Springtime Farming: A Happy Wife At Home

Chapter 2395: Discussing Countermeasures

“That’s for the best. Thank you, Brother Xie!”

Shao Yunduan thanked Xie Jingrong with cupped hands.

He had to discuss such a significant matter with Zhang Wenshu, Jia Heming, Zheng Sangge, and the others.

In the meantime, Xie Jingrong could show General Feng and his entourage around. Seeing the situation under their rule firsthand would help reassure General Feng and the others.

When Shao Yunduan was discussing the matter with his advisors, Qiao Xuan was also present.

Everyone was already accustomed to this.

Madam Shao was undoubtedly a great wife for the lord, and she was different from the typical “virtuous woman” who only took care of her husband and children.

Madam Shao was in charge of supervising the construction of the port. The scale was huge, the design was exquisite, and the progress was orderly and fast. Everyone could see it.

Those who had been secretly waiting for her to fail had no choice but to admit defeat.

Not to mention, Madam Shao had made significant contributions to the agricultural development as well.

Everyone was excited when they heard from Shao Yunduan that an important general of the Northwest Army had come to negotiate with them.

“That’s great! The Northwest Army chose us. It would be like adding wings to a tiger!”

“This means that our lord is well-respected!”

“Does this mean we can take the initiative to attack? This war should be coming to an end!”

“Exactly!”

“…”

Everyone discussed excitedly, and their opinions were quite unanimous. They had to secure an alliance with the Northwest Army. No matter what conditions the Northwest Army proposed, they needed to be carefully considered and negotiated to reach an agreement.

Shao Yunduan said, “The Northwest Army has 300,000 soldiers and is very powerful. They will not be easily roped in by us. Think carefully: if you were them, what conditions would you propose? As the receivers, what conditions should we propose, and what can we offer them? How should we manage this alliance in the future?”

These words acted like a cold splash of water, cooling everyone’s burning enthusiasm.

Gradually, everyone calmed down. They began to think more critically and discuss the situation quietly with their colleagues.

Zhang Wenshu and Jia Heming exchanged glances. They echoed the thoughts of their peers but refrained from expressing their most pressing concerns.

The moment was not appropriate for such discussions.

Some matters needed to be addressed privately.

For example, military power.

The 300,000-strong army in the northwest was a formidable force capable of toppling a government and causing widespread chaos.

Although the lord’s younger brother was currently with the Northwest Army, he was still young and lacked a solid foundation. If the higher-ups decided to act, he might not be able to influence the situation significantly.

The same concerns applied to General Meng Wanfu.

Regardless of how the negotiations with the Northwest Army generals unfolded, controlling military power in the future would be a central issue.

The Northwest Army might be reluctant to relinquish their power, but their lord could not afford to ignore the need for restraint. The risks of not doing so were too significant. Even if there were no immediate issues, what about in the future?

After discussing for half a day and raising numerous questions—mainly about grain supplies, the recruitment of soldiers, and changes in the positions of generals once the two sides merged—Shao Yunduan asked everyone to leave and reflect on the matter. They would reconvene the next day.

Zhang Wenshu and Jia Heming requested a meeting with him in the afternoon.

Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had also discussed the issue of military power the previous night. As Zhang Wenshu had pointed out, once an agreement on this issue was reached, other concerns would likely fall into place.