Warhammer Fantasy: I Have Total War System

The sun is setting in the west, and the moon shines brightly in the sky.

Li Lin lifted the curtain and entered Zhao Yunxiu's military wagon.

A smell mixed with leather, rust and lamp oil filled the nostrils.

It's different from Li Lin's spacious cart and Chu Yao's exquisite cart.

Zhao Yunxiu's carriage was decorated in a simple style.

His carriage was equipped with a spirit pool, which was one level below the Dragon Abyss and could only expand the interior space by two or three times.

It wasn't exactly cramped; the aisle inside the car was wide enough for two people to walk through, but because there wasn't much room for decoration, it looked rather rudimentary.

The ironwood walls were covered with copper plates studded with rivets, and on these plates were silk maps of the Dimensional Stone Desert and the Sulfur Furnace area, as well as several schedules for managing the army.

The only thing that could be called "decoration" was a piece of calligraphy with strong, bold strokes on the wall directly opposite the main seat:

"If Changyuan is lost, where is our home and country?"

Wei Zheng stayed on the outside to treat his uncle's injuries.

Zhao Yunxiu led Li Lin toward the tea room behind the screen.

Inside the tea room, there was no jade or antique on the tea table or shelves, only a few heavy iron teapots, a few hardwood armchairs, and a stone mortar that had been polished to a shine.

"My humble abode is simple, please bear with me, Steward Li." Zhao Yunxiu gestured for Li Lin to sit down, then rolled up his sleeves, took out a tea urn from the wooden cabinet by the wall, skillfully poured in boiling water, and used bamboo tongs to pick out a few tea cakes and put them into the iron kettle.

The tea quickly turned a deep ochre brown.

He poured a full cup and pushed it to Li Lin's side. The teacup was extremely large, probably close to two hundred milliliters, completely different from the ordinary small ceramic cups that only take a small sip.

With a heavy heart, Li Lin took a sip, his mouth filled with a domineering and intense bitterness. At the end, a similarly strong aroma of caramel and wheat wafted up.

"Good tea." Li Lin nodded, blew on it to cool it down, and then began to drink it in large gulps.

Young Master Wei, Wei Qiankun, this guy must be dealt with.

The main rebel force could appear at any moment and raze everyone to the ground with artillery fire.

We must not allow any uncontrollable element with significant military power and ulterior motives to remain hidden within the coalition forces!

His personal feud with this person is the same thing.

On the other hand, a strong sense of self-blame and guilt filled Li Lin's chest.

As the commander-in-chief of the rearguard, he was responsible for the lives of more than 100,000 people in the entire Allied army.

Wei Qiankun bears inescapable responsibility for his loss of control.

Xinqi, Hou Rong, and all the soldiers and civilians in the team who were now in grave danger...

Li Lin owes them an explanation.

But what should we do?

This man is a legitimate commander of the vanguard, and he commands a large army. If they were to engage in a direct confrontation, along with the five thousand disarmed deserters in the rear guard who have no allegiance, Wei Qiankun would have an army of nearly ten thousand men.

On the other hand, he only had an unformed personal guard and two stone lions.

A head-on confrontation will only backfire.

To swallow one's anger or to compromise willingly?

This might allow the allied forces to return safely to Nangao.

However, if he cannot deal with these spoiled brats led by Wei Qiankun, he will be surrounded by overwhelming political slander and framing afterward, which is no different from dying directly in the Allied Forces.

After finishing his tea, Li Lin rubbed his swollen temples in pain.

"Manager Li."

Zhao Yunxiu's soft voice pulled Li Lin out of his anxious thoughts.

"Didn't you want to know why the Central Guard Army lacks Yin-type troops?"

"Yes, please go ahead."

Zhao Yunxiu skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point: "Does the steward know about the 'Craftsmen's Association'?"

Li Lin actually knows a thing or two.

As far as I can remember, Nangao and Pomei each had a craftsmen's association that specifically provided weapons and gunpowder to the Zhen Dan army.

Previously, it was reported that Wei Qiankun's father was Wei Wuyai, the president of the Soul Charm Craftsmen Association.

Indeed, he has an impressive background, but how could a mere artisan guild leader, no matter how capable, compare to a military governor who manages a major city?

