Chapter 120: Revenge!

In his previous life, Zheng Fan had watched and read plenty of stories set in ancient times. One line had been used so often that eventually, whenever he heard it, he felt sick of it.

That line was:

“How hateful that I was born into an imperial family!”

Usually, it was a female character saying it. There would be resentment, helplessness, perhaps a trembling lower lip, and the scene would generally involve some romance she had no power to choose for herself.

As though, had she not been born into an imperial family, she would somehow have been able to tolerate being born into a poor household instead—working the fields from childhood, never eating enough, never owning warm clothes, and, if there happened to be a younger brother in the family, perhaps even being traded away in marriage for his sake.

But with the Sixth Prince, Zheng Fan truly began to understand the meaning of those words.

Or perhaps the chill behind them.

Plenty of people in later generations had visited the Forbidden City. Some still found it magnificent. Others came away disappointed.

But regardless of how they felt, once that palace had ceased to be the summit of political power, most of its radiance had already faded.

The majesty and terror of imperial authority—and the distortion and bloodshed it produced—were things that could make a person shudder once touched from close range.

“Looks like the Marquis of Jingnan thinks highly of you. You little bastard are doing pretty well.”

“Gold shines wherever you put it.”

“Heh. I actually missed those little sayings of yours.”

“Next time I write, I’ll send you a few.”

“You can mass-produce them?”

“They aren’t worth anything.”

The Sixth Prince lifted a roast duck from beside the oven.

He cut it open without bothering to slice it properly, tore off one drumstick for Zheng Fan, and kept the other for himself.

“So how was Qian? The important people here in the capital all know about your business now. A few hundred cavalry riding hundreds of li through Qian territory, breaking Mianzhou City, cutting off the heads of its officials, then leaving.

“Aiya. Truthfully, I used to fantasize about that kind of life too. When I was little, I even dreamed I could someday have that kind of glory.”

“It was nothing special. Qian people are decent at building houses. Everything else is mediocre. Their frontier army rotted away long ago. Even the young women along the Qian border aren’t necessarily as fresh and pretty as Yan women.”

In truth, Willow Fort had long ago reported the details and sequence of events to the Sixth Prince by letter.

He was, after all, their principal investor.

If someone invested in your startup, you could fail to make a profit for a while, but at least you had to make some noise.

In the Blind Man’s words, whether you bragged, prepared a PowerPoint, or performed stand-up comedy the point was to keep the investor smiling and willing to keep pouring money in.

At this moment, the Sixth Prince was merely chatting casually about Zheng Fan’s expedition into Qian.

This was not a board meeting.

“You barely reached anywhere. When it comes to Qian women, Xiahang is the most famous. Xiahang is already south of the Yangtze.”

“When I get the chance, I’ll lead troops all the way to Qian’s southlands and capture a few Xiahang women to warm your bed.”

“Enough. That sounds vulgar. It lowers this Prince’s dignity.”

“As though roasting ducks doesn’t lower your dignity?”

“Earning money through skill, doing business, and feeding yourself—what dignity does that lose?”

“Then taking things with a saber—what dignity does that lose?”

“When you put it that way, it really does sound reasonable. Truly, I’ve realized you’ve always had an interesting way of speaking. These past few months, even though you weren’t here, your words would occasionally echo beside my ears.”

“…”

Zheng Fan.

“Heh. The Marquis of Jingnan returned to the capital this time under an imperial summons. Officially, it is for Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday. But Old Master Tian’s birthday came first, so anyone with eyes can tell that is merely an excuse.”

“Mm. I noticed.”

“At present, of the six Zhenbei Army garrisons under the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate, only two remain in the desert. The other four have already deployed along the borders of Beifeng Commandery.

“The Imperial Court’s troops have also begun mobilizing.

“The situation is extremely tense.”

“Yes.

“Very tense.”

“Why don’t you look tense at all?”

“Neither do you.”

“Fine. I’ll give you another reminder.

