"Your Highness, how could you possibly be willing to take action?" Hao Datong hesitated for a moment before asking in a deep voice.
He knew perfectly well that Lin Yi would never have summoned them if he wasn't interested. The fact that he had summoned them meant that Lin Yi was willing to see them.
The only problem is the cost.
It's better for Lin Yi to state the price directly, rather than having him say it himself; that would be more reliable.
Lin Yi glanced at him. This guy was quite direct. He couldn't help but laugh and said, " Youning Commandery is also part of my Great Ning territory. If possible, I would naturally help Youning. However, it's a pity that I have no legitimate reason to send troops. If I rashly send troops, I'm afraid the Emperor will blame me!"
Hiss!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ci and Hao Datong's expressions changed drastically. If they still didn't understand Lin Yi's meaning, they would be incredibly foolish.
This guy has his eye on Youning Commandery!
If I invite him to Youning Commandery, or if the Emperor orders him to enter Youning Commandery, the territory will probably no longer belong to Great Ning, but will become a second Ningchuan Commandery.
Zhang Ci's face Bai Qi, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Your Highness, we still need to discuss this matter. Please forgive me!"
"Sure!"
Lin Yi waved his hand and laughed, "Brother Zhang and Brother Hao have worked tirelessly for Youning Commandery, and I am deeply moved. However, it is a pity that I cannot send troops without the Emperor's order; that would be a capital offense."
"However, if you two encounter any trouble in the future, I promise to protect you. As long as you enter the territory of my Ningchuan Commandery, I guarantee that Tuoba Yu will not be able to harm you in the slightest!"
"However, there's nothing I can do about the problem in Youning Commandery."
Who controls Youning Commandery is none of Lin Yi's business. Once he conquers the Northern Barbarians, it doesn't matter who controls it; it will all belong to him in the end.
Unless there is a huge benefit involved, he would never make a move again. After all, that would not only be against the interests of Xiliang, but would also leave him with a huge handle against him, which is something he does not want to see.
Forehead!
Zhang Ci was unable to refute this reason, because there was indeed such a saying, especially for a feudal lord like Lin Yi, it was a taboo to send troops abroad without authorization.
However, for Lin Yi, it wasn't that he didn't dare, but rather that he was unwilling.
He sighed and said with a wry smile, "Thank you, Your Highness. If Tuoba Yu were to attack, I would send the people over. I hope Your Highness can protect them then!"
"Rest assured, I keep my word!" Lin Yi nodded; he still needed people.
"Why!"
After exchanging a glance, Zhang Ci and the other person left, looking dejected.
Watching their retreating figures, Xun Yu couldn't help but sigh, "These two do have some guts, daring to approach our lord. But it's a pity it's just Youning Commandery; it's not worth it at all!"
"That's right. Taking Youning Commandery now would be a complete break with Great Ning, and it would also make the Northern Barbarians hesitant to act, which would inevitably affect the overall situation. This is unnecessary." Lin Yi nodded and smiled.
He Jin was dumbfounded and asked curiously, "My lord, why did you still receive them? You could have simply sent them away."
He felt that he had gained nothing from meeting these two people; it was completely unnecessary.
Therefore, his lord deliberately had their major legions display their strength, which he found hard to understand. It seemed to bring him no benefit whatsoever, and even exposed the strength of Xiliang. This was a huge loss.
"Haha, my lord is just showing off his strength, making the enemy hesitant to act. How could we lose out!" Xun Yu couldn't help but laugh heartily. This was indeed something his lord did on purpose.
The lord had previously told him that this move was called "showing off muscles."
Seeing the two men's pale faces, and Tan Cheng's hasty escape overnight, undoubtedly demonstrates the effectiveness of this tactic; it was indeed immediately effective.
"Showing off muscles?"
Everyone suddenly realized that their lord wanted to intimidate those around him, so that others would not dare to easily plot against Ningchuan Commandery, and thus avoid some trouble. No wonder the lord specifically ordered a fashion show; so that's why.
Lin Yi nodded and said in a deep voice, " The Net has received information that Li Anlan has begun to prepare for a counterattack in Wuning Commandery. He is obviously eager to make a move. In order to dissuade him from this idea, we must show our strength. Otherwise, he will really think that I am easy to bully."
This king wants to tell them that if they don't have three or four hundred thousand troops, they shouldn't come here to embarrass themselves, or I will make sure they don't leave alive!
Damn it!
Everyone instantly understood; it was meant for Li Anlan.
That makes sense. The lord's strategy is to take down the Northern Barbarians first, so naturally he doesn't want to get entangled with Great Ning at this time. That would mean being attacked from two sides, which would put enormous pressure on Xiliang. There's no need to risk it all.
It would be better to keep Great Ning in check for a while, and then fight Great Ning once and for all after we've dealt with the Northern Barbarians.
"Of course, there's another reason, and that's Zhang Ci and Hao Datong's identities."
"Identity?"
Everyone looked at Wang Yue, wondering what other identities these two might have.
Wang Yue didn't hide anything and explained, " Zhang Ci is from the Zhang Clan in the north. The Zhang Clan ranks third in power in the north and has a deep influence. Hao Datong's father is the commander of Li Anlan's Imperial Guard, and he is also deeply rooted in the family. This will make it easier to open up trade routes in the future."
Everyone's eyes lit up. These were the two keys! The keys to unlocking the northern prefectures! No wonder the lord summoned them and promised to save their lives in the future. These two were of great use!
etc!
Trade routes?
Didn't my lord say he wasn't interested in money?
"Haha, we have quite a few things that can be commercialized. Although I'm not interested in money, that doesn't mean I don't want it!" Lin Yi laughed heartily as he looked at the puzzled expressions on everyone's faces.
Although money is not the most important thing to me, the development of Xiliang needs money and the flow of resources. More channels mean more sources of income, so why not?
Incidentally, it also allows for commercial penetration into these areas, which is entirely beneficial.
Hahaha!
Everyone was speechless. Zhang Ci was probably about to cry. Whether he wanted to be the lord or not, he was still the lord. This was a difficult situation to handle.
Lin Yi then looked at Cai Yan and smiled, " Wenji, this newspaper is quite good. It can be published starting tomorrow. With this newspaper, we can completely control public opinion."
The saying goes, "Public opinion can be a fearsome thing," but you still need a place to speak, and newspapers are such a place.
Through newspapers, one's will can precisely reach every place in Xiliang; that's how powerful and domineering it is.
" Wenji understands!" Cai Yan nodded, somewhat excited.
Women have always been discriminated against. Now, my lord has given me an opportunity, an opportunity that is no less than any man's. I must make something of myself and not let my lord down.