"I know, just tell me the details."

Zhao Yunxiu nodded and continued, "On the surface, the two guilds are 'associations' jointly organized by various workshop owners, but in reality, they are powerful families that monopolize the sale of military equipment and gunpowder technology in the entire northern part of China."

"The Wei family of Po Mei and the Qiao family of Nan Gao are the true entities of the 'Association,' controlling the entire northern region of Zhen Dan's arms and gunpowder workshops."

"From the formula for iron ingots and the proportion of gunpowder to the casting process of the keel of the Sky Boat, everything is in the hands of these two companies."

"They tell you how much to produce, how to produce it, who you can sell it to, and who you can't sell it to. You have to do everything they say. Otherwise, you will not only face a ban from the entire industry, but the local gangs and the government will also keep harassing you until they kill you."

Li Lin paused for a moment as he rubbed his temples.

What a magnificent Danish version of a syndicate! A trust!

Moreover, unlike modern monopolies, these are two huge clan groups with feudal family attributes!

Monopolistic enterprises pursue profits, are negotiable, and their operating style is predictable.

But clan powers don't care about such things. Not only are their methods dozens of times more cruel, but they also do things without considering the consequences.

The history of Earth has provided ample experience in dealing with such clan forces. The best approach is either to eliminate them completely or to avoid offending them altogether and instead form a united front.

"One thing at a time," Li Lin said after a few moments of silence, his tone so calm that Zhao Yunxiu couldn't decipher it. "I do want to know about Wei Qiankun's background, but what does what you're saying have to do with the lack of Yin-type troops in the Central Guard Army?"

Zhao Yunxiu put down his teacup, his expression somewhat subtle.

Instead of answering directly, he asked in return, "Sir, along your journey, have you seen any female soldiers in the various battalions of the Central Guard and the Vanguard? Or... female officials, female relatives, or female sorcerers?"

Li Lin frowned, thought carefully for a moment, and then checked the system map again.

Apart from Wei Zheng's group, there wasn't a single woman to be seen, let alone female soldiers.

Previously, he had a squad of Yin-type crossbowmen in his unit and wasn't interested in managing the troop deployments of others, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

In retrospect, the seeds of this problem had already been sown!

"You mean—"

"Yes, just as Steward Li thought," Zhao Yunxiu nodded heavily. "It's not just the Yin-type troops in each team; all the pretty maids, generals' families, managers of merchants, and Qi-cultivators have all been taken away by Young Master Wei's men with an incomprehensible 'military supplies allocation order.'"

What the hell?

What are they trying to do?

With the road ahead uncertain and the enemy surrounding us from both sides, I'm fighting to the death here, while you, you dog surnamed "Wei," are having a lavish party in the ranks?

Zhao Yunxiu paused, and seeing that Li Lin did not interrupt, he continued:

"His reasoning was quite plausible—the allied forces' gunpowder and weapons were all supplied by the Wei family, and all the Yin-type troops that used firearms should also be under his unified command. Otherwise, the supply lines of each unit would be inconsistent, making it difficult to resupply in time, and the war would be a complete mess."

"What about the women?" Li Lin picked up his teacup, his knuckles white, and his voice was forced out through clenched teeth. "What were they doing there? Making gunpowder by hand?"

"You bastards! They're clearly treating the army like a brothel!"

Zhao Yunxiu sighed: "Whether this person intends to use this as a pledge of loyalty, using female relatives as hostages to gradually seize control of the allied forces, or is he simply a lecherous scoundrel, I dare not make a judgment."

To Li Lin, his words were almost tantamount to telling him that Wei Qiankun was a hateful lecher.

"If I remember correctly, Po Mei is now the rebels' stronghold. Reports from the front lines indicate that the rebels possess countless gunpowder-equipped units, including Skyships. How could they possibly be without the support of the Craftsmen's Association? Wei Qiankun should be a traitor whom everyone should kill!"

"You give a traitor whatever he asks for?"

Zhao Yunxiu didn't reply immediately, looking at Li Lin with surprise, as if she hadn't thought of such a simple truth at all.

