Chapter 847: Grace Ended, Affection Severed

The key problem was that no one could presently make sense of exactly what relationship existed between Niu Youdao and Xiaoyue Pavilion.

Niu Youdao had bypassed Yan's three great sects and directly set the Yan army in motion. That alone proved how much influence he wielded over Yan's military, and it was a crucial point.

One letter sent to Song made Song realize that it had been begging the wrong people before. Appealing to Yan's imperial court was useless. Appealing to Yan's three great sects was useless. Even appealing to Shang Chaozong was useless. At the very least, Niu Youdao had more than enough ability to prevent Yan from sending troops against Han. Under such circumstances, how could Song possibly make trouble for him now?

Another letter went to Han, ordering Han to stop attacking Song. If Han refused, Beizhou would send troops into Han. The moment Niu Youdao emerged from the Tiandu Secret Realm, he had begun threatening the State of Han.

Han did not believe he truly dared fight on two fronts. But neither did it dare corner him until the dog leapt the wall and the rabbit bit back. If someone was trying to kill you, even a desperate rabbit would bite. Unless Han's three great sects had lost their minds, they would never choose this moment to make trouble for Niu Youdao.

As for Jin, Wei, and Qi, Xiaoyue Pavilion's uprising was the crucial factor.

It was still the same principle: even a desperate rabbit would bite. Before the situation became clear, Wei and Qi did not dare push Niu Youdao all the way to death.

As for Jin, one letter from Niu Youdao had already stirred its heart. There was no possibility that Jin would trouble him at such a time.

With the situation changing, Yan had now seen prey worth pursuing. It no longer wanted anything to happen to Niu Youdao.

As for Zhao, it now treated practically everyone as an honored lord. It begged Misty Pavilion to intervene, begged Wei and Qi to send troops, begged Yan to negotiate peace, begged Niu Youdao to stop the war... Zhao dared offend no one. All it could do was beg everywhere. Whether a person could actually help or not, so long as there was even a chance they might matter, Zhao sent beauties and wealth in every direction.

Under circumstances like these, the Four Seas' attempt to rally the various states against Niu Youdao, the man standing at the very center of the storm, naturally could not succeed.

After going through all this, Fuhua, Lang Jingkong, Hong Gaitian, and Duan Wuchang were all somewhat astonished. They discovered that they had vastly underestimated their sworn brother.

They had heard stories about Niu Youdao before, but none had imagined that he possessed this much influence among the various states.

The four who had gathered together all fell into thought. Each had no choice but to reassess their relationship with Niu Youdao, because they seemed to have discovered an entirely new kind of value in him.

What they did not realize was that today's Niu Youdao was no longer the man who had once hidden behind the curtain in Nanzhou.

He had stepped directly onto the stage, stretched out his hands, and begun stirring the winds and clouds of all seven states.

In truth, he had little choice.

The situation had forced him to this point. There was no road of retreat left. One step backward meant a disaster from which he might never recover. Too many people would refuse to let Niu Youdao live. With enemies beneath Heaven, all he could do was keep moving forward.

Since the four were already in Yan, once they reached a common decision, they set out together for Maolu Villa.

Yet when they arrived, they discovered the villa had already been emptied.

Only row after row of vegetable plots remained, green seedlings swaying in the wind.

...

"Oh? Your reputation truly isn't exaggerated. You really are a beauty capable of toppling states and cities!"

Inside the imperial palace of Yanjing, Shang Youlan, Empress Dowager of Zhao, sat with dignified grace as she examined the beautiful woman approaching her. Before the other woman could even bow, Shang Youlan had already risen with a smile.

The woman who had come to pay respects was none other than Aque, the new favored consort of Emperor Shang Jianxiong of Yan—and formerly a favored consort of Mu Zhuozhen, Emperor of Song, who had gifted her to Shang Jianxiong.

"Aque pays respects to the Empress Dowager!" Slender and graceful, Aque lowered herself in a half-curtsy.

