Chapter 670: Knowing It Cannot Be Done, Yet Doing It Anyway

That was the very purpose for which this group existed.

They had always been there to restrain the military authority of the Grand Marshal.

The result left Shang Chaozong in an absurd position.

His military order could not even leave the room.

He himself could not leave the palace.

Everyone here belonged to Shang Jianxiong.

The two sides began arguing.

Shang Chaozong reasoned with them point by point, explaining why the measure was necessary. The army had to establish, as quickly as possible, the effect that orders were obeyed without delay and commands were carried out the moment they were issued.

But no matter how he explained it, it was useless.

When it came to arguing with words, how could Shang Chaozong possibly compete with men who had spent their lives surviving in court politics?

That was never his strength.

Worse, he was alone while an entire group surrounded him and beat him with their mouths.

Outside one window of the central military command office, Grand Minister of the Masses Gao Jiancheng had appeared at some unknown point. He stood half-hidden beside the window, quietly observing everything inside.

He could see that Shang Chaozong’s complexion was poor.

He also knew the Prince had only just left prison and still carried wounds all over his body.

Yet he saw no resentment on Shang Chaozong’s face.

The moment Shang Chaozong learned Yan was in danger, he threw all new and old grudges aside and devoted himself completely to saving the state from collapse.

That breadth of heart stirred Gao Jiancheng deeply.

Without thinking, he stroked his beard and gave a faint nod.

Grand Minister of Works Tong Mo also appeared beside the window at some unknown moment.

Like Gao Jiancheng, he had no wish to meet Shang Chaozong directly, but he too wanted to see what state the man was in.

When he saw Gao Jiancheng nodding, Tong Mo thought nothing of it. He assumed Gao felt as he did—that the men inside were doing well to make things difficult for Shang Chaozong.

“Naive,” Tong Mo murmured with a faint snort. “Does he really think this is his Nanzhou?”

The sound nearly startled Gao Jiancheng.

He had not expected someone to appear beside him so silently.

Fortunately, Gao was an old hand at court and revealed no trace of shock. He turned at once and cupped his hands in greeting.

Tong Mo reached over, patted Gao’s hands, and pressed them gently down, signaling that there was no need for ceremony and that they should continue watching.

In a low voice, Tong Mo said, “I know Lord Gao bears a blood feud with Nanzhou over the death of your son. But affairs of state come first now. You will have to endure it for the moment.”

“Grand Minister of Works overstates matters,” Gao Jiancheng replied politely. “The affairs of the state come first. I harbor no private motives. I merely came to take a look. Only a look.”

The corner of Tong Mo’s mouth lifted faintly.

As though I do not know you?

If you were not nursing hatred in your heart, what would bring you sneaking here to watch through a window?

Inside, Gao Jiancheng was snorting just as coldly.

This old thief spoke as though he were broad-minded himself.

Back then Prince Ning had taken the woman Tong Mo wanted and beaten him viciously.

Tong Mo probably wished he could wipe out Prince Ning’s entire bloodline.

Bang!

Inside the room, Shang Chaozong was finally pushed past endurance. He slapped the table and rose, shouting, “Do all of you intend to defy military orders?”

An old man with white hair and beard slowly stood.

“Prince Yong, everyone is reasoning with you. Where does defying military orders come into it? Do not throw accusations around.”

“When your father Prince Ning first entered the army in his youth, he served under me. Even your father treated this old man with courtesy when he saw me. I never expected the day would come when his son slapped a table at me.”

The old man was named Xu Guan.

He was one of the most senior figures in Yan’s central military establishment.

Shang Chaozong swept a cold gaze across everyone in the room.

Then he slowly rose from behind the desk and asked in a deep voice, “So the front is in crisis, and every matter I handle must first wait while I reason with all of you at leisure?”

Xu Guan sighed. “Young Prince, I understand your feelings. But everything must still be done according to reason. How can affairs be handled without reason?”

Shang Chaozong said nothing more.

He knew further words were useless.

Slowly, he sat back down.

Several more battle reports arrived from the front afterward.

Shang Chaozong read them one by one.

When he reached the last report, however, surprise flashed in his eyes.

A small slip of paper had been inserted inside it.

