Chapter 109 Ambitious
"If Heaven gives you something and you don't take it, you will suffer the consequences; if you don't seize the opportunity when it comes, you will suffer the calamity."
The powerful families hosted a banquet for Zhi Bei. After several rounds of drinks, when the atmosphere was just right, they began to reveal their true intentions.
Those who achieve great things rely entirely on their courage and determination.
If you're any bolder, you'll rebel against Guan Zhiwei!
"The roar of dragons and the howl of tigers, the soaring of phoenixes and the flight of luan birds—these are the qualities of a great man."
Are you a man? If you're a man, then kill Guan Zhiwei!
"When the male soars, how can the female remain hidden!"
Stop working for Guan Zhiwei!
They hinted and suggested repeatedly, afraid that their words were too profound and the other party, a mere military general, wouldn't understand. They were practically saying outright, "You may take my place."
When Zhi Fang first entered Yong'an City, he kept a low profile and tried several times to arrange marriages with aristocratic families. The families only noticed him because they looked down on him.
This is the normal relationship between aristocratic families and military generals.
Unlike Guan Zhiwei, who was extremely vicious and terrifying as soon as he entered the city!
As the saying goes, happiness is relative. They now want to get rid of Guan Zhiwei, since no one can replace her as bad as her.
So these powerful families aren't truly convinced by Zhi Fang's abilities; they just think you two are in cahoots. If they separate you two, they'll have room to maneuver.
He even sent two beauties as a gift, hoping to whisper sweet nothings in her ear.
Zhi Fang accepted the beauty, and became completely drunk, as if he had melted into a gentle embrace.
The powerful families felt that Zhifang was still easy to manipulate.
The banquet didn't end until the third watch of the night. Zhi Fang mounted his horse, and a gust of wind woke him up. The streets were already dark, and his expression was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see anything.
He rode his horse all the way to his doorstep, where guards stood watch and lanterns were hung. In the light, he could clearly see an oxcart parked at the gate.
Guan Zhang had been waiting for a long time.
The aristocratic family, though cautious, avoided Guan Zhang at their banquet, which made him realize something was amiss. Fortunately, there was Jiang Shuzheng among them, who secretly sent a message.
Speaking of Jiang Shuzheng, he's quite a character. He rejected so many daughters from prominent families and insisted on marrying that fake heiress from the Guan family. The entire Jiang family was unwilling, and it was only thanks to Guan Zhiwei's efforts to keep things under control.
He was terrified that if anything happened to Guan Zhiwei, his beloved fake heiress would be finished.
Once the Jiang family decides that Guan Liuliu is useless, Jiang Shuzheng won't even have the chance to divorce her; his wife will simply die of illness.
Therefore, Jiang Shuzheng's information is absolutely true.
After much hesitation, Guan Zhang decided to come in person to explain the pros and cons to Zhi Fang.
Since they've acknowledged Guan Zhiwei as their niece, they're betting everything on her and have to put in some effort. There's absolutely no way they can expect to reap the rewards for nothing.
"Brother Guan." Zhi Fangshen dismounted, stepped forward, took Guan Zhang's hand, and walked into the house. "I've had too much to drink and need some hangover soup to sober up. You can keep me company for a while."
Guan Zhang remained solemn and was not distracted by his vague remarks.
The two sat down, and Guan Zhang didn't even drink tea. He said directly, "General, don't forget what kind of faces the aristocratic families of Yong'an City had before Grand Tutor Guan entered the city."
Zhi Fang knew, of course, that these aristocratic families had ill intentions, but he also had his own thoughts.
In this world, everyone wants to be emperor, and everyone is just a step away from becoming emperor.
Why can't he think about it?
"When I visited a noble family, their children were playing around. The host casually mentioned, 'Suddenly, the military advisor was called out, and the sound of a falcon was heard.'" Guan Zhang was a man planted by Guan Zhiwei to prevent the noble families from colluding with Zhiwei. He spoke up at the right moment to warn them.
Zhi Fang sipped his hangover soup, made with hawthorn and sugar, sweet and sour, steaming hot. He blew on the rim of the bowl and took a bite. This slow, deliberate action was actually him pondering how to respond to Guan Zhang.
He didn't understand what the other person meant by "Suddenly, the military advisor was summoned, and the sound of the call of the falcon was heard."
He couldn't figure it out, so he simply gave up and followed his own instincts, no matter what Guan Zhang said.
To be honest, if Guan Zhiwei were unharmed, he would still be the Grand Tutor Guan sitting firmly on his high throne in the capital, and Zhifang would calmly accept orders. But since the other side has been fighting for so long and is in danger, it is absolutely impossible for Guan Zhang alone to control him.
He raised an eyelid and said, "Brother Guan, you and I both know very well that Guan Zhiwei is not from the Guan family of Jiangbei, so why are you risking your life for her?"
"Mountain streams rise and fall easily, just as a petty person's heart is fickle." Guan Zhang said, word by word, "He who is fickle will not achieve great things. Since I have placed my bet on her, I should not withdraw halfway."
These words are about himself, but aren't they also about being vigilant?
Zhi Fang narrowed his eyes slightly: "Aren't you afraid?"
Guan Zhang was not easily intimidated. He remained calm and composed, displaying a commanding presence: "General, why not leave yourself a way out? If Grand Tutor Guan is still alive and well, without completely breaking ties, you can still give an explanation."
Zhi Fang suppressed the murderous intent in his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Then let's see who has the destiny."
Once Guan Zhiwei is dead, he will then use the pretext of avenging his master to vie for supremacy.
He can obtain the positions of Gao Yang and Guan Zhiwei! He can even obtain more. That young emperor sitting on the dragon throne looks unstable; it would be better if he could sit there instead!
Looking into his ambitious eyes, Guan Zhang could only sigh in helplessness.
Sure enough, within a few days, Zhi Fang found an excuse to place Guan Zhang under house arrest. The aristocratic families applauded this, knowing that the plan to sow discord had succeeded.
They thought that with Guan Zhiwei gone, good days were just around the corner. Little did they expect that Zhifang would gather all the young men from their families and place them in the military camp, including Jiang Shuzheng.
—If you dare to disobey, play tricks, or cut off my supplies, you can forget about the lives of these young people.
Everyone understood this silent warning.
The reason why Zhi Fang was willing to risk breaking ties with the powerful families was because he could not stay in the city to suppress the rebellion.
He feared that no sooner had he left than the powerful families would open their doors to welcome a newcomer, thus putting him at a disadvantage from behind.
He needs to go out and fight, to conquer his own territory, so the rear must be stable.
The three families had poured all their resources into besieging Guan Zhiwei, leaving the city defenses vulnerable. He seized the opportunity to outflank them, attacking each city one by one and gaining a significant advantage.
He needed a helper, and the best helper was naturally his own son.
He placed his trusted confidants around Zhi Junyuan so that they could report any developments immediately. He had already learned that Zhi Junyuan had been assigned by Guan Zhiwei to serve as a garrison commander in Hengxi Town, which was some distance away, so he felt at ease replying to the letter.
Furthermore, when sending someone to deliver a reply to Guan Zhiwei, he specifically asked someone to go to Hengxi Town first to leave a message.
"My son, do not move. Wait for your father to arrive, and when you see the pass, run away immediately."
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