What did they think?
Naturally, they were all against it.
Even Liao Jia, the newest addition, agreed with everyone. Xun Zhen was even more blunt: "My lord, you absolutely must not agree to this. It's not that we're afraid to fight. It's simply that the battle to defend Yonggu Pass left us badly depleted. How could we possibly fight another war?"
That was the most basic reason.
But in truth?
War was about profit.
If there was nothing to gain, why fight?
Longwu Commandery was too remote, and its neighbor, the Ten Crows, was still restless. How many troops could they spare for this so-called "Dragon-Slaying Bureau"? Even if they put on a brave face and sent troops, how much say could Shen Tang hope to have?
Their plans to revitalize Longwu Commandery had yet to bear fruit. They were in the most awkward stage of all—so poor they had no people, no money, and no grain! What was the point of fighting this war? Zheng Qiao was loathed by all; if they had the strength to send troops against him, that would be one thing.
But did they have that strength now?
Their foundations were far too weak!
Better to—
Watch from the sidelines and reap the spoils.
That was what every adviser present thought. But even if they thought that way, they couldn't say it aloud and sound so utterly mercenary.
"Zhang Yongqing invited us to join him in overthrowing tyranny. By rights, we shouldn't refuse." Jiang Sheng sighed, his expression grave. Then he changed tack. "But my lord must consider the livelihood of the common people under her rule. If we raise our arms again, we'll be sending them to their deaths..."
In short, it wasn't that they didn't want to fight, much less that they feared