Chapter 1442 – Nie Clan’s Hidden Worries (1)
Zhong Zhao, Song Prefecture, Downhill City.
“Cough, cough, cough—”
With one cough after another escaping his throat, Nie Liang initially intended to hold back. However, a wave of metallic taste surged up, triggering a wave of nausea.
Covering his mouth with a napkin, he coughed heavily.
When he finally lifted the napkin, the once pristine white cloth was now stained with a shocking black-red blood.
He stared blankly at the puddle of blood before him, when suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the corridor.
Instinctively, Nie Liang tightly clenched the napkin and stuffed it into his sleeve before lying back down.
“Come in.”
Discreetly wiping the remnants of blood from the corner of his mouth, the maidservants waiting outside filed in to assist him with washing up and changing clothes.
After a simple breakfast, one of the maidservants brought over a bowl of dark, thick medicinal brew, the indescribable smell hitting him from afar.
Nie Liang was inherently averse to bitter tastes, yet he knew he had to rely on this medicine to cling to life, so he pinched his nose and downed it.
“Is Zishun here for the morning roll call?”
Nie Liang’s complexion wasn’t great; his eye sockets were slightly sunken, dark circles making him look thoroughly exhausted.
The maidservant replied, “Military Adviser Wei has been waiting outside for a quarter of an hour. To avoid disturbing the Old Patriarch, he didn’t send anyone to announce his arrival.”
Nie Liang and Wei Ying weren’t just a lord and subordinate; they were also close friends, maintaining an intimate relationship.
Knowing that Nie Liang’s condition was poor, Wei Ying would have loved to pack up his bedding just to take care of him.
Nie Liang nodded, casually finding an excuse to dismiss the maidservants.
Once they left, he grabbed an oil lamp from the side and set the blood-stained napkin ablaze.
He was well aware of his own body; while he looked fine on the surface, he was, in fact, weak and hollowed out. He had no idea how long he could hold on.
But—
As a cold glimmer flickered in his eyes.
No matter how long he could endure, he would outlive the Old Patriarch.
If he died, this grandfather would not fully support Nie Liang’s son and would likely hand over the family business that Nie Liang had worked so hard to build to his peers. Nie Liang knew the situation within the Nie Clan very well. If his son couldn’t gain power, they would end up with nowhere to go, a mother and child bound for ruin.
“Greetings, my Lord.”
Wei Ying waited patiently, and after a long while, finally saw Nie Liang shamble in, still looking sickly.
“Is there really a need for all this formality between us?” Nie Liang chuckled, “What brings you here so early today?”
“I received a few secret letters yesterday that should have been delivered to you sooner. But it was already deep in the night, and I didn’t want to disturb your dreams, so I thought I’d come early this morning for roll call.” With that, Wei Ying handed a few letters to Nie Liang, “One from Dongqing, and one from the Old Patriarch.”
Dongqing?
“Could it be that Liu Xi is up to her antics again?”
As he spoke, he used his slender, long fingers to crack open the wax seal and retrieved the letter inside.
“Indeed, she’s a troublesome woman,” Nie Liang mused after reading through it quickly. “With a daughter like Liu Xi, how could the Liu Clan not prosper?”
Wei Ying reminded him, “Before Liu Xi went to war with Huang Song, she declared independence from the main clan unilaterally.”
In other words, the Liu Clan shouldn’t expect to gain a single profit from Jiang Pengji.
One couldn’t help but sympathize with the Liu Clan; if Liu Xi had her heart with them, they wouldn’t have to worry about thriving for the next century.
“Liu Xi is quite an impressive woman, yet the Liu Clan can’t keep a phoenix in such a chicken coop,” Nie Liang remarked blandly. “She always manages to stir up trouble; it’s only been a little over a year since the battle with Huang Song, and already she can’t resist taking a jab at Nan Sheng. Doesn’t she fear choking on her own schemes?”
Wei Ying seemed astonished; was this really the content of the secret letter?
