Even though Wei Ci spent two days to convince Yang Tao to form an alliance, the entire process was not smooth sailing. Instead, it was full of twists and turns.
Yang Tao was in the pro-war faction, but his subordinates were not interested in it.
If it weren't for Yan Lin's support, Yang Tao wouldn't have been able to suppress all the opposing voices and form an alliance.
Yang Tao's old subordinates were brought over from Dongqing, but after they took root in Nansheng, the talents they recruited were all locals of Nansheng.
He was able to gain a foothold in Nansheng not only because of his old subordinates, but also because of the Nansheng family.
As mentioned before, the aristocratic families occupied more than 60% of the world's wealth. The longer the inheritance, the richer the family's wealth.
If they lacked manpower, they would send manpower. If they lacked money, they would send money. If they lacked soldiers, they would buy soldiers.
There was nothing in this world that money couldn't buy. If there was something, it was definitely not enough.
Yang Tao accepted the olive branch extended by the aristocratic families and received their generosity. Only then did he have the confidence to send troops to start his own empire.
Since he had received benefits from them, he naturally had to give them something in return.
After all, not everyone was like Jiang Pengji. She could forcefully reject the aristocratic families, but others did not have the confidence to do so.
Even for Jiang Pengji, there was a certain element of luck in her success.
During the earthquake in Shangjing, there were countless casualties and refugees everywhere. The royal family of Dongqing disregarded the lives of the people and forcefully moved the capital. The Tsing Yi Army and the Red Lotus Group took advantage of the situation to rise. Jiang Pengji seized the opportunity to stand up and become the backbone of the people of Wanzhou. They recruited soldiers and bought horses, absorbed young and strong refugees to strengthen themselves, and accumulated primitive capital by harming the northern borderline. At the same time, they mobilized troops to suppress the Tsing Yi Army and the Red Lotus Group, and plundered their assets.
Her success is almost impossible to replicate.
The right time, the right place, and the right people were indispensable.
When Wei Ci came forward to persuade them to form an alliance, the officials under Yang Tao who were from aristocratic families were unwilling.
They wanted to set their sights on Nansheng.
He would unify Nansheng and make himself the emperor.
What benefits could Yang Tao reap by crossing over to fight Xu Bei and Huang Song?
This battle was won, and the person who benefited the most was Jiang Pengji. Huang Song's and Xu Bei's territories had all been taken over by her.
If Yang Tao went to war, he would only be able to take back half of Zhangzhou at most.
Dongqing had six prefectures and twenty-one counties. Among them, five prefectures and nineteen counties were under Jiang Pengji's control. With the addition of the Northern Borderline, the territory under her rule was larger than the original Dongqing. It was more than enough for her to establish a country and ascend the throne. 'What's the point of Yang Tao only taking Zhangzhou!
Don't be fooled by the fact that the children of aristocratic families looked like they were above the common people, but when it came to accounting, they were very shrewd.
Wei Ci was put in a difficult position, but this was nothing to him.
He knew eighty percent of these officials who were from Nansheng aristocratic families.
Back when An Cui returned to Nansheng to develop, he was penniless. In order to obtain the help of these aristocratic families, Wei Ci had put in a lot of effort.
Even after so many years had passed, Wei Ci still remembered the situation of each family and their connections.
He had not been afraid in his previous life, so how could he be afraid in this life?
In the words of his lord, none of these landowning households could fight.
Trying to persuade these people, rather than using extravagant promises, it was better to say one or two words that were concerned about their own interests.
Although the opposition from the aristocratic families was loud, the final decision maker was still made by Yang Tao.
Yang Tao wasn't stupid. Even though he had borrowed the power of the aristocratic families, he wouldn't be turned into a puppet by the other party.
Even if Yang Tao couldn't make it, he still had Yan Lin to protect his father.
"Military Advisor, can't you persuade the Lord to give up on the idea of forming an alliance?"
Yan Lin said, "The Lord has already made up her mind. There's no point in trying to persuade her."
