen deployed troops outside Chang’an City. Whether he would attack the city or not, with Yang Fuguang and others present, Chang’an City would at least be safe and secure for the moment. Even if Li Maozhen abducted Li Yan to Fengxiang, the latter’s safety was guaranteed for a few years. If Li Maozhen did not become the emperor, Li Yan would not be in danger.
If Li Maozhen held the emperor captive and was in command of the nobles, Li Ye would be in a passive position. He did certainly not want to see that.
Therefore, Li Ye needed to command the troops to quickly capture the entire territory of Hedong and defeat Li Keyong’s remaining forces, which had fled to the north. Only in this way, would he be free to deal with the situation in the Central Plains and Guanzhong.
At the same time, Li Ye let the Black Office sneak into Guanzhong and investigate Li Maozhen to find out who was behind him. If there was no Cultivator Group of the Immortal Realm beside him, Li Ye did not mind capturing him directly.
But the odds were not in its favor.
The next day, Li Xian rode alone, leaving Taiyuan City and heading west.
Although Li Xian asked Li Ye not to send him off, Li Ye gazed after him, from top of the city wall, when he left the city.
After a great battle, inside and outside the Taiyuan City, there were only patrolling guards and rangers around from time to time. There were no pedestrians on the official road.
Willows grew on both sides of the empty official road. Li Xian led the horse farther and farther away, dust rising all the way.
He was like a lonely, chivalrous person leaving on a long journey, desolate and heroic.
Although Li Xian’s back was no longer visible, Li Ye still stood on top of the city wall.
He had never felt more uncomfortable since his transmigration.
Something unclear and unknown had already fallen on his shoulders when he became Li Ye in this life. If this was fate, he had no way to escape.
Song Jiao came over to Li Ye, her purple robe fluttering in the breeze. Her gorgeous face looked like a pool of autumn water. There seemed to be something hovering in her clear eyes and pretty red lips, at this moment.
After a long while, she whispered, “Sometimes, I envy him. “He always knows who he is and what he should do. Even if he lives in such a turbulent time, he does not feel bitter. Sometimes I pity him because he takes too much on himself. Even if he has the ability to rule the country, he will only make blunders in this chaotic world.
“There are so many heroes in the world, but few people can understand his mind. Even if many people shed blood with him, their desires differ from his. He is destined to walk alone in this life.”
Li Ye muttered for a long time and sighed, “He carries a heavy responsibility, but he does not think of himself at all. Probably only he knows whether it’s sad or happy.”
Having said this, they both fell silent.
There were many people around Li Ye, all kinds of friends and companions. There were reincarnated immortals and saints from the demon clan. However, when it came to delicate thoughts and sympathy, no one could equal Song Jiao, who became mature and wise, after going through life’s ups and downs.
The so-called empathy of a woman did not belong to a young woman at all. No matter how smart a young woman was, she only knew what concession was. No matter how kind an innocent woman was, she only knew dedication.
Whether it was concession or dedication, it was difficult for that to last.
Without experiencing changes and suffering, and getting hurt in this life, nobody could become mature and wise, in this materialistic and bizarre world.
After a while, Song Jiao gathered her black hair which was fluttering in the breeze. Her soft and tender voice gradually diminished. “I just received an urgent report that the Xuanwu Army, who had previously assembled on the banks of the river, has advanced eastward and has moved toward Pinglu a few days ago!”
It was amazing news, but Li Ye did not say anything after that. He closed his eyes and visualized the locations of the vassal states in the Central Plains and mountains and rivers in his mind, trying to sort out Zhu Wen’s lines for seeking hegemony.
Soon, Li Ye opened his eyes, revealing a sharp light. He spoke forcefully, “In the Tang Empire, there are dozens of vassal states. The strongest are Pinglu, Hedong, Xuanwu, Fengxiang, and the other troops. Xichuan, Huainan, Youzhou are a little weak. Among the vassal states, Pinglu is the most distinguished. To be precise, it is the most revered.
“The topography of the world is like a chessboard- with its golden corners, silver edges and grassy belly. Pinglu is at the east of Mount Tai. It is a corner of the chessboard. Those who have obtained Pinglu from ancient times can direct their troops to each of the four sides. If the troops go northward, they can reach the old places of the State of Yan and the State of Zhao and sweep across 16 prefectures, including the prefecture of You, the prefecture of Yun, and others. If they can capture the land of San Jin in Hedong, they can dominate the north and overtake the world. To the south, they can reach Huai Si and get the land of the Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River. They can sit on the Huai River and intimidate Jiangnan. If they direct troops to the Central Plains, they can drive straight in, sweep through the hinterland of Henan, and then seek to enter Guanzhong and gain supremacy.
“Pinglu is in a corner. One can only attack, but not defend it. And it’s easily conquered. That’s why I tried to conquer Pinglu, when the Huang Chao Uprising began. In the battle of Hedong, I pacified the Weibo Army, subdued Zhaoyi, and captured Taiyuan. I’ll control the San Jin. There are no greater achievements than this.
