Chapter 116: Planning for the Future

After the banquet, Meng Di gave Ji Mei a considerable amount of gold and silver, which finally brought a smile to his face. Having taken a liking to two of the singing girls, Meng Di went further and handed over the entire troupe to him.

Since these women had come to Fei Yi seeking livelihood, Ji Ran thought it wise to purchase the whole group, considering that guests often arrived. Giving them away as gifts now did not trouble him much, especially given the current state of affairs.

With money and beauties in hand, Ji Mei’s impression of Meng Di improved greatly. During private drinking sessions, he even offered a warning.

“Lord Meng, you must prepare early. Yang Zi has decided to take action against the San Huan. Recently, envoys from Zheng and Cao states even went to Qi. I have come up with an idea.”

“We could seize this opportunity to strike Cao. It would be best for you, Lord Meng, to send troops as well, so you can share the spoils. Yang Zi has resolved to use this chance to weaken the San Huan’s strength.”

Meng Di, however, was not optimistic about this planned campaign against Cao. When he last traveled to Jianguo, he heard rumors that Fan Yang, the central army commander of Jin, was in poor health.

As one ages, especially with illness, suspicion and caprice often follow. Fan Yang would surely distrust others at home and suppress them fiercely to protect the Fan family’s interests.

Under these circumstances, if Jin did not intervene, and only Lu sent troops, retaliation would almost certainly ensue. It was laughable that Yang Hu wanted to seize this moment to eliminate the San Huan, clearly failing to grasp the situation.

Yet Meng Di chose not to voice this caution. Instead, he followed Ji Mei’s train of thought.

“Though I wish to lead troops to aid, as you can see, our wounded are numerous and morale is low. If we cannot replenish forces promptly, rushing into battle would leave me defenseless should Qi attack.”

Disappointment flickered across Ji Mei’s face. But having accepted Meng Di’s gifts, he naturally wished to look out for his interests.

“In that case, Lord Meng, focus on reorganizing your troops. Once I return, I will report faithfully to allay Yang Zi’s doubts. Also, a word of advice: keep a distance from the Ji Sun clan. Yang Zi dislikes them.”

Meng Di nodded repeatedly, expressing gratitude. After two days of hospitality, he finally saw Ji Mei off.

In truth, he already commanded nearly fifteen thousand cavalry. If not for inadequate equipment and the delicate political climate, he could have taken Juguo by now.

This opportunity was rare indeed. The power struggle between Wu and Yue was likely to unfold over the next two years. Securing Juguo now would serve as a firm foundation.

As Meng Di studied the map, pondering his next move, Ji Ran entered, smiling upon hearing the noise.

“Mr. Ji, do you have business here?”

Ji Ran shook his head, concern evident.

“News just arrived that Zheng has deployed troops against Xu. Judging by the situation, Zheng and Qi have likely reached an agreement. It’s wise for our lord to prepare early.”

This troubled Meng Di. What was Zheng thinking? Could they not wait? Though Jin was waning, its strength remained, and Zheng bordered Jin.

Such brazen aggression against Xu showed utter disregard for Jin. They seemed to act out of sheer boredom. It appeared Zheng had prepared a fallback, thus their boldness.

After some thought, Meng Di said, “Because Qi is nearby, we cannot seize Juguo outright. What a pity.”

Ji Ran smiled, moving to the map’s side. Placing his hand over a large area below Juguo, he looked invigorated, his expression meaningful.

“In my view, our lord should avoid the Central Plains’ chaos for now and instead march south. Juguo has been thoroughly intimidated by us; they dare not resist our moves. Yang Hu is also wary.”

“If we expand our forces too aggressively now, we will invite unnecessary trouble. My suggestion is to station Liu Xia Tuo in Zhongqiu to train troops.”

“We could use the pretext of suppressing bandits to advance there, gradually gaining territory, subduing tribal leaders, and making them citizens loyal to our lord.”

Meng Di glanced at the region—two large tribes wedged between Wu and Chu: the Huai Yi and the Yi Hu. Huai Yi bordered Juguo. With his current forces, taking these lands would be easy.

Yet holding them would be difficult, causing him hesitation.

“Defeating Huai Yi is not hard, but we lack enough troops to garrison. Though Chu has declined, they won’t stand idly by while we seize Yi Hu. A direct conflict with Chu may be inevitable.”

Hearing this, Ji Ran shook his head, smiling.

“Why conquer these lands? Given our strength, taking such a vast area is tough. These tribes are primitive; many still live as savages.”

“We need only divide and win over these tribes, making them acknowledge our lord as their sovereign. That would suffice. Then we can send officials to teach farming and crafts.”

“Though Huai Yi and Yi Hu are tribal, if we offer better lives, most will choose wisely. Then we can increase our official presence.”

At this moment, Meng Di raised a crucial question.

“Mr. Ji, do you have deeper thoughts on governing this land?”

Coming from Han, he cared deeply about the commandery-county system. The feudal system in the past had empowered local lords, causing periodic rebellions.

Meng Di wished to avoid feudalism to spare future successors greater troubles, especially now, seeing Yang Hu’s disdain for their lord, Ji Sun Si. He was even more reluctant to adopt feudalism.

Ji Ran did not answer immediately. His face grew contemplative. After a long silence, he lifted his gaze, eyes sharp and clear, and asked:

“Before answering, tell me—what is our lord’s true ambition?”