Chapter 109
On the way to the General's Mansion, Yao Chunnuan was always making up her mind.
General Xing Changfeng was not a pedantic person, at least not the kind of person who would cut his own throat if his ruler ordered his subject to die without asking why. Otherwise, he would not have rebelled against the Liang family after his family members died out, even though he failed.
To say he rebelled out of revenge for his family wasn't entirely true. Yao Chunnuan felt it was a combination of revenge and ambition. A man's ambition to conquer the world was a given. It was simply that the general's ambition was masked by revenge. For such a tragic hero, rebellion was a natural and legitimate outcome.
Previously, Yao Chunnuan thought that there was still plenty of time and she could wait for the general to slowly awaken his ambition to dominate the world.
She also took advantage of this time to work hard to manage the military settlement and strengthen her muscles.
Even considering his lack of awakening, she restrained herself, obeyed the law, and tried not to offend the imperial court, leaving a way out for both her and the military settlement. For example, she could have built a saltworks to dry salt, freeing the military settlement from government control. Furthermore, with a saltworks, her caravans could have created even more wealth for the military settlement, allowing it to rapidly develop and greatly increase its strength. But she chose not to do so.
Now, she had noticed the prince's hidden fangs, and she no longer thought so. When it came to her life, she had to hold the initiative firmly in her own hands.
In order to determine the next path for herself or them to take, she needs to force the general to face the reality that they actually have no way out.
She needed to see what he was really thinking. Would he give in and join the Crown Prince or the Third Prince's faction? Or would he, like she thought, awaken his ambition and embark on a different path? This path could lead to the path of kingship, or it could also lead to a dead end.
Yao Chunnuan came to the general's study and asked to see him. When she arrived, she saw Xing Xingyue being blocked outside the door.
The guard at the gate saw her, motioned her to wait, and then went in to report.
During this time, Xing Xingyue glanced at her with her big belly and said, "Are you here to see my brother?" She looked her up and down while speaking, and her gaze made people feel very uncomfortable.
Yao Chunnuan just nodded. She was thinking about something important at the moment and had no time to pay attention to her.
Seeing her absent-minded look, Xing Xingyue became furious. Just as she was about to say something, Jiang Ming beside her grabbed her and quickly opened his fan to fan her. "Ayue, is it because the weather is too hot that makes you irritable? Otherwise, let's go back first and come to see my brother-in-law next time when it's cooler."
Oh my god, this woman is so foolish and bold. Why would she bother to provoke Yao Chunnuan for no reason? Yao Chunnuan seemed quite gentle, rarely lost her temper, and even had a smile on her face. But every time Jiang Ming faced her, his hair stood on end, as if he were facing a dangerous species. This was the instinct of a small animal. Jiang Ming sometimes thought that this silly woman Xing Xingyue should be thankful that she had the surname Xing and had a good brother, otherwise she would have ended up in a miserable state.
Xing Xingyue said unhappily, "But we've waited for so long." She was unwilling to go home now.
"Let's go, let's go back first. I'll come with you later when it's cooler. Now I see your face is red from the heat, and it hurts me."
Jiang Ming could tell Yao Chunnuan was there to discuss something, and he was afraid they wouldn't be able to see the general for a while. Jiang Ming knew the general didn't want to see them, but Xing Xingyue had become increasingly stubborn after she became pregnant, so he had no choice but to come along and offer some advice at a crucial moment.
Xing Xingyue was moved by his persuasion. She had been out for a while and was indeed feeling tired.
As they spoke, Yao Chunnuan finally came to her senses. Jiang Ming's teasing made her glance at him twice. Xing Xingyue's belly was about to give birth, right? But judging by her condition, she didn't seem to be suffering from any prenatal depression at all. It was probably all thanks to the refreshing leaves nearby.
"What did she mean by looking at you twice just now?" Xing Xingyue asked, pulling Jiang Ming's sleeve.
"Is there?"
"Yes! I saw it all."
"But I was so focused on you that I didn't notice. Don't be angry, or you might get sick from being angry. I feel bad for you."
