Chapter 1118 – In These Lands, I Demand a Hundred Percent (Seventeen)
Everyone knows that the Qin family holds a special position in relation to the Xu family.
Whomever the Qin family supports essentially becomes the next head of the household.
Currently, the head of the household is Xu Pei, but the Qin family has always been unwaveringly loyal to Xu Fei.
Isn’t this a blatant slap in the face, declaring to the world that he, as the head of the household, gained his position through illegal means?
Every time Xu Pei thinks about this, he wishes his grandfather would come to him in a dream at night so he could clarify—
As the legitimate eldest grandson, why was he inferior to Xu Fei in any way?
It was precisely his grandfather’s favoritism and denial that made Xu Pei even more desperate to defeat Xu Fei head-on!
He wanted everyone to know that Xu Fei was no match for him!
His rise to the position of head of the household would be utterly justified!
Now, with Xu Fei holed up, looking like all hope is lost, Xu Pei felt the heavy stone weighing on his heart was finally about to be lifted.
Who knew that just then a sudden twist would happen—
Suppressing his inner turmoil and rage, Xu Pei darkly stated, “The loyalty of the Qin family is unwavering. They would fight valiantly for Xu Fei, and now only Qin Gong remains—why do you think Qin Gong decided to ally with Liu Xi and took over ten thousand troops from her, charging straight to Hujun?”
The ministers bowed their heads, not daring to meet the drenched-in-misery expression on Xu Pei’s face.
No matter what kind of twists were involved, at least one thing was certain—
With Liu Xi getting involved, Xu Pei’s plan to destroy his cousin Xu Fei would undoubtedly be difficult.
“You all, one by one, are you too scared to speak or simply don’t know?”
Xu Pei was furious as he stood up, pointing at the sea of ministers below him.
At a time like this, who dared to be the first to speak up?
Cheng Xun even heard someone whisper nearby.
“Wouldn’t it be great if Han Yu were here—”
Han Yu was known for his straightforward personality, generally speaking his mind unless special circumstances arose.
Such a personality, while not the most pleasant, made him a dependable candidate in critical moments.
If he were here, he would have already found a way to douse the flames of anger before Xu Pei could even start his questioning, ensuring the atmosphere wouldn’t become so suffocating!
“My Lord, the crux of this matter doesn’t lie in where Qin Gong chooses to rally, but in Liu Xi.” Cheng Xun faced the dozens of stares in the hall, speaking slowly, “The conflict between you and Xu Fei can be seen as a struggle between lords, or simply a family matter between brothers. By both feelings and reasons, Liu Xi shouldn’t have intervened with troops, even less so assisting one side. Furthermore, you and Liu Xi have known each other since youth. During the Huanshui alliance, you looked after her many times. Now she forgets old loyalties and rashly meddles in your family affairs. Such actions defy righteousness.”
To put it bluntly, it’s like a dog meddling in human affairs!
Whatever the case, Xu Pei had cared for her in the past—this was her repayment?
Get your act together!
Xu Pei was boiling with anger inside, but Cheng Xun’s words held reasoning, and he couldn’t rebut or scold him.
“Liu Xi—Liu Lanting was always a person who strayed from conventions. What does it matter if she performs an unrighteous act? Who can control her?”
Xu Pei’s words indirectly acknowledged Cheng Xun’s comments about Jiang Pengji.
Cheng Xun’s expression remained calm as he suggested.
“My Lord, send out a proclamation to demand an explanation from Liu Xi. If she withdraws her forces, then that would be excellent. If not, you’ll have the moral high ground.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Pei’s slight glimmer of hope immediately vanished, his gaze seemingly suppressing a volcano.
“Do you think this matter can be resolved with just a proclamation?”
Xu Pei was beyond enraged—he felt Cheng Xun’s words were mere drivel, wasting his time and expectations.
Cheng Xun, however, remained undeterred, speaking steadily, “Liu Xi’s intent wasn’t about Xu Fei; it was about you, My Lord. However, she has no formal reasoning to act now; if she rashly sends troops against you, she’ll undoubtedly bear the stigma of ‘ungratefulness.’ If you lose your composure first, she’ll have an excuse to act. For now, she’s just meddling in your family matter, merely helping Xu Fei. To cut to the chase, she hasn’t truly—”
“Enough said! I’ll ponder this further—”
Xu Pei interrupted Cheng Xun impatiently.
