Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 1007 - 623: The Change of Tatar Chao_2

Chapter 1007: Chapter 623: The Change of Tatar Chao_2

"It should be because of... personnel and resources, right?"

Xu Yuan’s fingertips gently traced the cool mat beneath him, feeling the chill:

"Personnel and resources?"

Jia Yi’s emerald eyes flickered with complexity as the crisp sound of her voice echoed in the dim, silent guest room:

"The Former King... he was a very farsighted person. From the very beginning, he knew that even if we Tatar people initially broke into the interior, as soon as you started increasing your stakes, this would inevitably become a doomed war."

"...."

If an ant wants to swallow an elephant, then the alignment of timing, terrain, and unity is necessary.

Fifty years ago, although the internal structure of Dayan had already decayed to resemble the late Ming era in Xu Yuan’s past life, its martial prowess remained strong.

The fertile lands of the Central Plains gave Dayan a practically insurmountable advantage in combat strength compared to surrounding alien races.

Even if heaven were to change, it would first require the local forces of the Central Plains to wage an internal civil war; it was not a chance for external alien races to interfere.

The Former King Nalan Ting of Tatar Chao was, indeed, quite clear-headed.

Thinking about this, Xu Yuan had roughly guessed Nalan Ting’s choice at the time. The next words from the Western Region girl lying on the bed happened to confirm his supposition:

"So, from the moment we broke into the interior, he began sending people to gather all kinds of craftsmen, production machinery, minerals, and other resources from within Dayan Territory. By the end of the war, the Former King had already stockpiled resources from almost the entire Xize State here in Zhenxi Prefecture City."

Indeed, it was all to prepare for the next war...

Murmuring to himself, Xu Yuan asked in a low voice:

"But why accumulate them in Zhenxi Prefecture City instead of directly transporting them back to the Western Desert?"

Jia Yi cast a faint glance at Xu Yuan:

"... Couldn’t transport them; there was simply too much."

"..." Xu Yuan.

No wonder, back when he read the concise history, the term "a state in ruins and renewal" was used to describe post-war Xize State.

Jia Yi gently pursed her lips and continued:

"The provisions must precede the troops. Transporting grain and supplies for the army consumes a vast number of Demonic Beasts and vehicles. Even though the Former King had prepared for a long time, it was still utterly impossible to transport such enormous amounts of resources. Only during the return of the army could the soldiers, along with the transport vehicles and pack animals, move the supplies."

After listening carefully, Li Junwu chuckled and said:

"It’s largely as Jia Yi mentioned. When Your Majesty ascended the throne, his foundation was unsteady and couldn’t withstand such a failure, so he made a deal with my father."

"He let your father take responsibility?"

"Exactly."

"But... wouldn’t the failure of such a campaign typically fall to a named general? Even if the effort failed, it would be difficult to pin responsibility on the Emperor directly."

"What if the Imperial Family representative responsible was the current Crown Prince? And it was the Crown Prince Your Majesty personally disregarded opposition to appoint."

"....." Xu Yuan.

At that moment, he suddenly understood why Crown Prince Li Yucheng’s position was so awkward, and why Li Yaoxuan was now preparing to support Li Zhaoyuan.

From Li Yaoxuan’s perspective, the next Emperor must be both capable in literary and martial arts,

but Crown Prince Li Yucheng, right after his father took the throne, had caused such a major debacle. Under no circumstances would the crown be handed to him.

Unaware of Xu Yuan’s thoughts, Li Junwu continued to speak softly:

"After the war, we made some adjustments. That Imperial Family representative’s name was erased, and those remaining troops were reorganized under my father’s command. The transaction was thus completed."

"....."

After those words, Xu Yuan collected his thoughts and sighed:

"So, Nalan Ting traded much of the vitality of Xize State for his life..."

Halfway through, Xu Yuan instinctively looked back at Jia Yi, his gaze tinged with peculiarity.

Resources from a large province would undoubtedly form mountains of stockpiles, but there were numerous methods to transport them.

Forcefully conscripting millions of civilians for forced labor was not an impossible task in this world.

While many, many people would die in the process, doing so would ensure that even by sheer human effort, the resources could be transported back to the Great Desert.

Lost in thought, Xu Yuan frowned and asked:

"Wait a minute, didn’t the Tatars conscript the civilians of Xize State as forced labor during the invasion?"

Li Junwu hesitated briefly before sighing:

"After breaking the borders, Nalan Ting indeed refrained from mistreating the civilians of Xize State. I’m not certain of the specific reasons."

Saying so, she cast a glance at the Western Region girl, but Jia Yi merely shook her head.

"....."

This detail that Xu Yuan noticed left him momentarily dazed.

He could not comprehend the motives behind the Former King’s strict military discipline.

In this era, for such nomadic peoples, the civilians of other nations were essentially regarded as two-legged livestock.

After a moment of silence, catching sight of the figure on the rice paper, Xu Yuan’s pupils abruptly contracted. He rubbed his temples, his expression tinged with hesitation, muttering:

"Could it be because of that... Is it a coincidence, or deliberate planning? If it is planning, then Nalan Ting’s foresight is truly outstanding..."

Li Junwu raised an eyebrow at those words, forcefully slapping Xu Yuan’s back and scolding:

"What nonsense are you muttering? Have you figured out Nalan Ting’s motive?"

"Mm..."

Xu Yuan winced in pain, clicked his tongue, shot an irritated glance at this good buddy, and noticed Jia Yi from the side also looking at him with curiosity. He hesitated briefly before responding:

"I’ve more or less guessed."

"What is it?"

"Nalan Ting’s motives for doing so... he was preparing for surrender."

"Nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Yi’s delicate brows instantly furrowed as she bristled like an angry Persian Cat:

"The Former King would never be such a person!"

"..."

In the "Cangyuan," the Great Desert Goddess seemed to hold Nalan Ting in high regard; the Tatar Former King appeared to be a respected ancestor to her.

As such, Xu Yuan wasn’t surprised by her reaction and smiled faintly as he asked:

"Then explain why he, even at the cost of his life, refrained from fostering ethnic hatred within Dayan Territory?"