Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 118 - 113: Watch the Changes Patiently, Awaiting the Right Time

Chapter 118: Chapter 113: Watch the Changes Patiently, Awaiting the Right Time

Lin Xiangmin seemed lost in thought as he mused, "Heaven hears the highest sounds..."

"Indeed, Mr. Xu, what you say is very sensible. Currently, whether it’s Elder Yan or Mr. Gu, it’s very difficult to obtain military provisions. The only way is to actively get involved in the struggle between the two Elders, picking chestnuts from the fire..."

"This matter is of great risk; one false move could mean the annihilation of my family and clan. But if successful, the benefits are equally immense..."

Lin Xiangmin paced back and forth, sinking into deep thought.

After a moment, he asked, "Then Mr. Xu, what should I choose as a breakthrough?"

Li Hongyun fell silent for a moment: "This... I do not know."

Lin Xiangmin was momentarily taken aback.

Li Hongyun’s assertion "I do not know" was made with quite a sense of righteousness, because he genuinely did not know.

Before, he had only analyzed the current situation of the Cabinet and the southeast with Chu Ge, but neither had come up with any good solution.

The broad direction for a solution that Li Hongyun had last spoken to Lin Xiangmin about was the result of wracking his brain during the day.

As for the specific approach?

He had indeed considered a few, but had dismissed them all himself.

For instance, Li Hongyun had once thought about secretly passing Yan Maoqing’s confidential letter to Gu Qingzhang’s people, or finding a way to hint or reveal to Gu Qingzhang about Yan Maoqing’s plan to breach the dikes to flood the rebels.

By doing so, it would be equivalent to submitting a declaration of allegiance to Gu Qingzhang. If Gu Qingzhang had a means to bring down Elder Yan, perhaps he would acknowledge his contribution in changing sides, preserving his position as Governor, and continue to support his campaign to eradicate the bandits.

But he soon realized this approach was absolutely unworkable.

The reason was simple: in political struggles, one cannot simply switch sides on a whim.

If political struggle was just about jumping from one side to the other, it would be too simple—practically any layman could do it.

There were three unsolvable problems with this approach.

Firstly, could a confidential letter even serve as evidence in court? Moreover, the letter never once mentioned the salt tax or the sale of land at low prices—it merely mentioned Elder Yan casually asking about the feasibility of breaching the dikes from a military perspective.

If Elder Yan denied writing this confidential letter, or he admitted to it but argued that it was merely an immature suggestion from a military standpoint without explicit orders, with the ultimate decision still in the hands of Governor Lin and General Deng, what then?

If the flooding of the fields had never even occurred, how could one prove Elder Yan intended to do this? How would he be convicted?

Secondly, Gu Qingzhang did not possess an omnipotent point of view—why would he believe Governor Lin, a staunch member of the Yan faction?

In Gu Qingzhang’s view, Governor Lin had given money and acting troupes to Yan Maoqing, owing his position as Governor to Yan Maoqing’s promotion. Their interests had become deeply intertwined.

Why would he suddenly switch sides? For the greater good of the country? Then why didn’t he stand by Gu Qingzhang’s side from the start?

Gu Qingzhang would likely not dare to use such a person, let alone launch an attack against Elder Yan before the Emperor based on a so-called confidential letter. An unsuccessful attack would mean great loss for Gu Qingzhang, even risking total defeat.

Mr. Gu had been patient for decades, and would not recklessly pin all his hopes on a defector from the Yan faction.

Thirdly, and most importantly, was the Emperor’s attitude.

Did the Emperor wish for Yan Maoqing to die?

If the Emperor desired it, Yan Maoqing would have already fallen. But now, with the Emperor having made no moves, it was obvious that he still needed Yan Maoqing to make money for him. The Yan faction formed a vast network of interests that extended from the central government to the localities, deeply rooted and complex in relations.

Should Yan Maoqing fall from power completely, the entire imperial politics would be shaken, the Yan faction would fear retribution and retaliate—it would immediately become a great chaos.

Currently, there was a delicate balance in the imperial court. Yan Maoqing was looking for ways to amass enough money to retain his position as Grand Secretary, while Gu Qingzhang couldn’t wait for chaos to arise so he could take the opportunity to eliminate Yan Maoqing. As for the Emperor, he was inclined to replace Yan Maoqing but feared that such a change would lead to instability in the court. He was also concerned about losing Yan Maoqing, the skilled money-maker, so he was watching from above.

Rashly intervening at this time, it was difficult to say whether Yan Maoqing would fall, but Governor Lin, playing both sides, would certainly be the first to die.

In fact, as soon as Governor Lin gave money and troupes to Yan Maoqing, who then promoted him to Governor, he was already on board with the Yan faction. If the Yan faction fell, he would undoubtedly fall too; any possibility of jumping ship and escaping was almost nonexistent.

Therefore, Li Hongyun thought it over and rejected all these ideas.

There was no use in trying; any attempt would be in vain.

Lin Xiangmin could not carry out the task personally; he must manage to handle the matter while keeping himself out of it.

