Chapter 363: Returning Land? With all the royal family members killed, who should it be returned to?
Then, Lin Beifan ordered the other commanders to reclaim several other cities.
With the royal family members wiped out and other nobles mostly fled, taking over the remaining cities was smooth. There was no need for fighting; they surrendered directly, welcoming the army with joy and excitement.
Lin Beifan sat in the royal court, overseeing the situation. With his efforts, the common people who had been imprisoned were released.
The passage between the two nations was restored once again, trade flowed smoothly, and supplies began to enter Darro again.
The driven-out merchants and schoolteachers slowly returned, and production and business activities began again. The schools continued classes, and everything resumed in an orderly manner.
Seeing this scene, the hearts of the Darro common people finally settled.
They celebrated with joy and happiness! With good times ahead, who would want to cause trouble?
Meanwhile, the news of Great Wu conquering Darro spread throughout the land, astonishing everyone.
“Within just a week of starting the campaign, they managed to conquer Darro, a country with a population reaching millions and a territory of over 300,000 square kilometers?”
“What kind of divine speed is this? They can’t even finish a military march in that time!”
“Brave and ferocious Darro, a country with a fierce populace. Was it really that easy to defeat them?”
“I heard that the one leading the campaign for Great Wu is Prime Minister Lin Beifan! Although he’s a scholar, he’s an expert in military affairs! He led only 100,000 troops to Darro, and upon seeing him, the city’s defenders surrendered without a fight! And so, without any losses, they managed to reach the royal court of Darro!”
“Not only did they avoid losing any troops, they even reclaimed numerous cities along the way. The army’s size kept growing, eventually reaching 600,000 troops! With 600,000 troops besieging the city and the citizens in the city switching sides, the battle was won!”
“Prime Minister Lin’s military prowess is truly admirable!”
“Five consecutive victories, each more spectacular than the last! Prime Minister Lin is undoubtedly the world’s number one war deity! I salute him!”
“Expanding territory and gaining land, what a remarkable achievement! Great Wu has profited greatly!”
“Admiration, admiration!”
Within the imperial court of Great Wu, the Empress burst into laughter: “I knew it, Lin Beifan is not one to disappoint! In less than a month’s time, he managed to conquer Darro without losing a single soldier. I must reward him handsomely!”
“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations on becoming the third Emperor of Great Wu to expand the territory since the country’s foundation! And at the same time, the first Empress in the entire world’s history to expand the territory!”
“Based solely on this achievement, Your Majesty’s name will echo through history, leaving an eternal legacy!”
“Such achievements can be compared to the emperors of old!”
Praises poured in abundantly.
The Empress continued to laugh heartily, extremely pleased.
While the Empress was delighted, other emperors from neighboring countries weren’t as happy; they felt a sense of crisis. Because Great Wu had already become one of the three major dynasties in the world, with considerable strength that shook the world.
Now, they had conquered Darro, further increasing their might.
After all, land and population were resources. Great Wu had suddenly gained so many resources; wouldn’t they become stronger? As they grew stronger, wouldn’t neighboring countries become more vulnerable? Consequently, they couldn’t sit still, and they raised the banner of righteousness to criticize and condemn Great Wu.
“Great Wu’s campaign is an invasion, an unjust war! Bullying a smaller nation shows no responsibility as a major power! Great Wu should immediately withdraw their troops and return the land to the Darro royal family!”
Without waiting for Great Wu to respond, Lin Beifan directly countered, “I’ve already killed all the Darro royal family members. Who should we return the land to?”
The representatives of various nations were left speechless and had no choice but to suggest an alternative solution.
“This person possesses the bloodline of the Darro royal family and has the right to inherit. We can return the Darro land to him!”
Lin Beifan continued to counter: “Sure, give it to him. Let him come and claim it!”
The representatives of various countries were countered again and continued with their arguments.
“Great Wu’s cruelty and lack of benevolence, for their own personal gain, used force to conquer Darro! The Darro citizens are displaced, their lives miserable, against the principles of heaven! We hope people of integrity from all around will join us in condemning this!”
Lin Beifan retorted once more: “Sounds good in words! If you have an issue with me, have the guts to fight me! If you dare send your troops, I’ll respect you as a real man!”
Both sides exchanged heated words, but in the end, they couldn’t outwit Lin Beifan and left dejectedly.
The Great Xia Dynasty, since their crown prince was still in the hands of Great Wu, could only talk and couldn’t take any reckless actions.
The Dayue Dynasty was preoccupied with internal and external troubles and could only resort to verbal threats.
As for other smaller countries, they didn’t really matter.
Only the Great Yan Dynasty made some moves.
Because the Great Yan Dynasty was geographically close to both Great Wu and Darro, they neighbored each other and formed a triangular relationship.
When Great Wu attacked Darro, they observed from the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity. But in less than a week, Darro had been conquered by Great Wu, a speed that even they hadn’t anticipated. Now, Great Yan was directly facing Great Wu, increasing the threat.
So, they immediately mobilized 300,000 troops, along with their existing 100,000 troops, forming a total of 400,000 soldiers stationed at the border. They appeared as if they were ready to attack at any moment, intensifying the situation.
However, on Lin Beifan’s side, everyone was excited.
“Let’s start the fight, let’s get ready to fight again!”
