Chapter 67: Conquering the Nine Provinces in One Stroke, Dominating the World

"Report! Inform General Kou, Governor Yang has issued an order: do not pursue a desperate enemy, let them return to the capital of the State of Wei. Furthermore, Governor Yang has a message for the commanding general of Wei to take back!"

Turning around and seeing that it was a messenger from Xincheng, Kou Wei hurriedly ordered his soldiers to halt their pursuit.

After taking the confidential letter and glancing at it, confirming it was Yang Chuan's handwriting, he drew his bow and fitted an arrow, shooting the message right in front of the Wei commanding general.

After leaving behind a message across the air, he ordered his troops to return by the same route to report back in the city.

Amidst the dark night, the Wei commanding general picked up the envelope on the ground, only to find it inscribed with: "To be personally opened by the Emperor of Great Wei."

Though baffled by its meaning, seeing that the Qi army had already retreated, he hastily led his remaining troops back to the capital of Wei.

...

"Who on earth managed to see through my strategy and drove my three thousand cavalry into a desperate situation, nearly wiping them out entirely?"

In the court of the State of Wei, Emperor Su Yanxun furrowed his brows deeply, staring at the defeated general who had returned in retreat, feeling utterly depressed.

A few days ago, he had heard that although the State of Qi had won two battles, because the State of Kang was powerful and flourishing, Qi had not only ceded several cities but also paid two million taels of silver in compensation to Kang.

For a victorious nation, such a move was truly humiliating.

Although the states of Wei and Qi were as interdependent as lips and teeth, back when Qi was powerful, it had never given Wei a pleasant look.

The former emperor of Qi had even forcefully demanded that Wei pay annual tributes.

Therefore, on the surface Wei maintained friendly relations with Qi, but in reality, it had always harbored resentment over this matter.

As a second-generation emperor himself, Su Yanxun naturally remembered the unfulfilled wish left by the late emperor: never forgetting to retrieve the wealth seized by Qi years ago.

Now that Qi was ceding territory and paying reparations, its national strength was once again in decline.

Su Yanxun intended to strike while his enemy was sick, dispatching troops to first capture several border cities of Qi through strategy, and then slowly encroach upon them until the entire state of Qi was annexed.

By then, Wei's strength would reach the same level as Kang.

When problems arose in Kang's national strength, Wei could also exploit the vulnerability, sweep through the Nine Regions in one fell swoop, and dominate the world.

However, the strategy he had personally devised had just begun to yield results when the soldiers sent to the front lines were driven back by Qi, bringing utter disgrace to the State of Wei.

In the grand hall, the defeated general dragged his battered armor, kneeling on the ground as he spoke bitterly:

"Your Majesty! Initially, your strategy was indeed brilliant. Relying on our strong troops and sturdy horses, our army not only constantly fatigued the enemy forces, leaving them exhausted from fruitless pursuits, but also periodically displayed the majestic might of Great Wei before the citizens of Xincheng."

"Who could have expected—who could have anticipated that this subordinate heard Great Qi suddenly transferred a single man from the imperial capital to Xincheng? This man is named Yang Chuan, and his strategies are entirely beyond our anticipation, Your Majesty!"

"Moreover, after this defeat, Yang Chuan also had this subordinate bring back a letter, stating that if the Emperor of Great Wei is willing to make a deal with him, he will let the matter rest without holding us at fault. If not, he will soon lead a massive army to our city gates and break straight into our Wei imperial capital!"

Hearing these words, Su Yanxun's eyes widened in rounded astonishment, but upon hearing that the other party was Yang Chuan, an expression of shock and doubt crossed his face!

Yang Chuan? Wasn't he the Grand Chancellor of the State of Kang?

Years ago, when Kang was weak and decrepit, it was precisely this man who won the complete trust of the Kang Empress, entrusting him with the entire governance of the state.

It took him merely three years to forge a mighty and prosperous Kang Empire.

How could he suddenly appear in the State of Qi?

