Chapter 1155 – Slicing Xu Pei, The First Kill Among the Lords (25)
Zu De?
Jiang Pengji rummaged through her mind, finally placing the person.
“You said Zu De, is that Tang Yao?” Jiang Pengji was not particularly interested in Wei Ci’s past life; she rarely asked unless she was bored and wanted to hear a story to pass the time. “It seems Tang Yao and Jingrong have little interaction? How did these two end up clashing?”
“Zu De and Jingrong both served under Huang Song in their past lives. Zu De hails from an aristocratic family, with strong notions of class distinction, while Jingrong, from a humble beginning, was valued by Huang Song, so they naturally have a deep-seated animosity.” Wei Ci knew Jiang Pengji’s temperament; sharing this information wouldn’t affect her trust in Yang Si. “His Majesty took the initiative to befriend Jingrong, frequently presenting sumptuous meals. Initially, it didn’t matter much, but as time passed, Yang Si and Huang Song grew apart. After that, several schemes to sow discord were employed, leaving Jingrong no choice but to seek refuge with His Majesty.”
Yang Si didn’t switch loyalties out of greed for food, but the reason indeed stemmed from his appetite.
Back in the past life, without Tang Yao as an unexpected boost, Yang Si probably wouldn’t have switched sides so easily.
Jiang Pengji listened intently, not forgetting to throw in a jab.
“Jingrong must be regretting his choices now; if it were recorded in history, future generations would know he messed up because he couldn’t resist the temptation of food.”
What a humiliating reason to live down.
She could totally envision future students referring to Yang Si as—
The Glutton.
Wei Ci suppressed a smile.
Isn’t that the truth?
In his past life, Yang Si often complained, and this embarrassing history was a pain he could hardly speak of.
Jiang Pengji then asked, “What about Tang Yao?”
Wei Ci lowered his gaze subtly, replying, “After Huang Song’s defeat, he took his own life.”
He wasn’t lying, but he also wasn’t being fully transparent.
Under Huang Song’s command, Tang Yao had definitely made Yang Si’s life difficult, their relationship was always contentious. The former had once drunkenly insulted Yang Si, calling him “son of a whore.” Yang Si swallowed that humiliation, later returning the favor after Huang Song’s defeat, cornering Tang Yao to the point he couldn’t bear the shame and ended his own life against a wall. It couldn’t be said that Yang Si was wrong, but the means of retaliation were indeed quite severe.
Wei Ci didn’t want His Majesty harboring any dissatisfaction toward Yang Si over this matter.
Jiang Pengji didn’t press further.
“Tang Yao should be collaborating with Mr. Yuanjing on writing books now, right?”
Wei Ci nodded, “That suits him better, and it’s safer for him.”
In a chaotic world rife with strife, it’s either kill or be killed.
A character like Tang Yao wouldn’t be out of place under any lord’s banner, but he truly wasn’t suitable for Jiang Pengji.
The pride of aristocratic lineage was deeply ingrained within him, not something that could be undone with mere words.
Rather than letting him get involved with power and risk discord among the Wanzhou faction, it was better to let him make the most of his abilities following the mentor and honing his writing skills.
Not to mention, Tang Yao’s knowledge and talent were genuinely commendable.
“You have a point; writing suits him better.” Jiang Pengji frowned, feeling a deep need for capable people, but she’d prefer quality over quantity. True, Tang Yao possessed talent, but he definitely wasn’t suitable for her current situation, “He wouldn’t be the type to step aside as Jingrong would, nor would he yield like Wenzheng.”
Most likely, he would linger in bitter disputes, leaving everyone at an impasse.
Jiang Pengji had already torn her relationship with Xu Pei to shreds; after the incident at Gu Xuxia Valley, she got Qi Guanrang to draft a proclamation.
The earlier proclamation was condemnation from public opinion, while this one was a formal declaration of war.
Xu Pei received the proclamation and was infuriated, immediately dispatching someone to write a response cursing back.