"No need for ceremony, no need." Shang Youlan stepped forward and personally helped her upright. Smiling, she looked Aque up and down and clicked her tongue in admiration. "Truly beautiful. No wonder Jianxiong likes you so much..."

Her mouth was full of flattering words, but inwardly she muttered, That's all? She looks like this, and one sovereign after another holds her in the palm of his hand. What kind of taste do these men have?

Shang Youlan had grounds for such confidence. One could still infer from her present appearance what she had looked like in youth.

She too had once been exceptionally beautiful, and the previous Emperor of Zhao had favored her greatly. Otherwise, she could never have become Zhao's Empress Dowager today.

In truth, perhaps because of their bloodline, the women descended from the Shang clan were almost all attractive. Every so often, one would even possess beauty capable of toppling states and cities. Someone as unattractive as Shang Shuqing was exceedingly rare.

After the Wu Dynasty collapsed, the various feudal lords had regarded marrying a daughter of the Shang clan as an honor.

Of course, part of that was because the Shang clan descended from the imperial house. Marrying one of its daughters displayed status as well.

But as the Wu Dynasty faded farther and farther into history, that latter reason gradually ceased to matter.

Whatever Shang Youlan thought privately, her face remained full of praise.

She had no choice.

Power determined what could be said.

Her arrival had given Emperor Shang Jianxiong a headache.

Yan was Shang Youlan's natal home, and she was also Shang Jianxiong's elder—his own paternal aunt. That formal relationship could not simply be erased.

Common folk might act however they pleased, but an emperor stood as an example to the realm. At the very least, certain proprieties had to be maintained on the surface.

More importantly, Shang Youlan had once wept when she was married away. She had nearly hanged herself rather than go. It was for the sake of Great Yan that she sacrificed herself in a political marriage and suffered no small amount of grievance.

Later, she had indeed kept her old homeland in her heart and contributed much to Yan.

Only as her position gradually changed did her loyalties slowly change with it. She became the mother of the realm in Zhao, and Zhao naturally became her home. Now even Zhao's emperor had to pay respects to her morning and evening.

Shang Jianxiong himself had sent daughters into political marriages before.

If he now humiliated Shang Youlan, what would all the other women married away for political reasons think?

Would that not chill their hearts?

He had to show some consideration.

But Shang Jianxiong also knew exactly why she had come.

She had come to lobby on Zhao's behalf.

Yan's three great sects had already reached a decision on this matter. Shang Jianxiong no longer had the authority to decide for himself, and there was no way he could give Shang Youlan face.

So he found excuses to avoid seeing her and instead ordered that she be treated lavishly with food and drink.

Unable to meet Yan's emperor, Shang Youlan naturally refused to give up.

She visited Tong Mo and the other relevant ministers one by one. She also called on the Empress in the inner palace.

Every one of them answered evasively.

They all refused her, but Shang Youlan's dual status in the two states stood there for everyone to see. Whether it was Tong Mo and the ministers or the Empress herself, they had to treat her with deference and dared not slight her.

Later, under the guidance of Zhao's envoy stationed in Yanjing, she learned which person in the inner palace carried the most weight when speaking to Shang Jianxiong.

And so Shang Youlan found Shang Jianxiong's favored consort Aque.

That was how the present meeting came about.

Aque gave a reserved smile. "I have only the looks of a common willow. The Empress Dowager praises me too highly."

"Beautiful is beautiful." Shang Youlan kept hold of her hand and beckoned for servants to bring over a pile of gifts.

One casket after another was opened.

Jewels and precious ornaments gleamed inside.

All were gifts for Aque.

Still holding Aque's hand, Shang Youlan examined them one by one with her.

Once the gifts had been given, Shang Youlan seized the opportunity to speak of her hardships.

She told the story of how she had been sent away in marriage all those years ago, spoke of how pitiful women could be, and lamented that after finally returning to her natal home, she was treated as unwelcome and could not even obtain an audience with Yan's emperor.

By the end she was crying.

