In Yuzhou, Chang Jianyi's mood was not good. There had been no news from the battlefield in the Arctic region, which indicated that the situation on the northern front was generally favorable. If there were any updates, they would be communicated promptly. The reason for this was that many civilian forces were leading refugees towards Yuzhou.
It turned out that after the war began, Yuzhou had stopped supplying grain to other regions, leading to widespread famine. At present, Yuzhou was the only place in China with grain, so these refugees had spontaneously fled. No matter how many checkpoints were set up, these refugees always found a way to enter Yuzhou's territory.
Then, one day, Chang Jianyi suddenly received a telegram from Siberia. It was sent secretly, and it was virtually impossible for anyone to intercept it. However, even if it were intercepted, it might not be deciphered.
After reading the contents of the telegram, Chang Jianyi was speechless. She could only angrily slam the telegram onto the table and say, "These two audacious little rascals! I can't believe they would do something like this. Aren't they putting me on the spot?"
Chu Chaoyan, standing nearby, quickly asked, "What are you talking about? What little rascals? Have the children caused trouble?"
Chang Jianyi handed the telegram over and said, "Take a look quickly. It's something that Little Long has done. He said we are about to sweep across the land and are even implementing the so-called 'pulling the rug out from under' strategy. The hundreds of thousands of troops in the north have already been persuaded to defect to us!"
Chu Chaoyan had never heard of any plan to "sweep across the land." Upon seeing the telegram, she didn't know how to respond.
"However, this is also good news. At least in China, many espers will choose to support Shen Feng and won't blindly oppose him. This means we can win over more espers to support us!" Chu Chaoyan offered a positive perspective.
Chang Jianyi retorted, "Don't you see the bad part? We never had a plan to 'sweep across the land' before. How can we act so hastily now? If those hundreds of thousands of troops return to China and find us inactive, what do you think they will think? Will anyone defect to us in the future? Our credibility will be ruined!"
Chu Chaoyan added, "This isn't the worst outcome. If those troops launch an attack on us, it will be even harder to deal with!"
Li Keyi, also present, proposed a different approach: "Why don't we simply make this plan a reality? You know, those espers have already gone to the Arctic Circle, and their territories are now empty. If we seize this opportunity to mobilize our forces, we can capture large areas!"
Chang Jianyi looked at Li Keyi and said, "Earlier, you were urging Ah Feng to go into seclusion. Now, why are you thinking about glory and wealth?"
Li Keyi replied, "I did want to go into seclusion before, but without a stable environment, where could we possibly hide? Therefore, the most important thing now is world peace. Only with world peace can we have some leisurely time to go into seclusion!"
Chang Jianyi thought carefully and said, "Here's what I think. I have a plan called 'bluffing.' That is, we will grandly declare that we intend to sweep across the land and rule all of China. However, we won't deploy large numbers of troops. Instead, we will use a strategy of alliances and persuasion to convince the major cities to join us and change their banners. This way, we will achieve a nominal 'sweeping across the land' without paying too high a price!"
"But have you considered that things in this world are not always dictated by your will? Bluffing could easily turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy!" Li Keyi said.
"In my opinion, only bluffing can minimize our losses. On one hand, it can expand Yuzhou's influence, and on the other hand, it doesn't require much effort. It will only consume a lot of grain, as we need to appease the people by distributing food!" Chang Jianyi said.
Li Keyi thought for a moment and agreed. She asked, "Then, which city do you plan to start with?"
Chang Jianyi took a deep breath and said, "Since Little Long has gone out to do such dangerous work, I must also show my stance. Little Long can risk his life in battle, and my son, Little Tiger, can also do dangerous things. He is not a docile child, so the first city we will target is Jinling!"
When Chang Jianyi saw how outstanding other people's children were, she began to worry about Little Tiger. If other people's sons could go to the battlefield, then her own son could not remain in the rear. He must also show some performance, otherwise, he would not have the prestige to suppress the elders under Shen Feng in the future.
