Chapter 424: The Second Brocade Pouch

Peng Youzai's party thundered along the official road. When they reached a relay station, everyone entered and stopped for a short rest. Some Tianyu Sect disciples quickly went inside to inspect the premises while others stood guard within and without. For a time, human voices and the snorting of horses mingled together as dust rose throughout the enclosed station yard. After dismounting, Peng Youzai looked back at Shang Chaozong. He had noticed long ago that Shang Chaozong seemed preoccupied throughout the journey.

Smiling, he walked over and asked, "Is Your Highness worried about Marshal Meng? There's no need. We only asked Marshal Meng to remain behind temporarily and assist Feng Lingbo. Once the situation in Nanzhou is stable, Marshal Meng will naturally return."

Before Nanzhou was completely stabilized, and before Shang Chaozong's forces had been thoroughly purged and integrated, it would be unwise to move against Shang Chaozong rashly. If he could be kept steady, Peng Youzai still preferred to keep him steady. Resolving the problem without causing any disorder would be best.

With that, Peng Youzai turned and left, leading several senior figures traveling with him into the relay station to rest. There was no need for him to remain beside Shang Chaozong flattering and fawning. A pleasant sentence or two was enough.

What he did not know was that Meng Shanming had intercepted the news that he was to remain with Feng Lingbo and had prevented Shang Chaozong and the others from learning of it. Peng Youzai assumed they already knew. Otherwise, he would never have spoken so casually. Shang Chaozong and the others froze, not understanding his meaning at first. The moment comprehension dawned, every face changed violently.

From the beginning, they had known their lives might be in danger. They had known Tianyu Sect might eventually move against them. They had merely been careful never to pierce through the pretense. The moment they learned Meng Shanming had been deliberately separated from them, they understood. Tianyu Sect intended to kill him. Shang Chaozong immediately moved to chase after Peng Youzai and demand an explanation. Lan Ruoting seized his arm. Shang Chaozong whipped around, cheeks taut, fury on his face.

"Your Highness, don't act recklessly!" Lan Ruoting's eyes held grief and anger as well, but he forced himself to remain calm and shook his head slightly, signaling that Shang Chaozong must not confront them.

Shang Shuqing bit hard into her lower lip. Her expression dimmed and her eyes reddened.

Bai Yao emerged from one of the relay-station buildings and noticed that something seemed wrong with the three of them. Though mildly puzzled, he still said calmly, "Your Highness, the room is ready. Drink some water and wash the dust from your face, but be as quick as possible. We can't rest long. We'll be continuing the journey shortly."

Afraid Shang Chaozong might act impulsively, Lan Ruoting hurriedly smiled and answered, "Good."

The group entered the building, and the three of them were shown into a prepared room. Lan Ruoting signaled for two accompanying personal guards to stand watch outside the door. Then he swiftly closed it.

The moment the door shut, Shang Shuqing could no longer control herself. Hot tears spilled from her eyes. She covered her mouth with one hand and sobbed softly, afraid to let anyone outside hear her crying. She did not even dare cry aloud. Outsiders could scarcely place themselves in their position and understand the pressure they were under.

Smack!

Shang Chaozong drove one fist into his own palm, venting the grief and fury in his heart.

"Your Highness, Commandery Princess, the more dangerous the situation becomes, the more we must stay calm. We cannot throw our own side into disorder." Lan Ruoting kept his voice low as he urged them, not daring to speak loudly.

Shang Shuqing shook her head in misery, weeping softly. "Uncle Meng has been talking so much ever since the war ended. He isn't someone who likes to chatter. Yesterday he was talking about my marriage again. I should have noticed something was wrong long ago. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"For our sake, he was willing to... and I didn't even notice anything strange about him. I didn't take it to heart at all. I've failed Uncle Meng."

Lan Ruoting urged her again, "Commandery Princess, this isn't the time to talk about that."

Shang Chaozong's breathing grew rapid, his chest heaving violently. Fury erupted from him. "A pack of dogs! I'm going to find them. Let them dare touch Marshal Meng and see what happens. At worst I'll risk everything and drag them down with me!"

"Your Highness!"

Lan Ruoting wrapped both hands around one of Shang Chaozong's arms and held tight, refusing to let him leave.

"Whatever you do, don't act recklessly!"

"Let go!" Shang Chaozong roared. "They're going to kill Marshal Meng. Do you expect me to stand here and watch him go to his death?"

Lan Ruoting refused to release him. He pleaded earnestly, "Your Highness, how could I not know Marshal Meng's life is in mortal danger? But think about it. Why did Marshal Meng hide this from us?"

"He was afraid Your Highness would act impulsively!"

"They separated Marshal Meng from us before making their move. That means they still don't intend to move against Your Highness. They only want to cut away your wings."

"Marshal Meng clearly understood that. He deliberately hid it from us because he intends to sacrifice himself to preserve Your Highness!"

"If Your Highness goes to make trouble with them now and both sides tear away the pretense, not only will you fail to save Marshal Meng, Tianyu Sect may simply go all the way. Since faces have already been torn apart and the situation is already like this, they may decide to eliminate Your Highness as well."

"This relay station could become Your Highness's burial ground!"

"Marshal Meng is sacrificing his life to buy Your Highness time—to buy a chance to turn the board around. If Your Highness throws yourself in as well, we lose that chance completely."

"Marshal Meng is using his own life to buy this opportunity for Your Highness. How can Your Highness simply cast it aside?"

Shang Chaozong said in a grief-stricken voice, "How am I supposed to swallow an opportunity bought like this?"

Lan Ruoting's eyes were red. He gripped Shang Chaozong's arm and shook it hard.

"You have to swallow it even if you can't! Even the humiliation of crawling beneath another man's legs must be endured if that's what it takes. Someone still has to avenge Marshal Meng!"

