Chapter 300: On How to Resolve Conflicts

"Host is exchanging for an S-grade Random Talent Summoning Card."

As the exchange concluded, the system mall interface vanished. Gao Yuan watched the departing streak of golden light, feeling a pang of bittersweet emotion.

Now that the summoning card was in hand, Gao Yuan didn't plan on saving it. With a thought—

"Host is using an S-grade Random Talent Summoning Card. Randomizing..."

It was the classic character card interface again. Images of countless worldly talents flashed rapidly before Gao Yuan's eyes until the cursor finally slowed down and stopped on a single figure.

Although he knew an S-grade card would definitely yield a remarkable person and had prepared himself mentally, Gao Yuan was still excited when he saw the young scholar before him.

"Name: Yu Qian, courtesy name Tingyi. Attribute: Turning the tide of a falling empire, a peerless statesman. Comprehensive Evaluation: S+."

For this Junior Guardian Yu, who had turned the tide and extended the life of the Ming Dynasty by two hundred years, Gao Yuan didn't need the system to introduce his achievements.

If Gao Yao was the most tragic figure of the Sui Dynasty, then Yu Qian was the most tragic figure of the Ming Dynasty; both were representatives of those who performed peerless service only to be wrongfully executed.

Calming his excitement, Gao Yuan looked at Yu Qian.

"Tingyi, currently the Courtesy Name of Gao Jiong affairs in Pugan Circuit are numerous and Gao Yao is stretched thin. I plan to have you serve as his deputy. Are you willing to go?"

Without any hesitation, Yu Qian said with a firm tone,

"I will certainly not fail the Queen's and my Lord's great trust."

"Good!"

Gao Yuan stood up, walked to Yu Qian's side, and patted his shoulder.

"Follow me!"

Gao Yuan's talent for recognizing brilliance was already deeply ingrained in people's minds; anyone he took an interest in was never a mediocre talent.

Therefore, with Gao Yuan's recommendation, naturally no one cared that Yu Qian had just turned twenty. They simply thought this was another young genius discovered by Gao Yuan.

Especially Yang Xin; when she heard the man was named Yu Qian, she had no doubts at all. Although she wasn't very familiar with history, she had watched 'Ming Dynasty', so she naturally knew what kind of person Yu Qian was.

Soon, Zhao Xiyao issued an order appointing Yu Qian as the Transport Commissioner of Pugan Circuit, responsible for coordinating all grain, supplies, migration, and reserve troop affairs for the Western Expeditionary Army, while also assisting Gao Yao with administrative matters.

To ensure Yu Qian's safety, Gao Yuan dispatched two squads of Baier Soldiers to escort him to his post in Pugan Circuit.

Having sent Yu Qian off, Gao Yuan was even less worried about the Western Expedition. With two legendary historical ministers in charge and a Host of elite troops and generals, forget about the weaklings of the subcontinent—even if the Persian heavy cavalry came, Gao Yuan would dare to take them on.

At this time in Great Qian, because of skyrocketing prices, not only was the commoners' resentment boiling like water on a stove, but even some small and medium-sized Powerful Families could no longer hold out.

These small and medium Powerful Families did not have the right to mint currency. Their accumulated family wealth simply couldn't withstand prices that changed three times a day; they had long since resorted to selling their land and houses to survive.

This unstable situation finally caught the attention of Xiao Yu, Cui You, Lu Hu, and other heads of the Great Families. At this moment, they were gathered to discuss how to resolve and shift the increasingly sharp contradictions.

Gu Ping, the Minister of Justice, said with great concern,

"I think if we don't find a way soon, some of these unruly subjects will turn into rioters. You all must take precautions!"

Lu Hu gave a helpless smile.

"What do you mean 'will turn into'? They already are rioters. At one of our Lu family's manors in Shanyin County, people were already colluding and plotting a rebellion."

Everyone was shocked and quickly asked with concern,

"How is it? Has it been suppressed?"

Everyone knew that stability was more important than anything else right now. Once a riot broke out in one place, it would trigger a chain reaction, and the flames of war would immediately ignite across all of Great Qian.

