Chapter 1109: Parting Counsel

Seeing that Yucang seemed to be having second thoughts, Luo Zhao said urgently, "Pavilion Master..."

Yucang raised a hand to stop him. "I've made up my mind. None of you need say any more. Don't sour relations with Wei. Agree to their request first. As for when we actually send troops, naturally we must make proper preparations."

The others understood his meaning. They would agree, but what Qin actually did would still be done at Qin's own pace. There was no rush.

Luo Zhao's face immediately fell, and he lapsed into silence.

Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an glanced at his disappointed expression, then instinctively exchanged a look. Faint amusement showed in both men's eyes as they cupped their hands at the same time. "Yes!"

Yucang waved them away. "All of you, withdraw."

"Yes!" The three men saluted and left. Before going, each also cupped his hands toward the sleeping Xia Lingpei. The gesture was enough; there was no need to disturb His Majesty's sleep. They quietly departed.

Yucang stared at the map for a while, then suddenly sighed. "Yan has Shanming; Qi has Wuhen! If Great Qin had either one, why would we have such worries?"

Since the founding of Qin, he had come to understand deeply that affairs of state were far more complicated and difficult than affairs of the cultivation world. Countless threads ran through every side of government, consuming an enormous amount of energy. It had been a long time since he had been able to settle his mind and cultivate properly. His head was filled with one tangled mess after another.

Many of these things should never have required his personal attention. But the emperor was incapable, and Yucang did not trust the former officials of Zhao enough to hand everything over to them. No one even knew where Hai Wuji, the emperor of Zhao, was now.

After shaking his head and sighing for a while, he turned and walked over to Xia Lingpei. He called respectfully, "Your Majesty. Your Majesty..."

Several calls produced no response. Left with no choice, Yucang somewhat discourteously reached out and tugged him a few times.

"Mm..." Xia Lingpei jerked awake and looked around. Seeing that hardly anyone remained, he instinctively raised his sleeve to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth, then stood. "How did the discussion go?"

Yucang gave a wry smile and cupped his hands. "It is late. Your Majesty should take care not to catch a chill. Please go back and sleep." With that, he gestured, and two eunuchs immediately came forward.

After the emperor wandered away in a daze, Yucang slowly left the military command center as well and stood atop the high steps, gazing up at the stars.

Someone approached from below. It was Luo Zhao. He had not left after all. He climbed the steps and saluted.

Yucang asked, "Does the Supreme General have something else to say?"

Luo Zhao said unwillingly, "Pavilion Master, the concerns of those two generals are entirely unnecessary. Yan and Han do not want to see Jin grow dominant either. At a time like this, as long as we communicate with them properly, they will never take advantage of our weakness and invade. If they occupied Qin before they could even secure their footing, they would immediately have to face Jin's tiger-and-wolf armies themselves. That is certainly not what they want."

"Wei's situation truly cannot be compared with the past. Once Wei collapses, the price Qin will pay for entering the war afterward will be far greater. The sooner Qin sends troops, the sooner the three states can join forces, and the more favorable the situation will be. Pavilion Master, I ask you to decide as soon as possible! I am willing to personally lead troops through Xiping Pass and fight this battle!"

Yucang said, "I understand your intentions, General. But do you understand mine?"

Luo Zhao replied, "This general is all ears."

Yucang said, "I greatly admire your courage in being willing to lead the army yourself. But have you considered what happens if Tian and Ma secretly obstruct you? The troops are their troops, the officers are their officers. What good will it do even if you personally take command? You have commanded armies for many years. You should know that although the people below may not dare openly defy military orders, if all of them obey you in public while resisting you in private, how are you supposed to fight this war?"

Luo Zhao fell silent. He was no fool. After being obstructed by Tian and Ma for so long, how could he not know what those two were thinking? Yucang was right. They would never allow him to earn such an achievement. If anything, they might rather see him defeated.

Once he understood what Yucang was worried about, he asked, "Since Pavilion Master knows this, why sit by and allow their selfish motives to harm the state?"

