Chapter 334 Conquering the Southeast

…

From morning till dusk, w.a.n.g Jingxin talked with Li Tianlan for a long time.

The villa’s small living room had a balcony with superb views.

Li Tianlan beheld his grandpa boarding a helicopter surrounded by Dongcheng Wudi and the others. The quaint and outdated General uniform he wore was majestic and dazzling, like the Li family’s only remaining afterglow.

He felt the sudden gust blowing in Lin’an. The green leaves were carried high in the wind, and the whole lake was turbulent in the wind.

Li Tianlan did not know what would happen to the Li family after the gust ceased.

It was like no one knew what would happen when Li Honghe returned to Youzhou again.

The wind outside was whistling, covering the sky.

The summer wind was hot as well.

But sitting in the villa, Li Tianlan suddenly felt a little cold.

He looked at w.a.n.g Jingxin in front of him, listening to his offers.

Li Tianlan had entered the secular world for three years. Only now did he really felt the part of the general trend and storm, which was related to himself and the Li family.

That was totally different from three years ago.

Three years ago, the decisive battle of Heaven Capital was the general trend of the Dark World. It was the gains and losses of Zhongzhou State between the advance and retreat. It was related to Li Tianlan but not closely related.

This time, however, the Li family was entirely at the center of the storm.

Li Honghe, who had left Youzhou for many years, returned to Youzhou again.

What would he gain?

This matter was related to Zhongzhou State but not that closely related. It was just about the gains and losses of the Li family.

The number of the Li family’s gains in this matter could fully affect the future advancement and retreat of Li Tianlan.

In contrast, the negotiations with w.a.n.g Jingxin were utterly insignificant.

Thus, Li Tianlan spoke very little all afternoon.

His wording was very cautious, but his mind had already flown with Li Honghe to the plenary meeting of the Decision Making Committee that was being held in Youzhou.

Qin Weibai had been accompanying Li Tianlan.

Not even Flaming Fire had entered this small living room of high privacy.

Qin Weibai was both a waiter and a representative of Li Tianlan.

She made tea personally and then negotiated with w.a.n.g Jingxin, according to the thought of Li Tianlan. In the whole afternoon, she made more than twenty demands.

The demands varied greatly.

Some were of great significance.

While the others were all about details.

Qin Weibai seemed to attach great importance to the negotiations genuinely, so she was extremely serious.

Li Tianlan remained silent most of the time.

Thinking about the meeting in Youzhou, he listened to the negotiations between Qin Weibai and w.a.n.g Jingxin.

Previously, there were only Martial Arts in his world.

Politics, tactics, general trend…

These were quite strange to him up to now.

Martial Arts were not representative of everything.

Therefore, Li Tianlan had now begun to learn these things consciously.

Fortunately, he had no shortage of such teachers. Both his grandfather, Li Honghe, and his wife, Qin Weibai, were excellent in these aspects.

The night was about to fall.

The sun was setting.

Darkness enveloped Lin’an.

The gust outside the window had turned into a breeze.

After negotiating with Qin Weibai for a whole afternoon, w.a.n.g Jingxin agreed to the majority of her conditions. After exchanging contact information with Li Tianlan, he left without hesitation.

Li Tianlan and Qin Weibai sent him out of the villa and watched his black Mercedes leave the villa area. The red taillights were getting farther and farther in their sights.

“He left in a hurry,” said Li Tianlan.

…

Indeed, when w.a.n.g Jingxin left, he was still composed and indifferent. However, the speed of his car exposed his actual mood. He left at a speed which could be considered speeding even in some parts of downtown Lin’an, not to mention in the villa area.

“He is under a lot of pressure, and we have talked a little bit more today. He is in a hurry to go back to sort out his thoughts and report to w.a.n.g Tianzong, which is normal.”

Qin Weibai stood beside Li Tianlan, holding his arm naturally.