Cheng Xun could only swallow his words, silently returning to his position.
Given the current situation, war seemed inevitable.
The only difference lay in whether the initiative resided in his hands, who would possess a more ‘justifiable’ cause.
Cheng Xun was worried that his Lord might act impulsively, giving Liu Xi an opportunity to stir up trouble.
Xu Pei didn’t want to hear this; he wanted to avoid war if possible.
Not long after, Cheng Yuan sat down, and a colleague stepped forward next to him.
“Reporting to My Lord, I believe your earlier statement was quite insightful. Liu Xi supporting Xu Fei is essentially meddling in your family affairs. If you resolve this family matter before her vanguard arrives, she would have no reason to march her troops into battle.”
Cheng Xun’s eyes widened as he glared at his colleague in disbelief.
Liu Xi was dead set on war; would she hold back just because Xu Fei was defeated first?
There was a high chance this would leave them vulnerable on both fronts!
If My Lord dealt with Xu Fei, he might just relieve Jiang Pengji of a trouble as well.
To Cheng Xun, since war was inevitable sooner or later, why not take the initiative and thoroughly prepare for the battle ahead?
Unexpectedly, Xu Pei seemed intrigued by this suggestion.
No matter why Qin Gong aligned himself with Jiang Pengji, there was no doubt Xu Fei must have had a hand in it—he feared that Xu Fei would use Jiang Pengji’s strength to turn things around, which was definitely not something he wanted to see.
Those who understand you best are often not friends, but rivals, and the Xu brothers were no exception.
Xu Pei understood his cousin well enough.
Just as he couldn’t tolerate his grandfather favoritism towards Xu Fei, Xu Fei also resented and envied him for holding the title of the legitimate eldest grandson while wanting to monopolize everything.
They could lose to outsiders, but they absolutely couldn’t accept defeat by each other.
“Do they really think Liu Xi is their last lifeline?”
Xu Pei silently scoffed, his gaze glimmering with scheming.
He would not give Xu Fei any opportunity to turn the tables—
Xu Fei never anticipated Xu Pei would disregard familial ties and seek to eradicate him completely.
This development was beyond Xu Fei’s foresight but well within Jiang Pengji’s calculations.
Asking her for help?
The price would be substantial; practically no one could afford it.
Leading over ten thousand elite troops, Qin Gong was on the move toward Hujun and received a secret report along the way—
Xu Pei’s army was making moves, abandoning their siege to assault Shanweng City. Unless something unexpected happens, Xu Fei could hold out in the city for at most another ten days.
Shanweng City was rugged and easily defensible, which was why Xu Fei felt secure hiding there for a while.
But if Xu Pei truly spared no expense to breach the city, Xu Fei could only hold out for ten days at most.
“How could this be—”
Hearing the news, Qin Gong was nearly thrown from his horse, his blood running cold.
“How far is it from here to Shanweng City?” Yang Si asked the messenger.
The messenger replied, “At least half a month!”
Half a month?
There was absolutely no time left.
Qin Gong tightened the reins; the more anxious he became, the cooler his head was getting.
“Military adviser—I want to take a few men on a shortcut. If all goes well, we could reduce the journey by at least six days.”
“Six days?” Yang Si exclaimed bluntly, “Do you think I don’t know the geography of Zhe and Hu? These two regions are vast, comparable to usual provinces. To shorten the journey by six days means crossing an entire province’s distance. Do you plan to rest just half an hour each day? Even if you could manage that, the soldiers wouldn’t survive it. Forcing the march would only send a fatigued army straight into the enemy’s hands.”
Yang Si initially thought Qin Gong was a calm and composed newcomer, but it turned out he was even more reckless than Dian Yin.
Dian Yin might be dull, but at least he listened; when asked to go east, he wouldn’t go west.
Qin Gong replied, “No matter the circumstances, I must make the trip. Do my best… the rest, leave to fate.”
