Chapter 383: Prince of the Western Court

After comparing the rubbings for a full hour, Mr. Yucang finally raised his head and let out a long breath. "Every detail matches. There's no mistake. It should be the real thing."

Dugu Jing said, "That fellow is cunning. Could it be a fake?"

Mr. Yucang shook his head. "Very few people have ever seen this object. There's no basis for making a forgery, and fabricating one would not be easy. It should be genuine."

Dugu Jing considered this. "Master, in my view, a forgery still isn't impossible."

Mr. Yucang said, "Your reasoning? Shang Chaozong. The object was originally forged by an ancestor of the Shang clan. Shang Chaozong is a descendant of Shang Song. It's possible he has drawings of it in his possession."

Mr. Yucang shook his head again. "Shang Chaozong's line is merely a collateral branch descended from Shang Song's bloodline. The direct line was almost completely exterminated. His ancestors only later rose to power beneath the Shang clan's banner and founded the State of Yan. This object was originally kept in a heavily guarded place within the imperial palace of the Wu Dynasty. Only members of the direct line who inherited the Shang imperial authority could see it. Shang Chaozong's ancestors would have had little opportunity to lay eyes on it."

"So yes, it's possible, but the odds are extremely small. Besides, this record gives another method for determining whether the object is genuine. Once I have the actual item in hand, I'll be able to verify it. Tell me how the negotiations went. What are his conditions?"

Dugu Jing said, "First, he wants all past grievances between us written off. We are not to trouble him again."

Mr. Yucang nodded. "That was expected from the moment he proposed negotiations. This object is extremely important to us. As long as he's willing to hand it over, some losses can be disregarded. We can let him go for now."

"Second, he wants Linghu Qiu and his two attendants released from us entirely from this day forward. We are never to trouble the three of them again."

Mr. Yucang fell briefly silent. "Has Linghu Qiu confessed?"

"Still the same. He refuses to say anything unless he sees Niu Youdao. But the guards around him are too tight. Our people haven't found any chance to silence him."

Mr. Yucang asked, "Have all the people and matters connected to Linghu Qiu been cleaned up? Everything that could be cleaned up has been. The problem now is that Linghu Qiu may know Su Zhao is one of ours. Su Zhao is both Elder Bai's disciple and his niece. The Bai family has been loyal ministers for generations. Moving against her would have a major effect on the other elders. And with Beizhou involved as well, Su Zhao is difficult to touch. On top of that, Linghu Qiu's assignment means he knows what we're searching for."

Mr. Yucang said, "As long as he doesn't know the item has reached our hands, and doesn't know what use it has to us, it doesn't matter that he knows what we're searching for. Plenty of people are looking for things. The real trouble is that he may know Su Zhao's identity. We'll decide that later. Tell Elder Bai about this when you return and let him decide how to handle it himself."

"All right." Dugu Jing nodded. "Third, Niu Youdao wants ten million gold coins."

"Heh. Quite an appetite." Mr. Yucang gave several cold laughs. "Anything else?"

"One more. From now on, we're not to move rashly against his people. At the very least, those publicly known as his people cannot be touched. Those are the four conditions. Once the transaction is complete, if we break our word, he'll make sure everyone knows the item is in our hands. He's using that as leverage in the negotiation. Clearly, it's also a warning not to act recklessly against him."

Mr. Yucang said, "There's room to maneuver on that condition. We can agree to it."

Dugu Jing asked, "Are we really giving him ten million gold coins?"

Mr. Yucang closed the booklet on the table. "It's a negotiation. He names an outrageous price, we bargain it down. We can't simply give him whatever he asks for."

"Then should we send someone back to negotiate again?"

Mr. Yucang shook his head. "No hurry. Let's first see what Elder Bai thinks. We need to know the cards in our own hand before we bargain."

"Yes!" Dugu Jing acknowledged.

