Chapter 1152 – Assault on Xu Pei, First Kill Among the Lords (Part 22)
Xu Pei initially maintained a nonchalant demeanor, but upon hearing those words, his entire face darkened, eyes brimming with shadows.
How dare a mere Vice General act so boldly before him, provoking Han Yu? Who gave him the nerve?
While he thought this, his exterior remained calm and collected.
He replied, “Wen Bin has always been rather easygoing; how could he hold a grudge against anyone? If you present a reasonable argument, he would surely accept it.”
This was Xu Pei’s genuine sentiment. Although Han Yu was indeed stubborn and occasionally offended him, he was genuinely loyal.
What’s not to like about a loyal advisor who doesn’t engage in conspiracies?
Hearing this, the Vice General’s heart sank.
The Lord Xu Pei’s words clearly indicated he trusted Han Yu.
By taking the risk to report Han Yu, he had effectively crossed the line with him.
If the Lord didn’t believe him either, wouldn’t that spell the end of his career?
Now that the arrows were drawn, they had to be fired; sweat trickled down his back as he steeled himself, revealing all he knew.
The Vice General said, “I know I’m guilty of speaking behind people’s backs, but Military Advisor Han has monopolized military power in the army, acting tyrannically. He’s altered orders several times, causing missed opportunities. And now, he shamelessly takes credit, deceiving the Lord. How can I disregard my loyalty and pretend not to see?”
Xu Pei’s heart was filled with suspicion upon hearing this.
Though Han Yu had a blunt personality that could offend people, none in the ranks had openly contested him before.
Sure, some might say Han Yu had a nasty temperament and was harsh in his dealings, but those were minor flaws, right?
“On what basis do you claim this? Without evidence, your words are mere slander!”
Xu Pei’s voice grew stern, his gaze laced with menace that made the Vice General’s scalp tingle.
The Vice General gritted his teeth and retorted, “Military Advisor Han let Liu Xi escape. Isn’t that a grave crime?”
Xu Pei nearly choked on his own spit.
It was no wonder he lost his composure—what the Vice General said was downright shocking—
What do you mean “Han Yu let Liu Xi escape”?
Liu Xi was surrounded by tens of thousands of troops; how could Han Yu let her slip away?
“Explain yourself clearly. How did this happen?”
Having bet his life on this, the Vice General prepared for the worst, but to his surprise, Xu Pei didn’t chastise him but instead sought clarification.
Seeing this, the Vice General realized there was hope.
He began, “Though Military Advisor Han holds some military authority, the person in command of the whole army is actually Xie Ze…”
Just as the Vice General was about to explain how Han Yu summoned Xie Ze to assert his control, Xu Pei wasn’t in the mood to listen.
“First, tell me how Wen Bin let Liu Xi escape; we can set the rest aside for now.”
The Vice General felt aggrieved but swallowed his remaining words. He succinctly said, “Those scoundrels led by Yang Si should’ve perished in the wilderness, yet due to Military Advisor Han’s misjudgment, they were given a chance to escape. Then their reinforcements arrived, and the Military Advisor retreated without a fight. If that’s the case, I might treat it as the advisor realizing the situation was dire and stopping losses, but—he recognized their reinforcements included Liu Xi!”
Xu Pei couldn’t help but chuckle. Liu Xi personally leading troops across hundreds of miles to rescue Yang Si and his gang?
This has to be a joke, right?
Xu Pei thought, yet the Vice General’s expression looked sincere, leaving his mind in turmoil.
“Liu Xi does possess quite the martial prowess, and given her restless nature, it is indeed possible she might intervene herself—”
The Vice General couldn’t hold back and interjected, “But Liu Xi’s reinforcements were fewer than three thousand! Yang Si’s forces were battered, some escaped while others were injured. We still had twenty thousand soldiers left; how could we not fight? Military Advisor Han ordered a retreat without a second thought, pushing Xie Ze to issue the retreat order—my Lord, Military Advisor Han missed a great opportunity; his heart can be condemned! If we could take Liu Xi’s head, I believe those twenty thousand soldiers absolutely wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice themselves! For our Lord, they would willingly trade their lives to capture Liu Xi, yet Han Yu ordered the retreat!”
At this point, the Vice General’s eyes reddened with grievance.
He was sincerely loyal to Xu Pei, and to Xie Ze.
If he could trade the lives of twenty thousand just to take Jiang Pengji’s head, he would!
Because he knew that if they didn’t take that chance, the losses would only escalate in future battles!
Xu Pei appeared calm on the surface, but internally he was a maelstrom.
He addressed the Vice General, “Speak everything you know without withholding anything.”
The Vice General felt elated, eagerly replying, “Yes!”
Xu Pei took a bit longer to change attire; Han Yu worried that perhaps he might have encountered a mishap and become the second Wu Ma Shang, just as he was about to send someone to inquire, Xu Pei dashed back. By now, the banquet had progressed into high spirits, and everyone was tipsy.
Han Yu noticed Xu Pei’s countenance was somewhat grim and thought to himself, could it be that more bad news had come?
Considering their current predicament, Han Yu’s brows furrowed deeply, worry etched into his features.
“Wen Bin encountered troubles?”
Cheng Yuan turned his gaze from the performance to the visibly troubled Han Yu.
Having pursued Yang Si lately, Xu Pei valued Cheng Yuan greatly, hence he sat closer to the front at the banquet.
“It’s just a few matters—”
The banquet wasn’t the place for discussions, so Han Yu spoke vaguely.
Cheng Yuan understood but believed firmly in his Lord’s abilities; he couldn’t possibly be outmatched by Jiang Pengji.
“People like Liu Xi could never compare to our Lord! Even if she shines temporarily, she’s just a shooting star in the night sky—fading in an instant.”
Just like her humble origins carried no weight, she would ultimately disappear with the chaos of the times.
Han Yu remained noncommittal, having become too lazy to correct Cheng Yuan’s biased views.
While Cheng Yuan was enthusiastically rallying for his Lord, Xu Pei’s gaze shifted to Han Yu, his eyes flickering with a hint of unease.
He trusted Han Yu, yet the Vice General’s words gnawed at him.
How could Han Yu command twenty thousand troops and struggle against thousands of defeated foes?
Knowing the enemy lords were practically at the door, Han Yu opted not to slay them, instead issuing such absurd withdrawal orders?
Xu Pei was well aware of Jiang Pengji’s combat prowess but felt one person couldn’t fend off an entire army.
No matter how formidable an individual was, even a head-on assault using twenty thousand soldiers could manage to take her down.
As long as Jiang Pengji could be taken down, sacrificing those twenty thousand soldiers wouldn’t matter!
To put it bluntly, even if Han Yu perished himself, would it be unworthy?
Jiang Pengji was still a lone figure, without an heir to carry on her legacy.
If she died, the Wanzhou authority that had gathered around her would crumble.
Even if Liu Zhi remained, he had been long retired from worldly affairs, returning to the fray wouldn’t change much.
Such a golden opportunity—why did Han Yu let it slip away?
Xu Pei had considered that perhaps Han Yu had his own reasoning, but could such reasoning outweigh the life of an enemy lord?
As the banquet wrapped up, Han Yu sought a private meeting with Xu Pei.
What Han Yu wanted to discuss was precisely this issue.
Xu Pei, skilled in the theatrics of the aristocracy, held his dissatisfaction internally while maintaining a facade.
Even though Han Yu meticulously explained the reasoning behind the retreats, Xu Pei’s discontent lingered, only slightly alleviated, never completely fading.
