IDWBE -Chapter 579 Destruction of a Nation

Back when money was tight, only someone like Gan Mao, accustomed to saving every penny, knew how to split a single coin into two flowers.

Moreover, he was a good scapegoat. Anyone who came asking Lin Yi for money would get firmly sent to Gan Mao instead.

But now things were different. With money in hand, who wouldn’t know how to spend it?

If Gan Mao dared to quit, Lin Yi wouldn’t hesitate to deal with it directly!

“Long live the Prince Regent, long, long may he live!”

Gan Mao fell to his knees with a thud, tears in his eyes.

The Prince Regent’s words hit him right in the heart!

Every time he was forced to meet with Lin Yi, he really didn’t want to.

As a fifth-rank pinnacle official, he feared that if he lost his temper, he might act against the physically weak Prince Regent.

The urge to strike someone was almost uncontrollable!

Now that he had money in hand, how low would he have to stoop to anger the Prince Regent deliberately?

“Long live the Prince Regent, long, long may he live!”

The ministers, as if in agreement, all knelt simultaneously, their voices echoing through the Golden Throne Hall.

“That’s enough. How many times have I told you? Stop the formalities. Fewer kowtows, more action.”

Lin Yi spoke casually, but inwardly, he couldn’t hide his pride.

Sometimes, he had to admit that power was a wonderful thing. Even a modern man like him, raised with values of harmony, had developed a “supreme self” mindset.

“Wise is the Prince Regent!”

The ministers echoed loudly once again.

“Mei Jingzhi.”

Lin Yi, standing atop the high steps, glanced at Mei Jingzhi kneeling before him.

“I am here!”

Mei Jingzhi’s voice rang with full energy.

“We’re not outsiders here, so no need for formalities,” Lin Yi stepped down from the platform and approached Mei Jingzhi. “The war in the northern desert is not yet resolved. What is to be done?”

The troops under Zhen Sanbei had ultimately failed him. Now it was winter, and there was still no news!

Changing generals at this stage was a grave mistake; otherwise, he would have sent Zhen Sanbei packing immediately.

“Reporting to the Prince!”

Mei Jingzhi’s voice rang out clearly. “Although the northern desert is allied by marriage, their ambitions are vast. The libertine’s designs do not require the men of the Da Liang Kingdom to die for him. I believe General Zhen’s decision to watch and wait, observing the struggle between tigers and wolves, is the best course of action.”

“I second that!”

He Jixiang also spoke loudly in agreement.

“I refuse. These Wadan people stir trouble every year, like a bone stuck in the throat. If one didn’t know better, they’d think Da Liang fears them,” Lin Yi said casually. “In the past, if the treasury lacked funds, I tolerated it, using the northern desert as an opportunity to curb their pride. But now the treasury is full. Wadan can no longer remain. As for Lin Yantu and his father in the north, if they do not understand the situation and act recklessly, they will die.”

Gathering information from various channels, Lin Yi had a premonition: the Age of Great Navigation was coming!

His task was to resist the barbarians at sea with all his might and face the clash of Eastern and Western cultures.

The nomadic tribes of the northern steppes, already weakened by disease, were distractions he could afford to eliminate first, incorporating their lands into Da Liang.

“Wise is the Prince!”

Lin Yi recognized that voice immediately and looked up. It was his adoptive grandfather, Yuan Ang.

Truly rare!

Although this old man had restrained himself these days, he usually maintained a detached attitude, rarely speaking at court.

Lin Yi smiled. “What advice does the Pillar of the State have?”

“The northern steppes have long been Da Liang’s inherent territory. They should naturally be unified under our banner and returned to the king!”

Yuan Ang said without hesitation.

Lin Yi was stunned.

What was going on? Had his grandfather changed his ways?

He could actually speak such “trendy” words!

This echoed the statement Lin Yi had directed Liang Yuan to write for the new issue of the Resistance Gazette: “The southern seas have always been an inseparable part of Da Liang.”

Yuan Ang had not only read it carefully but could even apply it flexibly!

The ministers noticed Lin Yi’s expression, and for a moment, the hall fell utterly silent, the stillness palpable.

After a long pause, Lin Yi laughed. “Good, very good. General Mei, General Yuan, if I appoint you two to lead an expedition to the northern steppes, do you dare?”

In terms of martial skill, these two were no longer outstanding in the army. But in warfare and battlefield strategy, ten Shen Chus or Tao Yingyis combined could not match one Mei Jingzhi.

Shen Chu and Tao Yingyi were half-trained warriors, relying on skill and trust to become generals.

Mei Jingzhi and Yuan Ang, however, had fought through countless campaigns in the northern steppes. Sending them on this expedition would yield maximum results with minimal effort.

As for past grudges, those could be set aside for now.

Da Liang needed a solid unified front; petty anger or venting emotions was unacceptable.

“I obey the order!”

Yuan Ang declared loudly. “I shall take the head of the Wadan Khan, Xuliewu!”

“I shall not disappoint the Prince Regent!”

Mei Jingzhi smiled bitterly; he had no reason to refuse.

“Prince.”

Gan Mao’s tears flowed freely.

The newly received treasury funds were beyond belief!

“Calm yourself,” Lin Yi waved him off, then loudly proclaimed, “Prepare yourselves. When spring comes and the ice melts, we march directly to Wadan. You have three months to annihilate them.”

In Da Liang, he implemented a conscripted army model, paying soldiers while exempting them from farming. These troops were different from before, so spring plowing would not be affected.

“Long live the Prince Regent, long, long, long may he live!”

The ministers once again shouted in unison.

“Then it’s settled. The cabinet will maintain unified thinking. Anyone who dares to voice opposition is a traitor to Da Liang and an enemy of this king.”

For once, Lin Yi was truly domineering.

Historical experience told him that during wartime, there could be no middle-of-the-road or pacifist factions. Under the banner of “protecting national interests,” everyone must consciously or unconsciously exercise self-discipline, or chaos would ensue.

Having said this, Lin Yi left the Golden Throne Hall, the deafening cries of the ministers fading behind him.

Since yesterday, Emperor Delong had smashed seventeen tea cups in frustration.

He Lian no longer dared serve tea, fearing punishment by association.

“Forty-eight million taels of silver… so I’m really worth this much,” Emperor Delong said gloomily, staring at his son.

“Father,” Lin Yi sat across from Emperor Delong casually. “Father, with this money, I’ll strike the northern steppes. It’s also a way of avenging you.”

“You truly are my son,” Emperor Delong said coldly. “Now, marching to the northern steppes—are you trying to destroy the foundations of our ancestors?”

“What foundations does Da Liang even have left?” Lin Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Father, don’t play dumb. If it weren’t for me, Da Liang would have long since fallen apart.”

Trying to act tough in front of his own father? Not happening.