To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 897: Chapter 379: Employ Spies Against Ning Country Chapter 897: Chapter 379: Employ Spies Against Ning Country After establishing a master-servant partnership, the relationship between Lu Yuan and Xuan Chengzi eased significantly.

Therefore, discussions about further collaboration could proceed.

Considering his recent defection and even previous enmity with Chu State, he had a blemished history.

So, upon entering Chu State, Xuan Chengzi began proactively offering strategies to establish merit and secure his position.

“Your Majesty, as of now, the four Protectors of our sect are serving as generals in the Ning army, each commanding a varying number of troops—altogether about one hundred and thirty thousand, mostly stationed to the southeast of Linhai County.

If Your Majesty wishes, I can send word to these four, instructing them to turn their troops around, open the passes, and allow Chu forces to enter and seize the eastern region of Linhai County.

What do you think?”
Xuan Chengzi looked at Lu Yuan, filled with expectation.

The Purple Cloud Dao had sent out four Protectors to serve within Ning Country, named Xuan Yu, Xuan Yin, Xuan Yi, and Xuan Xi.

Of these four, Xuan Yu was originally on the Northern Jiang battlefield, recently fleeing back to the Capital, Jinling, with Yang Jing.

He currently oversees more than ten thousand of the Ning remnants north of the river, stationed outside Jinling City.

Xuan Yin and Xuan Yi were initially ordered to lead troops and attack the two prefectures of Hengyang and Luyang of Chu State.

But they suffered a crushing defeat when Li Xiong attacked Yuzhang Luling, outflanking them.

In the end, they fled back to Ning Country alone.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ɴονǤօ.с0

Subsequently, with figures like Xiang Duan, Lidao, and Bai Yian from the Coastal Aristocratic Family successively dying in battle, Ning Country’s top combat strength was in short supply with no one available to take their place.

Thus, the two were reassigned, each leading fifty thousand troops, and stationed in the prefectures of Xin’an and Dongyang in the southern part of Linhai County, Ning Country, to guard against Chu forces from the south.

Xuan Xi followed Shangguan Ming to assist Southsea Country in Lingnan, but ultimately, due to being overpowered by Qingyunzi, he fled with the remnants of Southsea Country by ship, retreating back to his own country.

Upon returning home, Xuan Xi, along with Shangguan Ming, took command of the troops stationed around Yongjia and Linhai to the southeast of Linhai County.

He was responsible for the rear, Linhai Prefecture, commanding over twenty thousand troops.

Thus, these four Protectors of the Purple Cloud Dao led four divisions totaling about one hundred and thirty thousand men.

Xuan Yin and Xuan Yi were also independently responsible for the defense of one direction each, wielding great power.

Xuan Chengzi’s bold offering of this strategy was not empty talk, but rather a proposal with considerable confidence.

“Not so fast.”
Lu Yuan looked at the somewhat eager Xuan Chengzi and waved his hand, “Great Chu has just gained a victory, expanded territory by nearly thirty thousand miles, and increased the population by over ten million.

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We have already expanded rather quickly.

At this moment, there’s a shortage of officials at all levels of government, and the country is in urgent need of deployment; the local populace is in a state of panic and needs soothing; even the army has just been reorganized and still requires training.

I currently have no intention of continuing the campaign and conquering Ning Country.

Let us wait another two or three years until Great Chu has assimilated the spoils of this battle, and then it won’t be too late to unite Jiangdong.”
Lu Yuan declined the immediate proposal to mobilize troops.

In the newly occupied territories of Chu State, the officials have yet to be fully appointed, and the operation of government offices is problematic.

Without filling these vacant positions, Chu cannot enforce its policies or maintain its rule at the grassroots level.

Moreover, there are two more prefectures in Jiangdong and Song Country each; if all four prefectures are conquered, there would be a gap of six thousand officials.

Chu doesn’t have enough officials to fill in on its existing lands.

If we conquer so much territory, unless I fully accept the existing officials of Ning and Song Countries, it will be impossible to govern the new territories.

But can I dare to accept all the officials from Song and Ning Countries?

If I really take them in, will the newly conquered places bear the surname Lu, or belong to the Coastal Aristocratic Family?

In addition, after this battle, Lu Yuan has annexed five prefectures, and Chu’s population has increased by 13 million, more than doubling.

All these new people used to be citizens of enemy states, among whom are a considerable number of powerful enemy aristocratic families with deep local roots, forming vast networks of interest.

If these local forces cannot be reined in and managed, Chu’s local areas will never attain peace.

Continuous uprisings and rebellions, or covert opposition, are almost inevitable.

Apart from the need for more officials, the hearts and minds of these local people also need to be won over and stabilized.

Towards the powerful local aristocratic families of the former Ning, Su, and Southsea countries, Chu needs to suppress and cleanse them to ensure control over the local areas.

For the ordinary people, the state has to reduce taxes and burdens to win them over.

Only then can the local people settle down and guarantee Chu’s control over the grassroots.

During this process, local unrest is unavoidable and must be suppressed by a strong military presence to stabilize the situation.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan’s army has expanded from the original seven hundred thousand to one million one hundred and twenty thousand, an increase of sixty percent.

On the surface, although the number of the army has increased and Chu’s prestige grows ever more formidable.

In fact, the trust and solidarity among the various units has significantly declined due to the influx of surrendered troops, morale has also decreased, and the overall fighting capacity has actually diminished.

Without fostering sufficient trust and cohesion, the combat effectiveness of this million-strong army may be even less than the original seven hundred thousand.

Therefore, to restore combat strength, Chu also needs two or three years for the various armies to amalgamate to regain peak performance.

As Chu starts to organize its acquired territories, numerous upheavals and rebellions are bound to occur, which will provide good opportunities for these forces to fight and further cohesion.

This can be seen as mutually beneficial.

Therefore, for all these reasons, Chu State, which has just doubled in size, truly lacks the capacity for any new expansion.