Chapter 130: The State of Zheng Annexes Xu

Although Meng Di could not recall the exact timeline of the hegemony struggle between Wu and Yue, he was certain that it was Fuchai who eventually defeated the State of Yue. Since the current King of Wu was Helü, it meant that for the time being, there was no major conflict between the two states.

However, it is always better to act sooner rather than later. If an opportunity arose, he was determined to secure the territory of Yihu as early as possible.

Bai Gui, a man of keen insight, grasped the implication immediately and asked, "Does my lord mean that the State of Wu may not necessarily dominate the south in the future?"

This was a difficult question to answer. After pondering for a moment, Meng Di finally came up with a plausible explanation. "I once served in the army of the State of Chu, and during my time in exile in the State of Yue, I heard stories about the Crown Prince of Wu, Fuchai. He is a man who craves merit and is cruel by nature. I fear that even if he manages to achieve hegemony after becoming the King of Wu, his reign will not last long."

Bai Gui had never been to the south and knew little about Fuchai, so he accepted Meng Di’s words. After some consideration, he proposed another idea. "In that case, we can send people to Wu to plant informants in advance. This way, we can know our enemy and ourselves, and should we ever decide to mobilize troops to attack the Yihu region, we will be well-prepared."

"Furthermore, it is said that the State of Wu is rich in resources, especially the famous Wu pearls. If we could trade for these, selling them in the Central Plains would surely yield a hundredfold profit; the great merchants of the states of Jin and Qi have all profited from this."

"The Yihu region is not far from Wu and shares a similar climate. If we can acquire the pearl-harvesting techniques of Wu, my lord will gain an even greater source of wealth. Additionally, there are night-luminescent pearls, peacock feathers, and rhinoceros horns—all rare treasures."

The so-called "Wu pearls" were freshwater pearls. Since people of this era had not yet mastered the technology of mollusk cultivation, they relied on luck to harvest pearls from riverbeds, a practice that had existed for a long time. Since the era of Great Yu, pearls from the Southern Seas had been tributes for the Son of Heaven, and their value was self-evident.

Meng Di found himself amused by this. Bai Gui was a merchant at heart, and no matter the topic, he always returned to commerce. While Meng Di was considering how to capture Yihu, Bai Gui was already thinking about how to get rich.

From their conversation, Meng Di realized that Bai Gui was not only skilled in trade but also possessed unique insights into governance. The strategies he proposed were, in Meng Di’s view, highly effective. He immediately said, "Since you have your own plans, I will leave Liu Xiatuo here to train the troops and support your operations. You shall have full authority over all matters in Huaicheng. Should you encounter any issues that are difficult to decide, send word to me."

After making these arrangements, Meng Di set off to return to Mengyi.

Upon his arrival, he received news that the State of Zheng had destroyed the State of Xu. However, the State of Chu had intervened, installing the Duke Yuan of Xu as the ruler. Seeing the strength of Chu, the State of Zheng withdrew its troops, and the State of Xu was restored. Throughout the entire affair, the State of Jin did not dispatch a single soldier, leading the lords of the world to believe that Jin was clearly not the power it once was. Meng Di sensed that the winds of war were approaching, and he felt a headache coming on, gripped by a sense of urgency.

Ji Ran hurried to meet him. Without any pleasantries, he went straight to the point: "My lord, thanks to the rewards for farming and planting crops suitable for the local climate, we have had a bountiful harvest. The high-yield fields are producing about three *shi* per acre, while the lower-yield fields are approaching two *shi*. Even the newly cleared land is yielding one *shi*."

"By following the agricultural manuals to fertilize the fields, if the results are good, we will likely have a much larger area of fertile land in a year or two. Combined with the copper sent from Gumi City and the grain we have in hand, we now have a slight surplus."

"However, it is clear that a major war is imminent. In my opinion, we should intensify the training of the common people. Although we do not need to conscript them into the army just yet, they will prove useful if the fighting intensifies."

Meng Di had deep contact with these commoners and naturally understood what they were thinking. They would be terrified in the face of war. To stabilize them, he needed them to understand one thing: once they left Mengyi, they would never again live as well as they did now. Thinking of this, he replied, "Military training alone might cause panic among the people. It is better to find another way to make them willing to fight. Only then will the public heart be settled, and we will truly have established a firm footing."

Ji Ran frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "To reason with them is not as effective as appealing to their emotions. These commoners may not fully grasp high-minded principles, so I suggest we try another method. Let us select some men from our own troops."

"These men have been with us for a long time and have developed a sense of identity. If we explain the logic to them, they will accept it, and then they can go to the various regions to lead the training. After all, they have relatives there, and their words will be easier for the people to believe."

Hearing this, Meng Di nodded. It was a sound idea. He immediately said, "Let us proceed with this plan. However, this is only an internal policy. It is clear that the State of Zheng intends to rebel against the State of Jin, and their growing closeness with the State of Qi is very unfavorable for the State of Lu."

"Therefore, I am considering taking this opportunity to visit the State of Qi again. Even if I cannot stop them from using force against Lu, I hope to minimize our losses. Otherwise, I fear that with time, some unforeseen disaster may occur."

Ji Ran agreed with his concerns, his brow furrowed. "In the current situation, if my lord wishes to gain anything from the trip to Qi, you must achieve one thing: ensure an alliance between Lu and Qi. Only then can we prevent the State of Lu from being surrounded on all sides in the future."

"Although the State of Jin is currently powerful, the Fan clan is insatiably greedy, and Fan Yang’s health has been failing in recent years. Once he falls at a critical moment, given the limited talent of Fan Jishe, he will be unable to lead the clan. Under such circumstances, and with Zhi Li lacking sufficient prestige, the State of Jin is likely to erupt into internal strife. Therefore, even if the State of Lu can escape disaster for a moment, it will not survive the next coalition of lords."

Meng Di took a deep breath. He understood this only too well. If he were given enough time to develop, the State of Lu might well be able to resist a coalition of lords on its own.