Chapter 1106 – In This Nine Provinces and Four Seas, I Want One Hundred Percent (Part Five)
According to Meng Zhan’s calculations before his demise, Jiang Pengji should be under the control of the Yi Clan from Beiyuan and the Nie Clan from Zhong Zhao.
Yet, as fate would have it, Nie Liang fell victim to a secret plot and returned to Zhong Zhao empty-handed. Meanwhile, the enemies of the Yi Clan caught wind of this opportunity and seized the chance to usurp power—forcing the Yi Clan to temporarily set aside their ambitions for Cangzhou and focus on internal strife.
With the two largest external threats dissolving into thin air, the danger of being besieged from all sides lessened significantly.
It might seem like things were looking up, but that didn’t mean Jiang Pengji was safe.
On the border of Bianzhou in Zhong Zhao—
Wei Ying rode atop a tall steed, following close to the carriage. The sounds surrounding him included the footsteps of the guards, the clashing of weapons, and the rolling of the cart’s wheels, mingled with the intermittent coughing sounds coming from inside the wagon—like someone trying to cough up their very lungs.
After a while, the coughing finally subsided.
“Zishun, when can we enter Bianzhou?”
Pulling aside the bamboo curtain of the carriage, Nie Liang’s lower face was revealed, his pale thin lips and gaunt cheeks sinking slightly inward.
Though they had caught it in time, Nie Liang was still affected.
A fortnight ago, he had suffered a headache and high fever, leaving him in a state of confusion, but had recently begun to recover, though he still bore the mark of illness.
If it weren’t for the detailed instructions from Wei Ci before leaving, Wei Ying might have thought someone had poisoned Nie Liang again.
“Judging by our pace, it’ll still take about an hour to reach the nearest station in Bianzhou.”
A gust of wind blew over Nie Liang, causing the carriage to jolt again, triggering a fit of harsh coughing that tickled his throat unbearably.
Wei Ying replied, “Just hold your tongue for now and focus on regaining your strength. Once we reach Bianzhou, there’ll be tough battles to fight.”
The task handed to Nie Liang by the Nie Clan was to negotiate something from Cangzhou, even if it was just Meng Commandery in Cangzhou.
Returning empty-handed would undoubtedly draw harsh rebukes from the clan members and elders.
The internal power struggle within the Nie Clan was complex, with various factions at odds.
As the most promising heir of the Nie Clan’s fifth branch, Nie Liang’s very presence was the most potent bargaining chip for them. But now, if he returned in defeat, elders of the Nie Clan would start doubting his abilities—just the thought of that scene made Wei Ying’s heart ache.
“Perhaps we should linger a bit longer in Cangzhou—”
No matter how small the territory, as long as they could secure a piece, it would make the Nie Clan’s explanation easier.
But Nie Liang insisted on coming back empty-handed—wasn’t that just signing his own death warrant?
Thinking of Nie Liang’s current predicament, Wei Ying felt utterly powerless.
“Staying longer won’t help,” Nie Liang said weakly, “Huang Song and Liu Xi would rather maintain a facade of alliance than tear the mask off, which shows they understand the risks—while they fight among themselves, the true beneficiary will be the Nie Clan. Both are clever men; even if they can’t help but bicker, their associates will chew over various interests to tell them about it. The Meng Clan only sent envoys without any troops stationed at Zhanjiang Pass, making their threat far from convincing. They might be able to drag this out, but my body can’t—”
Although the Nie Clan was militarily powerful, sending envoys with verbal threats is different from deploying troops to threaten borders.
Sending an envoy was merely a verbal warning; stationed troops were akin to placing a steel blade at someone’s throat—a life-and-death ultimatum.
Huang Song and Jiang Pengji were like two stubborn pigs unafraid of hot water; the former muddled through while playing the fool, and the latter was cunning with a heart full of schemes.
“Furthermore—Liu Xi would rather go to war than give up an inch, so this diplomatic mission is destined for failure.”
