Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Yang Si stroked his chin and said, “Didn’t you have a rather broad social circle back in Langye Academy? Find some way to trick more people into coming over. Your lord spent three years pursuing his studies at Langye Academy, and friendship between classmates is more reliable compared to other relationships. Helping him would at least be better than helping Huang Song.”

Wei Ci gave a resigned smile, surely it wasn’t that he was unwilling to “trick” them?

It is a fault in the stars that caused me to face difficulties convincing them to side with us. In a previous incarnation, Cheng Jing committed suicide in prison after his lord, Huang Song, killed himself upon being defeated in war. The one who defeated Huang Song was Jiang Yuji.

As for Lu Zheng, in his previous incarnation, his lord personally led his army into battle after declaring himself as the emperor. In the end, he was attacked by thousands of elite fighters in a surprise attack led by Her Majesty. They went straight in for the kill and chopped off his head. The “princes” were involved in a power struggle, but their forces ended up being encroached on by Jiang Pengji one by one. Lu Zheng chose to surrender for the sake of the people in the city, but he opted to climb up the city gates and jump down. Before he died, he made a curse and became an inerasable debt of blood for Jiang Pengji.

In the previous incarnation, Han Yu’s lord was also killed, but he accepted the offer of amnesty. He thought that he could enjoy a stable life till he was old, but when he was middle-aged, his wife and her family secretly plotted a coup, wanting to overthrow the government. It was too bad for them as they were dumb and got caught. Han Yu was implicated, and he committed suicide by swallowing gold.

As for my previous incarnation… Let’s not talk about it, but he also killed himself in the end. Ah, now that I think about it, the deaths of Master Yuanjing’s disciples all had something to do with Her Majesty. As for other students from Langye Academy, they were either dead or injured.

Wei Ci wanted to get all the classmates he knew to side with them, at least he wouldn’t have to fight against them in a bloody war that way, right? However, not all advisors suit my lord due to her temper. The relationship between monarchs and their ministers is not one-way, but two-way. Only when both find each other suitable can they weave a much-praised tale in history.

For example, Huang Song can also be considered a mighty lord in the future. In the previous incarnation, he was only one step away from becoming the ruler of the world. Master Yuanjing has also remarked that Cheng Jing was “a talented advisor, a minister benefiting society”. Together, the two should become stronger, but in the end?

The monarch-minister relationship between Huang Song and Cheng Jing was broken. The latter was imprisoned for more than two years, and in the end, he followed his lord to the underworld. The best talent is not necessarily the best choice, and my lord need only choose the ones who can help her.

“Everyone has their own aspirations, we can’t force them,” Wei Ci said.

He was focused on making considerations for Jiang Pengji, so he naturally wanted to choose the best and most suitable helpers for her. As for those who might drag her down, just forget about it. Wei Ci was very accepting, as this was his second incarnation.

Yang Si tutted and said mockingly, “From what I see, it’s most likely because your lord was not very popular back when he was pursuing his studies? Why is Cheng Jing more optimistic about Huang Song’s future outlook despite your lord having more potential? Think about how your lord never shows mercy to those in the wrong when justice is on his side during arguments… Tsk tsk, just an unfounded hypothesis here, is it that your lord pissed off Cheng Jing big time when studying at the academy?”

Wei Ci was at a loss for words, and he evaded the crucial point. “Youmo graduated early, and when my lord was in Langye County, the two shouldn’t have met before.”

Since they have never met, it is naturally impossible for her to piss Cheng Jing off.

It’s just that…

When Jiang Pengji was studying in Langye County, Wei Ci was outside most of the time, but this did not mean that he didn’t care about what was happening in the academy.

On the subject of popularity, my lord was indeed rather unpopular in Langye Academy.

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. My lord has a rather carefree personality, while most of the students in the academy are “serious” people who are law-abiding and do things rather rigidly. The latter naturally despise Jiang Pengji’s casual mannerism and style, and would even scrunch up their nose when passing by if possible.

However, on the subject of friendship, she had good friends too. But most of them were wine-and-meat friends, and they often went to brothels together.

