Chapter 10: Emperor Xia’s Shock
Chapter 10: Emperor Xia’s Shock
The incense burned halfway. Hesitating, Xiao Rui picked up his brush and swiftly wrote his strategy on the paper. His brush moved with vigor, he wrote quickly, and finished with a flourish. It seemed he had only written a little more than thirty characters before he was done.
Xiao Rui, is your name Fast Man?
No, please call me a marksman, because I hit the target with one shot.
His actions caused Xiao Jing, who was writing diligently nearby while keeping an eye on both sides, to pause. Ink splattered and spread into a black blotch on his paper. He cursed his bad luck under his breath. Slightly turning his head, he saw Xiao Rui put down his brush.
“How much can he possibly write that fast? It seems he’s just wallowing in self-pity. Father hates that the most. It looks like this Seventh Brother is charging headlong into giving up. Seventh Brother is so good, always making my talent shine in comparison,” Xiao Jing thought disdainfully. He then picked up his brush again. His happy mood made his writing a bit faster.
Xiao Yan watched the calm and composed Xiao Rui. Inside, he felt like a cat was scratching at his heart. He was too curious about what Xiao Rui had written.
Seventh Brother? Can I take a peek? It wouldn’t be cheating, right?
Seventh Brother, are you looking down on me? Why are you rolling your eyes?
The performances of the three were all observed by Emperor Xia. He drank a cup of tea and glanced at Eunuch Hai.
Eunuch Hai had served Emperor Xia for many years. He could guess the emperor’s intentions from a single gesture or look. He came to the emperor’s side and whispered, “Your Majesty, since entering the hall, the Seventh Highness has been continuously looking at the map. He likely guessed your hint.”
Emperor Xia’s face remained expressionless. He blew on the leaves in his cup and took another sip of tea.
Eunuch Hai stepped back and stood up.
At that moment, the incense burned out.
Xiao Jing’s expression lightened slightly. Finally, as the ashes fell, he finished writing his strategy.
Xiao Yan pouted with grievance. It was clear he had not been able to finish.
Eunuch Hai personally came to collect the answers. When he picked up Xiao Rui’s paper and saw the mere thirty-something characters, even his steady, old-dog expression couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly.
Xiao Rui gave him a smile, unsure if the frown was due to the few words or the content of the strategy.
Eunuch Hai then collected Xiao Jing’s and Xiao Yan’s papers. He deliberately placed their papers on top before presenting them to Emperor Xia.
Emperor Xia first looked at Xiao Yan’s paper. Skimming it, he asked, “Little Nine, according to your strategy, should our Great Xia Kingdom and the Great Qi Kingdom divide and rule the Muye Pasture?”
“That’s right. Going to war means people will die again. How many soldiers would perish in a hundred battles? When would the survivors return? It’s better to split the pasture along the border. Our Great Xia Kingdom takes the southern part, they take the northern part. We each raise our own horses, bother no one, and everyone is happy.” Xiao Yan stole a glance at Emperor Xia but still spoke his true thoughts.
Emperor Xia nodded and smiled. “Little Nine is kind-hearted and cares for the people. Very good. What do you two elder brothers think of his idea?”
Xiao Jing looked at Xiao Rui, letting the elder brother answer first.
Xiao Rui smiled. “Ninth Brother’s idea is excellent. How come I didn’t think of it?”
“Really?” Xiao Yan was overjoyed. Being recognized by his own Seventh Brother made him very happy.
“Of course it’s true. It’s just that convincing the Great Qi Kingdom might not be very easy,” Xiao Rui said with a smile.
“Not easy? It’s more than not easy!” Xiao Jing retorted directly. “Dividing by the border, Great Qi would only get about three-tenths of the Muye Pasture’s area. Would that satisfy their appetite? More importantly, Muye Pasture is the only gap across hundreds of miles of continuous mountains. With such an important military location, Great Qi would never agree to divide and rule.”
Xiao Yan looked dejected.
Emperor Xia picked up Xiao Jing’s paper and said, “So, Jing’er’s strategy is to fight!”
“Yes, Father!” Xiao Jing’s strategy revolved around three necessary reasons for war. First, the Great Xia Kingdom had many plains and hills but lacked horses. Cavalry was the most mobile among all military branches, so they must seize the Muye Pasture. Second, Muye Pasture was a military stronghold. Once controlled, stationing a hundred thousand troops there could secure four to five hundred miles of border, allowing them to invade the Great Qi Kingdom like entering unguarded territory. Third, to suppress the arrogance of the new ruler of Great Qi, disrupt his new policies and reforms, and showcase the might of Great Xia.
Emperor Xia put down the paper and asked Xiao Jing, “You explained the intent and importance of war in detail. But war isn’t something you write about on paper to guarantee our Great Xia Kingdom’s victory, is it?”
Xiao Jing was stunned.
“What is learned from paper is always superficial…” Emperor Xia smiled.
