Seriously. How did I even get noticed?
As it turns out, the King of White Bones's observations of human emotions were absolutely accurate, his guesses being almost perfectly correct.
That's exactly what Wei Gongxing was thinking at that moment!
Everyone wants to be valued by the big boss, but he really doesn't.
Compared to the other members of the Wei Household, he believed more the words of the old patriarch Yuchi. Allowing these ghosts to parasitize was like asking a tiger for its skin; in the end, it would never end well. If he felt regretful for not being able to go to Jiangnan in previous years, he wholeheartedly supported the decision of the Yuchi Household this year.
But this time, there was nothing he could do; he had been chosen by the patriarch. He didn't understand why, given that his bloodline power wasn't pure and he wasn't as reliable as his Wei Gongcheng, he had been chosen by the patriarch to participate in such a major event.
Thinking about what the old patriarch had said terrified him. Someone had orchestrated a massive scheme, trapping the emperor in Cloud Capital, all to seize control of the Mother and Child Ghosts Temple while the Ghost Army was being transferred out. This was a battle between gods and immortals; he, a mere mortal, really didn't want to get involved. Wouldn't it have been better to stay home, fish, and tend horses?
But there was no way around it. The old patriarch had absolutely no intention of letting him slack off any longer. He'd just blurted out such a huge matter, so the consequences were clear: you either agree, or you die.
Wei Gongxing, who accepted the task with tears in his eyes, didn't actually intend to put in much effort. He knew that the old patriarch would definitely send more than just him this time; how could such a big matter be entrusted to him alone?
It's almost obvious that I'm just one of many backup options, participating symbolically, and then just going through the motions like before.
But this time, he felt he might not be able to row anymore.
"You seem quite unwilling to be favored by this old man?" the old man said with a smile, looking at Wei Gongxing.
Wei Gongxing dared not respond to such a statement and immediately knelt and kowtowed, "Senior, please forgive me. I had no such intention. It is only because I feel that with my dull and foolish talents, I am far from being able to serve as your Symbiosis body, and therefore I have never had any such desire!"
Hmph. At least they have some self-awareness.
A group of scions from prominent families who had come over immediately sneered. They had thought some hidden talent had caught the eye of such a powerful figure, but it turned out to be just a good-for-nothing. If he wasn't even willing to dream of anything, why bother competing? Wouldn't it be better to stay home and clean horse manure?
If Wei Gongxing could hear what others were thinking at this moment, he would probably smile bitterly for no reason; he really wished he could go back and clean up the horse manure.
"It's true that I had no delusions, but it's also true that I felt relieved," the old man chuckled. "You're an interesting little lad, keep an eye on this old man."
Wei Gongxing felt a chill run down his spine and could only cautiously look up at the other person.
"Let me ask you this: anyone who comes here, even if they don't think they'll strike it rich, still has some expectation in their heart. Why do you have absolutely no expectation? I want to hear the truth. If I hear even a single lie, your fate will be far worse than you imagine!"
Wei Gongxing: "."
So my mother was right, you really should wear red underwear during your birth year, damn it! All sorts of bad luck seem to happen to you then!
--
Why did you talk about that kid from the Wei Household the most?
Inside the Yuchi residence, Mu Hongqing, who was waiting for news, frowned and asked the Yuchi Household head this question.
"Because that lad is smart enough!" Old Yuchi laughed. " The Wei Household family has been blessed with good fortune for generations, with several hidden gems within, only to be buried by a few short-sighted women. Wei Gongcheng is brave and resourceful, calm and composed in his actions, and capable of shouldering great responsibilities. He is the best deputy in the world. Wei Gongzhan good at seizing opportunities, like a sharp knife, and is the best vanguard prospect. However, I heard that he chose to become a farmer in Jiangnan, which means he is not a person with the ambition to do great things."
"And what about this Wei Gongxing?"
"He's a brilliant strategist!"
"A military genius?" Mu Hongqing looked at the other party in surprise. This word is not to be used casually. There are very few people in the world who can be called military geniuses!
In his eyes, his own father, whom he hated, was one, Xiao Mingyue was another, Chen Qing was another, and the only other one was the emperor from the Xiao Household. As for the others, including Liu Yu, the Duke of Song, he did not think they could be considered commanders!
