Chapter 1247 – The Oncoming Battle (Part 8)
Jiang Pengji had some idea about what the Zhang Clan was plotting.
If she won, the Zhang Clan would be forced to work under her, and she would definitely hold a grudge, making sure they had no chance to rise again. They exaggerated the old grievances, making the already lofty Zhang Clan even more arrogant, as if Jiang Pengji was still hung up on that incident.
But in reality?
Jiang Pengji was a busy person; she didn’t have the brainpower to waste on every little character.
Had the Zhang Clan not jumped in to seek attention, she wouldn’t even remember such a minor player.
Forget holding a grudge, she didn’t even recall them!
Did they really think they were important?
To Jiang Pengji, both the Hejian Zhang Clan and Han Yu’s wife were akin to dust—too insignificant to warrant her attention.
“The Zhang Clan might have some cleverness, but they lack vision. Plus, they’ve already had their share of conflicts with me. It was expected they would sway over to Bougao after being persuaded by Youmo,” Jiang Pengji harshly critiqued the Zhang Clan, though she had quite the high regard for Cheng Jing. “By the way, have you gathered any intel on the Liu Clan’s current situation? Although the Second House isn’t very friendly with the main clan, the Liu family has been dragged down by my affairs.”
Cheng Jing was meticulous in his work.
He successfully swayed the Zhang Clan to turn against Huang Song and gave them a series of strategies, helping them evade Jiang Pengji’s guards’ notice.
Hejian County was Jiang Pengji’s original base; she hadn’t interacted with the Liu Clan in years, but outsiders wouldn’t assume her relationship with the Liu Clan was completely severed. When push comes to shove, the Liu Clan would undoubtedly side with Jiang Pengji.
In Hejian County, the Liu Clan was her most natural source of information.
To seize Hejian County first, the Zhang Clan’s little maneuvers needed to avoid the Liu Clan.
Just in case, the Liu Clan, Shangguan Clan, and other small houses friendly to Jiang Pengji had been swiftly dealt with.
In essence, the Liu Clan’s current calamity was somewhat a result of Jiang Pengji’s making, and she had to take this into account.
As for the news regarding this matter, the Messenger wasn’t very clear.
However, reports from the undercover agents in Hejian County indicated that the Liu Clan’s lands were under strict watch, their personal freedom restricted, but their lives were unharmed.
Jiang Pengji said, “Understood. You may leave for now. Report any news at the first opportunity.”
Everyone knew Huang Song wouldn’t harm the Liu Clan members for the time being, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the future.
Jiang Pengji had yet to marry, and aside from Liu Zhi and Liu Zhao, her only kin were the Liu Clan members.
According to current mainstream thinking, those of the same surname and lineage were considered one family; breaking the bones still connected the tendons.
Unless they separated, they were one body.
If Huang Song intended to use the Liu Clan members as political leverage, Jiang Pengji would be in a very passive position, and waging war would become quite restrained.
Facing this predicament, Jiang Pengji needed to devise a response plan as soon as possible.
“This matter is truly complicated; we should act early rather than late. Do any of you have good strategies?”
Jiang Pengji pretended to be troubled, furrowing her brow as she questioned those seated below.
Hejian County was a crucial corridor among Wanzhou, Cangzhou, and Haozhou, and whoever controlled it first would have the upper hand in deploying troops.
With Huang Song taking control of Hejian County and locking down the Liu Clan, he already had the initiative, leaving Jiang Pengji to respond passively.
Every issue needed to be resolved one by one.
Jiang Pengji planned to tackle the Liu Clan’s matters first.
Though Hejian County was vital, it wasn’t unrecuperable.
Huang Song was probably watching her reaction to gauge his next move.
The generals had simple thoughts: whether it’s Huang Song or any other, anyone who dares to imprison the Lord’s family should be dealt with—just a straightforward “screw them!”
Brash and direct, but clearly not a viable solution.
Or rather, it wasn’t the solution Jiang Pengji had in mind.
The audience in the live stream had followed her for so many years; they understood Jiang Pengji’s nature.
She was often teased as a shrewd merchant and strategist who was sidetracked by her role as a leader.
While her schemes might not be as thorough as others, her grasp of the bigger picture was unparalleled.
Didn’t they often see strategists asking her, “What does the Lord wish to do?”
【Old Driver Alliance】: Betting on the year-end spicy snacks at home, the host definitely has something up her sleeve!
【Walking Scholar】: Headache, I always feel like my IQ gets crushed every time I watch this stream.
【Lady Zhang】: Let’s place our bets on what the host is really planning, those who guess right can share the cached year-end spicy snacks with @Old Driver Alliance. Don’t miss this chance, it only comes once a year!
Jiang Pengji’s thought process was notoriously quirky. The idle folks were hardly top-notch strategists and couldn’t quite fathom her thoughts. Many simply opted for “off-stage assistance,” keeping a close eye on the faces of the leading strategists, trying to glean the right answer from their expressions.
After staring for a while, many idle folks sent barrage messages expressing their despair.
【Qing Chen】: Oh no, oh no, the great sage Wen Zheng is looking troubled; this problem must be beyond the syllabus.
【Xin Yue】: _(:з)∠)_ This problem is so difficult; could the host drop a hint?
【Gummy Orange】: If I were in the overtime crew, I’d be shouting MMP by now. I feel like the host already has a plan but refuses to say it outright, instead wanting to make the big shots guess her game.
Guess what?!
Why can’t she just say what she thinks in front of everyone?
Why keep them guessing and waste everyone’s time and effort?
Thinking about it, it seems many leaders have this annoying habit, which really burdens their subordinates.
Just then, the idle folks noticed Yang Si in the second row with a relaxed brow, his expression complex and deep.
【Zi Yue Qu Yi】: Oh—my darling Rongrong seems to have figured out the answer.
While the live stream audience bantered, one after another brought up suggestions, but most were impractical, and Jiang Pengji dismissed them all.
Everyone was stumped; even the so-called “Wordsmith” Cimei looked troubled, unsure how to proceed.
“Is there no other way?”
At this moment, Yang Si stepped forward with a bow, presenting a “terrible idea” that shocked everyone.
He said, “I have a strategy, though I’m unsure if I should share it. Why not eliminate the root of the trouble directly?”
Jiang Pengji responded, “Speak.”
Yang Si continued, “I believe… it’s better to nip the problem in the bud.”
Now Jiang Pengji was intrigued, maintaining her composure, and asked, “How should we do that?”
“The Lord hails from the Hejian Liu Clan; your rise and fall are intertwined with your lineage. When the clan thrives, so do you; when they fall, your reputation also suffers. The Liu Clan is currently facing this calamity, and half the responsibility lies with you, so you must address this and protect your clan; that’s the best strategy. However, given the current dire circumstances, you must also consider the common people under your rule and not act recklessly for personal gain.”
Yang Si articulated his point with careful cadence, causing many to furrow their brows.
Their Lord usually didn’t appreciate such verbose discourse. If she were so close with the Liu Clan, why hadn’t she made contact over the years of conflict?
She hadn’t even taken a single Liu Clan member under her wing!
What game was Yang Si playing?
