Chapter 992 – Warfare in the Northern Border (Twenty-Nine)
An Huan was glaring at the intelligence report on the table as if he intended to burn two holes through it.
The more he looked, the angrier he became.
He clenched his molars in frustration, his eyes wide with rage, and slammed his hand down on the table.
Bang—
A loud noise erupted, causing the table to tremble slightly, the sound ringing painfully in the ears.
The sudden noise startled everyone, and no one dared to lose focus.
Lü Zheng happened to pass by, heard the commotion, and stepped in.
With a faint smile, he asked, “What happened that has made the Lord so furious?”
Seeing it was Lü Zheng, An Huan’s emotions calmed a little, yet traces of anger remained on his face.
He gasped for breath, raised his hand, and shoved the intelligence report towards Lü Zheng, his face a mix of anger.
“Military Adviser, take a look—this Yang Tao… is simply too much!”
Lü Zheng’s eyes flashed with surprise, but his expression remained unchanged.
He took the bamboo slip from An Huan and opened it to read…
“Oh, so it’s this matter.” Lü Zheng read through the contents in an instant; he was not surprised by the information. Looking up at An Huan, who was still fuming, he chuckled, “Why should the Lord be angry?”
An Huan was momentarily stumped; he clearly didn’t expect Lü Zheng to react like this.
How could he not be angry?
The foreign bandits blatantly occupied the territory of Nan Sheng; if he didn’t seethe, would he welcome Yang Tao with open arms instead?
“Military Adviser, did you already know Yang Tao’s schemes?”
Lü Zheng wore a knowing smile, saying, “As soon as the false emperor fled Zhangzhou and took refuge in Nan Sheng, I anticipated this situation. Most of the lords in Dongqing have become formidable, and with Yang Tao competing against them, his odds of winning are slim, yet the risks are high. He can’t just sit back and wait. In comparison, using the false emperor as a pretext to meddle in Nan Sheng’s territory is a relatively safer risk.”
The false emperor was no match for Yang Tao; after entering Nan Sheng, times were getting tougher day by day.
If Yang Tao were merely after the false emperor, the grass on the latter’s grave would be waist-high by now; how could he still cause a ruckus?
Clearly, he was just using the false emperor as an excuse to stain Nan Sheng’s land red.
Hearing Lü Zheng’s explanation, An Huan felt a wave of anger boil within him.
Of course, this anger could never be directed at Lü Zheng; it was aimed at Yang Tao.
In An Huan’s mind, the land of Nan Sheng belonged to its people. Outsiders staining Nan Sheng and occupying their territory meant invasion. What Yang Tao was doing was no different from the Southern Barbarians; when land falls into the hands of outsiders, who can swallow this bitter pill?
Thinking of this, An Huan couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of desolation.
Why was Yang Tao so audacious? Because Nan Sheng had already been destroyed—
Had it not been for the Southern Barbarians leaving the people of Nan Sheng with broken homes and graves, how could a mere Yang Tao, a small lord, act so arrogantly in Nan Sheng?
Lü Zheng sensed An Huan’s silence and guessed a bit of what was on his mind.
He sighed and said, “My Lord, this matter has already reached a stalemate—our real pain in the neck isn’t Yang Tao—”
Regardless, Yang Tao was also a pure-blooded Han man; having the land of Nan Sheng in his hands was far better than it being trampled by the Southern Barbarians.
An Huan perked up, reining in his inner fury.
Lü Zheng was right; his real trouble was not Yang Tao, but rather the Southern Barbarians who continued to devastate Nan Sheng’s territory.
An Huan said, “Thank you, Military Adviser, for your guidance. Otherwise, I would have been stuck in a dead end…”
Lü Zheng humbly declined the praise.
He could see clearly that while An Huan verbally expressed understanding, his heart still simmered with disgust for Yang Tao’s actions.
“I have one thing to discuss with the Lord—”
An Huan said, “Military Adviser, whatever you wish to say, just say it. I will support you wholeheartedly.”
Lü Zheng said, “I wish to send someone to negotiate with Yang Tao for an alliance.”
As soon as he spoke, An Huan’s face darkened instantly. “What does the Military Adviser mean by that?”
Lü Zheng replied, “Yang Tao may appear to be an outsider, yet beneath that façade lies a myriad of hidden dangers. If the two sides can cooperate, it would be mutually beneficial.”
Even though Lü Zheng was working on plans to assist An Huan, An Huan’s foundation was thin, and relying solely on him made development slow.
Yang Tao had clear advantages, but also evident flaws; An Huan was no different.
By joining forces, they might complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
An Huan was taken aback and asked, “I’m open to alliances with anyone. Why must it be Yang Tao?”
Now, it was Lü Zheng’s turn to be momentarily speechless.
What could he say?
To speak the truth would only hurt An Huan’s pride.
An Huan wanted to ally with someone else, but others might not look twice at his meager assets.
In contrast, Yang Tao was neither too big nor too small; he was an outsider whose overall strength was on par with An Huan’s.
If they allied, their influence would be relatively equal, which would benefit both sides.
After a moment, An Huan calmed down and gently reassured Lü Zheng.
Lü Zheng was his support for rising up and seeking revenge against the Southern Barbarians; he couldn’t afford to upset him.
“Well then… let’s have Shaoyin handle it…”
If an alliance would benefit him, even if the partner was Yang Tao, An Huan would accept it.
“I obey the order.”
Lü Zheng smiled faintly, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes, revealing a twinge of disappointment.
Through Lü Zheng’s intervention, Yang Tao and An Huan’s factions formed an alliance.
That day, the feudal lords fought tooth and nail over territorial gains, while far in the Northern Border, Jiang Pengji slowly reaped her rewards.
Leading her army, she pushed northward across the boundary of the Chang River, capturing several horse farms and tribes.
The Battle of the Chang River had directly depleted the Northern Border’s strength, causing them to flee in panic.
The flood was too vast, arriving too suddenly; the riverside tribes and horse farms were almost entirely wiped out, leading to countless losses for the Northern Border.
As the weather grew hot, the corpses of Wu Libai and the Ninth Prince began to rot and stink after just a few days—
“Report—thousands of herdsmen are blocking our way up ahead—” the Messenger hurriedly brought the news to the main army’s tent.
“Thousands of herdsmen?” Jiang Pengji frowned, “What do they want?”
She was not bloodthirsty; in battle, she certainly targeted the regular troops of the Northern Border, and as long as ordinary herdsmen behaved themselves, she wouldn’t go out of her way to kill them.
Li Yun, who followed her, furrowed his brows and said, “Those herdsmen are voluntarily pledging loyalty to our Lord—”
“Voluntarily pledging loyalty?” Jiang Pengji raised her brows, “You don’t seem pleased. What conditions are they making?”
If they were truly sincere, Li Yun would certainly show joy on his face.
But with his frown at the moment, it was clear this was more complicated than mere loyalty.
Indeed—
Li Yun said, “The tribal chief of those herdsmen made a request; they’re willing to submit, but we must hand over the corpse of Wu Libai.”
“The corpse of Wu Libai? The entire tribe is coming to pledge loyalty; is there truly no trickery involved?”
Li Yun replied, “From what I observed, it seems genuine; every household is bringing their families along.”
If it were a scam, their families wouldn’t be brought along.
“What do they want Wu Libai’s corpse for?”
Li Yun said, “The chief of the small tribe mentioned that he hopes to return Wu Libai’s body to the embrace of the divine, ensuring a proper farewell.”
Having been left to dry by the enemy, it looked too pitiful.
