Crossing the grassland, the rough general, please set me free

"That won't do. She has to be under my nose."

Seeing that his attempt to stop him was futile, Geshu shook his head and said, "You are the Great Khan, you have the final say."

After returning to the tent, Yan Lie told Lin Shu about this.

Lin Shu was also startled by his sudden idea. "No? Why did you bring me along? Didn't you even discuss it with me?"

"I've been with you every day lately, and suddenly I feel uncomfortable when we're separated for so long during the day. I feel at ease when you're by my side. When the time comes, just sit next to me and have some tea and snacks. Don't you always complain about being bored in the tent?"

"You're such a thinker." Lin Shu pushed him.

"I can't help it. I miss you when I can't see you for an hour."

"Tsk, just be poor."

Lin Shu shook her head helplessly, but there was also a hint of sweetness in her heart. She knew that Yan Lie really cared about her, that's why he wanted to be with her all the time.

In the evening, people who participated in the Naya Conference would hold a party in the square.

Yan Lie didn't let her go out because he was worried about a collision because there were too many people around.

Although Lin Shu felt regretful, he understood that this was for his own good and did not make a fuss.

A few days later, the Naya Conference ended, and Yan Lie went to the main tent to discuss matters with Geshu and others as previously agreed.

At first, Lin Shu was still a little embarrassed, feeling like he was ruling the country from behind the scenes.

While eating snacks and drinking tea, I listened to them talk about the tribe's development plans. However, the most discussed topic in the conference room in the past two days was the envoys from Qi State going to the Soha tribe.

Another thing is that Bumtai is getting married.

It seemed like she hadn't heard this name for a long time. When she heard that he was getting married, Lin Shu was happy. She should be safe now, and that person wouldn't suddenly appear like a zombie in the future.

I suddenly felt that the pastries in front of me were quite delicious.

Yan Lie saw all her little movements and calmly pushed several other plates of pastries in front of her.

"Great Khan, every year at this time, the Qi State goes to the Suoha tribe to collect horses. Now that we've captured the coalition camp, I'm not sure if they'll aid the Suoha tribe in future attacks. We'd better make plans early."

"After the last war, our tribe suffered heavy losses. Although we have regained our territory and other tribes have settled in the surrounding areas, the situation remains unstable. Why not take this opportunity to show goodwill to Qi? While this will temporarily stabilize people's hearts, it will also give us a chance to improve the lives of our people."

The person who spoke was Talijin, who was sitting next to Geshu and was also the person Helian Tao trusted most during his lifetime.

As soon as these words were spoken, they were opposed by others in the tent.

"Talijin, have you forgotten that our ancestors once suffered at the hands of the Central Plains people and vowed never to ally with the Central Plains court again? What do you mean now? Are you going to break that oath?"

"Yeah, I don't agree either. What's there to be afraid of Qi? If they come, we will fight them."

"Yes. We are not afraid of them!"

Everyone was talking at once, and Lin Shu also looked up at Yan Lie, only to see that he had a frown on his face and a sullen expression.

He understood what Talikin had just said and took it to heart.

If you look at it from a long-term perspective, this is indeed the fastest and most effective method, but these people are imprisoned by the ideas of the older generation.

Lin Shu put down the snack and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

"How much do you all know about the Central Plains? And how much do you know about the region you live in?"

When everyone heard a woman speaking, they suddenly became quiet.

They all looked at her in confusion.

Yan Lie didn't expect her to speak. A hint of surprise flashed across his eyes and he held her little hand.

"Shu'er, just say whatever you want to say. It doesn't matter if you say it wrong."

Lin Shu smiled and said, "Just treat it as a discussion with everyone."

Turning to look at the crowd,

"Are you always worried that Qi will help the Suoha tribe to attack us? But you're ignoring a very realistic problem. It takes at least three months to leave Qi from here. How much food and fodder will it take to sustain a large army for three months? How much food and fodder does it consume per day of marching? Have you ever calculated it? And with so many people coming out, how much more will the military pay be? You haven't harassed the border yet, nor have any other conflicts with them. Is Qi just sitting here? Wasting so much manpower and resources just to fight a war for someone else's territory? The cost of fighting on the grasslands is low, while fighting in the Central Plains against the grasslands is a waste of money and manpower."

Talijin said disdainfully, "My Queen, let me say something disrespectful. You are from the Central Plains, so of course you will speak for the Central Plains court."

"According to you, shouldn't I have helped you develop weapons to fight against the coalition forces? After all, the Suoha tribe is allied with the State of Qi."

Talijin choked, took a big gulp of the milk tea in front of him, and slammed the cup heavily on the table.

Yan Lie gave him a displeased look. The others in the audience were also silent.

It was Geshu who spoke up to ease the atmosphere, "Talijin, didn't the Queen Mother say that everyone is discussing this matter? Feel free to share any ideas you have."

Lin Shu smiled and changed the subject.

"I understand Lord Talijin's concerns, and they're also for the better development of the tribe. He's right about one thing: when you're weak, you should choose to ally with the strong to gain protection and buy time for your own development."

"Ah? Queen Dowager, you're doing this now, then that. What on earth do you mean?"

"That's right."

Seeing that everyone was getting lively again, Yan Lie waved to everyone.

Immediately the big tent became quiet again.

"Shu'er, what are you thinking? If we want to cooperate, how should we do it? Besides salt refining, everything the Soha tribe has, we also have."

"The Suoha tribe and Qi can cooperate because they know how to adapt."

Now Yan Lie finally understood what she meant. The items of cooperation were secondary; the most important thing was flexibility.

Lin Shu took a sip of tea.

"I know that because of the grudges of previous generations, you refuse to interact with the Central Plains, which is understandable. The grasslands have little rainfall, are not suitable for farming, and the environment is harsh. People rely on grazing and hunting for a living, while the Central Plains have fertile land, plains and hills, so there are many infantry. The soldiers on the grasslands are afraid of failure in battle, because if they fail, even their families may disappear. But as long as the soldiers in the Central Plains do not treason, their families will at least not be harmed. I later read the policy papers and county annals. Their strategy towards you has never been to invade the north. As long as you do not cross the border, they will not make things difficult for you. So what exactly is the reason for the conflict between the previous generations and the Central Plains? That remains to be seen. I've finished discussing the views of the older generation. Let's talk about the present. You're always clinging to the past, but have you done anything to improve your tribe? Only when you're strong will others not dare to bully you. The Soha tribe is indeed ambitious and wants to unify the grasslands, but this presupposes they have the ability to do so. The Central Plains is vast, but the resources are scarce, and the people are prosperous. If we can form an alliance with them, trade with them, increase the productivity of our tribes, and improve the lives of our own people, why not? We have to live this life. You are all responsible people in the Balin tribe, and you should prioritize the development of your tribe. Isn't it tiring to be on guard against this and that all the time?"