noffsinger Chapter 223 Unsettled Hearts
Chapter 223 Unsettled Hearts
It was late at night, but the lights in the main hall of the Tao family mansion were still on, and the masters of each household had gathered together.
Tao Yong sat in the main seat with a stern face, and everyone present had solemn expressions, creating a quiet and surprised atmosphere.
"At this critical juncture, let's stop being so formal and say something."
“Then I will speak,” Master Tao said coldly, “How did you raise your children, Brother? How could you let Sanlang do something so detrimental to the family!”
"..." Tao Yong's face darkened further. He asked you to offer constructive opinions, not to spout nonsense!
"Second Brother, is this the time to dwell on these things? The most important thing is to find a way to get through the current difficulties," said Third Master Tao, trying to smooth things over.
Tao Yong's expression softened somewhat, but unexpectedly, Third Master Tao changed the subject, "On another note, elder brother, it really wasn't you who instructed Third Brother..."
Tao Yong nearly fainted from anger, his forehead veins throbbing. Seeing Tao Yong's frighteningly ugly face, Third Master Tao immediately fell silent and stopped talking about the topic.
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Perhaps Sanlang's wife knows something," suggested Master Tao.
Tao Yong frowned. "Someone, summon Madam Su."
Su Liangyu was summoned to the hall in the middle of the night. Seeing so many elders looking at her solemnly, she was so nervous that she didn't dare to breathe and respectfully performed the junior's greeting.
"Mrs. Su, did Sanlang give you any special instructions before he left?"
Su Liangyu thought to herself, "Could it be that my husband has gotten into some trouble outside?"
"My lord is used to traveling the road to Xuan State. This time, he only instructed his daughter-in-law to raise the child well and serve her mother-in-law with utmost respect..."
"Respectful?" A dignified female voice came from outside the door. "Hmph~ This old woman is not worthy of his respect!"
"Mother, your daughter-in-law is filled with trepidation." Su Liangyu bowed her head and greeted Madam Wei, the mistress of the Tao family, who had come with an angry expression.
Although Madam Wei was in the inner quarters, the Wei family was also implicated this time, so the head of the Wei family would naturally send someone to Madam Wei to inquire about the situation.
Thinking of this, Madam Wei was filled with hatred. It must be that Tao You was unhappy that she let Qi Lang take over the trade route he had opened up, and was deliberately retaliating. Now that this has happened, Qi Lang is probably in grave danger.
Thinking of this, Madam Wei's eyes reddened, and she pointed at Madam Su, saying sternly, "If anything happens to Seventh Brother, I will never let your third branch off!"
Su was completely bewildered by the scolding. Seeing this, Master Tao briefly recounted the events.
Upon hearing this, Su Liangyu turned pale and was momentarily at a loss. "I really don't know anything."
Master Tao then said, "Madam Su, think it over carefully. Yu-ge'er is still in the manor."
This was the threat. Su seemed to be intimidated, her eyes rolled back and she immediately collapsed to the ground.
"Alright, I'm afraid we won't get anything out of Madam Su." Tao Yong waved his hand, signaling for people to carry Madam Su away.
"Sigh~ Mud has fallen into my pants, even if it's not poop, it's still poop. Now, I have no choice but to go all out and fight it out."
After these words were spoken, the hall fell silent once more...
Meanwhile, Su Liangyu was carried back to the courtyard. After Tao Yong's men left and the courtyard gate closed, Su Liangyu immediately opened her eyes and jumped up: "That short-lived bastard!"
She cursed angrily, then turned to her trusted nanny who was startled and ordered, "Quickly prepare your valuables! They should be lightweight and easy to carry. Also, make a few sets of clothes that are convenient and inconspicuous, and sew some gold leaves into the sleeves and belts."
"My lady, what's wrong...?"
"Don't ask too many questions, prepare secretly, and don't make a fuss or let anyone see."
Su Liangyu knew that her father-in-law wanted to keep her and her son around to keep Tao You in check. Even though that heartless man had done such a thing, she figured that their influence over him wouldn't be much, and it was better than nothing.
For now, she could only try to keep a low profile and preserve her life. Su Liangyu had a premonition that chaos would soon break out in the capital, and she had to be prepared to flee at any time.
The full moon set, the long night ended, and the morning court session of the next day began as scheduled.
Inside the main hall, the officials in the front row had dark circles under their eyes, clearly indicating they hadn't slept well, but most of the courtiers were still in high spirits, radiating an ignorant joy.
However, their joy did not last long. As Ji Si had the military report from Xuanwu City read aloud, it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. After a moment of silence, the whole place erupted in uproar.
"quiet!"
The eunuch spoke up to maintain order in the court, and everyone quieted down.
"Reinforcing Xuanwu City is inevitable. As for the selection of the commander and the person in charge of logistics, let the ministers recommend them."
Ji Si glanced intently at the assembled officials below through his crown, a test of their loyalty.
"Your subject is willing to go and supervise the army." Yao Guang stepped forward and volunteered. If he, as the Grand Commandant, did not step forward, it would only arouse more suspicion.
Ji Si narrowed his eyes. Yao Guang was still a suspect, and it would be too risky to let him lead the troops.
"I am also willing to go!"
Yao Guang set the precedent, and the other officials stepped forward one by one, either recommending themselves or nominating others.
The scene became noisy again. Yao and Yang exchanged a glance without making a sound. Although His Majesty did not say anything, they could feel his bias. They silently returned to their respective ranks.
As expected, the final decision of the court council was to appoint the emperor's brother-in-law, Zuo Mingyi, as the military supervisor, while the logistics and coordination were handed over to the various members of the imperial clan.
After the court session ended, Yao Guang returned to his residence with a heavy heart and immediately convened a family meeting.
"This battle is now inevitable, and we should make plans as soon as possible."
Yao Dalang keenly sensed something was wrong. "Father, the fight hasn't even started yet, and you're already planning to give up on Anguo?"
Yao Guang remained silent, clearly acknowledging the agreement. Yao Erlang said urgently, "Xuan Army only has 30,000 troops this time. With 30,000 against 30,000, and with the advantage of terrain, our chances of winning are very high!"
"Thirty thousand against thirty thousand?" Yao Guang scoffed. "Is that how you calculate troop strength? You're not considering the disparity in combat power at all. Lu Zhen is a renowned general of our time. Who is Zuo Mingyi? How many battles has he fought?"
Seeing that his second son still looked puzzled, Yao Guang explained, "To put it simply, last year we allied with Jingguo and Diguo and devised a plan to transfer Lu Yu's Chongxiao Army to Jiayong Pass and pin down Mu Qi's Chixiao Army at Yiyang Pass. With only 10,000 troops at Pingshan Pass and Yucheng, our three-nation allied forces of 100,000 troops were unable to take it down even with a surprise attack!"
Yao Guangfu took another deep breath. "On the contrary, Shen Qingxi became famous for killing my Anguo commander. After that, Lu Zhen led his army out of the city to fight in the field. Ten thousand men overpowered our one hundred thousand men, and the three-nation allied forces were routed."
Yao Erlang fell silent, and Yao Guang sighed, "We lost such a favorable situation. Now, less than a year later, have our Anguo soldiers taken some kind of magic pill?"
Recalling the battle a year ago, Yao Dalang silently looked up at the sky, "At that time, it seemed like victory was assured, and I still can't understand how we lost."
Is the difference between people really that big?
Such family meetings were held one by one among the victims of Tao You's case, and the Yang family was also not at peace at this time.
"Father, why did it have to come to this?"