Chapter 14 Sowing discord? No, she's a team-building master!

After racking up a huge number of points through "inventions and creations," Yun Zhan enjoyed a few comfortable days. Looking at the high-end items that had lit up in the system shop—items he had never dared to dream of before (although he still couldn't afford most of them)—he felt like he could stand up straight.

But once the novelty wore off, in the quiet of the night, as he touched his smooth neck, the shadow of that "skull artwork" began to loom over his mind again.

"System!" he cried out anxiously in his mind, "I've earned a lot of points, but I haven't made any progress on the main quest! That bastard Yan Linye is eating and sleeping well now, and his power is growing stronger and stronger. I feel like my head is one step closer to his antique cabinet!"

[The host actually remembers that his main task is to save his head? This system is deeply gratified.] Xiao Qi's electronic voice was full of sarcasm. [Given your recent obsession with 'aiding the enemy' and your inability to extricate yourself, this system assumed you had unilaterally declared that you had given up on treatment.]

"Stop talking nonsense!" Yun Zhan retorted irritably. "This is strategic capital accumulation! Now that we have the capital, it's time to get down to business! Quick, scan around, are there any good assassination opportunities?"

[Real-time scanning and analysis in progress... Target Yan Linye recently had a disagreement with his subordinate general Chen Feng over troop deployment, causing a slight rift in their relationship. Assessment: This is an excellent opportunity to sow discord and weaken his power. If successful, the assassination will be significantly easier.]

"Sowing discord?" Yun Zhan's eyes lit up! He was familiar with this! He'd watched countless palace dramas and political intrigue dramas! It was just about stirring up trouble, spreading rumors, and creating misunderstandings!

"I'm good at this!" Yun Zhan rubbed his hands together, instantly imagining himself as the mastermind, turning Yan Linye into a lone wolf with just a few words, and then easily taking his head. "Quick! Tell me in detail, why are they having this conflict?"

Chen Feng advocated concentrating forces to prioritize suppressing the western bandits and securing the rear. Yan Linye, however, believed the immediate priority was to expand eastward, open trade routes, and acquire more resources. Both sides held firm to their positions, resulting in a stalemate.

Yun Zhan stroked his chin, his eyes darting around. He understood! One sought stability, the other sought development! Conflict makes things easier!

The next day, Yun Zhan began his "sowing discord" mission. He first "accidentally" met General Chen Feng, who seemed to have a rather fiery temper.

"General Chen!" Yun Zhan put on a worried expression. "Alas, I heard... you and Brother Yan had a disagreement about troop strength?"

Chen Feng didn't have a bad impression of this strange but seemingly capable young man who had recently joined the prince's side. Hearing this, he snorted and said in a gruff voice, "Your Highness is taking too many risks! The west is unstable, how can you be at ease heading east?"

Yun Zhan was secretly delighted, but on the surface he nodded in deep agreement: "General Chen is absolutely right! Instability in the rear is a major taboo in military strategy! Brother Yan's actions are indeed a bit... hasty." He deliberately paused and lowered his voice, "However, it is understandable that Brother Yan has lofty ambitions and is eager to expand his power as soon as possible... it's just that he is a bit... not considering the feelings and actual difficulties of the brothers."

He thought his words pointed out Yan Linye's "rashness" and implied that he "did not care about his subordinates," making him a perfect example of instigation!

To everyone's surprise, Chen Feng frowned even more deeply upon hearing this, glaring at Yun Zhan: "What do you mean by that? The Prince is a man of great talent and ambition; how could we presume to know his thoughts? He must have his reasons! But... but the fact that the bandits in the west remain unresolved is truly unsettling!"

Yun Zhan: "..." This reaction is wrong! Shouldn't you be dissatisfied with Yan Linye? Why are you defending him instead?

When one plan failed, Yun Zhan devised another. He went to find Yan Linye and pretended to care.

“Brother Yan, I think General Chen seems to have some ideas about the eastward advance.” Yun Zhan feigned concern. “He seems to think you’re a bit…too hasty, and not quite prudent.”

He thought to himself, "This should finally plant a thorn in Yan Linye's heart."

Yan Linye was looking at a map when he heard this. He looked up at Yun Zhan with a calm expression, even a hint of a smile: "Chen Feng is straightforward and selfless. He's worried about the rear. His concerns are not without reason."

