Sometimes, no matter how unwilling one was to accept it, one still had to face reality. And the reality was that Meng Zhao had become too great a threat, yet there was no effective way to punish or restrain him.
This meant that, before they found a practical solution, they could only focus on winning him over.
And to win someone over, it was nothing more than a combination of showing strength, bestowing favors, and catering to their preferences.
Give wealth to those who loved wealth, grant power to those who loved power, spread the fame of those who loved fame. As for those who loved beauties, naturally, beauties were needed to win them over.
Meng Zhao came from no poor family. Though the Meng Family could not compare with the so-called Nine Surnames and Thirteen Families, it was still among the foremost of the tier below them. He should lack neither gold and silver, rare delicacies, nor powerful martial arts.
However, Meng Zhao had two discernible preferences. One was ambition—he aspired to carve out a great undertaking.
For this, one need only look at Meng Zhao's experiences after returning to the Meng Family, and after leaving it for Lingwu City.
From his current conduct, it was clear enough that Meng Zhao was absolutely not some simple martial man or martial arts fanatic. He was a man of immense ambition and fierce drive. Once he gained power, he did not use it merely to protect himself, but to invade and seize.
His other preference was probably beauties. Meng Zhao's several beautiful concubines were quite famous, and it was common knowledge that the three great families of Lingwu City had once given their daughters to him as concubines.
Moreover, it was said that Meng Zhao could even take a pregnant widow