Chapter 621 – Urgent News from Chenzhou, Rally for the Emperor
Winter’s starting a war?
Feng Gui nearly thought his ears were playing tricks on him upon hearing this news.
He discreetly asked Feng Jin, “It’s the dead of winter, and nearing the festival. To stir up warfare now is surely…”
Feng Gui swallowed the rest of his words, but Feng Jin already grasped what his brother meant.
With a long sigh, Feng Jin helplessly remarked, “The Emperor’s decree calls for everyone to rally for the throne. As subjects, we cannot go against His Majesty’s will. However, if we comply with the summons and rally, all of our efforts could go to waste. If the Red Lotus Sect’s malignant presence isn’t eradicated, the citizens of Wanzhou won’t find peace. To strike a balance, we have no choice but to take up arms now in hopes of a swift resolution, freeing up soldiers to head to Chenzhou and respond to the decree.”
Even while addressing his brother, Feng Jin spoke beautifully.
Jiang Pengji’s decision to wage war in winter wasn’t for greed or territorial expansion; it was for the good of the people of Wanzhou, driven by a genuine love for her homeland, searching for valuable ministers amidst the challenges in Dongqing!
As for the truth behind it all, well, they knew it all too well in their hearts.
A faint smile curled at the corners of Feng Gui’s lips, laced with sarcasm, “Rallying for the Emperor…”
For the Dongqing royal family, whether the rally succeeded or failed, the unavoidable truth was that their impending doom couldn’t be reversed.
Could a dynasty so far gone continue to persist?
Who knows, will this rally keep the royal family hanging on by a thread, or will it hasten their demise?
Feng Jin frowned, deep in thought, “Our lord had no choice here. If not for the arbitrary call for a rally, our lord should have been planning to retake Chengde County after spring plowing. Now, we must act sooner than expected and gamble with our chances.”
Feng Gui pondered for a moment, then asked tentatively, “Hua Yu, how confident are you that Liu Lanting will come through?”
If they won, the power of Jiang Pengji would expand once more, and she could then deal with the local gentry of Shangyang County, fully controlling Wanzhou.
But if they lost, the local gentry there might cause trouble, creating some small inconveniences.
People naturally seek higher ground, just as water flows downwards.
For a noble clan to last a hundred or thousand years, it takes not only solid family values but also precise “investments” and “alliances” time and time again.
If those gentry can’t see a future, Jiang Pengji better watch out for knives in the dark.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a certainty, but I’d say there’s a ninety percent chance.” Feng Jin waved a sleeve and brewed tea, as the two brothers sat across from each other, casually discussing matters of state over tea and wine. “Though this situation came upon us suddenly, our lord has always favored early preparation. This year’s autumn harvest was quite good, and the granaries are already filled with grain. The army is well-supplied, the horses are strong, and the soldiers have undergone thorough training, making them resilient to the cold. Compared to the Red Lotus Sect, which is simply a ragtag bunch, the comparison is stark; as long as our lord doesn’t destroy her own defenses, we shall undoubtedly win.”
Feng Gui inhaled sharply upon hearing the first sentence.
Even if he were a reincarnated war god, he wouldn’t dare claim that the odds of winning a battle were so high; after all, warfare relies heavily on factors like timing, terrain, and morale.
However, after listening to Feng Jin’s analysis, Feng Gui began to see where his brother’s confidence originated.
“Looks like I’ve underestimated Liu Lanting…”
Feng Gui and Feng Jin sat across from each other enjoying their tea, as the kettle subtly bubbled, emitting warm steam.
They fell into a silence for a while.
Feng Jin broke the frozen atmosphere.
“This rallying for the Emperor will surely attract many heroes of Dongqing. Brother, why not join the fun?”
With Nan Sheng’s fall and Dongqing’s sunset, Zhong Zhao was also starting to decline. With Beiyuan and Xichang being consistently chaotic, the world had already been dragged into a vortex of war. Unless a worthy leader emerged to unify the realm, the scene of the Sixteen Kingdoms’ unrest would surely repeat.
The Feng family wanted to endure through the ages, and they had to take the plunge and compete.
While thousand-year-old families existed, a thousand-year-old royal lineage did not. The Feng family had no interest in that seat of power and continued to pursue a supportive path.
As the eldest son, no matter his wishes, Feng Gui had to choose a potential candidate as the lord.
Now, with the rallying, all noteworthy heroes would gather in one place; wouldn’t Feng Gui want to join in on the excitement?
With a hint of coldness in his eyes, Feng Gui spoke in a soft tone, “Looking at the situation in Dongqing, the only noteworthy forces are just a few, with the largest being Liu Zhi and his father. The rest are minor players, either overambitious or lacking luck and depth, at best just stirring things up in their own backyards… From my perspective, they can hardly achieve anything significant. Going or not going holds little meaning.”
There’s an old saying: don’t go dumpster diving for a boyfriend.
If it were Feng Gui, he wouldn’t even consider picking a leader amongst a bunch of lowly lesser figures.
To put it bluntly, aside from a select few, those forces are not even worth his consideration.
The world is vast, why confine the selection to the small Dongqing?
Feng Jin actually agreed with his brother’s perspective on this.
In this era, warfare isn’t as easy as it appears, and the preparations before battle are quite cumbersome.
Jiang Pengji sent her orders to Fengyi County and had her contacts quietly reach out to An Huan, checking on the progress over there.
She had thought they could take a break during the festival, but everyone was too naive.
Qi Guanrang and others received this news, convinced they hadn’t slept enough that morning and were imagining things.
Xu Ke and the others passed the letters around; Jiang Pengji clearly explained in her letter that this battle was inevitable, whether they liked it or not.
Yang Si scoffed, “What a tiresome affair.”
Who in their right mind starts a war during the festival?
Xu Ke knew Yang Si had been on edge lately; after all, the political affairs of Cheng’an County rested largely on Yang Si’s shoulders.
The kitchen supplied four or five meals a day, but Yang Si’s newly plump physique was still visibly shrinking at an alarming rate. Busy, busy, busy!
Qi Guanrang said, “Let’s first gather a few captains and discuss matters, and we should confirm the soldiers to be dispatched quickly.”
Xu Ke handled logistics, and it was primarily him managing the food supplies already set in place for the warfare.
Looking at the letter Jiang Pengji sent, it was clear she wasn’t asking for their opinions; she was merely notifying them of a fact.
As her trusted aides, all they could do was try their best to prepare for what lay ahead.
Yang Si sighed deeply and rolled his eyes covertly.
While Qi Guanrang and Xu Ke were preoccupied with war preparations, that meant a significant portion of the governance in Fengyi County would pile onto his shoulders.
This was the rhythm of working himself to death.
“For a meal, he’s risking his life; your lord is really something—”
Yang Si rolled his eyes dramatically. The stack of official documents on his desk had already reached great heights, casting shadows dark enough to envelop him.
The book boy had been conscripted as a strongman by Yang Si, and from his initial stumbles, he now managed the governance with remarkable proficiency—who knew the hardships involved?
He struggled to carry a huge stack of bamboo slips over, letting them crash down with a thud beside the desk, panting heavily as he leaned on the slips.
Once he caught his breath, the book boy was filled with righteous indignation.
