My Cultivation Starting from Archery-Chapter 325 - 160 Crown Prince Rebels_3

"What if we can’t hold it for three months? General Fang, can you guarantee that we can really hold Hulaoguan?"

This time, Fang Qingyun dared not be so certain: "If we can’t hold it, there’s a 50 percent chance."

"That’s right!"

Meng Quji said, "With a fifty percent probability, even General Fang, who likes to use surprise tactics, would find it too low, wouldn’t he?"

"General Meng, this matter is of great importance; it’s not something just you and I can decide. How about this,"

Fang Qingyun said, "let’s ask His Majesty and His Highness for their opinions, and let His Majesty decide in the end whether to adopt a strategy of long-term dominion or take the risk of defending Hulaoguan and try to quickly take Yong Yue Prefecture to force the Enemy Army back and recover three states."

"Good!"

Meng Quji did not refuse: "His Highness is not far from us, and His Majesty is always at Kunlun Mountain comprehending the Tao around this time of the year, not as far as from the Capital City. If we use the Crown Prince’s Divine Eagle, it would be even faster. There’s enough time, let’s do it this way!"

...

Tongnan Prefecture.

Crown Prince’s Residence.

The Crown Prince, now past his sixties, was playing chess with a black-robed monk.

During the game, an eunuch brought up a meal and gently placed it beside the chessboard.

The dignified Crown Prince, Heir Supervisor, usually had extremely simple meals, consisting only of two dishes of vegetables and a bowl of rice.

"After so many years, Your Highness is still so frugal."

The monk flicked his Buddha Beads and slowly made a move: "You eat even more simply than I do, a monk."

"If I don’t save some, how can I set a good example, letting the officials and my son also follow in saving? If everyone is extravagant, where would the silver for this war come from?"

The Crown Prince picked up his chopsticks, pushed half of the rice in his bowl to the other side, and then began to eat.

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The black-robed monk looked at him with complex eyes and said, "After several years, Your Highness now can’t even finish a bowl of rice?"

"Getting old, cough, cough..."

The Crown Prince turned his face aside to cough a few times, then, after wiping his face with a handkerchief, continued speaking: "Never mind, let’s continue, we can eat and play chess without delay."

"Alas, since Your Highness started supervising the state, you’ve overworked day and night and severely exhausted yourself."

The black-robed monk picked up a white piece and gently placed it on the board.

"Your Highness!"

"Urgent news from the Divine Eagle!"

"Read it."

The Crown Prince, while observing the board, slowly brought rice to his mouth.

"Yes!"

The attendant opened the petition and read it word by word.

As the details emerged, the expressions of the Crown Prince and the black-robed monk continued to change, getting so engrossed in the news they momentarily forgot the chess game before them.

"What a genius, Chen Sansi is truly a leader sent from heaven!"

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The Crown Prince’s appreciation was evident: "From capturing Prince Yu Wen at the beginning to now, the widespread celebrations, each and every event, which one isn’t a feat unparalleled in history? I determine, these words will be passed down through the ages, lasting longer than I, or even my father."

"Why would Your Highness say that?"

The monk gently placed a piece: "With me here, Your Highness could perhaps last through the ages as well."

"Old Yao..."

The Crown Prince laid down his chopsticks and sighed: "I have never pursued the elusive path of immortality like my father; I just want to accomplish something with this life. Years of warfare, constant turmoil, corruption rampant, the Martial Arts Sects bullying the commoners, this world needs to be set right! But I can’t take a step further; I simply don’t have enough power."

The black-robed monk asked, "So, Your Highness thinks that we should next defend Hu Lao, take Lai State, or after a great sacrifice, directly retreat to the border and choose another day?"

Thinking of severing ties, it would take at least two years, the silver in the national treasury isn’t infinite; these forty years were hard-earned savings. If indeed such a long conflict arises, it might take a decade to recover, not to mention the need to deal with the northern tribes later. If we withdraw, the next opportunity might be unknown years in the future."

The Crown Prince made up his mind: "Defending Hu Lao is worth a try; whether we can hold it or not is another matter, but I just want to ask one thing, if we successfully recover the three states afterward, how great are our chances of winning at Ziwei Mountain?"

"In the Capital City, we can’t win."

The black-robed monk calculated: "But at Ziwei Mountain, we only have a seventy percent chance of success; victory isn’t guaranteed. Your Highness, you may carefully consider it; it’s not too late to change your mind."

As the conversation reached this point.

The Crown Prince stopped talking and stared at the chessboard, silently eating his meal until he had finished most of the rice in the bowl. He then picked up the tea pot and poured it into his bowl, mixing the leftover oil with the tea water and drinking it all.

He set down his bowl and chopsticks, slowly picked up a black piece, hesitated for the last two seconds, and then decisively placed the piece on the board, causing the entire board to tremble: "If we’re going to play chess, let’s play it thoroughly!"

...

Kunlun Mountain.

Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

This place was originally a natural cave. Many years ago, Emperor Longqing, while enjoying a mountain and water excursion, took a short rest inside the cave; it was here, inside this cave, that the Emperor dreamed of an Immortal.

Since then.

Emperor Longqing began to have craftsmen transform the cave into a palace hidden within the mountain, coming here every year to stay for a while.

"Your Majesty!"

The Chamberlain, Ritual Supervision eunuch Huang Hong, hurried in with a report: "Battle news from the Eastern Territory."

Emperor Longqing, wearing a seemingly plain but exquisitely made Taoist robe, continued to sit cross-legged with closed eyes, giving no response upon hearing the eunuch’s words.

Huang Hong tactfully read in a low voice.