As soon as Jiang Ming said this, Xing Xingyue's attention was indeed diverted.
Tsk, it's like playing house with a little girl. Yao Chunnuan shook her head secretly.
Just then, the guard came back and asked Yao Chunnuan to go into the study.
Xing Xingyue saw this when she turned around and couldn't help biting her lip, "My brother is too much!" Her brother actually saw Yao Chunnuan instead of her!
"Don't be angry, maybe she has something important to discuss with the general."
Xing Xingyue argued, "My business is also very important."
Jiang Ming thought to himself, no matter how important it is, can it be more important than the military settlement?
She muttered, "How come she is so capable?"
"Don't be unhappy. Think about it from another perspective. She's here to help your brother. The better her abilities are, the better she'll be for your brother and Juntun. Doesn't that make you happier?"
After being comforted by Jiang Ming, Xing Xingyue felt a little better. She shouted, "I'll come again later, you come with me!" After her brother met Yao Chunnuan, he should meet her, right?
In the General's Study
The general put down his pen and asked, "Why are you coming here at this time?"
Yao Chunnuan took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Yes. General, please withdraw your attendants."
A flash of surprise flashed across the general's face. In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, both parties have always been careful to avoid suspicion and never stay in the same room alone.
Seeing her serious and solemn expression, the general raised his hand and waved away his attendants, "What's the matter? Tell me."
Yao Chunnuan only asked him three questions:
"General, who do you think the next emperor might be?"
"By then, do you think our military settlement will get better or worse?"
"What do you think of the court's ineffective response to the earthquake?"
After a few questions were asked, the general's expression gradually became serious.
Yao Chunnuan said nothing more, putting down a self-written analysis report and leaving. This report included an analysis of the personalities of the old emperor, the crown prince, and the third prince, as well as the fate of those who had offended them in the past, as well as reports on disasters in various regions this year and how the court had handled them.
Yao Chunnuan returned to the shogunate in the front yard to work. She knew that the general needed time to think, so she waited.
The general locked himself in his study for a long time, instructing the guards not to let anyone in. In response to Xing Xingyue's two requests for an audience, the guards simply said the general didn't see guests. That night, he didn't even come out for dinner.
Yao Chunnuan understood very well, because it was very difficult to make up one's mind, especially the mental journey, which had to be sorted out slowly by oneself.
The next morning, Steward Wu was summoned by the general. He had just arranged for Pan Xiaodi and Pan Na to tour Yichun. When he entered the study, he saw the general's eyes were red, but his expression was faintly excited.
He was about to say a few words of concern when the general stopped him and asked him to pick up the report left by Yao Chunnuan.
After reading the report, Wu Zongguan's face darkened. Based on the report's speculation about the personalities of the old emperor, the crown prince, and the third prince, whether the crown prince or the third prince succeeded to the throne, the outcome would not be good for the senior officials of their military settlement. Looking at another report, Wu Zongguan discovered that it was a report on the disasters in various places this year and the court's handling of the situation.
After reading it, Wu Zongguan seemed to understand, "What is Yao Chunnuan trying to do?"
At this time, the general relayed the three questions Yao Chunnuan asked him yesterday.
"Now, considering those three questions, it's easy to understand her intentions. In a nutshell, she wants me to lead you in rebellion!"
"Hey, Yao Chunnuan is just a woman, how could she have such a bold idea?" When he realized Yao Chunnuan's intention, Manager Wu looked horrified.
The general's expression was calm, but beneath it lay a turbulent swell of emotion. The actions of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, coupled with the corruption of the imperial court, left the common people numb. How could he possibly be convinced by such a Daliang Emperor, Crown Prince, and Regent?
"General, you don't want to?" Chief Steward Wu widened his eyes.
The general pointed at the analysis report and asked, "Do you think we have any other options?"
"Send someone to invite Yao Chunnuan and Yu Chen."
Early in the morning, Yao Chunnuan got up, washed, and slowly ate her breakfast. She had a premonition that the general would have an answer today.