Noticing the emperor's confusion, the Prime Minister of Wei took the initiative to speak: "Your Majesty, just a few months ago, Yang Chuan had a falling out with the Kang Empress, directly resigning from his official posts and titles, and left the borders of Kang."

"Yet somehow, he has befriended the Qi Empress. It is rumored that upon taking office, he was immediately granted the Nine Bestowals by the Qi Empress, honored as Lord Yang, and placed above all ministers. In the two recent battles between Qi and Kang, both won with inferior numbers against superior forces, it was entirely this man plotting behind the scenes!"

Hearing this, Su Yanxun flew into a rage in the royal court.

"Such an important matter, why didn't you inform Us earlier?!"

Even though he was only learning the news now, Su Yanxun still felt a lingering fear.

Back then, the reason Wei feared Kang was not because Kang possessed vast territory and numerous troops and generals, but because everything Kang possessed today was bestowed by Yang Chuan!

Furthermore, this man was not only peerless in statecraft and strategy, but his martial prowess also surpassed ten thousand men.

He had once single-handedly slain two Grandmaster-realm martial artists of Qi, showing just how terrifying his comprehensive capabilities were!

"Your Majesty, this minister previously felt this matter had no great bearing on our Great Wei, and thus failed to report it, but who could have imagined..."

"Enough!"

Su Yanxun was in no mood to discuss irrelevant matters with the prime minister. Remembering that Yang Chuan had sent the commanding general back with a letter, he hurriedly ordered the letter to be presented and read it carefully.

In the letter, Yang Chuan's handwriting was neat and orderly, and every word revealed respect and sincerity toward the Emperor of Wei, completely devoid of the arrogance of a victorious nation.

Yet precisely because of this approach, Su Yanxun felt ashamed of his own inferiority, openly stating that with Yang Chuan assisting Qi, the state was no longer what it used to be, and it truly was a mistake to send troops to violate their borders.

The primary intent of the letter was simply that Yang Chuan wished to make a "business deal" with him.

This deal was to open up commercial trade between the states of Wei and Qi, thereby developing their respective domestic economies.

At the same time, Yang Chuan bluntly stated that Wei and Qi were interdependent; if they did not join hands strongly, they would only allow other states to exploit the gaps.

If they waited until then to wake up to reality, it would be too late for regret.

"Ah, truly worthy of being the talent valued by the Kang Empress back then! His words are sincere and unpretentious, and he has thoroughly explained the stakes between our two nations. What an extraordinary talent indeed!"

Hearing this, the courtiers in the hall looked at each other in dismay; none of them had expected the Emperor of Wei to be persuaded by a single letter from Yang Chuan!

Seeing this, the Prime Minister hurriedly tried to dissuade him: "Your Majesty! Although this minister has not read this letter, I can deduce that this is merely Yang Chuan's delaying tactic. Today, when we violated his borders, he undoubtedly recorded it all in his heart. The moment Qi's national strength recovers, he will certainly raise an army to slaughter us and exact revenge!"

"Hmph! Prime Minister, since the founding of our State of Wei, have you ever come up with a single good strategy for Us?"

"I truly do not know how my late father managed to elevate you to the position of Prime Minister. Lord Yang is a dragon among men; how could his strategic depth ever be comprehended by mediocre beings like you?"

Su Yanxun cast a disdainful glare at the Prime Minister. Had it not been for the late emperor's dying wish, he would have dismissed this Prime Minister long ago.

Presently, Wei's strength was far inferior to the surrounding states, and with Kang constantly eyeing them like a tiger watching its prey in the south, he urgently needed to find a suitable strategic partner to develop and support each other.

And he firmly believed that no matter which country this strategic partner was, as long as they had Yang Chuan's assistance, they would undoubtedly achieve great things in the future.

"My mind is made up, say no more! Prepare the carriages and horses this very day; We shall personally go to the border to discuss matters of commerce with Yang Chuan!"