Chapter 1094 – The Counterattack
Yang Si didn’t stay long assisting Changshou Wang before flipping the script, giving his old boss a swift kick.
With nowhere else to turn, Yang Si sought refuge with Huang Song, but little did he know, the Doorkeeper at Huang Song’s residence looked down on him and deliberately suppressed Yang Si’s introduction letter, making him wait in vain for days. Proud and haughty, Yang Si decided to head to Wanzhou with his Book Boy to seek out Wei Ci, only to accidentally fall into a major pit.
If it weren’t for that pesky Doorkeeper holding him back, Yang Si would be nestled comfortably under Huang Song’s banner right now—
And what’s the outcome?
Sigh—
Years later, Yang Si found himself in a familiar scene, once again derailing Huang Song’s plans and leaving him with a bloody face.
Fate, it’s quite the trickster.
Memories of the past flashed in Huang Song’s mind, and the muscles at the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Did he owe Yang Si a hundred or eighty thousand coins in his last life or what?
Why is he so fixated on ruining him?
Cheng Jing read the correspondence, his brows knitting together like they were trying to tie a knot.
Nearby, Nie Xun wore the same expression; with Jiang Pengji snagging Chenzhou, getting it back would be nearly impossible.
Never would they have expected this person’s audacity to be so vast.
A certain confidant strategist in the tent said, “What’s up with Liu Xi? An ambush on Chenzhou, showing no regard for the alliance between their families? The Nie Clan’s envoy is still in Cangzhou, eyes on the prize. At this critical juncture, if Huang and Liu families start fighting, the outsiders will reap the benefits—”
Jiang Pengji appeared to have gone a little rogue, but her performance was adequate, not a reckless fool ignoring the big picture for her own gains.
And here she was, suddenly launching a sneak attack on Chenzhou—who could believe she didn’t mean to?
Not a soul would buy that nonsense!
Cheng Jing sneered, “What else could she be after? She didn’t like being at a disadvantage earlier, so she’s trying to regain her lost face.”
Under normal circumstances, Jiang Pengji would have a stake in both Cangzhou and Chenzhou, but thanks to Meng Zhan’s schemes, both territories became Huang Song’s property without much effort. It would be strange indeed if Jiang Pengji could just swallow that bitter pill quietly.
Seeing that, the strategist frowned a bit, his tone laced with chill, “Even so, all of this is because of Meng Zhan; the Lord merely went with the flow—she’s ignoring her ties with the Lord and launching an ambush from behind, which is truly disgraceful.”
After hearing that, Cheng Jing’s lips curled into a mocking smile. Morality and righteousness won’t restrain the calculations of interests; if one were to consider carefully, it was Huang Song who breached the contract first—Meng Zhan’s scheme indeed played into Huang Song’s hands, but it also harmed the ally’s interests.
Feeling wronged, Jiang Pengji naturally had to plot her counterattack.
“Liu Xi disregarding the greater situation now?” Someone whispered, “The Nie envoy is still around, you know.”
Nie Xun softly replied, “At this moment… it’s not about Liu Xi disregarding the bigger picture but whether the Lord is considering it—”
Jiang Pengji maintained the bigger picture, so she didn’t turn against Huang Song right away, not even throwing a single question his way.
Now the ball is in Huang Song’s court, and he faces a tricky dilemma—
Is he going to prioritize the big picture and tolerate this situation?
Or should he charge in demanding Chenzhou back?
In this chaotic world, whoever has taken the land owns it.
If Huang Song demands “restitution,” he’ll likely return empty-handed and only provide some laughs for the onlookers.
That’s also secondary; if the two families can’t reach an agreement on this issue, their already fragile alliance would collapse in an instant.
When the clam and the heron fight, the fisherman profits.
Huang Song and Jiang Pengji battling it out would only benefit the Nie Clan in the end.
With the big picture in mind, Huang Song must swallow this loss, send someone to negotiate with Jiang Pengji, and come up with a satisfactory solution for both parties.
No matter how heavy the proposed settlement weighs, Huang Song is bound to bleed out.
