Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 424 - 248: Destruction of a Nation_3

Chapter 424: Chapter 248: Destruction of a Nation_3

Having said his piece, Fan Cun did not offer any further explanation and turned to leave.

These words, of course, were not something his simple-minded brain could have concocted; they were strategies copied from Emperor Taizu of Sheng.

Fan Cun was unaware of the likelihood of success in this matter, but Emperor Taizu was a genius in all respects, particularly adept in political strategy. It seemed to him that taking care of Tong Daofu should not be a problem.

...

After Prince Yun departed, Tong Daofu stared at the flickering candlelight for a long time.

While Prince Yun’s words most certainly had the nature of an empty promise designed to entice, Tong Daofu, being in the midst of things, pondered deeply and found it difficult to completely dismiss such possibilities.

From Prince Yun’s words, it seemed he intended to vie for the position of Crown Prince.

If Prince Yun truly could ascend the throne, and if Tong Daofu supported him from this moment, then even if the current Emperor passed away, he could maintain his wealth and glory without fear of retribution from the new Emperor.

Did Tong Daofu worry about being purged? Certainly, there were some concerns.

After all, some of his manipulative moves when he held sway over the court were tolerated only by Emperor Qihui; with a new ruler, it was highly likely he would be eliminated to regain the people’s hearts and to vacate high positions for his own followers.

Such matters could not merely be resolved by retiring voluntarily.

But Tong Daofu was also aware that there was a significant gulf between Prince Yun and the Crown Prince—after all, there was already another Prince ahead of him.

It appeared that the current Emperor had no intentions to depose the Crown Prince, and moreover, His Majesty seemed quite healthy.

Tong Daofu thought he might not live to see the day Prince Yun ascended to the throne.

But Prince Yun’s final words struck a critical point.

Whether it was the uprising of bandits in the south or the menacing Jin tribe in the north, the entire Qi Dynasty was already in a shaky state.

In such chaotic times, how significant could a truly capable and tactful Prince be?

It was precisely because the current Emperor appeared in good health and seemed capable of living much longer, that they had substantial leeway to maneuver.

The current Emperor’s fondness for Prince Yun was widely known and was said to exceed that of the Crown Prince.

The reason for not changing heirs was ultimately due to the constraints of traditional rites.

But now, Prince Yun had greatly distinguished himself by obliterating Xixia.

If in the future the Jin tribe invaded from the north or the southern thieves rose up, and Prince Yun led the Western Army to further fame, who could say whether the ruling Emperor would consider changing the heir?

Moreover, at this time, Prince Yun had already taken advantage of the situation with Liu Fa to seize a handle on Tong Daofu. Even though openly confronting Tong Daofu wouldn’t be fatal, it was still unpleasant.

Conversely, if he could share the accolades for obliterating Xixia with Prince Yun, and perhaps even support Prince Yun’s rise in the chaos of war—wouldn’t that be a beautiful situation?

And even if Prince Yun did not rise to power, the loss to Tong Daofu would be very limited.

All things considered, the benefits of this matter far outweighed the risks.

The candlelight seemed to burn ever more intensely, and Tong Daofu, this eunuch skilled at gauging the times, finally made up his mind.

...

Three months later, the Western Army breached Xingqing Prefecture, and Xia Country was eliminated.

On the triumphal journey home, Prince Yun was surrounded in the center by the generals like stars holding up the moon.

This remarkable feat of eliminating Xixia, which ended nearly sixty years of warfare between the two nations, was also the most brilliant military victory the Qi Dynasty had achieved in the northwest since Wang Wenchuan’s Hehuang reforms.

Even Tong Daofu, who had arrived in high spirits, seemed transformed, showing a noticeable shift in attitude towards Prince Yun.

The generals, knowing to some extent about how Prince Yun had covered for Tong Daofu’s risky order to Liu Fa to send troops, which nearly resulted in catastrophe, did not think any less of Prince Yun for it.

Openly breaking with Tong Daofu would have been seen as an immature move on Prince Yun’s part.

Now, Prince Yun might indeed be described as having great prospects for the future.

As for Fan Cun, he was currently having a delightful chat with the out-of-scene supporter, Emperor Taizu of Sheng.

The obliteration of Xia Country brought significant changes to the Trial Illusion Realm, thereby granting him a hefty amount of energy which could sustain Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s services for a long time.

"I used to think that the armies of the Qi Dynasty were all so incapable when I was with the Peace Army. But unexpectedly, the Western Army actually had commendable combat strength.

It’s preposterous that such an army was locked in back-and-forth combat with Xixia."

Emperor Taizu of Sheng spoke indifferently, "Whether it’s the attack on Xixia or the rescue of the capital, the failures of the Western Army often had nothing to do with their combat capability but were due to reasons beyond military issues.

As for the incident at Jingping you mentioned... by that time, the elite of the Western Army had been almost entirely squandered by Tong Daofu, leaving no capable soldiers—it’s not surprising."

Fan Cun felt somewhat elated.

The challenge of a Prince, is this all?

It seemed even simpler than the first phase’s challenge.

Emperor Taizu of Sheng glanced at him, "Don’t celebrate too early. This is just the beginning.

A minor nation like Xixia could have been easily obliterated by the Qi Dynasty performing normally. However, countless opportunities to obliterate Xixia were squandered by the Qi Dynasty itself.

Your real enemies are the Jin people in the north, and... your own people of the Qi Dynasty."