It had been a year since Wang Chong had reincarnated. In this one year, Wang Chong had changed far too many things.
The Wang Clan had not yet declined, The King of Song had not fallen out of favor, and he had interfered in the Regional Commanders Incident. Things were not quite the same as before …
And in terms of his own faction, Wang Chong had smoothly established Deflecting Blade Manor, established his own subordinates, and obtained two strategic weapons, Hyderabad ore and Meteoric Metal.
Everything was on the right track, and Wang Chong was now most worried about the southwest.
Zhangchou Jianqiong's transfer to the capital was a foregone conclusion, and Xianyu Zhongtong was already in charge of Jiange, officially taking over the Annan Protectorate.
The structure of the empire's southwest was exactly as Wang Chong remembered it from his last life.
Although Wang Chong had already used the power of The King of Song to move the armies of his father and big brother to the southwest border, so that they could enter Jiannan at any time, this was as far as he could go.
In the current empire, whether it was Zhang Shougui, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Geshu Han, Fomonlința, or Gao Xianzhi, all of them had a very strong sense of territory and territory.
If he forcefully moved his father and big brother into Jiange, it would only cause Xianyu Zhongtong and Zhangchou Jianqiong in the capital to grow suspicious and suspect that the Wang Clan wanted to interfere in the southwest, divide up their forces, and weaken them.
That would only bring about the same result!
The southwest was not within the Wang Clan's sphere of influence, and Zhangchou Jianqiong and Xianyu Zhongtong were independent, so they would not listen to Wang Chong's orders. The Wang Clan was not powerful enough to control a Protector-General of an entire region.
This was also what Wang Chong was worried about.
Although he already knew the dangers of the future, there were very few measures he could take. If he was too radical, he would only incur the hostility of Zhangchou Jianqiong and Xianyu Zhongtong. Haste makes waste, and that would not be ideal.
But Wang Chong could not ignore the massive blow the southwest would inflict on the empire …
This was Wang Chong's current dilemma.
The cleverest housewife couldn't cook without rice. Even if he had the memories of two lives and was reincarnated as a human, some things still couldn't be changed.
Wang Chong could only do his meager strength and do his utmost to avert the calamities that might occur in the future.
And the southwest was the starting point!
In the room, Li Siye was stunned by Wang Chong's argument.
He had never heard anyone say that the threat to the empire was not in the northwest, but in the southwest. On the borders of the Empire, everyone agreed that the southwest was the least likely place for conflict.
It had been peaceful for too long. Even Longxi and Andong couldn't compare in terms of the degree of conflict, let alone the Western Region.
But Wang Chong had said that the greatest threat to the Empire came from the southwest.
If it had been anyone else, Li Siye would have only snorted disdainfully and wondered if this person had gone mad.
But in his time with Wang Chong, Li Siye was well aware that this youth could not be underestimated.
"How do you know?"
Li Siye said, his eyes flickering with bewilderment.
If Wang Chong had said Andong or Longxi, he wouldn't have been so surprised. But the southwest …
In the territory of the empire, the place least likely to see war was the southwest!
"Ha! Li Siye, do you still not understand? When you asked this question, this was the reason! The less likely a place is to fight, the more likely it is to fight!
"When the moon is full, it will wane, and when the moon wane, it will be round. The empire's southwest has been peaceful for too long. The people's hearts have slacked off, the army has slacked off! Even you don't think that a war will happen there, let alone anyone else! Do you think that an army that has slacked off and is defenseless can stop the charge of Ouzan and Mengshe Zhao? "
Wang Chong said.
"But if there's no reason, why would they do such a thing? Mengshe Zhao and the empire have always been at peace, and Ouzan has never entered the interior of the Central Plains. With Zhangchou Protector-General's one hundred thousand elites there, Ouzan can't succeed! "
Li Siye said.
Wang Chong couldn't help but give a long sigh at Li Siye's words. Li Siye was no longer just ignorant of the empire's situation, but completely ignorant.
"Li Siye, don't you know? Zhangchou Jianqiong has been transferred to the capital. Right now, the Annan Protector-General is Xianyu Zhongtong. Moreover, Mengshe Zhao's King Gelofeng is actively trying to contact Ouzan, hoping to coordinate from within and without to attack the Tang dynasty! Ouzan doesn't understand the Central Plains, but what about Mengshe Zhao?
"If Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan form an alliance, do you think that the one hundred thousand elites of the Annan Protectorate can stop them?"
Wang Chong sighed.
"Li Siye, if Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan form an alliance to attack the Annan Protectorate together … And then they can tie down Geshu Han's Big Dipper Army in Longxi … Do you know what that means for the empire? "
"Buzz!"
Li Siye's mind trembled and his entire body froze. A chill suddenly ran down his spine. Li Siye didn't understand strategy, but he knew that if what Wang Chong said was true, it would be a massive disaster for the southwest and the empire.
The deployment of the empire's troops wasn't complicated. Anyone who wished to join the army knew that the empire rarely fought in the southwest, so it didn't have many soldiers deployed.
The one hundred thousand elites of the Annan Protectorate were the only barrier in the southwest.
And if the Annan Protectorate was attacked, the Big Dipper Army of Longxi would be the closest and most likely force to reinforce it. At the same time, it would be the only force.
But if Geshu Han of Longxi was tied down and the Ouzan Empire really did as Wang Chong did, it would be a massive disaster for the Annan Protectorate and the empire as a whole!
