Tonight

It was still the first month of the year, and less than a month had passed since the war between Zhuang and Yong ended.

Yong State should still need time to recover.

The tide of political reform rolled onward; even the Marquis of Huaixiang had been stripped of his rank.

Yong State should be in dire need of stability.

However you looked at it, this was no time to rashly start a war.

But if one accepted the fact that Yong intended to send troops, then looking at things from the other side, one would find that this was a perfect opportunity.

Yong had lost the previous war and surrendered the territory of one and a half prefectures, but it had gained the support of the Mo Sect. Its overall national strength had not actually declined.

Now that political reforms had reached this stage, those who deserved demotion had been demoted, and those who needed disciplining had been disciplined. After handing out so many beatings, it was time to offer some sweet dates.

But where would those sweet dates come from?

Yong's foundations had endured for so many years; the spoils worth dividing had long since been carved up. After its defeat, it had lost the territory of one and a half prefectures, and its resources had shrunk. Then the reforms had redrawn the divisions, leaving another group of people with less to gain.

Han Xu could certainly use force to suppress these conflicts, but that was no lasting solution. In many cases, shifting conflicts outward was a better choice.

And looking at the situation around Yong, expanding east or north would be unwise. Jing State was watching coldly from the northeast.

To the south lay Zhuang. The prospect of retaking Suolong Pass and washing away the shame of defeat