Chapter 6276: Recruitment
Editor:Â EndlessFantasy Translation
The first choice was naturally Little Liang King.
The other party was likely a practitioner, and taking refuge with them could lead both of them onto the path of cultivation.
However, it seemed that the other party didnât take them seriously at all.
Even if they sought refuge, now was not the time.
They needed to increase their bargaining chips first.
But now, they had reached a bottleneck in their development, and to progress further, they had to go to Langshan County.
First, they would submit to the Jiang Kingdom, demonstrate their usefulness, increase their bargaining chips, and then negotiate conditions with Little Liang King.
This was the only plan Jian Wushuang could think of.
He couldnât openly share this with everyone.
Once he did, morale would plummet.
He knew that once these people learned the truth, they would undoubtedly become complacent, and if they failed to deliver results, they would squander their existing bargaining chips, resulting in a loss.
At that point, he and Xiang Yang would be left dumbfounded.
However, they had also planned a backup route, which was to head to the Eastern Tang Dynasty.
That was the pinnacle of the dynasty and a place frequented by practitioners.
If all else failed, they would simply abandon their posts and flee.
After pondering for a moment, Jian Wushuang said, âSome things change over time. Initially, I suggested allying with Little Liang King because I believed we were useful to the Yue Kingdom, but now, as you all have seen, they donât take us seriously. Moreover, we are all from Jiang Kingdom. Even if surrendering could bring peace, what use would it be? Eventually, we would face retribution!â
âWhat do you suggest?â Iron-Face Liangchen looked at Jian Wushuang.
Everyone else was watching as well.
Except for Iron-Face Liangchen, everyone else was concerned with their own interests.
Whether it was the mountain lords, the people of Qingshui Mountain, or Wang Lun and Yang Zaixing, they were all concerned about their own futures.
Who won or lost was irrelevant.
âCollaborate with the Jiang Kingdom and send troops to Langshan County. I will personally go to the royal city of the Jiang Kingdom to negotiate with them!â
This statement left everyone stunned; they hadnât expected him to be so decisive.
âSending troops directly, isnât that a bit too fast?â Wang Lun hesitated.
The others were even more reluctant.
Especially Iron-Face Liangchen, who advocated taking refuge with Little Liang King, exclaimed, âBrother Wushuang, have you considered how many people will die if we ally with the Jiang Kingdom?â
Jian Wushuang sneered, âThereâs no war without casualties. Moreover, we are doing this to resist the Yue Kingdom, which is understandable. If weâre afraid of death, we might as well disband early!â
These words left everyone speechless.
He realized that these people had grown complacent after some stability and had become somewhat timid.
Fortunately, most people agreed with this proposal.
Finally, a vote was held, and most people sided with Jian Wushuang.
The matter of recruitment was finally settled.
The next step was to integrate personnel and march on Langshan County.
In doing so, they put pressure on both the Jiang Kingdom and Little Liang King.
Jian Wushuang was preparing to take Xiang Yang to the royal city.
There was no need for people from the royal city to come; he would personally meet the current emperor of the Jiang Kingdom.
He and Xiang Yang, with the farewell of the crowd, set sail for the Jiang Kingdom.
This time, they didnât bring many people.
Only One Ear and a few skilled individuals were responsible for protecting them, while the others stayed behind to prepare for the armyâs departure.
After all, this hadnât been discussed with the Jiang Kingdom yet.
Once Jian Wushuang negotiated with the Jiang Kingdom, they could make a decision.
Otherwise, if they went ahead, they would starve. The logistics and transport of provisions would require an enormous amount of manpower.
Binhai County didnât have that many people available.
Therefore, he needed the Jiang Kingdom to send people to assist, at least to handle the logistics.
These were essential conditions.
This time, he came to negotiate.
After sailing for three to five days.
They arrived at Jiangning County, the wealthiest county in the heart of the Jiang Kingdom.
The royal city was also situated next to Jiangning.
As soon as Jian Wushuang and his companions disembarked from the ship, they were greeted by a squad of elite cavalry.
His name had already spread throughout the royal city.
A bandit with an army of a hundred thousand was no longer just a bandit.
Even if he didnât call himself the Coastal Defense Army, others would bestow him with a title.
The official in charge of welcoming them, a second-rank officer, personally attended to them.
Jian Wushuang and his companions were accommodated in a luxurious courtyard designated for foreign emissaries.
That evening, the official brought along various high-ranking officials to host a banquet in their honor.
Jian Wushuang did not stand on ceremony; he accepted their flattery and received the gifts that were offered to him.
He had to do so in order to gain more advantages.
After the banquet, they finally got down to business.
After bidding farewell to the other high-ranking officials, the second-rank officer, Li Mi, stayed behind.
The two of them leisurely drank tea in the pavilion, and Jian Wushuang changed the topic to inquire about the thoughts of the one in the imperial palace.
Seeing him initiate the serious conversation, Li Miâs expression became solemn.
âThere are some things I must speak frankly about. This time, regarding the emperorâs edict to pacify your Coastal Defense Army, there have been some voices of opposition!â Li Mi said calmly.
Upon hearing about the opposition, Jian Wushuang laughed.
Looking at Li Mi, he found the other quite amusing.
âOpposition? Could it be that some are advocating surrender to the Yue Kingdom?â
The Yue Kingdom had invaded the State of Jiang with the claim of annihilating it.
What benefit would surrender bring?
None at all, only exile overseas.
Li Mi spoke bluntly, âYes, and there are quite a few, though they canât be killed off completely!â
âThen they must oppose the conditions I proposed, right?â Jian Wushuang found the man somewhat untruthful.
He hadnât even made any excessive demands yet, but it seemed like he was already making enemies. The key issue was whether these people were genuinely intent on surrendering or just using this as leverage against him.
Thatâs why he spoke this way.
âThere will indeed be voices of opposition, but you donât need to worry. The matter of the pacification will be decided by the Protectorate Office. Tomorrow, you will meet the Emperor, receive your title, and the conditions you propose will also be agreed upon by the Protectorate Office. However, there is one thing you need to do!â
Hearing the straightforwardness of the other party, he couldnât help but furrow his brows and asked, âWhat thing?â
âKilling!â Li Mi raised his head, his eyes deep and penetrating.
Upon hearing this, Jian Wushuang became even more puzzled.
He had just entered the royal city and was being asked to kill.
He frowned, pondering whether there was a trap.
He couldnât let himself be fooled by the other party!
âMy strength, you should know, and I only brought a few people this time. I really donât understand what you mean!â Jian Wushuang didnât respond directly but subtly indicated his inability to perform the task.
Li Mi wasnât in a hurry and continued, âIâve already investigated your influence. In the Coastal Prefecture, you can practically cover the sky with one hand, and youâve made great contributions, so thereâs no need to be so modest!â
âBut thatâs in the Coastal Prefecture; this is the royal city!â
âPrecisely because of that, you need to do it. Once you do, the Emperor will be assured, and you will become one of us!â Li Miâs justified words left Jian Wushuang silent once again.
Finally, he asked, âWho should I kill?â
If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.