Empire Conquest
Chapter 273 - 269: The Eldest Prince’s Confidant

Following the standard procedure, once the draft was confirmed, more in-depth negotiations would be required, and that’s when there would be a need to draft the detailed and tedious clauses.

When Bai Zhizhan finished reading, Wang Kaiyuan and Li Qing had just finished their post-meal smoke.

Previously, Bai Zhizhan had heard Lian Xusheng say a cliché: "A smoke after a meal is as blissful as a fairy’s life."

Looking at the contentment on Wang Kaiyuan and Li Qing’s faces, it seemed that this might well be true.

"At the beginning, we were worried about encountering some trouble, because, in many cases, we have been deliberately targeting and defending against the Luosha Federation. In consideration of our own interests, even if they must ally with us, the Luosha Federation would try their best to gain more say in the negotiations," Wang Kaiyuan said, tapping out the ash from his pipe. "Who could have thought, the Luosha Federation wouldn’t be too entangled in these issues."

Bai Zhizhan furrowed his brow—this might not be good news.

"However, it is understandable."

Wang Kaiyuan stopped there, leaving the floor open for Li Qing to express his high opinions.

"Fundaentally, the Luosha Federation had no other choice." Waiting until Bai Zhizhan looked over, Li Qing continued: "In the last major war, one crucial reason the Luosha Empire managed to hold out for years was that the Tiaoman Empire never committed enough forces to the eastern front. While we were always fighting inland on the Giant Continent, the front lines were too extensive and the transportation extremely poor; we simply didn’t have enough strength to spare."

"This time, it’s clearly different."

Li Qing nodded and said, "The Locke Republic has become an impotent eunuch, let alone rising to fight again, in recent years they’ve even had to rely on foreign corps to control their overseas colonies. Without the Locke Republic to distract them, even if it’s impossible to cross the straits, they will still have to face the Bulan Kingdom on the West Continent’s battlegrounds, where the Tiaoman Empire could concentrate superior forces to launch strategic offensives, and the Luosha Federation may not be able to hold."

"We must also take ourselves into account," Wang Kaiyuan added.

"Since they can’t beat us, forming an alliance becomes the only choice, even if it means having to give up a lot."

After speaking, Li Qing nodded slightly, looking a bit smug.

Still too young.

Bai Zhizhan couldn’t help but inwardly sigh.

A young man in his twenties, climbing from a low-ranking staff officer to Brigadier General in just over a month, was bound to be a bit heady.

Even the Eldest Prince was only human, after all.

A little pride now and then was no big deal.

But if it became a habit, carried onto the battlefield, that would be dangerous.

Modern warfare was nothing like the era of cold weapons, where leading twenty thousand cavalry on a ten-thousand-mile raid could strike directly at the enemy’s heart; such miracles were simply not replicable.

In the past war with the Luosha Empire, millions of Imperial soldiers fought bitterly for five years before achieving victory.

Youngsters should really temper themselves and be steadier.

"General Bai, what do you think?" Wang Kaiyuan prompted.

Although the Sixth Bureau was part of the Imperial Guard and a military intelligence agency, when it came to matters of war, Wang Kaiyuan’s expertise wasn’t even beginner-level.

Before going to the Sixth Bureau, he was just a common soldier.

"Don’t you think there is something inappropriate here?" Bai Zhizhan said, tossing the document he had been holding onto the coffee table in front of him.

"What’s inappropriate?" Wang Kaiyuan looked puzzled, but that was undoubtedly a pretense.

Li Qing, on the other hand, seemed to be taking it lightly.

"We’ve come up with so many strategies, all targeted at the Luosha Federation. Everything is fine if it goes smoothly, but if there are errors in execution, aren’t you worried that the Luosha Federation, due to being deliberately schemed against by us, along with the resulting resentment, might turn against us at a critical moment?"

"The Luosha Federation, relying on..."

Li Qing had just begun to speak when Wang Kaiyuan shook his head at him. He closed his mouth, stopping short of continuing.

