Chapter 719 – The Negotiation (Part Six)
Yang Jian slammed his fist down on the table in frustration.
Yan Lin calmly stated, “The most important thing now is self-preservation and to guard against their covert strikes.”
Yang Jian’s recent actions had thoroughly offended the allied forces.
However, he had only withdrawn from the alliance and not from the royal protection. Those factions couldn’t directly retaliate against him.
“In a while, that Master Xu Pei will likely come personally. Has our leader decided how to respond?”
Yang Tao, curious, asked, “What does Xu Pei want?”
Yan Lin explained with a smile, “Xu Pei is the alliance leader. If this matter isn’t handled well, any lord could leave at will, rendering the alliance meaningless. His credibility as the leader would vanish. So he will definitely come.”
Yang Tao, lacking ideas, felt hopeless and just waited for his dear friend to arrive.
Yan Lin had long grown accustomed to these situations. “If Xu Pei comes in person, he’ll surely apologize and invite the leader back. Given the previous fiasco, the alliance can’t afford to be too overbearing or obvious. Our leader can be magnanimous and not hold past grievances against them.”
Yang Tao was perplexed. “Why? He just left the alliance, and now he’s returning?”
This is so wishy-washy, it’s embarrassing!
Yang Jian understood though.
Creating a ruckus at the banquet was less about self-preservation and more about making a statement, making the allied forces think twice.
If the situation escalated, with Yang Jian’s mere fifteen thousand troops, it would be difficult to withstand the alliance’s pressure.
Instead of tearing things apart, it would be better for both sides to take a step back, preserving face and benefits.
“Alright, let’s proceed with Shaoyang’s suggestion.”
Sure enough, an hour later, Xu Pei arrived in person.
When Jiang Pengji heard that Xu Pei was lowering himself to persuade Yang Jian, she knew the main event of this negotiation was about to begin.
“Yang Jian’s outburst has effectively ripped off the alliance’s fig leaf. Everyone can’t continue to deceive themselves and must face the facts. After all, the alliance exists to protect the king; they have to put on a show.” Jiang Pengji smirked; life was finally getting interesting.
Before, nobody called out the truth, no one took the lead, so everyone was just going through the motions.
Now that Yang Jian stirred things up, bringing their laziness to light, they could only begrudgingly buckle down and get to work.
That day, the alliance leader Xu Pei invited all factions to discuss major affairs.
This was no leisurely dinner with dancing; some were listless, seeing it as entertainment, while others were eager to put their hands to the plow.
Under Xu Pei’s leadership, everyone gathered to discuss how to protect the king and eliminate the disruptive forces threatening the court.
Some suggested attacking Changshou Wang first; only by taking him down could Chenzhou be secured.
Others proposed entering Chenzhou to unite with local forces to resist Changshou Wang’s influence.
Yet another idea, quite ridiculous, was to distract the enemy by seizing Changshou Wang’s base in Zhangzhou and see if he would come to help.
The first two suggestions held some merit, but the last one was downright absurd.
Yan Lin shot a covert glare at his dear friend, while Yang Tao, who suggested the silly idea, shrank his neck and quietly closed his mouth in embarrassment.
Despite endless discussions, they failed to reach a consensus because no one could persuade anyone else.
Listening to the strategists argue was making Jiang Pengji drowsy. She raised her sleeve to cover her mouth and yawned.
A couple of tears escaped her eyes before she casually lowered her sleeve, continuing to mentally drift off during the meeting.
She had her audience in the live stream; these idle viewers could chat and joke with her, helping to pass the time.
Others didn’t have that luxury, huh? How did they endure such a dull, drawn-out meeting?
As she zoned out, she suddenly heard her name mentioned, causing her to instinctively look up.
Though she had spaced out, her audience would help keep track for her, and the chat was filled with viewers typing frantically.
[Rose Legend]: Host, host, Cheng Jing said you studied at Langya Academy and caught Mr. Yuanjing’s attention. He thinks we should brainstorm together, so he’s asking if you have any good suggestions. Wow, how did this guy suddenly drag the host into this?
She remained calm, not a hint of a crack in her facade; no one realized she’d just been zoning out.
“My insights may not be profound, but I do have a few suggestions.” Jiang Pengji named several lords and briefly pointed out their pros and cons, ending with, “The allied forces have a large number of troops and are cohesive; if we try to force a union even under the alliance’s command, it wouldn’t function like an ordinary army. So, I suggest we split our forces. One group to rescue Chenzhou, another to distract Changshou Wang’s forces, and yet another to circle around and launch a surprise attack on Changshou Wang’s rear.”
With twenty-three factions merging, they couldn’t exert the combat power that four hundred thousand troops should have due to coordination issues.
If that’s the case, it’s better to split the forces, maximizing mobility by leveraging strengths and avoiding weaknesses.
Just as she finished, an old general mockingly chimed in.
“If we split our forces, aren’t we just waiting to be picked apart one by one? With four hundred thousand troops at our disposal, why not directly attack the bandits and capture them alive? What’s with the convoluted tactics? Young ones just talk big without knowing the ground realities.”
Jiang Pengji tossed aside the dried fruit in her hand with a smile, “If I’m talking big, then old general, you must be illiterate. According to your reasoning, why not say our four hundred thousand soldiers could descend from the heavens and squash the bandits into meat paste? One spit could drown them!”
“You—”
This old general had never faced such sarcasm. He was so angry he almost pulled out his weapon to challenge her.
Dian Yin and Li Yun were not ones to back down either; they stepped in front of Jiang Pengji, and the tension in the tent thickened.
Cheng Jing, who had proposed seeking Jiang Pengji’s opinion, just stood there speechless.
He’d heard of Liu Xi’s sharp tongue from others, but he had never experienced it first-hand.
Now he understood why others mentioned her with a grimace.
Her sharp tongue could rival Feng Zhen’s!
Xu Pei, the alliance leader, was in a tough position; he couldn’t just stand by and let the situation escalate to a brawl.
Stepping up as a peacemaker, Xu Pei said, “Dividing forces as suggested by Lan Ting isn’t a bad idea, and the old general’s suggestion also has merit.”
As a result, Xu Pei received a disdainful glance from Jiang Pengji—what a fence-sitter!
Xu Pei cleared his throat and remarked, “Currently, Chenzhou is in distress, and we don’t know how much longer it can last. We should act quickly and decisively to eliminate the bandits without delay. The longer we wait, the more danger the emperor is in. Lan Ting’s method is safe and stable but also takes a lot of time. As for the old general’s suggestion, I’m inclined to agree. Our alliance has four hundred thousand brave soldiers, each unafraid of death, hardship, or battle. If we unite our efforts, we can surely overwhelm the bandits and restore order to our kingdom!”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Pengji internally scoffed.
Cheng Jing and Feng Jue couldn’t help but close their eyes in resignation, wishing they could disappear.
