BSI Chapter 079 Chengjun
Chapter 079 Chengjun
"Does anyone have any objections to this arrangement?"
After explaining his arrangements, Gao Yingxiang asked this question with a warm smile.
Wang Er was the first to say that he had no objection.
Although staying in Fugu City was fine, going to Mugua Fortress wasn't bad either. Moreover, because of the killing of prisoners, he now disliked Zhou Lun no matter what, and if he continued to stay with Zhou Lun, they might start fighting one day.
Wang Er was indeed a reckless man, but he wasn't brainless. He understood the current situation clearly. Ever since Zhou Lun became Gao Yingxiang's nephew-in-law, Gao Yingxiang had been taking good care of Zhou Lun, which inevitably made Wang Er, who was originally Gao Yingxiang's "little fanboy," feel a little disappointed.
In the previous incidents, Gao Yingxiang, as the leader of the rebel army, appeared to handle things fairly and justly, but in reality, he secretly favored and protected Zhou Lun. If he were to truly fall out with Zhou Lun later, with Gao Yingxiang protecting him, he would definitely suffer losses.
Since that's the case, it's better to avoid it. Out of sight, out of mind; it'll be more carefree to stay in Papaya Castle.
Furthermore, Wang Er also saw the deeper meaning behind Gao Yingxiang's arrangement. Zhou Lun was clearly Li Wanqing's subordinate, but now Gao Yingxiang found an excuse to send Li Wanqing to the south, while leaving Zhou Lun in Fugu. This was clearly an attempt to break up Li Wanqing's troops and let Zhou Lun break away.
After Gao Yingxiang finished speaking, Wang Er noticed that Li Wanqing, who was sitting opposite him, looked a little strange.
Li Wanqing frowned, glancing subconsciously at Zhou Lun below him with a complex expression. Zhou Lun, too, looked surprised, but remained silent, sitting there quietly as if he hadn't heard Gao Yingxiang's instructions.
This scene secretly pleased Wang Er, who felt that Gao Yingxiang's actions were exactly what he wanted.
Wang Er disliked both Li Wanqing and Zhou Lun, and even had conflicts with the latter.
Gao Yingxiang's current arrangement is tantamount to breaking up Li Wanqing's forces, while simultaneously trying to win over Zhou Lun. Regardless of the outcome, in Wang Er's view, Gao Yingxiang's actions—separating Li Wanqing and Zhou Lun, creating rifts between them, weakening Li Wanqing's forces, and provoking conflict—are not only not opposed by Wang Er, but he's also happy to see it happen. Why would he object?
Not only Wang Er, but Zhao Sheng was also fully aware of the situation.
What was Gao Yingxiang's seemingly fair and reasonable arrangement really about? As a scholar with a lot of hidden agendas, how could Zhao Sheng not understand?
However, he couldn't very well object to this, especially since it involved the complex relationship between Gao Yingxiang, Li Wanqing, and Zhou Lun. Even though Zhao Sheng was Zhou Lun's sworn brother, he couldn't easily raise any objections under these circumstances.
As for Zhou Lun himself, his heart was in turmoil, and he secretly lamented his misfortune.
Gao Yingxiang's actions were tantamount to putting him on the spot! Now, he was caught in a dilemma – agreeing or disagreeing was equally problematic. Especially after seeing Li Wanqing's complex glance, Zhou Lun understood that his sworn brother was subtly dissatisfied with him.
Although Zhou Lun's feelings for Li Wanqing never changed, ever since he became Gao Yingxiang's nephew-in-law, Gao Yingxiang's actions have all been intended to elevate and support him.
Even if Gao Yingxiang's actions were purposeful, and Zhou Lun understood his motives, in reality, Gao Yingxiang's actions not only benefited him greatly but also significantly increased his position and power within the rebel army. Under these circumstances, even though Zhou Lun understood Gao Yingxiang's intentions, he had no reason to object.
Because of these reasons, Zhou Lun has also noticed some subtle changes in his elder brother Li Wanqing's attitude towards him these days.
On the surface, Li Wanqing remained close to Zhou Lun, but in reality, as Zhou Lun successively served as the vanguard, and in the subsequent battle of Gaohanling and the handling of prisoners, Zhou Lun's troops were already showing signs of breaking away from Li Wanqing's forces and becoming an independent army.
Under these circumstances, Li Wanqing's attitude towards Zhou Lun gradually changed. The most obvious change was that the two spent less time together after they separated, and Li Wanqing rarely discussed matters with Zhou Lun as frankly as before. On the surface, they maintained a harmonious relationship, but cracks were quietly forming.
Another point is Li Shoutian's attitude towards Zhou Lun. These days, Li Shoutian is still polite to Zhou Lun, but he lacks the respect he used to have. Every time they meet, Zhou Lun can see something else in Li Shoutian's eyes, as well as a subtle sense of defensiveness and wariness.
All of this left Zhou Lun feeling helpless.
Zhou Lun understood that the reason for this situation lay with Gao Yingxiang.
Gao Yingxiang didn't resort to any underhanded tricks or divisive tactics; everything he did was aboveboard, perfectly legitimate, and with perfectly reasonable justification. This left Zhou Lun with no opportunity to refuse or refute. Furthermore, everyone knew he was Gao Yingxiang's nephew-in-law; surely Zhou Lun couldn't be ungrateful for Gao Yingxiang's actions and disrespect the chieftain?
"That's settled then!"
Seeing that no one objected, Gao Yingxiang seized the opportunity to finalize the matter, and then told everyone to go back and prepare as soon as possible, arranging for each unit to be stationed on the outskirts.
Everyone responded, and the meeting was considered over.
After the matter was settled, Zhou Lun got up and was about to leave, intending to have a heart-to-heart talk with Li Wanqing, when Gao Yingxiang stopped him.