The lamplight of the villa followed the open door into the night, stretching Qin Weibai’s shadow. Her long, silky hair danced with the night breeze, making her calm and gentle.

“That’s exactly what confuses me.”

Li Tianlan kept silent for a while before he whispered, “Don’t you think he has compromised too much?”

There were indeed some things he had never touched.

As a result, he could not fully understand them.

Hence, he used the tone of consultation.

Qin Weibai spent most of the afternoon making demands. Although she was smiling, her att.i.tude was particularly tough.

For example, in the future, the East Emperor Palace’s development in Lin’an would have the full support of w.a.n.g Jingxin.

For example, Lin’an had to rebuild Lonely Mountain.

Another example was that w.a.n.g Jingxin must confront the pressure that the East Emperor Palace would face in Lin’an from the Southeast Special Warfare Headquarters.

Li Tianlan did not understand politics.

But he was no fool. At least he knew Qin Weibai was asking too much. If w.a.n.g Jingxin agreed to all of the demands, the treatment the East Emperor Palace would receive in Lin’an would not even be inferior to that of the young forces cultivated by the w.a.n.g family of Beihai.

w.a.n.g Jingxin agreed to most of the demands.

He did not explicitly reject the remaining requests but said they would be reconsidered.

Did he make such compromises just to stay in Lin’an?

What made Li Tianlan most puzzled was the att.i.tude of Qin Weibai.

Her att.i.tude was way too serious. Looking at the series of demands she put forward, even Li Tianlan himself felt that she wanted him to set the headquarters of the East Emperor Palace in Lin’an.

The Li family would occupy Lonely Mountain.

The problem was that the future field of the East Emperor Palace was Tiannan.

“It’s just the beginning.”

Qin Weibai took Li Tianlan’s arm and walked down the steps. Her soft body was almost glued to his. “We will ask more and more from now on. It’s hard for w.a.n.g Jingxin to refuse our present requests. Once he agrees to help us this time, he is likely to make more concessions to us in the future. When he truly doesn’t want to get involved with us, we won’t need him, either.”

She took Li Tianlan to West Lake, and her voice was soft and gentle. “Tianlan, it’s hard for you to understand how crucial a stronghold is to a politician, especially for w.a.n.g Jingxin. He won’t give up Lin’an unless he really has to. The w.a.n.g family of Beihai won’t let him give it up, either.”

“w.a.n.g Jingxin has a promising future. He would definitely enter the Decision Making Committee if nothing were to happen. But where he ends up (whether he is a senator or a director), is determined not just by his ambition and finesse but by the favorable circ.u.mstances as well. If he is forced to leave Lin’an without preparation, it will be difficult for him to reach the end in the future. It’s not a simple matter of changing a position.”

Qin Weibai’s tone was cool and calm. What she said was almost no longer a matter of intellectual speculation but of knowing certainty.

“Why?” Li Tianlan asked.

…

Qin Weibai hesitated obviously, then she said softly, “Because it’s Jiangzhe.”

“So?”

Li Tianlan raised his eyebrows.

He really didn’t know much about the Li family’s previous specific forces, but ultimately, these things were what he had to touch.

“The relations.h.i.+p between the Li family and the w.a.n.g family of Beihai had always been very close. For centuries, the two had been controlling the Southeast Group at the same time. So before the collapse of the Li family, the direct descendants of the two families were on very intimate terms on many occasions. In many places, the direct descendants of the two worked together. There were, however, nuances. If you insist on distinguis.h.i.+ng the slightest difference, Jiangzhe was arguably the most solid stronghold of the Li family.”

Qin Weibai looked at Li Tianlan’s face, which was changing quietly, and continued to whisper, “Do you understand? That’s the same situation as the w.a.n.g family of Beihai is in Beihai Province and Wuyue Province. Jiangzhe was once the Li family’s most solid fortress, and it was also the place where the Li family’s power was the strongest. Even after the Li family’s collapse, there has been little staff adjustment over the years. Wu Zhengmin, who has been the First Secretary of Jiangzhe for nearly two decades, is the most obvious example.

