Chapter 167 – Sun Ce Become Shameless Once More - Use Liu Mang As Borrowed Knife To Kill Nobles (2)
Translated by Bloodfalcon
Sun Ce's prediction was dead-on this time. As soon as Lu Su conveyed Sun Ce's message verbatim, all of nobles who were bickering earlier now overjoyed. Some of them knew that they are sent to die by Sun Ce, some of them not but the reaction from them is all the same as Sun Ce's words meant that one of them will gain a big portion of Wancheng city if they become one of the first one who broke the city.
Right now what they are doing is just looking at each other, sparking hostilities toward each other. With Sun Ce's order, all of them have become rivals and enemies, as they all want big portion of cake and big spoil of wars. Those are done in order to expand their influence and maybe plan for toppling the current dynasty and rise themselves as the founder of new dynasty.
An olden merchant law states that if a proposal predicted to have 10% profit then everyone will put their money on that proposal, if a proposal predicted to have 20% profit, they will put their whole being on that proposal, if a proposal predicted to have 50% profit, they even will kill themselves and their family in order to obtain that profit.
And Wancheng city in front of them, have more than 50% profit. A profit that is really worthy of their own sacrifices. These nobles have longed to plant their roots in Wancheng city as Lujiang Prefecture is a very fertile which can feed hundreds and thousands people and rich with minerals and natural resources such as salt and iron. With Wancheng city already devoid of nobles, it can be said, the land become virgin once more, therefore they are eyeing each of their rivals with greed in their heart. All of them become aware that they must thank Liu Mang for exterminating Chen clan and other 32 clans. If not for those events, they will not have legitimacy to fight battle to recapture Wancheng city and their Sin Manifesto will become trash.
Right now all of nobles are preparing their own respective soldiers for siege battle. They do not care even if their soldiers only amounted to 500 troops and even some of them go all out deploying all of their 5,000 troops for there is a massive cake and whoever managed to break Wancheng city first, will obtain the most portion of the cake.
Being rewarded based on merit, will make their own clan soar to the skies even further.
Then suddenly there are some of noble heads saying “Hey, we are not generals. Even our six skills maybe lower than our soldiers. What if you die, who would take care of your family and ancestral temples?!” They are saying it with concerning tone and hope for other people’s responses.
Lu Su just sneered in his heart “Heh, provoking with fear of death huh?! Are you hoping for all of them to scare them stiff from their intent to do battle?! Keep trying!!!” Actually those words spoken just now, it is to scare them witless in order for those nobles who decide to attack Wancheng city to obtain more merit as Wancheng city defenders already dwindling to less than 1,000 troops. Perhaps in just half a day, the city will fall.
Another noble heads also tried his best to pour fuel to fire “Yes, Wancheng city is very dangerous. You all see by yourself right. General Chen Wu and General Dong Xi with their respective Danyang soldiers fought together on the city wall and the result? General Chen Wu died and General Dong Xi lost his division. I advise all of you, not to go in this assault!!!”
Another young man from Bao clan then also argues “Oh, uncles. Zhong knows that all of you are already old and have big families. Let younger generation fight this battle!!!” That man who just spoke is Bao Zhong, Bao clan’s little lord and one of Bao Shuya’s descendant. His father is already of old age and unable to do battle, so he want Bao Zhong to fight in order to assess his worth as his successor.
“HUMPH!!!! Your uncles are already old and sooner or later we will be expired!!! Leave this dangerous matter to us. You youngsters should fight another day!!!” That man who spoke is Zhang clan’s representative, Zhang De. His age is already not small, already early 30 years. In ancient time, a person who has reached 30 years old is already considered old man as at that time, because they will already have a lot of teenagers child and will soon be a grandfather after they married their children. Bao Zhong’s calling of Zhang De, uncle, it is because he is more senior than him. Usually Bao Zhong call him brother but now he call him uncle in order to let him step down from battle.
“Hahaha!!!” Another elder head clan laughed at their bickering. If according those youngsters logic, then it is true that they must let go of their merit if they are not able to walk. Then he responded “Ah it is true that we are already old and must let youngsters do their work! But, Zhang brother, since you call me uncle, then do not forget to tell your cousin older brother that I will be giving him a gift for our first meeting!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA” This old noble and Zhang clan has been friends from many generations. And by saying he will give a gift to his brother, it is demeaning his cousin older brother as a junior of noble clans. Zhang De’s cousin older brother is Zhang Zhao who is currently one of Sun Ce army top advisors and held real power over Jiangdong nobles as one of top clans. If that elder clan head actually bring a first-meeting gift to Zhang Zhao, then he will slap Zhang De silly and Zhang Zhao’s pride as top clan of Jiangdong will be slapped as well and it is possible that Zhang De will be executed by Zhang Zhao because Zhang Zhao observed propriety the most of all 8 virtues.
“YOU!!!!” Screamed Zhang De while pointing toward that elder clan head. His complexion become red from furiousness. He originally just want to tease that elder clan head but the clan head just become shameless and tell Zhang De indirectly that Zhang Zhao has just become his juniors and therefore he will treat him just like junior by giving him first-meeting gift.
Looking Zhang De retreated from the line, the elder clan head who was just victorious earlier just continued “All of you youngsters! You all said that we are old, right? I say, yes we are old!!! But that is the main point!!! We, old people, have not much longer to live!!! Let us claim glory for one last time and pave the road for you to tread!!!” That word said with intent for younger clansmen to not fight the easy battle and in order to scare them so Wancheng city will be controlled by them.