"We have General Bai here, don’t we?"

"Me!?"

General Bai Zhizhan hesitated for a moment, but quickly understood and refrained from voicing the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He had intended to tell Wang Kaiyuan that he was a Naval General, and conflicts with the Luosha Federation would definitely be resolved on land, which didn’t have much to do with the Navy.

Obviously, that wasn’t the right way to look at it.

Earlier, Bai Zhizhan had said that trouble would only arise if a strategic loss occurred, after which the Luosha Federation could become a threat.

What kind of strategic loss could make the Luosha Federation turn its back?

Without a doubt, it would be if East Ocean were defeated by the Newland Federation!

Could he still say it had nothing to do with the Navy?

On the other hand, if the Navy could keep celebrating victories, then even if the Luosha Federation didn’t receive a shred of benefit, there would be nothing to worry about.

With victory in East Ocean as a guarantee, what harm could there be in fighting one more battle on land?

Moreover, if they joined forces with the Tiaoman Empire and faced no constraints, flipping the intervening Luosha Federation would be a piece of cake.

Bai Zhizhan even dared to say that there was no need for action at all, as the Luosha Federation would most likely surrender without a fight.

Wang Kaiyuan was really incredibly sharp, deep as the ocean itself.

With just a casual remark, he had dug a big pit.

Actually, this also proved one of Bai Zhizhan’s guesses.

Wang Kaiyuan was the Eldest Prince’s confidant, perhaps a Think Tank kind of role.

It wasn’t surprising at all since Wang Kaiyuan had made his career through Lian Xusheng, who was a senior to the Eldest Prince, and Wang Kaiyuan would surely serve the Eldest Prince with undying loyalty.

"That may be true, but we still can’t let our guard down," Bai Zhizhan replied after a brief moment of contemplation.

Bai Zhizhan also felt very emotional, as his personal principles greatly disliked these factions and alliances, but in the face of the greater trend, no one could escape involvement.

Why had Wang Kaiyuan called Bai Zhizhan in?

To be clear, it was nothing more than hoping Bai Zhizhan could recognize the prevailing situation and align himself with the Eldest Prince.

To speak of it, the Eldest Prince’s position within the Army was already very stable, what was lacking now was a spokesperson within the Navy.

"We most certainly must be cautious, but no matter what, the Luosha Federation is not a real threat. Even if they get our provided weaponry and military technology, that’s just a trifling matter," Wang Kaiyuan chuckled, then continued, "General Bai has participated in drafting the strategic plan, so you must know that twenty years ago, we never thought we needed to ally with any particular country to win a war. We don’t need the Luosha Federation, let alone the Tiaoman Empire, to achieve victory, so why bother with such idle concerns?"

Wang Kaiyuan was indeed astute; his words circled back in such a way that Bai Zhizhan simply couldn’t refute.

If even the worst-case scenario was covered, what was there to worry about?

Clearly, this was pressuring Bai Zhizhan to take a stand!

Li Qing’s gaze remained fixed on Bai Zhizhan the whole time, paying special attention to any changes in his expression.

Bai Zhizhan wasn’t being overly sensitive; he just felt that stating his position would be of no help, after all, he had no backing, and getting involved in Imperial Family struggles was tantamount to suicide.

When immortals clash, why should mortals interfere?

Moreover, this affair likely involved a struggle for the throne.

Forget mortals; even immortals would lose layers of skin if dragged into it!

Yet without taking a stance, he definitely couldn’t get through the situation today.

Just when Bai Zhizhan felt extremely troubled, there was a knock on the door, which then opened.

It was Zhang Xiaoqing.

This time, Bai Zhizhan felt no annoyance; he genuinely thought the sight of Zhang Xiaoqing entering was incredibly beautiful, as if a celestial being had descended from the heavens.

Zhang Xiaoqing wasn’t there to rescue Bai Zhizhan from a desperate situation, but to inform the three of them that a response had been received.