Chapter 124: The Fall of Great Yan’s Aristocratic Clans!

A layer of black cloth had been draped over the Third Prince’s prison wagon.

Originally there had been no need for it. The weather was neither windy nor rainy, and in the winter cold of Yan, being able to bask in a little sunlight was actually rather pleasant.

But the black cloth had been added anyway.

Agents of the Secret Intelligence Department surrounded the prison wagon, radiating an aura that warned strangers to stay away.

The commoners of the capital tended to carry their eyes on their foreheads.

They might not fear the city’s yamen runners. They might not even fear the Imperial Guards, since many of those guards were themselves sons of capital families.

But none of them dared shamelessly approach the Secret Intelligence Department’s men and ask exactly who was being transported inside that wagon.

People at the bottom could only watch the spectacle.

Sometimes they could not even understand what they were watching and had to fill in the details themselves afterward.

By afternoon, tea houses throughout the capital were already boiling with rumors.

Some said the Marquis of Jingnan had entered the Princes’ Residence to rebuke the Second Prince, telling him that if he wanted to become Crown Prince someday, he needed to read more books and reflect on himself.

That theory required political intelligence somewhere below zero.

Others said a certain Prince had offended the Marquis of Jingnan, so the Marquis had gone in and forced that Prince to kneel and serve tea before his anger finally subsided.

That version was at least somewhat plausible.

And then there were those who claimed the Marquis had not merely called one Prince to account, but had ordered a vicious subordinate to break all five of the Prince’s limbs.

When asked what counted as the fifth limb, the storyteller pointed downward.

He was immediately driven out of the tea house under a storm of tea bowls.

If you wanted to brag, you still had to make it believable.

What kind of idiot did he take everyone for?

At the second-floor window of Quande Restaurant, the Sixth Prince held a cup of Huadiao wine in his left hand and slowly inhaled its fragrance.

The prison wagon carrying the Third Prince passed along the street below.

It was heading toward an imperial garden outside the city.

There was a lake there.

An island stood in the center of the lake.

And on that island stood a pavilion.

Lakeheart Pavilion was the Yan imperial clan’s dedicated place of exile for criminals surnamed Ji.

Ordinary people were not even qualified to be imprisoned there.

Since the founding of Great Yan, six Princes had already been sent to that island.

Now a seventh was on his way.

“Oh? Is that so?”

The Sixth Prince looked slightly surprised after listening to Eunuch Zhang’s report.

“Absolutely true, Your Highness. When this servant first heard the news, I was frightened half to death. The Marquis of Jingnan—and that Zheng Fan—how could they really dare…”

“I know Zheng Fan. He must have been forced by circumstances. He had no choice but to act.”

“That may be so, but…”

“But once he started, he was probably enjoying himself immensely.”

“…”

Eunuch Zhang fell silent.

“Your Highness, haven’t you always thought highly of Zheng Fan? After doing something like this, the Marquis of Jingnan may be able to protect him for a time, but can he protect him forever?”

He had crippled an imperial Prince.

Not merely crippled him—he had smashed all four limbs and the fifth as well.

A member of the imperial clan.

A son of the reigning Emperor.

He had simply destroyed him.

What would His Majesty think?

What would every member of the Ji imperial clan think?

“In this servant’s view, if he truly had no choice, it might have been better to directly…”

Eunuch Zhang made a slicing motion across his throat.

“…dispose of Third Highness entirely. Now Third Highness is still alive. He may be a cripple, but for every day he remains alive in Lakeheart Pavilion, whenever His Majesty or any of the other Princes remembers him, they will probably remember Zheng Fan as well.”

“Did you investigate the matter I asked about?”

The Sixth Prince changed the subject.

“Oh. Reporting to Your Highness, yes. The missing household servant from Qi Simiao’s residence was indeed abducted by Li Yinglian’s men.”

“Then perhaps there will be one more nameless corpse floating in Tiancheng Lake tonight.”