Mr. Yucang looked at the rubbing in his hand and sighed. "He has given us a difficult problem. Tell me, should I kill him or not? That boy is no simple character. He's still young, yet already has methods like these, forcing us onto the defensive at every turn. If we leave him alive, sooner or later he'll become a major problem."

Dugu Jing understood what his master meant. Neither of them had expected Niu Youdao to make a move like this: decisively abandon such a precious treasure, openly reveal that it was in his possession, and even volunteer to hand it over. He had retreated in order to advance, and now Xiaoyue Pavilion was the one caught in a dilemma.

Kill him, and the object would become too hot to hold. Keeping it would be difficult.

Spare him, and once they accepted the object, he would have their weakness in his hands.

The next day, qin music drifted gently through the pavilion by the qin platform.

Dugu Jing arrived and reported once more, "Master, Elder Bai said everything is for you to decide. But from the way he spoke, he still hopes you'll show mercy and give Su Zhao a chance."

The music stopped abruptly.

Mr. Yucang took his hands from the strings and said flatly, "He knows the rules. My decision would naturally be to eliminate the danger completely. What did he say? He said Linghu Qiu isn't a fool and may not dare reveal this secret. Second, Elder Bai will put strict measures in place so nothing goes wrong with Su Zhao and the matter cannot spread to implicate anyone else. If anything truly does happen, he will sever every connection in time. If necessary, he will personally execute Su Zhao."

Mr. Yucang said, "Then he needs to understand that if Su Zhao carries this stain, her future is finished. We would never dare place someone with a hidden danger like this in a high position within the organization. Elder Bai may only want to preserve Su Zhao's life. He said she's a woman and he never expected her to achieve anything too great. In other words, as long as her life can be saved, he no longer cares about her future."

Mr. Yucang said, "Tell him that since he has given his guarantee, he will bear responsibility for it. Arrange the negotiations as soon as possible. First get the item into our hands and stabilize Niu Youdao. We can look for another opportunity to deal with him later."

"Yes!" Dugu Jing answered.

The ancient road met the rising sun. Dozens of riders raced along, escorting two carriages.

Shao Pingbo parted the carriage curtain and showed his face at the window, gazing toward the lofty green mountains awakening beneath the golden light of dawn.

He was still in the prime of life, yet half his hair had turned conspicuously white. Thought weighed on his face. Every so often, amid the jolting of the carriage, he lifted a handkerchief and coughed twice. He had left on this journey in secret.

Dachan Mountain had dispatched a large contingent of elite experts to protect him, even sending two of its top experts, men who almost never showed themselves in the world. There was a simple reason.

Shao Pingbo's fate was tied to the enormous interests of all Beizhou and all Dachan Mountain.

He had laid Beizhou's difficulties and its looming crisis plainly before Dachan Mountain. The sect had no other choice left. If it wanted to preserve its interests, it could only cooperate with him. It too had pinned its hopes on him, hoping he could resolve the danger Beizhou was about to face. Dachan Mountain itself was powerless to do so.

Seeing him cough again, Shao Sansheng leaned closer from within the carriage and gently rubbed his back. He lowered his voice. "Eldest Young Master, Miss Su still doesn't know you're going. Should we notify her first?"

Shao Pingbo lightly waved a hand. "No need. I don't trust the people on her side. My movements are not to be leaked for now. Has she replied about that matter?"

"Yes. It's already in progress."

Across the boundless grassland, several large tents stood beside a lake. Cattle and sheep wandered nearby.

Prince Ying Hao Zhen sat quietly by the water fishing, the rod in one hand while the other toyed with a stone.

He looked as though he were fishing, but his attention did not seem to be on the fish. The thunder of hooves approached from the distance.

Several hundred riders came galloping across the grassland, making Hao Zhen turn to look.

The bulk of the force was stopped by the guards nearby. Only a handful of riders came through.

The man at their head wore a purple robe. He was powerfully built, with sharply cut features and long hair falling behind him. A golden circlet around his brow gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.

