505 A Mad Marshal! (1/2)
Yun Yang looked at Fu Baoguo. ”On that account, Marshal Fu, you are purely a militant in nature but Han Sanhe, other than being a most remarkable militant himself, was also an incredibly sharp politician. He was able to utilize his death so beneficially, it is as impressive as it is frightening!”
Fu Baoguo chuckled bitterly. ”How could I ever be as thoughtful as Young Master Yun? The only thought that I had is that we're both militants and he's a military legend who's worthy of respect. I knew I had to help him, even if I had to carry the blame, I'd be willing to do it!”
He turned and stared into Yun Yang's eyes, saying, ”I'll personally explain this to His Majesty. I take full responsibility for what happened.”
Yun Yang asked, ”Is Marshal Fu afraid that I'd snitch on you to His Majesty? It would seem that what Han Sanhe's mentioned about me being a royal descendant could subtly instigating us, huh? Haha!” Yun Yang laughed, ”Marshal Fu doesn't really like me anyway and now that I have the identity of being an aristocrat, my position is even more delicate, isn't it?” finished Yun Yang with a smile.
Fu Baoguo was embarrassed, quickly replying, ”No no, not at all. Young Master Yun, you think too much…”
Yun Yang chortled before lowering his voice and saying, ”Marshal Fu, I think it's fine for us to end our conversation here. This delicate subtlety remains known only between you, me, and the heaven and earth in this world. Dongxuan's military resents you to their core because you've forced Han Sanhe to his death regardless of what actually took place. So let us not burden ourselves with more trouble.”
Fu Baoguo appraised Yun Yang seriously as if seeing him for the first time. Yun Yang smiled genuinely and continued, ”Marshal Fu, some things are better off not exposed and kept hidden as they are. You have to know, no matter how open an emperor is, there will always be suspicion lingering in their heart; no matter how impartial an imperial court is, a bias will still exist – especially when it relates to a massive benefit. How often is it when one has to do something when one knows he shouldn't and he can't…?”
”Right…” Fu Baoguo let out a soft sigh.
Yun Yang added, ”As for me, I'm only a marquis' young master. Even if I'm of royal blood, it's impossible I'll be recognized by the imperials in this lifetime, so naturally, I won't be partaking in the hegemony of the cake. In fact, with my cultivation base level as it is, such worldly profit is worth nothing in my eyes. Do I sound too arrogant speaking like this? Haha” he laughed again.
Fu Baoguo could not help but grin, ”It's arrogant indeed but more of it leans toward the side of truth.”
After a moment of thinking, Fu Baoguo concluded, ”If so, then I shall keep this matter to myself. No one would believe me if I told them anyway.”
Yun Yang, who already understood this, agreed immediately, ”Exactly. I'll keep it to myself too. But when Marshal Fu returns to the capital to give your report, you'll have to buy me a drink.”
”Not a problem,” Fu Baoguo replied, ”I'll get some men to dig a big pond, fill it with wine, and then prepare lots of meat. You can have it all to yourself. I've heard of Young Master Yun's past reputation and I'm not afraid of your appetite.” Fu Baoguo laughed.
Yun Yang guffawed, ”The legendary wine pool and meat forest? You better promise!”
”A promise it is!”
Both of them then urged their horses to turn around and go back.
”The war comes to a close here,” Yun Yang mused out loud, ”By the looks of it, I believe Dongxuan will hardly be able to engage in large-scale warfare for at least three years. What will become of Marshal Fu after this?” asked Yun Yang.
”I've promised Lord Supreme Cloud that I will guard the Fortress of Resilience with my life,” Fu Baoguo said in veneration. ”Now that the original Fortress of Resilience is destroyed, I plan to gather more manpower and build another fortress that will be stronger and more resilient than the previous Fortress of Resilience within two year's time. The eastern border won't be disturbed for a period of time so this should be achievable.”
”I have to say, the Fortress of Resilience was utterly ruined this time, all the way to its foundations. Because of this, it's actually more convenient for me to restructure the entire thing from scratch.”
Fu Baoguo became more animated as he spoke, ”Even if war were to come upon us two or three years down the road, Dongxuan will know that this new resilient fort is not something they'll be able to breach so easily. The world's most indestructible fortress still lies before them.”
”Wrong,” Yun Yang said quietly.
”Wrong?” Fu Baoguo asked in surprise.
”Marshal Fu's thinking is too conservative. The existence of the old Fortress of Resilience was to defend against Dongxuan, no doubts about it – because Dongxuan had the world's top army and it was under the command of the world's top marshal. It would thus be prudent to prioritize defense whilst facing an enemy with such a strong combination,” said Yun Yang.
”But after today, Dongxuan doesn't have the aforementioned advantages anymore. Especially now that Han Sanhe is no longer in control, Dongxuan's imperial court will be absolute chaos reflecting the internal struggle between the civil institutions and military.”
Yun Yang continued calmly, ”Therefore, the cons have already outweighed the pros. Your efficacy will be very limited if you merely intend to guard the land and rebuild the Fortress of Resilience. Instead, I'd suggest for Marshal Fu to remodel the new Fortress of Resilience into a fort that focuses mainly on attack rather than defense.”
”From now on, Yutang is not a country for others to simply oppress or invade. The basic stratagem has shifted from defense to attack.”