The Sixth Prince took a small sip of Huadiao wine.

“Your Highness guessed that already?”

“No. I am not an immortal.

“But truthfully, Third Brother and that group of bookworms simply read too much and ruined their brains.

“Qi Simiao willingly acted as a hidden sacrificial piece for Third Brother, but all those letters he sent and all those arrangements he made—how could they possibly have escaped every one of Second Brother’s eyes and ears?”

“So Second Highness already knew Qi Simiao was secretly doing things for Third Highness behind his back?”

“It wasn’t only Second Brother.

“Second Brother’s maternal clan is the Tian Clan, yes, but ever since the Marquis of Zhenbei entered the capital, the Tian Clan has been planning how to push through princely titles for the northern and southern Marquises.

“As for Her Majesty the Empress, ever since she became mistress of the inner palace, she has always lived cautiously.

“She already has what she needs.

“The phoenix crown on her own head.

“And the position of heir for her son.

“Both are already quite secure.

“Second Brother has two great pillars behind him.

“One is the Tian Clan.

“The other is the Empress in the palace.

“If those two mountains do not move, Second Brother himself cannot truly accomplish much.

“Unless you think he would simply lead the Imperial Guards in the capital into rebellion, purge the Emperor’s side, and invite Father Emperor to retire as Supreme Emperor?”

“Aiya! Your Highness! Careful with your words! Careful!”

“I know what I am saying.

“The assassination outside Yin City even involved someone from Jin’s Tianji Pavilion.

“Let me put it this way.

“Even if Second Brother personally wanted to arrange such a scheme, neither the Tian Clan nor the Empress would ever have allowed him to do it.

“The Empress wants stability.

“She wants to live her days peacefully.

“The Tian Clan wants to take advantage of the confrontation between the Imperial Court and the Zhenbei Army to push Tian Wujing onto the throne of Prince of Jingnan.

“Starting such a disturbance would only place the Marquis of Jingnan over the fire.

“Too much is as bad as too little.

“The Tian Clan would not do it.

“And the Empress would never treat her own younger brother—who is also her greatest support in the outer court—this way.”

“But they still did it. So…”

“That means there was enough profit to overcome their original unwillingness.

“Second Brother has not even formally been invested as Crown Prince yet.

“Even if he had already entered the Eastern Palace, fewer competitors are always better.”

“This… truly is an excellent case of killing with a borrowed knife.”

“What is laughable is that Third Brother tried to use Qi Simiao to borrow someone else’s knife, never realizing that the other side would answer him in kind and borrow a knife against him.”

“So that servant from Qi Simiao’s residence…”

“Exactly.

“He was probably controlled the moment the Marquis of Jingnan entered the capital today.

“A living witness.

“And evidence proving Qi Simiao secretly colluded with Third Brother was probably prepared as well.

“That was the backup plan.

“If necessary, they could use it to clear themselves of suspicion while pointing the blade directly at Third Brother.

“Right now, Li Yinglian is probably frantically burning whatever evidence they had prepared beforehand inside Second Brother’s residence.”

“Your Highness, does that mean the Marquis of Jingnan and Second Highness were actually putting on a coordinated performance today?”

Hearing the question, the Sixth Prince set down his wine cup.

Eunuch Zhang understood immediately and refilled it.

The Sixth Prince picked up the cup again, raised it beneath his nose, and slowly inhaled.

Then he said, “Tian Wujing is Tian Wujing.”

“This… Your Highness, forgive this servant’s stupidity.”

“Think of it this way.

“If Second Brother truly possessed enough understanding with the Marquis of Jingnan to put on such a coordinated performance, he would not have needed to hurriedly prepare witnesses and evidence today to prove his own innocence.”

“Ah. With Your Highness explaining it that way, this servant understands.”

“And the other matter?

“When Xu Wenzu passed through Yin City on his way to take office, which old friend invited him over for a visit?”

“Reporting to Your Highness, we found that as well.

