Yuedan was famously vicious on this grassland!

Speaking of it really made one’s teeth itch with anger.

Muruo’s face was full of indignation!

He continued: “Actually, just now, if I hadn’t been worried about hurting you all, I would have directly lit those arrows on fire and shot them in, turning the Yuedan military camp completely upside down—best to burn their grain supplies.”

He really regretted not doing so!

Ji Yunshu asked curiously: “By the way, what did you tie on those arrows?”

“Just some medicinal herbs ground into powder, with a bit of alcohol added on top. After a short while, white fog emerges.”

The divine physician knew so much!

Jingrong frowned slightly and asked him: “Has a lot been happening on the grasslands recently?”

“When has the grassland ever been peaceful?” Muruo asked him in return.

“What’s the current situation between Yuedan and Houliao?”

Muruo said: “Huhe Hao brought people to camp here a month ago and has been in a standoff with our Houliao ever since. That bunch of western barbarians are extremely troublesome.”

“Yuedan has risen at a greatly increased pace in recent years, extending all the way from the west. When the late emperor was alive, border garrison soldiers mentioned Yuedan, but with different systems in place, if Great Lin wanted to unify the Central Plains, the first priority would be to stabilize the border people. But if they reached into this grassland, Yuedan would likely have rebelled long ago. Even if Yuedan were ultimately destroyed, the border people would be caught in the crossfire—gaining one thing, losing another. It was clearly unfeasible, so the late emperor did not attempt to control them. Unexpectedly, after several years passed, Yuedan has developed to this point—not only wanting to annex your Houliao but even wanting to enter the Central Plains.”

Laughable!

Ji Yunshu added a comment: “Once a person has ambition, they will never be satisfied.”

The greater the power, the greater the ambition!

Muruo: “So about today’s matter, what do you think?”

Jingrong’s face was cold. Out of habit, he casually picked up a wooden stick from the ground and poked it into the fire. Sparks flew, and his eyes reflected the roaring flames.

He parted his lips: “Huhe Hao’s head… I’m determined to have it.”

“Bang!” The firewood crackled loudly.

Muruo was startled.

Ji Yunshu was not.

Jingrong had said these words to Huhe Hao’s face.

That head—he was determined to take it.

But—

Muruo frowned worriedly and reminded him: “Don’t forget, you’re a prince of Great Lin, a member of Great Lin’s imperial family. If you get involved in matters between Yuedan and Houliao, I’m afraid it’s inappropriate.”

Jingrong looked at Ji Yunshu beside him, his large hand gripping her slender hand.

He said: “This matter has nothing to do with Great Lin. It’s between him and me. He touched my person—how can I let it go?”

Their gazes met.

Ji Yunshu’s cold hand was gripped tightly by him. Warmth traveled from the back of her hand to her palm, then gradually spread throughout her entire body, warming her heart that still trembled slightly at this moment.

Muruo understood.

As long as someone touched Ji Yunshu, no matter who they were, Jingrong would not let them go.

Muruo looked at the two gazing deeply at each other and coughed.

I won’t eat this dog food!

He sighed again: “This time, war between Yuedan and Houliao is unavoidable! However, Yuedan has yet to mobilize troops, and Houliao also has too many concerns, worried that when battle breaks out there will be countless casualties, so both sides have remained in a standoff.”

Hearing this, Ji Yunshu said: “Yuedan is so ambitious, bringing so many troops here—how could they remain inactive! The reason they keep maneuvering and remaining in a standoff with you is because they’re still waiting for reinforcements!”

“Reinforcements?”

“Even though Yuedan’s power is currently fierce, Houliao has dominated the grasslands for over a hundred years after all. Without complete confidence, they wouldn’t dare act rashly. So I think they must have secretly contacted other tribes on the grasslands. Both sides reached some agreement to jointly attack Houliao and ensure they take it in one strike!” Ji Yunshu analyzed.

Although it was speculation, who else could the reinforcements Yuedan was waiting for be?

It could only be the other tribes on the grasslands!

Muruo was astonished. “No wonder!” He couldn’t help but praise: “Miss Ji, you’re truly too clever. Things we couldn’t think of, you actually thought of.”

“I was captured by them for two days, which counts as infiltrating the enemy’s interior to act as a spy. It’s not strange that I could think of this. Moreover, when I told Huhe Hao about this matter, he was indeed very nervous, which proves I guessed correctly. The reason they haven’t mobilized troops is that they’re waiting for reinforcements.”

Calling herself a spy—how interesting!

Jingrong asked: “Since you could guess these things, presumably… you’ve also long since thought of countermeasures?”

She wasn’t entirely certain: “The alliance of grassland tribes ultimately comes down to three points: first is food, second is money, third is territory. The Xisai grasslands are vast and stretching for thousands of miles, the soil is fertile, cattle and sheep are abundant, so it’s not food. And each tribe is prosperous with full coffers, so naturally it’s not a money issue. In recent years, Huhe Hao has constantly annexed territories, causing many small tribes to constantly migrate around the grasslands without being able to settle. So… it’s territory! Huhe Hao must have promised them that if they annex Houliao in the future and compete for the Central Plains, he’ll give them a more expansive territory. This should be the consensus they reached.”

An enlightening realization.

Muruo pressed: “So then?”

“Although Huhe Hao made a deal with them first, their reinforcements haven’t arrived yet. Since they haven’t arrived, everything is still variable. Yuedan can make deals with them over territory issues—why couldn’t Houliao do the same? As long as you offer better terms, those tribal people might turn their troops back.”

But—Jingrong had a different thought. He said: “Given Yuedan’s current power, no tribe dares offend them. If they retreat, Huhe Hao will definitely send troops to attack and annex them at any time. Rather than saying Yuedan and they reached consensus on territorial matters, it’s better to say they were forced. To avoid being annexed by Yuedan, they had no choice but to lend troops.”

Ji Yunshu nodded: “That’s also possible.”

Full of worry!

Jingrong said seriously to Muruo: “If you want those tribal people to turn their troops back, unless… Houliao can guarantee to them that after they retreat, Houliao will spare no cost to send troops to destroy Yuedan! To eliminate future troubles! Otherwise, they won’t take this risk.”

So in the end—

“This battle must be fought!” Muruo said.

“Exactly. If those tribal people don’t turn back, once Yuedan has reinforcements to assist them, they’ll definitely fight you. If they do turn back, Houliao must agree to destroy Yuedan. So this battle cannot be avoided.”

So this battle cannot be avoided.

The Central Plains imperial court has such power struggles!

The grasslands are the same!

Where there are people, there is ambition.

Where there is power, there is life and death.

That is an unchanging principle for hundreds of years.

Muruo thought worriedly, his eyes darkening. His gaze fixed on the flames before him that Jingrong had stoked ever more vigorously, as if seeing the scene of Houliao and Yuedan crossing swords.

Intense!

Finally he said: “Right now we can only wait until we return to Houliao tomorrow, then discuss further.”