Chapter 1328 – Strike Against Huang Song, Unification of Dongqing (69)
“With Jiang Pengji, the goddess of death, speaking up, Yang Si and Han Yu naturally couldn’t hold her back.”
Yang Si was somewhat okay; having followed Jiang Pengji for a number of years, he knew exactly what kind of person his Lord was. But Han Yu was hesitant, caught between words.
After the meeting, Yang Si approached Han Yu and asked, “What’s with that troubled look on your face?”
Han Yu shot him a glance, not saying anything, his expression cold and somewhat unapproachable.
Most people would have taken the hint and walked away by now, but Yang Si was different; he just got even closer.
“Are you worried that the Lord will lure those people here and kill them?”
Finally, Han Yu spoke, “Such an act would tarnish the Lord’s reputation.”
Yang Si countered, “Some people care only for face over substance, while others—face will just lead to suffering. It’s us advisors who worry for her reputation; the Lord doesn’t care a bit. Zixiao has been busy building up the storytelling troupe these years; you really think he’s doing that for someone else? It’s all for the Lord, isn’t it? Zixiao is probably the one who’s worked the hardest for the Lord’s good name. Yet if the Lord is unhappy, she can make sure an entire family is miserable instead.”
Han Yu pondered, “So you’re saying you have some grievances against the Lord?”
Yang Si chuckled, “You’re quite the schemer, trying to pry information!”
Han Yu replied coldly, “A gentleman does not avoid speaking of others’ merits nor criticize their faults. Don’t presume to measure a noble with the mind of a petty person!”
Hearing this, Yang Si wasn’t angry. That’s just Han Yu’s personality—so straightforward he almost invited getting punched.
Oh—
The key is, Yang Si couldn’t even win in a fight.
Yang Si said, “It’s not that I have grievances against the Lord. People have their various temperaments, and encountering such a free-spirited and clever Lord is quite rare. Saying that earlier was just to let you know—she really doesn’t care much for her own reputation if she’s truly decided to kill.”
Speaking of their Lord, she was indeed a strange character.
Called straightforward, sometimes she would be quite slick; labeled carefree, yet she would stand firmly in her convictions when it mattered; categorized as stingy, but she would lavishly part with her wealth; described as magnanimous… haha, betray her once, and she’d hold a grudge like a vendetta…
In a world filled with countless words, Yang Si found it impossible to properly describe their Lord, let alone define her.
Perhaps that’s why she got along with everyone so well.
Qi Guanrang was cautious, always holding back to leave himself some room, but he never held back from Jiang Pengji.
Feng Jin came from a prestigious family; despite the best upbringing, the innate air of nobility kept him distant from the rest. This flower of privilege, in the end, willingly bowed to their Lord and offered his full support—one could say that’s her talent.
Feng Zhen and Wei Ci were close friends; one was a carefree libertine, the other a refined gentleman. Though their styles were drastically different, they got along harmoniously, but that didn’t mean they could easily tolerate the same Lord—yet she made it work.
Faced with this, Yang Si could only think of one phrase—“a sea that accommodates all rivers.”
Han Yu frowned, a touch of anger but also feeling powerless.
“You can’t just indulge the Lord like that—do you really think you’re raising a daughter?”
Yang Si burst out laughing, “Funny, a few years ago, Feng the Libertine asked the same thing.”
Han Yu: “…”
So they really treated her like a daughter?
Yang Si said that was perfectly fine, considering the Lord treated them like her cherished subjects, with a pretty harmonious ruler-minister relationship.
“The Lord’s reputation matters!” Han Yu was wavering inwardly, but kept his stance.
Yang Si casually replied, “The Lord can do as she pleases; our duty is to clean up the mess afterward, right?”
In simpler terms, they were just the maids picking up after her.
Han Yu asked, “What do you mean?”
Yang Si explained, “What the Lord does is of little concern, what’s important is how we handle things once she’s done.”
If her reputation truly got hurt, shouldn’t they find a way to restore it?
They couldn’t just worry about being unable to protect her name and messing up afterward, so they blocked her actions and constrained her behavior.
Han Yu: “…”
Finally understood where the Lord’s reckless temperament came from—it was all this group’s indulgence that led to it!
Han Yu had a belly full of grievances but ended up having to “go along with” Yang Si.
Meanwhile, Jiang Pengji was sharpening her blades, while those fence-sitters remained clueless, delighting in Jiang Pengji’s deliberately vague stance.
Yet they didn’t dare make a move, being still on Huang Song’s turf, they also needed to find an opportunity to showcase their value.
Unbeknownst to them, what they thought was foolproof was visible to Cheng Jing.
Cheng Jing was fuming inside and directly reported this matter to Huang Song.
After a long silence, Huang Song’s expression darkened in the flickering candlelight.
“Lord, about this matter…”
Cheng Jing hesitated; if Huang Song exploded with rage, that would be normal, but his lack of reaction made things concerning.
Huang Song said, “Thank you for informing me, Friend Mo. Otherwise, I fear I would have been kept in the dark.”
Cheng Jing remarked, “Those double-faced villains are not worth the Lord feeling any sorrow over.”
“Sorrow?” Huang Song chuckled, “I’m not sorrowful at all. In fact, I pity them, feeling sorry for their brains.”
Cheng Jing was taken aback.
Huang Song continued, “Lan Ting holds a grudge against those who betray her, let alone those who betray her more than once.”
Cheng Jing hesitated, “According to them, Liu Xi seems inclined to accept them.”
“That doesn’t seem like her; she doesn’t have the capacity to accept those who have betrayed her.” Huang Song shook his head, “If she truly were to accept them, then she wouldn’t be herself. Do you remember? When Lan Ting first entered Chongzhou, her father Liu Zhongqing intended to connect her with the local aristocracy, but a few people were foolish enough to insult her, and she immediately took it out on the whole family? She’s not someone who compromises for the sake of benefit.”
Everyone knew that Jiang Pengji was just put on a facade to maintain relations with the Chongzhou aristocrats in hopes of gaining their support. What did that lead to?
Simply put, she could tolerate grievances imposed on others but would retaliate fiercely when grievances were thrown at her.
She couldn’t care less about the colossal interests of Chongzhou—let alone anything else.
Cheng Jing asked, “Does the Lord mean Liu Xi has other plans?”
“Why not let them have their way? We’ll take advantage of it.” Huang Song’s eyes darkened as he sneered, “Let them fulfill their desires and provide them with some ‘sensitive information,’ allowing them to gleefully come to Lan Ting and pat themselves on the back. If Lan Ting truly accepts them, then we’ve played them well. If she has other plans—perfect, we can use her hand to settle the score. Such scoundrels are certainly eyesores.”
Although he didn’t show it, Huang Song was already furious inside, wishing he could chop those guys into pieces!
