The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 364 Father, Let’s Make a Bet

"Fu'er, your father wants to go out to sea, pass through Tamra and then go to Goryeo. What do you think?" Murong Bo looked at the scriptures in front of him and his son who was working hard to perfect the 72 Shaolin skills, and suddenly asked for advice.

Murong Fu paused for a moment with the wolf-hair brush in his hand. He looked up to meet his parents' differing gazes, and he let out a long sigh, "Does father want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"What about the truth? What about lies?" Murong Bo looked at his son with a smile, quietly waiting for his explanation.

"The lie is that I don't agree with Father going out to sea now." Murong Fu said seriously, "Father faked his own death to escape for the sake of our ancestors' cause. He's been missing for twenty years, and he feels deeply indebted to Mother. Furthermore, he himself has suffered injuries from recklessly learning so many unique skills. I'm worried about Father's health until the hidden dangers are completely eliminated. This is a lie!"

Murong Bo narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and asked, "So what's the truth?"

"The truth is, if Father wants to go to sea, I have no objection. If I could take Mother across the ocean to Tamra and cultivate ourselves amidst the beautiful scenery, I would fully support it. If Father wants to go to Goryeo, I personally think it's too early."

Murong Fu's expression straightened as he said, "I understand your father's anxiety, but supporting Great Yan is a long and arduous task. One misstep could lead to ruin. Any hasty risk should be avoided as much as possible."

"My strategy of ten years to build the foundation, ten years to erode, and thirty years to establish the nation is a bit conservative, but it's prudent. We now have control over 30% of Goryeo's remote territory. The next step is to continue infiltrating and seizing control of Goryeo. This process cannot be rushed. First, we must not expose ourselves. We need to seize power by posing as a remote, insurgent native of Goryeo or a down-and-out aristocratic family from the countryside. Otherwise, there will be a massive backlash. Second, we must not alert the Liao and Song. If they knew the Murong family was behind this, it would be a huge blow to us, and we might even be unable to continue to grow and develop with the help of the Central Plains."

Murong Fu's prediction was accurate. "I'd rather lose all of the Goryeo forces than lose the Central Plains, this huge logistical base. Losing the Goryeo forces will allow us to make a comeback, but losing the Central Plains' support is like losing a leg. All we have left is to quietly develop in the bitter cold of the northern grasslands."

"In my opinion, my Murong family's foundation in Taihu Lake is first, Jeju Island's Tamra Kingdom is second, and the northern grasslands are third. Even so, Goryeo is still very important. It is a place that must be fought for to connect the north and the south. We should slowly and repeatedly strive for it."

"The Taihu Lake foundation is where the Murong clan's roots are. It's where our food, fodder, soldiers, and talents come from. If we lose it, we will inevitably become barbarians outside the territory. The cause of restoring our nation may not be delayed for long, but governance will inevitably be insufficient, and the future will also be full of difficulties."

"Tamra was the ideal transit point in the early days of the nation, a testing ground for governance. Today, Jeju Island's Tamra has taken shape, boasting a full complement of civil and military officials, as well as government offices. While small, it possesses all the necessary facilities. Furthermore, its geographical location offers excellent communication with Song and Goryeo. If Jeju Island were lost, not only would our wealth and goods be lost, but our support for Goryeo and the regions beyond the Great Wall would instantly decrease by 60%. Compared to land routes, our exchange of supplies with Goryeo and the grasslands beyond the Great Wall is more convenient, faster, and more abundant."

"There's enormous room for development beyond the Great Wall. Although it's bitterly cold, it has limitless potential. It's home to fine horses, cattle, sheep, and cavalry. It's the most important gathering place for the Great Yan State's troops and the best training ground. This place will be crucial for the Great Yan State's ability to dominate other nations in the future."

"And Goryeo is merely a necessary link between the north and the south. While it may seem to block the grasslands beyond the Great Wall from the Central Plains and Jeju Island's Tamra Kingdom, it's actually not that important. A forced attack isn't impossible, but it would expose us. The Murong family isn't strong enough to stand up openly right now. Failure would inevitably delay the progress of the nation-building process."

Murong Fu said earnestly, "Father, seeing the great situation of restoring the nation, is anxious. I understand that haste makes waste. Eat as much as your appetite allows. My Murong family is not yet strong enough. If we want to swallow up the entire Goryeo without bloating ourselves, we must take it step by step. If you're interested, why not discuss the situation in Goryeo with me?"

