Gongsun Ming also bowed and said, "Lord Peng greeted me with these brutes, so naturally I must make things clear to them, otherwise wouldn't it make me seem ignorant of etiquette?"
Knowing that he meant Peng Yuancheng was blaming the two for using his military authority to intimidate them, which was considered a lack of manners, the advisor bowed deeply and said, "It is the person in charge who is not polite. I am Bai Quan, and I apologize to you on behalf of the city lord."
Gongsun Ming returned the bow and said, "How could I dare to accept such a bow? I have come here on the occasion of traveling thousands of miles for the safety of Lord Peng, but I have been blocked at the gate by these petty people. It is truly disheartening."
"Please, please, sir, since you care about the affairs of the world, please don't take these trivial matters to heart. I have already apologized to you, sir, please forgive me." Bai Quan grabbed Gongsun Ming's arm and made a gesture, and the halberd-wielding hands that had been blocking the two of them stepped back.
The three passed through a moon gate and arrived at the back courtyard. Gongsun Ming saw that the artificial hills and pavilions in this courtyard were arranged with great ingenuity, showing that Peng Yuancheng was also a refined person. If it were an ordinary, vulgar person who only pursued superficial splendor, they would not have been so serene and elegant.
Upon entering the hall, they found it already filled with people, both civil and military officials. As the three entered, they all rose and bowed, and Gongsun Ming and Tong Pei returned the greeting. Just then, a voice announced from the back room, "The City Lord has arrived!" All the officials and soldiers fell silent, clearly showing great respect for Peng Yuancheng's imposing presence.
Gongsun Ming also stood at attention and remained silent. Then, a series of steady footsteps approached from afar, and a tall, imposing general with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a ruddy complexion strode into the hall. He gestured for everyone to sit down, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gongsun Ming and Tong Pei, saying, "General Tong is an acquaintance, but this gentleman is quite unfamiliar. May I ask what brings you two here?"
Since he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, Gongsun Ming had already formed a preliminary understanding of him. This man was shrewd and suspicious, which was why he had made things difficult for him even after deciding to meet him. This man came from a prestigious family and was quite refined, which was why he could live in such a house. This man was meticulous and insightful, which was why he bypassed pleasantries and asked him directly.
"My name is Gongsun Ming, and I have always served under Lord Liu Guang, the Deputy Marshal of the Chen Kingdom's army." For someone like this, the first step is to let him know that his journey is not as simple as he imagines. Gongsun Ming introduced Liu Guang's name, partly to leverage Liu Guang's reputation for his own backing, but more importantly, to immediately impress Peng Yuancheng and make him want to listen. Only then could he possibly move him. His unusual behavior in the courtyard earlier had already left a deep impression on Peng Yuancheng; now was the time to solidify that impression.
Chapter Five: Dramatic Change
Section 1
"Is he one of General Liu's men?" Peng Yuancheng was indeed taken aback. He knew this person was definitely not from Yuzhou, but he hadn't expected him to be Liu Guang's advisor. Liu Guang's name, like Lu Xiang's, was known throughout the land. He wondered what such a person's intentions were in sending someone to see him.
He glanced around; his subordinates and advisors seemed stunned by the man's identity, their prepared remarks rendered unspeakable. So he said, "General Liu's name is renowned throughout the land; he is a hero revered across the entire continent. How could he possibly know of a mere Peng Yuancheng?"
"Although Commander Liu is thousands of miles away, he is very concerned about Yuzhou. It's not for any other reason than that Yuzhou has a heroic figure like Lord Peng." Gongsun Ming still started by flattering Peng Yuancheng, hoping to make him happy first.
But Peng Yuancheng was far superior to Jiang Runqun. Although he was valued by someone like Liu Guang, which made him feel proud, it was not enough to make him lose his head. He raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled, "Mr. Gongsun, you are too kind. I, Peng Yuancheng, am just a local from Yuzhou. How could I possibly be worthy of the discerning eye of a hero like General Liu who has traversed the world?"
Gongsun Ming's expression turned serious, and he said, "No, no. Commander Liu has long heard of Lord Peng's exquisite military tactics. He often said that since Lu Xiang's passing, there have been almost no great military strategists in the world. He has only heard that Lord Peng's military tactics are meticulous and solid, showing the style of a master. Commander Liu analyzed several of Lord Peng's battle examples and was deeply impressed. He believes that if Lord Peng could obtain the right timing, no one in Yuzhou would be able to defeat him, and he would be more than capable of contending for supremacy in the world."
These words struck a chord with Peng Yuancheng. He had spent years in Yuzhou, biding his time and waiting for the opportune moment. But when that moment finally arrived, Li Jun emerged out of nowhere, seizing control of Yuzhou with unimaginable speed. For Peng Yuancheng, who had waited so long, the disappointment of seeing his prize snatched away was unimaginable.
"Well, when it comes to military strategy, how can we not mention Commander Li Jun? He is young and talented, and his military strategy is like that of a god. He has a deep-rooted style of Lu Xiang. I wonder what Marshal Liu thinks of him?"
He turned the conversation to Li Jun because he had always secretly compared himself to Li Jun and was eager to know how a famous general like Liu Guang would evaluate Li Jun.
"Li Jun?" Gongsun Ming smiled slightly. As long as Peng Yuancheng was willing to ask questions, half of his goal would be achieved. Moreover, Peng Yuancheng asking about Li Jun was something he was more than happy to do. "Commander Liu said that if Li Jun were not born with congenital deficiencies, he would be a master of military strategy and tactics, and should have become a great master."
