Chapter 1130 – Throughout the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, I Want One Hundred Percent (Twenty-Eight)
If we set aside the fact that Xu Pei broke through Shanweng City and forced Xu Fei to death, how many people would be moved by the words just spoken?
My cousin’s family has lost all but a lonely daughter; Xu Pei is a virtuous person who helps to raise her—how wonderful!
Xu Pei acted out of necessity.
Cheng Yuan unexpectedly stabbed him in the back twice; he couldn’t strike back, so he had to find a way to remedy the situation.
Xu Yansiao is already eleven this year; if she is raised well for two more years until she reaches marriageable age, Xu Pei’s notorious reputation for killing his brothers could soften a bit. After all, who kills their sibling and still treats their sibling’s daughter as their own?
Public opinion can be manipulated; black can be turned into white with just a mouth.
Cheng Yuan forced a smile, “This matter is not something I can decide alone; we must first consult with Madame Xu.”
Xu Pei’s face darkened as he forced a smile in agreement, “Of course.”
Cheng Yuan mercilessly teased Xu Pei, which ignited a desire for revenge in him, but ultimately he kept it under control.
In battles between armies, one does not kill the envoy.
Since war has yet to be officially declared, casually killing the messenger would only make things worse.
Even though Xu Pei was furious, Cheng Yuan left in one piece and walked away unharmed.
Before leaving, Cheng Yuan subtly nodded to a certain direction, a faint smile on his lips.
Unlike the perfect demeanor he displayed when facing Xu Pei, this smile held a touch of sincerity and warmth.
Once Cheng Yuan departed, silence fell in the tent as the ministers dared not speak, fearing they would draw bad luck.
To ease the atmosphere and regain some face, Xu Pei reluctantly praised Cheng Yuan.
He sighed, “I wonder where Liu Xi found so many talented young men—just now, that messenger was quite remarkable.”
Cheng Yuan subtly ridiculed him, and even when pushed to the wall with the suggestion to adopt his son to the deceased enemy, Xu Pei remained magnanimous in his forgiveness—truly a testament to his broad-mindedness—just as Xu Pei thought, this gesture did indeed boost his favorability.
Han Yu chimed in, “Cheng Yuan? I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere.”
Strategists are a strange bunch, possessing a terrifyingly good memory, and Han Yu quickly found his related memories.
Before Han Yu could speak, Cheng Xun proactively confessed.
“The Military Adviser has a remarkable memory; Cheng Yuan is indeed my second brother.”
Being laid bare or confessing oneself carries different meanings and results.
If it were the former, it would inevitably raise doubts from superiors, putting oneself in a passive position.
If it were the latter, it would instead show straightforwardness, alleviating the lord’s suspicion.
Cheng Xun is a clever man; he naturally knows how to choose what benefits him best.
Han Yu nodded, “Right, I heard Gong Luo mention it before.”
Cheng Xun continued, “My younger brother was impudent and offended the lord; please punish him.”
Regardless of right or wrong, he first took the blame upon himself, as Xu Pei would inevitably not truly retaliate.
“The young second brother of Gong Luo, indeed serving in Lan Ting—what a twist of fate!”
Xu Pei smiled, lightening the heavy atmosphere.
“I am simply amazed by the wonderful twist of fate, and I certainly have no intention of blaming Gong Luo.”
Following this incident, Cheng Xun made a significant impression and gained favor in Xu Pei’s eyes.
If Xu Pei had been a bit more open to Cheng Xun’s earlier suggestions, he wouldn’t have found himself in such a passive stance now.
Cheng Yuan’s visit wasn’t just to offer greetings or “deliver messages”; he was clearly here to collect debts.
He unexpectedly exposed Xu Pei’s crime of forcing his brother to death, then went a step further to unveil the fact that the brotherly bloodline had been severed because of him—a layered approach.
The most outrageous suggestion was the adoption of a son.
Forcing Xu Pei to adopt his biological son to his sworn enemy—the very brother he had killed—was simply revolting.
Throughout this exchange, Cheng Yuan maintained a gentlemanly demeanor like the wind, but the words he spoke pierced the heart!
Cheng Xun hardly recognized his brother anymore.
Though time apart had seen his brother grow from a baby-faced youth into a mature and steady young man—this transformation was just too drastic.
