It doesn't matter what the lord is.

8. Courtyard meeting to discuss the world situation

Two butterflies were flying in the courtyard.

The weather was good today, and all the staff of the Lord's Mansion were present, because the next meeting was related to the future of the entire Yunyang. In the front was a vertical blackboard, and He Yue was using the newly made dust-free chalk from the research institute to draw a geographical map of Yunyang.

After a week's rest, Foreign Minister Yun Ye washed away her fatigue and was about to go to the capital again. Today's meeting started with this topic. The spacious courtyard was like a small classroom. All the high-level officials of Yunyang were listening carefully, including Fang Shisan who had just returned from the front line.

Of course, Reed was still the same, sitting in the last row and staring at the butterflies in the sky.

He Yue's chalk fell on an area in the east of Yongtian Kingdom and said:

"From the intelligence sent by the Anbu before, combined with my personal analysis, the reform of the capital has been completely completed. White-robed minister Wu Mi won the help of Jinyiwei commander Xige, and put pressure on the king to gain control of a part of the guards. He formed a new army with this part of the guards as the core. The number of troops is about 200,000, and the combat effectiveness is amazing. The general leading the team is Fan Qing, who is known as the [Pillar of the State], ranked third on the strategy list, and once briefly served as the general of Tiance Mansion."

He Yue paused deliberately, and Fang Shisan said:

"I've read the military books he wrote before. He was a very powerful man. Fan Qing was a veteran of two dynasties, but after the current king came to power, he chose to retire and retired. I remember that he had not shown up in public for a long time since I first started learning military tactics. I didn't expect Wu Mi to be able to invite him to come out again."

He Yue nodded and continued:

"Fan Qing's strength should not be underestimated. His appearance also means a greater fact before us, that is, the strength of the royal family has now risen again. After the Tianyue Mountain incident cleared up the accumulated problems, Wumi implemented a series of reforms, cut out the rotten flesh of the army, and established a new army to compete with those old soldiers, which was very effective. In addition, with the food and grass obtained from us and Nanchu, Wumi is now confident. It shouldn't be long before he will play his second card."

He Yue drew a few circles on the map and said to the others:

"The territories of Yongtian Kingdom enjoy a high degree of autonomy, and the territories are bound to be unbalanced. These territories have become impoverished to a certain extent, and the people are living in poverty and resentment. Wumi will most likely point out these territories and order these lords to govern the territories well within a certain period of time, otherwise he will ask the surrounding territories to "help" govern. But as the saying goes, it is difficult to turn a big ship around, and the holes in these territories are not so easy to repair. This order is just to throw out the small territories as bait, so that the big territories will fight each other head-on."

He Yue switched the chalk to his left hand, raised two fingers with his right hand, and continued:

"There are two purposes for doing this. On the one hand, the problem is not the lack of meat but the imbalance of distribution. If there is too little meat and too many wolves, the wolves will bite each other. On the other hand, no matter who takes over those broken territories, the people's lives will be better, so it will be difficult for the rebels to rebel. So some time ago, there was news that the rebel leader Huang Yan planned to leave the Great Wilderness Mountain and march north. Most likely, he heard the rumor and didn't want to sit and wait for death."

Yunye showed a look of realization.

Although she was the one who brought back the news, Yunye actually hadn't figured out the reason behind it.

But He Yue is different. He receives various kinds of information from all directions every day, but He Yue can always grasp the most critical clues behind these messages and then formulate the next strategy.

Looking at He Yue's serious expression, Yun Ye couldn't help but wonder in her heart how there could be such a beautiful and intelligent person in the world. Or perhaps only such a person is qualified to serve as Yunyang's Prime Minister of Internal Affairs.

While I was distracted for a moment, He Yue had already pointed to Yun Ye:

"Yun Ye, Yun Ye... Master Yun, look over here."

Yunye was startled and stood up hastily, like a student who was suddenly called to answer a question, and said in panic:

"exist!"

