noveltune Chapter 050 The Way of Balance
Chapter 050 The Way of Balance
And so, Zhao Sheng not only didn't run away, but instead rebelled.
Compared to the saying "a scholar's rebellion will never succeed in ten years," Zhao Sheng, a student who had only completed the preliminary examination, was not only resourceful but also had enough courage. Before the government could take action, he contacted a group of fellow villagers who were already dissatisfied with the imperial court. With the help of his elder who worked as a clerk in the county government, Zhao Sheng launched a surprise attack, and his rebellion was easily accomplished.
When Zhao Sheng led his men to seize the county government office and arrested the magistrate who had falsely accused him of being a rebel, he felt extremely pleased as he looked at the trembling official kneeling at his feet.
Then, following his prior preparations and incorporating information from Bao'an County, he followed the same procedure. First, he posted notices to reassure the people, then he held public trials of corrupt officials in the county, and then he opened the granaries to distribute grain...
By carrying out these tasks step by step, Zhao Sheng naturally won the approval of the villagers. In a short time, many people eagerly joined the army, and Zhao Sheng accepted all who came. He quickly gathered nearly three thousand people and became the leader of this newly formed militia.
After listening to Zhao Sheng's account, Zhou Lun suddenly understood why Zhao Sheng, a scholar, had become the leader of a rebel army and raised such a force. He never imagined that Zhao Sheng's uprising would be so legendary and unbelievable.
"There's nothing inherently wrong with rebelling," Zhao Sheng smiled. "When I read history books, I often saw the phrase 'officials forcing the people to rebel,' but I never imagined that one day I would experience it firsthand."
Zhou Lun nodded, equally moved. He hadn't expected that even a scholar like Zhao Sheng would be forced into this situation. It seemed that the Ming Dynasty's decline to such a state was not undeserved.
Gao Yingxiang's troops arrived in Qingjian the next day, along with Li Wanqing's, Wang Er's, and other troops.
Zhou Lun and Zhao Sheng greeted them outside the city.
Upon seeing Zhao Sheng and noticing his appearance, Gao Yingxiang was quite surprised. After learning about the details of Zhao Sheng's uprising, his feelings were similar to Zhou Lun's the day before. They both felt that the court had actually forced scholars to rebel, and that the fate of the Ming Dynasty was probably sealed.
Gao Yingxiang was very enthusiastic towards Zhao Sheng. He already possessed excellent personal charm, and with his deliberate efforts to befriend him, Zhao Sheng also had a rather good impression of this rebel leader.
After everyone entered the city, Zhao Sheng hosted a banquet to welcome Gao Yingxiang and his men. During the banquet, Zhao Sheng directly proposed that he bring his troops to join Gao Yingxiang's rebel army. Gao Yingxiang was overjoyed and readily agreed.
"With Brother Zhao joining us, our rebel army will be even stronger! How could we possibly refuse?" Gao Yingxiang said with a smile. "I, Gao Yingxiang, am not very capable, but I have been elected as the chief by all of you brothers. Currently, Brother Li is the second chief, Brother Wang is the third chief... If Brother Zhao doesn't mind, how about becoming the fourth chief? Your troops will still be under Brother Zhao's command, and we will advance and retreat together?"
"Excellent!" Zhao Sheng already knew about Gao Yingxiang's rebel army from Zhou Lun and was even more familiar with the organization of each unit. Naturally, he wouldn't refuse Gao Yingxiang's suggestion. Besides, Gao Yingxiang was someone he had invited, and they had previously planned to combine their forces; this arrangement was exactly what he wanted.
"Great!" Seeing Zhao Sheng's straightforwardness, Gao Yingxiang was even happier. He immediately finalized the matter and instructed Li Wanqing, Wang Er, and others to get closer to Zhao Sheng, so that they would all be one family from now on.
Zhao Sheng was very friendly towards Li Wanqing.
After all, Zhao Sheng's reputation for shooting down the sky was considerable, especially since Li Wanqing was Zhou Lun's sworn brother. When Zhao Sheng and Zhou Lun became sworn brothers, Li Wanqing was included in the ceremony. Therefore, the two felt an immediate connection upon meeting. Li Wanqing was a kind and honest man, and Zhou Lun had already secretly informed him of Zhao Sheng's situation upon entering the city. With this connection to Zhou Lun, Li Wanqing naturally had a very positive impression of Zhao Sheng, and the two got along very well, quickly becoming sworn brothers.
But things weren't so good for Wang Er.
Although Zhao Sheng treated Wang Er with equal politeness, he was far less affectionate than he was towards Li Wanqing. The reason was simple: Zhao Sheng despised Wang Er's actions in Anding.
As a scholar, Zhao Sheng despised Wang Er's ruthlessness and lack of principles. Zhao Sheng's rebellion was out of desperation, and even after the uprising, he maintained his principles, only killing corrupt officials and never ordinary people. It was precisely this behavior and his righteous act in Qingjian that won him the support of the local people.
But Wang Er was different. He was cruel and bloodthirsty, and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. When attacking An, he not only massacred innocent people, but also coerced civilians to swarm the city. Zhao Sheng couldn't stand such behavior no matter what.
However, although he looked down on Wang Er, Zhao Sheng did not show it on the surface and continued to treat him politely.
