Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Kabe Bay was plundered by pirates?” About two days later, Vasu Deva I received this urgent news and looked at the scribe officer who delivered the message with a somber expression.

”Yes, Your Majesty, the pirates of the Indian Ocean have crowned their own king, the new king is called the Bell King, and his insignia is a purple-gold bell with a ghastly white skull.” The scribe officer said respectfully, not at all afraid of Vasu Deva I’s aura, unlike others.

After all, to be honest, the reason Vasu Deva I could forcibly unite the Kushan so quickly was partly due to him. Although he is now titled a scribe, in reality, he was operating as a Prime Minister.

”What are the nobles of Kachi Bay, Kabe Bay, and the West Coast doing?” Vasu Deva I coldly inquired.

”There is nothing particularly wrong with their actions. Recently, they have been doing the same things as before. The current Bell King, who has rallied the Indian Ocean pirates under his command, from the intelligence we have gathered, has truly risen in recent months, and it’s true that we didn’t pay much attention to the pirates in these months,” Zhuu Helai remarked calmly at Vasu Deva I.

”A few months, is it? It seems they used the strategy of sustaining war through war and managed to win from start to end. The plundering of Kabe Bay in the end was likely to establish their own authority, to make the pirates understand who they should follow.” Vasu Deva I said with interest.

”It seems you also guessed it,” Zhuu Helai replied, bowing his head.

”I never thought I’d have an admirer who is a pirate, and a Pirate King, no less.” Vasu Deva I smiled and said, ”First deal with the nobles of the West Coast, the pirate matter can be postponed. Though he is my admirer, someone who dares to plunder the coastal city of the West Coast needs to be taught a lesson.”

Zhuu Helai bowed his head, also believing there was no significance in prioritizing the pirates as the primary target. Precisely speaking, upon receiving the news, he felt this was a good opportunity to deal with the nobles. As for pirates, with that strong sense of déjà vu, Zhuu Helai deemed him a person worth persuading, though he had to receive a beating first.

In reality, both Zhuu Helai and Vasu Deva I were not wrong in their estimations; Gan Ning’s actions indeed had a strong semblance of Vasu Deva I. If Gan Ning were truly a Kushan person, there would be no issue with him submitting under Vasu Deva I after being defeated.

However, Gan Ning was a Han person, and the main reason for using this method was its suitability, not some admiration or imitation, so naturally there wasn’t much else to consider.

”Your Majesty, please dispatch some Navy forces to the West Coast. Even if they don’t attack, they can be used for maintaining stability. Although typically, after plundering a city, a pirate won’t appear for a long time, we still need to maintain our stance.” Zhuu Helai looked at Vasu Deva I and spoke.

”Very well, the Cecil family has also been at peace recently. Promote a junior member of their family as a commander of a unit. As for Mengg Kambu in Minagara, it’s been two years since he was sent there, and the cultivation of the heart is enough. If he ponders any longer, he might lose the vigor of youth. Fill his ranks with thirty thousand men, and appoint him as the West Sea Commander.” Vasu Deva I considered briefly before speaking.

On one hand, it was to win over the Cecil family, and on the other hand, it was also to warn the Cecil family that even without them, he had other commanders. Of course, it also contained an element of testing Mengg Kambu’s disposition.

Speaking of which, Mengg Kambu never expected to be favored by the emperor. He thought he might have to endure a few more years, waiting for the previous disturbances to pass before reappearing. He had no idea that shortly after Gan Ning left, Vasu Deva I’s decree was issued.

More importantly, this decree wasn’t issued by the Marines’ General’s Residence, but by the emperor’s imperial edict, meaning that when Mengg Kambu received this edict, he understood he had caught the emperor’s attention.

In reality, Mengg Kambu didn’t understand why he gained Vasu Deva I’s favor, only simply believing it was because he opposed the Cecil family.

In truth, there were deeper reasons, Mengg Kambu always thought that he and Qiu Lique were on the same level, just barely ranking fifth among the Cecil family.

However, in fact, Mengg Kambu underestimated himself, or rather, he didn’t realize that back then, he wasn’t opposing the young generation of the Cecil family, but the head of the Cecil family. Of course, very few people knew about this matter.

It was precisely because during that naval battle back then, Mengg Kambu opposed the head of the Cecil family that he wasn’t executed. Otherwise, due to the frivolity of youth, with the Kushan Navy opposing each other, Mengg Kambu would have been executed even if he were quite capable.

Compared with the two young people ranked among the top five in the Cecil family and likely to become the first Naval Commander of the Kushan, the first did not need any protection from Vasu Deva I, while the latter, even if not to suppress the Cecil family, Vasu Deva I would still protect them vigorously.