If that’s the case—
“Did the Nan Sheng coalition win?”
Nie Liang responded, “According to the informant’s report, the Nan Sheng coalition achieved a pyrrhic victory. Have there been any updates from Nan Sheng lately?”
Wei Ying replied, “We just received a new batch of reports.”
Nie Liang’s throat felt a bit itchy, and he bit back a cough, not wanting to cough up blood right in front of Wei Ying.
“Go get those reports.”
After dispatching Wei Ying, Nie Liang finally coughed a couple of times while covering his mouth with the napkin, relieved to find no blood this time.
Before long, Wei Ying returned with a stack of reports. Nie Liang began scanning them in chronological order.
Due to the long distance between Nan Sheng and Zhong Zhao, the information took about half a month to relay—very sluggish.
Just like the reports in Nie Liang’s hand, they were actually old news from over a month ago.
Using this bit of outdated information in conjunction with news from Dongqing, Nie Liang was able to piece together an understanding of the situation in Nan Sheng.
After reading through them, Nie Liang chuckled, “She’s found a perfect opportunity; it seems Nan Sheng’s winning is inevitable…”
Nan Sheng’s military strength was thin, while Jiang Pengji had cleverly rested for over a year, making it the perfect time to strike out for glory.
The two strolled slowly towards the Kunyu map, gazing at the picturesque view depicted on it, yet an overwhelming sense of desolation welled up within Nie Liang.
Wei Ying said, “Liu Xi’s next target is Yang Tao.”
First it’s Yang Tao, then it’ll be An Huan.
The longer Yang Tao holds out, the more time An Huan will have to recuperate and regain strength.
Nie Liang stated, “Considering Yang Tao’s rise in Nan Sheng, he—or rather those around him—aren’t the type to sit idly by. They’re probably going to give it their all, fighting for survival. Zishun, what do you think Yang Tao should do to revitalize the whole game board?”
Wei Ying pondered for a moment.
“Just relying on Yang Tao’s family alone won’t be enough to contend with Liu Xi. I doubt even a year would suffice. The only way forward is to form an alliance!” Wei Ying concluded. “Yang Tao just finished a collaboration with An Huan, and judging by the latter’s actions, he likely won’t get embroiled in this chaos, possibly hiding in the shadows as a lurking yellow bird. So if Yang Tao wants to handle Liu Xi, he’ll probably choose to persuade our Lord to form an alliance?”
After all, Jiang Pengji’s immediate neighbors were quite limited in close enemies.
Nie Liang said, “That’s quite likely.”
Wei Ying asked, “If Yang Tao truly sends someone over, would our Lord agree?”
Nie Liang sighed, “Do I even have a choice? Letting Liu Xi grow unchecked would only raise a huge potential threat for myself. Since she hasn’t fully matured yet, it’s better to find a way to crush her in her bud. If Yang Tao sends someone, I must agree to the alliance.”
Wei Ying nodded, agreeing with Nie Liang’s viewpoint.
However, Wei Ying never imagined that Nie Liang’s decision was also part of a plan for his future.
After discussing the first letter, Nie Liang opened the second one, which was from his grandfather.
There weren’t many words written in the letter, and it was easy to read at a glance.
Wei Ying nervously inquired, “What instructions does the Old Patriarch have?”
Nie Liang said, “Grandfather still disapproves; he claims that Dalang is too young to be established as a successor so early.”
Wei Ying’s face turned pale at this, gritting his teeth, “Is the Old Patriarch deliberately making things difficult for our Lord?”
Nie Liang lowered his gaze, “Grandfather has been formidable all his life; near his twilight years, being usurped by his grandson must be rather unpleasant for him.”
As one of the leading families in Zhong Zhao, the Nie Clan’s roots far surpassed that of ordinary scholarly families.
However, within a great family, numerous troubles brew; beneath the seemingly calm surface of a lake lies a hidden vortex of power struggles that can be quite nauseating.
