Yinshan Record

Chapter 218 Victory After Victory

Dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses, a herd of strong steeds.

Dozens of imperial guards lined up at the entrance of the silk shop. Shi Chibao was not wearing official robes, but a silk shirt and a jade hairpin in his hair.

Although he tries hard to project an image of a wealthy merchant or gentry, he looks like a complete scoundrel who has come out of the shadows.

The top official of the Cizhou Imperial Guard had a livid face and eyes that seemed to flash, constantly glancing to both sides.

Several imperial guards dismounted and surrounded the small silk shop, their eyes filled with vigilance.

"Your humble servant, Zhu Yi, the garrison commander of Tian'an County..."

"Steward Shi"

Su Che led Zhu Yi to the door to greet them.

"Brother Su, you've worked hard."

Shi Chibao glanced at Zhu Yi beside him but didn't say anything. He then spoke directly to Su Che.

"Brother Su, why did you leave the Yin-Yang Realm and not return to Cizhou?"

He strode inside.

"Brother, as the Chief Justice, your duty is to oversee all the affairs of the Imperial Guards in this prefecture. As for the matters of capturing demons and slaying ghosts, let your subordinates handle them."

Although Shi Chibao's words left room for interpretation, Su Che could already sense the superior's dissatisfaction.

"Cizhou has a rich cultural heritage and fertile land. To be frank, Your Excellency, my elder brother has long said that land prices around Jiankang are high, and he wants to find a place to buy some land and houses for the family to pass down through generations."

"It just so happened that a great disaster struck, so I traveled back and forth between several surrounding counties. I am ashamed to say that I neglected important matters of the court and was busy with trivial matters such as seeking land and houses. Commander Shi, please do not laugh at me."

Su Che made up a story off the top of his head.

Shi Chibao certainly wouldn't believe Su Che's words, but he also wouldn't expose him directly.

This way, everyone has a way to back down.

"Of the four words 'family, country, and world,' family comes before country. If there is no family, what use is the country and the world? This is the fundamental principle of human relations, my brother." Shi Chibao looked at Su Che: "A family with a single surname may not produce an immortal immortal even after thousands of years, but an acre of land can be passed down for many generations."

Shi Chibao slowly walked into the silk shop, glancing at Zhu Yi and the group of imperial guards behind him.

"Speaking of which, I should first congratulate Brother Su."

"Oh? But I wonder what brings you this joy?"

"Yuwen Rui was intercepted by Lord Su on the Yangtze River and fought fiercely for ten days. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Commander Wei Huaiwen launched a swift attack on Luoyang, then turned his troops to Qingxu. By supplying the enemy with provisions, he won four battles in a row. Now most of Qingxu is in our hands, and the Northern Dynasty has sent people to sue for peace."

It was a resounding victory.

Su Che felt a mix of emotions.

The situation in Cizhou is now basically clear.

Based on my own deduction, it's probably because Buddhism wanted to establish itself in China. They had several great monks come to the East in the past, but the final result was similar to that of the old lion.

It's either a crushing defeat, a humiliating retreat, or like the old lion, being unable to even protect its own territory.

Su Che had read in books before that Buddhism referred to the Central Plains as the "Five Turbidities and Evil World," which was actually just a pretext used by eminent monks and great masters to explain why their supreme Dharma could not be practiced there.

Therefore, the Buddhist sect changed its approach; if people were not capable, then they would change their methods and use the Buddhist realm.

Therefore, they set their sights on the Yin-Yang Realm of the Yin-Yang Dharma King.

Of course, the core element for establishing a foothold in the Central Plains was not the existence of a dynasty of men and swords, nor was it the adoption of strategies.

The most important thing is to obtain the consent of Xuandu Palace.

Thus, the Buddhist community reached an agreement with the Xuandu Palace.

Su Che was unsure how Yuwen Rui had learned of this matter, but the Grand Tutor of Wei and the pillar of the Northern Kingdom quickly realized that there was profit to be made in it.

