Chapter 111: The Vow Beneath the City Walls

Seeing this, Liu Xia Tuo wore an expression of unwillingness and ventured a suggestion.

"My Lord, I look at this city of Nanju with its high walls and thick ramparts. If it were in our hands and managed with care, it would surely become an incomparable stronghold for opposing the State of Qi in the future. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to capture it directly?"

Meng Di naturally wished to do the same, but the current situation offered no such opening. The State of Zheng was currently posturing aggressively; if it were to form an alliance with the State of Qi, Nanju would become an isolated island the moment the Qi army marched.

Under such circumstances, dividing his forces would not only incur significant losses but would likely force him to abandon Nanju altogether. This did not align with his strategic goals. Thinking this, he replied:

"The State of Qi has long coveted the State of Ju. If Qi unites with other vassal states to launch an attack on the State of Lu, we must prepare for the worst. Therefore, we must consolidate our forces at this time."

Liu Xia Tuo understood the logic, yet he remained resentful. After hearing the explanation, he shook his head with a sigh and said rather unhappily:

"It is only because our strength is too meager. Otherwise, we could have destroyed the State of Ju this time and secured a base for ourselves—that would be far better than remaining in the State of Lu."

Meng Di felt the frustration as well, but after a moment’s thought, he said to Liu Xia Tuo:

"We have captured many chariots this time. Select fifty of them, along with their charioteers, halberdiers, and archers, and send them to Qufu as a gift to the Marquis of Lu. At the same time, tell your brother privately to suggest that the Marquis bestow these items upon Yang Hu."

Liu Xia Tuo was alarmed and moved to object: "My Lord, why do this? By doing so, wouldn't Yang Hu gain fifty chariots for nothing? Why not keep them for ourselves? With some training, we could have our own chariot force."

Meng Di shook his head. He had gained a deep understanding of chariots by now. Objectively speaking, they were a very useful military unit, but they were too restricted, and the three men required to man them demanded long-term training.

Infantry and cavalry were different. Once a system was established, they could be produced in bulk. In terms of time and cost, the price of chariots was simply too high.

He had decisively abandoned that idea. For now, he would focus on developing his cavalry. Once his strength grew, he would train a formidable infantry force—not necessarily large in number, but elite.

He knew that after the House of Han, Zhao, and Wei partitioned the State of Jin, the rapid rise of the State of Wei was due to Wu Qi training the Wei Wu soldiers. The emergence of such a revolutionary military force had cemented Wei's position as a hegemon, nearly bringing the State of Qin to the brink of extinction.

Training such an army required immense time and expense. More importantly, the iron Meng Di needed could not yet be mass-produced, so he had to wait.

During this campaign against Ju, Meng Di had not even used his newly developed crossbows, guarding against unforeseen changes. Because his strength remained insufficient, it was best to keep his trump cards hidden.

At least until he had accumulated enough to outfit his troops—that would be when Meng Di began his true campaigns. Addressing Liu Xia Tuo's doubt, Meng Di smiled and asked in return:

"Did our battle with the State of Ju not make you realize something? Calculate it yourself: to train a cavalryman, one only needs a horse and some time."

"But to outfit a chariot, you need a driver, a halberdier, and an archer. That requires exponentially more time, not to mention the need to support a group of skilled craftsmen. Do we have that capability now?"

Seeing Liu Xia Tuo slowly shake his head, Meng Di smiled slightly and continued:

"Furthermore, while our cavalry is at a slight disadvantage in direct combat against chariots, we possess high mobility, which is why we won. As time passes and we refine our tactics, I believe the future will belong to the cavalry, and chariots will gradually be phased out. Thus, these chariots are of no use to us; it is better to use them to appease Yang Hu and buy ourselves time."

Having heard this, Liu Xia Tuo ceased his questioning, stood up, and took his leave to make the arrangements.

To Meng Di's surprise, after only two days of consideration—and seeing the Lu army positioned to assault the city—the ruler of Ju, Ji Kuang, chose to open the gates and surrender. Upon receiving the news, Meng Di did not enter the city of Nanju but instead had Ji Kuang brought to his main camp.

Ji Kuang was a middle-aged man with a sinister appearance. Upon seeing Meng Di, he proactively saluted and said:

"I greet Meng-zi. Previously, there was some instability within the country, and bandits emerged, leading to the raiding of your merchant caravan. I am willing to pay compensation, and from this day forward, I shall restore order; such an incident will never happen again."

The apology was offered with a very good attitude, but it did not meet Meng Di's requirements. He gave a cold hum.

"Marquis of Ju, at this point, words are useless. I have no intention of annexing the State of Ju; I only wish to protect the safety of my caravans. Compensation is naturally required, but I have traveled here with a great army, and the expenses have been considerable."

Though Ji Kuang was not a particularly capable ruler, he was a man of quick wit. Hearing this, he quickly replied:

"The expenses and losses incurred by the deployment of the Lu army shall be borne entirely by the State of Ju."

Meng Di nodded. After a moment of thought, he said:

"Since the Marquis just mentioned that bandits are rampant within Ju, I intend to station a detachment of my men in the city of Zhongqiu to assist you in clearing them out."

"However, I am currently short on manpower under my command, so I wish to recruit from within the State of Ju. I wonder if the Marquis finds this proposal acceptable?"

It was a joke—at this point, all Ji Kuang wanted was to send this "God of War" Meng Di out of his state as quickly as possible. Regardless of the conditions, as long as he could preserve his throne, he would spare no cost. He hurriedly said:

"Acceptable, naturally acceptable! I was hoping for exactly this. In this way, the order of the entire state will surely improve greatly. Since you are concerned about population, I shall relocate three thousand households to Zhongqiu."