Chapter 352: Is This the Preparation for Escape?
Darro Country is a small nation along the borders of Great Wu, with a population just over ten million and limited resources.
Two years ago, they fought a battle against Great Wu and lost. In the end, they sent the Third Prince to the capital for negotiations to reduce the compensation.
At that time, Lin Beifan was still a low-ranking official in the court. He proposed the “Swallowing the Python” plan, a gradual and subtle way to assimilate Darro Country and expand the territory.
Now, this plan has been in operation for a year and a half, and everything is going smoothly.
With the help of Great Wu, Darro’s situation has improved considerably.
Originally, according to this plan, in 3-5 years, Darro could be completely absorbed.
However, now the other side has seen through their intentions.
In the court, the Empress said with some annoyance, “The royal family of Darro has seen through our intentions, betrayed our trust, torn up the treaty, and is currently expelling our merchants and teachers, burning all books, and terminating the bilateral trade! The Darro royal family is excessively greedy, directly taking over our properties in Darro! The ‘Swallowing the Python’ plan has failed! Honorable ministers, do you have any good strategies?”
“Your Majesty, since they’ve torn up the treaty and betrayed us, we don’t need to be polite. We should just fight! A small country like them can’t be a match for our mighty hooves.”
“Your Majesty, isn’t it just a war? We’ve fought so many battles this year; who are we afraid of? Even the Dayue Dynasty and the Great Xia Empire lost to us! It’s just a small nation, not worth mentioning!”
“Your Majesty, my suggestion is… let’s keep fighting until they surrender!”
The court was filled with loud cheers, and the generals were eager to move.
In this past year, continuous major victories have boosted the confidence of the officials! When it comes to warfare, they don’t need to hold back at all!
The Empress’s gaze turned toward Lin Beifan. “Minister Lin, what are your thoughts?”
Lin Beifan spoke loudly, “Your Majesty, when I initially proposed the ‘Swallowing the Python’ plan, I anticipated this situation and made preparations! So, all we need to do is follow the plan, collapse Darro’s economy, cut off all supply lines, and strip them of everything we once granted, making them pay a heavy price!”
The Empress nodded, “Minister Lin, your words are absolutely right!”
“Furthermore, Your Majesty, the ‘Swallowing the Python’ plan has not failed! In the past year and a half, with the efforts of our merchants, we have controlled Darro’s economy! Under the influence of our teachers, the people of Darro have developed a longing for our nation! So, we still have a chance to continue the plan and bring Darro under our control!”
The Empress’s eyes brightened, “Minister, are you telling the truth?”
Lin Beifan replied, “How could I deceive Your Majesty?”
The Empress asked, “What do you plan to do?”
Lin Beifan answered, “While implementing the collapse plan, we can use force to subdue Darro and bring them under our control!”
The Empress smiled, “Excellent! The ‘Swallowing the Python’ plan was proposed by you, and you excel in warfare. Therefore, we won’t trouble two leaders for this matter. We entrust this task to you!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan accepted the order.
“Minister, how many troops do you need?” the Empress asked.
Lin Beifan shook his head slightly and said with a smile, “We don’t need many troops, Your Majesty, just 100,000 border troops will suffice!”
“Are 100,000 troops truly enough?” Li Kaiguang, the Minister of War, spoke up. “Although Darro Country has a sparse population, they have a fierce disposition. It’s not possible to conquer them without a million soldiers! Lord Prime Minister is a military genius, but without sufficient forces, he might find it difficult to achieve his goals!”
“Lord Prime Minister, there’s no need to be modest. We have an abundance of provisions!” Wang Rushui, the Minister of Finance, chimed in.
Lin Beifan shook his head once again, “Thank you for your kind offers, but it’s really not necessary! Dealing with Darro doesn’t require mobilizing such a large force.”
“Minister, then what do you need?” the Empress inquired.
“Your Majesty, I only require 500,000 taels of silver as travel expenses, that should suffice!” Lin Beifan smiled.
The Empress and the officials were puzzled. The Empress asked, “Minister, you don’t need troops, so why do you need travel expenses?”
“Your Majesty, I may not need troops, but I do need it! The journey to Darro is long, and there are many things to arrange along the way. Without money, it won’t be possible!” Lin Beifan explained.
The Empress’s gaze was filled with skepticism, “Do you really need that much money?”
The distance from the capital to Darro was only a thousand li, a journey that could be completed in 10 days to half a month.
“You’re not leading troops into battle, and you’re traveling lightly. Even 10,000 taels would be extravagant. Are you trying to take advantage of the situation for personal gain?” Lin Beifan gestured and said, “These expenses serve another purpose, critical to success. Please understand!”
The Empress couldn’t be bothered to argue, and neither could the officials. Currently, the court was well-stocked with resources, and there was no need to worry about a small sum of 500,000 taels.
If 500,000 taels could secure a victorious battle and bring Darro Country under their control, then it would truly be worth it!
“Alright! I will allocate the 500,000 taels to you!” the Empress declared loudly.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan replied.
At this point, news of Darro Country tearing up the alliance treaty and betraying their trust had spread throughout the city.
The common people were very angry, grinding their teeth in frustration.