"Are you crazy? He is Shen Feng's only son. If something happens to him outside, who knows how long it will take to cultivate another outstanding child like him!" Chu Chaoyan was startled.
"There's no need to persuade me. My decision is made. I will let Little Tiger undertake this dangerous task. This is also a test for him! If he wants to inherit his father's legacy, he must show his capabilities, and his courage must not lag behind others!" Chang Jianyi said.
Afterward, Chang Jianyi informed her son of this news. Shen Xingzhi had been feeling dejected lately because he found that his father had gone to the battlefield, his uncle had also gone to the battlefield, and even his brother, who was two years older than him, had secretly run off to fight. Yet, he, a man, had to stay at home and could do nothing. This made him feel useless. Now that the mission had arrived, he perked up and prepared to face it.
Chang Jianyi had other orders, one of which was for Shen Xingzhi to set off with his wife, Zhou Yuyao. It had been a long time since the little princess Zhou Yuyao married into the family, but she had never had the chance to visit her parents. This seemed inappropriate.
Zhou Yuyao was very happy when she heard the news because she could finally go home. Moreover, it seemed she had other tasks to complete, and it would be even better if she could help.
However, Shen Xingzhi had no objections. Shen Feng's youngest daughter, Shen Qingrou, on the other hand, had an opinion. She had been crying in her sister-in-law's arms, insisting on going along. Her cries were hoarse, but she did not stop.
It turned out that Shen Qingrou had grown up under her sister-in-law's care and regarded her sister-in-law as her mother. Seeing her mother about to leave, she naturally cried incessantly.
When Chu Chaoyan heard about this, she felt helpless and had to let the couple bring their daughter along. Before they departed, she instructed Luo Qing to accompany them as a bodyguard.
Upon receiving this news, Jinling was filled with mixed feelings. Some were happy, thinking that the Crown Prince and the Little Princess had returned, which presented a great opportunity. Others worried that Yuzhou might take advantage of the situation to annex them, as Yuzhou had issued an announcement indicating its intention to manage many cities, which was a veiled expansion of territory.
The so-called Crown Prince was naturally Shen Xingzhi. He held this title because of his father's status. As Shen Feng was the leader of China, his son naturally possessed higher authority, hence he was called the Crown Prince. Although this title was not used in formal occasions, everyone understood its meaning.
When Shen Xingzhi arrived in Jinling, he conveyed the task assigned by his mother, seeking his father-in-law's support. This would allow them to control the entire Yangtze River, thereby dividing the north and south.
Zhou Yayun initially had reservations, feeling that if she simply surrendered, she would have no say.
However, her daughter Zhou Yuyao appeared with Shen Qingrou and said, "Father, I know you are reluctant to give up your power and status, but you need to see one thing clearly. Shen Feng's father is the only one who can end the current chaos. He has great ambition and has never made a mistake during the doomsday. Surrendering to him now will make you the first person to be rewarded with great honor, and you will have higher authority, not being threatened or sidelined by your subordinates. Do you really think you can control Jinling as it is now?"
After hearing these words, Zhou Yayun immediately realized that she indeed could not control this large city. It was a melting pot of people, with many prominent families and powerful espers holding significant sway. Without a core team, she would not possess much power. Now, she had the opportunity to be the first to be rewarded, which was her chance.
Thus, persuaded by her daughter, Zhou Yayun agreed. That day, she ordered her subordinates to replace the flags on the city's flagpoles with the Great Wind Flag of Yuzhou.
Yuzhou's flag was very simple, featuring only a wind pattern. However, even such a simple flag had its own meaning. The meaning was simple and corresponded to the Great Wind Song written by Liu Bang.
"The great wind rises, and the clouds fly high;
My might extends over the seas, and I return to my homeland;
Where can I find brave warriors to guard the four corners?"
Although it was only three simple sentences, it made many people yearn for it, imagining such powerful momentum.
When Chang Jianyi heard this news, she was stunned. She had not expected such a large city to have actually completed the ceremony of surrender, even changing its flag.