Putting aside the hatred of killing his father and seizing the state, Yan Lin didn't approve of Yang Tao and Jiang Pengji forming an alliance.
The reason could be summed up in four words:
Asking a tiger for its skin.
During the alliance meeting at Huangshui, Yan Lin felt that Jiang Pengji was full of ambition. This person's appetite would never be satisfied with Dongqing or the northern borderline.
If the Lord allied with her to kill Xu Bei and Huang Song, Yan Lin deeply suspected that she would turn around and stab Yang Tao.
This woman had done many things to kill her acquaintances.
The official said, "Sigh, if we send troops to attack Huang Song and Xu Bei, our supply lines will definitely be tight. If we're not careful, we'll be doomed eternally. "
This official wasn't exaggerating. He was sincerely considering things for Yang Tao.
In his opinion, a man had to be ruthless if he wanted to achieve great things.
If Yang Tao rashly sent troops to fight a foreign war to avenge his father, he would suffer greatly.
It was better to swallow this hatred.
If Zhao Shao fell into Jiang Pengji's hands, he would die anyway.
"Haven't the Lord thought about your concerns?" Yan Lin frowned and let out a long sigh. "But … you've only seen the current situation in Nansheng. You haven't considered the situation in the world. Liu Xi is a person with great ambitions. She won't be satisfied with Dongqing or the northern borderline. After she unifies Dongqing, she'll have a year or two to cultivate. Nansheng will be her next target. Zhangzhou must not be lost! "
Without Zhangzhou as the frontline, Jiang Pengji could send troops to the border after unifying Dongqing.
By then, Yang Tao would be in a dangerous situation.
When the official heard this, his expression changed drastically.
After a while, he said, "Liu Xi is just a woman. How can she be so ambitious?"
Yan Lin didn't speak.
What did ambition have to do with whether she was a woman or not?
Or perhaps, in many people's minds, Jiang Pengji should be satisfied with conquering Dongqing?
Yan Lin said indifferently, "The northern borderline has been destroyed for almost a year …"
She had even destroyed the northern borderline. Why did people always think that she was a woman who could be easily fooled?
If all the women in the backyard behaved like her, there would be no place for men in the world.
The official looked embarrassed. After a while, he took his leave.
Yan Lin said to the back hall, "My lord, come out."
Yang Tao poked his head out to take a look at the "enemy situation." Seeing that the official had really left, he felt relieved and came out.
"Shaoyang, you don't agree with the alliance either?"
"The pros and cons are equal. It's all up to my lord."
From Yan Lin's point of view, it didn't matter which side he chose. But since Yang Tao wanted to fight, he could only support him.
Yang Tao said, "I once swore in front of my father's coffin that I would kill Zhao Shao with my own hands. Now that Zhao Shao has sided with Xu Bei, and Xu Bei has taken half of my state, we have to settle the score no matter what. Moreover, if we can take back Zhangzhou, we can use it as an outpost to restrain Liu Xi … "
The first two sentences were from Yang Tao's heart. The last sentence was "plagiarizing" Yan Lin's idea.
Yan Lin didn't expose him. Instead, he smiled faintly and said, "That's what I was thinking."
Wei Ci was very efficient, but sending troops to war was different from other things. It required a certain amount of preparation time.
Yang Tao's troops had yet to set off, but Jiang Pengji's side couldn't help but take the lead and break the stalemate.
In the beginning, they were just probing each other. Every time they fought, there were only about a hundred casualties. It was a small skirmish.
It was the same principle as scratching an itch through one's boots. They couldn't really scratch the itch. Instead, the more they scratched, the more itchy it became.
Xu Bei could still keep his composure, but Jiang Pengji felt some pressure.
If the supply line was too long, it would inevitably increase the logistical pressure. The cost of fighting a war would be even higher than that of the northern borderline.
Huang Song and Xu Bei secretly formed an alliance and secretly sent troops to war.
As the saying goes, "Hit the snake where it hurts."
If the supply line was tight, they would attack it first.
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