“It was Weng Shuangyou, who has retired from office.

“Weng Shuangyou retired from the post of Regional Inspector, and his ancestral home is in Yin City.

“He and Xu Wenzu had an old relationship.

“Xu Wenzu once served under him.”

“So if Weng Shuangyou had not invited him that day, Xu Wenzu very likely would not have remained at the relay station?”

“Reporting to Your Highness, Yin City is only half a day from Nanwang City on a fast horse.”

“Where did Weng Shuangyou serve?”

“Sanshi.”

“Sanshi? Military office or civil office?”

“He began in military service, then transferred into the civil administration.”

“Sanshi.

“Heh.

“The Deng Clan of Sanshi.

“Fourth Brother added his own packet of seasoning to the pot.”

“Fourth Highness? Why would Fourth Highness do such a thing?”

“Probably because his hand itched.

“Like when you walk along a riverbank and see a flock of ducks swimming across the lake. Sometimes your hand simply itches to pick up a stone and throw it at them for fun.”

“This…”

A chill suddenly crawled through Eunuch Zhang’s heart.

Three different Princes had left shadows inside this one affair.

The Sixth Prince slowly rotated the wine cup between his fingers and asked, “Eunuch Zhang, Wuchuan’s fine wine is famous throughout the four states. Even barbarians and westerners know that saying.

“Do you know which two wines are regarded as Wuchuan’s finest?”

“Nu’er Hong and Huadiao, naturally.”

“And do you know the difference between them?”

“This… Your Highness, forgive this servant’s ignorance.

“This servant has secretly tasted both before. I only know they are both superb wines.

“As for the difference, I truly could not tell.”

“Actually— the wine is the same.”

“The same?”

“Yes.

“Exactly the same.

“Both are jars buried by Wuchuan families when a daughter turns one month old.

“When that daughter grows up and marries, the jar is dug out.

“That wine is called Nu’er Hong—Daughter’s Red.”

“The name truly fits.

“Then what about Huadiao, Your Highness?”

“If the daughter dies young and never marries, the wine is dug up anyway.

“Then it is called Huadiao.

“Carved Flowers— or Flowers Fallen.”

“Hiss…”

The Sixth Prince silently stared into the wine in his cup.

Ignoring Eunuch Zhang’s expression, he continued, “I heard that every time one of Father Emperor’s sons was born, he ordered Wei Zhonghe to bury a jar of wine.

“By now, Wei Zhonghe should have buried seven jars for Father Emperor.”

“This servant heard of that while serving in the palace as well.

“Only Duke Wei buried them in an extremely secret place.

“Ordinary people could never find them.”

“Then tell me.

“Tonight, do you think Father Emperor will order Wei Zhonghe to dig up one of those jars and sit in the imperial study, slowly drinking it the way I am now?”

“Your Highness!

“Please, Your Highness, be careful with your words!”

Eunuch Zhang was so frightened that he immediately rose and shut the window.

The Sixth Prince, however, continued drinking as though nothing had happened.

“Your Highness, this servant may have been castrated and sent into the palace from childhood, but that was only because there were too many brothers at home and the family could barely feed us all.

“My parents sent me into the palace with tears in their eyes.

“This servant may never be a true man in this life, but I have never once resented my parents.

“Even a castrated man like me understands the saying that even a vicious tiger does not eat its own cubs.

“Your Highness, you must not harbor resentment in your heart.”

“Resentment?

“A vicious tiger does not eat its cubs?”

The Sixth Prince pursed his lips.

“When he held me with one arm and praised me for being clever while using the other hand to issue orders for Tian Wujing to exterminate my maternal grandfather’s entire household— did he ever think that a vicious tiger does not eat its cubs?

“When he ordered Wei Zhonghe to grant my mother a length of white silk— did he ever think that a vicious tiger does not eat its cubs?

“When he forced me to live like a dog in the eyes of the entire world— did he ever think of this nonsense about tigers not eating their cubs?”