Yucang replied, "What can I do simply because I know? Can I kill them outright? Can I strip them of their military authority outright? Killing them would be easy, but if I killed them for no reason, how would I convince everyone else? I've already said it: the troops are their troops, and the officers are their officers. What consequences might follow if I acted rashly? You've seen what happened in Wei. Do you think people with ulterior motives would let an opportunity to stir up chaos pass them by?"

"So, General, curb your impatience. Being too hasty is not necessarily a good thing. Waiting a little may not be bad. Once the situation deteriorates to a certain point, those two will have no choice but to support sending troops with everything they have. For now, giving ourselves a little more time to prepare isn't necessarily bad either. Wouldn't you agree?"

Luo Zhao said, "Pavilion Master's calculations may be sound, but war cannot be treated like politics. In war, decisions must be made when the moment comes, or the opportunity may be lost. Conditions on a battlefield change from instant to instant. Once an opportunity slips away, the losses may become irreparable. This general is truly worried."

Yucang said, "General, do you still not understand why I have left Qin's position of Grand Marshal vacant? Since we've spoken this far, I won't hide it from you any longer. You are the man I want for the post of Grand Marshal. I have left it vacant for you. But we need an opportunity."

"Even if Qin sends troops, I will not let you personally lead them, because someone would drag at your heels. They will not allow you to earn this achievement. If an army goes out, they will be the ones to command it, and I will make sure they are the ones who lead the campaign. If they win, naturally that is good. If they lose... I told you already, I cannot kill them without cause. I need an excuse. I need a reason that will leave everyone with nothing to say."

"If they are defeated, military law will deal with them. Anyone who harms the state will find no plea for mercy useful. Behead them immediately! Once they are dead, I will put you forward at once to take over. With the army leaderless, it will be the perfect opportunity for you to assume control and carry out a sweeping reorganization. You have spent years training and governing armies. Once you have the chance, and with my full support, I believe you will certainly be able to bring the military under control."

He raised a hand and patted Luo Zhao on the shoulder. "It isn't that I refuse to heed your advice. We simply need to wait a little. Waiting a little will be better for everyone. Wouldn't you agree?"

Helplessness covered Luo Zhao's face. Yucang had already spoken this plainly. What else could he say? He could only take his leave.

He departed dejectedly, willing but powerless, his heart heavy. He felt no happiness at all because Yucang had openly declared his support. Instead, Wei's situation left him deeply worried.

He had once been Grand Commander-in-Chief of the State of Song. While commanding Song's armies, he had naturally devoted himself to Song's military affairs, but he had also had to spend considerable effort studying the militaries of the other states so he could prepare for changing circumstances. The position he had held had required that breadth of vision.

This was far from the first time Jin had raised armies against Wei and Qi. It had invaded them many times before. But Jin's way of acting this time truly was different.

It had abandoned its hard, fierce style and become exceedingly insidious and vicious. This was nothing like Jin's usual impoverished belligerence and ferocity. Its methods had changed completely.

The groundwork before the war had been ruthless, steady, and precise. In an instant, it had struck accurately at Wei's fatal weakness, catching everyone by surprise.

No one had imagined that Jin would move by provoking a struggle between Xuan Wei and her younger brother. Sowing discord was common enough, but this time was different. Wei was not a dead thing. How could an entire state be manipulated so easily? How could anyone casually create upheaval on this scale? If it were truly that easy, why would Jin have waited until now to act?

Yet this time Jin had succeeded in a single stroke. Using the conflict between Xuan Wei and her brother, it had wiped out many of Wei's most capable military commanders in one bloody purge.

A move this vicious and this precisely executed could never have been improvised. It had to be the result of an operation prepared and nurtured for a long time, with painstaking arrangements made beforehand.

That was why Luo Zhao was so worried. If Jin had prepared for this long, then it would not have acted unless it was confident of success.

Yucang said they should wait a little. Luo Zhao feared Jin would not give them the chance.

But what could he do? He had said everything there was to say. Yucang and the others each had their own calculations. Nothing more from him would make any difference.

Fortunately, this was not Luo Zhao's first time in such a position. He had spent years being tempered in the court of Song and knew that such things were unavoidable. Every state's court had them. Factions obstructing one another was impossible to avoid. He had already grown somewhat accustomed to it.