There was another line below, naturally meant to admonish him.
Xiao Jing’s face darkened. He pressed his lips together and cupped his hands. “Your son understands.”
Finally, Emperor Xia picked up Xiao Rui’s paper.
On the clean paper, there were only a little more than thirty characters. Yet, Emperor Xia’s brows furrowed. He rarely showed deep thought and momentarily forgot to ask questions.
Xiao Jing secretly rejoiced. With his troublemaking Seventh Brother as a contrast, even if his own answer had flaws, it was still the best among the three, right? Could it be rated as “Superior” by Father this time?
Emperor Xia looked at the paper, silently reading these thirty-two words in his mind:
“Lease the wilderness to Qi, dig channels along the ridges.”
“Connect to Kunlun, guide the waters east.”
“Push stones to build a dam, gather water to form a river.”
“Lure the army into a trap, flood the Qi Army.”
This answer made Emperor Xia feel something different, because he found that Xiao Rui’s idea bore a remarkable resemblance to the urgent military dispatch he received today.
The urgent military dispatch came from the Muye Pasture. It was a plan devised by many after surveying the terrain, so proposing such a scheme was reasonable. But what about his seventh son?
Was it based solely on the mountain ranges and river flows on a single map?
Emperor Xia put down the paper and asked, “Rui’er, what was your basis for writing this strategy?”
Xiao Rui replied, “Father, your son based it on the topographic map hanging on the palace wall. Please punish me, Father. Your son recklessly devised a strategy based only on the map, without any investigation. It lacks rigor. Your son admits his fault.”
So it was true!
Emperor Xia was inwardly shocked.
“Explain your strategic thinking in detail,” Emperor Xia said.
“Yes!” Xiao Rui said respectfully. “‘Lease the wilderness to Qi, dig channels along the ridges.’ Your son suggests negotiating with the Great Qi Kingdom, leasing the Muye Pasture occupied by our Great Xia Kingdom to them. Charge no money, but have them pay the rent with horses. First, we profit, and second, this creates a false appearance of peaceful coexistence between the two nations.”
“Then secretly send soldiers to dig northwest along the canyons between the mountain ranges, connecting to the Kunlun Mountains a hundred miles away. Every spring, when the snow and ice of the Kunlun Mountains melt, they converge into the raging Bolan River flowing south. Wait until this winter when snow covers the land, the Bolan River’s channel shrinks, and the flow slows. Then, connect the excavated canyon waterway to the Bolan River, guiding the water east.”
“Finally, build a dam in the canyon on the west side of the Muye Pasture. When spring comes next year and the ice melts, the river water will surge, filling the dam with torrential water. Then, our Great Xia Kingdom sends troops for a feigned attack, attempting to occupy the Muye Pasture. By then, the newborn horses in the pasture will be thriving. The Great Qi Kingdom will certainly march south with troops to protect the pasture and defend against our army.”
“At that time, we breach the waterway, flooding the pasture. The pasture is in a basin between the mountains, with low-lying terrain. The people and horses inside will have no escape.”
Xiao Rui’s voice was calm, but it caused the expressions of both Xiao Yan and Xiao Jing to change dramatically.
“Father, whether this plan is feasible still requires on-site investigation. After all, discussing war on paper is just empty talk,” Xiao Rui answered.
This was the method he could think of. It wasn’t a matter of ten days to half a month, nor three to five months. It might require one or two years, or even longer.
Although it took a long time, the effect would be lasting.
Once the dam was built, it would be a permanent weapon. The Muye Pasture would forever be in the hands of the Great Xia Kingdom. The Great Qi Kingdom would never dare to invade from there again, because their troops couldn’t withstand the surging river from a breached dam.
Emperor Xia did not ask Xiao Rui. Instead, he looked at Xiao Jing and Xiao Yan and asked, “What do you two think of this plan?”
“It’s too cruel,” Xiao Yan mumbled.
Xiao Jing, however, said, “Digging a channel northwest along the canyon would require immense manpower and resources. Even if the terrain allows it, there’s no guarantee the Great Qi Kingdom wouldn’t find out. If they discover it, all efforts would be wasted.”
Xiao Rui smiled. “The specific methods of operation still depend on the terrain. As for whether the Great Qi Kingdom would find out, that depends on how well it’s hidden.”
Xiao Jing argued, “I feel this plan is fanciful. I ask Father to decide.”
Emperor Xia took a sip of tea and said leisurely, “In leading troops to war, everyone knows the importance of favorable timing, geographical advantages, and popular support. Securing two of these three leads to invincibility. In contending with the Great Qi Kingdom for the Muye Pasture, our Great Xia Kingdom holds none of these three advantages. Therefore, war is not the best choice.”
“But similarly, peace, for the Great Xia Kingdom, holds greater potential dangers.”
“We must employ an extraordinary strategy instead.”
He paused, then said to Eunuch Hai, “Go and fetch Champion Marquis’s memorial.”