Chapter 1117 – Across the Nine Provinces
Yang Si and Cheng Yuan, one a strategist and the other a monitoring officer, both assisted and kept a watchful eye on Qin Gong.
Qin Gong was well aware of this, but it did not hamper his gratitude and fondness for Jiang Pengji.
With an armed force of ten thousand, along with abundant supplies, he was certain to save his former lord from peril!
Upon first meeting Yang Si and Cheng Yuan, they exchanged names and formed initial impressions of one another.
“This kid shows potential, quite decent—”
Yang Si tested Qin Gong’s waters, maintaining a composed facade while secretly admiring Xu Fei’s generosity.
Such a promising talent was not something one easily let go of!
Though Qin Gong was still young, he had unique insights and style in military formations, leaving Yang Si pleasantly surprised in many aspects. To Yang Si, Qin Gong appeared not as a person but as an uncut gem that made one itch to sculpt it.
Moreover, there was something exceptionally valuable about Qin Gong—
Loyalty.
What lord wouldn’t cherish a talented and devoted general?
Not just cherish, but also provide more opportunities for achievements than usual.
Cheng Yuan didn’t feel it as deeply but still recognized Qin Gong’s merits.
“He truly is a fine talent; no wonder the lord is willing to trust him.”
To have a newly allied general be bold enough to deploy ten thousand troops and ample supplies was not merely trust; it was something far more significant!
After several days of marching, Cheng Yuan found himself growing even fonder of Qin Gong. He disciplined his troops strictly yet wasn’t harsh, was open to suggestions yet had firm opinions; more importantly, Qin Gong was neither conceited nor arrogant, not a show-off. What monitoring officer wouldn’t appreciate such a commander?
Yang Si felt similarly at ease.
He had worked alongside Dian Yin, this straightforward lumbering fellow, for several years, his patience having honed considerably.
Now with Qin Gong, things couldn’t be more comfortable.
As Qin Gong bid farewell to Jiang Pengji and set off alone, he took a less-traveled path, hoping to evade Xu Pei’s scouts. However, Jiang Pengji had ordered him to mobilize ten thousand troops to support Hu Jun, and the movement of such a large army would be difficult to conceal. Moreover, since Jiang Pengji concluded the battle in Cangzhou, Xu Pei’s nerves had been tense. According to Han Yu’s analysis, after taking Cangzhou, Jiang Pengji’s next target was either Huang Song or himself.
As it stood, Huang Song had resolved conflicts with Jiang Pengji peacefully and should refrain from fighting for a while.
Undoubtedly, Xu Pei was now a strong contender as her next opponent.
Xu Pei maintained a high state of vigilance; even the slightest indication of troop movements from Jiang Pengji would catch his attention.
Days after Qin Gong’s army set off, Xu Pei received an urgent dispatch from eight hundred miles away.
“Liu Lanting truly never takes a moment’s rest!”
Xu Pei murmured to himself, unsure whether his tone was filled with gritted teeth or a breath of relief.
It was likely the latter; after all, having been on high alert for so long had taken its toll.
Now that things had settled, he felt rather relieved.
“My lord, has there been any news from Liu Xi?”
Hearing Xu Pei’s murmur, Cheng Xun, who sat lower, asked.
Xu Pei replied, “According to the urgent message, Liu Xi has dispatched ten thousand troops southward; they are most likely coming for me.”
The small lords in the southern part of Dongqing had mostly been divided between him and Huang Song, leaving just the two of them.
If he wasn’t fighting Huang Song, it could only mean they were coming for him.
Cheng Xun inquired, “Who is commanding them?”
Xu Pei responded, “The scouts reported that the commander is a very young general.”
Cheng Xun frowned; the leaders under Jiang Pengji had mostly been made public, and the only young general that seemed likely was Li Yun.
“Could it be Li Yun? Li Hanmei?”