"Ah..." Walking slowly beneath the night sky, Luo Zhao lifted his head toward the stars and let out a long, melancholy sigh.

...

"You're back."

Zhuang Hong, Empress Dowager of Qin, was sitting in the hall waiting for her son. When she saw him return, she greeted him.

Xia Lingpei hurried forward and saluted. "Imperial Mother, it's so late. Why haven't you rested yet?"

Zhuang Hong replied, "Your Majesty hasn't rested either, has he?"

A hint of self-mockery appeared at the corner of Xia Lingpei's mouth. "Your son still has great military and state affairs to handle."

Zhuang Hong asked, "You handle them? What affairs? Jin preparing to attack Wei?"

Xia Lingpei gave a sound of acknowledgment and sat down to one side. "Wei has asked Great Qin for aid. They hope Qin will send troops so we can resist Jin together. They're discussing it at the military command center."

Zhuang Hong asked, "And how did the discussion go?"

"Some recommended sending troops immediately, while others recommended delaying..." Xia Lingpei clearly recounted everything he had heard. He even knew what had been said while he was supposedly asleep. Obviously, he had not truly been asleep at the time.

Zhuang Hong asked, "Then who do you think is right? Tian and Ma, or Luo Zhao?"

After considering for a moment, Xia Lingpei said slowly, "Your son doesn't know who is right or wrong, but I know one thing: Tian and Ma are acting out of selfish motives. And Luo Zhao has, after all, managed the military forces of an entire state before. Tian and Ma may not have the same breadth of vision he does."

Zhuang Hong gave a little exclamation. "I don't understand the things you're all talking about, but judging by the way you speak, you seem to see matters quite clearly."

The self-mockery returned to Xia Lingpei's face. "Your son isn't an idiot. I've been around government affairs for this long. Even if I don't understand them, surely I can pick up the flavor of things by now."

It was indeed as he said. In the past, he had merely been ignorant of worldly affairs, not stupid. Spend enough time around anything, and some sense of it would naturally come.

Zhuang Hong nodded slightly and beckoned. "Come here."

Xia Lingpei did not know why she was calling him over, but he rose and walked to her anyway.

Zhuang Hong pointed in front of herself. "Kneel."

Xia Lingpei froze.

Zhuang Hong repeated, "I told you to kneel."

Xia Lingpei flicked out the hem of his robe and obediently knelt.

Zhuang Hong leaned forward slightly and looked directly into her son's eyes. "Let me ask you something. What do you think of your teacher Niu Youdao's abilities?"

Xia Lingpei was startled for a moment, then answered, "Teacher is brilliant with the written word and overflowing with talent. Starting with nothing, he was able to support Shang Chaozong until he became master of Nanzhou, and even the entire State of Yan has to reckon with him. Teacher is naturally a man of extraordinary ability."

Zhuang Hong asked, "Then do you still remember the parting counsel your teacher gave you the last time he saw you?"

Xia Lingpei replied, "Naturally. I have always kept it firmly in mind."

Zhuang Hong said, "Repeat it for me."

Xia Lingpei paused again before slowly saying, "Teacher asked me whether I wanted to rule all beneath Heaven or live a life of peace. At the time, how could your son have harbored any thought of ruling all beneath Heaven? I had no idea I would actually become emperor of Qin. Naturally, I chose peace."

"Teacher said seeking peace was good, that nothing mattered more than living well. He said I was fine just as I was and told me to remember this: continue being the same in the future. Understand nothing, know nothing, concern yourself only with eating, drinking, and amusing yourself. Don't meddle in anything else. Understand perfectly well, but pretend to be a fool. Let Yucang and the others busy themselves with everything."

"Teacher said that as long as I remembered his words, I could be assured a lifetime of wealth and honor, and at worst I could still preserve a lifetime of peace. He said that if I went against his warning, I would have many troubles in the future, and our lives, Mother and son's, might even be in danger. He said that if one day ambition began stirring in my heart, I should remember his words. Whether I chose to follow his advice was up to me; he would not force me. I would choose my own road, and I would bear its consequences myself. That was all he had to say."

[End of Chapter 1109]