Chapter 1445 – The Concerns of the Nie Clan (Part 4)
“Poof—”
Yang Tao was in the midst of drinking when he heard his subordinate report back, causing him to spit it all out. Fortunately, no innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire.
“Cough cough cough—This can’t be right, can it? Liu Xi actually used this excuse to mobilize troops?”
Yang Tao coughed until tears streamed down his face, utterly astonished by Jiang Pengji’s audacity. The reason for her troop movements was anything but conventional.
Last year, when the Tao Clan stirred up trouble, they dispatched high-quality fakes to both Zhangzhou and Wanzhou to sow discord, hoping to incite the two nobles into a fit of rage.
The results, however, were delightful; with Yang Tao absent from Zhangzhou and stationed at the Southern Sheng front, Jiang Pengji, being the clever one, wasn’t taken in at all.
Their schemes bore no fruit, leading not only to the loss of the entire family but also to Jiang Pengji providing herself with a perfect excuse.
She had been looking for a reason to trouble Yang Tao.
“As long as the cause is just, it doesn’t matter what excuse is used.”
Wife Yan Shuyao sat beside Yang Tao, cradling their baby, enjoying the rare moments of family time together.
Yang Tao remarked, “My dear wife, I’m just surprised. Liu Xi really put a lot of thought into this troop mobilization.”
The baby in Yan Shuyao’s arms lunged toward Yang Tao, and he grinned widely as he received the soft little one, unable to get enough of the child.
“Husband, do you think my brother will achieve something on this trip?”
Yan Shuyao was quite worried; the journey to Zhong Zhao was long, and she wondered if her brother Yan Lin could successfully persuade the nobles of Zhong Zhao to form an alliance.
Yang Tao replied, “Shaoyang has never let anyone down, and this time will be no different. If he says he’s confident, then he’s definitely confident.”
Despite Jiang Pengji declaring the intent to go to war, the preparatory work was extensive, and Yang Tao felt no urgency whatsoever.
“My lady, look, the child is sucking on my finger.”
Yang Tao’s playful spirit surged as he watched the baby tugging his finger towards its mouth; he smiled and didn’t pull it away, reveling in the moment.
Yan Shuyao’s lips twitched; she hadn’t expected her husband, now a father, to still have such childlike innocence. She quickly swatted his hand away.
“With all that sweat smell, you’re not afraid the child might get a bad taste?”
Yang Tao laughed, “The child doesn’t seem to mind; in fact, it looks like he enjoys it, so it’s clear he’s destined to become a great warrior in the future!”
“Always thinking about fighting and killing,” Yan Shuyao chided lightly, “I’m not fond of that.”
Yang Tao, lacking his usual strategic thinking, still had to attend to necessary affairs, albeit with slightly reduced efficiency.
Yan Lin knew that without his presence, no one could rein in their leader, so he conveniently provided Yang Tao with a mild-tempered temporary “brain.”
Yang Tao was of kind nature; if you were rough with him, he’d be rough back, but if you were gentle… he just couldn’t be fierce.
Therefore, even without Yan Lin, Yang Tao remained firmly under the influence of this temporary brain.
After playing with the baby, Yang Tao returned to pressing matters, sifting through a pile of information related to Southern Sheng on his desk.
He flipped through the documents, sighing, “Shaoyang really is a master planner, while An Huan’s ambition shows he can no longer contain himself.”
The coalition forces of Southern Sheng had completely fallen apart, with An Huan systematically dismantling each noble one by one, rapidly expanding his dominance.
Yang Tao’s subordinates watched the developments, feeling anxious.
“This is a prime opportunity; why doesn’t the lord step forward to claim a piece of the pie from An Huan?”
The temporary brain proposed, “An Huan may have ambition, but without Lü Zheng at his side, he may struggle to achieve great things.”
Yang Tao muttered, “What a pity; Lü Zheng is like a hidden gem, while this An Huan isn’t any wise leader—he can only endure hardship with Lü Zheng but not share in the benefits.”
An Huan had repeatedly hurt Lü Zheng’s feelings, and their conflicts were accumulating. When it eventually erupted, Lü Zheng would surely be devastated.