“Inherent deficiencies?” Peng Yuancheng noticed his prerequisite. “What are the inherent deficiencies? Please enlighten me, Mr. Gongsun.”
"Li Jun had three inherent shortcomings, which led to his self-destruction." Gongsun Ming cupped his hands, slowly walked to the center of the hall, and said loudly, "First, his humble origins made it difficult for him to win the hearts of the people. Li Jun was merely a common soldier, and Lu Xiang, appreciating his talent, promoted him from the ranks. While heroes of the land feared his wisdom and military prowess, they were not ashamed to associate with prisoners and commoners. Therefore, although Yuzhou was pacified, he had not won the hearts of the people, and although the port city was established, its foundation was still shallow. Second, he had ample military strategy but insufficient political strategy. On the battlefield, he could strategize effectively, but..." The administration of Yuzhou is in complete disarray. With Feng Jiutian in charge, his actions are often erratic, deviating from ancient principles and violating ancestral laws. If this continues, it will surely alienate and alienate the scholars of the prefecture. Thirdly, he is vulgar, rude, and unlearned. He rose from the ranks of the military, has never read more than ten volumes of books, knows nothing of history, has never read poetry or prose, and has never learned music or chess. Such a vulgar person, suddenly placed in a high position, will surely become restless and unable to control himself. Like a tree with shallow roots growing a hundred feet tall, when a storm comes, it will be uprooted. The greater its power, the faster its demise!
Peng Yuancheng listened as he analyzed Li Jun's weaknesses one by one. While there might be some exaggerations, they were all facts. In particular, Li Jun's humble origins and coarse manners were noteworthy. Although it's said that heroes aren't afraid of humble beginnings, in this chaotic world, it was extremely rare for someone to achieve great things without the support of powerful local families. Moreover, after unifying Yuzhou, Li Jun's eagerness to send troops to Chen before stabilizing his rear, while having its own reasons, revealed the shortcomings stemming from these inherent weaknesses.
If the goal was simply to expose the dissidents lurking in Yuzhou, it would have been far more prudent to spend two or three years stabilizing the situation before dealing with them more thoroughly. Although this would have taken longer, it would have been much more reliable. However, Li Jun's lack of composure and refinement led him to be impatient to wipe out all enemies, resulting in his rash decision to launch an expedition. Although he had contingency plans, they were rendered useless in the face of the impending danger.
Peng Yuancheng pondered this in his heart, but his face darkened, and he put on an expression of extreme dissatisfaction with Gongsun Ming's remarks, glancing at the group of advisors.
A staff member named Shi Ze understood, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted angrily, "Shut up! This is nothing but the view of a pedantic scholar, yet you dare to show off here!"
Gongsun Ming turned his gaze to him, saw that his face was sallow, and smiled, "I wonder what advice this gentleman has for me?"
Shi Ze cupped his hands in greeting to Peng Yuancheng and stepped forward from his seat, saying, "Commander Li is wise and brave, his talent and wisdom are unparalleled in this era. His subordinates are as numerous as clouds of wisdom and as many as rain down generals who can withstand ten thousand men. In just one year, he has swept away the centuries-old chaos in Yuzhou. In the world today, even Marshal Liu Guang, can you match such talent and wisdom? Commander Li comes from humble origins, which is why he loves the people like his own children. In just one year, every household in Yuzhou has erected a memorial tablet for him. How can you say that he has won the hearts of the people?" "Disobedience? Chaos necessitates change; this is an ancient principle. Commander Li's policies of suppressing the strong and aiding the weak, reforming the old laws, are in fact new policies. How can you say his actions are eccentric? Commander Li suffered a setback in his early years, preventing him from fully studying history and literature. However, he received personal instruction from the late Marshal Lu Xiang and was always reading even amidst military campaigns. How can you say he is unlearned? You, sir, have never met Commander Li and naturally assume he is impetuous. But those of us who have met him know that he is as calm and collected as a deep pool, certainly not a rash person!"
"Haha, sir, you are mistaken." Gongsun Ming sneered, "Li Jun is a lowly man, yet you regard him as a hero. I wonder if your father and brothers, like Li Jun, were born into a poor family and rose from the ranks of prisoners?"
Instead of directly answering Shi Ze's rebuttal, he bluntly inquired about Shi Ze's family background. Shi Ze blushed; his family was indeed rather poor, though not as humble as Gongsun Ming claimed, but certainly not a prominent or prestigious family. Seeing that he was speechless, Gongsun Ming pressed on, saying, "Sir, your family has a long history of learning, but your knowledge is shallow and not worth discussing. Please leave."
Shi Ze, overcome with anger, forced a bow to Peng Yuancheng and strode out of the hall. Just then, another person shouted, "Lord City Lord, this Gongsun Ming is so arrogant! Why not tie him up with a rope and execute him in the marketplace?"
Peng Yuancheng smiled slightly and turned his gaze to Gongsun Ming, wanting to see how he would handle the situation. Gongsun Ming approached the man, staring intently at him without saying a word. The man, flustered by his gaze, angrily retorted, "I am Guo Yunfei! Why are you looking at me like that?"
Gongsun Ming said leisurely, "I want to see carefully who wants to harm Lord Peng and put him to death." In his words, he did not say that Guo Yunfei wanted to harm him, but instead accused Guo Yunfei of wanting to harm Peng Yuancheng.