Chapter 171 - 171 The first plan, war crisis

Chapter 171: Chapter 171 The first plan, war crisis

"Crack!"

Princess Qian You slapped the tea table, knocking over the cups, her face filled with excitement. Then, she respectfully bowed to Zhongshan and said, "Thank you very much, sir."

"I dare not." Zhongshan immediately stood up to return the gesture.

"No, this matter concerning Wushuang City has been troubling Qian You for a long time. Unexpectedly, with just a few words from the sir, many things have become clear to Qian You. Regardless of what happens to Wushuang City later, the sir's help has been invaluable to Qian You," Princess Qian You said.

Zhongshan could only nod in response. Extending his hand, he said, "Please, have a seat, Princess. The implementation of all this still requires Mr. Shui to go."

"Alright." Princess Qian You sat down, feeling a sense of relief.

However, Ada, Er, and Water Tianya continued to stare at the Go pieces on Zhongshan's tea table, looking confused.

"Mr. Zhongshan, what do you mean by this?" Water Tianya asked Zhongshan.

"Mr. Shui, after you return, you'll need to reorganize the South City and put the entire area on high alert. Spread rumors privately that the Great Yu Empire is about to attack. Strengthen the city's defenses and conduct thorough checks on everyone entering or leaving the city," Zhongshan smiled.

"The Great Yu Empire is about to attack? We just signed a ceasefire agreement at the Fangshan Conference. Wouldn't it be unwise for me to do this? If someone accuses me of provoking conflict between the two empires, then my chances of winning this election will be even slimmer," Water Tianya frowned, puzzled.

"Accuse you? Accuse you of what? You're just taking precautions. You never said the Great Yu Empire was about to attack. You're just enhancing city defenses, maintaining public order in the South City, and building Wushuang City better. Who would blame you?" Zhongshan chuckled.

"Uh?" Water Tianya thought for a moment and nodded.

"But, what's the use of this?" Water Tianya furrowed his brow.

"Because when you send people to say that the Great Yu Empire is about to attack Wushuang City and advise tightening defenses, instilling fear in the populace, Mo Baili's faction will definitely not do the same. They want to promote peace and harmony between the two empires," Zhongshan looked at Water Tianya and said.

"Why?" Water Tianya asked in confusion.

"If they follow your lead, in the eyes of the people of Wushuang City, they will appear inferior, as if Mo Baili's vision is not as far-reaching or clear as yours. In the eyes of the people, Mo Baili will be slightly inferior to you. However, I think they definitely won't follow your lead because they don't want to appear inferior, and they're also constrained by the military and the major families that originally supported Mo Baili," Zhongshan explained.

"Huh?" Mo Baili looked at Zhongshan with slight confusion.

"Mr. Shui doesn't have deep roots in Wushuang City. It's obviously too late for him to gain the support of some major families. So, he should start by winning over the hearts of the most rootless and powerless grassroot commoners," Zhongshan smiled.

"But, will the commoners really support me just by saying that the Great Yu Empire is going to attack Wushuang City?" Water Tianya asked, puzzled.

Seeing Water Tianya's confusion, Zhongshan was speechless. With things having progressed to this point, why didn't he understand?

"Mr. Shuijing, I just remembered. The atmosphere in the South City is very tense right now. The city management teams have all been mobilized, checking various major commercial areas, and security at the city gates has been tightened," Mo Baili immediately said.

Upon hearing Mo Baili's words, Mr. Shuijing waved his feather fan lightly, furrowing his brows and muttering to himself, "Princess Qian You is very clever. No, this doesn't seem like Princess Qian You's style, but, hmm, perhaps I'm mistaken."

"Shuijing, should we spread similar rumors?" Gulin immediately suggested.

"No, if we imitate Water Tianya, then in the eyes of the people, Water Tianya's influence will rapidly rise through Mo Baili. It will have a worse impact. Moreover, will the military believe it? Will the major families believe it? It will only backfire," Mr. Shuijing shook his head.

"What should we do then?" Gulin immediately asked with concern.

Looking at Gulin, Mr. Shuijing smiled and said, "Young Master, rest assured, this is just a minor disturbance. It won't amount to much. Given time, it will fade away, and no one will believe them anymore. We just need to stick to our convictions, and in this era of peace, keep telling the people of Wushuang City that there will be peace in the future, that there will be no more wars, and make the people believe that as long as Mo Baili becomes the city lord, there will never be war."

"Okay." Gulin nodded.

"Mr. Mo, do you know what to do?" Mr. Shuijing said.

"Rest assured, sir. I'll handle this matter myself," Mo Baili immediately smiled.

Another month passed.

In the backyard pond of Zhongshan's residence.

Zhongshan held a large knife and stood in the pond, slowly cutting through the water with the blade. One stroke after another. With each stroke, it seemed as if he were slicing tofu, as if the water automatically parted to let the blade pass.

Zhongshan wasn't using any energy; it was just an ordinary stroke, slowly cutting through the surface of the water.

The cuts were very slow but also very eerie, as if the water itself was parting in two.

This was Zhongshan's training regimen, wave-splitting. Of course, he hadn't reached the waves yet; he was just starting with still water. This was the third stage: slicing through the patterns of water. Water, flowing formlessly and shapelessly, how could it have patterns? But Zhongshan firmly believed it did.

And gradually, Zhongshan found a hint of a trick. With minimal force, he could split the water apart.

While Zhongshan was practicing, Princess Qian You arrived with Ada, A'er, and Water Tianya.

Seeing Princess Qian You, the servants were about to bow, but Princess Qian You waved her fan to stop them, allowing them to leave. She then led the three to a stone table on the side.

Princess Qian You sat down gently, while the three stood beside her, not daring to sit. They waited together for Zhongshan to finish his training.

Watching Zhongshan slowly immerse and withdraw the knife from the water, Water Tianya couldn't help but twitch involuntarily. He hadn't seen Zhongshan release any trace of energy. It was as if a child were playing with a radish.

Only Princess Qian You noticed. Seeing the subtle flow of water automatically parting at the blade's edge, her pupils contracted, a hint of astonishment flashing in her eyes.