Chapter 1525 – Attack on Nie Liang and Yang Tao, Sword Pointing to the World (64)
“Fake? Fake? How could the Kunyu Map be fake? Someone must be deliberately framing us—”
The Zhao Clan Leader felt a jolt in his heart, drained of color, his face turned a ghastly white, and his eyes bulged out like a goldfish. He wasn’t stupid; he knew all too well the dire consequences the Zhao family would face if the Kunyu Map was indeed fake—annihilation would be a lenient fate.
Feng Zhen merely scoffed, while Fu Wang’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent, making the Zhao Clan Leader too scared to meet his gaze.
His hands and feet were so flustered that he didn’t know where to put them, grasping desperately for a defense, “Young Master Yang Tao has repeatedly suppressed the Zhao family. We could only endure and retreat again and again due to his power. After countless hopes and long waits, we finally welcomed the great arrival of Lord Lan Ting; everyone in the Zhao family was overjoyed, finally able to escape the tiger’s den… how could we possibly assist Yang Tao?”
Yang Si asked him, “Was the Kunyu Map presented by you?”
The Zhao Clan Leader hesitantly nodded, “Yes.”
“This fake Kunyu Map led to us making wrong deployments, falling into the enemy’s trap, and losing over ten thousand elite troops, correct?”
“The Kunyu Map must have been swapped. The map presented by the Zhao family is definitely fine.” The Zhao Clan Leader, hearing this, grew increasingly desperate, stammering, “The Zhao family truly pledged allegiance to Lord Lan Ting, we implore the General and the Military Adviser to thoroughly investigate and clear our names!”
Yang Si curled his lips into a chilling smile, “The fake map was presented by your Zhao family; this responsibility naturally falls on you. Even if, as a last resort, the Kunyu Map was swapped, you still bear the responsibility for negligence—your entire clan’s lives would not be enough to atone.”
At this, the Zhao Clan Leader immediately understood Yang Si’s intentions, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
“Why is the Military Adviser wasting his breath on them? Lock them all up, one by one, and investigate slowly.” Fu Wang, never one to be patient, seethed at the thought of losing over ten thousand elite naval troops under his lord’s scrutiny. Just thinking about it made him grit his teeth in fury, and he couldn’t help but imagine decapitating the Zhao Clan Leader. “If it’s a deceitful surrender… they will all be ground to dust.”
No matter how much the Zhao Clan Leader cried innocent, it did not change the fate of his entire clan being thrown into prison.
After a meticulous investigation, Feng Zhen and the others zeroed in on a member of the Zhao family as their suspect. This individual had been packing to flee just before the incident but, suffering from a stroke of bad luck, was intercepted at a dock by pursuing soldiers, bound hand and foot and brought back.
This person, though from a side branch, had not done poorly for himself, usually bedecked in gold and silver as a noble scion. When had he ever endured such treatment?
“Come clean, and perhaps you can leave with your body intact.”
Feng Zhen was overly confident, having played the eagle his whole life, yet almost had his eyes pecked out.
The loss of over ten thousand elite naval troops was a painful lesson, but it wouldn’t cripple them. Otherwise, he would truly bear the blame of a myriad of sins.
“Why are you capturing me?”
“Then why were you packing to run off in the middle of the night?” Feng Zhen fired back, “The Zhao family faces extinction because of you. As a Zhao clan member, it’s only natural for you to share both fortune and calamity, heading down the path to the afterlife together. What else could I be capturing you for?”
The man’s hands were tied behind his back, knees on the ground, his head bowed, not daring to look up.
“What’s the matter, nothing to say?” Feng Zhen chuckled coldly, “Did you switch the Kunyu Map?”
The man’s body trembled slightly, his throat pulsating as he swallowed nervously.
Feng Zhen continued, “Your parents and wife had their lives cut short by water bandits, but they were actually held by Yang Tao, weren’t they?”
“Since you already know, why ask again?” The man, realizing Feng Zhen had figured it out, chose to admit all guilt, “This was entirely my doing, and has nothing to do with the family—”
Feng Zhen laughed; he didn’t know whether to call this man foolish or clever.
“You say this to absolve your family, but do you think that will work?”
The man retorted, “What, is Lord Lan Ting such an unjust person that she would blame the entire clan for the sins of one?”
He resolutely claimed responsibility for the actions, believing that if Jiang Pengji held the entire clan accountable, it would be an innocent bloodbath.
But Feng Zhen wasn’t one to be maneuvered so easily.
“If killing the entire clan would prevent such occurrences in the future, what’s wrong with that?” Feng Zhen sneered, “The Zhao clan clearly harbors rebellion and blindly shifts all blame onto you. Do you really think that’s enough to escape the fate of annihilation? Dream on!”
The man’s expression revealed disbelief.
“Your wife and children are with Yang Tao, right?” Feng Zhen gripped the man’s jaw, forcing him to look up, his seemingly delicate hand possessed surprising strength, leaving bruises where it gripped, “Remember to walk slowly on the road to the afterlife; wait for them.”
“What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? The day we conquer Zhangzhou and capture Yang Tao will be the day your dear ones seek you in the afterlife.” Feng Zhen suppressed the impulse to strangle him, coldly grinning, “If you don’t let the entire Zhao clan pay with their lives, how can the spirits of the countless souls lost in the waters find peace?”
In battle, death and injury were inevitable, but a good death was worth it. Feng Zhen bore no grudge against Yan Lin, who devised this poisoned plan, as it was a normal scuffle between two armies; both strategies and deceit were fair game, just who was more skilled. However, the petty individuals involved were intolerable. The Zhao clan foolishly presented a fake map while pretending to pledge allegiance and should have paid the price.
Having lost one battle, Yang Tao’s side grew strong, and those noblemen who had previously fawned over Jiang Pengji fell silent.
The intelligence Jiang Pengji received was about the Zhao clan’s affair.
“Do these Zhao nobles really think they can just play around without consequence?” The more she looked, the angrier she became, especially seeing the losses on her side, her anger flared up, “Do they really believe lords are like vegetables at a market, to be picked and chosen at will?”
With Yang Tao in a weak position, the Zhangzhou nobles were scrambling to curry favor with Jiang Pengji, their attitudes ambiguous.
After Yang Tao’s victory, this group’s stance began to shift, those who once allied with Jiang Pengji had started to consider their options.
When had she ever been so disregarded?
Did they really think Jiang Pengji was so easy to deal with?
Regarding the Zhao clan, Jiang Pengji’s thoughts mirrored Feng Zhen and the others. She had to set a precedent; otherwise, those clans that allied with her might attempt any tricks, pulling one of their members to take the fall, which would completely undermine her authority and reputation as a lord. How was she to maintain control?
Qi Guanrang said, “This action… indeed fulfills Yang Tao’s desires.”
Exactly! Killing the entire Zhao clan would allow Yang Tao to avenge his father’s enmity without losing any reputation.
A perfect play!
