Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

However, Emperor Gaozu of Liang's arrangements also had some issues.

So, Li Hongyun was using his gift of persuasive speech to analyze the situation for the Crown Prince, informing him of the dangers of remaining in River East and thus persuading him to go to Jinyang together.

After this analysis, Lord Qin realized his fourth brother's insight was far stronger than his eldest brother's.

"But...by leaving River East abruptly, aren't you making the situation in Jinyang even more dangerous?"

Obviously, there was a reason why Emperor Gaozu brought only Lord Qin to Jinyang.

With the Crown Prince and Prince Qi still in River East, it was unlikely that anyone would assume Emperor Gaozu was plotting a rebellion; but their sudden departure with families in tow sent a rather clear signal.

It might exacerbate the situation and even ruin the big plan.

Li Hongyun had, of course, thought of this too.

"No worries.

"Second brother, my coming here is precisely to assist you and father in raising an army.

"I know father hasn't made up his mind yet, and your entreaties have been fruitless. But don't worry, I have a way."

Lord Qin raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Obviously, he had never imagined his brother, who from childhood had done nothing serious besides indulging in pleasures, saying such things.

Considering Prince Qi's character, this matter seemed unreliable. However, his decisive encouragement for his eldest brother to come to Jinyang displayed a maturity and seriousness in his words that did not match his age, thus Lord Qin decided to listen.

After all, Lord Qin was young and shared more in common with his younger brother.

"Nowadays, the world is in great chaos, and father has certainly entertained the idea of raising an army. The reason Second Brother's entreaties have been fruitless is due to the complexity and difficulty in making a decision.

"Father is concerned about three things.

"First, Gao Junya and Wang Wei are the core members of the court, and if we cannot eliminate these two properly, raising an army might immediately draw the imperial forces to suppress us.

"Second, the Turkic people, eyeing us from the north, must be appeased; otherwise, it is impossible to advance south and compete for supremacy. Otherwise, the only outcome is being trapped and dying in Jinyang.

"Third, although Second Brother has also made many heroic connections, how many will actually respond when we raise an army and whether the battles will go smoothly is very uncertain.

"Thus, father hesitates and struggles to make a decision."

Lord Qin nodded, he was very familiar with the situation inside Jinyang City and understood that what his brother was saying was correct.

To think that his fifteen-year-old younger brother far in River East could have such insight was indeed surprising to him.

But what surprised him even more was yet to come.

"Hence, my persuading Eldest Brother to come here is precisely to help father make a decision.

"The current situation is now clear, and the conditions for raising an army are ripe. My and Eldest Brother's escape from River East will send a distinct signal to the outside world. If father wishes to keep it a secret, it's simply impossible now.

"So, this third concern is readily solved.

"Father might still be hesitant, but the only option now is to raise an army.

"As for the first and second points, they are also not difficult to resolve.

"Gao Junya and Wang Wei can simply be lured into a trap. But openly killing them could leave us with a bad reputation as treacherous officials.

"Thus, we can spread rumors that these two are colluding with Turkic people to invade. When the Turkic people indeed attack, we can summon them under the pretense of discussing military matters and eliminate them then. Once we fend off the Turkic attack, the people of Jinyang will surely support us, and our raising of an army would then be justified.

"Afterward, we can submit to the Turkic people, offering treasures and goods, promising that after advancing south and conquering territories, we will continue to share the spoils with them. In this way, we need not worry about the Turkic people attacking from the north; instead, we can use the strength of the Turkic people.

"Of course, as they are not of our kin, their intentions will differ; initially, we borrow the strength of the Turkic people, but once we conquer Chang'an and grow stronger, we will need to draw clear boundaries with the Turkic people."

The more Lord Qin listened, the brighter his eyes shone.

What Li Hongyun suggested was already the perfect strategy for the current situation, and with his gift of "persuasive speech," his words were very convincing.

"Conquering Chang'an?" Lord Qin keenly caught another key point.

Li Hongyun nodded, "Yes, regarding this matter, I have further plans. However, there's no delay; we should meet with father now to discuss the pros and cons."

Lord Qin immediately stood up, "Let's go!"

…

At this time, Emperor Gaozu of Liang had also met with the Crown Prince and his fifth son.

But there was no joy on his face, rather it was filled with anxiety.

"How could you rashly come here on the words of your younger brother!"

Emperor Gaozu of Liang wore a displeased expression as he rebuked the Crown Prince fiercely.

Clearly, the Crown Prince and his entourage's high-profile departure from River East to Jinyang had sent a very unfavorable message to the outside world. Many were now even more convinced of rumors that he was plotting a rebellion.

