Chapter 723 – Before Jia Men Pass (Part 3)
Sure enough, when Yan Lin spoke on behalf of Yang Jian, Jiang Pengji immediately understood the intentions of the two.
Xu Pei was also surprised. He quietly listened to Yan Lin and secretly glanced at Jiang Pengji—these two groups surely didn’t make a plan together, right?
He had every reason to suspect that Yang Jian and Jiang Pengji had teamed up to play him.
“I didn’t expect Commander Yang to have such thoughts,” Xu Pei adjusted his emotions to maintain his composure, hoping to avoid losing his dignity. Did they both want to break away from the organization and run wild everywhere without considering how he, as the leader, felt? “Everything else can be discussed, but this matter is somewhat troublesome.”
Yan Lin was taken aback and instinctively looked at Jiang Pengji. “Why does the leader say ‘such thoughts’? Could it be…”
Xu Pei confirmed, “Before Commander Yang arrived, Brother Lan Ting was just discussing this matter with me.”
Yan Lin pretended to be calm and smiled, “I didn’t expect that our leader and County Magistrate Liu were on the same wavelength, thinking alike.”
Jiang Pengji let out a secret chuckle; just looking at Yang Jian’s face, she didn’t believe these ideas were his.
Each of the three parties had their own agenda, and for a moment, the tent fell into a strange silence.
The audience in the live stream was also anxious, yet they were separated by a dimensional barrier, rendering their urgency useless.
【Xiao Yu】: So frustrating! I’d love to grab Xu Pei by the collar and whack his head open. What is he even tangled up about?
【Fairy Queen’s Scarlet】: Sigh, what can you do? He’s the leader, after all. He has to consider many things and weigh the benefits, right? My impression of Xu Pei is fine, but if he keeps blocking things, I’ll want to smash his head and make him shut up.
【Bitter Life】: Haha, you all want to smash Xu Pei’s head. I actually feel a bit sorry for him. Seriously, as the leader, he sounds good on the surface, but he has little real power. Both the streamer and Yang Jian want to break away from the main troop; Xu Pei must be really tired.
【Mi Jiu】: Actually, I’m more interested to know if the streamer will act with Yang Jian’s troops. After all, they all aim for the same target, and the streamer has insufficient forces. If they cooperate, it should be a win-win situation, right?
Just as the idle audience was discussing grandly, Yang Jian took the lead in breaking the stalemate.
Yan Lin calmly asked Xu Pei, “This matter should be done sooner rather than later; I hope the leader can agree quickly.”
Xu Pei displayed a bitter smile, skillfully playing the game, “I understand your intention to serve the country loyally, but without rules, nothing can be accomplished. The Allied Army’s mission is crucial to the nation’s fate; you cannot simply act rashly. We must first consult with other nobles.”
Yan Lin felt a hint of anger bubbling up. Though he spoke calmly, there was a hint of mockery in his tone.
“Consult with other nobles? Today, they’ve been arguing for an entire day over who gets to be the vanguard, and there’s still no conclusion. If we take this matter to discuss, by the time the results are out, Changshou Wang will probably already be donning the dragon robe, forcing His Majesty to abdicate to him.”
Jiang Pengji assisted smoothly, “In an emergency, should we not prioritize what matters, Xu Brother? How about making some exceptions?”
Xu Pei’s eyelids twitched; how could there be exceptions for this matter?
If he truly allowed Yang Jian and Liu Xi’s troops to bypass Jia Men Pass, how would he explain it to the other nobles when they inquired?
The Allied Army was already divided; creating a scandal like this would cause the hard-earned unity to shatter completely.
“There is no room for exceptions in this matter. If younger brother and the others are anxious, I’m willing to gather the nobles now, but you cannot act recklessly.”
Yan Lin maintained a standard sitting posture, his hands resting on his knees were clenched slightly, his suppressed emotions nearly overflowing.
Yang Jian’s troops had already faced exclusion and isolation from the nobles, and now they were being pushed back again—this was truly vexing.
Jiang Pengji remained calm. She addressed Xu Pei, “Have you ever thought about the future of the Allied Army, Xu Brother?”
Xu Pei looked surprised, “What does younger brother mean?”
Jiang Pengji smiled, “The Allied Army was established to serve the country and uphold justice, which is only natural. However, there’s a premise: the person sitting on the dragon chair must be the current Emperor. If it changes to Changshou Wang, then… we could easily become rebels.”
Xu Pei’s eyelids suddenly jumped.
If the Allied Army was branded as rebels, Xu Pei, as the leader, would be the first one to face the consequences.
However, the Allied Army had four hundred thousand troops; even if Changshou Wang took power, he wouldn’t dare act too boldly. At most, he would sow discord among them.
“…If we can save the noble relatives in the Chenzhou Imperial City and ensure the safety of the Emperor, that would be a great achievement for Xu Brother’s command and coordination. Younger brother and Commander Yang would merely be running errands. If we fail, with your lineage and background, you could easily escape…”
Xu Pei internally agreed with this perspective but feigned indignation on the surface.
“Brother, are you saying that I am this kind of hypocritical, insincere villain?”
Jiang Pengji was not surprised by Xu Pei’s reaction. She said, “Younger brother naturally knows Xu Brother is not such a person, but I am worried. Watching these nobles squabble and not do their jobs, they might end up tarnishing your good name. People won’t inquire about how greedy or cowardly these nobles are; they will only think the leader of the Allied Army is indecisive and incompetent… Xu Brother, think carefully!”
She may not excel at other things, but she certainly knew how to hit where it hurt.
Xu Pei’s weakness was his reputation, prestige, and achievements. Targeting them worked like a charm.
Yan Lin listened with lowered eyes, as if the surrounding world had nothing to do with him.
However, he was quite clear; Xu Pei had already been swayed by Jiang Pengji.
Sure enough—
Xu Pei’s expression changed dramatically. After struggling for a while, he finally said, “But, younger brother, your troop has only ten thousand men. If you accidentally encounter Changshou Wang’s elite, then it would be dangerous. This won’t do! How can I put you in such a perilous position?”
Jiang Pengji smiled, “No worries, isn’t there a Commander Yang here? With both armies combined, there will be twenty-five thousand troops, sufficient to handle this.”
Xu Pei turned towards Yang Jian and the others, silently asking for their opinions with his eyes.
Yan Lin responded, “All depends on the leader’s command.”
Xu Pei slapped the table, feeling suddenly bold, and finally agreed to this matter.
As for the other nobles, he would figure out a way to deal with them.
Once outside the tent, Yan Lin let out a cold snort.
“County Magistrate Liu, so generous.”
Jiang Pengji smiled and countered, “What brings this gentleman to say that?”
“We risk our lives on the front lines, spilling blood. The rewards all go to Xu Pei. Isn’t that too generous?”
Jiang Pengji shrugged, “You can’t get the wolf without giving up the cub. Achievements are just words. The real benefits are what you obtain.”
Had it not been for the need to “bribe” Xu Pei with achievements, he wouldn’t have let them go.
Yan Lin understood this logic but still felt slightly uncomfortable in his heart.
“Since we’re destined to cooperate, why don’t we gather the strengths of both sides and discuss together?”
Yan Lin looked down and uttered a word, “Okay.”