“We’ve been here for so long without getting into a real battle. What a bore!”
“This time, our opponent is Great Yan, one of the three major dynasties. Finally, we can have a satisfying showdown!”
“The timing couldn’t be better, and the welcome couldn’t be warmer!”
“I missed the battle at Hulao Pass, but I won’t miss this one. What a stroke of luck!”
“Thankfully, I followed along. Haha!”
Everyone was eager to get started, their spirits high. It must be said that as military commanders, they loved fighting the most, as battles provided them with opportunities to achieve fame and accomplishments.
Darro’s situation had left them frustrated for a while, but now they were facing Great Yan.
An empire not inferior to Great Wu at all!
If they managed to defeat Great Yan, it would undoubtedly leave a brilliant mark on their records.
However, Lin Beifan sternly warned, “Look at all you war enthusiasts, always thinking about battles! Remember, battles result in casualties—many casualties! If we lose, our nation will pay a significant price. Do you all understand?”
“What Prime Minister says is true! But these words may not apply to everyone. However, they certainly don’t apply to you, Prime Minister!”
“As long as Prime Minister leads us into battle, we will definitely win! Even if there are sacrifices, they won’t be significant. Prime Minister, how do you plan to fight this battle? We’ll follow your lead!”
“He’s our military deity! With you here, we’re invincible and unbeatable in every battle!”
“Just a small Great Yan, how could they be a match for the Prime Minister?”
The generals all flattered, encouraging Lin Beifan to engage in battle.
“You guys…” Lin Beifan shook his head, “Forget it, this battle can’t be fought at all. Great Yan is just putting on a show!”
The generals were puzzled, asking, “Why?”
“Because in war, you have to consider the gains and losses, it’s not about fighting for no reason! Think about it, if they fight us and win, what can they gain? If they lose, what can they gain?”
Before everyone’s thoughts could catch up, Lin Beifan impatiently explained, “Idiots! Naturally, they won’t gain anything by losing, but they’ll lose troops and suffer! Even if they luckily win, they’ll still lose troops and suffer. Then, they’ll obtain a ruined Darro country. Darro has a fierce people and a challenging environment. Can they manage it? What’s the point?”
“That’s right!” Everyone slapped their foreheads.
“Then think about what losses we’ll have in this battle?”
“In fact, we won’t have any significant losses at all. Because this land originally wasn’t ours, so losing it wouldn’t be a big deal! Even if we bring 100,000 troops and they’re all sacrificed, it won’t matter much. Therefore, after this battle, Great Yan will undoubtedly suffer heavy losses, while we, Great Wu, will suffer only minor losses.”
Lin Beifan smiled slightly, “Such a strategy of hurting the enemy while sparing ourselves is something I absolutely won’t do. They won’t do something so foolish either.”
“Looks like this battle won’t be fought. So why did they send troops over?”
“Just bluffing! If we retreat, they will surely push their luck and demand benefits and advantages. So, we can’t be afraid!” Lin Beifan stood up and declared loudly, “Gather the troops for training. Let them see our strength in action!”
“Yes, Prime Minister!” Everyone responded.
The army was immediately organized, and they arrived at the border between the two countries for training. 100,000 soldiers from Great Wu clad in golden armor and 200,000 soldiers from Darro in their battle armor formed battle formations for practice.
The sounds of battle resounded, morale soared, and the fighting spirit soared. Great Yan couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed!
The soldiers of Great Wu were truly powerful, walking in their golden armor, they exuded an invincible aura.
However, why did the Darro soldiers seem so obedient?
They followed orders without hesitation, willing and content!
As a result, wouldn’t Great Wu now possess 300,000 troops?
And if other Darro soldiers were the same… Does that mean Great Wu could amass nearly a million soldiers from Darro?
That’s quite terrifying—so many ants could even kill an elephant!
However, they still remained defiant with their words, constantly mocking, appearing fierce in their words, but taking no actual action!
Lin Beifan’s side was naturally the same—plenty of talk, but no actual movement!
After about a week like this, the imperial decree from the court finally arrived.
Lin Beifan led all the soldiers and Darro civilians to receive the imperial decree. “By the Emperor’s decree: I have heard that Prime Minister Lin Beifan has incorporated Darro into the territory of Great Wu, realizing the grand achievement of expanding our borders. I am overjoyed! Henceforth, Darro shall be a part of Great Wu, and it shall be named Ming Darro Prefecture. The soldiers of Darro shall be our soldiers, and the people of Darro shall be our people, enjoying all the rights of the people of Great Wu! Subsequently, I shall dispatch… There’s a lot more content, all with even more generous terms than what Lin Beifan promised.”
The people of Darro were elated, expressing their gratitude, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!”
Next, it was time for the rewards to be conferred upon the surrendered generals.
Similar to the civilians, they were also handsomely rewarded. All of them were promoted by one rank while retaining their original positions. They also started receiving stipends from the Great Wu court. They were given the choice to remain in Darro or join Great Wu to achieve success.
The surrendered generals were also immensely grateful, saying, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!”
As for Lin Beifan and the other Great Wu generals, they hadn’t received their rewards yet. It was probably something that would happen after their return.
Next was the process of transitioning.
Lin Beifan handed over the affairs of Darro to the officials sent by the court, and then they set off for the capital.