"Zhou Lun! Please stay for a moment." Gao Yingxiang said this casually from his seat.
Zhou Lun paused, turning to look at Gao Yingxiang. Gao Yingxiang's shout also reached everyone's ears.
Wang Er sneered and walked away on his own. Li Wanqing subconsciously glanced back, his expression complex, but he didn't say anything before quickly turning and leaving.
Zhao Sheng walked last, paused slightly, sighed inwardly, and followed the two away. As for Huang Long and Liu Zhe, they seemed to have heard and seen nothing, and left the hall together.
"I wonder what business the King of Chuang has with me?" Zhou Lun was stopped by Gao Yingxiang and had no choice but to stay. He turned around, bowed to Gao Yingxiang, and asked.
"There are no outsiders here anymore, yet you still call yourself the King of Rebels?" Gao Yingxiang asked with a smile.
Zhou Lun smiled and quickly changed his address to "Uncle".
"Come on! Sit here." Gao Yingxiang pointed to the nearest seat, which was where Li Wanqing had sat before, to his left.
Zhou Lun glanced at the chair with a complicated expression, then walked over and sat down.
"Were you a little uncomfortable with my arrangements just now?" Gao Yingxiang asked directly as Zhou Lun sat down.
"My uncle arranged everything perfectly, I..."
Before Zhou Lun could finish speaking, Gao Yingxiang waved his hand and said, "I know about your relationship with Brother Li. But in the righteous army, I consider the overall situation, not brotherly affection. Today's arrangement is to ensure the safety of Fugu and the righteous army. Leaving you in the city was also a decision made after much consideration."
"Next, my unit still has much to do. Although we've captured Fugu City, its subsequent management still requires some discipline. After looking around, I think only you and Zhao Sheng are capable of this task among the rebel army. But compared to Zhao Sheng, you are more methodical in your work, and besides, you are my nephew-in-law. As the saying goes, one should not avoid recommending relatives for the best; if we don't use you, who else can we use?"
Gao Yingxiang spoke frankly and openly, leaving Zhou Lun with no way to refute his words.
As Gao Yingxiang said, the rebel army was mostly made up of peasants, and even their leaders weren't much better off. Even Gao Yingxiang, the "King of Rebellion," was just a horse trader before the uprising. Now that they had captured Fugu, the rebel army needed to establish a base there; they couldn't just wander around aimlessly like before.
Managing Fugu was essential, and Gao Yingxiang was no ordinary person; the phrase "possessing strategic acumen" would be an understatement.
He was neither lacking in vision nor methods. Since he had decided to station himself in Fugu, stabilizing the local area and using Fugu as a base was a natural choice. Even Gao Yingxiang himself knew that Fugu was not a place to stay for long, and that the most suitable direction for the rebel army next was Shanxi.
After entering Shanxi, they would then find a way to head south, all the way to the Central Plains. There's an old saying: "He who controls the Central Plains controls the world." Gao Yingxiang had long had his eye on the Central Plains.
Having started a rebellion, he was certainly not content to be merely a rebel leader. Putting everything else aside, his self-proclaimed title "King Chuang" alone reveals Gao Yingxiang's difference from other rebel leaders. His true aim was to sweep across the land, seize power amidst the chaos, and ultimately conquer the country.
Since the goal was to manage Fugu, local administration and civil affairs were of paramount importance. These were tasks that no one else could handle, and after much deliberation, Gao Yingxiang concluded that only Zhou Lun and Zhao Sheng were capable. However, compared to Zhao Sheng, Zhou Lun was more suitable in terms of both status and position within the rebel army. Moreover, Gao Yingxiang had long harbored the plan to dismantle Li Wanqing's forces and bring Zhou Lun under his command. How could he possibly miss such an opportunity?
After listening to Gao Yingxiang's explanation, Zhou Lun nodded silently.
Gao Yingxiang's words were indeed reasonable. This matter was indeed of great importance, and he was indeed the most suitable candidate. Therefore, Zhou Lun had no reason to refuse.
If the rebel army cannot establish a firm foothold in Fugu, it will be extremely detrimental to its future development. If the situation deteriorates, what will become of the rebel army? This concerns the very survival of the rebel army, and for both public and private reasons, Zhou Lun not only has to accept this situation but also has to do it well.
Thus, Zhou Lun sincerely agreed to the matter. Seeing Zhou Lun's agreement, Gao Yingxiang was very happy and immediately gave Zhou Lun an official position.
From this day forward, Zhou Lun will be the fifth-ranking officer in the rebel army. His main force, except for nearly half remaining with Li Wanqing, will be under Zhou Lun's direct command. The captured border troops, after being incorporated, will also form an independent army under Zhou Lun. Furthermore, Gao Yingxiang generously allocated nearly a thousand men from his own central army to Zhou Lun to bolster his forces.
In this way, Zhou Lun suddenly possessed an army of nearly two thousand men. This number was enough to form an independent army, and it gave him sufficient confidence as the leader of the so-called "fifth seat".
It must be said that Gao Yingxiang was indeed generous and willing to spend a lot of money on Zhou Lun. Such magnanimity is truly admirable.
After thanking Gao Yingxiang, a thought suddenly flashed through Zhou Lun's mind. He remembered the hero he had seen during the battle at Gaohanling, the one who fought fiercely among the rebels and held off Lu Jinchun's elite guards' counterattack. Since Gao Yingxiang had allocated a thousand men from the central army for him to command, could he perhaps also bring that hero over?
Zhou Lun hesitated for a moment before making the request.
Gao Yingxiang burst into laughter and waved his hand, saying that this was easy. He added that if Zhou Lun took a fancy to anyone in the central army, he could simply ask, and no one would refuse.