A verbal skirmish across the airwaves, how delightful!
As the conflict in public sentiment escalated, the tension between the two factions grew thicker. Xu Pei, following Han Yu’s earlier advice, began mobilizing troops and preparing for battle. Jiang Pengji, not one to back down, occupied the Qichuan Plain for training, while ensuring more equipment and provisions were sent from the rear.
At this moment, Xu Pei secretly played a clever move.
He sent a messenger to Huang Song to negotiate, preparing to ally against Jiang Pengji. This suggestion was jointly put forward by Han Yu and Cheng Xun, warmly endorsed by his officials. Though reluctant to admit it, Xu Pei’s forces really paled in comparison to Jiang Pengji’s.
The world widely recognized that if Xu Pei fell, Jiang Pengji would be targeting Huang Song next; they shared a mutually dependent relationship.
Regardless of Huang Song’s inner calculations, he couldn’t afford to stand idly by.
Huang Song quickly replied, privately agreeing to the alliance.
To show sincerity, Huang Song sent Xu Pei a rather special woman.
Xu Pei: “…”
Did he look like the type who was fond of women?
Coming from the Xu lineage, what kind of woman couldn’t he get? Why play with a woman who had already settled down?
Indeed, Huang Song sent him a woman who had turned over a new leaf, married four husbands, and all of them died on her watch.
When Xu Pei learned of this, he nearly exploded with rage.
Was Huang Song trying to ally with him or just to make a fool of him?
Until he read Huang Song’s reply.
“Is this for real?” Xu Pei frowned, “Using this woman, can we truly sow discord between Yang Si and Liu Xi?”
A gaunt woman knelt below, alongside a frail little boy.
According to Huang Song’s letter, this woman had a past with Yang Si, and the boy was Yang Si’s only child.
In the Cangzhou campaign, Jiang Pengji and Huang Song divided the “Cangzhou Two Counties” and “Chenzhou” peacefully.
Cangzhou’s two counties belonged to Jiang Pengji, while Chenzhou went to Huang Song, which just happened to be Yang Si’s birthplace.
Recently, this woman was turned in by neighbors to the magistrate for killing her husband; by law, she should be executed publicly, but she mentioned Yang Si, and the case was escalated to Huang Song. After an investigation and interrogation, the woman revealed that she had a past with Yang Si from when they were young.
Having been taken advantage of by Yang Si numerous times, Huang Song harbored deep-seated hatred.
Upon hearing this from the woman, he immediately took it to heart and dispatched people to verify.
Yang Si’s hometown was in Chenzhou, which matched the woman’s statement, and subsequent investigations corroborated her claims.
This woman killed her fourth husband because he beat her son.
Huang Song sensed he could exploit this situation.
However, he couldn’t agree with Yang Si’s taste.
Yang Si himself was the son of a prostitute, and now he had managed to father another son with a different prostitute…
Ha-ha—
Huang Song remarked to the woman, “I heard Jingrong is still unmarried, quite pitiful; you and your daughter will surely be taken good care of by him.”
The woman huddled her shoulders, her head bowed low, a timid and fearful demeanor, but upon hearing Huang Song’s words, her eyes flickered with light.
Her gaze was gluttonous, and Huang Song was quite pleased.
He handed over the woman and her child to Xu Pei’s messenger.
How Xu Pei maneuvered this was none of his concern.
Yang Si’s own experience played out the saying—
Sitting in the tent, the pot falls from the sky.
The two armies prepared for war, starting with small-scale probes. Jiang Pengji ordered Qin Gong and Yang Si to take twenty thousand troops to garrison at Hujun’s Long River—at the junction of Qichuan Plain and Shanweng City, to pin down some of Xu Pei’s forces while sending another thirty thousand troops to launch probing attacks on Zhejian, trying to ascertain the enemy’s secrets. The remaining forces would stay at the center, waiting for the situation to shift.
Yang Si was just mulling over a chance at redemption when he received an invitation from the enemy.
