Chapter 1250 - 308: The Grand Ceremony (Part 2)

Chapter 1250: Chapter 308: The Grand Ceremony (Part 2)

And if we lose, with the Yan cavalry closing in, those of our army who can retreat would likely be few.

Back then, when the Yan army attacked Qian, it was the same; cavalry pressure, a charge, and once the Qian army collapsed, it was a leisurely hunt across the hills.

Xiong Tingshan has long been stationed in Wutong County, dealing with those unruly Shanyue tribes, and within the Shanyue, waterways crisscross, and valleys are dense, environments unsuitable for cavalry warfare.

So, while he cannot be said to not understand cavalry tactics, he hasn’t truly faced a cavalry corps, and upon hearing Nian Yao’s words, he couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

The Regent Prince reached out, patting his own forehead,

and said,

"Thus, in this case, does it mean our Great Chu will never have a day to clash head-on with the Yan people in open warfare?"

Nian Yao immediately replied,

"Not so, Your Majesty. Since Your Majesty stabilized the situation, you have already been cultivating cavalry within the royal family’s imperial guards. Though our Great Chu’s horses are not as tall as those of the Yan people, they can serve well if trained appropriately.

In my lowly opinion, our Great Chu should continue to expand recruitment and training of cavalry like the Qian State; secondly, externally, we should strike in a well-grounded manner and avoid the fronts of the Yan people;

thirdly, if we must fight, it is possible, but we must have two out of three of the favorable weather, geography, and unity of people to launch an attack."

Xiong Tingshan sighed and said, "Brother Emperor, I find this servant Nian Yao’s words reasonable. The Yan had traveled a long way to attack our Town South Pass, having to traverse the entire Jin land.

We, Great Chu, waiting with ease against their fatigue, might as well grind them down at Town South Pass, seeing how many lives the Yan people are willing to sacrifice under it, and we will accompany them.

Once the Yan people are exhausted, our Great Chu can then seize the opportunity and act.

We must remember, it is rumored that the Yan Emperor has not been healthy, while you, Brother Emperor, are still young."

The Regent Prince nodded. In truth, he had already formulated a strategy in his heart. Earlier, he merely wanted his two most trusted generals to "speak frankly."

Especially since his fifth brother has been eager to lead troops on the front line, he’s trusted this younger brother not to rebel; if he intended to, he could have acted long ago, no need first to pledge allegiance and then revolt.

But he worried that his younger brother might become arrogant and underestimate the enemy, and also worried his upcoming arrangements might cause resentment, hence the pretense of watching a dance, awaiting Nian Yao to discuss with his brother.

As the de facto emperor of Chu State for the time being, no, to be precise, for several generations, the emperors of Chu State needed the skill of being highly adaptable to maintain the symbiotic political structure of Chu.

In fact, if we dismiss the presence of the Earl of North Border, in this political ecology, the Chu people are actually doing the best among the four major Eastern countries.

In Qian State, the scholar-bureaucrat class weaved layer upon layer of nets, not only encompassing military generals but also drawing officials in, which helped that Qian official loosen some gaps with the previous Yan incursion to seize power.

Jin State needs little introduction; the royal family resides in the Prince Jin Mansion in Yanjing, while the Situ Family resides in the Prince Cheng Mansion in Ying Capital City.

Both are surrendering parties, yet the treatment of the royal orthodoxy is inferior to that of the feudals nominally under their command.

Yan State is walking a tightrope, having nurtured a behemoth like the Earl of North Border; if not for an incredible triangular relationship, current Yan might be embroiled more in civil war than external expansion.

"Nian Yao."

"This servant is here."

"Proceed immediately to Town South Pass to rearrange and perfect the defenses."

"This servant abides by the decree."

"Fifth Brother."

"This humble brother is here."

"Stay in the capital and work hard to train your troops. Also, soon all troops will gather at Ing Capital City, and you’ll coordinate them.

When necessary, you may need to go north."

"This humble brother abides by the decree."

"Do not blame your elder brother for not giving you the opportunity, but in such matters, your brother seeks to be cautious."

The Regent Prince understood Nian Yao’s capabilities; moreover, against Tian Wujing, Nian Yao showed none of his previous arrogance during the subjugation of the princes’ rebellion but maintained constant... caution.

This was the most reassuring aspect for the Regent Prince.

"Three days later, I shall hold a grand ceremony."

The so-called grand ceremony is a tradition of Chu State.

Nobles in Chu are divided into seven tiers, with the grand ceremony being a council convened by the Chu Emperor with the top three tiers of nobles gathering together.

Previously, after quelling the rebellion of his brothers, the Regent Prince held a grand ceremony, during which he affirmed his legitimacy as a royal member of Chu.

"Let us first mobilize slowly. We shall see how much Yan people intend to spend this time. In previous discussions with ministers and me, we concluded that the Yan people would unlikely wage another war within five years after conquering Jin. Now, it seems that Yan Emperor wishes to gamble again.

Truly a... madman."

The Regent Prince reached out,

spilling the remaining dried fruits in his hand onto the ground,

and said,

"It’s only natural if you frequently walk along the riverbank, shoes will get wet."

...

The news of Yan State planning to attack Chu was blocked and suppressed.

Of course, wanting to conceal it forever is impossible—firstly, it’s not feasible; secondly, there’s no need.

Once the war starts and soldiers advance, who could be kept unaware?

If everything were truly concealed, who would fight the war?

The current information lockdown is just to ensure political stability, allowing the court to arrange and plan calmly.