Chapter 1107: War Is Imminent

The moment those words were spoken, someone exclaimed, "Have an imperial prince marry into a woman's household?"

"Huyan Wuhen, how dare you speak with such disregard for sovereign and father!"

"Supreme General, don't get this backward. Wei is the one begging us for help, yet you want an imperial prince to be married off?"

"Huyan Wuhen! An imperial prince's marriage concerns the dignity of the state. A man takes a wife and a woman marries out—that is the proper order. Even an ordinary commoner would find it shameful to marry into his wife's household. If a prince of mighty Qi were to do it, wouldn't we become a laughingstock?"

"Supreme General, Xuan Wei is a widow, a woman who has already been married. Her looks may still be fine, but she is nearly forty. Of His Majesty's sons, every unmarried prince is under twenty. Yet you want a prince not even twenty years old to marry—no, to be married into the household of—a widow nearing forty. How can you even say such a thing?"

"Your Majesty, this absolutely cannot be done. If word spreads, where will Qi's face be? Where will Your Majesty's face be? And how is the prince who marries into her household supposed to endure it?"

The court officials denounced Huyan Wuhen one after another, their voices overlapping so densely that he could not even find a chance to interject.

"All of you, shut up!" Hao Yuntu suddenly roared from his throne. The hall instantly fell silent, quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Only then did he say darkly, "Supreme General, having an imperial prince marry into her household is indeed somewhat inappropriate."

Huyan Wuhen replied, "Your Majesty, Wei's situation is plain to see. Xuan Chengtian has completely lost the hearts of the people. Neither Wei's officials and commoners nor its three great sects want to see him take charge again. Xuan Chengtian is already nothing more than a figurehead. The person truly holding power now is Xuan Wei. Given her status and position, it is impossible to bring her into Qi as a wife. If we do not have a prince marry into her household, are we supposed to expect Xuan Wei to marry into Qi instead?"

Hao Yuntu's expression was not pleasant. "But having a prince marry into her household really would leave all of Qi without face. I would become the only ruler in Qi's history—no, the only ruler in the history of any state—to have sent his own son into a woman's household. However unworthy my son may be, he should not be made to do such a thing."

"Your Majesty, it is precisely because it would cost Qi face that we must do it. A grave illness calls for strong medicine. Only something this drastic will let everyone in Wei see Qi's determination to preserve their state. If Qi is willing to sacrifice an imperial prince's face at a time like this, the hearts of Wei's people will inevitably be lifted.

"Xuan Wei is now offering three Commandery Princesses in marriage. If Qi agrees and takes them as wives, that does make a statement, and it would indeed have some effect in stabilizing people's hearts. But the people of Wei are not fools. They can all see that Xuan Wei is lowering herself to seek a marriage alliance. Such an alliance is hardly glorious. She would only do this if Wei were already in dire straits.

"Right now, Wei is in internal chaos. What Xuan Wei needs most is to steady people's hearts, and helping her stabilize the state as quickly as possible is also in Qi's own interest.

"Your Majesty, Jin's strategy and tactics this time are unlike anything it has done before. Its preparations before the war were ruthless, steady, and precise. In one stroke, they hit Wei at its vital point, leaving it unable to concentrate the strength of the state against the coming attack. Wei is in grave danger this time. Who will Jin target next? Your Majesty should know perfectly well. Its next target will inevitably be Qi!

"The people of Jin are fierce, and its soldiers are brave. Let me say something Qi's three great sects may not enjoy hearing: the ferocity of Jin's Qiyun Sect is feared by sects beneath Heaven. If Jin launches an attack on our state, how long can Qi withstand it with our strength alone? Even when Jin was poor, Qi and Wei had to join forces to blunt its spearpoint. If Jin gains ample military grain and provisions, Qi will face an enormous threat. And if it seizes Wei's vast resources, that will give Jin the ability to sustain a prolonged war. The consequences would be nothing like what we faced when Jin was impoverished and short of resources. For Qi, saying that the state itself could face destruction would be no exaggeration.