“Wu Zhengmin served on the Central Committee of Zhongzhou State four times in a row, once as Governor and three times as the First Secretary. I’m afraid that even the w.a.n.g family of Beihai themselves don’t know how strong and deep his roots are in Jiangzhe.”

Qin Weibai added quietly, “That’s one of the most developed provinces in Zhongzhou State. The Li family collapsed, but the Southeast Group is still there. So although Jiangzhe does not belong to the Li family, it belongs to the Southeast Group. In the final a.n.a.lysis, it belongs to Wu Zhengmin. Wu Zhengmin is in the Southeast Group, and then Jiangzhe becomes the back garden of the Southeast Group. And since Wu Zhengmin is in the Li family, Jiangzhe is, too, the back garden of the Li family.

“He was the person Senior Li valued the most in the past. Over the years, he has never expressed any views on the collapse of the Li family, but he has always been firmly guarding the Li family’s last foundation. Senior Li has quite a discerning eye. I’m afraid he’s only misjudged two people all his life.”

Li Tianlan was stunned at the moment and could not speak at all.

He had thought that the Li family had long fallen.

He had thought that the Li family had had no roots.

Only when he arrived in Jiangzhe did he understand what was going on.

“Why didn’t w.a.n.g Tianzong plot against Wu Zhengmin?”

Li Tianlan could not help but ask.

“It’s not that easy.”

Qin Weibai continued, shaking her head, “The collapse of the Li family came too suddenly. As a result, the w.a.n.g family of Beihai was not well prepared. At first, everything was a complete shambles. w.a.n.g Tianzong did have the intention of plotting against Wu Zhengmin, but he dared not. The w.a.n.g family of Beihai’s inaction had made many people displeased. If he had been in a rush to harm the person that Senior Li valued the most shortly after the collapse of the Li family, he would have asked for trouble himself.

“When w.a.n.g Tianzong had stabilized the situation, Wu Zhengmin had become the top leader of Jiangzhe and had been deeply rooted there. At that time, Wu Zhengmin was already not a pushover. About a decade ago, there was news inside the Southeast Group, signaling that Wu Zhengmin would get promotion and be transferred out of Jiangzhe, but he rejected the proposal. Thus, w.a.n.g Jingxin came to Jiangzhe.”

Li Tianlan fell silent, but inside he knew exactly what Qin Weibai meant.

w.a.n.g Jingxin came to Jiangzhe to run Lin’an with a cleaning task. He rose through the ranks in Jiangzhe. If everything went well, as the top leader of the provincial capital, he would become the Governor of Jiangzhe in two years.

Jiangzhe was the foundation that Wu Zhengmin looked after for the Li family.

If w.a.n.g Jingxin succeeded in taking the place of Wu Zhengmin, he could wholly and slowly transform the Li family’s previous power into his own, thus entirely eliminating the Li family’s voice in the Southeast Group. By then, relying on this force, he could have the full support of the Southeast Group and embarked on his journey to the apex of power.

If he left Jiangzhe, it would be his failure. Not only did he lose his aura as a political strongman, but he also might not have the same chance in any other province.

“So to speak… the whole Jiangzhe is actually still under the control of the Li family?” Li Tianlan asked, taking a deep breath and repressing the amazement deep inside his heart.

…

With a province as the foundation, what future would the Li family have?

“No. To be exact, it is under the control of Wu Zhengmin, and it is only half of Jiangzhe.”

Qin Weibai’s tone was calm. “And as time goes by, his influence in Jiangzhe will gradually decrease. Many people in Jiangzhe had relations with the original Li family. Even if they were not its trusted subordinates, they had at least received its favor. But people are all realistic. Over the years, Wu Zhengmin has kept Jiangzhe firmly under his control. Naturally, these people wouldn’t act rashly. But as he gets older, those people will definitely have other thoughts.”