"Is what you say true? Lord Zhangchou Jianqiong has been transferred to the capital?"
Li Siye asked in shock.
"This isn't something that's very difficult to investigate. Lord Zhangchou has presided over the southwest for several decades. This time, he's determined to enter the capital, and no one can stop him! "
Wang Chong met Li Siye's gaze and calmly said.
"Mengshe Zhao is plotting with Ouzan to form an alliance?"
"Mm. Not many people know of this matter, but we can at least confirm that Mengshe Zhao has sent two high-level emissaries to Ouzan. As for how far the negotiations have progressed, we still don't know. "
Wang Chong said.
Li Siye said nothing. Although he didn't say anything, his deeply furrowed brow indicated the struggle in his heart.
For the first time, Li Siye realized that he didn't understand the empire's situation at all.
"Since your Wang Clan knows of this matter, why didn't you tell His Majesty? If His Majesty were to step forward, this matter would definitely be strangled in the cradle! "
Li Siye couldn't help but ask, an agitated expression on his face.
"Li Siye, do you think that His Majesty doesn't know what all of us know? Military matters are far more complicated than you can imagine. Putting aside everything else, before the soldiers are mobilized, the provisions have to be prepared. If we send more soldiers to the southwest, how will we resolve the issue of provisions? Ten thousand soldiers fighting for three months, but we need to prepare enough provisions for one hundred thousand soldiers. This requires the coordination of all aspects of the Imperial Court, not just the Bureau of Military Personnel. Do you think that this is a minor matter?
"In addition, the Imperial Court is facing enemies from all sides, and we don't have enough soldiers. If we need to mobilize soldiers, where will we get them from? The Anxi Protectorate? The Andong Protectorate? The Anxi Protectorate? Or Longxi? All of these places are strapped for soldiers. It's already good enough that we don't have to ask for reinforcements, so how can we lend out soldiers? Even if the Imperial Court wants to mobilize soldiers, it can't. Are we going to use the reserve soldiers to fill in the gaps?
"In addition, no matter how many soldiers we can mobilize, can we possibly have more than the combined forces of Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan? In addition, there's still no concrete evidence regarding the matter of Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan. If they don't mobilize their soldiers and continue to delay us, are we just going to keep standing there? The military expenditure in this quasi-war state is astonishing. In addition, if the Imperial Court were to make a massive adjustment in its forces just because of a few groundless rumors, how would it be able to mobilize its troops in the future? "
Wang Chong said.
Li Siye fell silent once more. He was still far from having the keen intuition of the future Invincible Great General. He had never even considered many of the things that Wang Chong had said.
The mobilization of soldiers seemed simple, but the intricacies of actually implementing it far surpassed Li Siye's imagination.
Li Siye fell into deep thought.
"The Imperial Court is too large. It's a colossus, and even turning its body is difficult. But an individual is different. I have no selfish motives in gathering Hyderabad ore and Meteoric Metal. I just want to do my part to help the Imperial Court. Li Siye, believe me. At this time, the southwest needs your help far more than the northwest.
"The northwest is overseen by Gao Xianzhi and Fomonlința. If anything happens, the Qixi Protectorate in the rear and the Anbei Protectorate in the north can provide support at any time. Even without you, the northwest won't be lost, but the southwest is different. Without the barrier of the Annan Protectorate, that place will be a flat plain, and the nearly one million civilians will be affected by the war. The southwest of the empire will be set ablaze, reduced to a sea of fire and ruins! "
Wang Chong looked at Li Siye, his eyes red. This was not some sort of prophecy, but something that had truly happened in Wang Chong's last life.
It was because he knew of the dire consequences that Wang Chong was doing everything he could to prevent it.
"The rise and fall of the world is every man's responsibility. Li Siye, whether you hope to fight for fame and fortune or to establish yourself and contribute to the empire, I hope that you can stay. Tomorrow, come with me to the southwest! Of course, if you have some other special reason, I won't be able to stop you. But I hope that you can seriously consider what I said! "
"As for the Western Regions … if we can pacify the southwest, I will go with you to the Western Regions. Because that is also my destination! "
Li Siye said nothing, a troubled look appearing in his eyes for the first time. His goal in joining the army had been to go to the Western Regions, something he had decided long ago.
But if he hadn't heard about the problem of the southwest before, he would have let it go. But now, since he already knew, he couldn't remain indifferent.
"All of this is just your guess. But if Ouzan and Mengshe Zhao don't attack, do I have to keep waiting? "
Li Siye said.
"Hahaha!"
Wang Chong suddenly laughed. "It won't take that long. I'm certain of it. Within a year, the southwest is certain to be at war. If there's still no war in the southwest at that time, everything will prove that my judgment was wrong. I am willing to hand over all the Hyderabad ore and Meteoric Metal to the Imperial Court to dispel your doubts. "
"Is what you say true?"
Li Siye's eyes brightened. One thousand jun of Hyderabad ore was no small sum, worth hundreds of millions of taels of gold. With the addition of the Meteoric Metal, the value was even higher.
If the Wang Clan was willing to hand over these things for free, then the Wang Clan would naturally be cleared of any suspicions of plotting to usurp the throne. And such a large sum of wealth would also be of enormous benefit to the Imperial Court's finances.
"Of course it's true!"
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