When the time came, the Mo Family would also suffer from the ravages of war.
Instead of waiting to be slaughtered when the Barbarians attacked Yun City, it would be better for them to come and prepare for the defense in advance.
This way, not only would they guard their own homes, but the surrounding civilians would also be spared from the suffering of war.
Of course, the Mo Family brothers wouldn't lead their men to openly engage the Barbarians at the border, but mainly because their current status was quite special and they didn't want to draw too much attention.
When He Zhiran initially proposed that Mo Jiuye accept the request from the court to become the King of Defending the West and be granted a fief, he had asked Mo Jiuye if he needed to consult his family.
Mo Jiuye directly told him there was no need for consultation, as he could make the decision himself.
He Zhiran found it a bit strange, as Mo Jiuye wasn't the kind of person to act arbitrarily. Although the Mo Family members supported him taking charge, for such a significant matter, he should at least show some respect to his father, even if he didn't consult his elder brothers.
Now she understood clearly that Mo Jiuye knew his family members' temperaments too well.
He had already guessed that there would be war in the northwest, and they wouldn't stand idly by.
Instead of letting the Mo Family contribute anonymously, it would be better to do it openly and properly.
Especially since they had suggested to Nan Yu that the northwest should be their fief, which was undoubtedly a great temptation not only for He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye, but for the entire Mo Family as well.
The Imperial edict would soon reach Xi Ling Village, and although Mo Jiuye was certain his family would accept it, it was still necessary to give them advance notice.
"Second Brother, Third Brother, when I arrived in the capital, Emperor Shunwu had already been controlled by the Empress's faction..."
Mo Jiuye knew the situation in the capital was also a matter of concern for his two elder brothers, so he recounted in detail the events that had occurred there. Of course, he also mentioned that he had agreed to become the King of Defending the West for Nan Yu.
Initially, when the Second and Third Brothers heard about the fate of the Xue Family, especially that Mo Jiuye had personally punished several of the main culprits, they were itching for revenge, regretting that they hadn't been determined enough to accompany him to the capital. That way, they would have had the opportunity to slay their enemies with their own hands.
Later, when Mo Jiuye mentioned that the Imperial edict granting him the title of King of Defending the West would soon arrive, the two brothers were somewhat surprised.
Along with the surprise, there was an inexplicable excitement in their hearts.
This news was indeed shocking for the two brothers. After a long pause, the Second Brother finally asked:
"Ninth Brother, can the northwest really be granted as a fief?" He shared the same understanding as Mo Jiuye – in the Da Shun Dynasty, not only were there no precedents of enfeoffing those from other surnames, but even the princes with royal bloodlines had never received such treatment. It was no wonder he had such doubts.
"I had already completely lost faith in the court. If it weren't for Nan Yu agreeing to grant me the northwest as a fief, I would not have accepted his request.
Now that the Barbarians are invading on a large scale, it is estimated that it won't be long before the southern regions also send troops. At that time, the Da Shun Dynasty will be caught between two fronts, attacked from both sides.
Since my ancestors, the Mo Family has taken on the responsibility of defending the nation's territory. Although we have become completely disillusioned with the court, when faced with such a situation, we still cannot remain indifferent.
Instead of secretly ambushing and attacking the Barbarians like the Second and Third Brothers are doing, it's better to do it openly and above board.
Especially with the northwest as our fief – on the surface, it appears to be the most barren region of Da Shun, but as everyone saw during the autumn harvest this year, the crops we planted were highly productive. Not to mention, He Zhiran still has many money-making methods at her disposal.
If it weren't for the Empress's faction keeping a close watch on the Mo Family, causing us to be unable to live in peace, we would probably have already established many profitable industries.
The saying 'A tall tree catches much wind' is well known to all. We may have the ability and intelligence, but the troubles caused by our business endeavors are not worth it. But with the title of King and a fief, it would be different.
We can openly develop industries and openly raise troops.
There would also be no need to hide the fact that my father and brothers have been resurrected."
In short, Mo Jiuye's reasoning was sound and logical, and becoming the King of Defending the West with a fief had only advantages and no drawbacks.
The Second and Third Brothers didn't oppose Mo Jiuye's decision in the first place, and after hearing his explanation, they were even more approving.
"Ninth Brother, you and your wife are indeed perceptive, able to analyze the pros and cons of this matter so thoroughly," the Third Brother said, making no effort to conceal his admiration for the couple.
Having his family's support for this decision was expected by Mo Jiuye. He had explained at length not because he had made the decision arbitrarily without consulting them, but to let them know.
Having encountered his two elder brothers here, Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran didn't need to go further into the border region to investigate the situation regarding the war. The two brothers must have already conducted a thorough investigation.
The Barbarians' army of 100,000 had already been camped near the border for half a month, but for some unknown reason, they had yet to launch a large-scale attack.
However, they weren't completely inactive, just engaging in small-scale harassment.
Although it was only harassment, the sheer number of Barbarians overwhelmed the 20,000 Da Shun soldiers guarding the border, resulting in numerous casualties.
It was for this reason that the two Mo Brothers had led their men to lie in ambush here, and the Second Brother had even secretly gathered intelligence from the Barbarian side.
The reason the Barbarians hadn't launched a large-scale attack was surprisingly due to a lack of rations and fodder.
But thinking about it, it wasn't strange at all – the land in the northwest was barren, and the Barbarians' situation was even worse, so naturally they wouldn't have much in the way of food reserves. Otherwise, the Barbarian civilians wouldn't have banded together to come and plunder in Da Shun.
Fortunately, the heavens had been generous this year, and they had made it through with favorable winds and rains.
Moreover, it was currently the harvest season, and undoubtedly, the Barbarians planned to wait until after the crops were harvested, gather the provisions, and send them to the border before attacking Da Shun's soldiers once they were well-fed.
It was for this reason that the Western Border leaders had time to request reinforcements from the court.
However, the journey from the Western Border to the capital was long and arduous, and it was estimated that the messenger had only just arrived.
Fortunately, Little White had delivered the message, otherwise even if Emperor Shunwu received the news in the coming days, he would have been caught unprepared.
After understanding the situation here, Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran had no intention of lingering.
After all, their main purpose for rushing back this time was to receive the Imperial edict conferring the title of King.
Given the current circumstances, although the Barbarians had no immediate plans for a large-scale invasion, such matters were unpredictable. What if their rations and fodder arrived today? Would they not launch an attack immediately?
With the defensive forces of the Western Border, they would likely be unable to stop a massive Barbarian invasion. It was indeed necessary for the Second and Third Brothers to remain here with their men.