Compared to that, Nie Liang was more worried about the Nie Clan—
Family infighting would inevitably prevent lasting prosperity.
This time it was a poisoning attempt; next time, would they send assassins after other competitors?
In these turbulent times, only by uniting as one could they hope to stand firm.
If they failed to deal with the parasites within the Nie Clan, they might perish not by enemies, but by their own hand.
“To fend off outsiders, we must first quell our own,” Nie Liang said, “If those vermin remain languid—”
His tone turned cold, and his emaciated face seemed to vanish into shadows, giving off an eerie and chilling vibe.
Wei Ying sighed, “Though that may be true, if we miss this opportunity, we’re likely to regret it later.”
Nie Liang asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Wei Ying replied, “Zixiao has always been stubborn, with strong opinions; he’s been different from others since childhood. I once heard of his ambition—to unify the world and bring peace to the four seas. If he sees no potential in Liu Xi, he won’t truly support her.”
Looking at Jiang Pengji’s journey, filled with continuous struggles, yet she could clear the path unimpeded, never stopping.
Meng Zhan had exerted much effort to entrap her in a situation besieged on all sides.
And the outcome?
Jiang Pengji sent word to the enemies of the Yi Clan, using this as leverage against them.
Nie Liang, busy returning to take care of the internal affairs of the Nie Clan, couldn’t pose enough of a threat.
Without the Nie Clan as a balancing force, Huang Song was tricked into handing over Cangzhou’s two counties.
The original disadvantage was completely turned around.
Despite both the Nie and Yi clans not letting Cangzhou slip through their fingers easily, they would likely return with renewed vigor, yet Jiang Pengji was given a breather.
Wei Ying was certain that Jiang Pengji would seize this gap to gain more leverage.
“She is a formidable foe,” Nie Liang smirked, “But I won’t regret it.”
Allowing the Nie Clan to be reckless would be his biggest regret.
Within Hujun’s territory—
Xu Fei had not been having an easy time these past years.
Back in the day, he was his grandfather’s most cherished grandson, using this love to spar evenly with his cousin, Xu Pei.
Under his grandfather’s protection, Xu Fei often found himself in the advantageous position.
However, all that changed after the chaos in Dongqing’s political scene and the Huanshui Alliance.
First came his grandfather’s death, leaving Xu Fei without strong backing, while the elders of the Xu Clan favored establishing the legitimate heir, which infuriated Xu Fei greatly.
He had always liked competing with his cousin, unable to accept being outdone.
Due to the struggle for clan leadership, the two brothers had completely fallen out, splitting the Xu Clan into two factions.
At first, they fought evenly; Xu Fei and Xu Pei teamed up to swallow up the territory administered by the Hu County governor, Wu Ma Shang.
Yet this balance shattered once Jiang Pengji began her northern expedition and Yang Si represented her in an alliance with Xu Pei, the scales slowly tipping.
While others grew increasingly prosperous, Xu Fei felt his circumstances tightening like a noose.
As Xu Pei pressed harder, Xu Fei lost most of his territory, gradually entrenching himself in a small area.
Seeing this situation becoming untenable, his anger grew day by day, often venting on his servants and maidservants.
The noble families who once supported him gradually shifted their allegiance, and his subordinates urged him to submit to Xu Pei, to soften his stance.
How could that be possible?
“Other than his age, what else is he better than me? My grandfather notably wanted me to be the clan leader, and what is Xu Pei? He not only failed to follow grandfather’s will, but also sought to put me to death—asking me to submit to him? Hmph—what a dream!”
Unwilling to bow down and not wanting to perish, he had to seek aid from a third-party force.
Just as Xu Fei’s frown deepened, a nearby servant gave him an idea that caused a light bulb to go off in his head. “My lord, if we seek military support, it can’t be too weak, yet too strong would be like distant water unable to quench a nearby fire. After much thought, the only suitable option is Liu Xi, the governor of Wanzhou.”
Xu Fei’s expression brightened, but then quickly dimmed again.