The story made Aque feel terrible too. She held Shang Youlan's hand and comforted her.

Shang Youlan had chosen exactly the right person.

Aque had never interfered in affairs of state.

Yet after seeing Shang Jianxiong later, she could not help mentioning the matter. Was it not too heartless that Shang Youlan had returned to her natal home and yet could not even see the Emperor? She also said Shang Youlan would refuse to leave until she met him.

Although Shang Jianxiong explained that he had unavoidable difficulties, the next day he finally met Shang Youlan.

Polite greetings were inevitable.

So were certain subjects.

There was no possibility Shang Youlan would avoid bringing up peace negotiations.

Shang Jianxiong kept deflecting. Put plainly, he did not want to negotiate with Zhao. The Yan army intended to continue fighting.

Shang Youlan refused to relent.

Pressed until he had no choice, Shang Jianxiong could hardly order his own aunt thrown out.

At last, he told her the truth.

"Aunt, I won't hide it from you. I can no longer make the decision on this matter. Yan's three great sects have already reached a conclusion. The moment you arrived, they warned me that I am not permitted to compromise. If I do, someone else will be sitting on this throne!"

Shang Youlan said, "Jianxiong, don't think I don't know the threat Shang Chaozong poses to you! Zhao's destruction benefits neither me nor you. Are you really willing to watch Shang Chaozong keep growing stronger?"

"Jianxiong, don't you want to restrain Shang Chaozong's expansion?"

"You are still the Emperor of Yan. You still control most of Yan's commanderies and prefectures. No one dares push you too far. So long as you insist, Yan's three great sects won't want to see civil war break out inside Yan either!"

Shang Jianxiong shook his head.

"Aunt, things are different now. Yan currently has no external threat. Every other power is restrained elsewhere. The three great sects are not afraid of internal disorder at all."

"If civil strife erupts, they can casually draw over one army and crush it with ease."

"At a time like this, whoever controls the troops controls the right to speak!"

"If I dared make trouble now, that would truly be handing Shang Chaozong, that traitor, the opportunity he needs. By then, I'm afraid I wouldn't even know how I died."

"Aunt, don't raise this matter again. I'm not making excuses. I truly cannot help you!"

Shang Youlan's eyes reddened.

Tears filled them.

"Why? Why must it be like this?"

"Back then, I didn't want to marry away, but you forced me to go. Now I've built a family there. I have children and grandchildren filling the hall, yet suddenly you can no longer tolerate that family. You insist on meeting them with swords and soldiers. You insist on destroying my home with your own hands."

"Jianxiong, when you were a child, I never treated you badly. Whenever something happened, I protected you. And now you're going to stand by and watch me die?"

Unable to persuade him with reason, she began trying to move him with emotion.

Shang Jianxiong sighed.

"Aunt, don't worry. Whatever happens to Zhao, Yan might force anyone else to death, but no one would dare force you to death."

"Forget me—even Shang Chaozong would not dare act rashly against you. He would still have to show you respect."

"Aunt, whether Zhao exists or not, whether you live in Zhao or Yan, I can guarantee that you will never lack food or clothing. You will live out your life in wealth and honor!"

Shang Youlan raised her voice.

"Then can you spare my son? Can you spare my grandsons and the rest of them?"

Shang Jianxiong fell silent.

He could not make such a promise.

Because he knew perfectly well that when one cut weeds, the roots had to be removed. No future danger could be left behind.

If their positions were reversed, he would do exactly the same.

Tears ran down Shang Youlan's cheeks.

She understood.

She finally understood.

This side would not spare her children and grandchildren.

She had still wanted to struggle for one final thing.

If Zhao truly could not be preserved, then perhaps at least her descendants could be saved.

Yet even that request could not be granted.

At last, she gave a bleak laugh.

"Why was I born into a family so devoid of feeling and loyalty?"

"From this day forward, the Shang clan and I owe each other nothing. Grace is ended. Affection is severed!"

With that, she turned and left.

[End of Chapter 847]