"Incredible, isn't it?" Old Yuchi laughed. "Actually, I almost misjudged him at first. This kid is the best at hiding his talents, and he has no desire for fame or fortune. He'd rather be shoveling horse manure at the bottom than get involved in trouble. If I hadn't been forced into a corner during the battle in the north back then, that kid would never have shown his face."
"The Battle of the North?" Mu Hongqing immediately became interested. That battle in the North was the largest battle fought by the Xiao Household after establishing their dynasty. The goal was to completely subdue the Northern Lands and drive the Northern Wasteland people out of the Central Plains!
The previous dynasty had accomplished what this emperor had not, and the whole country celebrated. As a result, the Xiao Household emperor was considered by many to be the most powerful emperor in martial arts in a thousand years.
However, many people do not know that the battle back then was not easy. There were several times when the front line was in dire need of help, and most of the emperor's troops were on guard against the strength of Duke of Qin, Lu Ming. At that time, the chances of winning were not high for the Northern Lands, such as Duke of Wei. That was the battle that made Yuchi Peng famous, when he defeated three top experts from the Northern Wasteland by himself.
However, those who understand military affairs know that the most important reason for winning that battle was that the old patriarch Yuchi fought a desperate battle on the Northwest front, turning defeat into victory. He broke through the Northwest defense line and then burned the enemy's granaries, which turned the whole situation around.
At the time, many people were quite surprised because the military strength of the old patriarch Yuchi had always been steady and methodical. They never expected that after being tricked and driven into a desperate situation by the third prince of the Northern Wolf Kingdom, he could fight such a beautiful comeback battle when he was isolated and without any help. This stunned many people.
At the time, some people thought it was luck, while others thought that the old patriarch Yuchi had secretly concealed his abilities. Now it seems that no one guessed correctly.
It seems that the victory in that battle was achieved by a young man?
"At that time, we were driven into a corner. I had originally prepared for the worst, to be loyal to the court, and to hold off the Northwest forces for as long as possible. But I never expected that little guy would break into my tent in the middle of the night."
When the old patriarch of the Yuchi family recalled the scene, he immediately laughed. At the time, he had only gone with the tide and had inexplicably listened to the other party's words. But now, thinking back, if it weren't for that incident, the Yuchi Household, which had mobilized, would probably have perished in that battle.
But after that guy went back, he never showed any intention of asking for credit. He didn't want to be noticed, whether openly or secretly. So I let him have his way. After all, it wasn't a good thing for such a talented man to appear in the Yuchi Household, which was in charge of the Imperial Guard.
Since the story of the emperor donning the yellow robe to the emperor arose, the Imperial Guard throughout history have all been highly skilled individuals, but with only average military strength. Any general with outstanding military ability would never be able to obtain any authority over the Imperial Guard.
"If this world were peaceful, I originally intended to keep him under control," the old patriarch of the Yuchi family sighed. "I waited until my son was a bit older before handing him over to a position like a behind-the-scenes strategist. I never expected that I would have to use him today."
"Isn't your evaluation of him a bit too high?" Mu Hongqing said with a smile.
"Not high." The head of the Yuchi Household said seriously, "At that time, our situation was extremely precarious. We had fought more than forty small battles, and if we lost even one, we would be finished. But with his help, we didn't lose a single one. In terms of scheming ability, that guy is definitely no less than Xiao Mingyue. I don't know why he doesn't want to climb up the ranks, but if this kid has the opportunity to soar to the top, it will be a double-edged sword. To be honest, if you hadn't come so suddenly and made it sound so critical, I really wouldn't have wanted to let him go."
"Oh?" Mu Hongqing burst into laughter. "There's such a person? I'll really have to open my eyes wide and see for myself this time."
--
"My lord, please forgive me."
Wei Gongxing face was pressed against the ground, and the people around him watched with amusement, their eyes full of schadenfreude. The despicable nature of humanity was on full display at this moment.
But he had no time to look around. He knew this man was not someone to be fooled, and he was absolutely certain that this man was one of the people Yuchi had mentioned who would rebel against His Majesty!