"Shaoyang, why do you think Liu Xi suddenly made such a request?"
Because Jiang Pengji was sincere enough, and Yang Tao didn't cause any trouble, the oath was quickly confirmed. Both parties were very satisfied.
Yang Tao's old subordinates were originally worried about their futures, but now they were relieved. Yang Tao didn't feel completely at ease, because he didn't understand Jiang Pengji's request. Did she trust him, or did she want to take the opportunity to kill him?!
"Lord … Lord Zhengze, you don't have to worry …"
Qian Su couldn't call Yang Tao "lord" now, even if she hadn't changed her boss. After all, this was Jiang Pengji's territory. It was for Yang Tao's own good, to reduce the possibility of Jiang Pengji suppressing him. Two tigers couldn't live on the same mountain, so Jiang Pengji could be the "lord." Qian Su wasn't Yang Tao's guest. After choosing, he chose a respectful title that didn't alienate or overstep.
Yang Tao crossed his arms. He didn't find anything wrong with Qian Su's change of title.
He sighed. "When my father was still here, he said that Liu Xi wasn't a person who could be judged by common sense. Now that I look at it, my father was right. I really don't understand Liu Xi's actions. Shaoyang, did you see anything? "
Yang Tao's IQ was slightly higher than that of a normal person, but compared to a strategist who specialized in scheming, he was still a long way off.
Anyway, he had a ready-made external brain, and he had a chance to ask for help, so Yang Tao didn't waste his time.
Qian Su said, "The oath of alliance was just made. If Liu Xi really had evil intentions, she wouldn't have shown it now. There are many benefits to treating Lord Zhengze well. Not only can you successfully incorporate your old subordinates, but you can also win a good reputation in front of the world. "
Yang Tao said, "I know this, but I just don't know what she's trying to do."
After all, he had been a lord for so many years. Yang Tao had been influenced by what he saw and heard and learned a lot of scheming and strategies. He was not as naive as he was when he was young. However, he could not see through Jiang Pengji's plan to let him have military power after he surrendered. She was so ambitious. Wasn't she afraid that Yang Tao would use his charisma to win over the soldiers and secretly seize military power? Then he would jump out and cause trouble when Jiang Pengji was slacking?
Qian Su had a guess in her heart, but she couldn't say it out loud in front of Yang Tao.
Yang Tao said, "If you have any guesses, just say them. Do I look like someone who's difficult to talk to?"
Perhaps it was because he had shed his identity as the "Lord", Yang Tao now had an empty title but no real power. He no longer had to maintain his bearing like before, and his words and actions had become casual. He even put his hand on Qian Su's shoulder while withstanding his companion's Death Ray. Qian Su walked properly, her back was ramrod straight, and her eyes were looking straight ahead. On the other hand, Yang Tao was swaying left and right, as if someone had pulled out his backbone.
Qian Su wanted to say something, but Yan Lin spoke for him.
"Liu Xi … She probably wants to recruit you …"
Qian Su heaved a sigh of relief. He had been suppressing this thought in his heart, and it had almost caused him to suffocate.
Yang Tao blinked in confusion. He pointed at himself and said, "Didn't I swear an oath of allegiance to her?"
"My lord, by swearing an oath of allegiance, you mean that you will be pampered by Liu Xi like Huang Song. You will be a carefree rich man who doesn't care about anything. When Liu Xi ascends to the throne in the future, he will give you an empty title so that your descendants can live in ignorance." Yan Lin snorted coldly. "I'm afraid Liu Xi wants you to become her subordinate. If you completely surrender to her, it's hard to say what will happen in the future."
The former was a waste of time, but at least there was a guarantee. To put it bluntly, it was an iron rice bowl where you could eat, drink, and wait for death.
The latter still had room for advancement, but the price was that you would have to pay for it by bowing down to your former opponent. In the future, you would have to be twice as afraid of your former opponent.
Since ancient times, those who had made great contributions to their lord did not have a good ending.
If the person who had made great contributions to their lord and held the military power was their former opponent … Haha, the whole clan would not be able to live in peace.
Yang Tao finally caught up with their train of thought. He rubbed his chin and said, "Liu Xi really didn't hurt his head these past few days?"
Yan Lin said, "Liu Xi probably knew that Shaoyang wouldn't agree immediately, so he used your familiarity with Nansheng as an excuse to let you follow the army to war. At the same time, he exposed his own shortcomings to show that there are not many generals in the army who can take on big responsibilities. He asked you to help supervise and train the troops … Rather than saying that he was giving you access to military power, it was more like he was testing you to see if you had any objections to this, so that he could come up with a countermeasure …"
Yang Tao was stunned. He didn't expect Jiang Pengji to come up with so many tricks for him.
He couldn't make up his mind.
"Then, then what should I choose?"
Qian Su sighed. "There are pros and cons to this. If you accept it, you won't be as decadent as Huang Song in the future, and your descendants won't be restricted when they become officials. But there are also cons … Once Liu Xi becomes suspicious, you and your clan will be in danger."
Jiang Pengji appeared to be open-minded at the moment, but who knew what would happen in the future?
People change. Otherwise, why would there be so many shitty things like getting rid of the donkey when it was no longer of use?
Many feudal lords and their officials had a honeymoon period of intense affection. After that period, there would be no shortage of killing acquaintances.
"It can't be, right?" Yang Tao looked hesitant. He said, "What was the relationship between Liu Xi and Huang Song in the past? They drank together and went to brothels. Although Liu Xi and I interacted, we didn't have a friendship when we were young. Why didn't she give Huang Song a chance … It doesn't sound reliable. "
Yan Lin sneered. "Huang Song and Zhengze are different. Liu Xi isn't a nepotistic person. He's very cold and clear-headed."
To put it nicely, it was "clear-headed and rational." To put it bluntly, it was "mercenary."
Huang Song couldn't bring her many benefits, so why would she let Huang Song, a hidden danger, be in power?
On the contrary, many of Yang Tao's former subordinates were left behind by Yang Jian. They had rich battle experience and were adept at the art of war. They came from a legitimate family of generals. Yang Tao's former subordinates would be more loyal to Jiang Pengji for the sake of the two previous lords.
"Liu Xi has a lot of generals under his command, but there aren't many who come from a legitimate family of generals. In the past, they fought on a small scale, so this flaw wasn't obvious. Now that they've conquered all of Dongqing, Nansheng only has An Cui. They can't do anything alone, and Zhongzhao is half destroyed. They probably won't be able to stop her ambition. Now that she's expanded, the unorthodox ways she used to be won't be enough. Naturally, she has to find another way to make up for her shortcomings. "
Yan Lin was the cleverest one. He clearly saw Jiang Pengji's intention in recruiting Yang Tao.
Yang Tao suddenly understood. He said, "This … I'm afraid I have to think about it …"
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