Chapter 1642 – Subduing Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (52)
The Advisor was acutely aware of this and had no choice but to bring up the deceased Nie Liang and Wei, pressuring Nie Qing.
“Indeed, everything has its pros and cons. However, regardless of Zheng Hao’s innocence, his rise poses more harm than good for us, so I implore the Lord/Leader to reconsider.”
Nie Qing sighed inwardly.
He truly did not wish to waste strength on internal strife, merely to benefit the predatory Qi Guanrang. Thus, he repeatedly tolerated the relentless pressure from the various lords.
Little did he know, his tolerance for the greater good only served to prove his incompetence and weakness in the eyes of those ambitious individuals.
“Allow me to ponder this matter for another night, and I shall provide a response by tomorrow.”
Nie Qing sat in silence before his father’s token for an entire night, finally giving a reply to the ministers the next day.
“What?”
Zheng Hao received the news ahead of time and was stunned, while feeling a sharp pain in his face.
Just half a month ago, he had confidently declared Nie Qing incompetent and that he wouldn’t act against him without evidence; yet here he was, slapping himself in the face half a month later.
Nie Qing was not only about to take action but also planned for a death with no witnesses.
Simply put, he intended to kill the increasingly audacious Zheng Hao as a sacrifice to the heavens… ahem, to set an example for others.
Had it not been for Zheng Hao placing spies within the Nie Clan, he would not have received the news two days early.
“I really underestimated this little beast; with barely any teeth, he dares to bite back!”
Zheng Hao cursed silently.
He was certain Nie Qing had no evidence to act against him, yet he hadn’t expected Nie Qing to turn unpredictable—acting without evidence was one thing, but secretly planning a sneak attack was another. Regardless of Zheng Hao’s innocence, he was first to remove his head, arbitrarily pinning a crime on him for intimidation.
A rather young Advisor couldn’t sit still and said, “General, the best course of action now is to temporarily avoid his sharpness…”
Zheng Hao scolded back irritably, “Are you out of your mind? How dare you suggest that to me? Avoiding his sharpness? Nie Qing, this little beast, isn’t planning to leave me alive—at this moment, what good will it do to avoid? The more we evade, the more we prove our guilt, which will only help lift Nie Qing higher. If Nie Qing shows no mercy, then I can’t be righteous—of course, it’s an eye for an eye!”
Qi Guanrang and Sun Wen had chosen Zheng Hao because they knew his personality was rather fierce.
When underestimating the situation, Zheng Hao knew to keep his tail tight.
Once he gained power, he would grow wild, facing off against others head-on, and he was stubborn!
Qi Guanrang intended to spark internal strife in Zhong Zhao to secure their own position.
The conflict between Zheng Hao and Nie Qing was the fuse for the internal battle. The fuse had been lit, but whether this internal conflict would blaze hot enough to scorch the entire Zhong Zhao foundation depended on how Qi Guanrang and his companion would stoke the fire and drag more people down with them!
Zhanjiang Pass.
Qi Guanrang received the news that Zheng Hao had taken the proactive approach, unable to suppress a slight smile.
“Zhai Dao, in this game, it seems we have won.”
Qi Guanrang’s words had double meanings, referring both to the ongoing game of Go and to the predictions about Zheng Hao and Nie Qing; his intuition was closer to the truth. Although Zheng Hao was on the rise, he could not afford a head-on clash with Nie Qing and chose instead to strike first. Before Nie Qing relayed the purge orders, he led his troops to deceive Nie Qing, taking control of the territory at Gao Feng City, tricking the defending commander into opening the city gates.
Once the gate opened, the guard was killed unawares, and Gao Feng City changed hands in less than half a day.
By the time Nie Qing received the news, Zheng Hao had already taken two cities, causing an uproar.
Qi Guanrang’s predictions were nearly accurate, while Sun Wen underestimated Zheng Hao’s ambition and greed.
