Chapter 137: Magnanimity

"Liu Yi wants to take a concubine? Excellent, excellent, truly excellent!"

Zhang Shicheng not only repeated the word "excellent" three times, but he was so excited that he slapped his thigh repeatedly. "Since Commissioner Liu intends to take a concubine, send him a generous gift immediately, and inquire about his intentions. Whatever we can provide, we must satisfy him!"

Although Zhang Shicheng knew that negotiating with Liu Yi was akin to asking a tiger for its hide, and that Liu Yi had only halted his offensive to consolidate his control over the newly captured Jiangyin Prefecture, for Zhang Shicheng, there was no better news. As long as Liu Yi was willing to stop the onslaught, Zhang Shicheng would agree to any condition. If the Commissioner wanted beauties, that was no problem; if he wanted gold and jewels, that was even less of a problem.

Zhang Shicheng was already flustered just dealing with Zhu Yuanzhang, to say nothing of the invincible Zhenjiang Army patrolling the Yangtze. If Liu Yi were determined, he could sever the river, instantly cutting off contact between Zhang Shicheng and his home base north of the river, effectively splitting his entire faction into two isolated halves. The consequences were too dire to contemplate. Thus, even knowing he would surely come out on the losing end of negotiations, Zhang Shicheng hoped to use this opportunity to ease the tension. If he could only free up his hands to deal with Zhu Yuanzhang, even the strongest naval force would eventually need a foothold on land.

The sycophants surrounding him found this decision exceptionally wise and heroic. "Your Majesty is brilliant! By using a delaying tactic to stall the Zhenjiang rebels, we can focus our full strength on eliminating the Chuzhou rebels!"

"Your Majesty is truly blessed by destiny. Only yesterday you worried about how to handle the Zhenjiang rebels attacking from the river, and today they have voluntarily laid down their arms and retreated. This is surely the will of Heaven!"

"Indeed, that young rascal Liu Yi is obsessed with women. Since he is lost in lust, he naturally lacks ambition—a heaven-sent opportunity for our Great Zhou to rise!"

"Your Majesty, you possess the Mandate of Heaven. Neither the Zhenjiang rebels nor the Chuzhou rebels are destined to defeat you!"

Though Zhang Shicheng had not stepped out of his palace for quite some time, the tide of praise made him feel as if he truly held the Mandate of Heaven. "A mere branch commissioner dares to cross me? He has vastly overestimated himself!"

For Zhu Yuanzhang, however, this news was like a bolt from the blue. "What? Commissioner Liu chooses this moment to take a concubine? This is a heaven-sent opportunity! He should be pressing his advantage; if he pushes east to Pingjiang Road, the Gaoyou rebels will be severed in two, and their defeat will be certain!"

Neither Li Shanchang, Xu Da, nor Chang Yuchun had expected Liu Yi to announce his marriage plans at such a time. While the marriage itself was not a major affair and would not affect the military operations of the Chaohu Naval Force, the fact that Liu Yi was bringing a group of beauties into his home meant the Zhenjiang Army would undoubtedly shift from an all-out offensive to an offensive defense. This was not the outcome the Left Camp wanted to see.

Li Shanchang, who had been responsible for facilitating the connection, was forced to defend Liu Yi. "This marriage alliance with the naval camp was destined to happen; it should have been handled before the campaign began. Commissioner Liu only prioritized the military mission out of respect for Commander Hua."

Everyone knew Li Shanchang spoke the truth, yet no one wanted Liu Yi to be distracted by a harem at this moment. Since the naval camp was shifting to an offensive defense to digest its gains, the pressure would shift to the Left Camp, currently laying siege to Changzhou. Zhang Shicheng would certainly seize the chance to mobilize his elite troops to reinforce the city.

Consequently, someone immediately asked, "Should we recall the various governors, prefects, and magistrates we sent to Jiangyin?"

Although the Zhenjiang Army had captured Jiangyin entirely on their own, Zhu Yuanzhang had immediately dispatched a swarm of officials there, including a powerful overseer, the moment he heard the news. He knew this would lead to a power struggle, but he felt the naval camp could not do without him, and he was determined to secure at least half the official posts in Jiangyin.

Now that Liu Yi was busy with his marriage, the situation had shifted. The Left Camp was afraid of pushing Liu Yi too far, but before Zhu Yuanzhang could reply, a soft yet firm female voice spoke up: "Let them take their posts immediately. We cannot yield on this matter. If we concede on Jiangyin, all the territory we conquer in the future will be handed to Zhenjiang!"

The speaker was none other than Lady Ma. Zhu Yuanzhang felt his resolve stiffen. "My wife is right. We can make concessions elsewhere, but not here. Without our month-long struggle under the walls of Changzhou, how could the naval camp have had the opportunity to take Jiangyin?"

Yet, when mentioning the achievements of the Zhenjiang Army, the entire Left Camp still felt a lingering chill. Everyone knew the situation would change fundamentally if Liu Yi took the field, but no one expected such a staggering transformation. The Gaoyou Navy had proven entirely incapable of resistance; within days, not only were their river fortifications swept away, but Jiangyin had fallen with ease.

Although there was a consensus that Liu Yi's personal command would lead to unprecedented victory, the Zhenjiang Army's triumph seemed too effortless. People said it was because of the new-style firearms brought by Lady Jinhua, but was that not a bit too miraculous?

Many, deep down, were already having second thoughts about clashing with Zhenjiang. Since the naval camp had taken Jiangyin, perhaps it should belong to them. However, since Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to compete, they were happy to go along with it. "Vice Commissioner, since you are unwilling to concede, we shall proceed as you wish. However, since Commissioner Liu is marrying young ladies—and from our own camp at that—should we not show some sincerity?"

Zhu Yuanzhang felt he was losing both the beauty and the battle, but he was already riding a tiger and could not dismount. He followed their lead: "We shall be full of sincerity. After all, she is a bride from our Left Camp. If I were not a magnanimous man, Commissioner Liu would never have been able to marry such a beauty!"

The words grew increasingly bitter, and Zhu Yuanzhang could barely control his emotions. He gritted his teeth and said, "I, Zhu Yuanzhang, have always been a man of principle. I will not haggle over small matters like women, gold, or jewelry with the Commissioner, but on the major issue of territory, I will never yield!"

Meanwhile, Liu Yi was gazing at the beauties that Zhu Yuanzhang had surrendered to him.