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

Eunuch Zhang collapsed to his knees in terror.

“Third Brother has become a cripple.

“You think Father Emperor will be sad?

“I’ll tell you something.

“When Third Brother’s prison wagon passed below just now, even I felt a little bleak inside.

“But him?

“He won’t.

“He absolutely won’t!

“He will be happy.

“He will be proud.

“He will think the trade was worth it!

“Do you know why the Marquis of Jingnan insisted on resisting the imperial decree?

“Why he absolutely had to cripple one of Father Emperor’s sons?”

“This servant does not know!

“This servant does not know!”

“Because the Marquis of Jingnan has resentment in his heart!

“He feels wronged!

“If he did not use some excuse to cripple one of Father Emperor’s sons, his heart would never settle!

“Father Emperor understands that too.

“That is why he sent only Wei Zhonghe to proclaim the decree and did not let him bring troops.

“And he deliberately delayed it.

“Father Emperor did not issue the decree when the Marquis of Jingnan entered the capital.

“He did not issue it when the Marquis reached the gates of the Princes’ Residence.

“He did not issue it when the Marquis questioned Second Brother.

“He waited until Third Brother was exposed— and only then did the edict arrive!”

The Sixth Prince’s expression gradually twisted.

“What sons?

“What sons!

“They are clearly nothing more than counters in his hand.

“Cards on his table.

“As long as he thinks the trade is worthwhile— as long as he thinks the moment is right he can throw any one of them out without hesitation!

“That— that is my wonderful Father Emperor!”

……

Zheng Fan sat on horseback, his mind still drifting.

From time to time, the personal guards around him glanced in his direction.

Before today, they had looked at him because Zheng Fan had once led only a few hundred cavalrymen rampaging through Qian territory and even broken a city.

Soldiers naturally respected that kind of accomplishment.

Now they were genuinely a little afraid of him.

This was a vicious bastard who dared shatter an imperial Prince’s limbs.

Zheng Fan felt slightly lightheaded.

Like the rush after drinking too much alcohol.

Fuck.

He had really crippled a Prince?

He had done something that vicious?

That did not feel like his style.

Of course, what he thought about even more was what came next.

Either he kept hugging the Marquis of Jingnan’s thigh.

Or once he returned, he gathered everything worth taking from Willow Fort and ran.

Qian was impossible.

Jin?

No.

Too close to Yan.

Chu?

A little too far…

At this moment, Zheng Fan’s mindset resembled a man who had enjoyed himself first and only afterward begun panicking about disease.

Sigh…

But after he brought down that final strike with the scabbard, the Marquis of Jingnan had turned around and left.

That meant the Marquis had wanted this result.

And apparently what Zheng Fan had done satisfied him even more than simply killing Third Highness would have.

He needed to find some way to contact Siniang and A’Ming, who had entered the capital with him, and have them relay the news back immediately.

At that moment, the column had already left the city when it suddenly stopped.

Zheng Fan immediately reacted and pulled on his reins.

He had been so lost in thought that only now did he notice a vast expanse of courtyard walls ahead.

White walls.

Green tiles.

From outside, he could already glimpse waterside pavilions and terraces inside.

Butterflies even fluttered there.

In winter, such a scene was extraordinarily rare—almost impossible.

At the front of the column, on a broad ceremonial avenue deliberately built before this luxurious and enormous estate, a dark mass of people knelt on the ground.

But they were not kneeling to the Marquis of Jingnan.

At the Marquis’s command, the Jingnan Army had stopped at a great distance.

Another procession occupied the space ahead.

At its center stood an imperial carriage.

Eighteen men carried it in front and another eighteen behind.

Nearly a hundred palace maids followed on both sides.

Beyond them stood five hundred Imperial Guards bearing ceremonial implements.

Every one of those guards was tall and imposing, but what they carried were not weapons meant for killing.

They were decorative symbols of imperial authority.

More like the honor guard of a later age.

