novelAbuy Chapter 136 The Poisonous Strategist Offers His Advice
Chapter 136 The Poisonous Strategist Offers His Advice
The candlelight and aroma of wine from that night at Guiyun Post Station did not dissipate with the morning light. Chen Xing's long conversation with Jia Wen seemed to have drawn a clearer and more actionable blueprint for the future of Xinghuo Fortress. The silk scroll titled "Three Strategies for Pacifying the North" was taken by Chen Xing back to the study in the main fortress of Xinghuo Fortress, where he studied it repeatedly over several days. Whenever he gained insights, he would summon Jia Wen, dismiss the others, and the two of them would sit before the table, discussing maps and documents in depth until late at night.
On this day, the charcoal brazier in the study burned brightly, dispelling the last trace of chill in the early spring evening. Chen Xing pushed aside the map marked with many symbols, his gaze falling on the silk book whose edges were slightly curled from being read so many times, finally settling on Jia Wen.
"Wenhe, your three strategies, with their broad vision and meticulous details, are indeed wise and insightful pronouncements on governing the country," Chen Xing said slowly, his eyes filled with deep thought. "The strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones, and dividing and weakening them, buys us time to regroup and grow stronger; prioritizing winning hearts and minds, and subduing the enemy without fighting, reduces the losses inflicted on the enemy and achieves twice the result with half the effort; strengthening our foundations and delaying the pursuit of hegemony, establishes an unshakeable foundation for future generations. However, how to implement these strategies in practice? For example, where should we begin with 'dividing and weakening them'? And how can 'winning hearts and minds' be applied to a specific enemy like Panshi Fortress?"
He knew that no matter how good a strategy was, without concrete and feasible tactics to support it, it was ultimately just a castle in the air. What he wanted was for Jia Wen to transform these macro strategies into orders that could be executed immediately or prepared in advance.
Jia Wen seemed prepared, and was not surprised by the words. He was wearing the dark blue civil official's robe issued by Starfire Fortress today. Although he still had that lean face, his spirits were noticeably higher than during their escape, and his eyes had regained their former sharpness and depth. He gave a slight bow, his voice steady and clear:
"Your Majesty is wise. Now that the grand strategy has been decided, we must proceed cautiously, seizing every opportunity. I believe that the most important task at present is to prioritize stability, employing a strategy of divide and conquer externally, while simultaneously working to win hearts and minds and consolidate our foundations internally."
He walked to the hanging map of the North and first pointed to the location of Xiliang: "Xiliang's Han Sui, though severely weakened by Ma Teng's rebellion, still has its foundations. Having learned its lesson, he will surely intensify internal purges and be more vigilant towards its neighbors. Directly establishing 'distant relations' now might arouse suspicion and create defensiveness. It would be better to establish 'covert relations' first. We can send a capable merchant caravan, carrying our Xinghuo Fort's salt and iron, fine cloth, and even a small quantity of new agricultural tools, to the Xiliang border trade market. The trading partners need not be Han Sui's officials, but rather local powerful figures and military commanders who have grudges against Han Sui or are dissatisfied with the status quo. We can lure them with profits..." Establish private contacts to convey Xinghuobao's willingness to "coexist peacefully and exchange goods" with Xiliang. Simultaneously, have spies spread rumors within Xiliang that Han Sui, due to the Ma Teng incident, intends to further purge dissidents, creating a sense of unease and instilling fear within the region. Once internal conflicts escalate, we will then, in an official capacity, send envoys with substantial gifts to formally contact Han Sui and discuss a treaty of "mutual non-aggression and joint defense against the Hu." At that time, with internal anxieties and our "goodwill" from the outside, the likelihood of him accepting the peace treaty will greatly increase. Even if it fails, it will deepen the internal rifts, preventing him from focusing on the east in the short term.
Chen Xing nodded: "Use commerce to pave the way, and rumors as weapons; first create chaos internally, then show your strength externally. It's feasible."
Jia Wen pointed eastward: "Pan Shi Fortress and those fortified villages to the east border my new territory, making our relationship most direct. Those in charge are mostly local tyrants, short-sighted and focused on immediate profits. Our strategy of divide and conquer can be implemented in three steps. First, economic infiltration. My Xinghuo Fortress has newly minted 'Xingyuan Tongbao' coins, of high quality and with excellent reputation. We can proactively propose large-scale trade with them, supplying them with urgently needed salt, iron, and cloth at preferential prices, and even… we can sell small quantities of our obsolete old-fashioned military equipment in exchange for their grain, leather, and warhorses. Gradually, we can make them dependent on us in trade, thus partially controlling their economic lifeline."
"Secondly, a rumor offensive." A cold glint flashed in Jia Wen's narrow eyes. "We can send spies disguised as merchants, wandering sorcerers, or even refugees to infiltrate their territory. Spread rumors, the content of which must be targeted: say that the Lord of Panshi Fortress has been unfair in rewarding and punishing a certain general under his command, suspecting that the general's achievements are too great; say that he is secretly colluding with a certain force in the south, intending to betray the interests of other fortresses to protect himself; say that Xinghuo Fortress is about to advance eastward, and those who obey will prosper, those who oppose will perish. The rumors must be a mixture of truth and falsehood, interspersed to sow discord among them and cause disunity between superiors and subordinates. In particular, we must pay attention to sowing discord between their lord and their most capable and popular general."