“Many of the aristocratic clans at court oppose Father Emperor continuing to intensify the conflict and going to war with the Zhenbei Army.

“At first, intimidated by Father Emperor’s anger, they did not dare act rashly. They obediently gathered private troops and retainers from their estates and sent them toward the capital.

“They probably intended to help Father Emperor put on a show and build momentum, making the Zhenbei Army feel some pressure.

“Besides, the Marquis of Zhenbei himself remains in the capital. That is still an enormous bargaining chip.

“But now things have changed.

“Something happened.

“And it has thrown many of the great aristocratic clans—as well as many people within our imperial clan—into panic.”

“What happened?”

“The young Marquis of the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate has supposedly appeared at the estate.”

“The young Marquis?”

“Don’t look so surprised. Forget you—I’ve never seen him either.

“The Marquis of Zhenbei’s bloodline has always had trouble producing heirs.

“Some say it is because the first Marquis of Zhenbei buried hundreds of thousands of Qian soldiers in Yinlang Commandery a century ago and accumulated too much karmic debt.

“Others say the barbarian shamans have cursed the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate day and night to have no descendants, and that the curses worked.

“This generation’s Marquis of Zhenbei has only one son and one daughter.

“The daughter is the Commandery Princess you met. Before long, she will probably become my sister-in-law, and later Crown Princess.

“As for the son, he was said to have been born extremely frail, constantly ill, and nearly died young.

“But after he grew somewhat older, the estate sent him into the Zhenbei Army for training.

“That was almost ten years ago.

“Apart from the Marquis himself, probably nobody knows which garrison, which unit, or what kind of soldier that young Marquis currently is. Nobody knows his present rank.

“Even his comrades and superiors do not know his identity.

“The Secret Intelligence Department and spies belonging to all the great clans have spent enormous effort searching for him over the years.

“They found nothing.”

“Hiding one man among three hundred thousand really is searching for a needle in the sea.”

“Several years ago, rumors even spread that the young Marquis had already died.

“Perhaps from illness.

“Perhaps in some clash with the barbarians.

“If that were true, then the Marquis of Zhenbei’s line would end.

“And since my future Commandery Princess sister-in-law has clearly begun handling more and more affairs these past few years, that only deepened everyone’s suspicion that the young Marquis was dead.

“If the family had no man left, then naturally a woman would have to hold up the sky.”

“So this time, the young Marquis finally stepped out?”

“There has been no public announcement.

“But the various clans’ eyes inside the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate have already received word.

“The young Marquis truly appeared.

“Do you understand what that means?”

“It means the three hundred thousand Zhenbei troops have a young lord.

“And the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate has an heir.”

“Exactly.

“Just as the Crown Prince is the foundation of the state, no matter how vast an inheritance may be, if there is no heir, people cannot truly gather around it.

“Following you may lead nowhere.

“Everyone becomes uncertain.

“The aristocratic clans originally believed that with the Marquis of Zhenbei still in the capital, no matter how much the Zhenbei Army postured, it was still merely posturing.

“Now they are truly frightened.

“The young Marquis has appeared.

“Regardless of whether the Marquis of Zhenbei himself lives or dies in the capital, the three hundred thousand Zhenbei troops now possess someone they can continue following.

“If the young Marquis gives the order, who is to say the Zhenbei Army could not storm the capital, seize the throne, and enthrone him?

“Those rough soldiers might be thrilled.

“That would mean serving the dragon—

“No.

“It would mean becoming founding heroes.”

“So how do the clans plan to respond?”

“A princely title.”

The Sixth Prince bit out the two words.

By Great Yan’s ancestral law, nobles of a different surname could rise no higher than Marquis.

Only imperial princes could be granted the title of Prince.

“They’re truly afraid.

“Afraid that if the two sides genuinely begin fighting, all of Yan will become a battlefield.

“And then they themselves will be forced to choose sides.

“They do not want to gamble.