“Darro Country actually tore up the alliance treaty, showing their true colors!”
“I said it back then, we shouldn’t have been so good to them! We opened trade, built factories, and sent many teachers to educate them, teaching them literacy, etiquette, and morals… Now that they’ve developed, they turn around and bite us. They’re like ungrateful wolves, truly despicable!”
“You’re absolutely right! They’re a bunch of wolf cubs, extremely vicious. We should have never shown them goodwill!”
“Now, the court is enraged and has sent Lord Prime Minister to deal with them!”
“Lord Prime Minister is our nation’s military genius! With Lord Prime Minister taking action, Darro Country is finished!”
“Exactly! Let them know the consequences of offending our Great Wu!”
The other generals were getting excited.
“Lord Prime Minister is going to war again! Following Lord Prime Minister, we gain merit without effort!”
“Yes, the Lord Prime Minister has already dealt with the Three Rebellious Kings. Even the Dayue Dynasty and the Great Xia Empire couldn’t defeat Lord Prime Minister. Darro Country is just a piece of cake!”
“When Lord Prime Minister takes action, success is guaranteed. Darro Country is as good as gone!”
“We must join Lord Prime Minister’s ranks!”
The generals were all mobilizing.
As a military family, the Zhao family naturally heard this news first.
“Kuo’er, this is a rare opportunity!” Zhao Hai said with excitement. “Lord Prime Minister is a military genius, and this time, launching an attack on Darro Country is almost a sure victory. Although our family isn’t what it used to be, we still have some influence. Try to get yourself assigned to the army! If you can secure Lord Prime Minister’s approval, that would be even better!”
“Uncle, I know what to do!” Zhao Kuo’s face was determined.
His path to redemption was challenging, so he had to seize every opportunity, work hard to redeem himself, and wash away the shame he carried!
This was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss. At the same time, he hoped to learn more about leading troops and warfare by being by Lin Beifan’s side.
Because of the preparations for war, Lin Beifan returned to the Lin residence early.
Li Shi Shi, with a worried expression, approached him. “Husband, I heard that you’re preparing to go to war again?”
Lin Beifan nodded. “Darro Country tore up the treaty and betrayed their trust. The Empress and the entire court are furious, so I’m going to deal with them. Her Majesty has decreed it.”
“Dear, how long will it take for you to return?”
Leading troops into battle is inherently risky.
Moreover, every time they went to war, it took at least half a month, sometimes even a full month. The separation was too long, and the yearning was overwhelming. She truly didn’t want to part again.
“If everything goes as expected, it should take about three months,” Lin Beifan said.
“Another month?” Li Shi Shi’s expression became even more worried.
“Don’t worry! This time, I’ll take you with me!” Lin Beifan smiled.
Her eyes brightened. “Really?” Li Shi Shi asked.
“Really, not only will I take you, but I’ll also take everyone else! Everyone has been in the capital for so long; let’s all go out together, explore the mountains, enjoy the waters, and relax!” Lin Beifan waved his hand expansively.
“Is that really possible, Young Master?” Mo Rushuang asked.
Since coming to the capital to find Lin Beifan, she hadn’t left for over two years. Although living conditions in the capital were excellent, staying for so long could get tiresome, and she couldn’t help but want to go out and see the world.
“Can we really go together?” Xiao Cui was also delighted.
Lin Beifan waved his hand. “Everyone, the whole household is going, and no one should be left behind!”
“Great!” the little monk exclaimed with a smile on his face.
“Husband, won’t this delay official matters?” Li Shi Shi asked again.
Lin Beifan shook his head and smiled. “It won’t delay anything. This is also part of official business. Just follow the plan.”
“Alright!” Li Shi Shi relaxed and her smile returned.
At that moment, the little princess rushed over excitedly. “I want to go! I want to go too!”
The scent of Night Fragrance wafted down from the sky, and he opened his paper fan with a snap. “How can I miss out on such a good opportunity? I’ve been in the capital for too long; it’s the perfect time to go out!”
That night, the Lin residence was unusually excited. The news quickly reached the Empress, and she was far from calm. Going to war? Didn’t he just want to flee? He had even prepared 500,000 taels for travel expenses for the whole family!
She summoned Lin Beifan to the palace that very night and asked anxiously, “Minister Lin, I heard you’re planning to take your entire family to war?”
Lin Beifan replied earnestly, “Your Majesty, this is a strategic move to confuse Darro Country.”
“Oh, I see. Well then… you must come back!” The Empress said with reluctance.
Lin Beifan found this puzzling. As the Prime Minister, of course, he would return after the war. Where else could he go?
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The next day, Lin Beifan set off with his family. He chose to travel by boat, following the river downstream, which would take about 10 days to half a month to reach Darro.
He didn’t bring a large group, only about a hundred people, primarily to take care of daily life, food, and safety along the way. This group would also help relay orders and execute commands.
However, when they reached the riverbank, Lin Beifan was taken aback. Among the group of a little over a hundred, there were actually more than a dozen high-ranking officers, with the lowest rank being sixth, and the highest rank reaching third! The total number of innate experts reached 18 people! Such extravagance had never been seen before!
