Chapter 24

Very soon, Lan Ling received a letter from this unknown fiancée.

Opening it, he found the handwriting elegant yet sharp, as if carved by a sword.

It read: "Solen, if you dare to involve me again, or dare to call me your woman, I will kill you!"

Lan Ling trembled; the content of this letter was truly overwhelming.

Immediately, Lan Ling couldn't help but feel curious and excited about this convenient fiancée of his.

At this moment, Master Shu Yan said, "Alright, let's start the class. Today's task is still a policy essay, with the topic: What is the foundation of the Anger Wave Kingdom's strength?"

As soon as he said this, everyone laughed, as this topic had been discussed to death.

Master Shu Yan continued, "For a hundred years, other countries have either declined or even been destroyed, or have stagnated. Why is it that only our Anger Wave Kingdom has become increasingly strong and shows no signs of decline?"

Immediately, a fair and delicate young man raised his hand high.

"Zhi Min, you are a member of the royal family, so you speak," said Master Shu Yan.

"Without a doubt, it is the samurai system of our Anger Wave Kingdom," Zhi Min said. "The Royal City Academy continuously supplies well-rounded samurais, supporting the most basic ruling class of the kingdom. When a country's foundation is stable, it possesses great power."

Master Shu Yan did not comment and directly called on the next student: "Duo Luo, you are a future marquis, so tell me what the foundation of our Anger Wave Kingdom's strength is?"

The obese Duo Luo stood up and said, "Of course, it is because of the wise kings of each generation. A country's strength is entirely due to its highest leader, who always illuminates our path forward."

Upon hearing this answer, many people in the room laughed, finding it a blatant flattery.

However, Lan Ling thought that this Duo Luo, though looking like a pig, had a clear mind and was definitely a smart person.

Next, Master Shu Yan asked each student in turn.

There were various answers, but they basically did not deviate from the previous scope, such as the wisdom of the king, the superiority of the samurai system, the excellence of the noble class, and the Royal City Academy's continuous supply of talent to the kingdom.

Master Shu Yan did not express any opinion, but from his slightly furrowed brows, one could see his disappointment.

Finally, he called out, "Solen, what do you think is the foundation of our Anger Wave Kingdom's strength? In the past hundred years, other countries also have samurai systems, academies, and wise kings. Why is it that only our Anger Wave Kingdom has continuously grown and rapidly risen?"

Lan Ling stood up, hesitating slightly. At this moment, he should be low-key and hide his abilities.

However, since childhood, he had been a person with a gentle exterior but a sharp interior.

He stood up, and immediately, everyone's eyes were on him, eager to hear his thoughts.

"Very simple, it's because of geopolitical factors," Lan Ling said, introducing a new term.

Immediately, Master Shu Yan's eyes lit up, and he said, "Continue."

Lan Ling said, "To the north of the Anger Wave Kingdom is the Flame Empire, and to the south are the ten-thousand-mile barbarian tribes. This special location is the fundamental reason for the Anger Wave Kingdom's continuous strength."

As soon as he said this, someone sneered, "What a joke. The Flame Empire to the north is the world's hegemon, and the barbarian tribes to the south are the most dangerous place. Such a perilous location is actually called the foundation of strength."

Lan Ling replied, "War inevitably leads to destruction, and forgetting war inevitably leads to danger. Born in adversity, one dies in comfort. Because of the perilous location of the Anger Wave Kingdom, the rulers of each generation must remain vigilant and dare not be the slightest bit negligent. The southern barbarian tribes are warlike, and to survive, the Anger Wave Kingdom must continuously strengthen itself. Who can make you strong? It is your enemy. Even a wild beast, if it has no natural enemy and food is easily available, its claws will blunt, and its fangs will degenerate. This is true for beasts, and it is also true for countries."

As soon as he said this, the room fell silent.

Master Shu Yan looked at him with admiration and said, "Finished? Is there more?"

Although he said this, he no longer expected Lan Ling to reveal deeper insights, as seeing this much was already quite difficult.

Lan Ling said, "There is more."

"Go on," Master Shu Yan said, full of anticipation.

Lan Ling said, "Because of the special geographical location, the strategic direction of the Anger Wave Kingdom has remained consistent for over a hundred years."

Master Shu Yan's eyes lit up, and he said, "Be more specific."

Lan Ling said, "To the north of the Anger Wave Kingdom is the Flame Empire, the recognized world hegemon. Before it completely declines or before the Anger Wave Kingdom becomes strong enough, it is impossible to attack it. To the east is the vast sea, and to the west is a thousand-mile desert. Therefore, the Anger Wave Kingdom has only one strategic direction, which is to continuously move south and conquer the southern barbarian tribes, turning their land into the kingdom's territory. For a country, the most terrifying thing is not a foolish king, but the lack of a clear strategic direction."

At this moment, Master Shu Yan's eyes were filled with amazement, and he excitedly said, "Continue."

