Chapter 31: Major Events Unfold on the Great Plains!

“Great Plains?” Wang Xiao frowned.

“Our formidable enemy, the Three Elders, within the borders, will surely make moves as well.”

In the original timeline, after Wang Lin was killed in an explosion at Phoenix Garrison, the Three Elders—armed to the teeth and restless—began secret dealings with the invaders. Xiao Er declared the province’s allegiance to the Water Faction without hesitation, shifting the banner and joining their ranks.

This maneuver, though successful in curbing the Three Elders and the invaders to some extent, and keeping the province out of the Great Plains War, nonetheless sowed seeds for future trouble.

Now, the situation surrounding the province remains dire: to the left, vast lands border the province, already occupied by the Three Elders who command hundreds of thousands of troops; to the right, the invaders have seized Fengshun, their warships patrolling the Bohai Bay ceaselessly.

Surrounded by such wolves, unless the strength of the troops is quickly bolstered, being swallowed up is only a matter of time.

Currently, the Three Elders have deployed seventeen divisions in the Chahar region bordering the province, most of which are swift cavalry units—perfect for mass charges across the plains.

“Just in Chahar alone, there are seventeen divisions, not to mention the elite troops stationed in Old Ping, watching hungrily,”

“If not for the constant distraction of the Three Elders’ forces by other new military warlords, and the invaders’ containment,”

“With only the dozen or so divisions at Shanhai Pass, we would have long been encircled and split apart by the Three Elders.”

“So, without exaggeration, it is precisely the presence of the invaders that has allowed the province to survive until now.”

After Jiang Bai finished his analysis, the assembled military officials fell silent.

Among them, quite a few had studied abroad with the invaders and were well aware of their ambitions to seize the province; it was no secret.

The province, though seemingly prosperous, is actually rife with hidden currents, danger lurking at every turn—a fragile existence squeezed between the great powers.

Wang Lin had repeatedly ventured beyond the borders, fighting to seize Old Ping and the Great Plains, seeking to strengthen his forces and break free from the invaders’ control.

Yet, amidst chaos, the Northern Expedition Army—a force with unwavering faith—emerged among the armed factions, leading to a disastrous defeat and Wang Lin himself falling victim to an assassination.

Taking advantage of Jiang Bai’s campaign against bandits in the mountain region, Wang Lin slaughtered the remaining old guard lurking in the province, tearing all pretense with the invaders.

Thus, the deterioration between the province and its neighbors reached its historical nadir.

From this perspective, Jiang Bai’s unauthorized expansion of the army can be understood.

He was simply seizing the chance to bolster strength before the looming crisis erupted, to safeguard the province.

Jiang Bai scanned the room and spoke in a deep voice, “So, soldiers, do you have the confidence to follow me through the surging flood, the overwhelming waves?”

Snap!

The officers stood at attention and replied in unison, “We shall follow you through life and death!”

Watching their backs as they departed, Jiang Bai pondered.

In his view, Wang Lin’s urgency to expand his forces also stemmed from a desire to balance the Grand Land Faction and the Reform Faction.

As the native warlord of the province, Wang Lin, like all contemporary strongmen, dreamed of unifying the province and establishing a powerful dynasty.

Alas, his two main factions were problematic: the Grand Land Faction, content to remain in their corner, unwilling to strive beyond the province—a conservative outlook doomed to obsolescence, either to be devoured by the ever-watchful Xiong Dynasty or reduced to the invaders’ puppets.

Neither outcome was what Wang Lin desired.

The other, the Reform Faction, sought collaboration with the invaders, forging an unnatural alliance.

But there was no expansionist, unifying faction—none who would venture boldly, sword pointed to the four corners.

Jiang Bai’s sudden emergence filled the gap in Wang Lin’s core power.

“At least for now, Wang Lin and I share the same ambition.”

“So I must seize this opportunity, rapidly strengthen myself, and carve out a future amid the roaring torrent.”

Jiang Bai’s expression grew solemn as he picked up the military cap from the table, wiped the dust from it, and placed it on his head.

Bathed in dazzling light, he strode forward.

After two months of intense battle, Jiang Bai wiped out all bandit threats in the region.

The swift resolution shocked all the factions once the news spread.

First to react was the Frontier Army stationed in Fengshun.

When they learned that the bandit force they’d spent years cultivating had been swept away by Jiang Bai, rage swept through them.

Especially when the intelligence bureau matched Jiang Bai’s profile—the very man who sabotaged their plan to assassinate Wang Lin.

Their desire to kill Jiang Bai intensified.

Under the banner of “rising against one’s superiors,” three infantry regiments stationed in Gao Dynasty marched menacingly to the border, sharpening their blades and threatening to seize Sanping within a day.

The border between the province and Gao Dynasty was suddenly thick with the scent of war.

Upon tacitly approving Jiang Bai’s expansion, Wang Lin ordered him to lead two brigades—ten thousand men—to the front lines, holding the river against the invaders.

During this period, both sides repeatedly clashed, the situation escalating.

As things teetered on the brink of chaos, Wang Lin dispatched Yang Tinghua with a heavy bribe to the invaders’ homeland, lobbying the Loyalist Civil Officials Group.

That group had long disliked the Frontier Army.

Seizing the opportunity, they immediately carried out personnel changes and imposed restrictions.

Internationally, the Han Dynasty rallied a host of Western royal houses to vehemently condemn the invaders.

Beset by internal and external troubles, the Frontier Army held out for half a month before reluctantly withdrawing.

By then, Jiang Bai had already led his main force back to the provincial capital.

Upon arrival at the grand marshal’s residence, Jiang Bai was urgently summoned by Wang Lin.

As soon as they met, Wang Lin spoke gravely:

“Jiang Bai, you’re finally back. Something major has happened on the Great Plains!”

Something major on the Great Plains?

Jiang Bai asked in a low voice, “Marshal, what do you mean by that?”

“The situation is as follows.”

Without preamble, Wang Lin explained everything to Jiang Bai.

After the Water Faction’s Little Man allied with Li Zongren, Feng Xiang, and the Three Elders—four military groups—to launch the second Northern Expedition against the province, and emerged victorious, the entire New Dynasty region was divided into six centers: Water Faction, Guangzhou, Wuhuan, Bi Province, Taiyuan, and the province.

Though the Water Faction’s Little Man gained nominal leadership, he failed to truly unify the factions.

To break the deadlock, he decisively launched military campaigns: south against Li Zongren, north against the Three Elders, west against Feng Xiang.

Occupying the prosperous coastal regions, the Water Faction boasted powerful and well-equipped forces.

In response, the other three formed a military alliance to resist.

While Jiang Bai was campaigning against bandits, both sides had already begun full-scale war across much of the dynasty.

The alliance even established a new legitimate government in Old Ping, creating a standoff with the Water Faction government.