Yun Zhan: "..." Why aren't you playing by the rules? Shouldn't you be questioning Chen Feng's challenge to your authority?

After two failed attempts to sow discord, Yun Zhan was getting impatient. That day, he overheard Yan Linye and Chen Feng arguing loudly in the study again. Yun Zhan felt his opportunity had arrived! He decided to intervene with "modern management principles" to escalate their conflict!

He pushed the door open and went in, looking righteous and ready to "judge the situation."

"Stop arguing! Stop arguing!" Yun Zhan stood between the two, hands on his hips (thinking he was very imposing), "We're all on the same team, can't we talk things out?"

Yan Linye and Chen Feng were both stunned and stared at him.

Yun Zhan cleared his throat and began to employ his "muddling through" technique, which he had learned from attending countless inefficient meetings as a modern office worker: "General Chen thinks the west is important, and Brother Yan thinks the east is important. Isn't this just a matter of prioritizing resources when they are limited?"

He looked at Chen Feng: "General Chen, your core demand is to ensure the safety of the rear, right?"

Then he looked at Yan Linye and said, "Brother Yan, your core goal is to acquire more resources and develop rapidly, right?"

The two nodded subconsciously.

"That's easy!" Yun Zhan clapped his hands. "Isn't this a typical conflict between 'short-term goals' and 'long-term goals'? We can do a SWOT analysis! Ah, that is, analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats!"

He started drawing grids on the ground, uttering a string of words that Yan Linye and Chen Feng couldn't understand: "We can list out the S, W, O, T of the western bandits and the eastern trade routes, quantify the risks and values, and then make a decision matrix..."

Yan Linye and Chen Feng: "..." What is he saying?

Yun Zhan spoke until his throat was dry, and finally concluded: "...Therefore, based on the above analysis, I suggest adopting the 'rolling plan method'! First, send an elite squad to cooperate with the local militia to quickly wipe out the main bandits in the west and stabilize the base. This is called 'agile development' and rapid iteration! At the same time, send a small advance team to the east to explore the trade routes and collect information. This is called 'minimum viable product' testing! Neither side will be delayed, the risks are controllable, and adjustments can be made flexibly based on feedback! Perfect!"

He was confident that his barrage of modern management jargon would confuse these two ancient people and make them think the other was even more unreasonable!

The study was completely silent.

Yan Linye looked at the grids and arrows on the ground that looked like scribbles, then at Yun Zhan who had a "praise me for being clever" look on his face. He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He turned to Chen Feng, his tone filled with enlightened approval: "Yun Zhan's method... though the words are strange, upon closer examination, it makes perfect sense! Dividing the troops for a light attack, with scouts going ahead, can both secure the rear and explore the front, making it a win-win strategy! General Chen, what do you think?"

Chen Feng also figured it out. He was straightforward but not stupid. After thinking it over carefully, he realized that this method was indeed much better than their previous stalemate! It could solve his problem without delaying the prince's grand plan!

He slapped his thigh and looked at Yun Zhan with admiration: "Young Master Yun is truly talented! I was stuck in a rut before, only knowing how to attack and defend, and never thought of such a flexible and adaptable method! I am completely convinced!"

Yun Zhan: "???"

Wait a minute! That's not how the script went! I was supposed to sow discord! How did it turn into me solving their problems?! And they're even convinced?!

[Ding—Host behavior detected: Successfully reconciled core conflicts within the target force using cutting-edge management knowledge, enhancing team cohesion and execution. Behavior judgment: Seriously aiding the enemy. Points deducted: -500. Friendly reminder: Host, are you a spy sent by the enemy?]

Hearing the notification that his points had been deducted and the system's merciless criticism, looking at Chen Feng's grateful and admiring face, and Yan Linye with his deep eyes and a smile on his lips, Yun Zhan felt a wave of dizziness and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yan Linye stepped forward, gently patted Yun Zhan's shoulder, and said in a tender tone with indescribable emotion, "Yun Zhan, you are truly my lucky star."

Yun Zhan wanted to cry but had no tears, and his heart was screaming wildly:

Lucky star?! Lucky my foot! You're my jinx! You're my death knell! I wanted to cut off your right-hand men, but instead I turned around and built your team! What kind of mess is this?!

Looking at Yan Linye and Chen Feng, who were smiling at each other and had cleared up their misunderstanding, he felt like a complete innocent victim! This job of sowing discord was just too difficult!