Xu Pei denied it, “No, the banner had the character ‘Qin’—when did Lan Ting come to have a young general with the surname Qin?”
Cheng Xun said, “It must be one newly recruited. Since Liu Xi dares to let an unknown young general lead ten thousand as a vanguard, he must not be underestimated.”
Thanks to Jiang Pengji’s trust, the outside world held a higher evaluation of Qin Gong.
“I think so, Lan Ting’s judgment is indeed reliable.” He recalled his right-hand man, “By the way, hasn’t Wen Bin returned yet?”
Over the years, he had increasingly relied on Han Yu, but due to his pride, he didn’t want to place all his chips on Han Yu alone.
To maintain balance, Xu Pei had also promoted several distinguished scholars who had defected to his cause.
If Wei Ci were to arrive, he would know Xu Pei’s circle was rather impressive, although most were followers of the noble families.
While the commoners received no disdain from Xu Pei, they weren’t utilized much either and usually sat idle.
Cheng Xun remarked, “Military Adviser Han is still dealing with the affairs in Zhejun; it may take him another half month.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Pei frowned. He had become too dependent on Han Yu; no matter what problem arose, as long as he went through Han Yu’s meticulous analysis, he could clearly understand the underlying intricacies, feeling as relaxed as if he had taken a sedative. Now that Han Yu was absent, he found it difficult even to discuss matters with anyone.
Fortunately, the ten thousand troops were merely the advance party.
Most likely, it was just a test; any attack would probably be a feigned one, and Xu Pei wasn’t worried they’d be foolish enough to confront him head-on with ten thousand men.
Xu Pei concluded, “In that case, let’s wait until Wen Bin returns to discuss this.”
With that, Xu Pei made an excuse to take his leave, and Cheng Xun saw him off.
After Xu Pei vanished from sight, Cheng Xun left the council hall, appearing calm on the surface while brewing an undercurrent of turmoil.
“My lord, why are you back so early today?”
Upon returning home, his wife approached with the maidservant, taking his cloak and asking with a soft voice.
Cheng Xun replied, “There was nothing happening in the council hall, so I returned early.”
His wife paused.
Having shared a bed with Cheng Xun for nearly ten years, she had honed the ability to “read his face”.
Although Cheng Xun appeared unaffected on the outside, he must surely have pent-up feelings inside; was it possible that he faced difficulties from his peers in the council hall?
“Don’t think too much; there’s nothing wrong with me.”
Cheng Xun turned and went to his study, barely touching his dinner before heading back out.
Of course, he had matters on his mind!
Xu Pei had summoned him to discuss the urgent letter, clearly intending to discuss this matter, but then suddenly changed his mind.
The lord’s attitude lodged like a fish bone in his throat; as a subject, he couldn’t resent his lord but instead felt disdain for Han Yu.
After holding it in for a night, he finally suppressed his thoughts.
Little did he know, the next day, Xu Pei summoned the ministers back to the council hall, having received yet another urgent letter.
This time, the letter contained news obtained through deep scouting, hastily sent back again.
Cheng Xun listened closely for a while; this second urgent letter had three key points.
First, the commander was named Qin Gong, quite young, likely not yet of age.
Second, the military adviser was an old acquaintance, Yang Si; just months ago, they had shared drinks, only to now find themselves at odds.
Third, this army of over ten thousand was heading straight for Hu Jun, not Zhe Jun.
The first two points were fairly understandable, but the third seemed somewhat contradictory.
If one knew that Qin Gong was the son of a major general under Xu Fei, it would all make sense.
A certain strategist remarked, “I’ve heard the Qin clan is ever loyal; how could they pledge allegiance to another lord at this time?”
The Qin clan had been vassals of the Xu clan, having pledged loyalty for over three hundred years without any betrayal ever.
Xu Pei’s grandfather had favored Xu Fei, causing the Qin clan to serve Xu Fei, which had left Xu Pei feeling quite resentful even to this day.