His eye twitched, and he glanced at the two people outside the screen before quickly lowering his voice:

"Steward Li! You can't just say things like that!"

"The Soul Charm Craftsmen's Association was established by the Haotian Dragon Emperor himself. Just like your Nanli Li family, their Wei family was also personally appointed by the Dragon Emperor. If you say that the family personally appointed by the Dragon Emperor is a traitor, then doesn't that mean—"

"In short, the rebellion will eventually be quelled. The rebel king Han Cheng was using the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials' and 'rectifying the foundation of the state.' The artisan association of Meicheng provided weapons to the rebels, which was merely 'cooperating with the government troops.' No one will investigate afterward."

Li Lin clutched his forehead in anguish.

Here we go again, it's Aurora's zzzq again.

I mean, is it possible that the Soul Artisan Association was one of the masterminds behind this large-scale rebellion?

Are they determined to expand their clan's power and become kings of the mountains?

I feel that unless these Aurora people are driven to national extinction and their race wiped out, they will never understand the situation.

"No matter what, he's just the son of an association president. He has two army groups and people from all over the country. How could his Soul Charm Craftsmen Association possibly extend its reach to Nongchang, Fuzhou, and Lingnan? Isn't there anyone here who isn't afraid of him?"

Zhao Yunxiu shook his head and smiled bitterly: "As the steward said, if he were just the son of the chairman of the craftsmen's association, everyone would have united to openly oppose him long ago."

"But this is only the most insignificant of his identities."

Huh? There are more experts?

"His great-grandmother was a member of the Imperial Guard 'Fengyunlan'."

Zhao Yunxiu paused, observing Li Lin's reaction. Seeing that he seemed unaware of just how powerful the background of "Feng Yunlan" was, he added, "By the side of Binlong, there is a female general named 'Guan Ziming,' who is the leader of 'Feng Yunlan.' She is someone who can directly criticize Binlong and is on equal footing with all the princes."

"His maternal clan has been filled with women who served as maids in the Kunlan Hunting Grounds and the Wei Jingyue Imperial Palace for generations. Wei Qiankun is a legitimate member of the imperial family."

"To offend him is to offend his mother's clan and 'Fengyunlan'."

"There are quite a few people in the military from other provinces who are not afraid of Wei Wuyai, but what about offending 'Fengyunlan'?"

"Who can withstand the accusation of disrespecting the Moon Goddess? Who has the courage to do so?"

Li Lin fell silent, this time truly speechless.

Just listening to it makes me feel like the sky is so dark and I can't breathe.

He paused for a long time before speaking in a hoarse voice, "The Moon Goddess is most compassionate towards all people. I don't believe that those who serve the Moon Goddess would be so vindictive."

"Then do you dare to bet?" Zhao Yunxiu asked calmly.

"If you lose the bet, your entire family will be executed, and you will be infamous for eternity."

"If you win the bet, you'll offend a powerful member of the royal family."

"That's why no one dares to disobey him. Even their cherished wives and children, their beloved women, must be given up one by one." When he said the last few words, his voice was particularly desolate, as if he had resigned himself to his fate.

"What is there to be afraid of?" Li Lin suddenly roared, his internal energy surging, and with a "bang," he crushed the iron teacup in his hand.

"While our soldiers are fighting the enemy on the front lines, he's abducting women and turning the military camp into a brothel. If we don't get rid of this bastard, will he just be a menace for a thousand years?"

"Those you dare not touch, I will touch!"

"Let Wei Wuyai come! Let 'Fengyunlan' come!"

"Even if the Dragon Emperor himself arrives in the month to come, I will still kill him!"

Clang!

The iron kettle was smashed on the ground, creating a large crater, and boiling blood splattered all over the ground.

The two people outside the screen were also startled.

The sounds of tables and chairs colliding were incessant, followed by the sound of holding one's breath, afraid to even breathe.

Li Lin casually flicked away the shard embedded in his palm, his eyes sharp and his expression cold.

What royal relatives?

In my previous life, I was just an ordinary person with no ability, which was one thing. But in this life, I finally managed to get the status of a young master and have a system by my side. Why should I swallow my anger?

Moreover, he has a backup plan.

Again.

At worst, I'll just quit and join the gang.