Chapter 1440 – Take It Easy (Part Seven)
Hua Yuan’s incessant prattle finally got Lü Zheng to budge, revealing the content he desired.
He said, “Well, that’s quite peculiar. When I don’t wake up, do others take over my place?”
Lü Zheng was left speechless. How could this be about others taking over? The so-called “Liu Xi” right before him was essentially the “bird” itself!
Before Lü Zheng could respond, he was asked again, “Are you sure Liu Xi is staying in Dongqing?”
Lü Zheng knew that Hua Yuan suffered from a peculiar condition called ‘lost interest madness.’ In the past, he would have refrained from mentioning it due to Hua Yuan’s condition, but now he couldn’t be bothered to hide it any longer.
“I haven’t heard rumors about Liu Xi being unwell. This figure in front of me is Hua Yuan, a person afflicted with lost interest madness.” At this point, Lü Zheng flashed a hint of malicious smile and added, “Lost interest madness means you’re a bit crazy. Who exactly are you still up for debate?”
Upon hearing this, Liu Xi showed a serious expression.
Clearly, he knew what lost interest madness meant in his role, and Lü Zheng’s words indirectly questioned his existence.
“How could I not be Liu Xi?! I truly am Liu Xi! I don’t even know why I’ve turned out like this!”
His previously calm demeanor stiffened for just a moment, becoming unnatural.
Seeing this, Lü Zheng took a step back, increasing the distance between them, fearing Hua Yuan might go off the rails again.
Liu Xi looked dispirited, as if deep in thought, his gaze flickering constantly.
Lü Zheng asked him, “What cunning scheme are you thinking of now?”
Liu Xi made a strange, heavy sound from his throat, like a cornered beast on the brink of desperation, with red veins creeping over his eyes.
He enunciated each word, “I am Liu Xi!”
Lü Zheng could hardly be bothered to argue with this person. Hua Yuan, the madman, truly opened his eyes. It was as if one person was putting on a whole performance without catching a breath.
“I will never allow anyone to replace me…”
Every time he awoke, it was in a strange environment, as a stranger, while others insisted Liu Xi was just fine in Dongqing.
How could that be possible?
Someone must have used dark arts to frame him, the one in Dongqing was the imposter!
He had to figure out a way to reclaim his identity and let the world know he was the real Liu Xi! For Lü Zheng had accidentally revealed the truth, causing Liu Xi to question himself, but his instinct for self-preservation led him to find an excuse that stabilized his agitated emotions.
Lü Zheng was unaware that the “Liu Xi” before him was already concocting a grand drama in his mind.
To regain his identity, he needed to stay alert and genuinely occupy this body, not to fall into sleep now and then allowing others to take control. But how could he achieve that? With a cunning smile, a cruel smirk crept across Liu Xi’s lips.
He needed to devise a plan to eliminate those foreign invaders taking over his place!
As long as he had a normal body, there was a chance to reveal the truth.
Lü Zheng had originally come to kill Hua Yuan, but after this diversion, he felt like a deflated balloon, picking up the sword from the ground and leaving.
Hua Yuan was a complete madman; sooner or later, he would face the consequences of his actions.
He had been too excited earlier. If he truly killed Hua Yuan, he might well lose his own life in the process.
Not worth it!
Although the external threat of the Nanman was gone, the region of Nansheng had not turned peaceful; on the contrary, it bristled with an ominous tension.
Among the allied lords, An Huan had preserved his power well during the plague incident and was continuously growing stronger under Lü Zheng’s planning and management.
In contrast, the other lords had suffered heavy losses in the war with the Nanman, and the plague had depleted many elite warriors. An Huan had quickly outpaced them by several streets.
With such a disparity in strength, An Huan was calm, but those lords who had just recovered from their losses were on edge.
Once the spoils of the alliance were divided, they all sought excuses to lead their troops home.
From An Huan’s treatment of the Nanman captives, it was clear he was no kind-hearted individual. The Hua Yuan by his side would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. If An Huan turned traitor unexpectedly, none of them would escape unharmed. Returning to the main camp would be a tad safer.
At that juncture, Yang Tao also opted to take his leave.
Right before setting off, Yan Lin suddenly sighed, “An Huan is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Yang Tao grabbed the reins, turning to Yan Lin with a questioning gaze, “You think An Huan would ambush us?”
“He wouldn’t ambush us, but it’s hard to say about the others,” Yan Lin asserted confidently. “The alliance has wiped out the Nanman, and every household has done their part, losing countless troops. This is precisely their weakest moment. An Huan’s forces remain intact and he certainly won’t let this opportunity slip…”
Yang Tao puzzledly asked, “Why would he do that? If An Huan truly had such ambitions, why would he allow everyone to leave with their troops?”
Yan Lin sighed.
His little buddy was indeed naive.
A paragon of naivety, being dumb without any monetary gain.
Was that a question that still needed consideration?
“If An Huan attacks now, everyone would surely gather their military strength to resist him. Alone, no one stands a chance, but together with a few households, even An Huan could suffer a heavy defeat,” Yan Lin explained. “With everyone returning home, they cannot support one another, making it all too easy for An Huan to pick them off one by one.”
This way, not only could he consume the strength of each family to bolster his own, but he could also reclaim all the spoils he had distributed.
According to Yan Lin’s understanding of An Huan and the others, it was a high possibility.
Yang Tao tightened his nerves upon hearing this, “So we should prepare for an ambush?”
Yan Lin shook his head. “An Huan will target the other families but would never ambush us.”
Yang Tao exclaimed, “Why’s that?”
Yan Lin explained, “Don’t forget, Liu Xi is still glaring at us from Dongqing. If we are weakened, who will stand against Liu Xi for him? An Huan’s relationship with the allied lords is already tenuous. During the outbreak of the plague, he was the only one to secretly warn us—what does that mean? Wasn’t he just worried about our forced decline, lest we could not withstand Liu Xi’s army? This bit of thought is not hard to guess.”
Yang Tao: “…”
Is that really not hard to guess?
Why couldn’t he figure it out at all?
“Liu Xi?” Yang Tao questioned. “She has taken down all the lords in Dongqing over the years; does she still have the energy to mobilize troops?”
Yan Lin replied, “Even without energy, she must mobilize. Nansheng is at its lowest; if she doesn’t mobilize now, it will be hard to do so in the future.”
Yang Tao fell silent.
“With Liu Xi possessing Dongqing and the Northern Border, how can we defend ourselves?”
Yang Tao’s resources weren’t exactly weak, but compared to Jiang Pengji, they didn’t quite measure up, leaving him feeling inadequate.
After the troubles with the Nanman, Yang Tao occasionally felt lost.
“A general’s success often means the bones of thousands lie beneath. Victory is great, but what if we lose?”
The countless soldiers following behind him would become the bones beneath someone else’s feet, and his carefully managed territory would be ravaged by war. The common people, who had hardly settled, would find themselves uprooted once more. Such a scenario was unbearable to witness; Yang Tao hoped to avoid that fate.
Yan Lin, however, was untroubled. “We’ll form an alliance to fend off the enemy.”
An alliance?
With whom?
Yang Tao’s gaze was filled with those four characters.
“Zhong Zhao,” Yan Lin said. “An Huan cannot be trusted; partnering with him may lead to a betrayal at any moment. In that aspect, Liu Xi is better. After thinking it over, the only ally we can turn to is the lords of Zhong Zhao, forming a united front! If they launch their troops from Bianzhou to Cangzhou, they can hold Liu Xi at bay, allowing us to take a breather and plot against Zhe Jun, Hu Jun, and Hujun…”
