Chapter 578: Having Eyes Yet Failing to Recognize a True Hero

If Chao Shenghuai had merely been Chao Jing's grandson, that would have been one thing. Unfortunately, he was also a disciple of Myriad Beasts Sect.

Myriad Beasts Sect never involved itself in struggles among the states. In the end, there was one simple reason: its business was conducted with cultivators from all beneath Heaven.

Now the man who had violated this taboo was Chao Jing's own grandson. As an Elder of Myriad Beasts Sect, how was he supposed to answer to everyone above and below him?

Qiu Shan tried to soothe him. “Senior Brother Chao, getting angry now is useless. I questioned Chao Shenghuai. When he passed through Jinzhou, he happened to encounter Tu Huaiyu's party by chance, and Tu Huaiyu was the one who invited him to travel together. Tu Huaiyu said he knew you and even invoked your name, so Shenghuai found it difficult to refuse.”

“When the assassination suddenly struck, Shenghuai himself was in danger. He fought desperately, and by coincidence he had seen one of the assassins before. Think about it—after nearly losing his own life, who wouldn't be furious? How could he hold himself back in that moment and not blurt out who the assassin was?”

“With his limited experience, how could he know it would provoke such an enormous affair? Once he realized something was wrong, he immediately changed his story and said he had remembered the man incorrectly. But the people of Song's delegation refused to let him retract it and detained him on the spot. That's what happened from beginning to end. He truly did not know he would create trouble on this scale.”

Xi Haitang said heavily, “It does us no good to know he's innocent. Song's envoy was assassinated and killed at precisely this moment. Someone plainly wants to provoke Song into intervening in Yan's affairs. Then Chao Shenghuai jumped out to testify at exactly this time. It would be difficult for anyone not to suspect Myriad Beasts Sect of participating.”

Chao Jing pondered. “If Shenghuai wasn't lying, then Tu Huaiyu's death really could have been Gao Shaoming venting a private grudge.”

Xi Haitang said, “Does discussing that still mean anything now? The imperial court, Lingxiao Pavilion, Blood God Hall, and Heaven-Splitting Palace have all grown greedy for Yan. They will not allow Chao Shenghuai to change his testimony. At a moment like this, can we openly oppose all of them? Myriad Beasts Sect is, after all, located within Song territory.”

Chao Jing laughed coldly again and again. “Heh. Gao Shaoming secretly vents a private grudge and ruins Yan's greater plans, yet now he jumps out and claims Shenghuai framed him, neatly washes himself clean, and throws dirty water onto Myriad Beasts Sect. That dog must be tired of living. Does he truly think Myriad Beasts Sect is made of clay?”

Xi Haitang immediately warned him, “Don't act recklessly. Chao Shenghuai's appearance has already made Xiaoyao Palace and the others watch us closely. If people at our level rashly become involved at a time like this, Xiaoyao Palace, Zijin Cave, and Lingjian Mountain will not sit by. And Lingxiao Pavilion, Blood God Hall, and Heaven-Splitting Palace on this side may be wishing for nothing more than an excuse to drive us out of Song altogether. Watch the situation first.”

Qiu Shan said, “The same principle applies in reverse. Even if Yan learns the truth now, it will never allow Gao Shaoming to tell it. Yan will insist to the end that Shenghuai framed him. Sect Leader is right. Shenghuai probably won't be able to return for the time being. But Senior Brother Chao needn't worry too much. They won't mistreat him. They're only detaining him temporarily because they don't want him to retract his testimony.”

Chao Jing said bitterly, “Return? I wish that wretched beast were dead!”

...

Inside Jin's imperial palace, Taishu Xiong stood high in a pavilion of the imperial garden, leaning on the railing and gazing into the distance.

Shao Pingbo climbed the pavilion and stopped behind him to bow. “Your Majesty.”

Taishu Xiong swept one broad sleeve toward the view. “What do you think of the scenery from here?”

Shao Pingbo replied, “It is like looking upon all beneath Heaven!”

“Haha!” Taishu Xiong threw back his head and laughed, bold and expansive. When the laughter subsided, he planted both hands on the railing. “I've kept an eye on the men you brought from Beizhou. Every one of them is a capable official. Put them to work and you can tell at once—they are all fine talents. Given time, they can bear great responsibility!”

