Chapter 82
Chapter 82
The Count hesitated for a long time before summoning Shen Lang, speaking in a rare, gentle tone.
“Lang'er, it would be best if you didn't attend Zhang Jin and Xu Qianqian's engagement ceremony.”
Shen Lang refused the moment he heard it.
“How could I not go? She was my former wife. They say even a single night as husband and wife forges a deep bond.”
Most men would probably never experience this: attending an ex-girlfriend's or ex-wife's wedding with a wife more beautiful than her, looking more handsome and brilliant than her new groom. What a dream for any man!
“Lang'er, why must you be so stubborn?”
“Father-in-law, I've been preparing for her engagement ceremony for a very long time. I even wrote a book for her and had an outfit made. If I don't go, this outfit and book will have been made for nothing.”
“I heard Xu Qianqian has been crying all day, and Xu Guangyun has smashed everything in his house. With that, can you really say the book was written in vain?”
And that wasn't all. Countless pathetic men were clamoring just to catch a glimpse of Xu Qianqian's face. The illustrations in *Boundless Wind and Moon* weren't enough to satisfy them. The Count, being a serious man, probably wouldn't have let his imagination run wild just from looking at the illustrations.
“Lang'er, the situation is not good. Zhang Chong has woven a great net and is tightening it around our estate from all sides. The engagement ceremony is like a rehearsal for his attack on us. If you go, you'll become their target and could suffer greatly.”
Shen Lang's expression also turned serious.
“Did the Count of Jinhai's Estate, our mortal enemy from the north, send someone?”
The Count nodded.
“Will the people who lent money to our estate also be attending?”
The Count was greatly surprised that Shen Lang had thought of that and nodded his head.
“Not only that, but several other powerful figures will be there. Their mere presence will bolster our enemies' prestige, dealing a fatal blow to our Count of Xuanwu's Estate.”
This was what disheartened the Count the most. Shen Lang narrowed his eyes, speculating. Which influential figure's attendance could shatter the estate's prestige so completely? Who could it be? It had to be a universally recognized heavyweight who had now switched their allegiance to the New Policies Faction. Shen Lang ran through all the powerful figures he could think of in his mind.
“Did the Marquis of Zhenbei, Lord Nangong Ao, send someone? He wouldn't send his heir, so it must be his second or third son.”
Hearing Shen Lang's words, the Count stared at him in disbelief. He had just obtained the guest list and hadn't shown it to anyone. How could Shen Lang be so brilliant as to startle people every time? This was completely different from when he memorized the *Jin Clan Precepts*. That was just a display of outstanding memory; this required true wisdom.
The Count of Xuanwu handed the list to Shen Lang. Then, looking at the map on the wall, he sighed.
“Lang'er, I feel my strength is failing me. The path ahead seems blurry, and I feel as if a great building is about to collapse.”
Shen Lang was taken aback. His father-in-law had never shown such a defeated side in his life. Strong men never revealed their weaknesses to others. Jin Zhuo's natural talents were not high, but he had always played the role of the steadfast and strong Count of Xuanwu well, allowing everyone in the estate to live under his protective shadow. But now, in the calm before the storm, the Count of Xuanwu felt strongly that he couldn't preserve the estate with his strength alone. That was why he revealed his vulnerability to Shen Lang.
*That won't do. I'm supposed to live out the rest of my life in leisure, enjoying all sorts of riches and splendor. I haven't even slept with Mulan or Xiao Bing yet, and on top of that, I recently discovered a pretty maidservant, around seventeen or eighteen, with very large eyes and delicate features.*
Shen Lang had been wondering how to ask Mulan to let the girl serve by his side.
*I've only had a little over a month of these good days. The even better, more exhilarating days haven't even begun. The Count of Xuanwu's Estate must not fall; it must become even stronger. This won't do. I have to cheer up my father-in-law.*
Shen Lang closed his eyes, entering a state as if he had become Zhuge Liang himself. Not the one from the historical records, of course, but the god-like, divinely cunning Prime Minister of Shu Han from the novel *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. Opening his eyes, Shen Lang wore a calm smile, as if he had grasped the entire situation.
“Father-in-law, the situation before us is actually quite clear, not blurry at all. It may be a bit treacherous, but if we know our enemy and know ourselves, we can win without much difficulty. Why are you so pessimistic?”
“Knowing the enemy and knowing oneself is the hardest part. Zhang Chong's methods are vicious, and he moves with an unbridled momentum, leaving no weaknesses to be found. Last time, the Count of Dongjiang was cornered by his pressure and ultimately took his own life, did he not? That became the stepping stone for Zhang Chong's meteoric rise. He is a man with a proven track record of success. How can he be an easy opponent?”
Shen Lang scoffed at the Count's needless worry.
“The moves Zhang Chong will make may seem obscure, but they are actually clear and simple. I have seen through them at a glance, and I will analyze them for you, Father-in-law.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.”
“Quickly, bring Old Master Lin here.”
A short while later, Old Master Lin, the Count's most trusted confidant and strategist, stood before them. And they waited for Shen Lang's analysis. No, they waited for Shen Lang's performance.
“Father-in-law, Old Master Lin, our estate's main opponent is Zhang Chong. So that I may live a life of leisure and luxury with peace of mind, I have often put myself in Zhang Chong's shoes and racked my brain, thinking about how I would destroy the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.”
“Ahem, ahem.”
The Count coughed to signal Shen Lang to choose his words more carefully.
“First, one plays the cards they're dealt. And one must do what the enemy fears most. What does our Count of Xuanwu's Estate fear most? The first is to be isolated and lose our protection. To feel as if we are surrounded by enemies on all sides.