Yang Si said, “Oh, then they probably just aren’t fated to work together. But I heard people say that Cheng Jing is no less talented than the former Prime Minister Huangfu. Are you not worried that Cheng Jing can help Huang Song to establish a strong footing in the north? He would be great trouble then.”

Wei Ci said, “Even the cleverest housewife can’t cook a meal without rice.”

“What do you mean?” Yang Si asked.

“They are short of money.” Wei Ci smiled and said, “They can’t develop their influence quickly for now, and they do not have a strong momentum going.”

Yang Si said, “This may not be the case. I learned about Huang Song from Prince Changshou. The Huang family is really in no shortage of money. Huang Song’s grandmother was a widowed woman. Because of her good looks, Huang Tan fancied her and took her as his wife. He has also adopted the son of the widow and her ex-husband, and the son is Huang Song’s father. Huang Wei treats him as his own and pampers Huang Song as if the latter is his blood-related grandson. Using Huang Tan’s contacts in the royal court, Huang Song’s father runs many businesses, and God knows how much money he has made. The family has plenty of assets. Huang Tan has great power, and he secretly misappropriates the assets of the national treasury…”

Aren’t the efforts of several generations all for the sake of the future generations?

Huang Tan and the father of Huang Wei, their savings will all be given to Huang Song in the end. Huang Tan has provided guidance and support to Huang Song’s actual family clan, and the clan has also seen substantial improvements in the past years. Huang Song lacks people that can help him, but he doesn’t lack money. Now, with two important people, namely Feng Jue and Cheng Jing, helping him, it probably won’t take long before the shortage of human capital is resolved.

Wei Ci smiled and said, “What I mean is… Huang Song has less money than my lord.”

In the past life, the development of Huang Wei’s forces was indeed rapid, and he occupied the fertile land of the northern part of Dongqing. As for now…

Wei Ci wasn’t too worried.

In the previous reincarnation, the starting point of Jiang Pengji’s development was so low, yet she still managed to move up the ranks. Now the situation is so good for her, there’s no reason to fail.

“Huang Song is a very clever person. Without absolute certainty, he will not take the initiative to provoke a strong enemy.” Wei Ci held the same opinion as Jiang Pengji. They must concentrate on developing their own forces to occupy a seat in such troubled times. “For the time being, we probably won’t fight against each other.”

Not only will they not fight against us, maybe the two forces can even form an alliance and cooperate for a while.

Just as Wei Ci had this idea, Cheng Jing over there was also persuading Huang Song to build a good relationship with Jiang Pengji.

Cheng Jing looked at the whole of the Great Universal Geographical Map, and said with a calm voice, “The situation in the north has already formed. Liu, she is occupying Chongzhou, and Hu County is the lair that he has been managing for many years. With his means, even though he has given it away, Hu County is still in his hands…”

Hu County used to consist of barren hills and turbulent rivers. It did not belong to any state, and its area was larger than the smallest state in Dongqing. At the moment, it was one of the largest grain-producing counties of Dongqing! With Chongzhou, Hu County, as well as Wanzhou, of which Jiang Pengji had occupied a third, the northern forces were basically in the hands of the Liu family.

Cheng Jing said, “My lord, if you want to compete with Liu Xi, don’t fight against him before your forces are mature enough, you should focus on the south. Although Liu Xi and his father have occupied the north, there are still the three tribes in the north. They have no time to tackle the forces in the south, and it is a good opportunity for you, my lord.”

Huang Song sighed and said, “But, Youmo, in the south, Prince Changshou is still fighting against Chenzhou, and we can’t offend either one of them.”

It was the mortals that suffer when the gods fight. Two sleeping lions are still stronger than a barking dog, and Huang Song was no match for them.

Cheng Jing smiled slightly and said, “Not necessarily.”

Prince Changshou was fighting against Chenzhou, and it was difficult for either of the two to win the war, but it also meant that both sides were wearing the other thin.

They would become weaker and weaker, and Huang Song could avail himself of every opportunity. With proper management, he could become stronger and stronger.