Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 450 - 255 Ten-Year Plan_4

Chapter 450: Chapter 255 Ten-Year Plan_4

"However, if this whole affair is indeed instigated solely by the Emperor..."

"Then, I am afraid the situation will only trend towards the worse before Emperor Gaozong of Qi passes away."

"And what’s more tragic, Emperor Gaozong of Qi is still very young and in robust health. In the next thirty to forty years, it is unlikely that he will die."

"Meanwhile, General Han Fuyue is already thirty-nine years old."

"In terms of lifespan, neither Li Hao nor Han Fuyue are likely to outlive this Emperor."

"Although living a life incognito could be considered a decent end, for General Han Fuyue, who is wholeheartedly determined to reclaim the old territories and avenge his hatred, such a wasted life is not much different, essentially, from dying unjustly in prison."

"However, what surprised him was that Li Hao just flashed a smile, then shook his head."

"If General Han thinks so, he is mistaken."

"Within ten years, General, you will still have the opportunity to rise again."

"This time, General Han Fuyue was genuinely shocked."

"The chance to rise again within ten years?"

"How could that be possible?"

"In fact, when he had to retreat, General Han Fuyue had already realized that he had missed a golden opportunity and that it would be difficult to launch an offensive against the Jin again."

"After all, times change, and years later, factors like troops, provisions, and war opportunities would all be altered. By then, it would be hard to predict anything."

"That was why he had exclaimed with such deep remorse, ’A decade’s work wasted in an instance. Newly gained territories abandoned overnight. The foundation and landscape of our nation hard to restore. The world in disarray, impossible to reconstruct.’"

"But if, after ten years, he could really revolt against Jin, wouldn’t that be much better than having no chance at all?"

"If there are no troops, he can train new ones; if there is no provision, he can find a way to gather it; if there’s no war opportunity, then he can seek and create his own."

"After all, the essence of being a Divine General meant that he could do anything by himself."

"As long as he has this opportunity for a northern campaign, with the significant fame of General Han Fuyue, and his immense reputation in both the north and the south, nothing would be a problem."

"The real problem is, where would this opportunity for a northern campaign come from?"

"The peace treaty has been settled, and for the next two to three decades, the Emperor will not support a northern expedition. Moreover, General Han Fuyue is now nominally a dead man—how can he rise again to become a leading general?"

"Chu Song confidently smiled."

"On this point, he could very proudly say that he indeed had a clearer view than General Han Fuyue."

"After all, he knew the history of the future and could see clearly the fate of these figures whose lives had been definitively concluded."

"The current official clan is indeed in good health and could live up to eighty years old without a problem."

"Moreover, he truly does not wish to engage in hostilities with the Jin again."

"From this perspective, General Han, your chances of rising again are indeed very low."

"But..."

"The Jin do not think the same way."

"General Han Fuyue’s eyes brightened, quietly waiting for the continuation."

"Chu Song continued, ’The peace agreement between Qi and Jin might be a reprieve for the Qi Dynasty, but for Jin, it is but a ceasefire.’"

"’What will happen in the next twenty years is not difficult to predict.’"

"’The Qi Dynasty will neglect its military as its famed generals pass away, and the elite troops you, General Han, have trained will gradually squander their days and retire to the farms. However, the Jin will strengthen their troops and strategize day and night.’"

"’By then, their target will not just be raiding for provisions but to annihilate the Qi Dynasty!’"

"’By that time, the official clan would also have aged past fifty.’"

"’He is infertile, so he will not choose from Emperor Taizong’s lineage but from Emperor Taizu’s lineage—a prince to inherit the throne.’"

"’When the Jin forces threaten the border, this official clan would most likely abdicate and disappear.’"

"’And the selected new king, I have roughly determined who it will be. He’s been raised in the palace since he was five, virtuous and righteous, now already fifteen. And he holds great admiration and reliance on you, General Han."

"’Once this new king ascends, General Han, why worry that you cannot rise again?’"

"Clearly, Chu Song’s remarks were not mere speculation."

Real history is just like this.

