Chapter 1091 – The Storm Reignites (Part 7)
The banquet ended on a sour note.
Everyone understood that this was merely a test of Feng, and none of their true limits had been revealed.
The Nie Clan had no intention of swallowing all of Cangzhou; their initial demand was simply to facilitate future bargaining.
This was akin to extorting the highest price while simultaneously paying it back at a lower rate.
In negotiations, it’s impossible to settle on a price right from the get-go.
Little did they know, Jiang Pengji‘s way of thinking was anything but ordinary; her bottom line was firmly about “not losing an inch of land”!
How could the Nie Clan dream of seizing the entirety of Cangzhou to easily extend their claws into Dongqing?
Allowing the Nie Clan to succeed would render the Zhanjiang Pass, a natural fortification, useless.
With the Nie Clan as a neighbor, could anyone sleep soundly at night?
Jiang Pengji was the most “greedy”—she had set her sights on claiming all of Cangzhou for herself.
On the other hand, Huang Song was a bit more optimistic; he wanted to share the spoils with Jiang Pengji, shooing the Nie Clan aside.
The Nie Clan held the lowest bottom line; Nie, Jiang Pengji, and Huang Song would split Cangzhou among them.
Looking at this situation, it seemed like Jiang Pengji had the biggest ambitions, but in truth, it was the Nie Clan’s ambitions that were the most covert and intense.
“One Nie Clan is so relentless, but what if the Yi Clan from Beiyuan joins in? Wouldn’t that turn things upside down?” Huang Song sipped his detox soup, forcing himself to calm down, “Our best course of action now is to keep watch and support Lan Ting, to stabilize our position and make the Nie Clan think twice before acting rashly.”
Although he and Jiang Pengji were only “plastic flower” siblings, they were still somewhat kin; the Nie Clan were outsiders.
Better for family to share the cake than to let outsiders benefit.
This scenario was also Meng Zhan’s final game plan; he didn’t want external forces intervening, and thus, the alliance between Huang Song and Jiang Pengji had to remain intact.
Little did they know, Jiang Pengji also had her own plans.
“Zixiao—”
As the banquet broke up, Wei Ci and others followed behind Jiang Pengji, getting ready to head home. Before they traveled far, they heard a familiar voice.
Wei Ying stepped forward with a smile, bowing to Jiang Pengji and the others as though the earlier sharp exchanges had been a mere act.
“Big Brother!” Wei Ci returned the gesture, his expression equally composed, looking just like two normal brothers.
Jiang Pengji cast a covert glance at the pair, saying nonchalantly, “You brothers haven’t seen each other in years; I’m sure you have much to talk about, so I won’t interrupt your reunion. Just one thing, Zixiao‘s health is frail; he might not be able to stay up too late. It’s about time, please remember to rest early.”
With that, Jiang Pengji stepped aside to allow the brothers some space, leading the others back home.
Wei Ying watched Jiang Pengji’s retreating figure, narrowing his eyes with a meaningful glance, a hint of scrutiny in his gaze.
He knew all too well his younger brother’s aspirations; Wei Ci choosing to associate with Jiang Pengji must be about entrusting his ambitions to her—
To unify the realm, bringing peace and order!
Could this person live up to Zixiao’s expectations?
“It’s been a long time. Can’t we catch up, Zixiao? Today we’ll talk about personal matters, leaving the public affairs aside.”
Wei Ci smiled, “If my big brother invites me, how could I refuse? Please—”
The two walked side by side, discussing their experiences apart over the years and family matters.
Before the Wei Clan’s migration from Langya, Wei Ying had already married; his wife had given birth to a son and a daughter in turn, and now with an additional two sons and a daughter.
Upon mentioning this, Wei Ying couldn’t help but concern himself with his younger brother’s marriage.
Wei Ci was twenty-seven now, not seventeen!
