knife

Chapter 777 Give it your all

Just because someone says they've severed all ties doesn't mean they can truly do so.

Of course it's impossible.

The principle that even if bones are broken, tendons still connect them, and blood is thicker than water is something everyone knows very well.

Otherwise, Linghu Ye wouldn't have sent a battle-hardened general like Chang Lei to Luoyang for such a crucial matter as the Northern Expedition, which would determine his life, death, honor, and disgrace.

Who could blame them when the Chang family, to which Chang Lei belongs, is now an important part of the Beiting Protectorate, with the entire family serving in the north!

In Linghuye's view, his arrangement was precisely the most responsible thing to do, and it was good for both himself and Chang Lei.

Otherwise, if they only bring their suspicions to the table at the crucial moment, it will not only ruin the great cause of vying for the throne, but also damage the relationship between the two as ruler and subject.

Although this effectively stripped Chang Lei of his military power and deprived him of the opportunity to distinguish himself on the battlefield, if Linghu Ye had won this battle, then when the new dynasty was established, Chang Lei would inevitably be relegated to a lower position because he did not participate in this battle. He might even be sidelined by Linghu Ye at a crucial moment, which would make outsiders see Linghu Ye's distrust of Chang Lei, and thus he would be severely trampled on in the future.

Or perhaps this was Linghu Ye's original intention: when such a thing actually happened, he would then pull Chang Lei out of the mire and entrust him with important responsibilities, thus making Chang Lei even more loyal to him.

Linghu Ye truly demonstrated his mastery of the art of leadership and personnel management in this matter.

Chang Lei certainly understood this point and could appreciate Linghu Ye's supposed good intentions, but he was still unwilling to give up.

Why?
After Linghu Ye's army entered the pass, Chang Lei truly helped him conquer half of the world. So why did he abandon him at the last moment?

So Chang Lei decided that no matter what, he had to give it a shot.

This time, he no longer wanted to serve Commander Linghu, who had served him for decades; he wanted to truly plan for himself.

The purpose of driving away Little Six was, of course, to sever ties with the Chang family's main branch outside the Great Wall.

Not just for the present, but also for the future.

Chang Ming was still too naive. He thought he had done everything perfectly and that Xiao Lao Liu's visit to Luoyang would not be known to outsiders. He was really too naive.

The seriousness of the man in charge of Wolfsburg is far superior to that of Linghu Zhishu in the intelligence field.

Now that Linghu Ye's army has marched forward, Yan Su has been left behind. What is the purpose of this?
Naturally, the goal is to better control the entire situation.

In an important city like Luoyang, the eastern capital, and where I was staying, I would inevitably be a key target of serious surveillance.

So I'm afraid Yan Su is watching closely right now, watching how I handle this matter!
Even without this serious matter, Chang Lei wouldn't see Xiao Lao Liu now. Chang Lei had a lot on his mind. If he succeeded in this matter, but Linghu Dashuai lost in his duel with Li Dachui, then he would have the right to have Li Dachui at the table to negotiate.

At this point, the Chang family outside the pass still maintained a harmonious relationship with him, which would only become an obstacle to this matter and might even affect the Chang family's status within Li Dachui's system, which would not benefit him. Therefore, a clean and decisive declaration of a complete break would be better for both sides.

This is something that can ensure the interests of the Chang family under any circumstances.

Head south, only south, take advantage of this moment when everyone is ignoring you, and get enough leverage.

Seriously, it's time to meet him.

Many things that followed also required his involvement as the head of Wolfsburg. It would be a real waste not to make use of the forces Wolfsburg had left in Chang'an, Dongdu, and other places; they were a considerable force.

For me right now, every bit of strength is very important.

It's quite sad to think about it. I probably never imagined that one day I would be struggling because of insufficient troops.

Just as Chang Lei was thinking about Yan Su, Yan Su was listening to a report from Zhou Gang, the Wolf Fortress commander stationed in Dongdu, in a residence in Dongdu.

"So, General Chang didn't meet with that sixth son of the Chang family?"

Zhou Gang nodded and said, "Not only did he not see him, but he also flew into a rage. Our men saw General Chang kick Chang Ming, who had taken it upon himself to leave the study. His furious outburst terrified the entire General's mansion. It is said that Chang Lei had only lost his temper like this once before, when the Chang family turned against Li Dachui and abandoned him!"

He laughed seriously: "It seems that General Chang still holds a grudge about that incident from back then. Indeed, if it were me, I would also hold a grudge. It's good that we haven't met. Of the 200,000 troops under Commander Linghu's command, 20,000 of the 50,000 troops serving as the central army were led by General Chang."

"Since the commander-in-chief suspects General Chang, why does he keep the army that General Chang led by him by his side?" Zhou Gang asked curiously.

"That's precisely why we keep them close by!" Yan said calmly. "This army respects General Chang, but they respect Commander Linghu even more. As long as they're by Commander Linghu's side, any other thoughts they might have will naturally be nipped in the bud. The central army commanders have to report to the central command tent every day!"

"General, you are truly awe-inspiring!" Zhou Gang nodded repeatedly. "General Yan, should I go and subtly inquire with General Chang to prevent him from having any other ideas?"

Yan Su looked at Zhou Gang and laughed loudly: "Do you have the right? Believe me, if you dare to act recklessly in front of General Chang, he will cut you down with one stroke, and the Marshal will even send someone back to comfort General Chang. Kid, don't think that just because your father is Scholar Zhou, you can do anything. In front of the Marshal, General Chang has a lot of face. Even if he is sidelined now, he is still not someone you can mess with."

Zhou Gang chuckled dryly: "That's true. My father only helped the commander polish the article. As for me, I'm just a minor local commander. How can I compare to General Chang?"

"Good to know. From now on, you should carefully gather intelligence on the Nanyang and Xiangfan directions. Based on my understanding of General Chang's character, he certainly won't calmly wait for the outcome of the decisive battle in the north in Luoyang. He will really launch a war. Don't be clueless when he needs that kind of intelligence. If he does, you will be punished according to military law. I won't plead for you. You should know that he is now the minister in charge of the entire southern expedition. He can control you, the commander!" he said seriously.

"General, rest assured, don't you know how I do things?" Zhou Gang said with a smile.

As the two were talking, a soldier walked in, holding an invitation card in his hand. He bowed and said, "General Yan, someone from the General's Mansion has sent an invitation card, saying that General Chang invites you to his residence for a chat!"

Yan Su blinked and chuckled, "This guy is really prone to getting into trouble. The moment he gets into a fight, trouble ensues!"

(End of this chapter)