My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Two days later, the Xu family moved south.

The people in the city also chose to follow suit.

To express his gratitude, Xiao Heng personally led troops to escort Xu to the Shuhe Wharf.

This move gave Xu Lin and Xu Xianzhi a lot of face.

Also sent along was a military report, which Xu Lin promised to personally deliver to the Northern Army camp.

On the banks of the Shu River, watching the boats disappear from sight.

Xiao Heng found a high platform and sat down cross-legged.

The wind howled on the high platform.

Xu Xianzhi watched as his family's fleet disappeared around the bend in the Shu River before finally turning his gaze away.

Turning around, Xu Xianzhi walked to Xiao Heng's side and took out a carefully wrapped notebook from his pocket.

"Supervisor, these past two days, I have repeatedly read these... casual essays you wrote in the past."

Xiao Heng opened his eyes, glanced at the stack of papers, and his expression was complicated.

That was a fragment of "On Protracted War" that he wrote down from his memories when he first transmigrated. It was mixed with the three-three system and modern logistics concepts that he had heard during military training, and even a few guerrilla warfare slogans whose origins he could not remember.

His handwriting is messy and his logic is disjointed; there are parts that even he himself can't understand now.

I only showed it to him because I was annoyed by this kid these past two days. I originally wanted to make him quiet down, but today I realized that something was wrong with him.

He was late for such an important event as the family's southward relocation, and it was clear he hadn't slept all night.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Young Master Xu. These are just some incoherent and wild ramblings."

"No!"

Xu Xianzhi immediately interrupted Xiao Heng, unfolding a piece of paper and pointing to one of the pages.

"...The people are the foundation of victory; the greatest power of war lies in the people!"

His fingertips trembled slightly.

Xu Xianzhi didn't wait for his reply and turned to another page.

"Supervisor, these scattered words, if pieced together... form a set of tactics completely different from any current military strategy. It doesn't concern itself with the bravery of generals, nor with ingenious schemes or tricks, and it doesn't even... rely on the regular army of the imperial court!"

"It speaks of the people, its hypothetical enemy... is a colossal entity with overwhelming advantages. Its presupposed battlefield... is the entire world!"

The river breeze rustled the paper.

Looking at the fifteen-year-old boy in front of him, Xiao Heng suddenly realized that he might have seriously underestimated Xu Xianzhi.

These fragmented modern military ideas should have been incomprehensible to ancient scholars who were immersed in classical texts.

But Xu Xianzhi sensed a subversive and dangerous atmosphere between the lines.

Xiao Heng slowly stood up and patted the dust off his robes.

"Young Master Xu, these are just wild thoughts; they shouldn't be taken seriously!"

"What about the salt fields?"

Xu Xianzhi suddenly asked a question in return.

Xiao Heng was taken aback.

Xu Xianzhi took a step closer.

"Did Han Junzhu go towards the salt field the night before last?"

Xiao Heng's pupils contracted slightly. This kid has only been in the camp for two days, yet he is already so perceptive.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Heng finally sighed, "Yes!"

Xu Xianzhi's eyes showed no sign of sharpness; instead, they gained an extra degree of scrutiny.

"The governor ordered General Han to travel light and leave the camp at night to scout, not to launch a full-scale attack. Therefore, the governor did not really want to give up the salt profits of Qu County, but was looking for a way to share the spoils without breaking ties with the Wang family of Taiyuan."

Looking at the still-childish face in front of him, Xiao Heng suddenly felt a bit absurd that he was seen through so clearly by a fifteen-year-old boy.

"Go on!"

Xiao Heng pointed to the stone opposite him, gesturing for the other person to sit down.

Xu Xianzhi also lifted his robe and sat down opposite him naturally. His posture no longer resembled that of a mere subordinate, but rather that of a chess player.

