Chapter 239 The Desire for Expansion

To many, the State of Lu appeared incredibly weak at this moment, making it the perfect opportunity for the Great Qian Imperial Court to launch a northern expedition. Even if they couldn't destroy the State of Lu in one fell swoop, they could still take a bite out of it and establish a bridgehead on the northern bank of the Huai River.

However, no one mentioned the matter anymore. Firstly, the families and interest groups behind them were unwilling; secondly, the pro-war Jiang Huaizhen was absent; and thirdly, The Emperor was clearly reluctant.

Seeing such a situation, many people couldn't help but feel disheartened.

After another morning court session, which ended without a resolution after arguing over trivial matters all morning, The Emperor returned to the inner palace in a fit of rage.

With The Emperor gone, there was no point in continuing the argument, and the crowd could only leave Xuande Hall in frustration.

Song Yehong quickened his pace to catch up with the somewhat dejected Zheng Ting.

"A cook who recently returned from the north just arrived at my manor. Her skills are second to none. Are you interested in coming over for a tasting, Brother Zheng?"

Zheng Ting knew Song Yehong had something to discuss with him and immediately nodded.

"It has indeed been a long time since I've tasted northern cuisine. In that case, I shall gladly accept your invitation."

The others glanced at the two of them, well aware of what was going on, but no one found it strange because everyone did the same.

To avoid making The Emperor suspicious, they always used various pretexts to discuss matters in private. In fact, they also understood that The Emperor was well aware of these actions.

If an emperor couldn't even keep track of the movements in the capital, he would essentially be close to being sidelined.

Inside a secret room in the backyard of the Song Residence, the two sat before a table of fine dishes. Yet, neither of them touched their chopsticks, instead drinking continuously, sighing with every cup.

"Brother Zheng, do you think we will see the court return to the north in our lifetime?"

Zheng Ting shook his head.

"I don't know. Judging by His Majesty's current conduct, I'm afraid it's unlikely."

"It's more than just unlikely. I have a feeling that with His Majesty's current ways, he might not even be able to hold onto this half of the empire. Moreover, I've heard something."

"What is it?"

"I heard that the Thirteenth Princess didn't die at all, but is being kept by His Majesty in the inner palace."

"The Thirteenth Princess? Which Thirteenth Princess?"

Zheng Ting was puzzled at first. In his memory, the late emperor didn't have that many daughters. But soon he thought of something, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"You mean the one from Emperor Wu's Era... but that's His Majesty's own aunt! How... how is that possible?"

"I've only heard some rumors. They say the news came from the north, but I don't know if it's true or false."

Zheng Ting immediately shook his head; in his view, such a thing was simply impossible.

"It must be fake. It's likely something concocted by the Northern Liang to undermine our military morale."

Song Yehong also shook his head.

"I also think it's fake. Otherwise, where would the court's dignity and propriety be!"

"But gossip is a fearful thing... This empire is already precarious. If there's another scandal like this, then... what hope is left!"

Zheng Ting finally couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"I suddenly understand why my father and uncle went to the Southwest. If the court can't be relied upon, at least Gao Yuan is there, along with my two younger sisters. Our two families still have hope for prosperity."

Song Yehong downed another cup of wine, his face suddenly filled with longing.

"To be honest, I really want to visit the Southwest and see if it's truly as good as my father described in his letters."

"Forget it. Even if the court were to send someone to inspect the Southwest, they wouldn't let the two of us go."

"Hahaha, true. Speaking of which, if that Gao Yuan really takes over the world, the two of us would be the brothers-in-law of The Emperor."

"Shh, be careful, walls have ears."

Although they were in a secret room, the two were still very cautious. After all, some things could lead to their heads rolling if they got out.

After some casual conversation, they finally got down to business, which was naturally about how to compete for and distribute the newly vacant positions.

They were, after all, heads of Powerful Families families, and their core mission was to serve the interests of their families. Competing for Jiang Huaizhen positions was their most direct pursuit.

News of the court's reaction soon reached Wan Sanqian. Honestly, the court's slack behavior best suited Gao Yuan's interests.

Wan Sanqian even analyzed that his lord couldn't wait for the Da Qian to be destroyed by those rebels. That way, Zhao Xiyao could step forward, raise the banner, and immediately transform into the legitimate ruler, taking over all of Da Qian's legacy.

He quickly sent this good news back, while also seeing a rare opportunity.

The Yan State had won a great victory and must have many prisoners. The Yan State would surely sell them off upon their return. As for who bought them, who would care?

Having made up his mind, Wan Sanqian immediately took action, organizing money and goods to head north. With money paving the way, he was confident he could take a large bite of the spoils.

Just as Wan Sanqian expected, Lu Heng had tens of thousands of prisoners, all able-bodied laborers. Aside from a portion that would be absorbed into the Yan Army...

The remaining prisoners would be sent back to the Youzhou area to be sold as slaves to the local Powerful Families families and wealthy merchants.

For many merchants, as long as the profit was high enough, selling a few slaves was no problem at all. Even many Powerful Families families would turn a blind eye.

The caravan managers under Wan Sanqian were very direct. They used money to clear the way, fully utilizing their financial power. Soon, they cleared all the hurdles, and the purchase of slaves naturally fell into place.

Having made money, the merchants were naturally happy to transfer ownership of these slaves, and the government, having received its share, turned a blind eye.

In this way, despite being thousands of miles away, Gao Yuan still managed to get a large share from the Yan-Lu War—a total of over five thousand able-bodied laborers, including more than a thousand who met military requirements.

This achievement earned both Wan Sanqian and Gao Zhong a personal commendation from Gao Yuan, so naturally, the two worked even harder.

Only Zhao Xiyao and Zheng Wan were a bit unhappy. The reason was simple: the Hidden Guards, who were originally self-sufficient and even had a surplus to turn over to the government treasury, hadn't turned over a single cent for several consecutive months.

If it weren't for the fact that commercial and industrial taxes had been increasing month by month, the two women would have revolted against Gao Yuan.

Life at home was already tight, yet Gao Yuan spent money so lavishly. He truly didn't know the cost of living since he wasn't the one managing the household.

In truth, it wasn't that Gao Yuan didn't know these things; he simply couldn't help himself when he saw an opportunity. In his view, these were all investments. For every copper coin invested, he would be able to get back ten or a hundred times that in the future.

The simplest way to recoup an investment was through external expansion.

As the saying goes, "When the cannons roar, gold flows in by the thousands." Although there were no cannons now, it was the same when the army moved.

He couldn't take a bite out of Da Qian right now, but other places were perfectly fine. Toungoo to the west and Aceh to the south were both directions in which he could take action.

The Strait of Malacca, a prize fat enough to support a developed country—in this life, Gao Yuan was determined to hold it in his own hands.

Staring at the map that had grown larger after several revisions, Gao Yuan fell into deep thought.

While he was pondering which one to tackle first, a system notification arrived unexpectedly.

"Strong desire for war detected from the Host. B-rank Temporary Event: 'It's All Mine' triggered."

Event Objective: The Host needs to launch an external expansion within six months.

Event Reward: One B-rank lottery card and the unlocking of a new A-rank event.

"System, you bastard! I was just daydreaming and you've already set me up."