Chapter 1654 – Conquering Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (64)
Jiang Ji was oblivious to Lü Zheng diligently nurturing his loyal fans.
As the New Year passed, the once relaxed atmosphere vanished entirely, replaced by a chilling tension.
Ever since the assassination incident involving the Nan Family of Fen Prefecture, Jiang Ji had undergone a drastic transformation, almost appearing like a different person.
At first, people were a bit unsettled by the change, but after a while, they got used to it. As Wei Ci had previously said, their leader had matured and become more understanding. Because of Jiang Ji’s timely change, the budding threats had been snuffed out at their roots.
With everyone united, they felt confident that not only could they tear apart An, but they could also conquer the world if needed.
Just a few days into the New Year, Jiang Ji called for a meeting.
Naturally, the topic of the meeting was how to eliminate An. Jiang Ji was refreshingly straightforward—she flat-out told everyone that after suffering An’s secret attacks last year, she wouldn’t be able to swallow her pride if they didn’t get even this year. Subtlety? Not her style at all.
It was easy to imagine how such remarks would reflect on her reputation if recorded in history.
Among the crowd, only Wei Ci expressed concern for three seconds, while the others, including Yang Si, had long given up on any notion of caution—whatever will be, will be!
Turning her head, she saw not only Jiang Ji but many others rolling up their sleeves, ready to go big.
“If there are no objections, we’ll set it in place for now?” Jiang Ji surveyed the room, taking in everyone’s expressions. After a moment, she repeated, “Let’s tentatively plan to launch our campaign against An before the spring plowing. Does anyone have other opinions?”
Whether it was Jiang Ji or anyone else, most were in favor of going to war before the spring plowing, with only a few wanting to wait until afterward.
Each had their reasoning, and Jiang Ji attentively listened to the differing opinions, weighing their pros and cons. In the end, she decided on a pre-spring plowing offensive. Her choice didn’t incite opposition from her ministers, but it did confuse the “dried fish” viewers.
Having followed the streams for years, they understood how vital ancient agricultural practices were.
If possible, both warring sides would ideally wait until after the spring plowing to engage. For those in ancient times who relied on the heavens for food, wasting an entire spring plowing equated to risking a year’s worth of crops, dramatically increasing the chances of famine the following year.
Understanding this, they couldn’t wrap their heads around Jiang Ji’s choice.
【Lime Fruit Chunky】：Wasn’t spring plowing supposed to be crucial? If I’m not mistaken, the host was quite pinched last year, so shouldn’t they pay more attention to this year’s spring plowing? Launching a war before plowing could affect both the enemy and us, right?
To many viewers, this choice seemed akin to a suicidal attack.
Common folks would harm themselves while bringing down their enemies.
【Stowaway Non-Money】：I’m also a bit confused; I can’t really grasp why the host is being so reckless. An seems to have the upper hand, but if you analyze it closely, I believe the host still has a significant chance of winning. Can’t we just play it safe and steady instead of resorting to such tactics?
Though the “dried fish” audience voiced their doubts, deep down, they understood that Jiang Ji must have her reasons; they just didn’t know what they were.
【Genius Guo Fengxiao】：I think I’ve figured it out, dear host! Is this related to last year’s An’s scorched-earth tactics?
Last year, to spite Jiang Ji, An deliberately ceded two states of Nan Sheng to her.
On the surface, it looked like Jiang Ji gained an advantage, easily conquering the two states without much effort, but little did she know, most of the grain and laborers in those states were forcibly conscripted by An and gathered up. An had benefited, leaving Jiang Ji only with the mess!
She was responsible for covering the winter grain and supplies for nearly a million common people, while also needing to guard against local aristocrats seizing the opportunity to cause unrest. It was not only costly but labor-intensive. Meanwhile, An? He had a splendid winter, not only amassing wealth but also becoming a father!
When “Genius Guo Fengxiao” brought this up, many viewers recalled the incident.
However, what connection did An’s scorched-earth strategy have with Jiang Ji giving up on spring plowing?
There was indeed a connection.
By launching an attack on An before spring plowing, Jiang Ji was only sacrificing the spring plowing of the two states of Nan Sheng. The farming in Dongqing and the Northern states remained unaffected, yet An couldn’t say the same. Although he had plundered a lot of grain from those two states last year, the young and able-bodied he took would also need to eat.
If this year’s spring plowing failed to keep up, and autumn harvest produced no grain, a famine would certainly follow.
Running low on supplies during military campaigns was nearly equal to losing half the battle.
If everything went smoothly, An wouldn’t last through this autumn.
Jiang Ji planned for a swift victory: take advantage of An’s weakness to eliminate him, then turn around to deal with Zhong Zhao, speeding up the unification of the land.
As the group discussed the details, Jiang Ji briefly explained her intentions to the “dried fish.”
Some fish stubbornly held onto their views, believing Jiang Ji didn’t need to be in such a rush, insisting that a steady approach was the way to go, while others unconditionally supported Jiang Ji’s choice. Naturally, a small portion of viewers felt something was off but couldn’t quite put their finger on it.
When they began discussing how to redistribute troops, they were shocked to find Jiang Ji was not even in the initial lineup!
The ever-frontline fighting Jiang Ji was now stationed in the central command?
【High-Jumping Flag of Insincere Claims】：Wait a minute, host! Why aren’t you going out there to cause chaos on the frontlines?
It’s so unusual!
Having followed the streams for so many years, their favorite segment was watching Jiang Ji relentlessly try to charge the front while the military and civilians scrambled to stop her, a mix of heart attacks and helplessness. Where was today’s entertaining routine?
Not only the “dried fish” found it odd, but also Yang Si and Feng Zhen were feeling a bit lost.
They looked at Jiang Ji, who stared back at them seriously.
The two sides locked eyes for several seconds, with an awkward silence enveloping the air.
“You… don’t have any other opinions?”
Jiang Ji glanced at the overall setup, confident there were no gaps, so why was everyone staring blankly?
Receiving military orders but just standing around, why were they simply gazing at each other?
“Lord… have we overlooked something?”
Li tentatively inquired.
“Overlooked what? I haven’t missed anything! Am I neglecting something?”
Jiang Ji looked puzzled, as Fu Wang suddenly coughed awkwardly and excused himself.
With Fu Wang gone, the others awoke from their daze and began rising, albeit in small groups.
Once outside the main tent, Li still looked enchanted.
“Is the lord really turning over a new leaf?”
“Bah, what do you mean she’s turning over a new leaf? Isn’t it good this way? She should just act as she wishes.” Yang Si slapped Li’s shoulder, cutting him off to prevent him from saying anything even more outrageous. “The lord is very perceptive!”
Li nodded repeatedly, hurriedly leaving, looking like an idiot being chased by some monster.
Jiang Ji: “…”
She heard everything!