“I’m getting old; it seems my brain isn’t as sharp as it used to be, unable to compete with the younger generation.”
Despite speaking humbly, he showed no displeasure and happily pulled out some gold melon seeds to give to Qi Guanrang.
These two were playing not just for superiority but also for stakes.
A small bet is amusing, but a big wager can lead to harm.
Using the game as a wager, their refined actions took on a “filthy” air.
Which filth?
Treating money as dirt.
Qi Guanrang smiled, “Zhai Dao, you’re still as vibrant as ever; it’s too early to say that.”
Sun Wen smiled faintly, noncommittal.
When the game concluded, the two cleaned up the board and prepared to huddle by the stove for another round; outside, snow fell in flurries while the room remained cozy warm.
“Zheng Hao is a qualified pawn, yet a single piece cannot support the entire board. Likewise, for Zhong Zhao to descend into complete chaos and exhaust resources in internal conflict, relying solely on one Zheng Hao is insufficient.” Qi Guanrang embraced a glass cup filled with goji tea, ultimately finding the taste too bland and adding a generous spoonful of honey, reflecting on the decadent life of the wealthy while savoring the enjoyment. “Nie Qing’s character isn’t like his father’s, but people aren’t unchangeable. Didn’t this moment turn out surprising? To Zheng Hao, he’s merely a sharpening stone.”
Isn’t that right?
Nie Liang’s calculations had overlooked Zheng Hao and others, intending instead to use them to hone Nie Qing’s prowess.
This shows that, in Nie Liang’s schemes, Zheng Hao was not a worthy adversary against Nie Qing.
These two old foxes gathered together to play chess and chat, with just a few words deciding the future direction of Zhong Zhao.
How to escalate the internal conflict in Zhong Zhao?
They not only needed to drag more people down but also had to ensure Zhanjiang Pass wouldn’t put them under external pressure.
Once external threats were gone, the internal conflict would resurface; with a slight breeze to stoke the flames, wouldn’t the game be set?
Seizing the opportunity, Sun Wen tossed a hot piece of intel, dragging the previously neutral party into the fray.
This hot intel concerned a neutral force within Zhong Zhao.
This force had originally depended on the Nie Clan but, after Nie Liang’s death, took advantage of Nie Qing’s lapse in management to declare independence.
The juicy intel Sun Wen revealed became the catalyst for this neutral force to act against the Nie Clan.
The content of the intel involved a certain legitimate child of the Nie Clan during its peak who had committed some “good deeds.”
“How did you find out?”
Qi Guanrang was curious, wondering what secrets Sun Wen still held…
No, he had hidden cards that he could play at critical moments, achieving surprising results.
Sun Wen replied coldly, “As a father, I naturally pay close attention to what the killer of my son did.”
The Nie Clan’s offspring, who had caused the death of Sun Wen’s only son, had ties with several noble women.
Some were willing, while others were not.
Sun Lie won first place at the Elegant Gathering; though he was resented by that Nie offspring, it didn’t lead to the latter breaking his legs out of anger, falsely accusing him with fictitious crimes and sending him to the border. Because Sun Lie had written an article at the Elegant Gathering, the content hit the opponent’s sore spot.
“The article?” Qi Guanrang, respecting the dead, had never delved deep into the events surrounding Sun Wen’s son’s death, so he was unaware of the specifics. Hearing Sun Wen bring it up, he asked a few more questions, “What about the article?”
Sun Wen smirked slightly, “It was an article that criticized societal issues, hoping the debauched scions would awaken, self-respect, and avoid dishonoring their families, thus not embarrassing their ancestors… However, different people interpret things differently. The writer had no ill intentions, but the reader had their reasons. That Nie offspring misinterpreted it as Sun Lie witnessing his private affairs with others and threatened him… that’s what ignited the killing intent.”
The use of the allegorical writing style was still quite rare at the time, and Sun Lie’s unique perspective led him to win first place.