“Your Majesty overpraises them.” Shao Pingbo answered modestly, though inwardly he knew exactly what kind of men they were.

He had personally selected every one of them. After they completed their studies and were sent into the local administrations to temper themselves, batch after batch had been eliminated.

When he fled Beizhou, those he arranged to withdraw were the elite among the elite. Even while running for his life, he had been unwilling to abandon them. How could such people possibly be mediocre?

But this was no longer Beizhou, where his word had been enough. After these people were placed in positions throughout Jin, they encountered restraint from every direction and could not freely throw themselves into great undertakings.

Taishu Xiong sighed. “In these troubled times, few common people can even read. As for the sons of wealthy and noble houses... To sift out this many talented people was truly no easy matter. By the way, I hear all of them were students you personally trained?”

That single sentence made Shao Pingbo understand once again what it meant to accompany a sovereign as one would accompany a tiger.

He replied, “When Beizhou had only just been established, everything waited to be rebuilt. This subject suffered from having no capable men in hand and had no choice but to spend the time and effort to establish an academy and train people personally.”

“That method is good. I intend to imitate it in Jin. You have experience. How would you like to take charge of it?”

Shao Pingbo fell silent briefly, then slowly said, “Your Majesty, when Beizhou did this, the old order had already been broken and a new one was being established. There was no real resistance. If Jin establishes an academy now, I fear it would be exceedingly difficult to admit and select students without regard to rank or background.”

“In this subject's view, it would be better to delay for a while. Once a suitable opportunity appears, it will not be too late to consider the matter.”

Taishu Xiong fell silent.

He understood the deeper meaning immediately.

If he established an academy now, anyone with the slightest political sense would know he intended to select talent. Every prince, duke, and minister would scramble to stuff his own people inside. Forget selecting talent—the available places might not even be enough for those powerful families to fill with their own sons and nephews.

Should Taishu Xiong personally step forward and oppose every prince and minister in Jin? Or should this powerless Shao Pingbo stand up and oppose them?

And if they could not stop people from forcing their way in, what was the point of establishing an academy merely to recruit wine sacks and rice bags who spent their days chasing flowers and stirring up trouble?

Taishu Xiong nodded. “Indeed. The time isn't ripe. We need a suitable pretext and a set of rules no one can oppose. I was impatient. We'll discuss it later.”

He waved a hand, temporarily abandoning the idea. Then he asked, “By the way, have you seen the news from the four eastern states?”

“I have. With this affair erupting, every side has concerns now. I'm afraid they won't be able to fight after all.”

Taishu Xiong said, “I truly wanted to watch them bite one another like dogs. Unfortunately, fighting now doesn't suit my interests. They got off cheaply.”

Shao Pingbo smiled. “At the very least, it has allowed Your Majesty to see one thing clearly: the four eastern states are dry firewood soaked in oil. One spark is enough to set them ablaze. Your Majesty need only wait until the day you choose to strike the flame.”

Taishu Xiong laughed heartily. “Well said. There is only one point I don't understand. How did Myriad Beasts Sect become dragged into an affair like this?”

“It isn't that Myriad Beasts Sect wanted to become involved. Someone behind the scenes is making mischief.” Shao Pingbo's tone was calm. “That Chao Shenghuai is one of Niu Youdao's people. After this affair, this subject is now certain that Chao Shenghuai has been brought under Niu Youdao's control. Everything was manipulated by Niu Youdao from behind the curtain!”

“One of Niu Youdao's people?” Taishu Xiong turned in surprise. A trace of scrutiny entered his gaze. For an instant, suspicion flashed through his mind: was Shao Pingbo trying to dump every bucket of filth onto Niu Youdao's head?

Shao Pingbo saw the doubt and explained the beginning and end. “Before the Spirit Beast Gathering, this subject already arranged for people to assassinate Niu Youdao. The first person I incited to act against him was Chao Shenghuai...”

He continued through what had followed, then said, “Looking back now, not only was Chao Shenghuai brought under Niu Youdao's control, there were problems with the cultivators at my side as well. Song Shu has been killed, and that leaves Chen Guishuo.”

