Chapter 1617 – Subduing Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (29)
Jiang Pengji prepared to attack Nan Sheng, with Yang Tao’s former territory being the prime target.
The greatest concern wasn’t An Huan and his crew, but rather the faction of gentry that had betrayed Yang Tao, and they were anxious as can be!
How could they not be anxious?
This bunch of gentry had been seduced and lured by An Huan, or more accurately, they had been attracted by the pie Lü Zheng had drawn; temporarily blinded by greed, they gave up on the already doomed Yang Tao. Not only did they lead an armed rebellion against Yang Tao, but they also forced him into dire situations multiple times.
Their resolve was absolute, aiming to wipe Yang Tao off the map while simultaneously showing loyalty to their new master.
They thought they had played their cards right, but An Huan turned out to be a bridge-burner of the worst kind.
What they had agreed upon beforehand—those benefits—were barely fulfilled, and what remained just kept dragging on and on, fading into thin air. Nobody dared to push him for answers, while An Huan played deaf and dumb, clearly intending to renege on his promises. In harsher terms, he was just a backstabber who forgets his comrades.
He wouldn’t part with a dime of his own, yet he was the quickest on the draw when it came to taking advantage.
Just when they had kicked Yang Tao to the curb, An Huan sent people to swoop in and take over what remained of Yang’s territory.
After gaining control of the territory, An Huan didn’t send anyone to administer or comfort the Common People, nor did he distribute food or supply assistance. Instead, he raised armies, recruited young men, and wooed wealthy families. If the first two attempts were to strengthen his power for a showdown with Jiang Pengji, that could be understood, but the latter part was suspect—a clear case of taking advantage of the chaos!
An Huan sent people to sweet-talk the wealthy, promising them grand benefits in exchange for money and supplies to fund his impending ventures.
Would they buy in or not?
If they bought in, who knew when they could recoup their investments?
An Huan only needed to flap his gums, while they had to shell out real silver, rice, and supplies.
What if things went awry and An Huan reneged on the deal?
But if they didn’t buy in, the one who controlled the land had shifted from Yang Tao to An Huan. Did they have the right to say “no” when living on someone else’s turf?
Although the gentry had connections and status, their private armies were no match for the lords.
An Huan wanted to play dirty, finding ways to squeeze their family assets and hidden treasures, leaving them in a really passive position.
Seeing through An Huan’s tricks, this group of hotheaded opportunists finally sobered up.
“An Huan talks a good game, but his promises are empty. He’s no better than that dude Yang Zhengze—”
An Huan faced a crisis of credibility; those empty commitments couldn’t attract large investments, and the wealthy who had been duped learned their lesson. At this moment, An Huan revealed his true colors, transitioning from negotiation to applying both soft and hard threats, leaving people feeling utterly powerless.
Only at times like this did they remember how good Yang Tao was.
Though Yang Tao was from Dongqing and relied heavily on those he brought with him, Yang Zhengze was a man of iron integrity. He kept his word, no shadow over that. Borrowing resources and returning them was the norm; even the gentry who initially supported Yang Tao had reaped considerable benefits.
Even though Yang Tao had lost his gamble against Jiang Pengji, it was still better than An Huan arriving on the scene and immediately squeezing them dry.
If only they hadn’t acted rashly!
The clan leaders gathered to discuss, voicing their dissatisfaction with An Huan.
In stark contrast, the former lord, Yang Tao, now seemed much like a bright little star shining through the cloud of their regrets.
“I once thought An Huan’s influence would be strong, united much of Nan Sheng, and should have been able to challenge Liu Xi, but now it seems he’s just a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” One leader, dressed in deep blue robes, said solemnly, “Liu Xi is marching south, acting as if invading Nan Sheng’s territory is a walk in the park. We sent twelve urgent distress signals to An Huan, but he remained unresponsive… sigh, what a miscalculation.”
War is a money-burning, life-wasting venture.
An Huan had been actively raising an army for the past two months, nearly stripping the area of able-bodied young men.
Now the city was left with only the old, weak, and lame; every family could muster about ten thousand elite, but that wasn’t a long-term solution.
As for Jiang Pengji, who had unified Dongqing, such numbers were but a snack for her.
At this point, even if they put money into recruiting soldiers for defense, it would be too late.
The nearby young men had been sliced up like chives, having been drained dry by that greedy guy, An Huan, over and over again.
Without the young men as the main force, how could they withstand the fierce march of Jiang Pengji’s army?
If it were just Jiang Pengji, it would still be manageable, but she had the added support of Yang Tao to train troops and was aided by Yan Lin. Both worked in harmony, one being the strategist and the other the warrior, capable of seizing control of vast lands back in Nan Sheng, and now they could lead Jiang Pengji to gobble up this place too.
Not only that, but Jiang Pengji wasn’t familiar with Nan Sheng’s landscape while Yan Lin and his old minister were well-acquainted!
In just a matter of three or four days, multiple urgent reports from the borders came in, with Jiang Pengji’s naval forces splitting into several routes heading south, momentum unmatched!
“What’s the point of regretting now… We didn’t gather here just to introspect on Yang Tao’s failings…”
Regret, like spilled water, is hard to reclaim.
It was high time they figured out how to navigate the current crisis!
Everyone fell into a silence; eyes darted back and forth, with an atmosphere where no one was willing to be the first to speak up.
“Well, since you all seem hesitant to share your thoughts, let me throw out a suggestion to spark some ideas!”
The awkward stall wasn’t helping, and thus someone couldn’t take it anymore.
He said, “In my humble opinion, we only have three options before us.”
“Three options? What are they?”
The crowd hurriedly inquired.
“The first option is to prepare grains and gather our forces for a decisive battle against Liu Xi.”
“That’s just like hitting a stone with an egg!” someone sighed, feeling that was no different than saying nothing at all.
“The second is, whatever we did to Yang Tao, we should do the same to An Huan now.”
Hearing this left the others exchanging glances; this suggestion was cheeky!
Having just stabbed Yang Tao in the back, to immediately go stab An Huan? Jiang Pengji wouldn’t be touched!
If Jiang Pengji were to face a strong enemy, would they just abandon her for the new master, stabbing her in the back too?
If they turned on Jiang Pengji, it wouldn’t guarantee they’d get a piece of the pie, and they’d be lucky to escape unscathed!
“This won’t do! If we act like this, how will the world view us? Such a lack of ethics and integrity, I can’t agree to that!”
Several other clan leaders quickly echoed this sentiment.
As leaders among the gentry, how could they commit to such unreliable deeds for the sake of profit?
“Is there only one option left? What is it?”
The man answered, “The last option… let’s go all in and fully support An Huan, helping him succeed!”
The crowd turned pale at once, like they had just swallowed several loathsome insects.
An Huan’s greedy antics made them sick.
If they were to drain their resources to help An Huan, they lost regardless of his win or loss.
An Huan’s creditworthiness had long been shattered, and to invest in him now was tantamount to throwing money into a black hole, risking never seeing a single copper coin again.