He Yue smiled and said:

"So when you go to the capital this time, you need to find out two most important things. First, when exactly does Wumi plan to play this card? This is crucial to us. Second, our Yunyang is currently ranked last in the territory list, so we must find out the attitude of the royal family towards us. Theoretically, we have an exchange of interests with Wumi, so he shouldn't throw us out as bait, but at the same time, our relationship with the king is not harmonious, and there is still the possibility of being sacrificed."

Yunye thought for a moment and asked:

"Do we have anyone in the capital we can trust? Besides Wumi and the king..."

He Yue was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Lid.

Reed tapped the table twice with his fingers and said to her:

"There's a maid named Nayin. I had a brief encounter with her before. She's a decent person. Other than that..."

Lid didn't speak for a long time. He tapped his fingers on the table for a long time, then sighed and said:

"If you have to, you can go find Princess Lana."

Yunye nodded.

She already had a rough plan in her mind for her mission to the capital.

He Yue framed several territories near Yunyang and continued:

"Western Qin, Southern Chu, Lingwu, the royal family, and the rebel army are all far away from us. We will not consider their game for the time being. The most urgent task is to lay the foundation for our foundation. On our side, it is difficult to continue to expand in the west and south. Zhaochen and Tiancheng are the places that must be fought for. Among them, Zhaochen's radius is still on the rise. I have discussed with the lord and we will not touch him at this time, so we must now prepare to attack Tiancheng."

He Yue circled the Tiancheng territory and wrote a few names around it:

"It's not hard to attack Tiancheng itself, but it's hard because many territories are planning to attack Tiancheng, and the internal situation of Tiancheng is also very complicated... We'll talk about this later. At present, Zhaoxin and Shenghe are bound to fight for Tiancheng, and the Huaiwang territory is expected to join in. Shenghe and Tiancheng are old enemies in history, and they had a conflict 120 years ago. The main reason why Zhaoxin territory is ranked 19th is that it has too little land, and they also want to swallow up Tiancheng to develop and grow stronger."

He Yue focused on the Huaiwang territory and said to everyone:

"As for the Huaiwang Territory, they have almost no borders with Tiancheng, but the Huaiwang Territory is the strongest territory in this area and is the big brother of everyone. Whether it is Shenghe or Zhaoxin, they will have to wait for the Huaiwang's approval if they want to attack Tiancheng. I guess the Huaiwang Territory will give up Tiancheng's land in exchange for other resources... Considering our relationship with the Huaiwang's son, they probably won't sit idly by and watch Tiancheng fall into our pockets. They will definitely put a lot of obstacles in our way."

He Yue glanced at Fang Shisan, then turned his gaze to Shuang:

"Prince Huai's Nocturne is world-renowned for his assassination abilities. This is not just a military issue, it may also turn into a showdown between Anbu organizations."

9. Favors are like debts

Frost stood up, her veil fluttering in the wind, revealing her rosy lips.

She spoke, her tone neither hurried nor slow:

"Nocturne is an old ANBU organization that has been operating for hundreds of years. With our strength, it is still difficult to confront them head-on. However, the gap between us is not as big as we imagined. Moreover, most of the people in Nocturne are beautiful women who use their beauty to entertain people and take the opportunity to assassinate. As long as our people are determined, the power of Nocturne will naturally decrease a lot."

He Yue shook his head:

"Having said that, the reason why the Fair Lady and the Gentleman Love Each Other and the Nocturne have been so successful for hundreds of years is that they exploit the weaknesses of human nature."

He Yue still looked a little worried.

He came from the world of romance and was used to seeing those well-known people being fascinated by a few weak girls. Whoever fell in love first would become the loser who was controlled. The problem was that the girls in Nocturne had received strict training in this regard, and there were many little fairies like Pingzi, making it difficult to guard against them.

When He Yue was still in the brothel, she saw many men saying "no, no, no" and "starting to cultivate their character from today", but they still showed up the next morning and shouted for two more girls to accompany them. There are 30 days in a month, and every day is the first day of abstinence. Later, He Yue simply accepted that this might be what men are like.

At this moment, Fang Shisan closed his eyes and said:

"I can't guarantee other places... but don't worry too much about the army. We are different from the armies of other territories. Military rules and discipline are above personal ability. Although there are inevitably some weak-willed people, the vast majority of generals and soldiers are highly alert."

