Chapter 953 – What’s Wrong with Being Bold?
“Strengthening the alliance to leverage power further?” Xu Pei furrowed his brows, a little stumped. “But she’s already nineteen; isn’t that a bit too old?”
Han Yu’s expression froze as he glanced at his lord, silently asking—
“What on earth are you thinking?”
Being old has nothing to do with forming an alliance!
After all, he’s still my lord; I can’t let him embarrass himself too much.
“It doesn’t matter,” Han Yu replied.
Xu Pei shook his head vigorously, resembling a rattling drum. “No way, the eldest son is only ten! I can’t bear to push him into the fire!”
Han Yu, expressionless but secretly flabbergasted: “”
Seeing Han Yu unresponsive, Xu Pei thought he was silently resisting and said helplessly, “Wenbin, you wouldn’t suggest that I personally handle this mess, would you? Whether Lan Ting wants to marry is another matter, but even if she does, Qiqi is still around, and her followers would object.”
Since ancient times, the most common methods of forming alliances were two-fold:
One, benefit transactions; two, marriages.
Most of the time, these two models complemented each other.
Although marriage ties might be flimsy, they’re better than having no ties at all.
After a moment of shock, Han Yu calmed down and said resignedly, “Lord, you seem to be misunderstanding. I have no such intentions.”
Now it was Xu Pei’s turn to feel awkward.
But who among the lords isn’t thick-skinned?
He quickly regained composure, coughed lightly, and asked nonchalantly, “Wenbin, speak quickly. Don’t keep me in suspense.”
Han Yu replied, “Since you have a good relationship with Liu Xi, why not prepare a batch of supplies as a generous gift to congratulate her on capturing the three cities of Shangyu? There’s no need to shy away from mentioning your conflict with Xu Fei. After spring, Liu Xi will inevitably go to war with the Northern Border; the pressure will be immense. We can’t send her troops, but we can spare some grain.”
Xu Pei’s territory was home to the rarely fertile Dongqing, overflowing with food; there was no concern about provisions.
They definitely weren’t short on grain.
Even though Jiang Pengji had been accumulating food for years, war consumed resources ferociously.
If supplies ran low, it’d mean tightening one’s belt to fight!
Sending gifts was just an excuse; the real aim was to hint to Jiang Pengji—let’s join forces.
She aids Xu Pei, and Xu Pei supplies her; both sides benefit.
Furthermore, Xu Pei could gain a good reputation—supporting Jiang Pengji equated to contributing to the resistance against foreign invaders.
He wouldn’t need to sacrifice any soldiers; a mere fraction of grain would render him some glory.
Xu Pei pondered for a moment, eventually nodding in agreement with Han Yu’s proposal.
“Then let’s proceed as Wenbin suggested.”
Xu Pei was thoroughly annoyed with his cousin, who always seemed to oppose him, driving him up the wall.
In terms of age and hierarchy, he was more qualified to be the Xu family’s heir, yet his senile grandfather doted on the younger generation, repeatedly suppressing him, the legitimate heir and eldest grandson. Their rivalry was out in the open, and Xu Pei had nowhere to retreat.
If he could use Liu Xi’s power to suppress Xu Fei, Xu Pei would gladly welcome it.
In the Southern Sheng Kingdom, Jiangzhou.
As the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way. After persistent efforts, An Huan finally won Lü Zheng’s heart.
Having a strategist made a world of difference.
Without a strategist, everything was up to him; internal affairs were a mess, and no one offered counsel.
With a strategist, the influence was revitalized, and everything was sorted out neatly.
Lü Zheng was deeply “moved” by An Huan’s persistence and joined him, securing half of Jiangzhou in their first battle, solidifying their base.
Over a year had passed, and Lü Zheng had successfully won over An Huan’s followers, firmly establishing himself as the top strategist.
Admittedly, there weren’t many capable strategists under An Huan’s banner—just Lü Zheng himself.
“Is the master still not asleep?”
The Book Boy lit the lamp, adding oil for Lü Zheng’s scribbling.
“Today’s tasks must be finished today; I can’t sleep until they’re done.”
Lü Zheng, wearing a simple night robe with a great cloak draped over his shoulders, had half his face flickering in the orange candlelight.
The Book Boy sighed, realizing that had he known working for An Huan would be this tiring, he wouldn’t have persuaded the master to lend him a hand.
“What are you looking at, sir?”
The Book Boy noticed Lü Zheng was staring at the confidential report for quite some time without shifting his gaze.
“The lost confidential letter from Dongqing regarding the three cities of Shangyu has returned. Master should be quite pleased.”
Lü Zheng chuckled, a stubble on his lips, his eyes puffy and red, making him look older than his actual age.
The Book Boy gasped softly, “Is what you said true?”
Lü Zheng adjusted the cloak draped over his shoulders. “Of course it’s true—your master also can’t slack off any longer. Light another lamp.”
Though he complained about An Huan, Lü Zheng had been secretly observing him.
He noticed how successive blows gradually smoothed out An Huan’s sharp edges and pride, prompting Lü Zheng to reluctantly agree to serve.
As soon as he took office, he did everything he could to help An Huan secure a place for survival.
Half of Jiangzhou!
Next up, they needed to stabilize their base and expand their influence.
An Huan was promising everywhere except for one thing that drove Lü Zheng utterly mad.
His influence was still too thin, with severe shortages in personnel structure.
If he couldn’t find someone to share the workload soon, Lü Zheng suspected he might work himself to death.
In Zhong Zhao, Bianzhou.
“The Emperor is too much! Why not just rebel against him directly!”
The man clad in a dark long robe slammed his fist down on the low table, the loud bang resonating deeply in people’s hearts.
Ever since the former Empress Du passed away, the Emperor had become even more immersed in decadence, neglecting court affairs, and even allowing eunuchs and relatives to slaughter loyal officials.
The noble families watched coldly because, initially, the ones involved were mostly poor commoners with no ties to their interests.
Little did they know, two or three years later, the power of the eunuchs and relatives had grown to the point of shaking the very foundations of the nation.
The two huge factions joined forces against the gentry class, even plotting several palace coups to seize power from them.
The Nie Clan of Bianzhou was a prominent family in Zhong Zhao, with a long-standing heritage, and naturally stood at the forefront.
Political enemies edged closer, and they couldn’t afford to continue retreating.
“Rebel against what? It’s not as simple as eating or drinking; the ramifications are vast, and we can’t act recklessly!”
“If we keep enduring, will we just allow those rootless eunuchs and lowly commoners to oppress us?”
The other side fell silent.
After a while.
“This matter still needs to be discussed with father and the elders. Second Brother, do not act recklessly.”
The man referred to as “Second Brother” frowned, suppressing his anger, and gritted his teeth, “Fine, I understand.”
Due to the incompetent Emperor and the previous manipulative Empress, uprisings within Zhong Zhao became increasingly frequent.
Until the conspiracy between the eunuchs and relatives to eliminate the gentry was exposed, Zhong Zhao did not collapse.
The noble families backed by the powerful revolted one after another.
In an instant, the vast kingdom fell into chaos.