“They do not dare gamble.

“What they want most is simply to preserve the current stability.”

“This princely title won’t be granted to only one person, will it?”

“Didn’t I tell you in my letters that Jin and Qian have already begun calling the Marquis of Jingnan the ‘Prince of Jingnan’?

“You thought that came from nowhere?”

“So flies really don’t land on eggs without cracks.”

“Tsk. Another saying.

“They’re getting cheap.”

“You’re too kind.”

“The great aristocratic clans want Father Emperor to grant the Marquis of Zhenbei the title Prince of Zhenbei and have him continue guarding Great Yan’s northern frontier for generations.

“At the same time, for balance, they want the Marquis of Jingnan granted the title Prince of Jingnan, guarding the southern frontier.

“And on top of that— they want the Prince of Jingnan title made hereditary in perpetuity.”

Previously, “Marquis of Jingnan” sounded like a noble title.

In practice, however, it was closer to an office.

The Marquis controlled the Jingnan Army and administered the southern frontier on behalf of the Yan Emperor.

If he were granted a princely title and that title were made hereditary in perpetuity, it would completely solidify his status.

He could establish his own princely administration and yamen.

“Has the Tian Clan been pushing this too?”

“The Tian Clan may not be one of Great Yan’s four most powerful aristocratic houses, but among the houses immediately below those four, it is among the finest.

“It belongs to the ranks of the great clans in its own right.

“What do you think?

“And besides— a hereditary princely title.

“Right now the Tian Clan is an imperial-in-law clan, yes.

“But the glory of imperial relatives can never last forever.

“At most, after my Second Brother inherits the throne, they can remain influential for several more years.

“But what happens after Second Brother’s child takes the throne?

“A princely title.

“A hereditary princely title.

“Truthfully, if I were Old Master Tian, I wouldn’t be able to resist either.”

“That would effectively divide the country.”

“You really do look at things from a lofty angle.”

The State of Yan possessed the strongest cavalry among the four great eastern states.

For a century, it had used the strength of one state alone to suppress the desert barbarians.

And yet, because of the aristocratic-clan politics inside Yan, the Yan Emperor had never possessed the power to launch a true war of unification southward against Qian or Jin.

If the north and south were each handed over to separate hereditary Princes, imperial authority would inevitably weaken further.

Since taking the throne, the current Yan Emperor had constantly worked to weaken feudal powers.

Yet after all that weakening somehow the realm would end up even more divided than before.

“How has your father been feeling recently?”

“You want the truth or the lie?”

“The truth first.”

“Extremely furious.

“In the imperial study, more than ten eunuchs and palace maids who made mistakes have been beaten to death.

“Father Emperor has also refused to hold court for ten days.

“And for the past several nights, he has been staying with several Beauties he had never touched before.”

“Beauty” here referred to a formal rank within the imperial harem.

“And the lie?”

“The lie is only my personal theory.

“Those Beauties were presented to the palace several years ago.

“People said, ‘The Qian Emperor has three Yang sisters, how can the Great Yan Emperor fall behind?’”

“They’re Xiahang women too?”

“Exactly.”

“Continue. Let’s hear your private theory.”

“I think Father Emperor has been working so hard these days because he wants to produce a few younger brothers and sisters for me with half-Qian blood.

“Heh.

“My personal theory.

“Naturally, a lie.”

The Sixth Prince finished speaking.

Their gazes met.

Slowly, smiles appeared at the corners of both their mouths.

“Hehehe…”

“The Tian Clan owns an estate outside the capital.

“Extravagant beyond measure.

“Supposedly half a year ago, Father Emperor agreed that after Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday, she could return to her family for a visit.

“So the Tian Clan tore down the old residence and rebuilt it into a special estate for the Empress’s homecoming.

“It has mountains and water, pavilions and terraces.

“Even in winter, flowers still bloom and birds sing.

“It is said to be no less beautiful than the Western Garden where the Marquis of Zhenbei currently lives—the garden Qian craftsmen once helped build.