Moreover, the impact of this act was almost entirely irreversible.

Even if they were asked to return immediately to River East, it would no longer help the situation.

Just then, Li Hongyun and Lord Qin arrived.

Emperor Gaozu of Liang was furious, but he did not overly chastise Li Hongyun.

After all, Li Hongyun was only fourteen or fifteen years old, and he was the younger brother. He could give advice, but whether it was heeded ultimately depended on his elder brother.

Therefore, Emperor Gaozu of Liang clearly believed that the primary responsibility for leaving River East for Jinyang did not lie with Prince Qi, but with the Crown Prince.

At this critical juncture, Lord Qin spoke up.

He repeated the words Li Hongyun had said to him, and continued to strongly urge Emperor Gaozu of Liang to raise troops.

Emperor Gaozu of Liang would not normally consider discussing such significant issues with a fourteen-year-old son, but hearing these words from Lord Qin made a profound impact.

As he heard the strategies about luring and killing Gao Junya and Wang Wei and pacifying the Turkic people, Emperor Gaozu of Liang's eyes lit up.

Because…

This method was precisely to his liking, matching his own thoughts perfectly!

Li Hongyun could not help but secretly rejoice—how could it not match? In history, this was the strategy you came up with yourself...

Yet, at this moment, Emperor Gaozu of Liang felt the conditions for raising troops were not yet ripe, so he had not considered these issues in depth.

So, upon hearing Li Hongyun's plans, his first reaction was astonishment, followed by a realization.

They were completely in agreement!

"You just mentioned attacking Chang'an?" Emperor Gaozu of Liang looked at Li Hongyun and raised this question.

Clearly, at this moment, Emperor Gaozu of Liang finally started to take this fourteen-year-old son seriously, willing to listen.

Li Hongyun smiled slightly and continued, "Exactly, attacking Chang'an.

"The emperor is currently in the Jiangdu Palace, leaving Chang'an's defenses significantly weakened.

"And the strategic location of Chang'an is critical. From River East and Jinyang as our main bases, we can move south to conquer Chang'an and from there extend our influence throughout all of Guanzhong.

"The land of Guanzhong has the natural defense of the four fortresses and the fertile fields extending a thousand miles, through which we can threaten Bashu, reach out east to Luoyang, and guard our rear without worries.

"At that time, Father, you and my elder brother can hold Chang'an, securing our rear, while I with our second brother can lead campaigns to the north and south, expanding our territory. Thus, the whole realm may be settled!"

Lord Qin, upon hearing this, instantly perked up, "Then how do you propose we expand our territory?"

Li Hongyun continued, "First, take West River and Huoyi, subdue Song Laoseng; then from River East enter Guanzhong, open the granaries to distribute food, aid the poor, and simultaneously sweep away the bandits. The people will surely welcome us with sincere loyalty, and heroes will undoubtedly flock to our side.

"Once the momentum is built, we can then take Chang'an and establish it as our capital city.

"After that, Father should advance first to the north, then to the south, first to the west, and then to the east, cutting down the rival lords."

Emperor Gaozu of Liang puzzled, "First to the north then to the south, first to the west then to the east?"

Li Hongyun nodded, "Exactly. Right now in the northwest, there's Xue Ju, and in the north, there's Liu Wuzhou. Both men want to compete for domination over the realm, and they must cross us to do so.

"Therefore, they will surely initiate attacks.

"Especially Liu Wuzhou—once we occupy Chang'an, he will inevitably covet Jinyang. If we rashly move east to Luoyang, we would face threats from both front and rear, and our situation would become perilous.

"Therefore, it's essential to go first north then south, first west then east. Once Xue Ju and Liu Wuzhou are eliminated, we can then move east to Luoyang and attack Wang Shichong. After that, we can pacify Hebei and Jiangnan, ultimately unifying the entire realm!"

At this, Emperor Gaozu of Liang slightly frowned, "What about Li Mi?"

In the current situation, the biggest rebel was actually Li Mi, while Wang Shichong was nominally still a minister of the former dynasty.

Moreover, at this time, Wang Shichong was being severely defeated by Li Mi, suffering loss after loss.

Thus, Emperor Gaozu of Liang found it odd why this plan involved Wang Shichong but not Li Mi.

Li Hongyun slightly smiled, "Li Mi, though he commands a formidable band of rebels, suffers from heavy internal discord and is doomed to fail—hardly a concern at all."

With these words, he sounded almost like a fortune-teller.

Emperor Gaozu of Liang fell into silence, Lord Qin's eyes shone brightly, while the Crown Prince appeared a bit confused.

But Li Hongyun was confident that his words had planted seeds in their minds.