freenovelworld Chapter 544 The Name of the Attack on Chu 3
Chapter 544 The Name of the Attack on Chu 3
Ying Wuyou's series of plans have long transcended simple economic attacks, rising to the level of an extremely precise psychological war and a strategy of division and disintegration.
What she wanted to do was not to cut another hole in the already riddled body of the State of Chu, but to create more and deeper rifts within it, to intensify all potential conflicts, and to lead the country to collapse on its own in despair and internal strife, or... to take the most irrational and risky actions that would give others ammunition when there was no other way out.
The secret letter was sealed and handed over to Zhou Xun to be delivered overnight.
Ying Wuyou walked to the window, gazing at the majestic silhouette of Xianyang Palace against the dark backdrop of the starry sky. She knew that the Chu Kingdom, this seemingly vast but already rotten edifice, was tilting at a fatal angle. She only needed to give it one last push at the most crucial point, and it would collapse in the direction she had set.
She disliked the killing and destruction brought by war, but she knew even more deeply that in this era of moral decay and centuries of warring states, absolute peace was merely an unrealistic fantasy.
The only way to end this endless war and allow the people to recuperate is to stop the war with war, and to establish an unprecedented and powerful centralized empire through a thorough and unified war.
In this process, the Qin state had to occupy the moral high ground as much as possible, or at least maintain a superficial and acceptable "just" stance. This was not hypocrisy, but rather a deep understanding of the principle that "one can conquer the world on horseback, but not govern it on horseback." It was a far-sighted strategy to reduce resistance to unification and lower the costs of future rule, and it was the true way of a king and a hegemon.
“Father, the ‘name’ you desire is not about what we have done, but about what we have guided them to do,” she murmured to herself, her eyes clear and calm.
Ying Wuyou's secret order, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, quietly rippled across the Qin-Chu border and within the territory of Chu.
The pressure continues on the border regions of Baiyue.
After receiving his sister's secret letter, Fusu carefully studied it and then discussed it with Ye Ziheng and Tu Sui.
"My lord, Princess Jiayang's plan is brilliant," Ye Ziheng analyzed. "The Chu Kingdom has just suffered a defeat, its southern defenses are weak, and its morale is low. Our Baiyue allied forces have just won a victory, and their morale is high. By continuing to apply pressure, we can train our troops and keep the Chu Kingdom from having peace, so that it will be unable to look north."
Tu Sui rubbed his hands together, eager to fight: "This humble general is willing to lead the troops to carry out this mission! We will surely make the Chu people restless and unable to eat or sleep!"
Fusu pondered for a moment and then ordered, "Alright. But remember three things: First, control the scale, mainly using small teams of less than a hundred people; second, have clear objectives, harass outposts and patrols, destroy small grain depots, and never launch a preemptive attack on cities or large strongholds; third, act swiftly, strike and leave immediately, and avoid protracted fighting. Lu Chuan, your unit is familiar with the mountains and forests, so you will lead this operation, and General Tu Sui will send troops to provide support."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Lu Chuan accepted the order and left.
Soon, the southern border of Chu was no longer peaceful. One day, a sentry post was attacked by unidentified Yue archers, resulting in several deaths and injuries; the next day, a small transport convoy was ambushed on a mountain road, and its supplies were burned; the day after that, soldiers fetching water from the river were killed by stray arrows… Although the individual losses were not large, the frequent harassment left the Chu army stationed there on edge and exhausted. Requests for help poured into Yingdu, claiming that “the Baiyue barbarians have launched a large-scale invasion of the border,” further escalating the tense atmosphere in Chu.
Within the economic zone, undercurrents are surging.
Upon receiving Ying Wuyou's instructions, Xiao He immediately understood and carried them out efficiently.
The policy of "limited sugarcane purchase" indeed caused quite a stir among the upper echelons of the Chu state. Those large estate owners and wealthy merchants associated with the nobility were still able to sell their sugarcane at good prices thanks to their advantages in information and channels, and even indirectly increased their profits due to the "limited purchase".
They are more actively maintaining their relationships with the powerful and wealthy to ensure their "quota." Meanwhile, ordinary farmers, facing ever-increasing grain prices and survival pressures, have long been unable and unwilling to care about sugarcane. They can only watch helplessly as their once-golden goose becomes irrelevant to them, and resentment towards the "rich and powerful" quietly grows in their hearts.
The effects of "tightening the grain supply" were even more immediate. When the Qin Merchant Grain Store in the economic zone posted a notice stating, "Due to canal repairs, grain supplies are insufficient; limited quantities will be sold starting today, while supplies last," panic spread like a plague among the border residents of Chu who depended on the area. Crowds of people lined the streets to buy grain, and prices on the black market skyrocketed several times over. The once relatively peaceful border counties experienced a rapid deterioration in public order, with frequent incidents of grain looting.
Even more deadly are the rumors coming from all directions:
"Have you heard? The nobles of Shu have completely turned against us and won't give us a single grain of rice!"
"Not only that! I heard from merchants from Yingdu that the king and those nobles' granaries are overflowing, but they just won't take any out!"
"What's most hateful is that the government is deliberately keeping it from us! Only these few nearby counties can buy a little bit of Qin grain; people in other areas have no idea! They want us to starve to death so they can save themselves!"
These carefully crafted, half-true, and half-false messages spread like poison. While the border people of Chu were relieved to be "close to the water," they also developed a subtle sense of superiority and alienation towards their inland compatriots. As the news gradually reached the interior, those starving people struggling on the brink of death, upon hearing that "there is grain on the border but the court is concealing it," instantly transformed their pent-up despair into overwhelming resentment.
In Yingdu, the Chu palace, chaos reigned.
King Fu Chu of Chu has been unable to eat or sleep well lately. To the south, there are constant reports of harassment from the Baiyue tribes, and within the country, there are urgent reports of famine in various regions. In the court, the conservative faction led by Xiang Yan and the radical faction led by young nobles are arguing incessantly.
"Your Majesty! The most urgent task is to stabilize the people's hearts! We should immediately open the granaries to release grain and stabilize grain prices. At the same time, we should send envoys to negotiate with the Qin state. Even if we have to make temporary concessions, we must strive to restore the grain supply to the economic zone!" Xiang Yan's hair and beard were all white, and his voice was somber.
"General, you are mistaken!" A young nobleman from the Zhao clan stepped forward to retort. "To negotiate with Qin? That's like asking a tiger for its skin! Qin's desire to destroy us is unwavering! The country is currently unstable and needs strong suppression! I suggest that we immediately send troops to wipe out those unscrupulous merchants on the border who collude with the Qin and hoard grain for profiteering, and confiscate their stored grain to alleviate the immediate crisis! At the same time, we should strictly order all counties and prefectures that anyone who dares to loot government granaries or incite riots should be executed without exception!"
"Foolish!" Xiang Yan angrily rebuked, "This is adding fuel to the fire! Forcing an attack will only give the Qin people a pretext! Harsh laws and severe punishments will only incite the people to revolt!"
Looking at his ministers arguing amongst themselves, the King of Chu felt a splitting headache. He feared the consequences Xiang Yan had described, yet secretly hoped that the young nobleman's swift and decisive action might temporarily stabilize the situation. Especially when he heard his spies report that Qin was widely publicizing how Chu nobles oppressed the people and refused to help those in need, a sense of humiliation and being cornered welled up within him.