In short the display was enormous.

Only then did Zheng Fan remember.

Today was the day Her Majesty the Empress returned to her natal home.

An ordinary married woman could visit her parents whenever circumstances allowed.

For a woman who had entered the imperial palace, however, returning home even once was extraordinarily difficult.

The Marquis of Jingnan seemed unwilling to let his army disturb the ceremony ahead.

That was why he had ordered the troops to halt.

And because he had not removed his armor, he himself did not go forward to welcome his elder sister home.

Several people came from the estate to exchange a few words with the Marquis, then quickly departed again.

Clearly, Old Master Tian approved of this arrangement as well.

The Empress’s homecoming ceremony was already underway.

What greater honor could there be?

Absolutely nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

The son and his elder sister could meet and speak once she entered the estate.

There was no need to rush.

Perhaps this was also influenced by local superstition.

During great festivals and ceremonial celebrations, weapons and soldiers were deeply taboo.

They were considered ominous.

Before the imperial carriage, guards formed ring after ring.

Eunuchs and palace maids stood in their appointed places, each holding prepared ritual implements in perfect order.

Under the direction of the Vice Ministers of Rites, incense tables, ceremonial candles, and every other required element were arranged.

Once the ritual sequence was complete, the two Vice Ministers withdrew.

The guards ahead also moved aside.

A long roll of silk was unfurled from the steps of the imperial carriage.

It stretched all the way toward the kneeling members of the Tian Clan.

According to ceremony, the Tian Clan first had to choose elders of sufficient virtue and standing to step forward as subjects and formally invite the Empress into the estate.

Old Master Tian had just celebrated his seventieth birthday, yet remained physically strong.

Two adult younger sons supported him as he stepped onto the silk path.

The Tian matriarch would only turn sixty the following year.

Though age already showed on her face, her complexion was ruddy and full of vitality.

Clearly, life in the household had been comfortable.

She rarely had anything to worry about.

Old Master Tian remained vigorous despite his age and had continued taking concubines every so often over the last few years.

Yet no matter how much those young beauties schemed or made trouble, none dared misbehave before the Tian matriarch.

There was only one reason.

A mother’s status rose through her children.

In this lifetime, the Tian matriarch had given birth to one son and one daughter.

Her daughter was the current Empress.

Her son was the current Marquis of Jingnan.

Forget the concubines and secondary wives of the estate.

Even Old Master Tian had to show her respect.

How could that sort of life fail to nourish a person?

Two younger daughters-in-law supported the Tian matriarch as she followed Old Master Tian onto the silk path.

More than ten older men and women followed behind them.

The younger relatives supporting Old Master Tian and the matriarch were essentially borrowing glory to gain the qualification to step forward.

The dozen or so people behind them, however, possessed official posts or formal noblewomen’s ranks of their own.

Most other members of the Tian Clan could only remain kneeling where they were.

They lacked the qualification to approach.

Inside the imperial carriage, layer upon layer of pearl curtains hung as screens.

The wind stirred them, filling the air with faint crystalline chimes.

At last, Old Master Tian and the Tian matriarch reached the carriage.

An elderly female attendant serving beside it announced, “Your Majesty.

“Count of Shan County and Second-Rank Commandery Lady Tian-Zhang request audience.”

“Admit them.”

The Empress’s voice trembled from inside the carriage.

A woman capable of sitting securely as mistress of the inner palace for so many years was naturally no simple person.

The battlefield of the harem was darker, bloodier, and more brutal than most.

But here outside the gates of her natal home before the parents who had given birth to and raised her she could finally remove the mask and face her real emotions.

For the moment, however, those emotions still had to be restrained.

“Count of Shan County” was Old Master Tian’s noble title.

“Second-Rank Commandery Lady” was the formal rank granted to the Tian matriarch.

Old Master Tian was head of the Tian Clan.

He had once served as a member of the court as well.

But the fact that he had been ennobled as a Count owed much to his son and daughter.

