Chapter 1592 – Subduing Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (6)
“Ah, it’s precisely because Liu Xi isn’t a fool that… I think you might be in danger…” Qian Su sighed.
In this world, coincidences aren’t unheard of, but more often than not, hidden motives stir behind them, like Yan Lin’s chess move.
Yang Tao had exceptional luck in both his lifetimes. Although the beginnings and processes were different, the outcomes ended up eerily similar.
Could it really be historical self-correction?
Not quite!
Looking over the many fallen warlords from these chaotic times, only Yang Tao alone occupied nine-tenths of the good fortune.
In a certain light, even the eventual empress Jiang Pengji couldn’t quite compare.
After all, after her ascension, she spent eighteen years scheming with her ministers and the noble factions, engaging in mutual calculation and strife. After the disaster nearly cost her children, here was Yang Tao—a complete life winner, high in position, with multitudes of descendants, able to enjoy his later years in peace.
Luck and coincidence undoubtedly played a part, but human scheming and calculations were no less involved.
As a friend of Yan Lin, Qian Su didn’t claim to know everything he had schemed recently, but he understood at least nine-tenths of it.
Why did the enemy from Nan Sheng just happen to choose the small town where Yang Tao was located?
Why didn’t Jiang Pengji’s army, stationed nearby to monitor Yang Tao’s remnants, discover the enemy’s presence right away?
Why, without clarifying all the details, did the messenger bring news like “Yang Tao has rebelled with his troops” to Jiang Pengji?
To put it plainly, this was all part of the trap Yan Lin had set.
With three parts timing and seven parts human maneuvers, this situation was crafted to push Yang Tao into the safest position.
The enemy didn’t mean to target this small town; they actually wanted to bypass it and launch a surprise attack elsewhere. Yan Lin discovered their movements but didn’t inform anyone, instead privately negotiating and enticing them with heavy promises, such as aiding in their surrender and collaborating from within.
To bolster credibility, he even leaked the locations of several of Jiang Pengji’s granaries to the enemy.
Of course, Yan Lin didn’t know where Jiang Pengji’s granaries were; that was classified information far beyond his reach.
However, being a native of Zhangzhou, he was well aware of suitable locations for granaries. The enemy wouldn’t see through his ruse. While drawing the enemies to the small town, he also detained local monitors, hindering their judgment, leading them to believe that Yang Tao had secretly colluded with the invading Nan Sheng forces, thus leading to wrong conclusions and blurring the lines between the two factions.
As the enemy approached the town, Yan Lin then appealed to Yang Tao using emotion and reason, urging him—spurred by thoughts of family—to don armor and lead his former troops and local soldiers in resisting the invading forces.
You see, Yang Tao now was the lord waiting for an official surrender; to avoid risks, he minimized contact with his old retainers, much less taking command of troops for anything.
If a misunderstanding were to arise, causing the monitoring officers sent by Yang Si to suspect Yang Tao of staging a false surrender, the consequences would be dire.
But as Qian Su lamented, Yan Lin was the type to scheme while Yang Tao was the type to believe anything.
As long as what his friends said made sense, Yang Tao was willing to take action. With the enemy at the gates and the monitors delayed, Yang Tao certainly didn’t want to sit idly by and watch the enemy take the easily conquerable town and capture his family!
That absolutely couldn’t happen!
Though Yang Tao had surrendered, his old retainers remained loyal and willing to follow his orders, and the guards inside the town were equally directionless. With so many enemies outside, they had no choice but to heed Yang Tao’s command, and before they knew it, they were caught up in the mess.
After putting all these plans into motion, Yan Lin played another sleight of hand.
In normal thinking, one usually frames the enemy as the villain. Who would suspect they might be their own enemy?
Yan Lin merely took advantage of the delay in information, time difference, and cognitive blind spots to mislead Jiang Pengji by using Yang Si’s hands, first delivering erroneous intel. Even if Yang Si realized the mistake later and transmitted the correct information, Yan Lin’s objective would still be achieved.
Qian Su marveled at Yan Lin’s audacity because if this matter ever got out, Yang Tao wouldn’t be implicated, but Yan Lin’s fate was uncertain.
Yet Yan Lin, the one at the heart of it, was unconcerned.
“It’s fine; I know what I’m doing,” he replied.
Qian Su said, “As long as you have a way to protect yourself, it’s okay; otherwise, if the Lord finds out the hidden truth, he might feel guilty.”
Yan Lin chuckled, “After knowing each other for over twenty years, we understand each other well. Even if he indeed learns the truth, he will understand.”
After all, Yan Lin had cleaned up his mess more than once since their youth. Yang Tao had long since grown accustomed to it.
Qian Su scoffed lightly, somewhat enviously saying, “I know how close you two are; no need to boast here.”
Yan Lin countered, “Even if Liu Xi were aware of the whole situation, the chance of her blaming me is slim; it might even turn into an opportunity.”
The larger Jiang Pengji’s enterprise grew, the more people would flock to her.
With enough people, attention would be spread thin, naturally leading to fewer opportunities.
Besides the old guard, it would be much tougher for newcomers to rise up, and gaining promotions would be significantly more challenging.
Yan Lin wasn’t short-sighted; supporting Yang Tao was his first choice, but if that weren’t an option, he wouldn’t mind seeking others. If he could establish himself under Jiang Pengji, it would be easier to look after Yang Tao later. After all, if some reckless fool dared threaten Yang Tao, with power in hand, Yan Lin could instill a measure of fear into them.
What he feared most was having no trump cards, leaving him helpless in future predicaments.
Often, it’s not enough to simply wish to avoid external turmoil and conflict.
Having navigated through the turmoil of recent years, Yan Lin deeply understood the discomfort of being powerless—subject to others’ whims, his destiny dictated by others. Whether for himself, his family, or for Yang Tao and his niece, he knew there were actions he had to take.
“Let’s hope you haven’t misjudged anyone this time.”
Qian Su understood Yan Lin’s plight and could only smile wryly, lending his support, albeit limited.
Yan Lin smiled, “I’m no deity; how can I manage everything perfectly? I just do my best and leave the rest to fate.”
While they were chatting, Yang Tao had just cleared the battlefield with his troops.
Though the terrain here didn’t offer them much advantage, the Nan Sheng army wasn’t exactly elite; to Yang Tao, they were merely a throng—a slightly larger mob. After days of attack and defense, the city gate stood firm, the walls unbreached, and they even scored a string of victories.
Since they had won, the immediate threat to their lives vanished, lightening Yang Tao’s mood considerably.
“Shaoyang, can we reach the outside yet?”
When Yang Tao mentioned “the outside,” he was referring to the tens of thousands of troops stationed nearby.
Yan Lin replied, “We’ve sent someone to make contact; we should expect a response. If we can fend off the invaders before they arrive, we won’t need to worry about rumors.”
Yang Tao crossed his arms, “Got it.”
Qian Su: “…”
This is probably what they call speaking nonsense with one’s eyes wide open, right?
