"General, you've finally arrived! Please, sit down, sit down!"
The Liuzhou Stargazing Tower boasts the best location, with a large number of rooms allocated to military households, though a small portion is used for commercial purposes. The most expensive rooms are on the top floor, which were snapped up by wealthy merchant guilds and transformed into the most expensive restaurant in Liuzhou City. It offers the best view, overlooking the entire Liuzhou City, with a vast sky above, perfect for drinking and singing – a privilege unavailable even in the imperial city, attracting many wealthy individuals.
Today, several of my old subordinates are enjoying a rare holiday break, so naturally, the brothers want to get thoroughly drunk.
"Oh my, how long has it been since we last got together like this since we came to Jiangnan?" One of the burly men was flushed, clearly having secretly drunk Blood Ginseng Wine and was in high spirits.
Tian Heng looked at the other party with amusement. The speaker was Meng Sheng, one of the old generals who had followed the Tian Household. He was originally the most opposed to coming to Jiangnan, but unexpectedly, after a few years, he was the one who lived the most comfortably. As the person in charge of maritime trade, he had brought back a lot of good things for his family and brothers.
When people say that the West Sea Army is rolling in money, they are actually referring to his soldiers. Merchants from all over the country have to give him face. In recent years, he has been riding high. Wherever he goes, people call him General Meng. Even the powerful families in the capital want to curry favor with him to facilitate their maritime trade.
This guy wasn't very ambitious. After entering the Transcendent, he started living a life of debauchery. According to him, living too long was meaningless. Once he had earned enough for his descendants, he would be reincarnated and start a new life.
His old buddies have been quite disdainful of him for this.
"You seem to have it easy," many of his older colleagues rolled their eyes at him. "We're working ourselves to the bone."
"Isn't that because you guys are too carefree?" Meng Sheng chuckled. "This maritime trade job wasn't something you actively sought out; you were the ones who didn't want it and I picked up the scraps. It's too late to complain now, huh?"
They spoke with smug satisfaction, but for some reason, when Meng Sheng said they were carefree, a strange change suddenly appeared in the depths of their eyes, a hint of fierceness appearing, but they immediately returned to normal.
Tian Heng's expression was complicated upon seeing this.
If all my brothers were like Meng Sheng, content with the status quo, perhaps I wouldn't have ended up like this?
When the brothers first arrived in Jiangnan, most of them were dissatisfied. After half a year, everyone was incredibly enthusiastic and content because their strength was visibly increasing. At that point, he began to see some hidden dangers.
That means the brothers have big ambitions!
The reason is simple: when it came to choosing positions, no one chose the obviously more lucrative Maritime Trade Guard, while everyone was very enthusiastic about the mission to explore desert islands.
Why?
Of course, it's because developing remote islands grants significant autonomy to the military, and those island nations are far from Jiangnan. Controlling the military there means that if the Jiangnan center weakens, one can easily establish a separate kingdom. This is why many military generals prefer to be enfeoffed as marquises in distant places.
As Jiangnan developed better and better, the strength of the West Sea Army increased dramatically, and the brothers' ambitions grew bigger and bigger.
Especially in comparison to the Fighter Army.
In Jiangnan, everyone admired the Fighter Army. Many were dissatisfied with being outshone by those peasants. So Chen Qing made amends by bringing in the West Sea Aquatic Clan and entrusting them with the rescue efforts in the Southeast. Tian Heng admitted that Chen Qing had not wronged him and had been more than generous.
But having come this far, who wouldn't want to go further?
Doesn't Xu Hu want to?
He was just pretending to be honest and simple.
Throughout history, when rulers were powerful, everyone was loyal, but who were truly the most loyal subjects?
The founding emperor of the previous dynasty was merely a Imperial Guard of the Imperial Guard, one would naturally be trusted by the emperor. But what happened?
When the king was in trouble, he seized power, bullied orphans and widows, and changed the dynasty!
It's impossible that the founding emperor of the previous dynasty had such ambitions from the very beginning, but when the opportunity arises, how many people can resist the temptation?
This is the perfect opportunity!
Chen Qing is trapped in Cloud Capital, and judging from the plan that person showed, Chen Qing has no chance of returning alive.
Ninety Chengdu of his lieutenants had been seduced by that man. If he didn't agree, there was only one way out: to kill all his old brothers.
