Chapter 70: Does It Still Count?

As soon as Guo Yunyu crossed the river, the situation naturally stabilized.

Although the former subordinates of Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou were now anxious and restless, with many vying to take over the positions left vacant, the moment Guo Yunyu arrived, all these people immediately became subdued. Everyone knew Guo Yunyu was a woman and could not inherit the foundation Guo Zixing had left behind. Moreover, she was the wife of Liu Yi, the Marshal of Chaohu, and would undoubtedly be partial to him in the aftermath.

Yet, things unfolded in a mysterious way: once Guo Yunyu reached Taiping, the agitated hearts calmed. In the past, household affairs of the Guo family were always managed by Guo Yunyu. Even though Guo Tianxu had taken away this authority after her marriage to Liu Yi, now that Guo Tianxu was incapacitated, everyone still recognized Miss Guo as the one in charge of the family.

The root of everyone’s anxiety was the fear of catastrophe following defeat; Guo Tianjue was too young and inexperienced to shoulder such responsibility. Now that the eldest daughter had returned, their hearts naturally settled.

Of course, Guo Yunyu’s high prestige was also due to the full support she received from Liu Yi and the Chaohu naval forces.

Now Zhu Yuanzhang realized he had been thoroughly outwitted by Liu Yi. “That Liu fellow is always up to tricks. He publicly claims the Marshal’s Office will add a marshal or two, but behind the scenes he’s grabbing all of Guo’s troops. If he succeeds, he’ll be able to stand on equal footing with us!”

Though Liu Yi had bested Zhu Yuanzhang in several recent clashes, in this time of chaos, strength was all that mattered, and Zhu Yuanzhang’s Left Camp remained the strongest force. The problem was, if Liu Yi managed to absorb all of Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou’s former subordinates, even if integration was not entirely smooth, on the surface, his strength would at least match Zhu Yuanzhang’s.

This was precisely what Li Shanchang feared most. “That youngster loves to play these tricks. We’re still thinking of finding him a beautiful bride from the Left Camp, and he turns around and brings Miss Yunyu across the river. What’s the meaning of this!”

Li Shanchang knew his words were futile. With Guo Tianxu unconscious and near death, it was only natural for his own sister, Guo Yunyu, to cross the river to attend to his affairs. He spoke only to echo Zhu Yuanzhang’s indignation, for as the chief adviser, he too had been played by Liu Yi. If he did not voice his agreement, Zhu Yuanzhang might see through him.

Zhu Yuanzhang was always warm and gracious upon first meeting someone, but those who spent time with him soon saw his exacting side—if you didn’t prove your worth, you’d quickly find yourself cast aside.

Zhu Yuanzhang, however, did not see through Li Shanchang’s little game. “That foundation of the Guos was built mostly by me. I won’t let some outsider ruin what Marshal Guo painstakingly established!”

Although Zhu Yuanzhang was Guo Zixing’s adopted son-in-law and Liu Yi his son-in-law by blood, by lineage Zhu Yuanzhang was more of an outsider, yet he believed that the legacy of Guo Zixing and Guo Tianxu should be his to inherit.

All the commanders present were quick to voice their agreement. “That Liu fellow is shameless!”

“We fought tooth and nail for this foundation, and now he wants to take it all without lifting a finger? Isn’t that outrageous?”

“Why not follow the old ways—since we once fought Sun Deyai, we can do the same with Liu Yi!”

“I think a showdown is a good idea, but if we lose the Chaohu navy, we’ll be cut off from Jiangbei!”

“We take the navy too—once we seize the Chaohu fleet, there’ll be plenty to man the ships for us!”

For Zhu Yuanzhang, though, he was absolutely unwilling to move against the Chaohu navy before the time was ripe. The fleet controlled the waterway lifeline of the Red Turbans at Chuzhou; attacking them would set off a disastrous chain reaction.

In another time and place, Zhu Yuanzhang had succeeded in ousting Li Pusheng, but Zhao Pusheng, taking the bulk of the Chaohu navy, sailed upriver and became Zhu Yuanzhang’s toughest adversary for years to come.

Zhu Yuanzhang now felt he had no choice but to act: if Liu Yi and the Chaohu navy developed any further, even if they did not immediately surpass the Left Camp, they would at least rival it. His previous hesitation had already proven a deadly mistake—feeding a tiger that would soon be impossible to restrain. He could not allow Liu Yi to swallow up Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou’s forces.

Even if he thought Liu Yi would choke on digesting so much at once, just the possibility of him absorbing the entire Guo legacy was enough reason for Zhu Yuanzhang to strike.

Everyone present was a core member of the Left Camp, and Zhu Yuanzhang spoke plainly: “Since you all see Liu’s true face, I can rest easy. When you return, be ready—once I give the order, we move!”

Just as everyone was bracing for an inevitable showdown, word suddenly arrived from outside: “Reporting, Marshal, Shao Si, the commander of ten thousand, has arrived!”

Shao Si? Zhu Yuanzhang’s brow furrowed. “What’s he come for? Seeking justice? Well, his timing is perfect.”

As the most powerful commander under Zhang Tianyou, Shao Si held a position in the Right Camp comparable to Zhu Yuanzhang’s own. Yet despite his ability, Shao Si had been undermined by his own brother, Shao Rong.

Originally, Shao Si tried to keep all sides placated—he assigned five hundred men, organized as a thousand, to Shao Rong, and transferred three hundred new recruits from the Shao family’s Jiangbei forces to him as well. Unexpectedly, Shao Liu proved untrustworthy: Liu Yi had promised him a marshal’s future, and Shao Rong unhesitatingly became Liu Yi’s agent in the Right Camp, poaching men from Shao Si and openly opposing Zhu Yuanzhang.

Now, with Zhu Yuanzhang and Shao Si united in their resentment, Zhu Yuanzhang saw an opportunity to draw Shao Si and the entire Right Camp to his side. “Commander Shao, I hear Shao Liu’s been making trouble. Shall I discipline him for you?”

Shao Si’s expression was heavy—he was clearly having a difficult time—but at Zhu Yuanzhang’s words, he spoke a few fair words for Shao Liu. “The boy doesn’t know any better, Marshal Zhu, there’s no need to blame him. I’m here today on important business.”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s face showed his satisfaction: “Shao Si, have you come to your senses? As long as you join us, any term is on the table. I can even turn the entire Right Camp left by Zhang Tianyou over to you!”

Shao Si’s face, previously somber, broke into a laugh at Zhu Yuanzhang’s words. “Marshal Zhu, you must be joking! You’ve waited so long for this chance; how could you possibly hand the whole Right Camp to me now? I’m here on Marshal Liu’s behalf—he sent me to ask if your promise of a beauty from the Left Camp still stands?”