After all, the former Jinling was the leading city after the fall of Yanjing. Yet now, after just a few words from two children, it had successfully completed its surrender. Reality seemed too simple, as if there was a trick.
Li Keyi then said, "Now you're in a difficult position, aren't you? If one city surrenders, then other cities will follow suit one after another. Don't forget, many places are suffering from famine. As long as you release your grain, they will choose to join us in minutes!"
Chang Jianyi lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then said, "Originally, I intended to bluff, but now it seems the situation is changing too quickly. Since others are willing to surrender, let's make the pretense a reality and replace all the flags across the land with our Yuzhou Great Wind Flag!"
Li Keyi quickly asked, "What are you going to do next? Many of these cities may not surrender to us!"
Chang Jianyi replied, "It was decided earlier to use the allocation of grain to influence these cities. This plan has been in execution for many years, and it's time to reel it in. Go and find Mr. Xie. We must discuss this matter with him. This matter requires his presence."
When Xie Mu'an arrived, he heard the specific situation and spoke eloquently: "In my opinion, the current situation in the world, I dare not speak for other regions, but in China, it is already a de facto superior position. In the past years, other regions, unable to receive grain supplies and struggling under our controlled grain distribution system, have already suffered from widespread poverty. Yuzhou, on the other hand, has had ample time to develop. Even if development stagnated, it has already reached a high point from which it can look down upon other regions. Now is the time to act, and it will be like breaking a rotten bamboo!"
"What specific actions should be taken? I am all ears and await your guidance, sir!" Chang Jianyi said with feigned humility.
Xie Mu'an did not hold back and said, "Next, we need to send out intelligent individuals under our command to use a combination of rewards and punishments to pacify the remaining cities and consolidate all power. It's even acceptable to grant these dispatched individuals greater authority. After all, Mr. Shen Feng has many students, especially those from orphanages who regard him as a god. If we send these students out now, they will surely achieve great things! In addition, for different regions, we need to send different people, espers and quick-witted individuals, to work together. As long as we can persuade these cities to change their banners and surrender to Yuzhou, it will be enough. With such formidable momentum, even if a few cities insist on their own allegiance, the people under them will not agree!"
Xie Mu'an was very excited to see his plan yielding results. It was a very fulfilling experience to assist a wise ruler in conquering the world, and now that the opportunity was before him, how could he let it slip away?
Chang Jianyi nodded and said, "Thank you, sir, for your guidance. I will arrange for the students in the city to be dispatched. Additionally, a large number of espers will also be tasked with making contributions!"
Shen Feng had many students. Most of the combat-type espers were taken by Shen Feng, but there were also other espers waiting for an opportunity to showcase their talents. Now, the opportunity was before them, and the so-called "pulling the rug out from under" plan was for them to execute.
Chang Jianyi assigned Qi Ling Shan to the southeast, with consultant Feng Shi Cheng assisting her. Chu Chaoyan went to the two Hunan provinces, with the siblings Yu Zhi Jing and Yu Zhi Ling providing support. Qian Bu Fei in the southwest, with his excellent eloquence, was sent to develop the Huai Bei region. Guanzhong was entrusted to Cao Fu Lie and his group of mercenaries. Li Ming Hua was sent to try his luck in the Central Plains. As for the Northeast, it was too far away and would be dealt with later.
After completing these arrangements, she felt that victory was within her grasp and that the predetermined goal would definitely be achieved.
"Ah Feng, just watch! I am a true supportive wife! When you return, you will be the true leader of China, not just the nominal leader!" Chang Jianyi thought to herself.
Li Keyi, however, expressed her dissatisfaction: "Why do they all have missions and are being dispatched, but I can't go on other missions? Don't you trust me?"
"Good sister, you need to understand that you have a more important mission right now. If you go out at this time, it will definitely affect the rocket launch. You are the only one who knows where the rocket is hidden, aren't you?" Chang Jianyi could only comfort Li Keyi.