Lu Hu waved his hand to signal everyone to be at ease.

"Rest assured, it has all been suppressed. The ringleader has likely had his head displayed on a pike by now."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and continued to discuss what to do, but as they talked back and forth, no suitable plan seemed to emerge.

After a long time, Zhu Song, who hadn't spoken much, finally said,

"Since they are rioters, why not just send them to the battlefield!"

These words woke everyone from their stupor. Their faces immediately lit up with joy, and Xiao Yu even clapped his hands and shouted praise.

"Good, good, good! This is a brilliant plan!"

"Right, right, right. This way, not only can these rioters get a meal to eat, but the risk of rebellion will vanish into thin air."

"Since we are going to war, I wonder which direction you all favor? And who should be the commander-in-chief?"

Having decided to fight a war, they had to determine which direction to strike. To the north was naturally war with Northern Yan and Northern Liang; to the west, they could attack Deng Prefecture, Jun Prefecture, and Fang Prefecture, which were occupied by Northern Liang.

To the south lay the wealthy Jiannan Circuit and the South of the Ranges, which was no longer what it used to be. Those were places dripping with wealth.

While everyone was hesitating, a voice suddenly emerged from the shadows.

"I heard that Gao Yuan has already grown spices and high-quality grain seeds in the South of the Ranges..."

The hearts of the crowd were stirred. The north had been ravaged by years of war and was already in ruins; even if they sent troops to take it, there wouldn't be much profit. The target was clear: the south.

However, the south was full of tough nuts to crack. Jiannan Circuit had the natural barrier of the Shu Roads, and its gateway, Yuzhou, was built against the mountains, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

Lingnan Circuit had the natural barrier of the Five Ridges as a shield, plus the Nanyue Army had been fighting across the land for years and possessed formidable combat power; they certainly wouldn't be easy prey either.

Just as everyone was unsure where to start, that sinister voice spoke up again.

"It is said that Gao Yuan is currently on a Western Expedition, and the main force of the Nanyue Army is thousands of miles away in Mughal. Presumably, the South of the Ranges and Jiannan must be extremely empty..."

Everyone was excited. If this was true, then now was the god-given opportunity for them to recover Jiannan Circuit and achieve peerless merit.

While Xiao Yu sent people to verify the intelligence, he began to discuss candidates for the commander-in-chief, generals, and the vanguard with the others. In their eyes, this was a chance to leave their names in history and a source of profit, so naturally, they had to fight for it with all their might.

Watching these high-ranking officials haggling like peasant women, Song Yehong's face was full of disdain, and he also looked with confusion at Zheng Ting, who was sitting calmly beside him.

Others hadn't noticed, but Song Yehong knew that the two crucial statements had been made by this old colleague of his, who had constricted his throat to speak.

It was precisely those two statements that made Xiao Yu and the others resolve to attack the Southern Yue Kingdom. Most importantly, both pieces of news were true—true news that could withstand verification.

Regarding intelligence on Southern Yue, the imperial court had always sent spies to investigate; it was just that they usually didn't pay any attention to it.

Therefore, the report came back in less than an hour. Gao Yuan had indeed cultivated high-yield grain seeds and had a stable source of spices; the Southern Yue Kingdom's treasury was now so full of money it couldn't be stacked any higher.

It was also confirmed that the main force of the Nanyue Army was currently on the Western Expedition. People like Xia Luqi and Liu Rengui were not present. The only mobile force in Gao Yuan's hands was the Baier Soldiers and several thousand new recruits, totaling only about ten thousand.

In fact, those spies couldn't be blamed. These troops from the Guard Division had just been transferred back from the front line and had been away for over a year; it was normal that the spies didn't recognize them.

How could they have imagined that these ten thousand men were the very essence of Gao Yuan's strength? Most of them were people possessed by martial souls, and all were veterans of a hundred battles.

With these people plus superior equipment, and if one factored in the Flying Thunder Cannons that could be put into use at any time, even if Great Qian sent a hundred thousand men, it would be in vain.

Pity they all still thought this was a good opportunity to strike while the enemy was vulnerable, each of them arguing over interests until they were red in the face.