"There are three groups of refugee leaders in the salt fields, all supported by the Wang family and local powerful clans. If the supervisor were to forcibly seize them, he would be making an enemy of the entire Qingxu salt profit network. But if..."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

"But if we can persuade one of them, either to defect or to incorporate them, we can infiltrate the salt fields under the guise of protecting the salt, and negotiate cooperation with the Wang family instead of seizing it. Commander Han's trip here is to find out the details of these three groups!"

Xiao Heng completely abandoned his contemptuous attitude.

Xu Xianzhi continued.

"What the Wang family wants is wealth, and what the displaced leaders want is a way to survive, not a fight to the death. If the governor can use military force as a deterrent and profit as bait, and allow the Wang family to continue their salt profits as before, only taking a security fee, then this matter... may not be impossible!"

As the river breeze blew by, Xiao Heng suddenly laughed.

"Are you really only fifteen years old?"

Xu Xianzhi remained calm.

"When my father served as the magistrate of Shangyu County, he thoroughly investigated the salt smuggling case. The case files were numerous and detailed, and I read them in my spare time. I learned a little about the connections behind the salt profits. In chaotic times, it is difficult to distinguish between black and white, but profit and harm can always be clearly calculated!"

Xiao Heng nodded and no longer tried to hide it.

"Among the three groups of refugee leaders, one group's leader is named Chen Jiao. He was originally a salt worker in Langya County. Three years ago, because he refused to give his daughter to the county magistrate as a concubine, he killed the official and gathered a group of people to flee for their lives. This person has always been at odds with the other two groups, and... his camp is closest to the sea."

Xu Xianzhi was very surprised after hearing this. He didn't know anything about these people's backgrounds, so how could the person in front of him know so much about them?

Xiao Heng did not explain; this was information he had obtained using deep simulation.

"By sea?"

Xiao Heng stood up and looked east.

"Indeed, controlling Chen Jiao is tantamount to controlling a section of the coastline!"

Xu Xianzhi instantly understood Xiao Heng's entire plan.

Taking Chenjiao as the entry point, we wedge into the salt fields, use the sea route as a retreat, retain an independent passage, and stabilize the Wang family through cooperation in protecting the salt.

And all of this was predicated on this premise. Xu Xianzhi suddenly stood up.

"Will the Qin army come?"

Xiao Heng looked at him and suddenly asked.

"If you were me, what move would you make at this moment?"

Xu Xianzhi pondered for a moment, then sat down again.

"The Qin army will not abandon this place; at that time, the Wang clan will either be destroyed or..."

"Cooperate with the Wang family or disregard everything..."

"..."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Xiao Heng quietly.

Xiao Heng remained silent for a long time. His original intention was simply to seize some salt to ensure his men would follow him wholeheartedly.

It seems this kid has ruined everything, but cooperating with the Wang family wouldn't be bad.

Suddenly, a sentence came to mind, and he finally let out a slow breath: Since we've come this far, let's just keep fooling around.

"Zongwen, the people are the foundation of victory, and there's more to it!"

Xu Xianzhi turned around, his eyes reflecting the light of the river.

"Is that half-sentence... therefore, those skilled in warfare do not require repeated conscription, nor do they need to supply provisions for three years?"

(From *The Art of War*, Chapter 1, "Waging War": A skilled commander does not conscript troops twice, nor does he replenish his army's provisions three times. He takes supplies from the state and supplies from the enemy; thus, his army's provisions are sufficient.)

Xiao Heng shook his head after hearing this and stood up to look east.

"Do you dare to meet with someone from the Wang family?"

"Is the Superintendent really going to put himself in danger?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Xianzhi noticed the Northern Army badge hanging from Xiao Heng's waist.

"Zongwen is willing to go!"

Xiao Heng nodded after hearing this.

"The time is not yet ripe; we still need to make some preparations!"

"And what about the second half of the sentence?"

"The greatest power of war lies in the masses!"

"It seems this isn't over yet!"

"The army should be integrated with the people, so that the people regard the army as their own, then the army will be invincible in the world."

"Invincible under heaven!"