But even if he proves his loyalty, how much standing will he have in the West Sea afterward?
If I do this, who will be willing to follow me in the future?
Even if I prove myself like this, will Chen Qing truly trust me?
Human hearts are unpredictable. From Chen Qing's perspective, he chose loyalty at this moment, but what if he regrets it later? If given a second chance, would he do the same?
Wouldn't he have doubts? Would he be guaranteed a peaceful end after choosing absolute loyalty?
Nobody can say for sure.
Tian Heng drank his wine in silence.
" Old Meng, you're so easygoing, nothing's wrong." One of the burly men said, taking a sip of his drink, "No matter what happens in the future, we brothers will definitely protect your wealth!"
" Tian Ye!" Tian Heng glared at the other man immediately. "What nonsense are you talking about? The lord knows how to appoint people wisely, why would he need you to protect him?"
"Hahaha, yes, yes, yes." The burly man was taken aback, then immediately raised his wine cup and said, "Brother, I misspoke. I'll punish myself with three cups!"
Meng Sheng was taken aback, then Ye laughed, "Your mouth will get you into trouble sooner or later. Three cups aren't enough, you'll need at least ten!"
"You Old Meng, what grudge do you hold against me?" The other person rolled their eyes immediately. "Looking for an opportunity to destroy me, huh?"
The group burst into laughter. Despite the seemingly harmonious scene, Meng Sheng's heart, which had been burning with excitement, was now filled with a chilling coldness for some reason.
He knows these old buddies too well.
He always remembered that when his brothers followed the King of Qin, they were living a prosperous life, their fortunes rising steadily. They went from a second-rate family to a powerful clan that no one dared to underestimate. The King of Qin had shown the Tian Household a great kindness.
I was doing very well at that time, and I was extremely grateful to the King of Qin of Qin.
But one day, my brothers' attitudes started to become ambiguous and strange, and that's when I started to feel uneasy. In the end, that unease became a reality.
The Tian Household participated in the siege of the King of Qin of Qin. The King of Qin's King of Qin Army, which had fought alongside them, was slaughtered by them. He always remembered those things, especially one of his brothers, who was a member of the King of Qin Army. When the army was defeated by his siege, the brother begged him to spare his family.
I agreed at the time, but in the end I lost everything.
Under the pretext of eliminating all traces of the enemy, the surrounding brothers slaughtered the Fang Family, including nine generations of relatives, and the women were wantonly violated by the soldiers who had turned into beasts.
For many years afterward, he could still dream of his brother's resentful face.
He really didn't want to go through that kind of scene again, but it seemed his brothers didn't think so.
He'd been with these people for so many years, and many people could tell what he was up to just by looking at him. He knew they were about to make a move again.
But why?
Meng Sheng didn't understand. Jiangnan was thriving, and the lower-class brothers were all living so well. He had never had such a comfortable life in all these years. This was not only because his position was lucrative, but also because of the atmosphere of Jiangnan. This gentle and hopeful environment, which he witnessed getting better day by day, was different from anything he had ever experienced before.
Such a wonderful day, such a beautiful Jiangnan —couldn't it stop these brothers' ambitions?
Meng Sheng drank his wine, a hint of sorrow flashed deep in his eyes.
Humans are truly terrifying creatures.
--
"General, Old Meng has realized it. This matter cannot afford any mistakes. Should we..."
"Shut up!" Tian Heng's face turned ashen. "Don't you acknowledge anyone anymore? If you get the chance one day, will you even kill me?"
"No. How can these be the same?" Several lieutenants frowned, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat cold.
"We didn't mean anything by it, we just wanted to keep an eye on Old Meng. Killing someone would definitely alert the Underworld, and we don't want to make a scene, do we?" one of the burly men quickly tried to smooth things over.
Upon hearing this, Tian Heng's expression softened slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Let me think about it, let me think about it."
The lieutenants exchanged glances upon hearing this. Tian Heng was loyal to his brothers, but his weakness was his indecisiveness. Back then, during the King of Qin's rebellion, if they hadn't reacted decisively and cut off his escape route, he might still be wavering until the very end. Throughout history, what good has ever come of those who waver?
It seems that this time, they'll have to step in and help their soft-hearted boss make a decision!