"Your Majesty, yes, having an imperial prince marry into another household is humiliating. But if the day comes when Qi alone must fight Jin to the bitter end, the sacrifices will likely amount to far more than one prince. To beg other states for aid then, even sacrificing ten or several dozen princesses might accomplish nothing. Are all those princesses together worth less than a single prince?

"Your Majesty, this is no longer a question of court ceremony. It is a question of war. On the battlefield, if a method can defeat the enemy, there is no shame in using it. If Jin can be defeated, then whatever we do now will not be shameful. Once Jin is beaten, outsiders will only praise Your Majesty for your great talent and far-reaching wisdom. The people of Qi will remember that Your Majesty was willing to sacrifice an imperial prince to preserve the state.

"But if we lose, if Qi cannot escape disaster... Your Majesty, what could be more humiliating than that?

"Your Majesty, weighed against the whole State of Qi, what is one imperial prince? Weighed against the fate of the state, what is face? Which matters more?"

Only Huyan Wuhen's impassioned voice remained in the hall. Hao Yuntu's cheeks gradually tightened, and his breathing grew heavier.

"Huyan Wuhen!" Prince Jin Hao Qi suddenly shouted from among the officials. "Every other sentence out of your mouth is about what happens if Qi is defeated. As Supreme General of Qi, instead of seeking a path to victory, you stand here frightening everyone with alarmist talk. What use is Qi's support of a Supreme General like you?"

Huyan Wuhen immediately shot back, "Your Highness, I am not being alarmist! I already said it: better to fight sooner than later. I am asking for war, not shrinking from it!

"There has never been anyone beneath Heaven who wins every battle. Before planning for victory, one must first plan for defeat; only then can we understand our own weaknesses and guard against them in advance, so that if circumstances change, we will not collapse in a single rout. As a general of Qi, merely defending against an enemy after it crosses our border is no great achievement. A commander's foremost duty is to keep the flames of war outside Qi and spare our people from devastation.

"Your Highness, the longer Wei can resist, the greater the chance that Qi's people will be spared the ravages of war!"

With that, Huyan Wuhen turned and cupped his hands toward the throne. "Your Majesty, this subject asks for battle. I am willing to personally lead the Valiant Cavalry into Wei and fight Jin's army to the death!"

"Hmph!" Prince Jin Hao Qi snorted and was about to say more.

"Enough!" Hao Yuntu abruptly cut him off. Frowning, he said, "There is some reason in the Supreme General's words. But Xuan Wei... I hear her feelings for Ximen Qingkong, the number-one expert on the Golden Core Ranking, run very deep. Once a woman is entangled in love, even if I am willing to lower myself and send a prince into her household, she may not agree. If so, we would only be indulging in wishful thinking."

Huyan Wuhen said loudly, "Your Majesty, what does it matter that he is number one on the Golden Core Ranking? Ximen Qingkong is nothing more than a naive martial man ensnared by love. Before the greater situation, one man is insignificant. Xuan Wei, however, is no ordinary woman. She is the female Chancellor of Wei. She has strategized for that state for many years, her mind is full of statecraft, and she has been tempered by affairs of government for a long time. In idle moments, when emotion clouds her eyes, she may indulge in the affairs of the heart that come naturally to a woman. But when she sobers, the power of a realm rests in her hands. Faced with a crisis like this, does Your Majesty truly believe such a woman would cast everything aside for love?

"With one command, she slaughtered the entire harem of Wei's sovereign. Her resolve and decisiveness are not those of an ordinary woman.

"Your Majesty, I dare guarantee that if we propose this marriage, it will suit her perfectly. Perhaps Xuan Wei simply has not thought of it yet. Once reminded, she may well be eager for it and will certainly agree. A mere Ximen Qingkong is nothing to worry about. Xuan Wei will deal with him herself. There is no need for us to concern ourselves."