“You are following the Marquis of Jingnan.

“You’ll definitely be able to go inside and look around.

“Truthfully, I envy you a little.”

“If you wanted to see it, would they dare refuse you entry?”

“Heh.

“What elegance is there in scenery you had to beg to see?”

“But… half a year ago…”

“Exactly.

“Publicly, they say this newly built estate was prepared for the Empress’s homecoming.

“But when construction began, it happened to be right around the time the Marquis of Zhenbei was being repeatedly summoned back to the capital by imperial edict.”

“I see.”

“So if the Tian Clan says they built an estate for the Empress’s return home, then naturally that is what they built.

“They can hardly say they knew this day was coming and prepared the Prince of Jingnan’s residence in advance, can they?”

“I get the feeling every one of these people is an old fox.”

“No head of a great clan is a fool.

“But the smarter they are, the worse it is for Great Yan.”

A trace of resentment entered the Sixth Prince’s voice.

Clearly, where you sat determined how you thought.

His father could torment him a thousand times.

But his surname was still Ji.

The blood inside him still belonged to Great Yan’s imperial clan.

Only before Zheng Fan could he freely reveal these emotions.

Before everyone else, he was merely an idle Prince who wasted his days and made a little pocket money on the side.

Zheng Fan nodded.

“True.

“Jin is trapped in internal conflict. Its three great clans are fighting for power and coercing the imperial family.

“Qian is rotting in luxury and no longer has the will to advance—and perhaps no longer has the strength either.

“Chu is like a lion asleep behind closed doors. Vast territory, but covered in lice.

“And the Barbarian Royal Court is weaker now than at almost any point in its history.”

The Sixth Prince drew in a deep breath and nodded.

“Yes.

“A man cannot live without considering distant dangers.

“Right now, Great Yan possesses these foundations and these iron cavalry.

“That is enough to make the barbarians and the other three states behave.

“But what happens when the Barbarian Royal Court rises again?

“What happens when Qian produces an iron-handed Grand Chancellor who suddenly restores the state?

“What happens when Jin finishes its internal struggle?

“What happens when Chu suddenly produces a great ruler?

“Where will Great Yan stand then?”

“Don’t get excited.”

Zheng Fan patted the Sixth Prince’s shoulder.

“That is exactly why I chose to support you.

“Because your heart contains the realm.

“Because you can see farther than others.”

The Sixth Prince sniffed.

He seemed to struggle to produce an expression of deep emotion.

But he failed.

Finally, he gave up and muttered, “Fake.”

“The truth would hurt too much.”

“Then don’t say it.

“Stop.”

“But I cannot hide anything from you.”

“Shut up.”

“You’re the only pathetic Prince whose situation is bad enough to think highly of a former miscellaneous Lieutenant Commander like me.

“If it were any other Prince with real power, who the hell would bother with me?”

“Bastard!”

……

“You finished talking?”

When Zheng Fan returned, the Marquis of Jingnan had just finished wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.

“We did.

“We haven’t seen each other for a long time, so we spoke a little longer.”

“Heh.”

The Marquis of Jingnan stood and went downstairs.

Zheng Fan naturally followed.

By the time the Marquis reached the ground floor, the guards outside Quande Restaurant were already prepared.

The Marquis’s high-bloodline Pi Beast lay outside dozing.

As though sensing its master’s approach, it opened its eyes and slowly rose.

The Marquis of Jingnan stopped at the threshold.

He did not leave immediately.

Instead, he suddenly asked, “Tell me.

“Where should we go next?”

“The Marquis carries the realm in his heart. This lowly officer would not dare guess recklessly.”

“Fine.

“Then let us go find Wei Zhonghe.”

“Marquis, I think the Marquis should enter the palace next and meet His Majesty.”

The Marquis shook his head.

“There is no hurry to meet the Emperor.

“His Majesty only summoned this Marquis back to the capital.