"Thirdly, border skirmishes." Jia Wen traced a line at the border between Starfire Fortress and Rock Fortress. "Once their morale is shaken by rumors, I can deliberately create some small-scale border skirmishes. For example, our patrols could 'accidentally' enter their claimed pastures or hunting grounds; or pursue 'runaway slaves' near their fortresses. The scale needs to be carefully controlled, appearing righteous but not triggering a large-scale conflict. The goal is to entice their pro-war or hardliner factions to react excessively and attack us first. In this way, I will occupy the moral high ground and be 'forced' to launch a limited counterattack, demonstrating military might without being seen as aggressor, thus avoiding a chain reaction from surrounding forces. If we can use this opportunity to capture or kill one or two important generals, or seize one or two insignificant border outposts, it will further damage their morale and accelerate internal divisions."
Chen Xing listened with a gleam in his eyes. Jia Wen's plan organically combined economic, public opinion, and military means, advancing layer by layer, making it truly ruthless. In particular, using trade for infiltration and creating border friction to seize the moral high ground were all practices with a very modern strategic vision.
"So, how exactly should we implement the principle of 'winning hearts and minds' internally?" Chen Xing pressed, as this was the key to consolidating the foundation.
"To win hearts and minds internally, the first priority is to 'establish trust' and 'benefit the people,'" Jia Wen replied. "The 'Star Laws' have been promulgated, and the 'Spark Test' has begun. These are the foundations of trust, and must be upheld consistently and strictly enforced without exception. Especially in newly annexed territories, several typical cases involving the oppression of the good by old powerful families or the corruption and abuse of power by officials should be selected and personally supervised by the Supervisory Office or the Lord himself. These cases should be publicly tried, severely punished according to the law, and the results should be widely publicized. Let all people, old and new, see that the laws of Spark Fortress are not just for show, but a real weapon to protect the weak."
"The policies to benefit the people, such as the land reclamation, tax reduction, and water conservancy construction overseen by Lord Zhao Tiezhu, are already underway. I believe that, based on this, we should establish 'Agricultural Encouragement Commissioners' and send them to the newly attached villages. They should not only guide agricultural activities but also expound on the 'Star Laws' and the lord's benevolent governance, gather public opinion, and serve as a bridge between the upper and lower levels of government. At the same time, the Civil Administration Office can take the lead in organizing 'Artisan Tours' to bring improved agricultural tools and textile equipment to remote villages, teach them how to use them, and improve their production efficiency. With improved livelihoods and tangible benefits, the people's hearts will naturally be won over."
He paused, then added, "Regarding the army, General Dian Xiong's 'Trap Camp' is being formed, which is the spearhead of a strong army. However, military education cannot be neglected. In addition to enforcing strict military discipline and providing generous pay, 'Propaganda Officers' can be added to each camp. These officers should be literate and knowledgeable clerks or veterans. On weekdays, they will be responsible for recording merits and demerits, explaining the military regulations, and conveying the lord's will. In wartime, they can boost morale, record battle achievements, and comfort the wounded. Only when the soldiers understand why they are fighting can they fight to the death."
"As for 'delaying the claim to kingship'," Jia Wen concluded, "this is an unspoken understanding. Externally, our lord will remain 'Lord of Starfire Fortress' and 'General Chen'; internally, all systems and rituals can be secretly prepared to a higher standard. Once our troops are well-trained and our internal affairs are clear, and the enemies in the north either surrender or rebel, then a simple petition urging us to ascend the throne will suffice, and the matter will be settled naturally, in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people."
His detailed analysis fleshed out the "Three Strategies for Pacifying the North," making it rich and concrete. After listening, Chen Xing remained silent for a long time before finally rising to his feet and bowing respectfully to Jia Wen: "Hearing your words is worth more than ten years of study. Wenhe's strategy is meticulous, insightful, and comprehensive. Let us proceed according to this plan and implement it separately!"
He immediately spread out paper and pen, and following Jia Wen's suggestion, began drafting a series of orders: ordering Li Shu to strengthen intelligence infiltration and rumor-spreading in the Xiliang and Panshibao directions; ordering Zhao Tiezhu to expand the scope of the agricultural promotion envoy and craftsmen's patrols; ordering Chen Wei to strengthen border patrols and begin formulating contingency plans for small-scale border clashes; ordering Wu Xuejiu to assist in improving the military's propaganda system...
The strategist's cunning lies not only in the "poison" of his plans, but also in the meticulousness and ruthlessness with which he translates those strategies into concrete actions. With these orders issued, Starfire Fortress, this massive machine of war and rule, began to extend its tentacles quietly to all corners of the North in a more refined, aggressive, and covert manner.