Hao Yuntu considered the matter for a while, nodding slowly. At last, he rose and faced the assembled officials. "My mind is made up. Jin will not be allowed to run rampant! Have the three offices jointly deliberate and submit a list of princes suitable for this marriage before daybreak. Huyan Wuhen!"

Huyan Wuhen cupped his hands. "This subject is here!"

"I appoint you Grand Marshal for the Campaign Against Jin. You are to immediately mobilize and command all Qi's forces and fight Jin to the finish!"

"This subject obeys!"

"Warfare comes first. The fate of Qi is at stake. Officials of every department are to cooperate fully with the campaign against Jin. Troops, funds, grain, and all other military needs must not be delayed. Anyone who neglects his duty will be dealt with under military law!"

"We obey!" the officials answered in unison.

Before dawn, more than ten thousand cavalry who had received military orders had already gathered outside the capital of Qi.

Inside the city, the thunder of iron-shod hooves rolled through the streets. A column of troops escorted Huyan Wuhen forward without pause, unsettling the people throughout the capital.

The city gates were opened ahead of the usual hour. Huyan Wuhen led more than a thousand riders out beneath the night sky. A large force of cultivators traveled with them as guards, while several enormous flying birds circled overhead and followed.

After joining the army gathered outside the city, Huyan Wuhen gave a single order. "Move out!"

The cavalry thundered into motion, shaking the earth as they raced through the night like a long dragon.

This was only a fraction of the force. Huyan Wuhen had already sent orders to the relevant commands. Troops from every region would move out one after another and converge on him along the way.

Wei's situation was too urgent. Qi had to put pressure on Jin's forces before Wei's position deteriorated beyond recovery and relieve the crisis at its door.

In a tower somewhere in the city, Shao Pingbo stood at a window, his whole figure immersed in darkness, head slightly tilted as he listened to the sounds outside.

Only after the distant thunder faded did Shao Sansheng open the door and hurry in. "It was Huyan Wuhen. He has been appointed Grand Marshal for the Campaign Against Jin and placed in command of the war against Jin. He has already personally led part of the army out of the city."

Shao Pingbo said heavily, "What a fast response!"

Shao Sansheng said, "The Valiant Cavalry under Huyan Wuhen is reputed to be the finest cavalry beneath Heaven. Qi has many cavalry forces, and they come and go like the wind. Once Huyan Wuhen enters the war, Jin will face considerable pressure."

"Qi and Wei joining forces against Jin was expected from the beginning. How could we let them have their way? By my estimate, Qi's cavalry assembles quickly. Three days should be enough for them to gather..." Shao Pingbo paused, then ordered, "Pass the word. Have everyone below make the preparations already arranged and wait for my command."

"Yes!" Shao Sansheng accepted the order and left.

In the imperial palace of Jin, Taishu Xiong had been unable to sleep the entire night. He stood before a map, repeatedly checking the latest military reports brought to him. Taishu Feihua, Sect Leader of Qiyun Sect, was also there at his side.

In Nanzhou Prefectural Capital in the State of Yan, Shang Chaozong stood before a map while Meng Shanming, seated in his wheelchair, explained the likely course of the imminent Jin-Wei war. The listeners were people from Zijin Cave and the other forces who had rushed over after receiving urgent summons, with Sect Leader Gong Lince at their head.

In the imperial palace of Qin, Luo Zhao likewise stood before a large map, explaining his view of the war that was about to erupt.

His audience consisted of Qin's officials and generals. Mr. Yucang, Master of Xiaoyue Pavilion, listened intently and asked questions from time to time.

As for Xia Lingpei, emperor of Qin, he could not endure staying up through the night and had already fallen asleep in his chair nearby.

Wei had not only asked Qi for help. It had also sent an appeal to Qin. The State of Qin had only recently been founded and was deeply hesitant over how to respond.

[End of Chapter 1107]