The Tian matriarch was the same.

The old lady Zheng Fan had once met at the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate—the woman who had furiously denounced a barbarian tribal chief as a rebellious son—held the rank of First-Rank State Lady.

In the hierarchy of noblewomen’s titles, she stood one rank above the Tian matriarch.

That was natural.

The Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate was hereditary in perpetuity.

The Li Clan had guarded Beifeng Commandery for a century.

The title Marquis of Jingnan, by contrast, was closer to a post than a hereditary fief.

So in terms of formal honors, the old lady in the north outranking the Tian matriarch in the south was only proper.

“This subject, Tian Bokai, Count of Shan County, greets Her Majesty the Empress.

“May Her Majesty’s phoenix body enjoy golden peace.”

“This humble woman, Tian-Zhang, Second-Rank Commandery Lady, greets Her Majesty the Empress.

“May Her Majesty’s phoenix body enjoy golden peace.”

The Tian clansmen around them also knelt.

Father and mother both kneeling before their own daughter.

At first glance, it violated natural family ethics.

But before imperial power, bonds between father and daughter or mother and daughter had to step aside.

Sovereign and subject came first.

Inside the carriage, the Empress took a deep breath.

Then said, “Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

……

“How come you’re staring so intently?”

A woman’s voice sounded behind Zheng Fan.

He turned.

A woman wearing a black gauze veiled hat had ridden up behind him.

From the voice—

Du Juan.

“That’s Her Majesty the Empress inside, right?”

“Who else could it be?”

“Watching parents kowtow to their daughter looks a little…”

“Sovereign and subject first.

“Father and daughter second.”

“I just feel it’s somewhat…”

“Somewhat what?”

“Nothing.”

Zheng Fan had nearly said it felt inauspicious.

Then he reconsidered.

This was supposed to be a joyful day for the Marquis of Jingnan’s family.

“You did what you did today, and there are still things you do not dare say?”

“My good elder sister, do you think I wanted to do that?”

“You complain to me so freely.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll repeat your words to the Marquis?”

“Go ahead.

“It is only human nature.”

“That is true.

“You must be very frightened right now, aren’t you?”

“I am.

“Even when the Qian army surrounded me, I wasn’t this frightened.”

“Do not be afraid.

“The Marquis is here.”

Heh.

He is your man.

Naturally you think your man can do anything.

But what am I?

Heaven only knew how far the Marquis of Jingnan was willing to protect him and for how long.

“Sister Du Juan, I thought you stayed behind in Tiantai County.”

“The Marquis is returning home.

“Naturally I needed to return as well.”

“To meet the parents?”

“You could say that.

“Even an ugly daughter-in-law eventually has to meet her parents-in-law.”

“Sister, you are not ugly in the slightest.”

Of course, still not as beautiful as my Siniang.

“But the parents-in-law will probably dislike me even more.

“Lord Zheng, you know my identity.

“Do you think they will accept me?”

“Love is something between the people involved.

“As long as the two of you are satisfied and happy, that is enough.

“As for both sets of parents— so long as you can face your conscience, that is sufficient.”

“Face your conscience?

“I couldn’t tell before.

“Garrison Commander Zheng is not very old, yet you understand affairs between men and women so clearly.

“I heard you have not even married.”

“When you have time, Sister, introduce someone to me.”

“Fine.

“You may choose freely from the female agents of the Secret Intelligence Department.”

“…”

Zheng Fan fell silent.

“Why?

“Frightened?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

Imagine some female Secret Intelligence Department agent marrying into his household and then facing the Blind Man, Xue San, Siniang, A’Ming, and the Demon Child all staring at her.

Who exactly would be frightened?

“Her Majesty’s carriage has entered the estate.

“The Marquis will enter as well.

“Let’s go.”

“Mm?

“We have the qualifications to enter too?”

“The estate is enormous.

“You are all the Marquis’s personal guards now.

“You are family.

“Why would you be forbidden from entering?”