The temporary brain stated, “Every man has his fate.”
Yang Tao replied, “I don’t believe in fate.”
Meanwhile, due to lagging intelligence, by the time Jiang Pengji learned that Yan Lin had secretly gone to Zhong Zhao, it was too late to stop him.
“Is this another attempt at a two-on-one?” Jiang Pengji asked. “How long has it been since we rested in Cangzhou?”
Wei Ci chuckled, “The Nie Clan in Zhong Zhao is hardly united; our lord might actually manage a two-on-one.”
Jiang Pengji frowned, saying, “If Zhong Zhao joins in… We have plenty of troops, but our supplies will become a real issue. Quick victories are best; if we get dragged into a protracted conflict, things could turn dire. After all, war is a resource-draining affair.”
Wei Ci suggested, “Why not wait for the autumn harvest? Zong Guang’s research on farming fertilizers has made significant progress. They were even used in this year’s spring plowing.”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Mm, I’m aware.”
Before they could discuss further, Jiang Pengji received a folded letter, signed by Sun Wen.
“Zai Dao?” she wondered aloud, puzzled. Ever since joining her ranks, Sun Wen had largely stayed out of the spotlight, focusing only on governance in Northern Frontier, with the exception of the impressive performance during the Northern Frontier war. He was truly a Sun fanatic, caring little for anything beyond his children and work.
The sudden appearance of a letter hinted at something important.
Wei Ci remarked, “Perhaps he has a request.”
As Jiang Pengji opened the letter, she asked, “What does he want?”
Reading through it, she realized Sun Wen was requesting a job transfer.
“He’s been doing well in the Northern Frontier, so why the sudden request to come back?” Jiang Pengji asked in surprise.
Wei Ci replied, “Zai Dao… must be concerning the Nie Clan. If he heard that they are also joining the fray, he surely wouldn’t be able to sit still.”
For Sun Wen, the Nie Clan was responsible for the ruin of his family, the source of his white-haired sorrow sending black-haired children to the grave.
Jiang Pengji understood now, smiling, “Then we should grant it; it’s only right to help Zai Dao settle one of his longstanding grievances.”
Having wrapped up her tasks, the sky outside had already darkened. Jiang Pengji promptly closed her live stream and invited Wei Ci to join her for dinner.
“I seem to recall not asking about Zai Dao’s past.”
Wei Ci responded, “The lord indeed has not inquired.”
Jiang Pengji asked, “Did he have any grievances with the Nie Clan before?”
Wei Ci’s expression changed instantly, becoming somewhat difficult to read. “No, Zai Dao was a trusted aide of the Nie Clan, highly regarded. Yet somehow, this time around, the Nie Clan wronged his only son, resulting in a broken leg, and even led to his death on the way to exile.”
This sparked a chain reaction; Sun Wen’s wife fell into despair, and his daughter-in-law passed away, leaving just him and his grandson.
Had it not been for Sun Wen escaping with his grandson to Dongqing, Jiang Pengji wouldn’t have been able to get involved with him at all.
“This is what they call the butterfly effect,” Jiang Pengji said. “Perhaps our coming changed the course of destiny.”
Wei Ci couldn’t pinpoint why, but for their lord, this seemed no bad outcome.
Having received permission, Sun Wen completed his handover tasks before immediately rushing to Wanzhou, Xiangyang County.
After school, Sun Lan saw her grandfather at home and instantly thought she was dreaming.
She ran into her grandfather’s arms as she usually did, only to find him wearing an unusually stern expression.
“Grandpa?”
Sun Lan was puzzled.
As she reached out to take her grandfather’s hand, she noticed it trembling.
“Lan Lan.”
“Mm?”
Sun Wen said, “Do you miss Grandma, and your father and mother?”
Sun Lan lowered her head, saying, “I do, but I can’t think about it, or it will make Grandpa sadder.”
Sun Wen replied, “Soon enough, Grandpa will personally take the heads of those who killed them and light a lantern with their skin to illuminate the sky!”
He had waited for this opportunity for far too many years!
