TO ACHIEVE IMMORTALITY, I CULTIVATE USING QI LUCK

Chapter 1156: Chapter 465: Breaking Through the Four Kingdoms_2 Chapter 1156: Chapter 465: Breaking Through the Four Kingdoms_2 They had developed Central State, yet they did not neglect their homeland.

Due to that inexplicable confidence, the people of Tang had deep affection for their Jingzhou Old Home.

Ɲ0νǤο.ƈο

Unless absolutely necessary, they were unwilling to relocate from their native land.

This led to a large number of Tang citizens, including many high-ranking families, remaining in Jingzhou without moving.

Consequently, even though Chu State had seized two provinces of Central State from Tang Kingdom,

many of Tang’s high-level officials were not panicked; while they were worried about the future of Tang and themselves, they remained generally stable.

Since their families were still in Jingzhou, out of the enemy’s reach, they naturally had no cause for fear and worry.

And the Tang government treated the land they had conquered in Central State as just another county, without any special attention.

This was evident from the fact that Tang, unlike other nations, had not established a secondary capital in the territories of Central State they occupied, showing their disregard for Central State.

In short, thanks to Tang’s unique sentiment and policies, the loss of Pingyang and Xihe counties, though a heavy blow, did not mean that Tang could no longer recover or turn the tide completely.

The population of the two counties of Central State accounted for only two-fifths of Tang’s total population, approximately fourteen million people, and this number included many who had been conscripted and perished in the armies that met their end in Yuzhou.

Their loss was certainly painful for Tang.

However, with three-fifths of their population still within the territory of Jingzhou, about twenty million citizens remained, signifying that the foundation was still intact.

Source: AllNovelFull.com, updated on Ɲονǥο.ᴄο

This was the confidence behind Emperor Tang’s declaration that Tang would reinvigorate and rise again in the future.

Even without the two provinces of Yuzhou, Tang was still a mid-tier hegemon in the world, with strength comparable to that of Xu State.

Looking across the Nine Provinces, aside from Chu, no other nation dared claim to be stronger than Tang, not even Xu.

With this confidence, even though Tang suffered a disastrous defeat and heavy losses,

there remained a sense of determination and hope, wondering if they could start over in the future?

Therefore, after sending two messengers to seek aid from Xu and Yu States, Emperor Tang, within Gaoping City, did everything in his power to enlist and expand his military strength as much as possible.

He prepared for the upcoming defense battle of Jingzhou, determined to fight Chu’s king and preserve the thousand-year heritage of Tang.

The people of Tang in Jingzhou were busy with urgent tasks.

However, what Emperor Tang and the others did not know was that all their efforts were in vain.

Apart from wasting national strength, they were practically useless.

Because the Chu army that they imagined would push northward in a mighty tide after breaking through Changping City and capturing Xihe County did not do so.

After taking the entire Xihe County, they did not continue northward.

Instead, they turned eastward, striking directly at the Central State territory of Xu, aiming for Emperor Xu’s fortifications in Northern City.

Lu Yuan did not immediately plan to eliminate Tang Kingdom.

Though it was not impossible, it held little significance.

His third Northern Expedition, from start to finish, had only one core goal: to seize the entirety of Yuzhou and unify the lands of Central State.

By now, Tang had been driven out of Yuzhou, and they had no more territory in Central State at all.

In the northern part of Jing, although there was still a vast territory and a large population,

these factors no longer held much attraction for Chu.

In terms of territory, Lu Yuan had already given up Yangzhou in his homeland, which was equivalent to several Jingzhou territories combined.

In terms of population, though the remaining twenty million people of Tang were numerous and previously could have sustained a mid-tier hegemon,

for Chu, which had just seized three counties in Yuzhou, bringing its total population to over two hundred million,

just twenty million people represented only a fraction of Chu, hardly significant at all.

Once Chu seized the remaining seven counties of Yuzhou, the population gap between Tang and Chu would widen even further.

By that time, the small population of Tang would matter even less to Lu Yuan.

A minor Jingzhou, a minor Tang Kingdom, were merely trivial profits.

Not worth the efforts and expenses of Chu’s military campaigns, nor the risk of significant casualties and depletion of supplies.

Once Chu unified the entirety of Yuzhou and Qingzhou amidst Central State, and occupied the whole region of Central State, Lu Yuan only needed to set up defenses along the Central State borders.

Enemies from east, south, west, and north would crash against these impenetrable walls on their own initiative.

And that wasn’t even necessary to wait for.

Once Central State was pacified and border defenses established, Lu Yuan could also replicate the current Xiantian Cluster Tactics.

Gathering groups of thirty to fifty idle Xiantians, he could then take care of each nation and tribe one by one.

At that time,

dealing with these disparate forces would be much easier than now.

In his four Northern Expeditions, Lu Yuan faced the circumstance of several powerful kingdoms occupying a small area.

Like Liang, Wei, and Zhao, nesting in a small part of eastern Qingzhou,

Like Liang and Xu, nestled in the central and eastern parts of Qingzhou,

Like the Four Kingdoms of Yu, nestled in the north and east of Yuzhou.

Each time he aimed to seize a piece of Central State, even if it was only five or six counties in size, Lu Yuan had to confront several hegemonic nations and engage them in wars involving millions, even tens of millions, of soldiers.

The hardships involved can only be imagined.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!