“Then I genuinely want to look around.”

“Just remember your limits.”

……

Once Her Majesty’s imperial carriage entered the estate, much of the ceremonial tension immediately dissolved.

Inside an elegant tower within the garden, light gauze screens were drawn.

The Empress dismissed all attendants and knelt before Old Master Tian and the Tian matriarch.

“Father.

“Mother.

“This daughter is unfilial.

“After entering the palace, I could no longer remain by your sides and serve you.”

Old Master Tian and the Tian matriarch immediately rose to pull her up.

But the Empress insisted on kneeling.

Unable to persuade her otherwise, Old Master Tian stopped trying.

The Tian matriarch simply embraced her daughter, and the two women burst into tears.

“My precious daughter.

“You’ve suffered.

“You’ve suffered…”

The imperial harem was deep and dark.

How much hardship did a woman have to endure merely to survive there?

Old Master Tian sighed.

He looked at his old wife.

Then at his daughter.

His lips moved.

Finally he called, “Chai’er.”

It was the Empress’s childhood name from before her marriage.

The Empress trembled.

She turned toward Old Master Tian.

“Father.”

“Your younger brother has returned as well.

“But because he brought troops and had not removed his armor, Father did not let him step forward earlier.

“I’m going to welcome him now.

“In a little while, I’ll bring him here to see you.

“You brother and sister have not seen each other in a very long time.”

“This daughter saw the troops behind us from the carriage earlier.

“Younger Brother has become capable.

“He guards the frontier for the state.

“As his elder sister, my position in the palace is steadier because of him.

“His Majesty also praises Younger Brother greatly and calls him a pillar of the state.”

“A subject naturally ought to share His Majesty’s burdens.

“Besides, His Majesty has never treated our Tian Clan poorly.

“His favor toward our clan grows greater by the day.

“Since our Tian Clan has received such honor, naturally we should devote ourselves even more wholeheartedly to His Majesty.”

“Father.

“We are all family.

“Why speak so formally?

“Why worry so much over positions and titles?”

Old Master Tian maintained a benevolent smile on his face.

But after hearing those words something inside him suddenly chilled.

His daughter’s words carried another meaning.

It seemed her return home truly had not happened merely because it conveniently followed his birthday.

She was clearly trying to draw her own younger brother toward her husband.

But with the current situation the Tian Clan stood only one step from a princely title.

How could he let go?

How could he possibly let go?

A married daughter truly was water poured out of the house.

Her heart had completely turned toward her husband and son.

Toward the Ji Clan.

She had already forgotten that she was a daughter of the Tian Clan.

The Tian matriarch continued crying.

She had been fortunate in life.

Her son and daughter had both achieved greatness, so she had spent most of her years enjoying blessings.

She did not understand how many layers of calculation existed inside the conversation between father and daughter.

Old Master Tian excused himself and left the tower.

The other Tian relatives waited far away.

For the moment, this was time for parents and daughter to enjoy family affection.

Having outsiders present would only make everyone restrained.

At tonight’s banquet, however, all of them would be able to see Her Majesty.

The younger generation would also receive imperial rewards.

Old Master Tian hurried along the garden path.

At the covered corridor ahead, the Marquis of Jingnan, Tian Wujing, had already removed his armor and was being led toward them by a maid.

The moment Old Master Tian saw his son anger surged up from his chest.

While preparations for receiving the Empress’s carriage had still been underway, news had already reached him.

His son had entered the capital and gone directly to the Princes’ Residence then crippled the Third Prince!

What was he trying to do?

What in Heaven’s name was he trying to do?

The Tian Clan wanted only a princely title.

They were not trying to rebel!

Even if they intended rebellion, the Zhenbei Army had not truly begun fighting yet.

The Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate had not openly torn apart relations with the throne.

Was the Tian Clan really supposed to be even more impatient?

At such a crucial moment, his son—normally the calmest man imaginable—had done something like this.

