Chapter 23 Large Armory

"Don't look down on the poverty of the west, it is rich in mines and earth veins, all of which are materials for forging military weapons,"

Old Uncle Qiu had been a squad leader for a few years and often heard young officers bragging. Being constantly exposed to their talks, he had a deeper understanding of the current situation than the average person.

"Imagine if three kids are fighting: one has candy in his hand, one stands in the middle, and another holds an axe. Tell me, who will win?"

"I know! The one with the axe!" Xiao Shan had been listening attentively and was finally faced with a question he could answer.

The adults couldn't help but laugh when they saw Xiao Shan eager to answer.

"Always you with the questions."

"Did I answer incorrectly?" Xiao Shan asked, puzzled.

"You're right," Old Uncle Qiu said affectionately as he patted his grandson's head and continued talking to Bai Junjun, "In my opinion, the Eldest Prince seems to be at a disadvantage on the surface, but in reality, he has the strongest military force among the three brothers. Sooner or later, the territories of Lao Er and Lao San will be swallowed by the eldest."

Even though there were only a few of them on this path, the Old Hunter still unconsciously lowered his voice when he got to this part.

Bai Junjun raised an eyebrow. So that's why the Old Hunter chose Cold City?

Does he support the Eldest Prince among these princes?

"Bah, everyone for themselves, managing their own affairs, meddlesome flies can't control anything. Who sits in that position is none of my business; I only care about who can provide me with security," he said.

This meant that his choice to go to Cold City was not because the Eldest Prince was there; had the Second Prince or Third Prince been in control of the western region, he still would have chosen Cold City.

Besides, this small path only led to Cold City.

Bai Junjun thought for a moment and realized it made sense. For the common people, what does a change in the Dragon Court matter compared to the urgency of spring plowing and farming? As long as the warfare could end, anyone could be the Emperor.

However, if Uncle Qiu's information was accurate, it would mean the Eldest Prince held a large arsenal in his hands.

In the era of cold weapons, whoever had the stronger soldiers and the sharper spears would be able to compete for supremacy over the Central Plains and seek the world.

Furthermore, from a geographical standpoint, the stronghold of the Eldest Prince was indeed easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Bai Junjun quickly reviewed the sand table of Baiju Country in her mind.

Horizontally, the Eldest Prince was located to the left of the North River in the south, the Second Prince's Old Capital City was in the middle, and the Third Prince occupied the right side.

Though it seemed like Lao Er was in an advantageous position, he was actually flanked by enemies. If the eldest and the youngest brother were to join forces against him, he would be the first to be annexed.

And though Lao San held fertile lands, his military force was clearly weaker than that of the eldest. If Lao Er were to be defeated, it was only a matter of time before the eldest swallowed him up.

But Lao Er wasn't foolish and naturally wouldn't give the eldest and the youngest an opportunity to join hands against him.

Lao San also feared that after taking down Lao Er, the eldest would settle accounts in the autumn, so he dare not easily join forces with him.

Also, the eldest couldn't press too hard, for if Lao Er and Lao San joined forces, even he wouldn't be able to handle it.

In short, the situation was such that the three were mutually wary and probing each other. Just at this moment, the Fifth Uncle from the Northern Lands and Lao Jiu started fighting.

This fight pleased the three brothers to the south, who simultaneously sounded the gold and called back their troops, watching from across the mountain as the fight unfolded.

Bai Junjun couldn't quite understand this.

In her opinion, rather than fighting with Lao Jiu, the Fifth Prince would be better off forming an alliance with him, given that three people were eyeing them eagerly from south of the North River. Internal fighting at this time didn't seem wise.

Furthermore, if the Fifth Prince really couldn't sit still and wanted to wage war, he would do better to throw fuel on the fire and provoke the three brothers into fighting, then take advantage of this deserted path to stealthily take Cold City.

The eldest, unable to pay attention to his rear, was bound to lose.

And once he swallowed up a large arsenal, he wouldn't just be a threat to his neighbor Lao Jiu, he could annihilate all of the Emperor's remaining sons.