Since Fang Shisan has expressed his stance, other responsible persons will naturally follow suit and say that they will strictly guard against the situation during this period.

He Yue thought for a while and said with a smile:

"How about this. After the meeting, everyone should list their most important subordinates and compile a list. The people on the list must not be allowed to go unpunished. Miss Shuang, please mobilize the main forces to protect their safety."

Frost nodded:

"clear."

Lid yawned and added casually:

"This is not enough. When we went to Yufeng City, we also left some hidden chess pieces there. Based on them, we will continue to send people to the territory of King Huai, take the initiative and force their people back."

Shuang was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Yes, I remember it."

The plan Lide mentioned was not difficult to understand. If Yunyang just waited for the attack from the Huai King, it would always be in a passive position. The enemy in the dark would bring a huge threat, but if the enemy could be dragged to the same situation as itself, it would be halfway won in terms of momentum.

This issue was also passed over.

Although Yunyang's Anbu organization started slowly, it was not a pushover. Shuang had originally adopted Lingwu's mature Anbu structure and absorbed a lot of advanced experience from Shaoyuying's Propaganda Department. It would not be difficult to surpass Nocturne in time. In addition, Pingzi came from Nocturne, and with her providing some key intelligence, Shuang still had some confidence in the subsequent Anbu showdown.

Reed continued to lean his head back in a daze, thinking about things that had nothing to do with the current situation.

His focus is not only on the Eternal Heaven Kingdom, but more on the game between humans and other races.

The giants took the blood soul and restored their strength; the war between the dragons and the elves was almost over. The dragons would be in a very awkward situation, unable to advance to the west or the east, and when they were in a dilemma, they would probably attack humans...

Potian’s army has just begun to prepare, and it is unknown whether they can catch up.

He Yue also named Liu Shi and Zhan Mei because they are now in charge of military supplies.

Liu Shi was still calm. He let out a breath and said calmly:

"We started rushing the work last year, and with the apprentices working hard, we can deliver another 10,000 units before the Spring Festival. The rest still needs to be purchased."

Zhan Mei was attending this kind of meeting for the first time, and she seemed a little reserved. She answered cautiously:

"In addition to arming the Shenji Battalion, we can only prepare about 500 more incendiary bombs and other supplies."

He Yue nodded, wrote down the numbers, and calculated them silently in his mind.

There was nothing they could do about the incendiary bombs, because the fishmen in the South Sea had entered an active period, and there were serious problems with oil extraction, so the supply was insufficient. It was not that the research institute did not want to increase investment in R&D and production, but that the raw materials were cut off, so they could only use them sparingly.

He Yue said to Liu Shi:

"As for the armaments, we may need to think of a solution. Yunhai will most likely not sell us weapons and equipment. If we want to buy them from other territories, the cost will be very high. I would like to recruit some more blacksmiths for you. By the end of the year... it would be best if we could have 15,000 sets."

Liu Shi rubbed his temples and did not refuse outright. Instead, he simply replied:

"I try my best."

These three words indicate that the number reported by He Yue is not too outrageous compared to Liu Shi.

Although Liu Shi is usually gloomy, he always does what he promised.

In his words, once a man makes a promise, he must keep it even if he has to die, not to mention that he has to set a good example for his daughter.

He Yue heard that Liu Shi was a little embarrassed, and immediately added with understanding:

"Don't force yourself. Just do your best. I will figure out a way to deal with this matter myself and won't put all the pressure on you."

At this moment, Bai Huang, who had been silent all this time, spoke heartlessly:

"How do you know that Yunhai is no longer selling weapons and equipment? Who told you that? How come I don't know?"

He Yue smiled and explained patiently:

"These are my speculations... In fact, I don't even know if Yunhai will interfere in Tiancheng's affairs. After all, if Yunhai doesn't want to be strangled by us when they go north, taking over Tiancheng is the best option. But Yunhai may not have the energy to do this now. They will most likely restrict our development first."

Bai Huang pursed her lips, and after a while she blurted out:

"If I go and ask for it in person, I can still get several thousand sets of equipment."