At the sight of him, Hao Zhen rose and cupped his hands to the purple-robed man approaching on horseback. "Imperial Uncle, what brings you here?"

The newcomer was none other than Hao Yunsheng, Prince of the Western Court.

"My worthy nephew has excellent leisure indeed." Hao Yunsheng gave a cold laugh and swung down from his horse.

One of his legs was particularly conspicuous. A metal brace enclosed it from foot to knee, and he walked with a pronounced limp.

"There's nothing much for me to do anyway." Hao Zhen smiled cheerfully.

Hao Yunsheng walked to the wooden bucket nearby and peered inside. It was only half full of water. There was not a single fish in it.

He swept his gaze across the lake, suddenly bent down, seized the fishing rod on the ground, and jerked hard.

A fish half an arm long flew from the water, arced through the air, and slapped onto the ground, where it began flopping wildly.

Hao Yunsheng tossed the fishing rod aside. "My worthy nephew isn't much of a fisherman."

Hao Zhen cupped his hands with wholehearted admiration. "I'm no match for Imperial Uncle."

Then he turned, pointed at the fish, and told a subordinate, "Clean it and put it in the pot. It'll do nicely for entertaining Imperial Uncle."

He turned back and extended a hand in invitation. "Imperial Uncle has traveled a long way and must be tired. Please rest in the tent first."

Hao Yunsheng looked around once, then turned and limped toward the tent. Hao Zhen accompanied him.

Once inside, Hao Yunsheng waved the irrelevant people out and went straight to the seat of honor.

Hao Zhen smiled, personally poured him a cup of tea, and asked, "Did Imperial Uncle come on official business?"

Hao Yunsheng asked, "Where is Zhang Xingrui of my Western Court? Oh, him? He isn't with me. He went west to Sixth Uncle's side to inventory the imperial estates."

Hao Yunsheng's face darkened slightly. "Why did I hear that something happened to him?"

Hao Zhen looked surprised. "How could that be?"

"Stop pretending ignorance with me. I already asked. He isn't with Old Six at all. Hand him over."

Hao Yunsheng slapped one palm onto the table.

Hao Zhen looked incredulous. "Imperial Uncle, how could he possibly not be there?"

Hao Yunsheng stood in anger. "He's carrying out duties under you. Don't you exchange letters with him? How can you not know whether he's there?"

Hao Zhen hurriedly waved his hands. "Imperial Uncle, please calm your anger. I truly don't know his situation. You know what kind of assignment this is. It's the sort that offends people. Before I left, Imperial Uncle saw me off, and I still remember exactly what you told me: turn a blind eye where appropriate. I've done precisely as Imperial Uncle said."

"Zhang Xingrui is your man. He never sent me any messages, so I assumed that was Imperial Uncle's intention. I didn't think it appropriate to question him or interfere. As long as he could give me an accounting when he returned, that was enough. I truly don't know what has happened to him now."

Hao Yunsheng was left speechless. The Western Court administered affairs of the imperial clan, and imperial estates fell under its jurisdiction. How could everything under it possibly be spotless? If an investigation uncovered problems, Hao Yunsheng himself would bear responsibility.

He had indeed hinted that Hao Zhen should turn a blind eye when necessary.

Earlier, he had believed Hao Zhen deliberately selected one of his people in order to manipulate something behind the scenes. Hearing this now, he had to admit he might truly have misunderstood.

More importantly, this nephew had always kept himself apart from messy factional affairs.

"You truly don't know?" Hao Yunsheng asked suspiciously.

Hao Zhen sighed helplessly. "Imperial Uncle, I truly don't. How could a person simply disappear? I received an imperial edict only yesterday, and the edict even mentioned Zhang Xingrui."

Hao Yunsheng looked slightly startled. "His Majesty's edict specifically mentioned Zhang Xingrui? What did it say?"

[End of Chapter 383]