Chapter 206: 206
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"Lord Sun, we will be in Lan Province territory as soon as we pass through here . This is as far as we can escort you . If we continue to proceed, the Gan Province army will be entering Lan Province without permission and hence violating our military orders . I hope you will understand this, sir!"
"Thank you for your hard work, Commandant Guo and soldiers . . . !"
"It is our honor to be given the opportunity to escort you, sir!"
Three hours after leaving Shizhai County, Yan Liqiang and the rest finally arrived at the border between Gan Province and Lan Province . With that, the cavalry who escorted them all the way here had also completed their mission .
The Battalion Commandant leading the six hundred cavalry was a military officer from the Guo Clan; he was a man who was serious in both speech and manner with a head full of thick hair and a thick beard . He bid his farewell to Sun Bingchen at the border of the two provinces .
Yan Liqiang was currently beside Sun Bingchen . While watching him speak to the military officer, his eyes were also scanning the surroundings .
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The only word which could describe everything as far as his eyes could see was the word, 'desolated' .
The area was filled with only hills of grayish-brown rocks . Below the hills was a dried up riverbed with a few Euphrates Poplar trees standing obstinately at the side of the river . There was a weather-beaten boundary stone right beside them with three barely legible words, 'Gan Province Border', inscribed on it . . .
The eagles and vultures in the skies were still flying around in circles . Yan Liqiang had been carefully observing the flying beasts during the entire journey while keeping the feeling he sensed in check . He wanted to find out if that feeling of being spied on had any direct connection to those flying beasts . What baffled Yan Liqiang was the fact that after the feeling of being spied on vanished, there didn't seem to be any changes in the flying beasts in the skies .
This situation made Yan Liqiang extremely gloomy . He even suspected that he was being oversensitive .
After exchanging a few more words, Commandant Guo cupped his fists to Sun Bingchen before he turned his steed around and whistled . "Let's go, brothers!"
Crashing noises like a furious storm soon rang out . The six hundred cavalry turned their steeds around and galloped back in the direction where Yan Liqiang and the party had come from alongside the thundering sounds of the iron hooves . In just a flash, they vanished behind a hill .
. . .
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"Sir, I will go scout ahead…" Liang Yijie immediately informed Sun Bingchen as soon as the cavalry left .
"Alright, go!" Sun Bingchen nodded to him .
Liang Yijie raised his hand and led four guards on their rhinodrake steeds to run ahead on the road first, leaving Sun Bingchen, Yan Liqiang, the remaining people, and carriages to slowly follow from behind . Before this, not only were they under the protection of six hundred cavalry, they were also in Gan Province . Therefore, the entire journey had been smooth and it was unlikely for them to run into any problems . However, now that they had made it into Lan Province, they couldn't afford to be reckless on the road .
Although the party had gone into Lan Province territory, they were surrounded by mountain ridges . There was no public road beneath their feet, only the dirt road formed by old carriage tracks which stretched on endlessly . Yan Liqiang could clearly sense Sun Bingchen and the rest becoming more alert after making into Lan Province territory . Quite a number of guards in the party already had their bows, which were originally hanging from their saddles, in their hands . Yan Liqiang secretly also put on his guard .
"Liqiang, do you know why the population of Gan Province is still higher than Lan Province's, and why its cities also thrived better than those in Lan Province, despite being a border province?" Sun Bingchen threw a glance at Yan Liqiang, who was riding behind him, and asked him a question .
When Yan Liqiang heard Sun Bingchen's question, he shook his reins to let Snowstorm Cloud trot forward a few more steps . He was only half a steed's head behind Sun Bingchen to make it easier for him to answer his question .
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He took only a brief moment to compose his answer before he replied, "I heard from my teacher back at the martial arts academy that Gan Province thrived better than Lan Province because the imperial court made great efforts to migrate huge amount of the population from different provinces to Gan Province over the past centuries for the sake of fortifying its border . With the water from the melted snow on Mount Qiyun, Gan Province is rich in natural resources and has abundant water resources . In addition to the usual trades between the Shatu Seven Tribes and the Dark Ram Tribe, this is why Gan Province is thriving better than Lan Province despite being a border province!"
"Indeed, it is exactly as what you have said, Liqiang!" Sun Bingchen smiled and gave Yan Liqiang an impressed look . "Well then, do you think Shatu Seven Tribes are doing more good or more harm to the Great Han Empire?"
"The affairs of the nation will naturally be handled by everyone in the imperial court and you, sir . How can my extremely shallow and crude knowledge possibly be worthy of being compared to yours, sir?" Yan Liqiang scratched his head with a smile and played dumb .
"I know you definitely have your own opinion about this matter if you are acting this timid and overcautious, Liqiang!" Sun Bingchen was able to immediately see through Yan Liqiang's thoughts . "This is just a casual chat between us today . Just speak your mind without any fear . I won't blame you for anything even if you make any mistakes!"
Seeing that there was no way for him to evade this question, Yan Liqiang could only smile wryly as he voiced his opinion . "Whether the Shatu Seven Tribes are doing more good or more harm to us, it all depends on our situation . If the Great Han Empire remains powerful and prosperous, the Shatu Seven Tribes will definitely stay obediently on our west and will act as the barrier between us and the Dark Ram Tribe . However, if something were to happen internally, say for example if the Great Han Empire suffers from civil unrest or encounters any unpredictable events in the future, the Shatu Seven Tribes will definitely become cancerous to all the northwestern provinces of the Great Han Empire at the first signs of weakness and turn against us! By then, calamities will befall the northwestern provinces and their citizens will plunge into misery and suffering!"
As soon as Yan Liqiang finished speaking, he realized Sun Bingchen's gaze had turned complex . It seemed to be filled with admiration, but at the same time, it seemed like there was something else hidden behind it .
"But since the Shatu Seven Tribes have already settled down at the northwestern side now, nothing can be changed . How do you suppose we should handle these Shatu people, Liqiang?"
"Do you really want me to say it, sir?"
"Why not?"
Yan Liqiang clenched his teeth . "Before the Great Han Empire shows any signs of weaknesses, it is better to strike first and gain the upper hand . Exploit the conflict between the Shatu Seven Tribes and the Dark Ram Tribe . Cooperate with them to eradicate Shatu Seven Tribes once and for all by attacking them from both sides, or at least damage them so heavily that they won't be able to recover in a century, and force them to retreat to the desert!"
"The conflict between the Great Han Empire and the Dark Ram Tribe isn't any smaller than the conflict between Shatu Seven Tribes and them . What will make the Dark Ram Tribe cooperate with us?"
"Promise the Dark Ram Tribe that the grasslands, which are currently occupied by the Shatu Seven Tribes, will be theirs . They will definitely agree to cooperate with us given how short-sighted they are!"
"What's the point in chasing away the Shatu Seven Tribes?"
"Chasing away the Shatu Seven Tribes and then finding a good opportunity to recover those grasslands occupied by the Dark Ram Tribe will be significantly easier than directly recovering them from the Shatu Seven Tribes…"