Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

"Have you heard? The Zhe family has split up!"

"Really? Such a large family can split up?"

"That's definitely true. My cousin's second aunt's brother-in-law's nephew's neighbor's son works for the Zhe family. He heard the two Zhe family heads arguing that day. The argument didn't seem staged."

"Two heads of the Zhe family? Who are they? Doesn't the Zhe family only have one head, General Zhe Keqiu?"

"Have you forgotten General Zhe Kecun? In terms of martial prowess, he is far superior to Zhe Keqiu. It's just that he's a bit younger, otherwise it wouldn't be Zhe Keqiu's turn to be the head of this family."

“I disagree with what you’re saying. General Zhe Keqiu has done so much for the Zhe family, and the Zhe family’s territory has expanded under his leadership. He is the most suitable person to be the head of the Zhe family!”

"It would be best if General Zhe Kecun were to be saved!"

"Only a general like Zhe Keqiu would be suitable!"

……

Within just a few days, news of the Zhe family's dispute over splitting up spread throughout the entire territory of the Western Song Dynasty, and the incident escalated to the point where it could no longer be contained.

Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) naturally heard the news as well, and he was very pleased with himself, saying to Yang Jian:

"Look, my lord, I knew these noble families weren't a united front. Didn't Zhe Keqiu hesitate to lay a hand on his younger brother before? Look at him now! He's split up all at once!"

Zhao Ji said that he had long seen through the methods of these aristocratic families and knew how to manipulate them!

"Your Majesty, although that's what they say, the Zhe family hasn't completely separated. Zhe Kecun didn't leave the Zhe family with his branch of the family. Is it possible that they deliberately spread this kind of news?"

Yang Jian said, "Your Majesty, would you like to consider other options?"

"Daban, you don't understand. Great families value their reputation the most. Besides, the New Year is just around the corner. If the Zhe family splits in two at this time, wouldn't they be laughed at by the other families? I estimate that Zhe Kecun will move out of the Zhe family after the New Year."

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) thought he had the Zhe family under control, so he spoke with great confidence.

"Where does Your Majesty think Zhe Kecun will take his men?"

Yang Jian asked.

"That fellow Zhe Kecun dares to disrespect my orders, which shows that he has a rebellious streak. I think he will most likely take this opportunity to declare himself king!"

Zhao Ji's words were earth-shattering, startling Yang Jian so much that he trembled.

No way, Your Majesty, you really dare to say that?

"But that's just as well. If he doesn't declare himself king, how can I find a reason to deal with the Zhe family? Don't be fooled by the fact that Zhe Keqiu seems to be on my side; I know he's only doing it for the benefit of his family!"

"Of all the officials in the court, besides you, Grand Chamberlain, only General Liu is truly of one mind with me. It's a pity that the old general is seriously ill, and I have to compromise with the Zhong family, the Zhe family, and other powerful families. Do these people really think the court needs them? What are they trying to do? Are they still my subjects?!"

As Zhao Ji spoke, he became increasingly agitated, even breaking his beloved pen, which deeply saddened Yang Jian.

Your Majesty, this is not the capital city of Tokyo. Every pen that is broken is one less available. If you do not take care, you will not have a suitable pen to use in the future.

Moreover, it seems that we are only able to maintain the court by relying on the Western Army.

Of course, Yang Jian would never say these words aloud. As a close confidant of Zhao Ji, Yang Jian knew what he should do and what he should say.

"Your Majesty is wise! I believe that next spring we will surely be able to crush these treacherous officials!"

"That's right! Daban really understands me! I've already made up my mind. From now on, these Western Army soldiers will be my swords. Wherever I send them, they will go!"

Zhao Ji was very excited; he felt his plan was perfect!

"They want to split up, right? Let them split! The more the better! I'll just let the main family deal with these split families! Let them fight each other!"

"Who is loyal and who is treacherous, I decide!"

Although Yang Jian did not completely agree with what Zhao Ji said, he would never discourage Zhao Ji at this moment. After all, Zhao Ji was his master, so he would just coax him.

……

Farming.

"Brother, have you heard? The Zhe family has split up."

Upon learning the news, Zhong Shizhong immediately discussed it with his elder brother.

"Do you really believe it?"

Zhong Shidao looked at his younger brother and smiled.

"How about we split it too?"

"Brother, how can you still be in the mood for jokes?"

Zhong Shizhong was taken aback at first, then realized that his elder brother was joking.

"I'm not kidding, those two brats from the Zhe family, that was a really good move."

Zhong Shidao said that it was only because he was old that he could be as shameless as the two young men in the Zhong family.

"Does Big Brother mean those two brats did it on purpose? To put on a show for others? To protect their bloodline?"

Zhong Shizhong also realized what was going on. Good heavens, these two little guys from the Zhe family have started protecting their bloodlines so quickly?

"I can't think of any other reason besides this one."

Zhong Shidao said that the fact that these two dared to argue so loudly and even openly spread the news of their argument meant that they must have been prepared, or at least one of them was prepared.

"Zhe Kecun is a straightforward guy, so it seems this was Zhe Keqiu's doing."

Zhong Shizhong thought about it and felt that Zhe Kecun's personality didn't seem like that of someone who would do this kind of thing.

"That's about right. Zhe Keqiu is more scheming than Zhe Kecun, so in terms of martial arts and command, he's not as good as Zhe Kecun."

Zhong Shidao commented on the two Zhe brothers.

"But as the head of the family, Zhe Keqiu is more suitable. This guy is shrewd, and his ability to seek advantage and avoid harm is more suitable for the position than Zhe Kecun's. I guess he deliberately provoked Zhe Kecun this time to ensure that the argument between the two was very real."

"I always thought Zhe Keqiu was just an average person, but after what you said today, it seems I underestimated him before."

Zhong Shizhong shook his head, then continued to ask his elder brother:

"Brother, given the current situation, Zhao Ji will definitely order us to advance next spring. The Zhe family has already made their move, so should we take action as well?"

"No, it's appropriate for the Zhe family to argue and separate because of Zhe Kecun's personality, but it's not suitable for our family. Everyone knows who we are. If we were to argue like them and then separate, it would be too fake."

Zhong Shidao said that such shameless tactics might work on Zheqiu, but not on the two of them.

"If it concerns the life and death of our Zhong family, then what's wrong with me risking my reputation?"

Zhong Shizhong said that this face is not absolutely necessary.

"You know, the two of us can't move, but that doesn't mean the children below can't move."

Zhong Shidao looked at Zhong Shizhong and said earnestly:

“That brat Zhe Keqiu has been calling us ‘Grandpa’ enough already. We can’t even get along with him. But the younger generation of the Zhong family can. Isn’t Zhe Kecun going to split up the family? Pick a few smart ones to go with him and see where this brat is planning to go and what he’s planning to do. If possible, we can help him out.”

"It's always good to leave each other with goodwill."

"Big brother is truly worthy of being called big brother! I'll go right now!"

……

It wasn't just the Zhong family; other large and small families in the Western Army, such as the Yao family, also began their own preparations after learning about this. The morale of the Western Army was shaken!

PS: One update today. Tomorrow is the undergraduate thesis defense, and I need to review papers and prepare materials tonight.