"He who does not plan for ten thousand generations cannot plan for a single moment; he who does not consider the whole cannot govern a single part!"
In the Imperial Study of Purple Tenuity Palace, the young Emperor Bright Virtue sat knee to knee with Wang Jiangling, the chief grand secretary whose temples had begun to gray, in earnest discussion. "Last year, Jiangzhe, Huguang, and the other regions enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests. Blocking the roads to manufacture a grain shortage can only stir up momentary ripples, not any great upheaval..."
Emperor Bright Virtue's gaze sharpened. "You mean... they have other moves in reserve?"
Wang Jiangling stroked his beard and nodded, answering unhurriedly, "If my judgment is correct, their next move will lie in Jiangzhe and Huguang!"
Emperor Bright Virtue could no longer sit still. Rising with a dark expression, he said, "I shall dispatch the Embroidered Uniform Guard south at once..."
"Your Majesty, please do not act in haste."
Wang Jiangling rose and gestured toward the Grand Master's Chair, inviting him to sit and hear him out. "As the saying goes, strike first to control others; strike later and be controlled by them. Since they have already acted, they must have prepared against every contingency. If Your Majesty only sends the Embroidered Uniform Guard south now, even if they achieve something, they will still be constrained at every turn and exhausted from racing about."
Emperor Bright Virtue asked in bewilderment, "Then am I simply to sit here and watch them ravage the people of my Great Wei?"
Wang Jiangling bowed with his hands clasped. "That is not what I mean. What I mean is... Your Majesty must break the deadlock!"
"Break the deadlock?"
Emperor Bright Virtue pressed him. "How?"
Wang Jiangling guided him patiently. "Where does Your Majesty