“Seeing my growing trend, how can the far-sighted people in the world and the heroes who are determined to chase the Central Plains, not be anxious and stay awake all night? With the aspiration to work the world and with the help of the Immortal Court, he is very ambitious. However, Xuanwu has only one army, so he has to plan carefully. Xuanwu Army’s Bianzhou land is located in the middle of a chessboard. It is surrounded by many vassal states, and does not have any rugged terrain. Even if I don’t attack him, will he not be afraid of my overwhelming arrogance?
“If Zhu Wen wants to achieve his great cause, he must first use troops to sweep through the vassal states around Xuanwu, so that he can maintain his own stability. Occupying Henan, holding the hinterland of the Central Plains, and recruiting hundreds of millions of people, he can go south, north, east, and west. To wipe out the surrounding vassal states, he has to face me first, instead of the commissioners of the vassal state.
“I’m famous and unparalleled in strength. All the vassal states are subject to me. Maybe the vassal states around Xuanwu will not send troops to attack Zhu Wen, but they will strengthen the defenses and clear the fields to resist Xuanwu, as long as I issue the military order. If so, Zhu Wen will be attacking against solid cities from all sides. Regardless of the situation of the battle, he will lose power and influence first.
“If so, I only need to send the Great Cultivator to help the vassal states. Even if Zhu Wen has the help of the Immortal Court, how can he fight and win battles based on quick decisions? When I end the war in Hedong, I will direct my troops to the south. Is it possible for him to fight for supremacy?
“To wipe out the Central Plains, Zhu Wen must first establish prestige and make all the vassal states revere him. Only in this way, will he be able to do more with less, when he sends his troops to besiege the city. If Xuanwu Army can attack Pinglu while I’m in Hedong, they can demonstrate their strength, subdue all the vassal states. He can stop them from following my orders. Once he seizes the land of Pinglu, he can greatly damage my reputation and strength. It’s killing two birds with one stone.
“In the future, whether I dominate the north or not, he will no longer be as unfavorable as he is now, but will have the strength to fight!
“Henan is populous. Although it’s not as rich as Jianghuai, it is the hub of the country. If one can wipe out the Central Plains successfully, it will lay the foundation to being the emperor.”
Speaking of this, Li Ye laughed, “Under my current influence, Zhu Wen must find a way to break the situation, if he wants to survive. The problem can be solved once and for all if he launches an attack against Pinglu. He has no choice at all.
After Song Jiao listened to Li Ye’s eloquent speech, her eyes seemed to glaze over, and she seemed to be in a daze.
She covered her mouth and laughed for a long while, and her voice became soft and moving again. She gazed adoringly at Li Ye and said, “Now, I find that you more pleasing to the eye than when Li Xian was young. He is too decent and severe, without vitality. He makes people feel stiff, and involuntarily creates a sense of distance. But you are different. You are crazy, you laugh, and you are proud, which makes people feel that you’re a person.
Li Ye was speechless. “What does it mean to make people feel that I’m a person? Am I a demon?”
The look in Song Jiao’s eyes seemed to say “Don’t you know yourself?” “Look at the things you have done and the cultivation you have reached, since you left the Cloud-engulfed Mountain. Do you dare to say that you are a person? Don’t say that you are a demon. The demon clan does not dare to acknowledge you as a demon.”
Her words were quite witty and delivered in a joking manner, and had a soft touch to it.
Li Ye did not have time to talk to her. He turned back to the Manor, beat the drum to summon the generals, and convened with his advisors for a discussion.
They discussed Zhu Wen’s use of military forces in Pinglu.
The conclusion was also clear– The armies had gathered in Hedong now. It would take time for them to return. Perhaps it was too late, so they could not get distracted. Moreover, the war in Hedong was not over, so Li Ye could not go away now.
So, Li Ye ordered the four towns sent their elites to other states and counties in Hedong, to occupy these places as soon as possible.
At the same time, he ordered the Holy-child King to lead the elites of the demons to rush back to Pinglu first, to help Cui Keli stabilize the situation and defend Qing Prefecture. Shangguan Qingcheng led the Wolf-tooth Troop and 20,000 Pinglu rangers to return to help.
After the arrangements, the Holy Child was the first to stand up and he said, “I won’t go back to Pinglu, and I’ll be by your side! What if you were assassinated by cultivators of the Immortal Court?”
He said this confidently, which made it hard to refute his words.
However, there was another important reason for him to rebel against Li Ye’s order in public. He went on to say, “You have the Luck of heaven, so your power is different from the past. I’ve informed my father and several saints to send some cultivators to Pinglu.”
After thinking for a while, Li Ye agreed to Red Boy’s request.
The additional cultivators sent by the demon clan must be stronger than the first two groups. It was better to let them go to Pinglu to block the cultivators from the Immortal Court. It was likely that the main force of He Jingcheng and other cultivators from the Immortal Court would come and kill him. He also needed people to deal with them.
For the Immortal Court, everything would be fine, as long as he was dead.
The last part of the arrangement was that Li Ye would lead the Great Cultivator to go northward to pursue Li Keyong.
Li Ye did not want to let Li Keyong and Li Cunxiao escape. One was a general of Militarism, while the other was a senior general of Militarism. If they sought refuge with the grassland tribe, it would cause a disaster.
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