"Does Your Highness want Marshal Meng's sacrifice to be for nothing? Do you want him to die unable to close his eyes?"

Tears glimmered in Lan Ruoting's own eyes. Pain overflowed his face, and his emotions were plainly surging as well. Shang Chaozong's clenched fists trembled. He tilted his head back, tears streaming down his face. Caught in the vast, surging storms beneath Heaven, what did a man's tears amount to?

How many heroes and brave men, how many princes, marquises, generals, and ministers had been buried by those storms? How much tenderness carved into the bone had been drowned beneath them? And how many outstanding men beneath Heaven had again and again found themselves powerless?

"No! Nothing will happen to Uncle Meng."

Shang Shuqing suddenly seemed to remember something. She plunged a hand into her sleeve and searched frantically, panic and urgency tumbling from her lips.

"There's still a chance. There must still be a way. Nothing will happen to Uncle Meng. This... I found it. This. There should be a way inside this."

She drew another brocade pouch from her sleeve and held it out before the other two with both hands. Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting wiped the tears from their faces and stared together at the pouch in her hands. It was tied shut with a white silk cord.

Lan Ruoting asked, "Commandery Princess, this is...?"

Shang Shuqing wiped her tears with her sleeve as well and choked out, "Master Dao. It's the brocade pouch Master Dao gave me back then. He left me two of them, one tied with a black silk cord and one with a white silk cord."

"The black-cord pouch was already given to Elder Brother. Master Dao said the white-cord pouch could be opened in an emergency if our lives were threatened!"

Hope immediately appeared in Lan Ruoting's eyes as he looked at the pouch.

Shang Chaozong stamped his foot, snatched the pouch from her hands, and burst out angrily, "Qing'er, what are you doing? How could you forget something this important? How could you wait until now to bring it out? Foolish!"

Shang Shuqing was angry with herself too. Tears spilled again.

"Elder Brother, I'm sorry! I've failed Uncle Meng. But Master Dao warned me again and again. This concerns the future of all Nanzhou. It concerns the years of effort everyone has poured into this. This brocade pouch was not to be opened lightly. It could only be opened in an emergency when our lives were in danger!"

"I didn't know Uncle Meng would hide the truth from us and sacrifice himself..."

"Enough!" Lan Ruoting pressed both hands downward between brother and sister. "Your Highness, Master Dao must have had a reason for giving such instructions. The Commandery Princess cannot be blamed. She did nothing wrong by following Master Dao's warning."

"But Marshal Meng's present situation already qualifies as a life-threatening crisis. The pouch should be opened now."

"Your Highness, there's no time to lose. If we delay, it may be too late. Quickly open it and see what strategy Master Dao left us for surviving a mortal crisis."

Shang Chaozong immediately tore open the white silk cord, opened the pouch, and pulled out a letter consisting of two sheets folded together. He unfolded it. Forget etiquette. Lan Ruoting and Shang Shuqing both leaned close so the three could read together. Only a few words appeared on the first page: If you face mortal danger, give the enclosed letter to Tianyu Sect. It should carry you through the crisis. That was all. The three looked at one another.

Shang Chaozong quickly pulled away the first sheet and read the enclosed letter beneath it. It contained only one line: Urgent report! Jinzhou is assembling three hundred thousand troops and intends to attack Nanzhou! Niu Youdao. The enclosed letter was just as simple. The three stared at one another.

Shang Chaozong asked doubtfully, "He expects us to survive by relying on this false report? Tianyu Sect isn't stupid. Neither Jinzhou nor Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion would ever send troops on our behalf. If Jinzhou and Nanzhou began fighting each other, the only beneficiaries would be the State of Yan and the State of Zhao. Emperor Hai Wuji of the State of Zhao would certainly seize the opportunity to take Jinzhou. How could Jinzhou possibly send troops to attack Nanzhou? This... this... would Tianyu Sect believe it?"

Lan Ruoting looked equally uncomfortable. The contents of the letter seemed far beneath Master Dao's usual standard. At most, such a report could deceive Tianyu Sect for a short while. Toying with Tianyu Sect this way would look like the final struggle of people driven into a dead end.

The moment Tianyu Sect verified that the report was false, it would tear away the paper-thin pretense and reveal that Shang Chaozong's side had no intention of meekly submitting. Tianyu Sect might then simply strike without hesitation.

For now, Tianyu Sect wanted a smooth transition and did not wish to use methods so violent they would create trouble. Shang Chaozong's side, meanwhile, merely wanted to cling to survival. That at least maintained a fragile balance.

Shang Shuqing hesitated over the contents of the letter too, but in the end she urged, "Since Master Dao arranged it this way, he would not be shooting an arrow without a target. There must be a reason. We should follow his instructions."

Lan Ruoting stroked his beard and hesitated. "We've experienced Master Dao's methods many times. It isn't that I don't trust his ability, but this... it doesn't even fool us. There's simply no way it can fool Tianyu Sect."

A trace of determination appeared in Shang Shuqing's eyes.

"Elder Brother, Mr. Lan, I've spent years with Master Dao. I understand what kind of man he is. I trust his character."

"Even retreating ten thousand steps, if we want to save Uncle Meng, do we have any other method? If there's a chance to try, can we truly stand by and watch Uncle Meng go to his death?"

"Elder Brother, Mr. Lan, let's do exactly what Master Dao said."

The moment she spoke of saving Meng Shanming, Shang Chaozong's hesitation vanished.

He nodded hard. "Good!"

"Ai!" Lan Ruoting knew there was no point saying anything more and could not help sighing. "This Master Dao always does things in ways too deep to fathom, never showing the bottom of his hand. He also always leaves everyone else with no idea what lies beneath their feet, panicking all the while."

[End of Chapter 424]