If it weren’t for Cheng Yuan’s facial contours being relatively unchanged, Cheng Xun might not have recognized him at first glance.
Xu Pei dismissed everyone, keeping only Han Yu and Cheng Xun.
With a pained expression, he said, “I know I shouldn’t have ignored your wise counsel; now that we’ve reached this impasse, is there any way to salvage the situation?”
The lord he chose, he must assist even from his knees.
Han Yu remained silent, feeling that there was no need to think about redemption; better to prepare for war and be ready for battle at any moment.
However, Cheng Xun was quite fond of his lord.
Xu Pei’s earlier actions had saddened him, while the renewed closeness and trust now delighted him, allowing him to totally forget their previous grievances.
“I do have a plan that might work,” Cheng Xun said surreptitiously glancing at Han Yu, and upon seeing he had no sign of discontent, he mustered his courage, “The lord might consider writing a secret letter to Liu Xi, outlining the pros and cons. If the two families fight, it only benefits others.”
There’s no need to guess who this ‘other’ is.
The three most powerful lords within Dongqing are merely Jiang Pengji, Huang Song, and Xu Pei.
Though Yang Tao still held half of Zhangzhou, he had shifted his foundation southward, developing and expanding his territories, thus he didn’t count. If Xu Pei and Liu Xi went to blows, Huang Song would surely take pleasure in it, and might even stab both in the back.
Xu Pei said, “Gong Luo’s implication—is for me to主动握手言和 with Lan Ting?”
Cheng Xun replied, “Huang Song had past grievances with her, but the lord has granted her kindness.”
Better for the two families to unite and eliminate Huang Song first.
Xu Pei frowned, saying, “I’ll give it a try.”
However, Han Yu wasn’t optimistic about this.
If Jiang Pengji truly wished to deal with Huang Song, she would have made her move during the Cangzhou conflict.
Choosing to act against Lord Xu Pei clearly came after careful consideration; how could a single secret letter change her mind?
Wasn’t that akin to changing orders at the commander’s whim?
Initially, it was thought that this urgent letter would take at least half a month to reach Jiang Pengji, but it took only ten short days.
It wasn’t that the speed of letter delivery had improved; it was simply that the messenger ran into Jiang Pengji on the way.
She gathered an army of a hundred thousand, marching south; the messenger, seeing this display, felt his scalp go numb.
“Whose letter is this?”
Jiang Pengji hadn’t worn casual clothes for long; after resting a moment, she donned her armor again, with a finely crafted black sheathed sword hung at her waist.
This sword had a mysterious origin; the audience in the live stream had never seen her draw it.
At first, they were curious, but over time they forgot about it.
Qi Guanrang gently waved his feather fan, smiling, “It’s a letter from Lord Zhao.”
Feng Jin took over Qi Guanrang’s duties, managing matters in Chongzhou, assisting Sun Wen in his governance of Beizhou (Northern Frontier).
Just when he thought he could enjoy a couple of pleasant days, Jiang Pengji dragged him to the battlefield.
Qi Guanrang: “…”
“Letter from Lord Zhao?” Jiang Pengji grimaced, “Xu Pei is just Xu Pei; why the formalities of calling him Lord or Lady?”
Qi Guanrang: “…”
If not knowing that the lord had studied for three years in Langya, just hearing such crude words would make one question her education.
What’s with this lord and lady business? Is that even respectful?
Originally, it was thought that since the lord had learned from Yuan Jing, she would possess profound insights, but who would’ve expected her to speak such coarse and crude words?
This is my lord!
I must assist even from my knees.
“I definitely can’t stand people calling me ‘Lord Lan Ting.’”
At this moment, the live stream was buzzing with barrage comments.
【If not calling you Lord Lan Ting, what? Call you Lady Lan Ting instead?】
If it weren’t for the distance between realms, Jiang Pengji really wanted to smash this group of fools.
Opening the secret letter, Jiang Pengji quickly read through it.
“Wow—Xu Pei wants to join hands with me to split the world—”
Qi Guanrang said, “He’s asking for peace, a delaying tactic.”
Jiang Pengji picked up her pen, and with swift strokes, she wrote a reply.
The letter was short, merely eight characters long—
“Throughout the nine provinces and four seas, I want one hundred percent!”
