Chapter 1196 – Attacking Xu Pei, The First Kill of the Nobles (Sixty-Six)
Compared to Jiang Pengji’s smooth sailing, Xu Pei’s situation was quite dire.
Blame it on that crafty Yang Si, who mercilessly stomped all over Xu Pei’s dignity with every word, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Xu Pei was never a laid-back person; on the contrary, he was delicate and sensitive, overthinking every little thing, with an astonishing ability for dramatic scenarios. This personality had its pros and cons, but in the current situation, the cons heavily outweighed the pros.
Because of his sensitive disposition, Xu Pei became increasingly fixated on his troubles, and once he got stuck in, he couldn’t find his way out.
Yang Si was behind the scenes fanning the flames, sending messengers daily to yell insults outside Shanweng City using a specially made copper horn, the sound echoing over the walls into the city. Xu Pei of high spirits went from furious to bedridden — Yang Si had definitely achieved something!
If Yang Si’s cunning was underestimated, it might have been a huge mistake; he had trickier tactics up his sleeve.
A regular round of insults no longer satisfied his restless heart, so he sought talent in the military, eventually finding a former street performer with an exceptional mouth showmanship. Yang Si had this guy perform a “rain of arrows” sound show at the dead of night outside Shanweng City, even getting a hundred people to join in!
The city guards: “…”
I need to yell a solid MMP at Yang Si!
After endless antics, they were utterly exhausted but dared not slack off, fearing the enemy might seize the opportunity for a full-on assault on Shanweng City.
Yang Si chuckled, “Han Yu is a cautious one; if we keep this up for another three to five days, he’ll be on the brink of collapse.”
Even ironclad folks need their sleep! With these disturbances, Han Yu could be in hot water no matter how capable he was.
Li Yun’s smile was a bit forced as he reevaluated Yang, the strategist — sure enough, when these literati got worked up, nothing else mattered!
“According to the scouts, the deserting soldiers from Shanweng City have increased significantly compared to before—”
Actually, those holed up in Shanweng City could have held on, but Yang Si was just too insidious and rowdy, employing a full hundred and twenty-hour harassment method!
The soldiers’ nerves were eternally frayed, and over time, their morale suffered wildly.
If they didn’t desert, they were either dead or gone crazy.
Yang Si softly hummed, “If not for Xu Pei being so two-faced, would it be so easy to make this happen?”
There’s an old saying: a man fears choosing the wrong profession, a woman fears marrying the wrong guy.
Han Yu might not have chosen the wrong profession, but he sure partnered up with the wrong guy. Xu Pei could put on a show for a bit, but could he keep it going forever?
Clearly, he couldn’t.
Speaking of Han Yu, Yang Si regretted more than once that he’d placed his trust in the wrong person.
Many can only share suffering, not joy, and Xu Pei was a classic case.
When he was down and out, he meticulously crafted his image, manipulating Han Yu into supporting him fully, only to reveal his true nature when he was flying high.
He had succeeded, systematically suppressing Xu Fei, freeing him from the need to keep up his façade.
With such an Xu Pei, his actions were entirely at odds with Han Yu’s ideals, how could the two not become estranged?
Yang Si understood Han Yu, recognizing how painful it felt when one’s ideals were trampled upon by their leader!
Because what Han Yu faced now was precisely what Yang Si had once endured.
Yang Si had initially served Changshou Wang with genuine heart.
Changshou Wang cherished talent and treated common scholars well, annually allocating a significant sum to fund impoverished scholars.
During evaluations, he generously offered his hot spring villa in Jishan for students to hold elegant gatherings and poetry meets, covering all expenses himself. He even established several tea houses, creating a platform for students to shine, providing books for their reading, and if any student excelled, he would personally recommend them to take the first steps toward success!
Honestly, didn’t such a Changshou Wang qualify as a wise leader?
Yang Si was drawn to such a Changshou Wang, volunteering to be his advisor and offer strategies.
Yet, even Changshou Wang’s mask couldn’t hold out forever.
As the royal family of Dongqing began to crumble, he promptly revealed his sharp teeth.
Recruiting commoners was merely a guise for building his image and gaining influence; it was less about valuing them and more about cultivating connections.
To him, commoners were just disposable tools.
Yang Si coldly observed it all, decisively stepping back, even pulling a fast one on Changshou Wang before leaving.
In contrast to Yang Si’s decisiveness of “If you have no heart, then I shall rest,” Han Yu was less nonchalant; perhaps he still held some hope for Xu Pei?
Gazing toward Shanweng City, Yang Si murmured.
Li Yun didn’t quite catch it and asked, “What did the strategist say?”
Yang Si’s words held deeper meaning as he questioned, “Does Han Mei like hypocritical folks?”
Li Yun shook his head, “Hypocritical scum, who would like those?”
Yang Si laughed, “But what if this hypocritical scum upheld this facade for a lifetime?”
Li Yun initially didn’t understand, but then grasped the underlying message.
“What’s the difference between a lifetime of hypocrisy and genuine goodness?”
Yang Si chuckled, “Indeed, there’s no difference.”
Whether it’s Xu Pei or Changshou Wang, if they could maintain their façades for a lifetime, what does it matter if they put their all into supporting their leader?
They would still be willing participants.
Unfortunately, neither of them managed to maintain it, so their abandonment was entirely expected.
Before leaving, Yang Si remarked, “Keep monitoring the movements inside Shanweng City; Han Yu is no idle player.”
Thinking of Han Yu’s face and his pure demeanor, who would guess that this elegant young man had a fierce side?
He was a fierce beast; even if he were at death’s door, he’d muster his last strength to strike at his enemies, refusing to be a shrinking violet!
Yang Si was sure that Han Yu would act before Shanweng City crumbled, and he’d strike straight to the heart!
But then…
What would Han Yu do?
After several days of planning, Han Yu hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in ages, burdened by the chaotic sounds outside and the pressure mounting in his mind.
He and Cheng Xun emerged from the lord’s mansion, and he immediately spotted Xie Ze standing guard nearby.
Han Yu lowered his eyelids to hide the disappointment in his eyes.
Xu Pei had already been cornered by Jiang Pengji’s relentless tricks, and now he was even jumpy, having heard legends that military generals have strong yang energy, and absurdly requested Xie Ze to secure the house against阴气. Since Xie Ze was a relative and generally good-natured, he hadn’t opposed much.
Still, Han Yu felt let down.
With Cheng Xun beside him, Han Yu kept his emotions in check.
Xie Ze stepped forward, “Military Adviser, does the lord have any instructions?”
Han Yu remained silent, and Cheng Xun replied, “The lord has appointed Xie to lead this operation.”
Xie Ze’s brow furrowed, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes.
“It is an honor for me to be entrusted with such responsibility; I assure I won’t let the lord down.”
Cheng Xun had things to handle and left first, while Xie Ze escorted Han Yu to the door, turning to glance at the entrance.
“If anything happens to me, and if the lord resolves the current crisis, I’d like to mercifully ask the military adviser to look out for my family at home.”
Xie Ze spoke softly, earnestly looking at Han Yu.
Han Yu replied coolly, “I will.”
Xie Ze seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.