Murong Bo's mouth twitched slightly when he heard this, but he finally agreed. However, this time he asked his wife, Madam Murong, to fight against his son together. As a result, they won two out of three games and conquered Goryeo, but they exposed Jeju Island's Tamra Kingdom and Gusu Murong clan.

However, as he continued to deduce, he found that there was a great possibility that he would lose his base in the northern grasslands and have Jeju Island captured by the Song Dynasty navy, lose control of Taihu Lake, and even the talent base of Gusu College would be destroyed. This was something Murong Bo absolutely could not accept.

It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. After seeing the benefits of Gusu Academy in cultivating and supplying talents, how could Murong Bo accept going back to the past when it had only cultivated less than a dozen talented people for decades or even hundreds of years?

Now Gusu College trains various professionals, Murong Fu trains executive officials, Feng Bo'e trains generals and captains, and sends at least three-digit talents to Jeju Island, Tamra Kingdom, Goryeo, and the outside of the Great Wall every year. One tenth of them are elites, which is equivalent to the number of people in the past ten, twenty or even more in one year.

It was precisely because of this that Murong Bo's ambition was aroused. He wanted to take over Goryeo as soon as possible. By then, he would be connected to the grasslands outside the Great Wall in the north and the Tamra Kingdom in Jeju Island in the south, which would be enough to set up the framework of the Great Yan Kingdom. In addition, even if the Murong family and Gusu Academy were hiding in the dark, even if they died immediately, he could still say loudly that he did not let his ancestors down when he met them in the afterlife.

At the same time, he still had a little selfish desire deep in his heart. If he could establish a country within ten years, he might have the possibility of ascending to the supreme throne. Although he would eventually pass the throne to Fu'er, if he became the emperor, he would become the first emperor, which would be enough to leave his name in history.

"Father, no matter how much I say, I'm afraid it won't be enough to touch your passionate heart. So..." Murong Fu said with a faint smile, "Let's make a bet. I'll choose a suitable remote county, disguise you as the county magistrate, and assign you a few trusted aides. If you can govern the county well, I'll stop interfering with your actions and provide you with the utmost assistance. How about that?"

Murong Bo's spirits lifted when he heard this. "A word is a promise, but father doesn't believe it. What a child like you can do easily, I can't do well even if I give my all."

"I'm waiting to see you, my father, show off your skills! But please be careful, and don't reveal your identity."

"It's for my father's sake."

"I've prepared three thousand taels of silver, ten guards, and two maids for you. The students at Gusu College are all out in the open, so it's hard to lend them to you. The merchant caravans have no such restrictions, and with the addition of two merchant groups, is there anything else you need?"

"Well, if possible, it would be best if Madam could come with me. You and I have been separated for over twenty years, and I, your husband, would like to spend more time with you."

"Haha, father, mother is so talented, isn't it a waste for her to be just a county magistrate's wife? The two maids I assigned to you may be a little old, but they are good housekeepers and are proficient in mathematics. Mother, the pillar of the Murong family, I'm afraid it will be difficult for her to stay out of sight for a long time."

Madam Murong glanced at her son and said, "Fu'er, I've been separated from your father for a long time, and I want to stay by his side to take care of him. What you said makes sense. How about spending half of the year with your father and the other half at Taihu Lake? We can't let your father lose so badly."

Murong Bo: Madam, are you so confident in me that you are sure that I will lose?

Madam Murong: "Master, since ten years ago, I have never seen Fu'er lose a bet. We all know that Fu'er manages a county with ease, even when he's away for most of the time, and still maintains order. But looking at the entire Song Dynasty, how many county magistrates can truly govern a place well? Master, if you hold yourself to the same standards as your son, you will inevitably lose miserably. Even with my help, it's highly likely you won't succeed. In the end, you can only hope to meet the minimum standard and not lose."

Murong Fu: Today's series of disappointing tasks are finally completed. I don't know if it's my illusion, but I always feel that the tasks in the past two years have become much simpler, as if someone deliberately made it easier for me to complete them. It's just that the difficulty of the task has decreased, and the resentment value reduced has also decreased accordingly.

This is very reasonable! But reasonable does not mean there are no secrets. Murong Fu was slightly distracted.