Lan Ling continued, "As is well known, the kings of various countries usually change every ten to twenty years. Each generation of kings has their own ideas. One generation wants to move west, and the next generation wants to move east. This leads to confusion in direction, causing a huge waste of strategic resources, and previous efforts are in vain. The Anger Wave Kingdom has only one direction, and each generation of kings strives for this strategic direction. Although the barbarian tribes are the most dangerous enemies, and conquering the barbarian lands is the most difficult expansion method, over a hundred years of consistent effort has been enough to accumulate small gains. Over a hundred years ago, the Anger Wave Kingdom had only two provinces, but now it has six provinces, all of which were obtained by conquering the barbarian tribes. This is enough to prove my theory."

This point is not only true in the other world but also on Earth. The most terrifying thing for a country is a wrong or confused direction.

At this moment, Master Shu Yan was already extremely impressed.

He did not expect that Solen, this wasteful son, could have such profound insights, which was completely unexpected.

Therefore, he continued, "Then, in your view, what is the next strategic direction for the Anger Wave Kingdom?"

Lan Ling felt a bitter taste in his heart and said, "For the next step, I am no longer suitable to speak."

This sentence directly hit Master Shu Yan's heart.

Solen, this wasteful son, could have such wisdom?

Lan Ling's words were incomprehensible to many people in the room, but Master Shu Yan, being a strategic expert, instantly understood.

The southern campaign against the barbarian tribes has been halted for over ten years.

Why? Because the campaign against the barbarian lands has reached a bottleneck. The Ten Thousand Mountains ahead are like a natural barrier, making it difficult for the kingdom's army to advance. Without crossing the Ten Thousand Mountains, it is impossible to continue the southern campaign.

These Ten Thousand Mountains are like a barrier set by heaven, standing between the Anger Wave Kingdom and the barbarian tribes.

The only way to cross this barrier is through a valley, about several dozen miles wide.

This valley is called the Barbarian Valley, through which the army can smoothly pass into the barbarian plains.

However, the territory north of this valley does not belong to the royal family but to the noble family of the Suo clan.

The Tian Shui City of the Suo clan is strategically located between the Anger Wave Kingdom and the Barbarian Valley.

To continue the campaign against the barbarian lands, the Barbarian Valley must be captured. To capture the Barbarian Valley, Tian Shui City must be taken first.

Therefore, Prince Zhi Li is so scheming, wanting to seize Tian Shui City. His strategic direction is to use the Barbarian Valley as a breakthrough point to enter the barbarian plains and continue the southern expansion.

Master Shu Yan was amazed that Solen, this wasteful son, could see so far and so clearly.

Master Shu Yan said, "Solen, what do you think the kingdom's new strategic breakthrough point should be? Remember, the kingdom's southern expansion has already reached a bottleneck. If your strategic breakthrough point is correct, I can convey your views to the king and the cabinet."

Lan Ling felt a surge of excitement and respect for Master Shu Yan.

Prince Zhi Li wants to use Tian Shui City as a breakthrough point to enter the barbarian lands, but King Zhi Bian has not yet expressed his stance. If Lan Ling proposes a new direction, the two strategic viewpoints will form a debate within the royal family and the cabinet, which could help the Suo clan protect Tian Shui City.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "First, I think we should not use the territories of the noble lords, such as Tian Shui City, as a breakthrough point. Because the noble lord system is still the national policy of the Anger Wave Kingdom. Once we attack Tian Shui City, it will inevitably cause significant internal turmoil in the kingdom."

Master Shu Yan said, "That's true, but the kingdom must have a breakthrough point to continue the southern expansion."

Lan Ling said, "Develop the navy and directly attack the heart of the barbarian lands from the sea. And with a powerful navy, we can do more than just attack the barbarian lands."

At this moment, the classroom was already silent. This topic was too high-level, and many people could no longer participate.

This viewpoint, though unheard of, was a sudden revelation.

Master Shu Yan's heart trembled. He originally thought that Solen's proposed strategic breakthrough point would be to cross the desert and attack the Western Liang Kingdom. He did not expect that Solen would propose developing the navy to bypass the Ten Thousand Mountains and attack the heart of the barbarian lands.

This viewpoint, though unknown whether it is feasible, is indeed a very innovative and significant one.

Master Shu Yan said, "One cannot judge a person by their appearance. Although I cannot evaluate your viewpoint, I can convey it to the king and the cabinet. I believe that Duke Zhi Ting will find your viewpoint very useful."

From this statement, Lan Ling heard a lot of information.

Duke Zhi Ting, after receiving a bribe, indeed worked hard for the Suo clan and directly opposed Prince Zhi Li.

However, after Prince Zhi Li proposed his strategic direction, Duke Zhi Ting lacked a similarly high-level strategic viewpoint to counter it. He could not stop the kingdom's expansion, so Duke Zhi Ting was temporarily at a disadvantage.

After Lan Ling proposed this viewpoint, whether it was correct or not was put aside, but at least it gave Duke Zhi Ting a direction for debate.

"Thank you, Master Shu Yan," Lan Ling deeply bowed to him.

At this moment, the bell rang, and the class ended.

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