Both old and young nobles are counter-attacking in hope one of them will back down. The young nobles attacking by exploiting old nobles age and old nobles are countering by accepting their age and ridiculed their current clan heads as their juniors and also kept shouting of the danger attacking Wancheng city. The scene in Lu Su’s front is filled with this drama and he already burned anger in his heart.
Lu Su then bellowed his anger “SILENCE!!!!!” Finally this honest and good-natured person snapped and said his words “If you persist to quarrel in front of me again, do not blame me for invoking Seven Prohibitions and Fifty Four Capital Penalties to all of you!!!!”
TL: Seven Prohibitions and Fifty Four Capital Penalties is military law of Jiangdong. Rooted from Sun Tzu’s military law code and was expanded by Qin Song
All of nobles who heard Lu Su’s words become silence. Although Lu Su is a clansman from Lu clan much like all of them who are clan rep, but Lu Su is the strategist of Jiangdong army. One word from him, these nobles may be penalized with death sentence under military law. Such consequence is not desireable from any of the noble clan reps now.
Lu Su has been coping with these nobles from yesterday. If Lu Su was really ruthless, then yesterday he ought to force them under military law, letting them to do battle at Wancheng city walls instead of unleashing Danyang soldiers on that battle. Yesterday only Zuo clan and Bian clan who complies with Lu Su’s order and only half day, all of their private soldiers were decimated by Lu Bu army, leaving only Danyang soldiers and Sun clan’s private soldiers to fight. Zuo clan rep and Bian clan rep are really saddened by that loss, so sad that they are just staying in their tents and silent when all of clan heads bickering just now. But looking at the bigger perspective, they are helping Sun Ce to win Lujiang Prefecture back, so it is proper for them to unleash their own private soldiers.
After all of nobles shut up, Lu Su then just bluntly talk to them “Hey, do all of you want to attack Wancheng city and get merit or just want to spend all day in this place bickering, huh?!” Lu Su will not put anymore words toward them otherwise they will stay talked again and again until Lu Bu comes back and slaughter them all together with Wancheng city’s defenders.
“We want to attack!!!! Please give us your instructions, Strategist Lu!!!!” Some of nobles start speaking out toward Lu Su but the elder clan heads, they are just staring toward Lu Su profoundly, hoping they will be chosen.
Then an elder clan head comes out from the line and said to Lu Su “Strategist Lu, please choose Wu clan as vanguard. We of Wu clan will certainly bring victory today!!!” That elder clan head is Wu clan rep. This Wu clan rep is one of Sun Ce’s mother clansmen, therefore Lu Su and Sun Ce did not dare to directly reject their request so Lu Su and Sun Ce have been avoiding them to speak regarding the battle.
But right now, Lu Su has no more respect toward them!!! If Lu Su agreed for Wu clan to be vanguard, Lu Su will offend the entire Jiangdong nobles. All of these nobles present have witnessed how big a coward Wu clan is when they are defeated when fighting against Su Fei during Battle of Wancheng city’s Naval Base. They are defeated by one wave of attack by Su Fei and after that their morale plummeted to the bottom. Now, conquering Wancheng city is obviously much harder than Wancheng city’s naval base and if they do that thing again, then all nobles will persecute Sun Ce for nepotism.
Lu Su just rejected Wu clan by saying “Master Wu, do not ask Su. Milord’s order stated whoever break the city first will get the most merit. So, please compete with the other!!!” This time Lu Su’s rejection has a justification as he is ordered to relay Sun Ce’s orders verbatim.
“HUMPH!!!!” The Wu clan rep who was just rejected just humphed coldly and thought “This Lu Su, does he really not know that Jiangdong’s masters are Sun clan and Wu clan?! Only a Lu clansman dare to reject my request?! Pah, spineless dog of Wu and Sun clan!!! I will need to report this transgression to the head clan!!!”
After Wu clan retreated to the line, a clan head comes out and asked “Strategist Lu. This Wancheng city although the size is big, but it cannot accommodate all of our armies at once. Please your instructions!”
Lu Su then advises “For fairness in competition, each one of you dispatches 1,000 troops. I believe it will be suffice to break Wancheng city!!!” In this place got 12 nobles, so 12,000 troops is more than enough to break Wancheng city.
“Hmm, 1,000 troops!!! Sounds reasonable!!!” Some of nobles saying that words with sparkling eyes. They could just dispatched their elites. This is more than suffice for them to survive this battle. Easy merit and easy battle waiting for them when the sun rises. Right now they cannot wait to return to their own respective camps and prepare for tomorrow’s battle. They want to prepare as soon as possible to beat down Wancheng city defenders and gain merit.
“Very well, Strategist Lu. Please excuse us for preparation!!!” They quickly excused themselves and prepare for battle. This siege battle will be one of the most violent battle as they are not only need to attack the enemy, they also need to beat down their allies in order to get most merit.
“Phew!!!” When Lu Su saw those nobles quickly return to their respective camps, he sighed with relief. He is really tired physically and mentally by dealing with these nobles. They are both old fox and young fox, they are master schemers. You can kill enemies with swords, but these nobles? You also need to scheme toward them in order to reduce their influence.
Right now, it is almost dawn. Lu Su must make big preparation in order to counter Lu Bu and his soldier.