Chapter 388: Chapter 208: Jinling Aristocratic Families
Translator: 549690339
However, when Yang Jing left Lu Yuan’s main camp, he headed straight for Dongting County City.
Once in the city, he quickly found Shangguan Ming.
Then he told this Western Conqueror General about the conditions put forth by Lu Yuan.
As expected, Shangguan Ming, like Yang Jing in the beginning, was filled with uncontrollable anger.
“Who does he think he is? Nothing more than a mere hunter from the mountains. If it weren’t for the court’s favor and promotion, how could he possibly have reached his current position of power?
Now that he has achieved some success, he has begun to harbor traitorous thoughts and bite the hand that feeds him.
Indeed, such lowly people have no integrity or loyalty.
He should never have been promoted in the first place, which has led to his current arrogance.
Previously, I even considered marrying my daughter to him. Fortunately, that plan never came to fruition. Otherwise, wouldn’t my daughter have suffered needlessly?”
At this moment, Shangguan Ming had completely lost his previous admiration for Lu Yuan. In the hall where they discussed matters, he paced back and forth, cursing without cease.
It is clear how difficult it is for him to accept the conditions put forth by Lu Yuan.
Yang Jing, who was standing beside him, listened to his old friend’s tirade and waited for a short while after the other party silenced. Then he said with a forced smile, “Indeed, Lu Yuan is truly unscrupulous, but now that his power has been established, what can we do about it?”
Hearing this, Shangguan Ming’s anger flared up again. He looked at Yang Jing and accused, “It was because of you that Lu Yuan was brought into the ranks of the ten Grandmasters. If not for this, how could he be so arrogant today?”
From Shangguan Ming’s perspective.
If Lu Yuan hadn’t been included in the plan of the ten Grandmasters, without Yang Jing’s help, he would naturally not have broken through to the Innate realm so quickly.
And not being in this circle, he would naturally have no way of knowing about this plan involving the ten Innate Grandmasters.
Thus, he wouldn’t have been able to go from the inside to win over and divide Yan Wangqiu and others.
So, a large portion of Lu Yuan’s current influence has to be attributed to Yang Jing and his initial wrong decision.
“Indeed, it was my fault.”
Facing the accusation, Yang Jing accepted responsibility but quickly said, “However, at that time, if you had found someone suitable for the plan who was also a court official, would you have been able to resist from recruiting them?
Besides, I remember that at that time, Brother Shangguan, you sent both your children to participate in the contest, hoping to find a promising son-in-law. Did you not?
Without that, how could I have introduced Lu Yuan to Grandmaster Ziyun and let him learn the secrets of the Innate realm?
And, if it hadn’t been for your niece and nephew, I wouldn’t have been so trusting of him and brought him into the ten Innate Grandmasters.
Moreover, this time.
If you hadn’t sent Yan Wangqiu to join forces with Lu Yuan, how could that youngster have had the opportunity to buy off that double-crossing old dog and win over Su Xuange, thus resulting in today’s situation?
All of this happened right under your watch, step by step. Haven’t you noticed it?
I admit my mistake, but do you not have any fault in this, Brother Shangguan?”
Yang Jing could take the blame, but the loss of the three provinces was too big a responsibility to bear.
Even as an Innate Grandmaster and the head of a noble family, he could not afford to shoulder it.
So at this moment, he had no choice but to find another person to share the burden of this huge blame.
And when looking around, the most suitable person was none other than his brother Shangguan, who once wanted to marry his daughter to Lu Yuan.
After all, it was Shangguan Ming who had initially given Lu Yuan the trust of the court.
Moreover, Shangguan Ming had the scandal of trying to marry Lu Yuan to his daughter.
It was also he who singlehandedly condoned the collaboration between Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu.
With so many shortcomings, Shangguan Ming could never escape this blame.
Sure enough, upon hearing Yang Jing listing these mistakes, Shangguan Ming’s righteous expression instantly collapsed.
His face changed several times, and eventually, he sighed in resignation and said, “This boy’s success is partly my fault. But now that things have come to this, what can we do about it?”
Shangguan Ming was now repeating Yang Jing’s words: “what can we do about it?”
As the Western Conqueror General stationed in Dongting County, Shangguan Ming fully understood Lu Yuan’s strength.
He knew even more than people like Yang Jing.
So, Shangguan Ming was the most qualified to comment on how powerful Lu Yuan was.
In terms of soldiers, he had one hundred thousand battle-troops, sixty thousand Miao warriors, and an even more vast number of county soldiers and militias that could reach up to two hundred thousand. Moreover, he had five top disciples along with the Miao experts he had gained by subduing the Poison Sect.
Add to that his alliance with the Saintess of the Five Poisons, and that’s another two Innate Grandmasters.
All of these various powers are enough to cause headaches when taken individually.
But when combined, they are enough to drive one to despair.
All of this was why Shangguan Ming did not hesitate at all when he heard that Lu Yuan was leading forces to attack Changsha Prefecture. He immediately took his army to flee hundreds of miles away and returned to Yueyang Prefecture City.
This was not due to cowardice or fear of the enemy but merely acknowledgment that he was no match for Lu Yuan.
At this time, it was best to evacuate the army before the opponent arrived.
Otherwise, once surrounded by the enemy and cut off from retreat, the court’s last remaining tens of thousands of troops in Dongting County would likely be lost here.
All these were nothing but bitterness and helplessness.
Now that Lu Yuan has joined forces with Yan Wangqiu, Su Xuange, and the remnants of the Poison Sect, his power is already hard to suppress.
Besides, he is located in Dongting County, and if he is forced to rebel, he can attack the Yangtze River in the north and invite the Zhou People to cross the river, making the situation truly irreparable.”