Chapter 32: The Six Warlords’ Game of Power

In an instant, both sides were locked in a battle of blazing intensity.

When Wang Lin finished recounting the entire sequence of events, Jiang Bai was left utterly stunned. He could never have imagined that the Great Plains War would erupt two years ahead of schedule.

"Although, judging from the current situation on the battlefield, the tripartite military alliance of the Old Plains faction has gained some local advantages, from a grand strategic perspective, the outcome remains uncertain."

"Almost simultaneously, both major factions have sent me invitations, seeking to draw our Chengyun Division into the conflict. Jiang Bai, what do you think we should do?"

With these words, Wang Lin handed Jiang Bai the messages of enticement from both sides.

First, the Old Plains faction had proposed that, should the Chengyun Army be willing to join the war, it would be reorganized as the Sixth Army Group. Once the counteroffensive ended, they promised to cede the rich coastal regions, including Shui Province, to the Chengyun Army.

Meanwhile, Shui Province offered equally generous terms, stating that as long as the Chengyun Army entered the conflict, the entire Huajiu Plains would be granted to Chengyun Province.

Judging solely by the terms, both parties were making exceedingly lucrative offers. In the current deadlock, the stance of the Chengyun Army might well determine the future course of the war.

And in truth, this was exactly the case. In the original timeline, it was the Chengyun Army’s campaign beyond the border that turned the tide for the beleaguered and faltering Shui Province. Not only did they stabilize the situation, but they also launched a comprehensive counteroffensive on the strategic front.

This established Shui Province as the dominant power within the country, while allowing the Second Faction to seize vast northern territories, shifting their focus and troops within the borders.

As a result, Chengyun Province’s defenses were left dangerously thin, providing an opportunity for the foreign power to exploit.

Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes and, after a moment of contemplation, said to Wang Lin, “Commander, in my opinion, the best course in this war is to stand aside and reap the spoils as an onlooker.”

Hearing Jiang Bai’s unequivocal response, Wang Lin was taken aback. “So, Jiang Bai, you mean you don’t intend to get involved in this war?”

He knew that regarding the Great Plains War, both the Traditionalists and the Reformists had expressed strong positions. The Traditionalists saw this conflict as the perfect opportunity to vie for control of the plains and share power at the highest level, urging alliance with Shui Province’s faction.

On the other hand, the Reformists, heavily influenced by foreign culture, favored cooperation with the Old Plains faction, hoping to curry favor with the foreign power and ease tensions.

Wang Lin had expected the aggressive Jiang Bai to choose one side, hoping to seize a share of the spoils through participation in the war. Yet Jiang Bai had no intention of making his mark, opting instead for a stance of non-intervention.

Confronted with Wang Lin’s confusion, Jiang Bai patiently explained, “Commander, my intention is not to abstain, but rather to avoid personally nurturing a potential powerful rival.”

“A powerful rival?”

Wang Lin, now even more intrigued, found his appreciation for Jiang Bai deepening. After all, both the Traditionalists and Reformists were embroiled in endless arguments over territorial expansion, but none had approached the issue with Jiang Bai’s broad strategic vision.

“That’s right. Our Chengyun Army, with its three hundred thousand men, would tip the scales no matter which side we support. Yet, once their civil war ends, the victors will inevitably turn their weapons on us.”

“Neither the Old Plains nor Shui Province’s faction has forgotten their longstanding grudges against us. When the time comes, there will certainly be a great clash between the regions.”

After listening to Jiang Bai’s analysis, Wang Lin nodded. “Jiang Bai, if those are your only concerns, then we have little to fear! With our province’s military industry, crushing them head-on would be child's play!”

Wang Lin, as he spoke, exuded an almost overwhelming aura of confidence.

But Jiang Bai’s next words came as a cold shock.

“Commander, what if, at this critical moment, the foreign power seizes the opportunity to intervene? While our warlords are locked in internal strife, distracted and unprepared, their forces in Fengshun and Gaozi have been biding their time for years. If we march our army out and leave Chengyun Province undefended, they could launch a direct assault, swiftly advancing as far as our heartland.”

“They could also cross Bohai Bay, landing at Dagukou, occupy Old Plains, and sweep southward through Huajiu Plains! Or, via their navy, they could strike directly at Xiangjiang, casting their ambitions over all of Shui Province.”

“At that point, no matter the direction of attack, the foreign forces could sweep across most of Chengyun’s territory with the force of a gale.”

As Jiang Bai spoke, Wang Lin felt as though he were witnessing the blood-soaked carnage himself—mountains of corpses, rivers of blood, a nation in agony.

“Good heavens! Jiang Bai, thank you for your timely analysis. If Chengyun Province were lost on my watch, I’d truly be a traitor to my people!”

Wang Lin broke out in a cold sweat. The promises from both sides had been so tempting that he’d nearly forgotten the ever-present threat of the foreign forces massed at their gates.

“So, Jiang Bai, according to your thinking, we should prepare for general mobilization and war against the foreign power?”

To his surprise, Jiang Bai grinned and replied, “Commander, that won’t do. The feast delivered to our door must not go to waste—we should help ourselves to what’s offered!”

Meanwhile, in Taiyuan City, within the residence of Elder San.

Elder San, now appointed as Grand Marshal of the Army, Navy, and Air Force of the New Dynasty and commanding three hundred thousand troops, was dressed in full regalia, conversing with a sharp-faced, monkey-eyed middle-aged man in a tailcoat.

“General Yan, the best opportunity to unify the Great Plains is already before you!”

“If you do not seize it, our Imperial Dynasty may have to accept Shui Province’s request for military intervention.”

The middle-aged man took out his pocket watch, checked the time with an air of gravity, and said, “By now, the envoy from Shui Province should have arrived at our Prime Minister’s residence.”

“Kawashima, I will need more time to consider this matter,” Elder San replied hesitantly.

His negotiator was none other than Kawashima Zuo Nan, Consul General of the foreign power in Old Plains City, the plenipotentiary for handling all matters related to Old Plains.

Originally, the policy set by the foreign bureaucrats was to annex Chengyun Province peacefully, while wooing other warlords as a secondary strategy.

But after the failed assassination attempt on Wang Lin, relations had plummeted to freezing point. Apart from the Chengyun Railway Corporation, all other enterprises of the foreign power in Chengyun Province had suffered from harassment and expulsion by local forces.

In less than two months, numerous foreign enterprises had been vandalized by thugs, forced to close, or driven into bankruptcy.