On the paper were a few words:

Request immediate departure for the front. If delayed, go directly to the three major sects. Once outside the city, someone will receive you. Anyone who acts recklessly dies!

Master Dao?

Shang Chaozong could never mistake that final sentence.

Others might not understand it, but he knew at a glance who had written it.

He quickly crushed the slip into his palm and hid it inside his sleeve.

Then his gaze swept across everyone in the room.

This battle report had passed through other hands.

How had a secret message been inserted inside it?

Someone present had to be involved.

Who?

Even more shocking was another possibility.

Had Master Dao somehow extended his hand directly into the imperial court’s central military command?

Shang Chaozong immediately began following the plan written on the note.

Sure enough, he encountered resistance.

The intention of the men here was simple.

Under the pretext that Shang Chaozong needed to remain in the capital to coordinate the overall war, they meant to keep him here and have him command Meng Shanming from afar.

Shang Chaozong immediately stopped wasting time with the court bureaucracy and went directly to the disciples of the three major sects stationed outside.

The result was immediate.

The three sects were themselves desperate over the deteriorating war and quickly dispatched three flying mounts to carry him out of the palace.

They had not flown far beyond the capital when a Scarlet Hunting Eagle came racing after them.

The disciples of the three major sects immediately became highly alert.

Guan Fangyi was personally piloting the Scarlet Hunting Eagle.

Once she drew alongside, she called, “Your Highness, our Scarlet Hunting Eagle is faster.”

The moment Shang Chaozong saw Guan Fangyi, his heart settled.

He immediately requested that the disciples of the three major sects allow him to transfer over, using the urgency of the war as his reason.

They could not outargue him and finally agreed.

The moment they released him, Shang Chaozong jumped from the flying mount.

Guan Fangyi drove the Scarlet Hunting Eagle into a dive, caught him cleanly, and pulled him down beside her.

The Scarlet Hunting Eagle then accelerated at full speed.

Ignoring the calls from the three major sects behind them, they rapidly left the other flying mounts far behind.

Once the three sect disciples could no longer be seen, the Scarlet Hunting Eagle abruptly changed direction.

It did not head toward the front.

Shang Chaozong looked surprised. “Where are we going?”

Guan Fangyi answered, “Master Dao said we cannot let Your Highness remain under their control at all times. He is also worried that if your route becomes predictable, someone may seize the opportunity to cause an accident.”

“It is safer to return to our own forces first. We are going to meet Marshal Meng.”

Shang Chaozong fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Where is Master Dao?”

“After Your Highness was seized, Master Dao came to the capital as well and has been maneuvering there ever since.”

“Master Dao asked me to pass on one sentence: circumstances left him no choice, and Your Highness suffered unfairly.”

She did not reveal Niu Youdao’s present hiding place.

Such a simple explanation left Shang Chaozong speechless.

What else could he say?

Just then, three Black Jade Eagles shot upward from below.

Uncle Chen and the others had arrived.

They joined the formation and began escorting Shang Chaozong under guard.

...

The journey was long.

Once Shang Chaozong had been delivered at full speed to the small town where the one hundred thousand cavalry were stationed, the large flying mounts did not remain even a moment.

Guan Fangyi and the others did not even meet Meng Shanming.

They left immediately.

Huang Lie, who hurried out after hearing the news, found only empty air.

He had wanted to find Niu Youdao and discuss the present situation.

Instead, he saw only several black dots vanishing into the sky and silently cursed all eighteen generations of Niu Youdao’s ancestors.

“Your Highness!”

The Nanzhou officers and soldiers crowded around Shang Chaozong and cheered.

The sound of wheelchair wheels approached.

Meng Shanming hurried out as well.

Seeing Shang Chaozong standing alive before him, he was visibly moved and finally released the breath he had been holding.

The whip marks across Shang Chaozong’s cheeks were still clear.

His complexion was poor, his steps unsteady. He had plainly suffered no small amount while imprisoned.

Feng Ruonan’s eyes reddened.

She bit her lip, looking more like a young woman than a general for once.

Shang Chaozong found her among the crowd and met her gaze briefly.

He only gave the slightest nod.

He showed no public display of tenderness.

Yan was suffering defeat after defeat and stood on the brink of destruction.

This was no time for private affection.

