Chapter 715 – Bickering Alliance Meeting (Part 2)
For the powerful warlords, this suggestion was beneficial, but for those with thin pockets, the drawbacks far outweighed the advantages.
Unified military supply coordination, food and materials overseen by others—who wouldn’t fear getting the short end of the stick?
Jiang Pengji nearly choked, quickly gulping down a pot of water to recover her composure.
“Whoever proposed this suggestion must be a bit of a natural fool, really…”
This suggestion was utterly ridiculous. Even Li Yun and Dian Yin could tell it was simply unfeasible.
Your own soldiers, your own supplies, your own horses… why would anyone hand them over for someone else to manage?
Admittedly, there might be some sages willing to do so, but the coalition forces all had their own calculations—every detail scrutinized—who would willingly come out at a loss?
Even if they all agreed, the differences in their resources and wealth meant that if someone withheld part of it or misreported the numbers, what then?
It had to be said, this idea was truly naive; the practical execution would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Jiang Pengji curiously looked toward the source of the voice and found the clueless speaker seated behind Yang Jian, likely one of his subordinates.
“Sit down, you ungrateful brat! This isn’t a place for you to speak!”
Yang Jian’s weathered face had turned a shade of red from anger, looking utterly embarrassed.
Jiang Pengji realized that this naive fool was actually Yang Jian’s son.
Having such an innocent son was indeed a misfortune for the family.
“Father? Son…”
Yang Tao stammered, clueless about his mistake, sounding somewhat guilty.
He wanted to ask where he had gone wrong but was worried his question would provoke another wave of fury from his father.
Next to Yang Tao sat a handsome Young Scholar, who managed a forced smile.
“Zheng Ze, sit down.”
The Young Scholar secretly rubbed his temples—how could such a dimwit be his companion?
Yang Tao shrunk his neck, looking pitiful, and under the dual assault of his father and dear friend, he returned to his seat, all dejected.
Jiang Pengji stifled a laugh, “So he’s Yang Jian’s son; what an interesting character!”
Liu Zhi casually hummed in acknowledgment, observing Yang Tao for a while as if he were examining something.
He slightly averted his gaze, eyes filled with a hint of complexity.
“Though he looks a bit dim-witted, this boy is not simple… his future is limitless…”
Jiang Pengji looked at Liu Zhi in surprise, then back at Yang Tao, teasingly remarking.
“It’s true he seems a bit slow; as for ‘not simple’… forgive my poor eyesight, but I really don’t see it. He looks like a clean slate, transparent to the core, quite rare. I thought Yang Duwei’s son would also be a valiant young general, yet here he is, entirely different from what I imagined—more like a wealthy landowner’s foolish son.”
Liu Zhi chuckled, “Perhaps fools have their own lucky breaks.”
The father and son whispered to each other, completely out of sync with the surrounding atmosphere.
Yang Jian was already isolated by the coalition forces, and with his foolish son’s antics, he felt as though he had lost all face.
“Children don’t understand, just blabbering nonsense; don’t take it to heart, everyone.”
Yang Jian forced a smile, unable to hide his embarrassment even with his carefully groomed mustache, mentally scolding his son a few times.
The atmosphere grew a bit stiff, and Xu Pei smiled, skillfully steering the conversation back on track.
Huang Song was inwardly fuming, silently cursing the dimwit Yang Tao.
He didn’t beat around the bush, quickly relaying his plan lest someone else venture an even more foolish suggestion.
According to Huang Song’s plan, the armies of the twenty-three factions would still be under their own command; military supplies would remain self-sufficient. However, once the leader issued orders, they needed to prioritize the coalition, cooperating for offense or defense without allowing personal interests to intervene. The leader would have certain rights to issue orders but wouldn’t meddle in their internal affairs or make them incur additional expenses.
Compared to Yang Tao’s idea, everyone preferred Huang Song’s proposal.
They were willing to lend troops and cooperate in battle but would never hand their commands over to outsiders.
For example, if the leader harbored some hidden agenda, deliberately withholding his troops’ strength and pushing the other coalition forces to the front lines to take the hits, what then? They didn’t wish to judge someone by a petty standard, but caution was always prudent.
Among the twenty-three factions present, all had connections—who could guarantee there were no past grievances among them?
Huang Song’s suggestion exactly matched their wishes, integrating the coalition forces without turning them into a disorganized mess, while alleviating their concerns.
Xu Pei remarked, “This plan is excellent; I wonder what everyone thinks?”
There were almost no objections; it was essentially a unanimous approval for the plan. Now came the crucial part—
Who would take on the role of leader?
The attendees exchanged glances, each reluctant to stick their necks out, silently waiting for someone else to nominate them.
Yes, waiting for others to recommend them!
Everyone present was a bigwig; why would they engage in self-promotion like an old hag selling melons?
Even if internally anxious to the point of shouting “Pick me, pick me!” they maintained a façade of modesty, turning down any proposals.
In Jiang Pengji’s words, this was just being pretentious; that’s not how true humility works.
She thought the one to step forward would be Huang Song, but to her surprise, someone jumped in ahead of him.
“I believe Hu Jun Wu Ma, the county governor, is the most suitable candidate for the leader’s position.”
The person who spoke was An Huan. Upon hearing him, Xu Pei and Xu Fei’s faces looked a bit displeased. An Huan continued, “The Wu Ma County governor is a royal relative—by lineage, he is the uncle of the current emperor. Highly esteemed, with a strong military force. I believe, if the Wu Ma County governor is made the leader, the coalition can march against Changshou Wang, saving the emperor and rescuing the people—it would be much more justified…”
Wu Ma Shang sat in the lower right corner, maintaining an aloof demeanor, creating a sharp contrast with the rest of the lively group.
An Huan had pushed him into the leader competition, not knowing if this was his own idea or that of the county governor, Wu Ma Shang.
Jiang Pengji glanced over, increasingly leaning toward Wu Ma Shang’s notion.
It seemed this individual had some ambition too.
She popped a dried fruit into her mouth, savoring it with delight.
Accompanying this bickering spectacle, the flavor only got better.
“That argument is flawed; from my perspective, Wu Ma County governor is by no means the best candidate.”
Cheng Jing, standing behind Huang Song, rose to draw attention.
Upon hearing Cheng Jing speak, the previously unfazed Wu Ma Shang turned to look at him and said, “Who are you?”
Cheng Jing, not one to seek the limelight, replied calmly, “I am Cheng Jing from Langya, just an anonymous nobody.”
If it were Feng Zhen, he would have shot back with, “I am Mr. Yuanjing’s head disciple sitting here!”
In Dongqing, Mr. Yuanjing was like a living billboard; mentioning his name instantly boosted one’s status.
Wu Ma Shang shifted his gaze away.
“If you’re just an anonymous nobody, what makes you think you can speak here?”
