Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Tian Family’s Scheme

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Guo Yuan’s heart stirred at these words. Although the situation in the State of Lu was quite different from that in Jin, one thing was unmistakably clear: the six ministers of Jin were gradually hollowing out the powers of the ducal house. Under such circumstances, the influence of these six ministers grew ever greater, and their actions became increasingly audacious. Open extortion—such things were almost unimaginable.

From this perspective, it seemed inevitable that one day Jin would fall into the same predicament as Lu: the power of the ruling lord reduced to a mere facade, while the entire state rapidly declined.

Yet Guo Yuan found it hard to believe that the mighty Jin could truly come to such a pass. After a moment’s contemplation, he hesitated and, after much deliberation, voiced his doubt.

“Brother Meng, do you mean to say that Jin is destined to decline?”

Meng Di, brimming with confidence, replied firmly, “Young lord, there is no cause for doubt; this is an inevitable outcome. The Fan clan is now arrogantly dominant and lawless, the Zhi clan has been struck down by Duke Ping of Jin and barely survives, while the heads of the Han, Zhao, and Wei families are still young, and Zhong Xingyin is a greedy and petty man.”

“At present, the power dynamics among Jin’s six ministers have undergone profound shifts. You must understand, in today’s world, strength is the only foundation for survival. How can Jin’s current state endure?”

“As things stand, Zhi Lu, the current deputy commander of the central army, is set to replace Fan Yang as the commander of the upper army. Then, the vigorous and capable Zhao Yang will take over as deputy commander of the central army. With the Zhi clan weakened, if the Han, Zhao, and Wei families unite, they can certainly marginalize it.”

This was obvious. Jin’s military was divided into six commands: the central army commander, central army deputy, upper army commander, upper army deputy, lower army commander, and lower army deputy—these constituted the six ministers. Traditionally, these positions rotated upward according to rank, maintaining stability at first. But now, the balance of power among the families had shifted dramatically, especially with Fan Yang, who was the most disgraceful.

As the current commander of the central army, he sought only to advance his own family’s interests, utterly disregarding the welfare of Jin. This naturally provoked resentment from the other five families. Moreover, Wei Shu had been highly respected in Jin, but after his death, Fan Yang ordered the Wei clan’s head not to be buried with the honors befitting a minister and even had the outer coffin removed. How could the Wei family not harbor deep hatred?

The Han and Zhao clans had close relations, and the Wei family, unable to stand alone, naturally sought solidarity with the others. The heads of all three families were young, so they naturally clung together for mutual protection against Fan Yang’s dominance.

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Thus, the scenario Meng Di described was entirely plausible. The more Guo Yuan thought about it, the more alarmed he became. After Meng Di’s thorough analysis, a sense of clarity dawned on him, and he asked earnestly,

“Since Brother Meng sees things so clearly, may I ask what your own ambitions are?”

This was one of the main reasons Guo Yuan had sought him out that day, and his tone was solemn.

Meng Di sensed the change in attitude and lowered his head in thought before replying.

“In these chaotic times, even the mighty Chu capital fell to Wu Zixu. Now Jin is a house on the brink of collapse. I only seek a place to establish myself and secure my life. My strength is limited, and it is fruitless to think too far ahead.”

Guo Yuan nodded slightly. He believed this to be the truth. Meng Di currently commanded only a few thousand troops, not even a single war chariot; his power was relatively weak, so such cautious thinking was understandable. He then offered a reminder.

“I understand your thoughts, Brother Meng, but I must remind you: this time it was the Tian clan who brought the proposal to the prime minister, who then sent it to Mengyi.”

This statement was made subtly, but Meng Di immediately understood. He could not help but sneer inwardly. The Tian clan had an agreement with him but were playing this game of feigned deference—a tactic of flattery and betrayal. Truly, they were untrustworthy.

After Guo Yuan left, as the sun was setting, Tian Chang came to visit. He arrived late deliberately, to avoid Guo Yuan—both to show deference and to prevent seeming too eager, so as not to jeopardize the larger plan.

Meeting Tian Chang, Meng Di’s tone turned less friendly. Frowning with displeasure, he said,

“Master Tian, I followed our agreement and launched a direct attack on the Qi forces. Why now does the Tian clan treat me thus? Do you have other plans?”

Hearing this, Tian Chang knew Meng Di must have received reliable news, yet he showed no sign of panic.

“Master Meng, you know well that Qi and Lu have long been sworn enemies. The Tian family serves the State of Qi and naturally must consider its interests. Yet I come with sincerity, wishing to discuss our future cooperation.”

Meng Di snorted coldly and bluntly replied,

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“I have already been deceived once by your Tian clan. How could I fall for it again? Master Tian, speak plainly; there’s no need to hide anything. After all, Qi and Lu are mortal enemies. If any private dealings between us were discovered, the Tian family would suffer heavy consequences.”

His words were charged with emotion. Tian Chang, however, felt no resentment but rather held Meng Di in greater regard. In these turbulent times, a weak disposition would not survive.

If Meng Di had taken this calmly, smiling all the while, Tian Chang would have felt uneasy, for that would mean Meng Di’s mind was deep and inscrutable—a formidable future adversary.

So Tian Chang smiled and calmly said,

“Master Meng, please do not be angry. The Tian clan’s actions aim to fulfill promises. You once mentioned Mengyi was short of grain, so before my father’s departure, he instructed us to prepare for trade with you.”

“A large shipment of grain will soon arrive, half sold and half gifted. Surely that shows sufficient sincerity?”

Hearing this, Meng Di’s anger lessened, and his tone softened. He bowed his head in thought for a moment.

“I have just taken over Mengyi, and funds are limited. Since the Tian clan is honoring its promise, how about this: when the grain arrives, payment can be sent to Qi in installments. What do you think, Master Tian?”

Tian Chang was indifferent to this and, smiling brightly, revealed his true intention.

“I understand your difficulties. On my way here, I also considered your needs. Our Tian family controls many salt fields and other businesses—these are urgently needed by you. The profits will be shared equally between your side and ours.”

Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Meng Di’s face.