A War Between Great Powers, Seen in a New Light!

Xie Yuan was puzzled too. He studied the two place names on the map.

Longyou Circuit lay beyond Jiannan Circuit. Rebellions had broken out there time and again over the past few years; it was hardly a peaceful place.

Zhuya Commandery was Great Qi's western fortress, guarding against Great Sui.

Though three demons held parts of Jiannan Circuit, most of its inhabitants were still ordinary people. It was not like Marsh Lake, where demons ran rampant.

Why move the people to Longyou Circuit?

And what was the purpose of sending troops to Zhuya Commandery?

The crisis at hand concerned Marsh Lake and Jiannan Circuit. Why draw those places into it?

Zhang Yuanlai lowered his head in thought. An idea flashed through his mind, but he could not quite grasp it.

It took Zhang Yuzhi a long while to recover. An old saying came to mind: "When great powers go to war, small states fight in their stead."

Great Qi and Great Sui had only just forged an alliance. If they turned against each other now, their pact would exist in name alone, and war would rage between them until one fell.

Who wanted to see that happen?

Great Sui was still on the rise, while Great Qi's Nine Great Surnames had no wish to shake the foundations of their state.

He Xiao was unconvinced. The plan sounded too much like a dream.

Xie Yuan got straight to the point. "Guan, what do you mean by this?"

You smiled. "Are Great Qi and Great Sui the only states under heaven?"

Xie Yuan shook his head and answered slowly. "Since the fall of Yan and Tang, the emperors have lost their virtue. The deer of the Central Plains has grown fat, and heroes have risen on every side. Great Qi and Great