Of course, Mengg Kambu still did not know at the time that the head of the Cecil family was in the ship’s hold, and that the series of defenses and counterattacks were not devised by Cecil Sagri, but by the family head of the Cecil.

Although at that time when they clashed, Mengg Kambu’s many commands seemed divinely inspired, reaching another level, even so, facing the top navy commander of the Kushan, they fought until the Eastern Indian Ocean navy intervened to stop their conflict, achieving a draw, which was enough for him to be proud of.

After all, Mengg Kambu was only 26 years old then, while the Cecil family head was already 52. The age difference between the two was substantial, so when Vasu Deva I confirmed that Mengg Kambu was clashing with the head of the Cecil family, he decisively protected Mengg Kambu.

Being young is indeed an asset. Although Vasu Deva I was quite annoyed with the Cecil family, he had to admit that the Cecil family is naturally a family of Naval Commanders, with the most outstanding navy commanders of the Kushan mostly born in such a family.

Now a young man only half the age of his opponent managed to fight almost evenly with Cecil Selian, who was virtually an invincible commander of the Kushan at that time. Of course, Vasu Deva I had to protect the young man. At the age of 26, he was already this formidable, imagine at 36 how invincible he would be.

This is also why the naval battle between Mengg Kambu and Cecil Selian in the Indian Ocean, which almost reached the level of a civil war, only resulted in him being demoted to Minagara and even kept his military authority intact, just because this guy was so strong that Vasu Deva I saw the potential for an invincible commander in him.

”Haha, I didn’t expect to be released after only two years, haha, and they even supplemented me with 30 warships and twelve thousand marines, hahaha, and this is only my main force, I still need to go to Kachi Bay to receive another fleet to form the Western Sea Fleet of the Indian Ocean centered around me!” Mengg Kambu joyfully looked at the imperial edict, feeling the emperor’s generosity.

Of course, Mengg Kambu had no idea who was leading the other fleet he was to receive at Kachi Bay, but having practiced silent meditation with Gan Ning for over a year, cultivating his mind and nature for so long, nothing too outrageous occurred.

Speaking of which, if this had happened a few years ago, when Mengg Kambu had not yet successfully cultivated his mind and nature, upon seeing Cecil Sagri, he would have immediately initiated a confrontation at Kachi Bay without any regard, and with Mengg Kambu’s current capabilities, he would certainly have been able to annihilate Cecil Sagri’s forces at Kachi Bay. Fortunately, now Mengg Kambu had succeeded in cultivating his mind and nature.

Incidentally, this was also Vasu Deva I’s test for Mengg Kambu: if Mengg Kambu came to Kachi Bay and went all out upon seeing Cecil Sagri, even annihilating his forces, then Mengg Kambu would only be a last resort for use.

Even if an excellent commander, if unable to bear such hatred, then no matter how great his talent, one must still think carefully about employing him.

Of course, if Mengg Kambu annihilated Cecil Sagri’s forces, Vasu Deva I would consider it as eliminating a weakness of Mengg Kambu, allowing for more peace of mind in the future, though it wouldn’t be possible to cultivate him as the first Naval Commander anymore.

Such actions could also provide an explanation to the Cecil family that they are still the first Naval Commander of the Kushan, and Vasu Deva I would no longer suppress this family, resolving the matter.

Naturally, Vasu Deva I hoped that Mengg Kambu would not be so aggressive when the time came. Having placed Cecil Sagri under Mengg Kambu, how to handle him was Mengg Kambu’s own business. In wars, casualties aren’t anything unusual, are they?

In theory, as long as Mengg Kambu didn’t act directly, even if Cecil Sagri disappeared from the mortal world in the first battle afterward, it would be a step forward, a growth, a success in cultivating his mind and nature. Anyway, as long as he didn’t directly cause a naval battle at Kachi Bay and kill Cecil Sagri, Vasu Deva I could accept it. As to whether the Cecil family could accept it, what was that to him?

Vasu Deva I’s intention was clear: if Mengg Kambu could be developed, with no psychological weaknesses, adept in handling relationships, then there was no problem, even if in confrontation with the Cecil family.

If Mengg Kambu couldn’t be cultivated, then the Cecil family is the Cecil family. He acknowledged their status; after all, there was nothing more to say in this regard.

However, the events that followed surprised Vasu Deva I greatly. Not only did Mengg Kambu not act ruthlessly, but he didn’t even mention the past events, as if Mengg Kambu suddenly matured overnight.

Two years of cultivating mind and nature had brought Mengg Kambu to this level, making Vasu Deva I extremely satisfied. Although the relationship between Mengg Kambu and the Cecil family was somewhat cold, this was a good thing for Vasu Deva I.