Twenty years after the peace treaty, Wanyan Hailing tore it up and attacked the Qi Dynasty. The defense forces of the Qi Dynasty collapsed upon contact, and the Jin troops marched directly to the Yangtze River.

If it were not for the extraordinary appearance of the heroic Zhao Binfu, who won the Battle of Niuzhu against the Jin, causing Wanyan Hailing’s troops to mutiny, the history of the Qi Dynasty might well have ended that year.

By this time, the over fifty-year-old Emperor Gaozong of Qi was disheartened, perhaps finally realizing that such treaties were unreliable or maybe he had simply grown tired of politics; thus, he abdicated to become the Supreme Emperor.

The successor he chose was none other than the renowned wise ruler, Emperor Xiaozong of Qi.

Emperor Xiaozong of Qi not only reappointed Zhao Binfu but also attempted a northern campaign. However, Zhao Binfu, despite being a heroic figure, was ultimately a civil official, not a military general. Therefore, under the command of another leader and various other factors, the campaign ultimately failed.

History then played a cruel joke: Emperor Gaozong had his great generals, but he was incompetent; Emperor Xiaozong was a wise ruler, but when he wanted to reclaim the lost territories, he no longer had any great generals at his disposal.

If General Han Fuyue had not died by then, he would have only been sixty years old during Emperor Xiaozong’s reign.

Still capable of fighting.

In such a possibility, maybe everything would have turned out differently.

And now, Chu Ge was attempting to make this possibility a reality.

Indeed, a light began to spark in General Han Fuyue’s eyes.

But then, he realized the potential flaws in Li Hao’s plan that it was overly idealistic and full of details that could not withstand scrutiny.

"Li Xiang, this plan seems a bit too... idealistic.

"I have two concerns.

"First, even if the present ruler becomes the Supreme Emperor as you mentioned, given the new emperor’s dedication to filial piety, would he be able to disregard the influence of the current ruler and reinstate me to initiate a northern campaign again?

"Second, twenty years... seems excessively long. Although I will be sixty years old by then, whether I am still capable of fighting is questionable.

"Moreover, Li Xiang, can you even last another twenty years?"

Li Hao’s character setup, like Qin Huizhi, was thirteen years older than General Han Fuyue. And evidently, he was not as physically robust as General Han Fuyue.

Indeed, this proved true as Qin Huizhi died a decade later, not making it to the Battle of Niuzhu.

Yet, for General Han Fuyue to make a comeback, support from within the court was essential.

Chu Ge smiled slightly, "I have indeed considered General Han’s concerns.

"I certainly won’t live another twenty years.

"When the time comes for General Han to rise again, support from the emperor as well as from within the court will be indispensable.

"Moreover, we need the Jin to attack sooner rather than later, or General Han’s health might fail. After all, relying solely on General Han staying healthy until sixty is a bit too unreliable.

"This battle should ideally take place within the next ten years.

"Therefore, over these ten years, I will continue to lay the groundwork."

General Han Fuyue was taken aback, "What kind of groundwork?"

Chu Ge stood up and took a couple of steps in the courtyard.

"First, I will monopolize power in court according to the treaty clause ’no dismissing the chancellor without cause,’ continuously building my own influence so that in ten years, I can decide major court matters with a single word.

"Second, I will feign collaboration with the Jin, continually passing them information while appearing to neglect military preparations on the front lines, enticing them to launch an attack sooner. Ideally, they would resolve to wage war to eliminate Qi within ten years.

"Third, the Supreme Emperor might indeed try to interfere. But I have a way to ensure he can no longer do so."

General Han Fuyue’s eyes widened, filled with shock.

Clearly, even for a distinguished figure like him, hearing such rebellious words from Chu Ge was genuinely surprising and shocking.

Were they plotting regicide?

But... with the palace being heavily guarded, could such a thing be easy?

Chu Ge smiled lightly, "General Han, you need not worry about this; I have my methods.

"Your current task is to patiently wait here. Read some military tactics, write down your own insights on warfare.

"In ten years, I promise you will have a chance to fulfill your ambitions once again!"

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