Chapter Eighty-Five: Journey to the State of Yan

When Tian Chang was questioned in this manner, a look of alarm immediately appeared on his face.

"This is merely my own conjecture," he replied, "that the Guo clan likely has other intentions. Otherwise, Guo Yuan would not have risked himself so boldly. Now, it seems that the Sima Strategies have probably fallen into the hands of the Guo clan. The question is—what do they intend to do with it?"

Though his words were somewhat circuitous and based mostly on speculation, Gao Zhang could not help but furrow his brow once more.

The alliance between the Guo and Gao families had always been one of mutual support, ultimately for self-preservation—to secure their political interests within Qi. Their chief aim was to exclude the Bao clan and suppress the Tian clan, so that the reigns of power in Qi would remain firmly in their grasp.

Now that the Guo clan had acted first and seized the Sima Strategies, it was clearly to further strengthen their position. As time passed, this would inevitably weaken the advantage held by the Gao clan.

Yet Gao Zhang and Guo Xia had known each other for many years, their mutual understanding deep; Tian Chang's words alone could not sow discord between them.

After careful consideration, Gao Zhang finally spoke.

"In any case, the Sima Strategies remain within Qi. That is a blessing. Let us not speak of this matter again."

Hearing this, Tian Chang immediately bowed.

"I shall obey your command."

Yet a faint smile appeared on his lips. Gao Zhang had not rebuked him outright; this meant he harbored some displeasure, which was an encouraging sign.

As the saying goes, a dam may collapse from an ant’s nest; once a crack appears, it will only widen with time.

Leaving the Prime Minister’s residence, Tian Chang hurried toward Meng Yi’s quarters. He had not expected to encounter Guo Yuan there, and could not help but wonder why Guo Yuan would be present. Noticing an empty carriage nearby, Tian Chang quickly guessed the reason—Guo Yuan’s escape was likely aided by Meng Yi. He surmised that Meng Yi was deliberately currying favor with the Guo clan.

To Tian Chang, this was only natural. Since Han Zhan served Meng Yi, it was reasonable for him to forge alliances within Qi, and siding with Meng Yi was a logical move. Still, Tian Chang worried that Meng Yi might change sides.

Now that Guo Yuan knew it had been the Tian clan who poisoned Tian Rangju, his attitude toward Tian Chang was cold and dismissive; after a few perfunctory words, he rose and took his leave.

After Tian Chang sat down, he felt somewhat dissatisfied and spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

"Brother Han, you certainly enjoy good relations. Who would have thought you’d be so close with the Guo clan? The moment you returned to Linzi, the prince of Guo himself paid a visit. May I ask what matters you discussed?"

His question was somewhat discourteous, as if Meng Yi were his subordinate.

But Meng Yi seemed not to notice, smiling as he replied, "The prince of Guo and I share some personal friendship, but today he came for another reason—to clarify what agreement I might have with the Tian clan."

At this, Tian Chang’s expression eased.

"And how did you respond, Brother Han?"

"For the sake of trade, I returned the salt fields. At present, I rely on the Tian clan’s support; how could I possibly turn to the Guo clan? The young master of Tian is overly suspicious. Besides, Qi is about to attack Lu, and aside from the Tian clan, who else could I work with?"

These words were truthful, for the Guo clan would not betray the Gao clan at such a time. Tian Chang’s displeasure faded somewhat, and he spoke again.

"My father has agreed to your request, but there is one condition: this time, you must aid the Qi army. Win or lose, the Tian clan will fulfill its promise; a large supply of grain will be sent to Meng Yi’s territory."

Meng Yi’s heart sank. Tian Qi’s scheme was venomous—though the Qi army was merely targeting Xiyun, Tian Qi wanted Meng Yi to strike first, clearly aiming to prevent him from forging strong ties with the Guo and Gao clans, forcing him to rely solely on the Tian clan.

If Meng Yi succeeded in battle, all the better; Gao Zhang’s prestige in Qi would suffer. Apparently, those rumors that Lu should not be attacked came from the Tian clan, proving their foresight.

If Meng Yi lost, it would do the Tian clan no harm—they might even seize the opportunity to strike at Meng Yi’s territory. Either way, they would not lose.

After a moment’s thought, Meng Yi showed a troubled expression and said, "If it must be so, my territory will surely suffer. If I could obtain a batch of warhorses from Yan and train troops in time, my lord might still have fighting strength before the Qi army arrives."

Tian Chang scoffed inwardly. Han Zhan seemed ignorant of military affairs. It took considerable time just to build a war chariot, not to mention training charioteers, spearmen, and archers.

Under such rushed circumstances, how could there possibly be any fighting strength? Tian Chang felt he had overestimated Han Zhan.

But his face remained impassive, and he agreed immediately.

"Since you say so, the Tian clan will give its full support, and provide funds so you may return from Yan with a full load."

Meng Yi was overjoyed and rose to bow.

"On behalf of my lord, I thank the Tian clan for its generosity."

Nowadays, unless a large-scale war was underway, battles tended to avoid the three farming seasons. Three seasons were reserved for agriculture, and one for military training; all grown men in the country underwent military exercises.

The concept of a standing army did not yet exist. Before launching a campaign, troops had to be assembled, especially war chariots, which required time to gather from various regions.

Gao Zhang had not yet called up soldiers, clearly intending to wait until the autumn harvest to mobilize, so as not to disrupt agriculture.

Meng Yi saw Tian Chang’s disdain, but did not explain, instead saying, "In that case, the sooner the better. If there are no objections, I wish to depart for Yan within the next few days, so I might train soldiers before the Qi army arrives."

Tian Chang had no objections and agreed immediately.

Meng Yi then accompanied Tian Chang to Gaotang, where the Tian clan had already made arrangements. Meng Yi did not linger, but took his leave and headed straight for Cangzhou, then disembarked and made for Wuyang.

At this time, Yan was relatively poor; though it produced many horses, few merchant caravans from other states came to buy them. The reason was that neighboring Jin was also famous for its horses.

Moreover, Jin was powerful and economically prosperous, so Yan had little to offer by comparison. Thus, when Meng Yi’s caravan of five hundred appeared, it caused quite a stir locally.