Chapter 110 - 52: What Does One Seek?

Chapter 110: Chapter 52: What Does One Seek?

In the thirty-second year of Emperor Shizong of the Yu Country, a great drought struck the Three Southern States, and refugees were rampant... In October, Li Xuantong besieged Changshan City... The great Xia Family, acting as inside agents, opened the gates at night, and the city was breached.

...

From the direction of the city gates, the battle cries and the pounding of war drums... were earth-shattering.

"The city has fallen!"

"The bandit army has broken in!"

"The Xia Family betrayed us and surrendered the city..."

...

Such panicked cries spread through the city like a tidal wave, causing immense chaos.

The governmental officers, constables, and Night Watchmen who had been struggling to maintain order all broke and fled as one upon hearing the shouts.

...

「Xia Family, Main Hall.」

"Patriarch, that villain has doomed our Xia Family!"

A middle-aged man in brocade robes said indignantly, "...From the reaction of the Taiping Bandits, I’m afraid the Lin Family had no intention of surrendering the city..."

"That’s right! The person who delivered that wooden plank to us was clearly trying to use another’s blade to kill!"

"I think this must be a stratagem of the rebel army..."

"Their intentions are damnable!"

...

THUMP! THUMP!

Seated at the head of the hall was an old man with white hair, a wrinkled face, and magnificent silk robes. He struck the floor with the jet-black, dragon-headed cane in his hand, and the hall instantly fell silent.

This was none other than the patriarch of the Xia Family.

On the surface, he looked like an ordinary old man from a wealthy family. But if a master Martial Artist were here, they would surely notice: his temples bulged, his breathing was deep and even, and the faint sounds of his beating heart and flowing blood possessed an indescribable rhythm, like slumbering thunder. He was motionless, but to move would be to unleash heavenly thunder and earthly fire.

"Our Xia Family has surrendered the city and thrown our lot in with the Rebel Army. That makes us part of the Rebel Army. From now on, I want no more talk of a ’bandit army’."

The Xia Family patriarch settled the matter with one decisive statement: "Besides, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing... At least, not for now... Shortly, you will all accompany me to welcome Grand General Xuantong..."

Since the Xia Family was already on board, there was no getting off. As a man grown old and shrewd, he knew that at a moment like this, the worst thing one could do was waver or play both sides.

"Yes!"

Everyone in the hall below responded in unison.

Whatever their individual thoughts, each person suppressed them and instinctively deferred to the Xia Family patriarch’s decision. Such was the authority he had accumulated over the years.

"Of course,"

The Xia Family patriarch paused for a moment. "That person who delivered the wooden plank... investigate them, but take your time... If they’re truly one of the Rebel Army’s people, then let it be..."

"But if not, and it was someone else..."

THUMP!

He slammed his cane on the ground, and the solid wood floorboards beneath it shattered. "Kill them without mercy!"

His icy voice sent a chill through the hearts of all the Xia Family members present.

As the patriarch had grown older, they had rarely seen him display his emotions so openly. It was a clear sign of just how infuriated he was by the cunning little villain who had played such a trick on them.

In a way, that was a skill in itself.

...

「The Lin Family.」

"Excellent! That old bastard strikes fast and decisively!" Lin Xiong, the Lin Family Patriarch, slammed his palm on the huanghuali wood table, shattering it to pieces.

He was a man in his forties with a ruddy complexion and long, narrow eyes. His eyes were exceptionally bright, as if they gleamed with a sharp light.

Below him, the core members of the Lin Family were gathered. They all wore grim expressions, whispering amongst themselves in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, as if the sky itself were falling.

"Patriarch, what are we going to do?" someone asked in a panic.

"That’s right, the Xia Family went behind our backs and surrendered the city... Once the Taiping Bandits are inside, they’re going to come looking for trouble with us!" one of the clearer-headed members said.

"Not necessarily. The worst-case scenario is we just have to make a painful sacrifice..." another said, still clinging to some hope.

...

"What is there to panic about?!"

Lin Xiong’s sharp rebuke silenced the room. He suppressed his anger, his features hardening as he issued orders methodically. "Our Lin Family will pivot immediately. Mobilize our entire network and focus all our efforts on currying favor with the Taiping Bandits—no, the Rebel Army. Don’t be stingy. Be prepared to make painful sacrifices..."

"At the same time, prepare for the worst..."

He gave his orders one by one.

Hearing their patriarch’s arrangements, the members of the Lin Family finally recognized the gravity of the situation. Their hearts sank, and they all looked utterly dejected.

In a corner, the face of Third Young Master Lin, Lin Feng, was also clouded with worry.

He never would have imagined that the Lin Family’s current predicament was all because of something he had forcefully taken by trick or by crook just a few days prior...

...

Shouts of "The city has fallen!" and "The Taiping Bandits are inside!" spread in every direction like a tidal wave.

Jiang Ping’an was startled from his sleep. "The city has fallen?!"

He collected himself, then shot up in bed. He hastily threw on some clothes, slid his feet into his shoes, and ran out into the courtyard.

Outside, the shouts were even clearer, roaring like a tidal wave.

"It’s fallen?! The city has really fallen!"

Jiang Ping’an murmured to himself. After a moment of shock, he suddenly burst out laughing.

Of course, he had a reason to laugh!

For him personally, with the city fallen, his own situation was now safe. He no longer had to worry about the Court or risk his life fighting the Taiping Bandits on the walls.

Moreover...

In such chaotic times, by leveraging his network of connections and greasing the right palms... if he played his cards right, not only could he keep his official position, but he might even be able to climb a rung or two higher...

This was no pipe dream!

In the past, every post in the city was filled, with no room for advancement. But now that the Taiping Bandits had arrived, the world was turned upside down. The old hierarchy was crumbling...

It was the perfect opportunity for a great reversal of fortunes.

A man like Jiang Ping’an—socially adept, skilled at currying favor, and well-connected—could thrive in any era, so long as his luck didn’t run out...

And when faced with a world-shaking opportunity such as this, he could soar on the winds of change!