Chapter 1221 – The Eccentric Young Boy Feng Huaijie (Part Three)
The news of Xu Pei’s defeat spread like it had sprouted wings, and Huang Song, well aware of the situation, locked himself in his study for two days without seeing anyone.
The ministers under his command were anxious, fearing that this incident would extinguish Huang Song’s fighting spirit completely. If he lost his will to fight, what was the point?
On the dawn of the third day, Huang Song emerged from his study, his face reflecting his usual demeanor, as if those two days of self-imposed confinement had nothing to do with him.
“Huaijie, Youmo… What are you doing here?”
Finding two familiar figures waiting outside his study, Huang Song called out, and they immediately turned to bow.
Feng Jue explained, “We naturally were concerned for our Lord, so we waited here. We didn’t expect you would come out so soon.”
Because Huang Song had instructed everyone not to disturb him during his retreat, even Feng Jue dared not intrude.
“It’s my fault for making you worry unnecessarily.” Huang Song paused, feeling quite ashamed, “The situation has been severe lately, and my mood has been a bit restless, so I wanted some solitude to analyze the pros and cons. As the sages say, one must introspect three times a day; I naturally needed to reflect as well, to find my mistakes and shortcomings and calm my turbulent heart. I’m fine now, so you needn’t worry.”
Feng Jue and Cheng Jing exchanged glances, initially believing that Huang Song was deeply affected by Xu Pei’s death. But now, it seemed he was not only unbroken but had ignited his fighting spirit. This was what they wanted to see; if Huang Song had become useless, it would have been deeply disappointing.
Cheng Jing gave Feng Jue a knowing look. There were some touchy questions Feng Jue could ask, but Cheng Jing could not, as Huang Song’s trust in the two of them was not the same.
Feng Jue casually inquired, “What realizations has our Lord made in these past two days?”
“I reflected on many things, such as why Lan Ting has come this far and where I fall short compared to her…” Huang Song’s expression was calm, no hint of displeasure at all, “Upon reflection, I must admit that I am indeed lacking compared to Lan Ting.”
Huang Song had genuinely spent the last two days reflecting, going over past intel countless times. Each time, he gleaned different insights and understandings, and the more he read, the more alarmed he became.
Feng Jue said, “Lord, do not belittle yourself. Every person has their strengths and weaknesses, and Lan Ting is not perfect either.”
“Huaijie, there’s no need to comfort me. I can discern right from wrong. If I can compete, I can. If I can’t, I can’t—there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Forcing myself to downplay Lan Ting would only be self-deception.” A smile appeared on Huang Song’s face, his gaze sharp and fierce, “The situation in the world is shifting rapidly; even if I’m not as strong now, there will be opportunities in the future to catch up.”
Seeing Huang Song look invigorated, both men finally relaxed.
Recognizing shame and then seeking courage was better late than never.
Huang Song continued, “Once Lan Ting is finished recuperating, she will likely use some excuse to mobilize her troops against me.”
Cheng Jing and Feng Jue remained silent; this was already understood by all.
“Though Lan Ting is strong, I am not weak either. If she wants to defeat me, she better bring her A-game.” Huang Song’s expression turned serious as he suddenly stepped back, clasping his hands before him in a bow towards the two, “I ask that Huaijie and Youmo set aside past grievances and assist me during this difficult time—”
Huang Song’s gesture caught both men by surprise, but they could sense his sincerity and seriousness, and naturally, they dared not be dismissive.
“Yes!”
Having just exited the study, Huang Song brought both of them back inside, where the three engaged in earnest discourse for several hours.
When they left, Feng Jue and Cheng Jing walked side by side for a while.
Cheng Jing remarked, “Our Lord has indeed made progress. If only he’d done this a bit earlier, the situation would likely have improved greatly.”
Huang Song, as Lord, had been willing to acknowledge his mistakes, recognizing his prior favoritism towards the Yuan family’s military generals, leading to an imbalance between civil and military powers.
After all, the Yuan family was Huang Song’s own clan, and admitting this was akin to slapping his own face.
Yet, he admitted it, raising Cheng Jing’s esteem for him.
Unfortunately—
The bad atmosphere instigated by Yuan Xin was not so easily extinguished, and though Nie Xun did not vocalize it, he harbored significant dissent.
“This is still… a bit late,” Feng Jue noted, “Cheng Ying still has reservations in his heart; it wouldn’t be something that could be resolved in just a few days.”
He clasped his hands within his sleeves, wearing a relaxed demeanor, a hint of a smile gracing his lips, seemingly unconcerned at all.
Cheng Jing replied, “Cheng Ying is a true gentleman; our Lord’s honesty must undoubtedly relieve his concerns.”
Fortunately, Nie Xun was a gentleman as well; even if he bore grievances, he would not act against the Lord.
What if it were Qi Guanrang or Yang Si trying to test the waters?
They could, in a heartbeat, cause real trouble for the Lord!
The difference between them and other strategists lay in their mindset.
Traditional strategists prided themselves on loyalty.
With a heart devoted to the Lord, they would lift him up while putting themselves in a lower position, often leading to the Lord becoming oblivious to the circumstances.
In contrast, non-mainstream strategists valued following their own hearts.
The Lord was merely a boss; to them, being a strategist was just a job, and it wasn’t worth sticking to a struggling boss for dear life.
If they weren’t satisfied with their job, they’d switch to another, and if the Lord was unsatisfactory, they’d take him down instead. So simple, why make things so dire?
This was why in the past life, Qi Guanrang had offed his former master, Changshou Wang, and now Yang Si had taken a similar route with him.
Huang Song was fortunate to have encountered Nie Xun, so he remained safe for now.
If the ongoing crisis management was handled well, the relationship between Lord and strategist would return to normal.
The two walked side by side for quite a distance until Huang Song’s residence was left far behind, and they found themselves in a deserted area.
Cheng Jing asked, “Liu Xi is coming on strong; it may not be easy to handle.”
Feng Jue tilted his head with a smile, but his eyes were frosty.
“If Liu Xi were easy to handle, then the Green Garment Army, Red Lotus Sect, Northern Frontier, Cangzhou Meng Clan, and Xu Pei from Zhejun would have suffered for nothing.”
This person had continually thrived in battle, stepping over the fallen bodies of countless enemies to rise to power—hardly someone to be trifled with.
What troubled Feng Jue further was yet another matter—
He had yet to hear any news of the Feng family’s direct line positioning themselves in the political arena, as they dutifully stayed put in Shanyang County.
What did this signal?
Either the Feng family believed that the situation in the world was still murky, and now was not the appropriate time to declare loyalties.
Or, the Feng family had already made a decision, hence the prolonged silence.
If it were the former, Feng Jue would not be worried, but if it were the latter, it suggested that the Feng family favored Jiang Pengji, hence why they hadn’t sent any of their children to serve; after all, Jiang Pengji already had a sufficiently noble Feng Jue under her banner! If she were to gain another Feng family scion, it might give the headstrong Jiang Pengji an impression that the Feng family sought to infiltrate and usurp power, ultimately harming the family’s interests.
Different lords required different strategies from the noble families.
If the Lord was strong-willed and domineering, the family would actively avoid confrontation and maintain a safe distance.
If the Lord was slightly weaker and in need of support, the family could appropriately express aggression to seize the initiative.
