Chapter 653 – Unifying Wanzhou (6)
The Scholar, while not the brightest, certainly had his moments of clarity.
“I just need some peace… This matter… there’s a trick to it… something feels off…”
The Scholar clenched his jaw painfully, waves of nausea choking his throat, sticky sweat pouring from every pore.
His mind was as muddled as an untidy ball of yarn, with no hint of understanding to grasp.
In this state, he instinctively wanted to consult An Huan… wait… An Huan!
A flash of insight struck him, clearing away the fog in his head—he understood what was wrong!
It was An Huan!
The Scholar gripped the armrest tightly, forcing himself to stay upright.
His gaze turned fierce, filled with murderous intent, grinding his teeth as he sent for someone to discreetly contact An Huan.
If An Huan hadn’t continuously fed him plans, how could they have ended up in this mess?
That traitorous scoundrel seemed to care for the Red Lotus Sect, but in truth, he harbored malicious intent, wanting to wipe out the entire sect!
At this very moment, the Scholar was possibly the cleverest he had ever been. Many seemingly trivial details suddenly stood out with alarming clarity.
An Huan had initially predicted that Liu Xi and her group would launch a surprise attack on Fenghu County, as the mountain path to Fenghu was shorter and more convenient for an ambush.
And what happened?
The Scholar had trusted An Huan’s deduction, withdrawing the defenses from Jinmen County, nervously guarding Fenghu County, only to see Jinmen County fall that very night. The three thousand ambush troops he dispatched failed to entrap Liu Xi, who saw through their plans and ultimately left him with loss and ruin.
Before Jinmen County fell, An Huan had gone to Honglian County, shortly after which the second-in-command betrayed the leader, seizing control of Honglian County.
After that, the Scholar received a secret letter from An Huan, informing him that the Red Lotus Leader had been captured by the second-in-command and taken to Qiuyuxian.
Left with no choice, the Scholar could only split his forces—one to attack Jinmen County, the other heading for Qiuyuxian to rescue the leader.
While the Scholar positioned his troops to confront the second-in-command’s rebel army in Qiuyuxian, Honglian County fell, and Fenghu County was lost.
Looking back, it was clear that An Huan had not only toyed with him but had also pulled the strings on that foolish second-in-command.
Without An Huan’s clandestine assistance, how could the fall of Honglian County have happened so swiftly?
Realizing the connections in these events, the Scholar felt a rush of blood to his throat, the metallic taste surging up, causing him to faint.
“Military Adviser! Military Adviser!”
“Military Adviser—”
“Military Adviser? Someone get the Young Doctor here!”
The Scholar’s face turned pale, swaying on the verge of collapse, causing great concern among those around him.
The scene turned chaotic and spiraled out of control.
As for the mastermind behind it all?
An Huan, sensing danger, had already employed a cunning escape plan, slipping away with his sworn brothers.
A burly man with a deep voice asked, “Big Brother, do you think Liu Xi will keep her promise?”
An Huan stood outside the cave, wrapped in a thick cloak, gazing into the distance, his eyes seemingly piercing through the mountains towards Qiuyuxian.
“Liu Xi will keep her promise.”
The burly man replied, “She wouldn’t dare… You’ve been running around for her these days, and you look like you’ve lost weight.”
An Huan smirked slightly, his expression growing sharper.
Gone was the previous despondency, and instead, he seemed infused with a long-lost vigor.
He understood well how many troops the Red Lotus Sect had.
The captives Liu Xi had taken could easily number over fifty thousand!
According to their previous agreement on spoils, An Huan would gain five to six thousand troops and a hefty stash of provisions.
With this capital, An Huan could throw his weight into Dongqing to rally support.
If things went smoothly, he might even rally more forces and recruit top talents.
At such a time…
He would definitely return to his homeland and repay the South Barbarians for their blood debts!
With this thought, countless fragmented scenes flashed before his eyes, each one filled with terrified screams, spreading bloodshed, desperate wails, the enemy’s reckless laughter, raised slaughtering blades, rolling severed heads, broken limbs, and scattered entrails…
Since his birth, An Huan had been a noble of the An Clan, a beloved figure among the crowd. When had he ever faced such humiliation?
These were all debts of the South Barbarians, and he would make them pay with blood.
As long as An Huan still breathed, he would not let go of this hatred.
With him, there would be no South Barbarians!
An Huan’s sworn brothers exchanged glances, knowing their big brother had begun to reminisce about the past again.
Having just captured Honglian, Fenghu, and Jinmen counties, their foundation was still unstable. The Red Lotus Sect had developed in Chengde County for many years, and there were plenty of brainwashed followers.
To avoid disaster, Jiang Pengji instructed Qi Guanrang and others to solidify their base, consolidate their forces, and deepen their understanding of the situation in the three counties.
Once they grasped the details, they could treat the symptoms effectively.
After all, while the brainwashed followers were a lost cause, the majority of common people remained blindly following.
For the latter, the identity of their ruler mattered less than whether that ruler could provide them with a good life and protection in chaotic times. As long as she understood the common people’s difficulties and offered solutions, making sure everyone saw that following her, Jiang Pengji, was far more promising than sticking with the Red Lotus Sect, the hearts of the people would naturally align with her.
Of course… the brainwashing methods employed by the Red Lotus Sect also inspired Jiang Pengji.
If the Red Lotus Sect could use trade and propaganda to slander others and bolster the “Holy Sect,” then naturally, she could do the same.
This method could also be used in the military camp, teaching the soldiers loyalty. Hadn’t the Audience suggested the “Political Commissar” position to her?
However, the Political Commissar position required individuals with a certain level of knowledge, and Jiang Pengji currently lacked such middle-tier talents, so she had to set this plan aside. But brainwashing the common people didn’t require such high-level talents and needed no delay in implementation.
During the downtime, Jiang Pengji was not idle.
“Jingrong, come take a look at this nursery rhyme!”
Jiang Pengji, dressed in simple coarse clothing, with long hair cascading over her shoulders and no hairpin, exuded a somewhat wild and free-spirited vibe.
Going out to meet guests without wearing a hairpin was extremely disrespectful and reckless, almost akin to sitting with legs spread apart.
Yet, seeing her dark blue hair still damp, it seemed she had just bathed.
Yang Si swallowed the words he had nearly blurted out, instead saying, “In this chilly weather, how can our Lord disregard her health like this?”
In such cold weather, one needed to pay extra attention to staying warm.
Jiang Pengji casually brushed her damp hair and lazily lifted her eyelids.
“My health is perfectly fine; I haven’t had a single illness all year round, let alone with the charcoal brazier burning in here, it’s warm enough.”
With that, she handed the bamboo slip she held to Yang Si.
Yang Si took a look and exclaimed, “What is this? Is this… a nursery rhyme?”
The slip held vigorous, flowing characters that made one marvel—“The writing reflects the person.”
Jiang Pengji explained, “Wenzheng and Zixiao have been worrying about something lately; there are too many remnants of the Red Lotus Sect lurking in the city, causing trouble now and then. While they may not create significant chaos, the frequency is bothersome, and if they are careless at a crucial moment and collaborate with the outside Red Lotus Sect members, we might be in big trouble. So, we must find a way to resolve this issue.”