“This subject could never have imagined that a man who already bore a grudge against Niu Youdao before Niu Youdao even knew me would actually turn out to be a spy Niu Youdao had planted at my side. That was what brought about this subject's disastrous defeat in Beizhou. If Niu Youdao had not believed he could certainly put me to death this time, I'm afraid I still would not know even now that a man beside me had been Niu Youdao's eyes and ears.”

“Because of this, this subject also finally understood how those thirty thousand warhorses were stolen from my hands years ago.”

Even now, the thought made Shao Pingbo grind his teeth inwardly. Those two crushing defeats had been losses he found unbearably unjust.

“Thirty thousand warhorses? What happened?” Taishu Xiong had never heard of it and asked with interest.

“Back then, Beizhou urgently needed warhorses. This subject had already spent a long time preparing arrangements over in Qi...” Shao Pingbo recounted the affair, omitting some details and preserving others. Anything involving Xiaoyue Pavilion was left undisclosed.

“So that's what happened.” Taishu Xiong nodded slowly.

He too had heard that Shang Chaozong had suddenly obtained a huge batch of warhorses years ago. He had never imagined they had been stolen straight from Shao Pingbo's hands.

What a profitable transaction.

Even the capital had been supplied by someone else.

Shao Pingbo returned to the point. “The reason Chao Shenghuai had to be drawn into this affair was precisely his identity and background. No ordinary person could approach Tu Huaiyu. If one couldn't become part of the incident, there would be no way to provide false testimony. This was a carefully constructed scheme from beginning to end. If Chao Shenghuai's sudden appearance wasn't Niu Youdao making mischief, who else could it be?”

Listening to one affair after another, Taishu Xiong felt increasingly alarmed.

Stealing thirty thousand warhorses. Turning Myriad Beasts Sect upside down, resolving his own crisis, and forcing Shao Pingbo to flee. Provoking conflict between Song and Yan.

Not one of those deeds was simple.

And that did not even count such matters as driving Tianyu Sect out of Nanzhou or taking Yucang's nephew as his student.

Had any one of these achievements been accomplished by one of Taishu Xiong's own subordinates, it would have counted as great merit worthy of heavy reward.

Yet all of them had been done by one man.

Taishu Xiong narrowed his eyes slightly. “With such a man assisting him, Shang Chaozong is like a tiger given wings. No wonder he rose so quickly in only a few years. This Niu Youdao is too dangerous. If he can be used by me, that is one thing. Otherwise, once my armies march east, he will certainly become a future calamity. He cannot be allowed to remain!”

Shao Pingbo's expression remained calm.

He had deliberately brought up even the lost warhorses and laid the affairs out one by one precisely so Taishu Xiong would understand how dangerous Niu Youdao was.

Shao Pingbo had not yet established his own footing in Jin and had no way to mobilize Jin's strength against Niu Youdao.

But there was someone who could.

That man stood directly before him.

To avoid even the appearance of ulterior motive, Shao Pingbo instead advised, “There is no need for Your Majesty to act. From the present situation, Shang Jianxiong will be the first who refuses to let him go.”

Taishu Xiong shook his head and waved a hand, indicating that was not what he meant. He gazed into the distance, regret and melancholy filling his face.

“A peerless genius indeed—sun and moon in his mouth, qiankun in his hands! With such a man, why fear that all beneath Heaven cannot be pacified?”

“I learned of him too late. I had eyes, yet failed to recognize a true hero. It pains me deeply! Shang Chaozong is nothing but a yellow-mouthed stripling. What virtue or ability does he possess to command such a man's service? A fine horse deserves a fine saddle, and a worthy bird chooses the tree where it roosts. Could it be that I am somehow inferior to that yellow-mouthed boy?”

He suddenly whipped around. “I wish to recruit him. Pingbo, can you tolerate him? Are you willing to cast aside all former grievances with him? If you are unwilling, then I will abandon the thought.”

Shao Pingbo's expression turned solemn and righteous. “May this subject ask Your Majesty: which benefit is greater, gaining all beneath Heaven or avenging a private grievance? Compared with all beneath Heaven, what does the loss of a mere Beizhou amount to? Could it be that in Your Majesty's eyes, this subject is some petty man who cannot distinguish what should be taken up from what should be put down?”

“So long as Niu Youdao is willing to serve Your Majesty, this subject is willing to cast aside every former grievance with him. I would willingly stand beside him and assist Your Majesty together!”

[End of Chapter 578]