Chapter 552: Chapter 548: Human Sentiment

Tang Luo knew he would encounter resistance, so he was prepared to submit his application and then politely leave in search of alternatives. However, Tang Cunfu, who had previously expressed grievances, changed his tone unexpectedly, “But since Minister Tang instigated it, I will make sure the base for the Marshal Star Pavilion is properly set up!”

The decisive tone of Tang Cunfu halted the farewell speech that was nearly out of Tang Luo’s mouth. Confused, he couldn’t understand why this problematic clansman was being excessively polite.

“Fetch the best tea.” Tang Cunfu called out, then turned to take the papers from Tang Luo with a welcoming smile, saying, “Please sit and rest a bit, while I find a prime location for the Marshal Star Pavilion.”

Taken aback, Tang Luo could only gracelessly agree and take a seat, saying, “I appreciate your help, Representative Cunfu.”

“Oh, you flatter me. Though the Marshal Star Pavilion is new, it will undoubtedly become a critical military branch under the Tang Clan in the future. We can’t afford to be sloppy about its location,” reassured Tang Cunfu, as he settled back into his seat to review the construction plans and timeline.

Similar to the information Cui Dayou previously provided to Tang Luo, all construction projects this clansman supervised had been publicly posted at the artisans’ office door, complete with the construction order, start date, and competition time.

At a glance, Tang Luo noticed that the current projects all involved the Tang Clan’s most crucial structures, apart from the defense works. These included the Ministries’ subdivisions, the Martial Hall task office, the war room, the steward’s room, and the armory. Even the Scripture Pavilion was half-built.

Squinting at the top projects on the waiting list, Tang Cunfu seriously considered the options. After a while, he finally raised his head and proposed, “Minister Tang, I suggest placing the construction of the Marshal Star Pavilion in line with the current war room project and shifting the rest one place down. How does that sound to you?”

On the eve of a major clan war, Tang Cunfu intended to give the war room’s spot to the Marshal Star Pavilion. This move was not only a simple favor but also as unconventional as placing the back door at the endpoint.

Tang Luo, who only originally planned to start construction by the end of the year, could only give a bitter smile in response, “This doesn’t seem right. It might seem peaceable between the two clans now, each keeping to the south and north, but once winter ends and the flood subsides, conflicts are bound to rise. Prioritizing the Marshal Star Pavilion over the war room seems inappropriate.”

Although Tang Luo acknowledged that the Marshal Star Pavilion would become the Tang Clan’s crucial military branch in the future, that was still a decade or two away. For now, the Marshal Star Pavilion didn’t even compare to the smallest units of the Dark Thunder Hall, which included several Martial Ancestors and a squad of a thousand warrior novitiates. Yet, the construction order for this Hall was several places behind the war room.

If Tang Cunfu’s sincerity wasn’t so apparent, Tang Luo might suspect Tang Cunfu of deliberately pushing the Marshal Star Pavilion into the hot seat, courting public resentment.

Because after all, everyone’s project will be delayed by a grading period, and some might knock on his door for an explanation.

He himself didn’t mind the clan’s opinions much, but the future students of the Marshal Star Pavilion would inevitably have to interact with various departments. A poor reputation wouldn’t be beneficial.

Like when you are alone, your actions depend solely on your own abilities; but when you are dealing with an organization, you also need to consider whether your underlings can manage, Tang Luo was still somewhat worried.

Tang Cunfu, however, offered an explanation, “Minister Tang, let me clarify, the decision to replace the war room with the Marshal Star Pavilion isn’t whimsical, but a well-considered one. It’s precisely because of the upcoming war that the project priority leans towards the Martial Hall departments, and the Marshal Star Pavilion, as part of these, wouldn’t have such an issue.”

“Though the war room is on the waiting list, a temporary command post has already been set up in the outpost construction at North Mountain. The Sect Head has been working there for some time.”

Tang Cunfu stood up, pointed to the map behind him, and explained, “Look here, Minister Tang. The North Mountain community extends several hundred kilometers, with its vast and rugged terrain. The current projects all lie between five to twenty kilometers into the mountain. However, since the Martial Hall is situated right in the Dragon Whisper Valley, fifteen kilometers inside the mountain, the war room naturally goes there too.”

“Though it’s an instantaneous journey for a Martial Ancestor despite the hazardous terrains, it isn’t as easy for ordinary warrior teams. That’s why the temporary war room and barracks were set up on the frontline of the fortification. While a high priority is given to the war room, it’s still not as urgent as the current situation. Hence, I believe it’s better to switch it with the Marshal Star Pavilion.”

Tang Cunfu’s statement seemed plausible, and the explanation logically sound. Still, Tang Luo, with his life’s wisdom, won’t be swayed by such flattery. To these clan administrators, the war room would always have a higher priority over the Marshal Star Pavilion, regardless of its urgency. Why else would the war room have secured the top spot on the list in the first place?

Tang Cunfu’s seemingly reasoned explanation was merely to make Tang Luo feel righteous accepting this massive favor. If he truly believed that the Marshal Star Pavilion deserved such a high priority, he would thoroughly be naive.

Generally, Tang Luo wasn’t keen on accepting favors with unclear motives, much like the time when Qingfeng Bank tried to sell the West City land to him for thirty thousand gold. If he had agreed by then, he would have owed the Feng family a favor.

If he owed the Feng family a favor, would he have had to mediate between Master Xu and the Feng family when they had a conflict?

Sometimes favors were difficult to pay back because you never knew what would happen after accepting them. This is why Tang Luo had always tried to avoid such favors whenever possible.

Yet this time, it seemed unavoidable due to the high number of scholars he had brought back.

Because his household only had four members, he hadn’t built many auxiliary rooms in the huge mansion. The rest of the spacious plot was turned into the Spirit Beast Garden for his mother, Xu Shuhui. Now that he had unexpectedly brought back hundreds of people, even if every individual room was turned into a dormitory, it still wouldn’t be enough. He couldn’t possibly make his followers live in the animal pen, could he?

The residences on North Mountain were already scarce. With hundreds of martial artists and a considerable number of injured soldiers now present, the Tang Mansion couldn’t accommodate them all.

So, Tang Luo genuinely needed a base for the Marshal Star Pavilion. Even though he knew the favor Tang Cunfu was offering wasn’t easy to accept, Tang Luo had to take it this time.

After all, these were the first batch of students for the Marshal Star Pavilion. The initiative held a significant meaning for him, and Tang Luo didn’t want to let them down.

Although he decided to accept the favor, Tang Luo still had to put things straight beforehand, “Representative Cunfu, this favor is quite significant. It’s making me question things. I am no longer a clan elder and have no authority to interfere in the clan’s significant affairs. Moreover, the Marshal Star Pavilion which was founded at the initiation ceremony requested by the Clan Leader is barely starting out and can’t provide any martial support. So wouldn’t it be pointless for Representative Cunfu to express such goodwill?”