Chapter 1135 – Taking Down Xu Pei, First Kill Among Lords (5)
“Did you notice that Wenbin hasn’t said a word? Is he thinking something else?”
Since leaving the command tent, Han Yu’s brows have been furrowed, with faint creases forming on his forehead.
“Gong Luo, how do you think our Lord compares to Beijiang?”
Han Yu sifted through his thoughts in his stomach over and over before finally asking cautiously.
Cheng Xun was momentarily taken aback, then a realization dawned, and his expression grew somewhat grim.
If Jiang Pengji could take down Beijiang, how could Xu Pei possibly be tougher to conquer than that?
“Wenbin is trying to say our Lord is not as good as Liu Xi?”
Cheng Xun was a “Lord fan” who couldn’t stand anyone saying his Lord was inferior to others, even if it was Han Yu saying it.
Han Yu shook his head.
To admit that Liu Xi was better than his Lord in front of Xu Pei? He might as well stir up a storm!
“Yuan’s meaning is not like that—” Han Yu explained, “Underestimating the enemy is a grave issue in warfare.”
Just like that scene earlier—
Regardless of how arrogant the phrase “I want a tenfold victory across all lands” sounds, when it comes to qualifications, Jiang Pengji is more qualified than Xu Pei.
Only those stronger than her have the right to call her arrogant, but those weaker should raise their spirits to deal with her, not take her lightly.
Cheng Xun said, “Wenbin is overthinking. Our Lord cannot be compared to Beijiang at all. Even if Liu Xi has defeated Beijiang, it doesn’t mean she can beat our Lord. Beijiang folks are just uncultured brutes; even if they have brute strength, they lack strategy. Plus, Liu Xi is cunning; it’s no wonder if she won by luck.”
Han Yu felt a bit uncomfortable hearing this, but he didn’t show it on the surface.
Cheng Xun had some serious opinions about Jiang Pengji. Coming from an aristocratic family, he mingled with commoners and lowly people, and he’d heard tales about how her ranks included all sorts of misfits: children of prostitutes, mixed-bloods, tattooed criminals… Seriously, did she even have any decent people under her command?
The only one standing out was Feng Jin, who had both talent and virtue, and came from a prestigious family.
Oh—
He forgot, there’s still his little brother.
Thinking about this, Cheng Xun couldn’t help but frown.
Why did Father allow Cheng Yuan to assist Liu Xi without a word of caution?
Continuing, Cheng Xun said, “Moreover—the northern lands lack education. Most of her subordinates are uncouth and hail from lowly backgrounds, while noble families disdain to associate with them. Restoring order across the lands is a big deal; true talents would never collaborate with base and immoral folks.”
Cheng Xun was a staunch supporter of aristocracy, proud of his lineage and background, dismissing any association with commoners and peasants.
His upbringing created this mindset; his snobbery was deeply rooted and hard to uproot.
It wasn’t just Cheng Xun; many aristocratic youths shared this viewpoint.
Though there were no explicit classifications dividing people into winners and losers, in the current rigid aristocratic hierarchy, an invisible class system was already formed, with insurmountable chasms between them.
Han Yu said, “Wenbin’s words are a bit biased.”
If Han Yu weren’t Mr. Yuanjing’s disciple but just a typical aristocrat, he would agree with Cheng Xun’s statement.
People of the same tier share high degrees of similarity in ideology and other aspects.
However, Han Yu admired his teacher, Mr. Yuanjing.
Coming from humble beginnings, Mr. Yuanjing earned respect from many aristocrats; who would dare to question his achievements and qualifications as a teacher?
Realizing Han Yu seemed offended, Cheng Xun belatedly recalled Mr. Yuanjing’s matters.
Slandering commoners in front of Han Yu was akin to cursing his father to his face!
“Although Liu Xi is a woman, she’s also a lord controlling a region, holding two major stables in her hands. Just relying on our Lord alone would be hard to resist her brilliance,” Han Yu continued, “The urgent matter is still to mobilize our troops and prepare for war.”
When two armies clash, it’s not about who has a better background; it’s about survival.
In this chaotic era, it doesn’t matter if you’re a noble; when the knife is at your throat, heads will roll regardless of status.
Xu Fei comes from the Xu family of Zhejun, and if they had a ranking based on lineage, this guy would definitely make it to the top fifty within Dongqing.
And yet?
Did his noble status save him?
Not only did he get forced to death, but his wives were also violated before his corpse, with only one child left alive.
Better to discuss who rises and who falls.
Victors are crowned kings; losers are left to rot.
Cheng Xun added, “Yes, Wenbin’s words are quite right.”
He hurriedly wrapped up the topic.
After the two parted ways, Han Yu cast a complicated glance at Cheng Xun’s back.
He recognized Cheng Xun’s talent and rationality, but Cheng’s obsession with aristocratic lineage gave him a headache.
His Lord Xu Pei had talent aplenty among his ranks—loyalty, wisdom, and bravery all present…
Since establishing his base, Xu Pei had never worried about recruiting talent.
On the other hand, Jiang Pengji struggled; if not for the renowned educators joining forces to make Golden Scales Pavilion a talent selection market, would she have enough competent people under her wing? Definitely not! Even now, her resources were strained, not to mention before—
With such a stark disparity in their foundations, how could Jiang Pengji continually hold her ground against Xu Pei?
Han Yu wasn’t dense, but despite his sideways attempts to persuade Xu Pei, he remained unchanged. What could he do?
Xu Pei favored aristocrats, ignoring talented commoners, making them sit idle while their passions froze over time.
Thinking about this, Han Yu felt an inexplicable restlessness.
He decided to busy himself with some tasks, like inspecting the military camp’s training situation.
Upon arriving at the training grounds, he heard thunderous bugle calls, soldiers moving their spears with precision and agility in line with commands.
“Xie Xiaowei—”
Han Yu spotted Xie Ze among the practicing soldiers.
Xie Ze was a fine-looking guy, with sword-like brows and bright eyes, radiating an aura of youthful charisma and beauty.
Right now, he was bare-chested, showing off his muscular build, personally demonstrating to the troops how to wield long spears against foes.
“Han, Han Junshi—”
As Xie Ze retracted his spear and turned to greet Han Yu, a sudden chill breeze swept by, causing him to feel a shiver.
Embarrassed, he hastily grabbed a long robe stacked to the side and threw it over himself to hide his physique.
“Why has the Military Advisor come?”
Han Yu replied, “There have been significant movements lately. I was pondering strategies and thought I’d stop by to see how your training is progressing.”
Xie Ze said, “That makes sense.”
Han Yu looked at the young man in front of him, younger by two years yet still towering over Han Yu.
Truly a standout from the esteemed Xie family—
Han Yu smiled, squinting slightly as he watched Xie Ze lead the training.
With the military advisor watching, Xie Ze, usually strict, turned even harsher, making the soldiers secretly murmur complaints.
By the end of today’s training, many were too exhausted to rise.
“What’s with all you guys lying around like puddles? Don’t embarrass yourselves in front of the military advisor—get back down and practice two more rounds!”
Xie Ze was both exasperated and amused; a few crafty副将 cajoled for mercy.
“General, you are fierce, but we truly can’t hold out! We’re getting up, we swear!”
Xie Ze grabbed the scattered armor nearby, holding a helmet in the other hand.
He invited Han Yu, “The military advisor hasn’t had dinner yet, right? Why not stay and share a meal with us?”
Han Yu thought for a moment, seizing this chance to discuss military arrangements with Xie Ze, and nodded in agreement.
