The Villain's Counterattack

That night, Qiu Chuji appeared outside Yang Kang's study, and the two had a long talk. Yang Kang then left Prince Zhao's Mansion overnight and met Yang Tiexin in the outer house. He knelt down and kowtowed to him as a gesture of acknowledging his father's identity for this body. At the same time, he invited them to stay temporarily in Prince Jiaodong's Mansion. Qiu Chuji and Wang Chuyi were also among the invited guests.

"I don't plan to live in this Jiaodong Palace myself, because it's too conspicuous. If I really move in, I'm afraid the entire court will break down the gate. Jiaodong belongs to the Han people, and the Jin people will not tolerate interference. As long as I don't leave the Zhao Palace, no one will dare to oppress me. All visiting cards will be rejected, and they can send them directly to the Zhao Palace. Master, uncle, please stay here with peace of mind. Everyone in the palace will be my confidant, and all outsiders will be driven away." Yang Kang had the confidence to do so. Even if this was a palace bestowed by the emperor, he could do so as the owner.

Yang Tiexin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your sworn brother, Brother Guo Jing, will be arriving soon. I'm worried about the inconvenience in the palace..."

Yang Kang waved his hand nonchalantly, "It's not that convenient. Is it wrong for a father to live in his son's house? Although the Jiaodong Palace is called a palace, it is run as a military camp. Most of the people inside are rough soldiers. If you like, you can communicate with them. I will give you and sister Nianci the palace tokens, so you won't be bullied when you go out. I, Yang Kang, am the King of Jiaodong. I pay tribute of 100,000 taels of silver and a large number of treasures every year. I didn't come back to the capital this time to see people's faces and suffer."

"As for Brother Guo Jing, we will leave him to Master. The Quanzhen Sect has developed rapidly in recent years, and there are some disciples in Zhongdu. Brother Guo Jing is dressed in Mongolian clothes, and his masters have peculiar looks, so he will be easy to recognize. It's just that Father and Sister Nianci must pretend to be disciples of the Quanzhen Sect to avoid unnecessary disputes." Yang Kang arranged everything for them in a very domineering manner. Yang Tiexin stood in front of him and always felt that he was a head shorter than him. What should he do if he suddenly didn't want to go to Jeju Island?

My son's aura is too strong, and I am suppressed so pitifully. If my father's authority is weakened, it may cause trouble. It's so frustrating.

Mu Nianci was seventeen or eighteen years old, standing tall and graceful. Although her face looked a little worldly, she had bright eyes, white teeth and a pretty face. If she dressed up and took good care of herself for some time, she would definitely be considered a rare beauty. No wonder she was able to win over Yang Kang in the original novel. How could the young prince of Jin have such bad taste?

Yang Kang then explained Wanyan Honglie's plot to steal Wu Mu's posthumous letter. Seeing everyone's anxious expressions, Yang Kang couldn't help but say, "Aren't you all making a big deal out of nothing? What famous general throughout history hasn't left behind some insights into military tactics and battle formations? Surely someone could surpass Sun Tzu's Art of War? Military tactics aren't something you can just casually learn. It also comes down to whether it's suitable for you, and it all depends on your individual aptitude. I don't know the specifics of Wu Mu's posthumous letter, but the information recorded in the Jin Dynasty's library suggests it's just that way. Repeatedly reconstructing the battle situation without considering the key points is just fragmented and unsystematic."

"Master, the Song Dynasty can hardly protect itself. The biggest enemy of the Jin Dynasty should not be the Song Dynasty, but the Mongols, which have been unified and are gradually showing their fangs. They are as ambitious and full of bloodthirsty desires as the Jin Dynasty that was just established a hundred years ago. And the Jin Dynasty at this moment is so similar to the Liao Dynasty more than a hundred years ago." Yang Kang's words stunned Yang Tiexin. The current Jin Dynasty should be much stronger than the Liao Dynasty back then, at least its territory is much larger.

On the topic of the Mongolian threat theory, Qiu Chuji and Yang Kang argued for many years, and Qiu Chuji gradually let it go. However, after listening to so many words, some shadows naturally remained in his mind. Because Qiu Chuji had been paying attention to Yang Kang, he did not go to the desert in person, but he got some information about Temujin from his senior brother Ma Yu. He was a man of great talent and broad mind, so his understanding of Yang Kang's speculation was just empty talk. It may not be accurate to infer the future from history. It depends on the person.

Yang Kang scoffed at Qiu Chuji's view that things were man-made and that he should place his hopes on higher-ups. The two debated bit by bit, but neither could convince the other. However, Qiu Chuji saw that although Yang Kang was very pessimistic, he was kind-hearted and had a strong sense of identity with the Han people. He wore Hanfu, spoke Chinese, wrote Chinese characters, took a Han Chinese as his teacher, and acknowledged that his parents were Han Chinese. Aside from serving as an official and a king in the Jin Dynasty, he was no different from ordinary Han Chinese.

It's just that his position seems to be a bit too high, and his power is boundless. He is the King of Jiaodong, the well-deserved king of Jiaodong. His orders are enforced, and his words are the law there.

