Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 440 - 314: The Battle of Qi Luck

Chapter 440: Chapter 314: The Battle of Qi Luck

In the palace, Emperor Kaihuang sipped some milk tea and gradually calmed down.

Dugu Zhaoxuan said, "Although the Crown Prince has been somewhat reckless before, it appears he has become much more composed than before. Emperor, it is best to look on the bright side."

Emperor Kaihuang sighed and waved his hand, saying, "I don’t want to think about it anymore. The Great Sui has more pressing matters that concern me."

At that moment, the faces of the four high officials all wore serious expressions.

Everyone knew that the Great Sui had suddenly lost thirty percent of its Qi Luck, a significant matter that had to be resolved quickly.

"Our Great Sui has lost thirty percent of its Qi Luck, which although not enough to shake its foundation, will have a tremendous impact on the nation. We cannot underestimate this situation."

Mozi stepped forward and said, "Emperor Kaihuang, this old servant can create some woodcraft, absorbing individuals’ Qi Luck to replenish the nation’s Qi Luck. However, it can only absorb Qi Luck from those closely related to the Great Sui Dynasty, such as various Princes and some from the Yang Imperial Clan."

Emperor Kaihuang naturally knew that the good fortunes of those whose Qi Luck had been absorbed would inevitably be impacted.

But compared to the personal effects on the Yang Imperial Clan, the Emperor cared more about the entire country.

"Mozi, how much do you estimate could be replenished?"

Mozi bowed and said, "Since the Yang Imperial Clan is vast in number, drawing a portion from these people together should be sufficient to replenish half a percent."

"If Your Majesty wishes, you could also have the Crown Prince and the other four Princes offer a part of their Qi Luck. Being descendents of the Emperor, their Qi Luck is abundant, and taking a small portion from them should be enough to fill another half percent."

"This way, we could replenish one percent of Qi Luck!"

Emperor Kaihuang nodded slightly, seeming to agree with Mozi’s method.

At that moment, Pharaoh bowed and said, "Emperor Kaihuang, in former days the Great Qin was established based on agriculture and warfare, flourishing in war and therefore strong in national fortune. If our Great Sui could defeat All Things Path on Longyou Road, or defeat Tujue in the north, we could gather a substantial amount of Qi Luck. By then, not only would refilling the originally lost thirty percent be feasible, but adding an additional fifty percent wouldn’t be a problem either."

Emperor Kaihuang sighed and said, "I have also considered this problem. However, the Town Demon Office is ultimately not as strong as the Town Martial Office. If the Town Demon Office had the strength of the Town Martial Office, Longyou Road would not have been struggling to just barely fend off All Things Path’s invasion for so many years."

"As for Tujue in the north, perhaps that could be considered. However, over these many years, Tujue has continually had minor skirmishes with the Great Sui, but a true great war has never erupted. Should we go to war, can the Great Sui surely win?"

As Emperor Kaihuang spoke, he glanced at Wen Chudao, the Minister of War.

Wen Chudao bowed and said, "Emperor Kaihuang, the Northern Boundary Army has occasionally clashed with Tujue, but never on a large scale. Warfare with less than ten thousand soldiers is one kind of war; with tens of thousands, it’s another kind entirely. Should we battle, this humble servant cannot guarantee certain victory."

At that time, Dugu Zhaoxuan said, "Your Majesty, there is another place to consider."

"Where?"

"Gao Junxian in Yunzhou, who now occupies the area at the intersection of the Jin River and Longwang Road, neighboring Tujue, is a descendent of the Northern Qi."

At the mention of Gao Junxian’s name, the eyes of all the officials present lit up.

"Gao Junxian is a descendant of the Northern Qi, and to this day, he has refused to surrender to the Great Sui. Though he controls the territory of Three Zhou, his power is ultimately limited, and his defeat is only a matter of time. If we could eradicate him, the national fortune of the former Northern Qi would be completely severed."

Pharaoh nodded repeatedly and said, "True, if Gao Junxian’s forces were wiped out, the Central Plains would be united under one rule, and the Great Sui’s Qi Luck would inevitably rise. At that time, although it is uncertain whether it could make up for two percent of Qi Luck, it would undoubtedly replenish a significant portion of our national fortune."

Emperor Kaihuang, hearing this suggestion, also nodded repeatedly.

"Indeed, this is a very good plan. Only..."