Not getting a wife was one thing, but to not even have a warm bed companion—Wei Ying couldn’t help but wonder if there was something wrong with Wei Ci’s physiology. However, Wei Ci had always been independent-minded; he preferred his single noble lifestyle, and Wei Ying couldn’t force him into matchmaking.
“All matters at home are well, but I haven’t heard from you in years. Father misses you greatly—if you find the time, please write him a family letter.”
Wei Ci was born during a difficult childbirth, which led to his mother’s death; thus, his father had been quite dismissive of this younger son over the years, leaving their father-son relationship rather thin.
As age crept up, Wei Ying occasionally caught sight of their father in the study, looking at Wei Ci’s childhood portrait, with a hint of regret in his words.
Wei Ci nodded, “Mhm.”
“Your eldest nephew is set to marry the eldest daughter of the Guangshan family. Once she comes of age, they’ll wed, so as the little uncle, don’t keep them waiting too long.” Wei Ying couldn’t help but nag; being a single noble was nice and all, but he couldn’t be a bachelor forever, “If you truly can’t manage, why not adopt a nephew?”
Wei Ying had three sons and two daughters, the youngest still babbling.
Rather than letting Wei Ci choose a distant relative’s child, which would create a weak bond, it was better to pick one of his nephews to raise as his own.
Wei Ci: “…”
What did “he truly can’t manage” even mean?
Which aspect was that comment directed toward?
To Wei Ci, Wei Ying was both brother and father; he’d set him up on a lot of blind dates in his past life.
In the end, he felt stuck, as Wei Ying even suggested adopting his youngest son to ensure Wei Ci wouldn’t be alone in old age.
At one point, Wei Ci had also been tempted, but it fell through because Wei Ying’s wife wouldn’t allow it.
“Big Brother’s good intentions are acknowledged, but my sister-in-law wouldn’t have it; it’s not nice to separate my sister-in-law from her own flesh and blood, is it?”
Once adopted, the child would have to address his biological mother as “aunt,” and which mother would be okay with that?
Wei Ying was taken aback for a moment, only to reluctantly drop the idea.
Wei Ci subtly changed the topic, steering clear of the adoption discussion, “Big Brother, are you assisting Nie Liang now?”
Wei Ying replied with a light smile, “Indeed, Guangshan is quite the person.”
If their relations were bad, Wei Ying and Nie Liang wouldn’t have become in-laws.
Wei Ci closed his eyes, not continuing the conversation.
In his past life, Wei Ci had met Nie Liang a few times through Wei Ying.
The Nie Clan had overpowered the other lords in Zhong Zhao, and Nie Liang was instrumental in that.
But—
Nie Liang’s fate didn’t end well.
In the previous timeline, the Nie Clan expanded rapidly, with much credit going to the genius Nie Liang; later, they became dominant with the support of Sun Wen.
Though the Nie Clan had many talents, family infighting was common, and disputes among offspring were frequent.
As the Nie Clan gained power in Zhong Zhao, the competition among heirs intensified.
Nie Liang perished before hitting thirty-five, falling victim to family strife, with his children all caught up in the trouble.
Calculating the time, Nie Liang was close to his end now, right?
In this life, if the Nie Clan were to kill Nie Liang, who knows if another “Sun Wen,” a late bloomer, would rise to turn the tide?
Countless thoughts flashed through Wei Ci’s mind, yet his face showed no change whatsoever.
Even though he knew that Nie Liang’s death would lead to a lifetime of despair for his older brother Wei Ying, he had no intention of warning him.
After chatting for a while, Wei Ci noticed the dimming light outside and took the initiative to take his leave.
Wei Ying didn’t try to keep him, instead, he stood up to see him off.
After sending Wei Ci away, Wei Ying turned back into the house—
“Seeing you in person is more enlightening than hearing of your reputation; your younger brother possesses the grace of a dragon among men,” Nie Liang lamented, “Why did he stay in Langya back then?”
Wei Ying replied, “I don’t know; he never made it clear.”
As the night breeze blew, Nie Liang couldn’t help but sneeze and felt a bit teary-eyed.