Qiu Chuji was obsessed with migrating the Han Chinese overseas. Initially, he didn't understand, but later, after seeing the prosperity overseas and the Han Chinese living and working in peace and contentment, he gradually accepted this arrangement. He originally thought that his plan was just to expand the territory and find a new home for the Han Chinese to avoid attracting the attention of the Jin people. Later, as time went by and Yang Kang paid more and more attention to the news from Mongolia, Qiu Chuji finally understood.

This kid was just leaving a way out for the Han people. He seemed to have always believed that Mongolia would destroy the Jin Dynasty, and then destroy the Song Dynasty, and bring a catastrophe to the Han people. So he kept moving the Han people to the sea to avoid the nomadic peoples whose cavalry was invincible. This also explains why he kept collecting classics from various schools of thought and quietly transported them to Jeju Island bit by bit.

As he got older, his overseas investment not only did not decrease, but increased. Qiu Chuji knew that this guy not only had his eyes on Wa Island and Ryukyu, but even Luzon thousands of miles away was within his target range. Qiu Chuji tried to accept Yang Kang's point of view, but found that many of Yang Kang's actions could be explained, and even seemed very smart to prepare for a rainy day.

A single thought can make a world of difference. Qiu Chuji sometimes wondered if Yang Kang's preparations would be in vain, but he was determined to do his best, treating the sea as his greatest barrier against the nomadic peoples and wholeheartedly sending those Han people who believed in him overseas. People came and went in Jiaodong, and foreign populations continued to pour in, but the total population remained strangely balanced, with the surplus population quietly flowing overseas.

If he hadn't seen these Han people living well outside, he would have certainly stopped his apprentice's "misbehavior." But if, as he predicted, the Mongol army swept through Western Xia and the Jin Dynasty, and then threatened the Song Dynasty, nomadic peoples always experienced catastrophes when conquering the Central Plains, and then were gradually assimilated by the Han people. Before being assimilated by the Han people, the Han people lived in dire straits. Qiu Chuji was well aware of the origin of the "two-legged sheep."

After a century of sinicization, the Jin Dynasty had come to respect the Han people, becoming less brutal and violent. Its leaders were even more inclined to adopt Han systems. But what about the Mongols? They were a purely nomadic people. What would happen if they ruled over the Han people? Qiu Chuji couldn't guarantee it, but he had a vague feeling in his heart that it would be very bad.

Han people, whether from the Jin or the Song, would resist, but the more they resisted, the more brutally the nomadic peoples would slaughter them afterwards. The Liao and Jin dynasties were a lesson not far away, but why did they refuse to believe it? They were afraid to admit their illness and still believed that the Jin was powerful enough, far beyond the reach of Outer Mongolia. The Song Dynasty's greatest enemy was still the Jin, so why couldn't they see so far ahead?

Qiu Chuji would not admit that he was short-sighted, so he could only say that Yang Kang was worrying too much. However, since he could make the Han people live a better life, he would cooperate with him. As long as it did not harm the interests of the Han people, everything would be fine. Now Qiu Chuji coaxed Yang Kang in everything. Even if he had a bad temper and insisted on his own way, he would let him do it. However, he had to stick to the bottom line when it came to major issues.

While Qiu Chuji was analyzing Yang Kang's psychology, Yang Kang was also analyzing the thoughts of those around him, especially people like Wanyan Honglie and Qiu Chuji. Wanyan Honglie was really doing it for his own good, and as long as he could become successful, everything would be fine. The Jin Dynasty's high-ranking officials valued their interests, and if they gave him money and good things, they would also have their own interests. In their eyes, Wanyan Kang was one of their own.

For Qiu Chuji, his position is that of the Han people and the Song Dynasty. He would certainly support Yang Kang's kindness to the Han people, but he might not necessarily contribute when he was actively preparing to fight against Mongolia. In his heart, the Jin Kingdom was the biggest enemy of the Song Dynasty.

He couldn't see the Jin Dynasty's decline because the Song Dynasty was even weaker. In the eyes of the Song Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty was a powerful and aggressive neighbor, while the Mongols were just barbarians. Furthermore, there was also the factor of deep pain. No matter how great the threat and damage from the Mongols might be in the future, so far, because they did not border the Song Dynasty, there had never been a direct conflict. This was far from the Jin Dynasty, which was constantly fighting. Revenge for the Jingkang Humiliation was the persistent goal of many people.

"Alas, everyone is drunk but I am sober. Now I understand the helplessness of Doctor Qu Yuan back then." Yang Kang had just finished speaking when Qiu Chuji slapped him hard on the back. This kid always described himself as "a smart person who is blinded by hatred and unwilling to see the facts." He knew that this kid was secretly implying that he was blind.

"Hmph, history will prove that I am right!" Yang Kang jumped back a few steps and forcefully arranged for all of them to go to the Jiaodong Palace. "Master, in a couple of days I will be hosting a banquet to entertain the martial arts masters invited by King Zhao. You and your uncle should also attend to help maintain order and prevent those outsiders from stealing the spotlight."

Qiu Chuji glanced at the boy, his mouth twitching slightly as he said, "With you here, are you still afraid that they will cause trouble?"

"Hehe, I am still young after all, I can't scare people, and my status is there, they may not dare to fight me."

Qiu Chuji and Wang Chuyi looked at each other and shook their heads helplessly. This kid was used to pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger, but he didn't want to reveal his strength right away. It was just as well. Yang Kang's safety was very important, and it was related to the well-being of millions of Han people, so it really couldn't be lost.