Just as she finished her breakfast, the general sent someone to invite her.
When she met Yu Chen, who was also invited, on the road, she gave him a meaningful smile.
At this time, Yu Chen still didn't know why the general wanted to see him so early in the morning.
"Are you here? You know why I called you here." The general said the following words to Yao Chunnuan.
Yao Chunnuan: "I know, General. No matter what decision you make, I will gladly accept it and work hard for it."
Seeing her expression, the general knew she had guessed his answer. He shook his head and said, "After reading your analysis, do you think I have any other choice?" Choosing to submit to the Crown Prince was truly stubborn. We were all fighting and struggling, so why not fight for ourselves?
While the two of them were talking, Manager Wu pulled Yu Chen aside and whispered something, during which Yu Chen looked very surprised.
Yao Chunnuan said calmly, "General, no matter what choice you make, it's always right to prepare early. If you're afraid of the imperial power and don't dare to take such a drastic action, you could submit to the Crown Prince or the Third Prince sooner rather than later to gain some impression. If you don't choose to submit, then I can only say that conquering the empire is best done as soon as possible."
When she said "as soon as possible," she didn't mean to launch the war immediately, but to prepare for it. To conquer the world, one needed soldiers, talents, and the economy. These things couldn't be acquired overnight. In fact, she had already begun these preparations. But she was only a chief clerk, after all. Even if she was the general's right-hand man, she couldn't interfere in other matters. Certain important matters still required his final decision. The most important thing was that both sides aligned their minds and worked in the same direction.
Yu Chen had figured out everything by now, and he immediately agreed, "Master Yao is right. No matter what choice you make, it's always better to prepare early. I didn't even realize that our military settlement was already in deep crisis. My subordinates have failed in their duty." Who could have known that the prince had a prejudice against them before he even ascended the throne, and had already begun to restrict their growth and strength.
The general took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I have decided not to submit to anyone."
Yao Chunnuan and the other two looked at each other and said, "We understand." If they don't join anyone, they will have to rely on themselves to carve out a smooth path forward.
"You three are my most trusted and beloved generals. From now on, we will share honor and disgrace. If I, Xing Changfeng, ever ascend to power, I will never let you down," the general said solemnly. It wasn't that he didn't trust people like Meng Yi, but sometimes the fewer people who knew about something, the better. Anyway, there was no need to tell Meng Yi and the others right now.
The three of them looked at each other and said in unison, "We will do our utmost to assist the General!"
At this moment, the top leadership of their Yichun military settlement, centered around General Xing Changfeng, finally reached a consensus.
They can develop military settlements around this idea, such as expanding the army, recruiting talents, developing the economy, expanding territory, etc.
The four of them discussed these things. These were the things they were going to do next.
They had also agreed on the timing of the uprising: someone had to stand up and raise the banner of rebellion. This person was the ringleader.
The one who causes the disaster will die. This has been the advice given to the princes of all parties since the Spring and Autumn Period, and it still applies today.
The Zhou emperor was already weak at the time, with the various vassal states holding each other in check. For a long time, no one dared to rebel or dethrone the Zhou emperor, precisely because of these four words. If any vassal took action first, they would be attacked by the others.
The ringleader would undoubtedly be labeled a traitor. However, if the ringleader had a legitimate reason, like the great general in his previous life, a tragic hero, the situation would be very different.
The main culprit needs to plan all of these.
In fact, it can be simply said that we must occupy the moral high ground. This is especially true for rebellion.
Yu Chen smiled and said, "It would be better if we could unify our thoughts sooner so that we can make plans earlier." They can wait for the main culprit to rise up, and then they can respond and take the stage.
Early? Compared to those conspirators who had already calculated the general trend and prepared to stir up trouble, they were late. Looking at the map, Yao Chunnuan took a break from drinking water and recalled the general's fate in the book. At this point, Yao Chunnuan could say with certainty that the general in his previous life must have been hastily appointed. It was even possible that he was being schemed, pushed forward by someone behind the scenes, intent on making him the main culprit.
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