He and Meng Shanming immediately withdrew to discuss the war.

Once they sat down, the people here naturally asked how Shang Chaozong had escaped.

Shang Chaozong himself was still muddled about the whole affair and could not explain it clearly.

Now that he had Meng Shanming in front of him, he also asked about the earlier mystery.

Why had Niu Youdao transferred Meng Shanming and the troops away, yet left Shang Chaozong behind to be seized?

Meng Shanming knew nothing either.

From beginning to end, he had not even met Niu Youdao once.

How was he supposed to explain?

Both sides were equally confused.

Matters had circled around again and again until they became what they were now.

Neither found that especially strange.

They had long since become accustomed to Niu Youdao’s way of doing things.

Soon their attention returned entirely to the war.

The more they discussed it, the more they had to admit the truth.

This war would be exceedingly difficult to fight.

Yan’s foundations had already been weak. After repeated turmoil, the state’s strength was in terrible condition.

Worse, the realm was internally divided.

How were they supposed to withstand Song’s offensive?

And it was not only Song.

Han was watching like a tiger and could send troops at any moment.

Yan’s present situation truly looked as though total collapse was imminent.

There was a suffocating sense that even Heaven itself could no longer be turned back.

Yet no matter how difficult the situation, Shang Chaozong still decided to prop up the collapsing edifice.

He was a prince of the Shang imperial clan.

He could not simply watch the lifetime of effort his father had poured into Yan disappear like smoke.

The lamps burned through the entire night.

Neither man slept.

Shang Chaozong dragged his wounded and exhausted body before the map, while the aged Meng Shanming, whose stamina was already failing, remained there with him.

The two discussed the war until dawn.

Once the sky brightened, they sought out Huang Lie and asked to borrow Dachan Mountain’s Black Jade Eagles to carry Meng Shanming.

Their final decision was that Meng Shanming would personally go to the front.

Dragging his crippled, aging body with him, he would return to command once more.

He intended to take charge of the collapsing battlefield himself, gather the shattered armies, reorganize the defeated forces, and face Luo Zhao of Song in a direct contest.

Shang Chaozong would remain behind to coordinate the entire theater, overcome every obstacle in the rear, and give Meng Shanming the strongest possible support from behind.

One in front, one in back, the two would act together.

“Marshal Meng, this war cannot be fought!” Huang Lie lamented again and again when he heard the request. “Yan’s military morale is already scattered. Forget everything else—even supplying grain is difficult. Grain cannot suddenly grow from the fields, and it cannot fall from the sky.”

“The soldiers at the front can barely fill their stomachs. How are they supposed to fight?”

“If the imperial court had any other choice, why would they have handed this military authority back to us?”

“Knowing full well it cannot be done, yet doing it anyway—Marshal Meng, even a man like me who knows nothing about warfare understands that principle. Why force yourself like this?”

In truth, he was trying to persuade them to make plans early.

In Huang Lie’s view, now that Shang Chaozong had escaped danger, there was no longer anything holding them back.

Why not simply return to Nanzhou, hold their troops, and protect themselves?

That had to be better than doing something with no prospect of success.

As he saw it, Yan was finished.

There was no saving it.

Once Yan collapsed, naturally others would deal with the three major sects. There was no longer any need to fear them.

That was precisely why Huang Lie had dared offend them repeatedly.

Yet now this side actually intended to repay hostility with virtue and continue risking its life for Yan.

Huang Lie truly did not know what to say.

Hearing his words, Shang Chaozong fell silent as well, his jaw tight.

Given Meng Shanming’s age and body, Shang Chaozong himself had not wanted to send him personally onto the battlefield.

But there was no choice.

He could find no one beside him with greater military ability than Meng Shanming.

Yan had already reached a point where it could no longer afford another defeat.

A truly capable commander had to go to the front in person.

Meng Shanming said, “Sect Leader Huang, I have spent my life in the army protecting Great Yan. Now a brat like Luo Zhao runs wild across Yan’s land. How could I shrink back and avoid battle? How could I let that brat believe Great Yan has no one left?”

“If I shrink away now, how could I face the brothers who once fought and died defending Great Yan?”

“If I die in battle, then at least I will have died where I belong.”

[End of Chapter 670]