Chapter 1208 – The Death of Zhao Shao (Part Six)
Han Yu was well aware of Wei Ci’s capabilities; the two were not only brothers in martial arts but were also working under the same lord. Wei Ci wouldn’t pull a fast one on him. If he was bold enough to state it outright, then the situation must be even more critical than Wei Ci indicated.
Learning of this sudden development left Han Yu’s mood feeling somewhat peculiar.
“Zixiao might see even more details?” Han Yu deliberately lowered his voice, his expression serious and anxious.
“The Lord has the mandate of heaven; within ten years—” Wei Ci pointed upward, adding weight to his words by dragging Mr. Yuanjing into the mix, “My teacher has also looked into the Lord’s fortune before and mentioned that she was surrounded by a profusion of purple aura. With the situation in Dongqing becoming clearer and the Lord’s ambitions, establishing a nation and ascending the throne is as sure as fate. This disaster must be related to the faction struggles after the foundation of the nation.”
Wei Ci’s words weren’t baseless; Mr. Yuanjing could indeed perceive the purple aura surrounding Jiang Pengji.
After all, Mr. Yuanjing was a high-level master like Master Liaochen and Master Liu Ru, easily able to observe such things.
However, they could at most see who had the purple aura; they couldn’t precisely determine who would ultimately claim the crown.
Being a reincarnator, Wei Ci could easily answer a question like who the next emperor would be, even with his eyes closed.
To mislead Han Yu, Wei Ci skillfully blurred the focus and invoked Mr. Yuanjing to bolster credibility, so Han Yu indeed had no doubts.
Han Yu instinctively furrowed his brow, “Faction struggles after the foundation of the nation?”
He wasn’t fond of the scheming in the court; in fact, he abhorred it deeply.
According to his temperament, if there really were factional conflicts, he would keep his distance, so how could he become actively embroiled in it?
Thinking of Wei Ci’s earlier warning, “Be wary of the wife’s clan; beware of petty people,” a clear thread began to emerge in his mind, and the fog before him dissipated. Han Yu vaguely guessed what the so-called “factional struggle” was about. With vigilance, it would be much easier to prepare.
Han Yu said, “Thank you for the warning, Zixiao.”
Wei Ci smiled and said, “We’re of the same school; no need for thanks.”
Unbeknownst to Wei Ci, he had said something a bit off, causing Han Yu’s brow to furrow momentarily.
“Yu doesn’t know much about the Lord; there’s one thing I’m unsure if it should be noted,” Han Yu hesitated, “Should we keep our distance in private?”
Wei Ci looked puzzled, “Keep a distance?”
What distance needs to be kept?
We’re all in the same camp, do we really need to keep our distance?
Han Yu said, “We are both students of the teacher, and that Yang Si is like the teacher’s half-adopted son. You see…”
If Wei Ci hadn’t prompted it, Han Yu might not have thought in that direction.
From a standpoint, Han Yu, Wei Ci, and Yang Si had a natural alliance.
Wei Ci took a moment to react, then chuckled, “Wen Bin is not someone who mixes personal and public matters, and the Lord isn’t prone to paranoia or suspicion. Our relationship is that of gentlemen, pure and upright; the Lord wouldn’t doubt or guard against us because of this. There’s no need for worry.”
Han Yu said, “It’s not that I’m worried about the Lord doubting us, but I fear others may think too much.”
Even though he hadn’t interacted much with Jiang Pengji, just based on their previous conversation, he was sure that Jiang Pengji was not overly suspicious. In fact, she seemed quite carefree. Han Yu was concerned that others under Jiang Pengji might feel uncomfortable about their interactions; if that caused a rift, it wouldn’t bode well.
Han Yu had seen enough similar conflicts beneath Xu Pei’s command, even facing situations where personal grievances dragged down public affairs.
He certainly did not want to encounter such distressing issues after switching jobs.
Wei Ci said, “Wen Zheng, Zishi, and Huai Yu are all sensible people, and with the Lord looking over things, they won’t stir up trouble.”
Han Yu: “…”
It felt oddly like their Lord was a parent, tirelessly mediating the disputes of bratty children.
With the reassurance, Han Yu’s mood brightened.
Though he was a “newbie,” everyone was already quite familiar with his name; it was well-known.
This was thanks to Yang Si’s “contributions.”
After all, Han Yu was nearly the one to end Yang Si’s little life!
With Han Yu’s allegiance, Yang Si was the one feeling the most complicated emotions.
As a poor kid who had been repeatedly let down by Han Yu, he had resolved to crush Han Yu on the front line, only for him to go from enemy to colleague. Yang Si felt he would never have a chance to reclaim his lost dignity in life. Even though internally he was fuming, externally he still had to wear a silly smile.
So frustrating!
Han Yu noticed Yang Si’s “eager” gaze and smiled, nodding as a response.
Yang Si: “…”
This made him even angrier!
After Jiang Pengji summoned everyone for a post-battle meeting, she took the opportunity to introduce Han Yu to the rest.
Han Yu felt somewhat complex about the situation, as the summary of the battle’s aftermath centered around the night raid before Shanweng City fell.
While the army had responded promptly, the enemy had appeared too suddenly, leading to a fire in the main camp, and Jiang Pengji’s losses were significant.
In fact, over the years of battles, the enemy had attempted sneak attacks on no less than twenty occasions.
This loss was among the worst.
As the mastermind behind this night raid incident, Han Yu’s feelings were a mix of vinegar and bitterness hard to articulate.
“War is ruthless, regardless of life or death; you all must be responsible for the entire camp’s soldiers. I hope everyone takes this to heart and does not act carelessly!”
Not only did Jiang Pengji avoid mentioning Han Yu’s shortcomings, but she also praised his plans and actions.
After all, as an opponent, Han Yu should not be underestimated.
If it hadn’t been for Xu Pei being in decline, had Han Yu been allowed to act freely, Jiang Pengji’s losses would have been far greater.
Everyone responded, “Understood!”
As Jiang Pengji mentioned the night raid, Han Yu seized the chance to ask, “My Lord… What has become of General Xie Ze, who led the troops that day?”
Han Yu asked himself if he had done right by his former lord, Xu Pei, but felt somewhat indebted to Xie Ze.
If possible, he would have hoped to save his complete corpse.
A head would count as military merit; as the enemy general, Xie Ze’s head was quite valuable.
Who knows who might have taken it for credit.
“Still unknown,” Jiang Pengji tilted her head towards Nong Qin, “Captain Jiang, do you know?”
Nong Qin replied, “Reporting to my Lord, Xie Ze was severely injured and captured, brought to the injured soldiers’ camp for treatment, but has not yet awakened.”
Still alive?
This pleasant surprise brightened Han Yu’s eyes, but then he recalled the circumstances surrounding Xie Ze and himself, and his expression darkened.
Jiang Pengji said, “Can Wen Bin persuade Xie Ze? He has some ties with Han Mei; it would be best if we could bring him under our banner.”
Ties?
Han Yu’s expression turned puzzled, “I can indeed persuade him, but… I haven’t heard that he has any ties with Captain Li Yun…”
From Xie Ze’s reaction, it was evident he had no knowledge of Li Yun.
Jiang Pengji’s expression became one of boredom as she pouted, “Han Mei’s father is a direct descendant of the previous generation of the Xie family; they are practically cousins.”
Now it was Han Yu’s turn to be bewildered.
Thanks to his good luck, when Han Yu privately visited the injured Xie Ze, the latter had just opened his eyes.
His eyes were filled with confusion, as if he hadn’t yet grasped the current situation.