He could not lean toward any side; instead, he had to find a way to make all three factions compete for his allegiance.

A look of disappointment crossed Lin Xiangmin’s face. He had hoped that Mr. Xu’s analysis would clear the skies, but although the situation had been clarified, no countermeasures had been conceived.

Li Hongyun hurriedly continued, "However, Lord Governor, although we can’t settle the matter definitively at the moment, we can start making some preparations in advance.

"First, initiate discussions with the surrounding governors immediately and put pressure on some grain merchants to borrow some grain. Justify the borrowing with the havoc wreaked by bandits, the displacement of the people, and the need for disaster relief. Borrow as much as you can.

"Second, have General Deng divide his forces. There’s no need to persist in attacking Puning Port; simply surrounding it without attacking will suffice. As much as possible, eliminate other bands of bandits in different areas. Try to behead as many as possible and secure more military achievements.

"Delay further action, observe how the situation unfolds, and wait for the right timing."

After a moment’s thought, Governor Lin’s expression cleared slightly, "Hmm, Mr. Xu makes a good point! I will arrange for someone to handle this immediately."

Borrowing grain during a time when bandits are causing havoc and people are displaced and hungry is both reasonable and appropriate.

Although it’s certain that we won’t be able to borrow much, any amount we can get is something.

In fact, the borrowing of grain isn’t really due to the bandits, but rather as a precaution.

Governor Lin isn’t the only one who could breach the dike; if he keeps dragging his feet and does nothing, Elder Yan would not just sit around waiting indefinitely. He would certainly find someone else to take action.

By the time the dike is destroyed, there will be countless deaths from starvation. Without grain for disaster relief, public rebellion will immediately erupt. By then, the situation would indeed be beyond repair.

Being prepared with grain beforehand would at least enable us to provide effective disaster relief when the time comes and minimize the damage as much as possible.

Although Puning Port is the largest stronghold of the bandits and taking it would mean resolving half the bandit problem, if it can’t be captured, then it’s meaningless to continue focusing on it. It’s better to temporarily surround it and focus on eliminating other bandit groups, securing piecemeal military achievements instead.

Scattered military achievements are still achievements, and reports of fewer beheadings are still reports. They can leave a good impression with the emperor and both cabinet members alike.

Although these two measures are not enough to turn the current situation around, at least they provide Governor Lin with more bargaining chips.

In the event that a major event really takes place at the imperial court, he wouldn’t be too passive.

Li Hongyun’s vision was once again obscured by white fog.

"Eh? Failed again?"

Li Hongyun blinked in confusion, but quickly he realized that after the fog dissipated, the scene before him had changed.

It was still Governor Lin, but here, there was only one staff member, and Governor Lin had his eyebrows tightly knit and an ashen face, which clearly looked more serious than before.

"It’s not a failure, it’s a successful entry into the next phase!"

Li Hongyun was delighted.

His previous advice was actually just taking a shot in the dark, clearly not enough to solve Governor Lin’s predicament, but it still progressed to the next phase, indicating that the previous approach was close to the best solution.

And now, with new situations sure to arise in the new phase, that was exactly the "observe how the situation unfolds" he had mentioned before.

With a new variable introduced, a new solution would naturally come to light.

Li Hongyun reinvigorated his spirit, ready again to burn through his brain cells.

Lin Xiangmin sighed softly and said, "Mr. Xu, today, Magistrate Ning came to report the situation in his jurisdiction. However, his expression was unusual, and I fear he might be hiding something from me."

Li Hongyun’s spirit was immediately lifted, and he quickly made a guess, "Could it be that Mr. Gu’s orders bypassed you and were sent directly to him?"

If he were a real historical figure dealing with the busy affairs of state every day, amid a thousand threads of duty, he might not make the connection between two separate matters.

The fact that Lin Xiangmin noticed something off about Magistrate Ning’s expression shows a rather frightening level of attentiveness.

But Li Hongyun, as a player, could easily make the connection to the previous "dike breaching" incident because he knew that most content in this instance centered around the main storyline.

Lin Xiangmin shook his head slightly, "I had this suspicion as well.

"But... Magistrate Ning was someone I personally promoted, and he has always been unwaveringly loyal to me.

"Even if I asked him to face death, he would likely agree. So how could he be swayed by Mr. Gu to do something that would stain his name for eternity?"

Li Hongyun fell silent for a moment: "Lord Governor, perhaps it is precisely because he wants to die for you, that he took it upon himself to do this, hoping to break this deadlock?

"In any case, whatever the situation might be, Lord Governor, the course of action you should take is the same.

"Send someone to keep an eye on him immediately and catch him red-handed when he attempts to destroy the dike and flood the fields! With his testimony, perhaps our desired turning point will arrive."

As the governor, whether he arranges for the dike to be breached himself or defects to Grand Secretary Gu Qingzhang, both are impermissible.

Sometimes in politics, the more you do, the more mistakes you make; to not act is to not err, and that’s not an empty phrase.

Yet, if a new variable is found under the strategy of delay, the nature of the situation changes completely!

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