“He never summoned this Marquis into the palace.”

Wrong.

“Then perhaps the Marquis should return home?

“I heard Old Master Tian just celebrated his seventieth birthday.”

“I already missed Father’s birthday.

“Returning a little earlier or later changes nothing.

“I still missed it.”

Wrong again?

Zheng Fan fell silent.

If he was not entering the palace and not going home, where else could he go?

Visit a nunnery to meet some lover who had been waiting years for him?

Perhaps Du Juan’s own elder sister?

I can invent all kinds of answers.

I just don’t dare say them aloud.

As though drawing depraved comics were some rare skill.

“Keep guessing.”

“Marquis, this lowly officer truly cannot guess.”

The Marquis turned and looked at Zheng Fan.

His voice suddenly rose.

“Garrison Commander Zheng.”

“This general is here!”

Zheng Fan immediately dropped to one knee.

“Do you know why this Marquis deliberately brought you into the capital?”

“This general is dull.

“This general does not know.”

Zheng Fan understood.

This had become a formal exchange.

The Marquis had entered the capital at an extraordinarily tense moment.

Every faction in the city was unquestionably watching him.

Any disturbance here would spread immediately.

This loud exchange outside the restaurant resembled the formal sovereign-minister dialogues that court historians recorded for posterity.

Whenever an ancient emperor entered this sort of exchange, both ruler and minister would immediately straighten themselves and answer with great care.

Because they knew these words might enter the official chronicles.

A hundred years later a thousand years later people might still read what they said today.

“Garrison Commander Zheng.

“You were not born from the Jingnan Army.

“But this Marquis asks you— are you one of this Marquis’s soldiers?”

“Reporting to the Marquis.

“If the Marquis had not led troops to save this general that day, this general would already have died beneath the Qian army.

“The Marquis saved this general’s life.

“This general— is one of the Marquis’s soldiers!”

That answer was shamelessly flattering.

And politically dangerous.

Because its content already crossed certain boundaries.

In ancient times, civil and military officials alike were expected to declare that the realm belonged to the Emperor, that they were the Emperor’s subjects, and that the people and mountains before them were all the Emperor’s.

Much like how later generations placed everything beneath the banner of “the people.”

Yet the Marquis of Jingnan had directly asked whether the Garrison Commander of a local Yan fort was his soldier.

There would probably be memorials impeaching him tomorrow.

But since the Marquis dared ask—

Zheng Fan dared answer.

“Good.

“In the desert, the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate once declared that whichever barbarian tribe dared raid the people of Beifeng Commandery would be annihilated by the iron cavalry of the Zhenbei Army.

“I, Tian Wujing.

“I, Marquis of Jingnan.

“I, and the Jingnan Army— we do not pretend to possess the peerless achievements of the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate, which has suppressed the desert barbarians for a century.

“But there is one thing— this Marquis can still say.

“Anyone who, without cause, strikes from the shadows and murders a soldier under this Marquis’s command— this Marquis, and every soldier of the Jingnan Army, will kill them!”

The instant his voice fell, hundreds of Jingnan Army armored soldiers and personal guards throughout the street raised their weapons and shouted together.

“TIGER!”

“TIGER!”

“TIGER!”

The Marquis walked to his Pi Beast and mounted.

The beast straightened all four limbs.

Hot white mist blasted from its nostrils.

The Marquis looked down at Zheng Fan, still kneeling there.

“Now do you know where this Marquis is going next?”

Zheng Fan remained on one knee.

His mind felt somewhat dazed.

The Marquis raised the riding crop in his hand.

The Pi Beast lifted one front hoof and stamped down.

The green bricks beneath it shattered.

“Jingnan Army— receive this Marquis’s military command!”

“Shua! Shua!”

Every soldier dropped to one knee.

A murderous chill filled the street.

The Marquis of Jingnan’s face was cold as water.

He spoke only two words.

“Take revenge!”

(End of Chapter)