All eyes were now on Li Nian, everyone suspecting he had ulterior motives. After all, Li Shu had suffered a stroke and fallen unconscious. Both were military commanders and from the same household, leading to suspicions of unspoken ambitions due to the struggle between the legitimate and illegitimate lines.
Li Nian, however, cupped his fists and bowed, saying, "With the commanding general absent, it has always been the deputy general's duty to act in his stead. I implore Deputy General Luo to provide guidance."
Deputy General Luo glanced at Li Nian with surprise, a hint of smugness then appearing in his eyes. Before anyone else could speak, this Deputy General Luo stood up and unceremoniously began his inaugural speech.
"Since Marquis is gravely ill, he should focus on his recovery. Is the northern frontier a dragon's lair or a tiger's den that we should fear those barbarians! With Luo Sheng here, I guarantee we will defend Mo Bei City and bury those barbarians!"
His words were impassioned and seemed designed to rally spirits before battle. Unfortunately, those present were not impressed. Some frowned, others hesitated to speak, clearly not sharing Luo Sheng's optimism.
Li Nian observed everyone's reactions impassively, re-evaluating Li Man'er's strategic acumen. His grandniece, he mused, was truly prescient! She had even calculated everyone's reactions.
Luo Sheng's speech had failed to elicit any strong resonance. On the contrary, the morale was low, as if they had already lost half the battle before the barbarians had even arrived.
The scene was akin to a leader concluding a speech to a silent, unapplauding audience.
It was incredibly awkward.
Luo Sheng clearly understood that no one held high hopes for him, and he became angry. "What do you mean by this?"
No one spoke, seemingly weighing their words carefully.
If Luo Sheng's earlier words had been spoken by Li Shu, or even by Li Nian, their reactions would not have been the same.
They knew exactly who Luo Sheng was and what his capabilities were!
Luo Sheng was the full brother of the current Imperial Consort. He was, in effect, the Emperor's brother-in-law.
The Luo clan was considered a prominent family, but after the Imperial Consort gained favor, the Luo family members became increasingly reckless, often engaging in acts that incurred heaven's wrath, relying on the Consort's backing.
This Luo Sheng, being of the same mother as the Imperial Consort, was deeply doted upon by her. He was neither learned nor skilled in martial arts, generally being a dolt. His presence in Mo Bei with the title of deputy general was purely for show.
With Li Shu present, should any mistakes occur, it would not fall to him to take the blame or face punishment. On the contrary, as long as he remained in Mo Bei for a period without incident, inaction would be considered meritorious. If Li Shu handled matters competently and achieved military accolades, Luo Sheng could easily reap the rewards, considering himself seasoned.
This was an unspoken truth; who dared question the Emperor's decision? The Emperor clearly intended to elevate the Luo family and bring honor to the Imperial Consort, so they dared not object.
As long as Luo Sheng was not the commander, no one would object to them addressing him as vice-marshal. However, if he were to give orders and lead the three armies as the commander, they feared they would die without understanding why.
What did the Luo fellow know? Aside from eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, this man probably couldn't even recite the Analects. To have such a person lead the three armies would be worse than collective suicide, and at least then they would remain whole.
"General Li, your suggestion is quite… insightful," Jia Er said with a sardonic tone, as if implying something.
Li Nian smiled.
"When the commanding general is absent, it is the deputy general who issues orders. This has been the principle since ancient times. I merely followed the rules in making this suggestion. What, does Commander Jia find my suggestion unpalatable or inappropriate?"
Luo Sheng's sinister gaze fell upon Jia Er.
Anyone who stood up to oppose him at this juncture was deserving of death.
Jia Er, though outwardly rough, was not unintelligent. He immediately understood that Li Nian was putting a knife to his throat, intending to make an example of him. If he tacitly approved of Luo Sheng as the commanding general, others would follow his lead and tacitly agree.
What if he opposed? The military had a clear hierarchy. If he openly defied, he would be not far from death.
This Deputy General Luo was personally appointed by the Emperor!
"How could that be?" Jia Er gritted his teeth and said, "General Li's suggestion is excellent."
Seeing Jia Er back down, the others also remained silent, implicitly accepting Luo Sheng's authority.
Li Nian smiled faintly. "Since that is the case, I shall not involve myself further in the ensuing matters. Gentlemen, tomorrow is New Year's Eve. The barbarians are likely to seize this opportunity to attack. I implore everyone to quickly deliberate and formulate a plan. If there is anything in which my assistance is required, Li shall not shirk his duty."
With that, he gave a slight nod and strode out of the council hall.
Shameless!
Jia Er wished he could bore two holes through Li Nian.
"Gentlemen, we should now work together with one heart," Luo Sheng said, beaming, as he took the head seat with an air of command. "Deliberate carefully and write down a plan. If it is well-written, it will be implemented. If not, your wages will be deducted."
The others exchanged glances. What a mess this was.
Li Shu was unconscious, and Li Nian had washed his hands of the matter, leaving an incompetent fool to manage the situation. Wasn't this a joke?
Li Nian found Li Man'er and asked about Li Shu's condition.
"Third Uncle, rest assured, he will not die," Li Man'er said, giving Liu Ya a look. The latter quickly went to guard the door and keep watch.
"I sealed several vital acupoints on him, making his condition appear indistinguishable from a stroke. The military doctors are not skilled enough to detect it, so please be at ease."
Li Nian nodded and then asked, "As for Luo Sheng, he is clearly an incompetent fool. With him around, I fear things will go awry."
Li Man'er smiled. "Precisely why he is needed. Third Uncle, do not worry, it is better for things to go awry!"
"You think Luo Sheng is a fool, but Imperial Consort Luo is not. If this matter is exposed in the future, how will we face it?"
"He will be court-martialed for delaying the war effort, and his death will be in vain. Third Uncle, in the Emperor's eyes, is a mere Imperial Consort more important, or is repelling the barbarians and etching one's name in history more significant?"
Such audacity!
Li Nian thought to himself that, in Li Man'er's eyes, the Imperial Consort was merely a trivial matter.
However, what did etching one's name in history mean?
"Man'er, while the Emperor certainly values the empire and its people, he would not entirely disregard the Imperial Consort's feelings! You must realize that the Luo family's standing in court is not solely due to the Imperial Consort's favor."
"I understand the gravity of the situation, but Third Uncle, do you trust me?" Li Man'er asked, her gaze earnest as she met Li Nian's eyes. "Do you trust me?"
For some reason, meeting such eyes, Li Nian found himself speechless.
"Of course, I trust you."
Li Man'er said confidently, "Then everyone shall wait and see!"