Chapter 1552 – Conquering Nie Liang and Attacking Yang Tao, Sword Pointing at the World (Ninety)
Several days later, Fan Chen and the remaining soldiers returned, and despite his injuries, he hurried to see Nie Qing to apologize.
Nie Qing looked noticeably thinner than before, with his clothes hanging loosely on him.
As Fan Chen approached, he could feel how bony Nie Qing’s hands were when he helped him up.
With red eyes, Fan Chen said, “This sinner feels deeply ashamed and dares not rise. My lord has lost too much weight recently; I boldly request my lord to take care of himself.”
Nie Qing had no intention of allowing Fan Chen to apologize.
Based on the limited information he had, Nie Qing had carefully reviewed the events of the Battle of Zhanjiang Pass and knew full well that the blame for their defeat could not be placed on Fan Chen.
Under Nie Qing’s insistence, Fan Chen still shakily got to his feet and stumbled to his seat on the mat.
Nie Qing inquired in detail about the events at Zhanjiang Pass, and naturally, Fan Chen possessed more information than the messengers.
After hearing Fan Chen’s objective account, Nie Qing’s already pale face turned even worse.
“This defeat cannot be blamed on anyone. It can only be said that we made a blunder in our strategy and were instead used by the enemy.”
Nie Qing also understood that if they had won the Battle of Zhanjiang Pass, it would have forcibly opened the way to Dongqing. Jiang Pengji’s other forces would have been delayed by Yang Tao and could not have rushed back for aid. If they had seized the opportunity, it might not have been impossible to take over all of Jiang Pengji’s power. What a pity.
Fan Chen replied in shame, “This matter still comes down to my incompetence. Had I killed Liu Xi on the battlefield back then, perhaps it wouldn’t have turned out this way…”
He detailed how Jiang Pengji led a surprise attack but fell into a trap.
Because Jiang Pengji had appeared at the front lines, Fan Chen was certain that their scheme had gone unnoticed and that she had not informed Wei Ying.
This was also why Fan Chen felt such guilt and self-blame.
If he had detected something amiss earlier, if the troops he commanded could have taken down the rebel leader, the outcome would have been different.
After listening, Nie Qing fell silent for a moment before saying, “To use oneself as bait, this Lan Ting is indeed someone unafraid for his life.”
Such audacity and fortitude, even Nie Qing, let alone any other heroes of the world, would hardly dare to be so reckless.
However, upon learning that Fan Chen’s ambush troops numbered double that of the enemy yet were still crushed, his expression grew increasingly complex.
When Fan Chen mentioned that one Jiang Pengji could match half an army, Nie Qing suddenly felt a deep sense of helplessness.
The claims that Jiang Pengji was a child of destiny were growing louder, and even though Nie Qing had previously been skeptical, he couldn’t help but waver now.
A mocking smile crept onto his face as he sneered, “How can mortals contend with fate?”
The notion of destiny left one feeling powerless, much like the Northern Chen dynasty from hundreds of years ago.
The ancestors of the Northern Chen royal family were merely small lords commanding an army of thirty thousand, facing an opponent poised to conquer the world—a matchup that should have been a foregone conclusion. Yet, meteors fell from the sky and floods struck, leaving their formidable opponent severely weakened and allowing the Northern Chen ancestors to reap the benefits.
Human effort often runs out, and fate cannot be defied.
How can mortals contend with fate?
“My lord, how can mortals not contend with fate? The late sovereign had no fear of it when he was alive!” Fan Chen said with a hint of sorrow and grievance. “If Heaven truly ordained Liu Xi, why stir up such chaos and cause countless to lose their lives? Why not just topple the dragon throne in front of Liu Xi and let her ascend as the emperor directly? Wouldn’t that be more efficient? Destiny is what it is, and ultimately, who wins is who holds the fate! The concept of destiny cannot be set in stone! Liu Xi flaunting her divine favor is just a ploy to weaken our fighting spirit and make us bow to her. I beseech my lord to gather strength and plan for the future!”
These words resonated with Nie Qing like a clap of thunder, pulling him out of his despondent mood.
“You’re right… we absolutely must not give in lightly.”
If he were to show weakness to the enemy responsible for the death of his loved ones, how could he face his father and father-in-law when his soul returned to the netherworld?
Seeing this shift in attitude, Fan Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although they were fired up, the situation had not improved. The powers affiliated with the Nie Clan were restless, and there was also a sense of splitting and independence within the Nie Clan itself. Old Patriarch Nie’s prestige had waned; the remaining few elders began to harbor unsanctioned thoughts.
Counting from Old Patriarch Nie, Nie Qing was the fourth-generation grandson of the Nie Clan and did not have an advantageous position in terms of lineage.
What troubled him most was that among these people were Nie Qing’s grandfather and Nie Liang’s father, who were trying to pressure Nie Qing into surrendering power and military command through the ties of blood and filial piety. In his lifetime, Nie Liang had managed rascally relatives and peers but had overlooked this biological father. No matter how ruthless Nie Liang was, he could not lay a hand on his own father; he had merely threatened and intimidated to keep him in check.
Nie Liang had actually thought this through well; he had calculated that Nie Qing’s military forces were strong enough, and even his own grandfather wouldn’t dare cause trouble.
However, fate had dealt a heavy blow after such a crushing defeat that these ambitions had resurrected.
Fortunately, Nie Qing’s stance remained firm, preventing the plot from succeeding.
Even so, the situation, which had finally calmed down in Zhong Zhao, had once again turned chaotic.
Fearing the Nie Clan, the minor lords were rising to seize the Nie Clan’s share of the pie, and factions within the Nie Clan aimed to wrest power from Nie Qing, while those within the Nie Clan who had been dependent were starting to form their own thoughts… In a flash, the situation became turbulent, and Nie Qing felt as if he were sitting in a flimsy boat surrounded by a vast ocean, with fierce winds howling, lightning flashing, and towering waves ready to tear him apart…
“We’ll take a moment to rest and let Zhong Zhao exhaust itself in internal strife.”
Due to the turmoil in Zhong Zhao, Jiang Pengji took the opportunity to dispatch hundreds of spies to gather information, receiving fresh gossip at regular intervals. Just as Qi Guanrang and the others had analyzed, Zhong Zhao was a complete mess. Despite knowing Jiang Pengji was the greatest threat and should be allied against, only a few raised their voices, with few actions to substantiate it.
“They’re all a bunch of short-sighted fools,” Jiang Pengji thought, aware of the human nature to seek personal gain. Most people wished to monopolize all benefits, and only a select few were truly lucid-minded enough to resist the temptation of interests. “They all only think of themselves until their dying breath…”
Throughout history, such people seemed to be the majority.
Jiang Pengji remembered a mission in her previous life, where she went to an outer-world planet undergoing war to retrieve a confidential document.
The rebel army, the militia, and the official army were all fighting each other, filled with animosity.
When Jiang Pengji arrived, the militia was gathering firepower to siege a rebel-held primary city.
When the city fell, the number of resisting rebels was few; most had gone off to negotiate, kill, drink, brawl, and gamble…
Even when the crisis loomed, the majority of the fools were still preoccupied with their own interests instead of uniting against their enemies.
Not sure if it was an awakening effect, but Jiang Pengji was finding it increasingly difficult to calm her mind these days.
“Is there any progress from Zhangzhou?”