Everyone in the tent realized this, their expressions darkening considerably.
In that moment, silence blanketed the surrounding area, only broken by the crackling of the burning candle.
After a while, Huang Song sat back in his seat, dazed, and spoke dejectedly, “Let Huai Zhen and You Mo handle this matter.”
The freshly acquired Chenzhou hadn’t even warmed up in his hands, and now it’s going to change owners? It’s hard to say he wasn’t hurting.
Everyone exchanged glances, wanting to intervene but unable to come up with a solution on the spot.
Cheng Jing and Feng Jue could only accept the order.
Nie Xun said, “According to the letter, after Yang Si led his troops into Chenzhou, he didn’t go on a killing spree; capturing Yuan An was merely for detaining him—In my view, Liu Xi is not looking to break her pact with the Lord at this point. There’s likely still room for negotiation—”
Indeed, Jiang Pengji hadn’t wiped out Huang Song’s troops; aside from the injuries during the skirmish, other captives were all kept in custody.
Huang Song furrowed his brows and asked Nie Xun, “Does Cheng Yun have any insights?”
Nie Xun pondered for a moment and replied, “In my view, Liu Xi may not aim for Chenzhou.”
Not aiming for Chenzhou?
Then why raid it with troops?
“Why do you say that?” Huang Song pressed.
Nie Xun clasped his hands and hesitated before speaking, “Chenzhou lies to the south, while Liu Xi’s territories are all in the north.”
Huang Song frowned, standing up to pick up a map, scrutinizing it carefully.
Jiang Pengji’s domains were all concentrated in the north, including Beiyuan, Chongzhou, Wanzhou, Hujun, and the thousand peaks within Cangzhou.
If she took Chenzhou, the connection to her territories would be minimal, with Huang Song’s Cangzhou in between.
Suddenly, Huang Song grasped the meaning.
Nie Xun said, “Liu Xi intends to use Chenzhou as leverage to exchange for the two districts of Cangzhou under the Lord’s command.”
This reasoning was not only clear to Nie Xun; both Cheng Jing and Feng Jue understood it as well.
Since Jiang Pengji had demands, that meant negotiations had room for haggling.
“No way—Cangzhou’s two districts—”
Huang Song rejected without a second thought, his expression growing even more pained.
The two districts of Cangzhou were the choicest cuts Huang Song had, where all the horse resources were concentrated.
If he were to trade the two districts for Chenzhou, it meant Jiang Pengji would hold the entire Cangzhou in her hands.
Both Beiyuan and Cangzhou are vital resources of war, with the large horse stables located in these two areas.
Without warhorses, combat power drops, and how can one contend for the world and assert dominance?
Huang Song is hurting, but why wouldn’t the other strategists be?
The two districts of Cangzhou had only just been grasped, and now they were being forced to spit them out. Who wouldn’t feel the pain?
The strategists glanced at one another, exchanging silent votes with their eyes, choosing Feng Jue to represent and calm Huang Song down.
Feng Jue stepped forward and said, “Lord, it’s better to act sooner rather than later; a decision must be made promptly.”
Huang Song was in a state of turmoil.
“Lord, remember—losing the east and regaining the mulberry is still viable—using the two districts of Cangzhou in exchange for Chenzhou might not be impossible.”
Huang Song’s calm returned somewhat; he generally valued Feng Jue’s advice.
“What does Huai Zhen mean by that?”
“Indeed, losing the two districts of Cangzhou is regrettable, but should Liu Xi seize Cangzhou, it might not be a fortunate turn of events. Outside Yumen Pass, Beiyuan’s tiger is eyeing hungrily, and the ambition-driven Nie Clan barks at Zhanjiang Pass, while the Lord sits tight in Haizhou and Chenzhou, with Xu Pei occupying Hujun and Huju—”
Huang Song glanced down at the map, his expression suddenly shifting.
According to Feng Jue’s description, Jiang Pengji was truly besieged on all sides.
“To scheme for a lifetime without planning for the moment, to tolerate a small loss for a significant gain; the Lord need not fixate on temporary gains and losses.”