Qin Weibai looked at Li Tianlan gently. “It is not that easy for the Li family to take back Jiangzhe again. Even if Wu Zhengmin wants to hand over Jiangzhe, it’s still difficult for you to take it over. It’s not that you’re not powerful enough, it’s that they don’t see hope in you.”

There was no hope without strength.

It was actually the same thing.

“So that’s what my grandpa is fighting for when he comes back to Youzhou?” Li Tianlan asked.

…

The two were strolling along West Lake, clinging to each other, like a pair of lovers pa.s.sionately in love. But they were talking about the situation of the whole Zhongzhou State and the Li family’s survival.

“This hope is the price that the w.a.n.g family of Beihai must pay this time.”

Qin Weibai added in a soft voice, “I even suspect that the fact that w.a.n.g Tianzong and Gu Xingyun joined forces to come to Lin’an is the opportunity that Senior Li created for himself quietly. Even if Lin Fengting did not arrive, Senior Li should be all right. He has been waiting for the opportunity. Now the opportunity comes. The w.a.n.g family of Beihai mustn’t let w.a.n.g Jingxin, who is responsible for wiping out the Li family, leave Lin’an. But after this meeting, there will be a person, who is not inferior to w.a.n.g Jingxin, be it seniority or ploys, standing on your side and coming to Jiangzhe. The two will check and balance each other. It will allow those who are loyal to Wu Zhengmin to retain hope and move closer to you tentatively.”

A character who was excellent enough to compete with w.a.n.g Jingxin.

Li Tianlan thought of Zou Yuanshan immediately.

Both of them were hits, who were likely to become tyc.o.o.ns in the next 20 years. At present, the forces in Jiangzhe led by Wu Zhengmin seemed to belong to the Southeast Group, but actually they were free from the Six. Whether it was w.a.n.g Jingxin or Zou Yuanshan, whoever got the support of the forces would undergo the soaring of their strength. The forces, at the height of their rivalry, could even decide who would eventually step up to the altar and become the leader of Zhongzhou State.

Wu Zhengmin was at an advanced age. Therefore, the person who would come to Jiangzhe after this meeting would become a new hope for those people.

“As for this meeting…”

… Qin Weibai thought about it for a while and said slowly, “It’s not so simple. At least Wu Zhengmin’s leave or stay is uncertain. That’s why I negotiated with w.a.n.g Jingxin. He agreed to our conditions. Coupled with the one who will come to Jiangzhe, your strength in Jiangzhe will be quite strong. In the future, when you manage Tiannan on the surface, you can develop your strength in Jiangzhe secretly as well.”

Li Tianlan looked at his watch.

It was already nine o’clock in the evening.

The Meeting of the Decision Making Committee that started at 1 p.m. had lasted for eight hours and had not yet ended.

“What will be the outcome of this meeting?” Li Tianlan asked in a low voice.

…

“I am not sure.”

Qin Weibai shook her head. She took a deep look at Li Tianlan and whispered, “I have a top-secret message. Zhang Qi of Huating’s Southeast Special Warfare Headquarters is probably the dark chess left by Senior Li.”

“With the support of the Giant Group, Wu Zhengmin, Ning Zhiyuan, Zhang Qi… Tianlan, don’t you understand what it means?”

The support of the Giant Group.

If the top leader of Jiangzhe, the commander of the Eastern Theater of Operations, and the minister of the Southeast Special Warfare Headquarters were all the Li family’s forces, what did that mean?

Li Tianlan suddenly changed his face.

“Senior Li’s return to Youzhou this time is entirely based on Jiangzhe to conquer the southeast,” whispered Qin Weibai.

…

After remaining silent and low-key for more than 20 years, he finally waited for the opportunity.

When the Li family’s afterglow was about to dissipate entirely, Li Honghe had taken for granted the whole southeast of Zhongzhou State as his prey.

Based on Jiangzhe, he meant to conquer the southeast.

How daring was he?