The Viscount of Nanshan has already surrendered his fief and military authority, and the Count of Jinhai's Estate has allied with the New Policies Faction to destroy us. And if there is one last pillar supporting the entire aristocratic faction of Tiannan Province, it is the Marquis of Zhenbei's Estate.
The Marquis of Zhenbei, Nangong Ao, is a giant in the military. He controls an army of nearly one hundred thousand men, and his family holds not only a fief but also a private army of two thousand. The King's new policies have shone down like the sun, but the Marquis of Zhenbei's Estate has been like a great tree, shielding us from that light, allowing our Count of Xuanwu's Estate to receive some protection in its shade.
The Marquis of Zhenbei has always remained neutral, but he has had almost no interaction with the old aristocracy and did not attend my wedding to Jin Mulan. Nevertheless, as long as his family possesses a fief and a private army, the fact that he has shielded aristocrats like us from the storm cannot be denied.
But now, Zhang Chong has somehow managed to sway that pillar, and the Marquis of Zhenbei has leaned toward the New Policies Faction. As a result, among the old aristocracy of Tiannan Province, only the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, the most powerful among them, is left to stand alone, scorched by the sun of the King's new policies.”
The Count of Xuanwu nodded at Shen Lang's words. That was exactly how he felt. When he learned that the Marquis of Zhenbei was sending his second son to attend Zhang Jin's engagement ceremony, he was overcome with fear and anxiety. If the Marquis sided with the New Policies Faction, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate would be left standing alone in a raging storm.
Shen Lang said calmly.
“Father-in-law, others cannot be trusted. The only one you can rely on is yourself. Our Count of Xuanwu's Estate is destined to fight a lonely battle in Tiannan Province. The Marquis of Zhenbei may have a vast domain and a private army of two thousand, but compared to the military authority to command a hundred-thousand-strong army, that is nothing. That is why the Marquis of Zhenbei has shifted his stance this time.
However, this move by Zhang Chong is clearly a feint. He wants us to misjudge the situation and invest our strategic resources in the Marquis of Zhenbei's Estate. If we were to exhaust our efforts trying to change the Marquis's stance, we would be falling right into Zhang Chong's trap. Therefore, we must not commit any resources to the Marquis of Zhenbei. If he wants to change his allegiance, let him!
Next, the second thing we fear most is our funds being cut off. Our estate has no surplus funds or savings; on the contrary, we have astronomical debts. Once the money stops flowing, the consequences for the estate are obvious.
If I were Zhang Chong, I would complete these first two moves and then deliver the most fatal blow. I would sever the arms of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate and completely cut off its path to survival!
That is the third and final move: the Gold Mountain Island dispute. It is the moment when everything comes together. If my guess is correct, the King will soon issue an edict. He will seek to resolve everything in one fell swoop by definitively settling the ownership of Gold Mountain Island.
Zhang Chong and Zhu Rong have been working on the Gold Mountain Island dispute for over half a year. In a way, it's almost a foregone conclusion that we will lose the island completely. If we lose Gold Mountain Island, our creditors will conclude we no longer have the ability to repay our debts and will decide to publicly demand payment. What happens then, when a financial crisis erupts in the Count of Xuanwu's Estate?
We must repay the debt, so the King will use that as leverage to pressure us. I don't know the exact amount of our debt, but if my guess is correct, it's an amount we cannot possibly repay. Furthermore, wasn't that debt secured with Anguish Island as collateral? And isn't the due date for that debt fast approaching?”
The Count was speechless, staring at Shen Lang. To have figured out a secret he had told no one... this man possessed a wisdom that was almost demonic.
“To borrow such an astronomical sum, there must be collateral. The previous Count wouldn't have used the fief as collateral, so it must have been Anguish Island.
Our estate has four main sources of income: grain and silk from the fief, and salt and iron from Anguish Island. The annual revenue from the salt and iron on Anguish Island accounts for over sixty percent of the estate's total income. When the time comes, our creditors will petition the King to grant them Anguish Island.
But losing Anguish Island is a mortal wound for our Count of Xuanwu's Estate, like having both our arms and legs cut off. If we lose sixty percent of our income, we will have no choice but to disband our army. For an old aristocratic family, having no army is like being a wolf without claws and fangs, no different from meat on a chopping block. The moment we lose our army, we will be unable to protect our own fief, and at that point, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate will be completely finished.
If I were Zhang Chong, I would use the three steps I've outlined to destroy the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. Father-in-law, Old Master Lin, if there are any shortcomings in my analysis, please enlighten me!”
After his bluff-filled presentation, Shen Lang gave a slight bow. The Count was completely stunned, but thanks to Shen Lang, his vision had become crystal clear. It felt as if Shen Lang's analysis had swept away the thick fog before his eyes.
The Count and Old Master Lin looked at each other, exchanging glances of astonishment. A thrill shot up from the tips of their toes to their brains.
*'Incredible. To think there is someone so brilliant in this world!'*
Old Master Lin was a wise man himself and had believed that Shen Lang, with his quick wit, could come up with clever schemes. But more important than schemes was the wisdom and vision to see through the entire situation. Only then could one anticipate the enemy's next move and the move after that, ensuring one would not be defeated.
He had thought such strategists only existed in books, but to see one appear right before his eyes... Although Shen Lang's theory had not been proven, more than half of it was sure to be true. He was truly a remarkable man.
Old Master Lin said.
“The key to deciding victory or defeat between us and Zhang Chong lies in the Gold Mountain Island dispute. If we lose Gold Mountain Island, we will not only lose Anguish Island but also the means to maintain our army, eventually losing our fief as well. Our estate has never been able to fill our private army to its full complement. But if we can secure Gold Mountain Island this time, we can expand our forces and make our domain even stronger.”