To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck - Chapter 579
Chapter 579: Chapter 272: Jianwu’s Confusion_3
But would he just watch the other party slowly grow their strength?
That’s a joke.
How foolish would Shen Qiu have to be to give up this opportunity and let Chu State continue expanding their strength?
At this moment, he had already begun plotting that six years later, during the time when Chu State was bleeding continuously due to being stuck in the southwestern Miao territories, he would use a thunderous force to destroy them, directly reclaiming the three prefectures of Chu State and taking over their efforts to expand into the west.
With the size of Chu State, it would be quite difficult to expand into the southwest.
However, after Ning Country destroyed Chu State, it would be much simpler and easier to do so.
“At that time, I will not only exterminate Chu State but also follow the example of past dynasties, to open one or two prefectures in the southwest for the descendants of my three emperors.”
This kind of achievement would be enough to rank among the top three among the founding kings of all the dynasties.
In the future, when I enter Huangquan, and meet the late emperors of all dynasties, I can hold my head high and look at them proudly.”
Thinking of this, the satisfaction in Shen Qiu’s heart deepened.
But at this moment, hurried footsteps came from the foot of the tower, and a eunuch came over with a secret report.
“Your Majesty, a secret report has arrived from Chu State.”
“Chu State?” Hearing this name, Shen Qiu’s brows furrowed, and he took the secret report. Upon reading it, his face instantly darkened.
That was because it was written on it, “Zhou Qing Achieved Innate.”
When he saw this content, Shen Qiu’s satisfaction instantly dissipated, replaced by a surge of anger.
“How can such a small country have the ability to raise a Grandmaster?”
He crumpled the secret report in one hand and threw it to the ground, roaring loudly.
Just like Su Xuange.
After learning of Zhou Qing’s breakthrough to Innate, Shen Qiu suddenly understood what this meant for Ning Country?
The importance of an Inborn Grandmaster to a country was no less than that of a hundred thousand elite soldiers.
Such a person was a Pillar State artifact of a character.
Even sometimes, a hundred thousand elite soldiers might be less important than an Inborn Grandmaster.
Because the value of a hundred thousand elite soldiers could sometimes be replaced by ordinary civilian workers and Village Braves. But the value of an Inborn Grandmaster could not be replaced by first or second-rate martial artists with quantity.
A country without a hundred thousand elite soldiers may not necessarily be wiped out.
But a country without an Inborn Grandmaster would definitely be wiped out.
And yet, Chu State had gained an extra Inborn Grandmaster.
Chu State had actually gained an extra Inborn Grandmaster!
Thinking of this, Shen Qiu clenched his teeth in anger and, at the same time, a faint, almost imperceptible fear emerged in his heart.
It should be noted that after the death of Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang due to illness and the defection of Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning along with the Jiuzhen Prefecture, Ning Country had successively lost two Inborn Grandmasters.
After the loss of these two people, there were only Martial Proclamation Marquis Yang Jing stationed in Xiangyang Prefecture, Wucheng Marquis Shangguan Ming commanding the naval forces, Wuming Marquis Muchangqing stationed in Guangling Prefecture, and he, the Heavenly Son, totaling four people left in the country.
Chu State originally had two Inborn Grandmasters, while Ning Country had four. With a strength gap of two-to-one, plus himself being a second-level Innate expert, he was not worried.
However, now that Zhou Qing broke through Innate, the huge advantage of four to two suddenly changed to the weak advantage of four to three.
The gap between the two countries in the top-level battle power was rapidly narrowing.
As mentioned earlier,
The value of an Inborn Grandmaster is no less than that of a hundred thousand soldiers, and it is the kind that is irreplaceable.
With three Inborn Grandmasters, Chu State has this power at the top level of battle, so even though they still have fewer soldiers at the bottom level, they are no match for Ning Country.
However, these bottom-tier soldiers are not irreplaceable.
With Chu State’s militia system, hundreds of thousands of militias can be gathered at any time to help defend the city and resist Ning Country’s invasion.
If it’s just guarding the city, whether they are elite or not doesn’t really matter, as long as they can pour hot water and throw stones.
