Chapter 921 – Affairs of Nan Sheng
The homeland’s rivers and mountains lay shattered, and the lives of the common people were in disarray.
An Huan believed he could rely on the military forces in his grasp to restore the glory of his homeland, but he greatly underestimated the situation within Nan Sheng.
In Jiangzhou, the tribes of the Southern Barbarians knew only how to plunder; governance was beyond their comprehension. Once they conquered a territory, they unleashed a spree of looting and killing.
Came with empty hands but left loaded with riches, their horses weighed down by countless severed heads and the cries of weeping women.
The heads served as proof of their might, while the women were spoils for their debauchery, a display of their virility.
An Huan wandered to Dongqing, and after much scheming, he gathered six thousand troops.
Originally, he thought he had some leverage, but to his dismay, the situation in Nan Sheng was far worse than when he left.
Noble families and common folk alike could no longer tolerate the Southern Barbarians’ brutality and rose in rebellion.
If they had focused solely on external threats, Nan Sheng might have had a chance; instead, with the enemy unrestrained, internal strife flared.
An Huan made his way to Jiangzhou with six thousand troops and ample supplies to support Nan Sheng.
Having originated from Jiangzhou, this land was not just his homeland but also where the An Clan had built their connections.
In Jiangzhou, he could leverage the remnants of the An Clan’s influence, even garnering support from familiar elders.
At first, An Huan’s development was relatively smooth; he recruited many militia through the rebranded doctrines of the Red Lotus Sect, growing stronger.
However, he soon hit a wall.
This setback resulted in the loss of over half his forces, leaving only three thousand remnants.
In addition to An Huan, there were two other noble families and a militia force in Jiangzhou. An Huan chose to ally with a certain noble clan, but little did he know they harbored ulterior motives. Though wise, An Huan lacked strategic insight and was unknowingly played for a fool.
An Huan, also known by the courtesy name Duo Xi.
The character 慛 signifies worry.
His elders had given him the courtesy name “Duo Xi,” which sounded a bit tacky yet was full of good wishes, but little did they know, this man was destined for hardships.
In his previous life, he toiled for over ten years, ultimately staking everything to beg Wei Ci to assist him, achieving late success by seizing half of Nan Sheng.
Now, he was far from his future misfortune, but misfortunes still clung to him like a shadow.
Though he was a native of Nan Sheng, all the soldiers he brought were from Dongqing.
In the eyes of the local nobility, An Huan’s position was deemed unworthy; an outsider trying to compete for their territory?
They were either being insincere or plotting treachery, viewing An Huan merely as a tool.
Initially, An Huan remained oblivious to this point, but after losing half his forces, he came to a startling realization.
Having just turned thirty, An Huan could withstand such blows, though his eyes grew moist.
Through this adversity, he also recognized his shortcomings.
He couldn’t outsmart others, lacked a strategic advisor, and his sworn brothers were rash and impulsive.
Such a combination was easy to manipulate, and a little provocation could derail any major project.
An Huan thought for a moment and decided to use his old connections to invite renowned scholars to lend their assistance.
Yet, An Huan was out of allies, devoid of land, and missing finances; after suffering defeat, who would want to support such a lord?
Even with his noble status, the An Clan had been completely exterminated by the barbarians, and An Huan’s wife and children had suffered terrible fates. What kind of man who failed so abjectly was worthy of loyalty?
Thus, whenever An Huan extended invitations, many scholars either avoided him or offered excuses.
An Huan, not one to be thick-skinned, understood that others looked down on his circumstances and could only return in disappointment.
He scoured the land for refuge and sought opportunities to turn his fortunes around.
Finally, he caught a break.
“I’ve heard Mr. Yuanjing’s disciple is studying nearby…”
A spark ignited in An Huan’s eyes as he recalled Cheng Jing’s outstanding performance during the Huangshui Alliance, his heart racing.
“Studying? What’s the situation here? Who’s the fool coming to study in this chaos? My lord, you must have heard wrong!”
Though Dongqing was chaotic, it was nothing compared to the rampant lawlessness of Nan Sheng.
A scholar venturing to a war-torn nation for studies was akin to actively seeking death!
An Huan replied, “Whether it’s true or not, I must give it a shot.”
A few subordinates around him were apprehensive; they weren’t optimistic about An Huan’s plan.
An Huan chuckled, “Mr. Yuanjing has a total of four disciples. His first disciple, Cheng Jing, is now serving Huang Song in Haozhou. The youthful disciple, Wei Ci, serves Liu Xi in Wanzhou. The remaining two are Han Yu and Lü Zheng. I hear Han Yu has already accepted an invitation from the Xu family’s heir, Xu Pei, to become a deputy. So, what about the other one…”
“Lü Zheng? Never heard of him.”
The group shook their heads, Lü Zheng truly lacked renown.
Among Mr. Yuanjing’s four disciples, Cheng Jing and Han Yu hailed from noble families, while Wei Ci was slightly lesser in status, and Lü Zheng was just the son of a hunter.
An Huan hadn’t heard of Lü Zheng either, but he had tried to get closer to Cheng Jing during the Huangshui Alliance.
After gathering information, he did come to know the names of Mr. Yuanjing’s four disciples.
“It’s precisely because he has no fame that I have my chance,” An Huan took a deep breath, saying, “I’ve heard Lü Zheng wishes to visit the governor of Jiangzhou… The governor is my childhood friend, and I know his temperament all too well. He holds a very discerning view towards noble statuses; he will neither openly disdain Lü Zheng nor send him away. For the sake of wisdom, he might even do a theatrical show by inviting Lü Zheng, but from my understanding, this governor will never truly value the son of a hunter. A disciple of Mr. Yuanjing surely possesses extraordinary talent and character; I believe Lü Zheng won’t endure such cold treatment.”
In other words, if Lü Zheng faced setbacks, it would create a chance for An Huan to catch the governor’s eye.
A few subordinates listened to An Huan but remained skeptical internally.
In their view, a scholar venturing to a war-torn nation for studies must be out of his mind.
But strangely, their lord adored him, focused solely on recruiting him.
It turned out An Huan’s hunch was right.
To his surprise, Lü Zheng saw through the governor’s unreliability and rejected the invitation, opting instead to continue his studies.
An Huan panicked and promptly prepared lavish gifts for a visit.
“Not seeing him!”
Lü Zheng, clad in a wide-sleeved cloak and a cloth cap, looked as unadorned as a destitute scholar.
The book boy blinked, saying, “Sir, he’s come a second time.”
“Not to mention a second time, even if it’s the twentieth time, I won’t see him.”
Lü Zheng squinted; he had grown a beard and, although still youthful, appeared much more mature compared to before.
The book boy raised his chin, “In ancient times, there were three visits to the hut to invite a man out of retirement; would you not budge after twenty visits?”
“Focus on your studies, don’t spout nonsense. You’re making your sir uncomfortable.”
The book boy stuck his tongue out, obediently following Lü Zheng, no longer daring to let An Huan in.
“Why does the gentleman not like him?”
“The timing isn’t right.”
“Eh?”
“He still possesses the pride of noble families; with just this, he isn’t worth my consideration.”
“So, when would it be right?”
“Perhaps when he’s been beaten down again and again, weathered by misfortune, and sheds that ridiculous pride. Then maybe I’ll consider it.”