Unexpectedly, while Zhao Sheng looked down on Wang Er, Wang Er looked down on Zhao Sheng even more.
In his view, it was sheer luck that this pale-faced scholar, who couldn't even kill a chicken, could capture Qingjian. What merit did Zhao Sheng possess to be on par with him in the rebel army? And how could he command a force no smaller than his own?
Wang Er and Zhao Sheng didn't get along from the first meeting, mainly because of their incompatible personalities, as well as Zhou Lun and Li Wanqing.
The rebel army was originally divided into three factions. Wang Er, relying on Gao Yingxiang's support, competed with Li Wanqing in every way after joining, all in order to gain the upper hand.
Especially in the battle to capture Anding, Wang Er not only led the vanguard to take the town, but also served as the main force to break through the city walls. However, he later heard that Li Wanqing was very dissatisfied with his actions and even had many criticisms of him in private. Wang Er, who already had an ordinary relationship with Li Wanqing, was naturally very unhappy when he found out.
While the rebel army was resting and reorganizing in Anding, Wang Er clashed with Li Wanqing's subordinates again in order to expand his forces and compete for soldiers.
Although Gao Yingxiang eventually suppressed the matter, it remained in Wang Er's mind. As a result, the relationship between Wang Er and Li Wanqing and Zhou Lun deteriorated, and a subtle antagonism began to emerge between them. When Zhao Sheng invited Gao Yingxiang to Qingjian, Gao Yingxiang once again appointed Zhou Lun as the vanguard, which made Wang Er even more uncomfortable.
When Wang Er saw Zhao Sheng chatting and laughing with Li Wanqing, Zhou Lun, and others, addressing them as brothers, he couldn't stand the sight of this pretty boy. When Zhao Sheng greeted him, although he didn't show his displeasure on the spot out of respect for Gao Yingxiang, his attitude was extremely perfunctory, and his face wore a forced smile.
"From now on, we'll be brothers sharing the same pot and the ladle, so we should unite sincerely, work together, and fight against the imperial court!"
Gao Yingxiang was no ordinary man; he could naturally tell at a glance that Wang Er and Zhao Sheng didn't get along. But he didn't point it out directly, nor did he try to mediate between the two. Instead, he simply said this lightly, then smiled and raised his glass, suggesting that everyone drink together.
Seeing Gao Yingxiang's attitude, the others wouldn't refuse him, and immediately raised their glasses to drink together, instantly enlivening the atmosphere again. As they continued to toast and exchange drinks, the subtle unpleasantness from before seemed to vanish as if it had never happened.
Watching this scene, Zhou Lun seemed to be deep in thought, and he couldn't help but admire Gao Yingxiang's skill.
Despite his humble origins, Gao Yingxiang was born to be a leader, his ability to maintain a delicate balance was masterful. More importantly, while he appeared extremely fair on the surface, he was actually quite calculating. If Zhou Lun hadn't been a similar type of person, no one else would have noticed.
Did Gao Yingxiang really not know about the conflict between Li Wanqing and Wang Er? Or did he really not see that Zhao Sheng and Wang Er looked down on each other as soon as they met, and there were subtle signs of antagonism between them?
of course not.
As the leader of the rebel army, Gao Yingxiang knew better than anyone else what Li Wanqing, Wang Er, and Zhao Sheng, the three leaders second only to himself, were thinking, and even Zhou Lun and others.
It could even be said that the current situation is exactly what Gao Yingxiang desired, and something he deliberately created. Ever since Wang Er came to join him, Gao Yingxiang has secretly provided him with conveniences and quietly supported him in his rivalry with Li Wanqing. In this way, the two factions, which were at odds, could be brought under his control through his appeasement, which greatly benefited Gao Yingxiang.
Zhou Lun is a business elite who has been a big boss. The intricacies of the business world lie not only in business dealings and interpersonal relationships, but also in internal management and control.
For example, people often say that their boss is an idiot. Even though there are scoundrels in the company, he prefers to promote them and suppress the honest and hardworking people. Such behavior is extremely foolish.
But how could the working class know that the boss could be an idiot or a fool? If they were idiots or fools, how could they possibly become bosses? And why are those working class people who think they're smart only good at being employees?
Just as water that is too clear has no fish, so too does workplace management. While hardworking employees are necessary, a disruptive force is equally indispensable. If you don't promote those who are less capable, don't constantly instill a sense of crisis in your subordinates, and don't even use them to control and balance the internal situation, are you really going to let them band together, grow powerful, and eventually pose a threat to the boss?
Zhou Lun understood this all too well. He had done the same thing when he started his business. And it wasn't just Zhou Lun who did it; every successful person did it.
"Your position determines your perspective"—this saying may not sound pleasant, but it's true.
Gao Yingxiang's current actions are the same.
He would love for Wang Er to be at odds with Li Wanqing and Zhao Sheng, or even to have a conflict with them. Only in this way could Gao Yingxiang, as the chief leader, control the situation and achieve the balance he needed through the infighting among his subordinates.
Moreover, as the conflict arises, Wang Er will have no choice but to gravitate more towards Gao Yingxiang and rely on him to secure his position in the rebel army. This gives Gao Yingxiang even more control over the various units of the rebel army.