Emperor Kaihuang pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "However, Gao Junxian is not like Southern Chen. Southern Chen’s Qi Luck is about to exhaust, so naturally, they were much easier to deal with. Back in the day during the campaign to annihilate Chen, Wen Chudao, you went with King Jin. You saw for yourself the decadence and degeneration of Southern Chen. But Gao Junxian is different; with the land of the Three Zhou, he has been able to stand against our Great Sui until now, so saying that this man is incapable, or that the Northern Qi army has degenerated under his command, is impossible."

"Thus, why not first mobilize part of our northern troops to test our blades on Gao Junxian? On one hand, it would hone the War Intent of our troops, and on the other hand, it would also give us a chance to see the current strength of our Great Sui’s soldiers and officers during this battle."

Wen Chudao immediately bowed and said, "Emperor Kaihuang, rest assured, I will arrange for this at once. However, as for the position of Chief Military Marshal, I am unsure who would be suitable to appoint."

Knowing what Wen Chudao was implying by asking such a question, Emperor Kaihuang asked in return, "Who do you think is capable?"

"I believe that King Jin, who commanded the campaign to annihilate Chen and showed both courage and strategy, particularly excelled in the pacification efforts after securing the south, is very suitable for this kind of campaign. He has the experience in annihilating a nation. It seems appropriate to appoint him. However, if King Jin is appointed, I fear that Mozi might not be able to absorb King Jin’s Qi Luck to replenish the national fortune."

Emperor Kaihuang thought it over and indeed, among the princes, only King Jin had the experience of a campaign to annihilate a nation.

Thus, it seemed quite appropriate to send the second prince, King Jin Yang Quan.

Just as Emperor Kaihuang was about to make the announcement, Dugu Zhaoxuan by his side spoke up, "Your Majesty, I believe Northern Qi is different from Southern Chen. Back then, the ruler of Southern Chen was incompetent, and his officials were incapable, the vast land had no loyalists, making the annihilation of Chen not difficult. The difficulty was in the post-war stabilization, to prevent revolts and chaos. Since young, King Jin has been deeply fond of Buddhism, and he was naturally suited for these tasks."

"However, now, in destroying Northern Qi and Gao Junxian, this man who is known for his martial prowess and rumored to be the foremost under the Divine Aspect Realm, has led the Northern Qi army, making them formidable and strong, opposing our Great Sui with the land of the Three Zhou for over two decades. It might be inappropriate for King Jin to campaign against him. It would be better to let the Crown Prince take the field!"

Emperor Kaihuang frowned slightly, knowing that although King Jin had past successes, the challenge of defeating Northern Qi now was different from that of Southern Chen in the past.

The land of the Three Zhou is not large, but each part is a tough nut to crack.

Moreover, if not killed outright, Gao Junxian leading his people to seek refuge with the Tujue would be a lingering disaster.

But the Crown Prince...

Emperor Kaihuang was also concerned that with the Crown Prince’s capabilities, it might not be possible to take down Northern Qi.

"I think, for this kind of campaign to annihilate a nation, King Jin is still more suitable. After all, he has the experience."

"Experience and experience should not be spoken of in the same breath. Besides, as the Crown Prince, he should contribute more to the nation."

Emperor Kaihuang ignored the dispute between Wen Chudao and Dugu Zhaoxuan and glanced over at Mozi and the Pharaoh.

Mozi, who seemed to have pulled out several interlocking iron rings from nowhere, was examining something.

And the Pharaoh, yawning, appeared even more fatigued than if he had kidney deficiency.

"Let the Crown Prince handle this first! After all, he is the heir to the throne and should be of some help to the nation! If the Crown Prince is unsuccessful, then let King Jin take over!"

"Yes," they replied.

Dugu Zhaoxuan smiled triumphantly, feeling he had secured an opportunity for the Crown Prince.

Meanwhile, Wen Chudao, with his head bowed slightly, had a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

From the beginning, Wen Chudao’s aim was not to let King Jin lead the troops, as after all, everything south of the Yangtze River had been conquered by King Jin.

If King Jin were to also clean up the remnants of Northern Qi, such achievements might even make Emperor Kaihuang worry about King Jin overshadowing the Crown Prince and affecting his accession to the throne in the future.

But now, in this way, King Jin would not suffer a loss in his Qi Luck.

That was enough.