Bai Huang forced a smile, patted Lid on the shoulder, and said:

"As long as you come to me in person to ask me to do something for you, I will definitely give you this favor."

Although Lid was distracted, he still heard what was said. He smiled slightly and said:

"Your favor is so valuable, it's not appropriate to use it here. I'd better wait until I see a girl from Yunhai that I like, and then I'll send you over to propose marriage."

He rejected Bai Huang very tactfully.

Because Lide knew that in this matter, even if Bai Huang could help, it would be very reluctant. She wanted to help Yun Yang, but this would cause another conflict between her and Yun Hai. If she were a shrewd politician, she might use Bai Huang's personality and promise to pull her completely to her side, but Lide was unwilling to do so.

They're just some weapons and equipment, just find other ways to solve it.

10. To change the world

Lid listened to the entire meeting and felt that there were basically no problems.

Everyone in the lord's mansion was assigned his own task, especially Fang Shisan, who might have to go to the front line again just a few days after returning.

Listening to He Yue's analysis, Yunyang's soft power is already higher than other territories around it, but its hard power needs to be further strengthened. In particular, there is room for improvement in the number of troops, training level, and equipment. Considering that the Tiancheng territory will be attacked soon, Yunyang needs to prepare for war in advance.

At the end of the meeting, Fang Shisan raised his hand and asked He Yue a question.

This is the question everyone wants to know:

"Master Prime Minister, the troops on the front line and I have always wanted to know one thing. What does it mean to you to conquer the Tiancheng territory?"

Fang Shisan put his hands together on his legs and added in a gentle tone:

"Our soldiers stationed on the eastern defense line have also heard some news from within Tiancheng. After a long period of turmoil, those who survived can no longer be called human beings. They do not have the courage to resist the nobles, but draw their swords against the weaker ones, killing their compatriots, and biting each other like vicious dogs. Although I support the eastward expedition, I want to know how we will treat the people of Tiancheng in the end."

Fang Shisan did not oppose attacking Tiancheng, which could be seen from her performance during the meeting.

Because from a strategic point of view, once Tiancheng falls into the hands of others, it will be equivalent to locking up Yunyang’s main way to control the Central Plains.

But because of some past events between He Yue and Tian Cheng, Fang Shisan simply asked this question first. Otherwise, it would not be long before rumors would spread that He Yue's strategy of the Eastern Expedition was actually a personal revenge. This rumor had no effect at first, but if the Eastern Expedition reached a stalemate in the future, all the pressure would fall on He Yue.

He Yue was stunned for a moment, then took out the chalk he had just put away, wrote a number on the blackboard, and said:

"My consideration is actually very simple. On the one hand, we only have Tiancheng around us to fight. On the other hand, from the perspective of internal affairs, we have a potential hidden danger in Yunyang - insufficient population. According to the latest statistical data, the permanent population of Yunyang is only about two million. This is mainly because during the civil strife not long ago, other Yunyang princes consumed too much manpower, resulting in a large number of casualties and escapes, especially when the Yunhai lord acquiesced to Yunhai's acceptance of refugees and took many people away from us in one go."

He Yue exhaled, and the other party Thirteen said:

"So some time ago I opened the border between Yunyang and Tiancheng and allowed the people of Tiancheng to come over. I wanted to absorb more people, but I didn't expect that it would harm our people instead. After that, I discussed with the Lord. Now we are just a neighbor to them, and perhaps a neighbor that is easy to bully. Only by conquering the Tiancheng territory can we carry out a round of cleansing to transform them."

Fang Shisan's tone was still very gentle:

"Then...how many people are there in Tiancheng Territory now?"

He Yue shook his head:

"It's unclear now. Lord Tiancheng probably hasn't done a census for a long time. Five years ago, when I was still in Tiancheng Territory, I did the last census, and there were about 3.7 million people at that time. The area of ​​Tiancheng Territory is only about half of our Yunyang, and the large population and small amount of land is also one of the reasons for poverty. Considering the losses in the past five years, I estimate that their current population is about the same as ours, probably around 2 million."