Therefore, six years later, even if Ning Country could deploy an army of five or six hundred thousand, it would not be that easy to defeat Chu State by virtue of their numerical advantage.
Previously, Shen Qiu wanted to break through by leveraging the gap in top-level strength and the advantage of troop numbers.
But now the difference in top-level strength has been quickly leveled with the appearance of Zhou Qing.
Since Ning Country is going to war, they must leave at least two Inborn Grandmasters at home.
One is needed to guard Guangling Prefecture against Liang Country, and one is needed for the capital Jinling City.
So, Ning Country could only send out two Inborn Grandmasters.
However, on Chu State’s side, there is one Inborn Grandmaster in both the north and south of the river, and they can even spare one more to support other areas.
Although, from the current situation, the extra Inborn Grandmaster from Chu State is none other than Lu Yuan, who is dragged into the southwest and might not be able to get away for decades.
However, if Ning Country launches a large-scale attack on Chu State, and in the face of the Altar of Soil and Grain’s destruction, who knows if the other side would give up the yet-to-be-developed Southwest and return to support the frontline.
After all, compared to the underdeveloped southwest, the three prefectures in Chu State that are already cultivated are the true foundation.
It is not difficult to make a decision on which side weighs more.
So, the question arises.
The disadvantage of Chu State’s military strength can be offset by the help of the Civil Group Volunteers in defending the city.
Since they have two Inborn Grandmasters on both sides and Chu State has the advantage of defense, even if Lu Yuan’s strength is inferior to Shen Qiu’s, relying on the city’s defense, it is not impossible to resist.
With neither top-level nor bottom-level advantages, how can Ning Country bite the turtle shell-like Chu State?
When he thought of this situation and the possibility that there would be no way to deal with Chu State in the future, Shen Qiu, who was still immersed in the great cause of creating a prosperous age, suddenly felt dizzy.
‘No, I cannot allow such a thing to happen.’
Noticing that his great achievements might be lost, Shen Qiu became somewhat anxious and immediately ordered, “Send my order for the Wucheng Marquis to lead the navy to station at Chaisang to pressure Chu State.
Tell Shangguan Ming to delay Chu State, let them gather their troops at Baling and not let them easily attack the southwest.”
The minister who was standing by immediately hurried down to pass on the order.
After giving this order, Shen Qiu thought for a moment, and then said, “Additionally, send a message to Duke Chengguo, I want to hold a feast in the palace to entertain him.”
The current Duke Chengguo of Da Ning is named Bai Yian. As his name suggests, he comes from the family of the late Wuan Marquis, Bai Mengyang, and is the direct grandson of the Military God.
Now the entire Bai family has no Inborn Grandmasters after Bai Mengyang’s passing.
But this does not mean that this family will decline. In fact, the now-40-year-old Bai Yian is the next generation heir carefully cultivated by the Bai family, and his current strength is at the peak of the first-class, not far from Inborn.
At this point, he has not yet broken through the Inborn, simply because the Bai family’s accumulation is not enough. They cannot muster enough Divine Blood Spirit Medicine to help him purify his Inner Strength, conceive his divine soul, and accumulate the conditions for breaking through innate.
Originally, Shen Qiu did not want to get involved in this matter but let the Bai family accumulate slowly and find enough spiritual medicine on their own.
However, now with Zhou Qing’s breakthrough to Inborn and the news that Chu State has added another grandmaster, the gap between the two countries’ strength has further narrowed, and the Jianwu Heavenly Son is getting more impatient.
‘My Shen Clan’s accumulation is still quite substantial, and there are no suitable heirs within the clan. I can give out some of it first to help Yian, the younger generation, break through Inborn.
This way, I can sell the Bai family’s favor and win Yian’s loyalty. At the same time, it will add another Inborn to Da Ning and recover the gap pulled apart by Chu State.
But with just Yian alone, the number of Inborn Grandmasters seems to be insufficient.
That Li family’s kid is also close to the Inborn Grandmaster’s edge. Should I also bring him up together this time and train two Inborn at once?’
Shen Qiu looked out the window, frowning as his thoughts churned in confusion.
The pressing sense of oppression from Chu State’s relentless approach made the Jianwu Heavenly Son’s mind cluttered.