He contacted the monk Mulan, unified the long-standing feuding dragon clans of Qiantang and Dongting, and ultimately destroyed the Yin-Yang Realm, allowing Buddhism to successfully establish itself there. The two dragon clans also seized the opportunity to rescue the ancient evil dragon imprisoned beneath the Yin-Yang Realm. At this point, Yuwen Rui had demonstrated remarkable political acumen and unparalleled power, showcasing the true nature of a ruthless warlord ruling a nation.

However, judging from the current situation, this warlord of the North is still a bit inferior to the Emperor of Liang.

Su Che was unaware of when the Liang Dynasty learned that the Buddhist sect wanted to use the Yin-Yang boundary to gain influence.

However, the Liang emperor's methods were truly brilliant. With the Buddhist sect and Xuandu Palace having reached a tacit understanding, it was already a foregone conclusion that the Buddhist sect would use the Yin-Yang Realm as a springboard to establish itself in the Central Plains.

Daliang is now facing a stalemate.

The Northern Expedition was a protracted war. Although it was a victory in the end, the Huai River floods caused a major disaster and the rear was short of supplies. If the war continued to drag on, there would probably be another crushing defeat.

Yuwen Rui stirred up trouble in the rear, shattering the boundary between Yin and Yang, establishing the path of hungry ghosts, and causing continuous turmoil in Cizhou, a land of wealth and resources. It was inevitable that a large amount of manpower and resources would be invested in disaster relief and resettlement of displaced people.

With both factors intertwined, this stalemate could easily turn into defeat if not handled carefully.

The moves made by the Liang side were also quite ingenious.

First, they offered Shanyin County as an opportunity to expand the Buddhist community's territory, and the two sides reached an agreement.

Then, they secretly laid out plans, sending experts to snipe Yuwen Rui on one hand, and having Wei Huaiwen take advantage of Yuwen Rui's absence to launch a counterattack on Qingxu on the other.

Su Che now realizes that this was a brilliant move.

Since it's a foregone conclusion that Buddhism is going to grow bigger and we'll be neighbors that can't be moved away from in the future, we might as well make friends with them first and plan for some practical benefits.

Yuwen Rui's titles are so long, such as Grand Tutor and General of the Heavenly Pillar, but these titles can be explained in just four words.

To hold absolute power.

In other words, Yuwen Rui was the central figure and controller of Northern Wei, so sending someone to hold him back would put Northern Wei in a dilemma.

For example, if the Northern Wei emperor wanted to summon troops stationed in other places to march south at this time, what choice would this general make?

He first needs to ask himself a whole host of questions.

Was the emperor using this opportunity to eliminate Grand Tutor Yuwen's power? And how would Grand Tutor Yuwen view him once he returned?

If this is the case for military generals, how should officials responsible for logistics, ordnance, and local support make their choices?

Before the order was even officially issued, morale among the troops had already collapsed.

The calamities of the three armies often begin with suspicion. Being deceived by the enemy is one thing, but being confused about one's own situation is another.

Without Yuwen Rui in charge, Wei Huaiwen, with his talent, could certainly make arrangements at his own pace and take over both Qing and Xu, which was one of the greatest victories since the division of the North and South.

A stalemate, a potential defeat, was turned into a resounding victory.

Da Liang not only won, but he won so badly that he was completely stunned.

The price the emperor paid was nothing more than a tiny fraction of the common people's income.

"What about Yuwen Rui?"

Su Che asked Shi Chibao, "Did you kill this scoundrel?"

"Let him go."

Shi Chibao smiled and said, "Yuwen Rui has dominated the world for sixty years, and this is one of his greatest defeats yet."

Did Yuwen Rui really lose?

Su Che, however, did not see it that way.

"Did you come to Tian'an County just to tell me this good news, Lord Commander?"

"of course not."

Shi Chibao shook his head and said, "I came here this time because I have a big case to handle."