Old Master Tian truly was truly truly…

“My son Wujing.

“You must be exhausted after such a long journey.

“Come.

“Let Father look at you.

“Has the wind of the southern frontier made you thinner?”

Perhaps there was indeed some sincere paternal affection inside those words.

But the greater truth was that the moment Old Master Tian actually walked in front of his son he was immediately oppressed by the aura of a supreme commander.

Only then did Old Master Tian remember.

The man before him was not merely his son.

He was also commander of fifty thousand elite Jingnan Army troops.

Old Master Tian was head of the Tian Clan.

But he was already old.

And how could the aura of a clan patriarch ever compare with a general who commanded an army?

Once he reached his father, Tian Wujing knelt on both knees and kowtowed three times.

“Your son is unfilial.

“Even on Father’s great birthday, I could not return to celebrate.

“Please punish me.”

“Aiya.

“My son carries matters of army and state upon his shoulders.

“How could Father blame you?”

Old Master Tian immediately reached down and helped Tian Wujing up.

Only then did he notice the woman standing behind his son.

She wore a black dress.

Her hair was adorned with pins and willow ornaments.

She was elegant and beautiful.

Yet Old Master Tian quickly realized who she was.

His mouth opened.

He pointed toward her.

“You— you brought her home?”

Tian Wujing turned and beckoned toward Du Juan.

“Come.

“Pay your respects.”

“Your daughter-in-law greets Father.”

Du Juan knelt before Old Master Tian.

“This…

“This…

“You…

“How dare…

“You…”

This woman was from the Secret Intelligence Department.

And her position within the Department was not low.

“Father.

“Elder Sister is in the tower ahead, yes?

“I’ll take Du Juan to meet her.

“Elder Sister has urged me about marriage in her letters for a very long time.”

“The Empress— no.

“Your elder sister is in the tower with your mother.

“But this…”

Old Master Tian drew in a deep breath.

Then his expression immediately recovered.

A benevolent smile returned to his face.

“Aiya.

“You young couple should hurry to the tower.

“Your elder sister has been waiting for you a long time.”

A patriarch of a great aristocratic clan truly was not ordinary.

Even with storms raging inside him, Old Master Tian immediately overcame his emotions.

He and Tian Wujing walked ahead.

Du Juan, entering the family home for the first time, followed behind.

Old Master Tian lowered his voice and asked urgently, “What exactly happened with the Third Prince?”

“Father.

“Your son knows what he is doing.

“Do not ask further.”

“You— do you understand how critical the situation has become?

“You crippled Ji Runhao’s son.

“You think Ji Runhao can simply accept that?

“Ji Runhao is nothing like his ridiculous father.”

“What difference is there?

“Hasn’t he still been pressed down by Father and all the rest of you until he has no temper left?”

“That is a separate matter.

“It was Ji Runhao who foolishly wanted to move against the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate.

“Do not think we fail to understand what he is planning.

“The present situation is his own doing.

“For centuries, Great Yan has been jointly governed by the aristocratic clans and the Ji imperial house.

“Who does Ji Runhao think he is?

“How dare he!”

Old Master Tian noticed that Du Juan seemed to realize father and son were speaking privately, so she had deliberately fallen farther behind.

That made his words less restrained.

“So if I crippled one of his sons— what of it?”

“It is nothing!

“Ji Runhao is confronting the Zhenbei Army now.

“As long as his mind has not rotted, he would never dare punish you.

“The Zhenbei Army is already on the verge of rebellion.

“At first we thought that once Li Liangting entered the capital, the north would calm down and merely put on a little show.

“Who could have imagined Li Liangting’s son would suddenly appear in the north?

“Heh.

“If Ji Runhao dares move against you now as well, then the Jingnan Army in the south will rebel too.

“At that point— could the Ji Clan still sit securely upon the realm?”

“Then why did Father blame me?”

“I blamed you because there was no need to act so rashly!

“Originally, Li Liangting’s Zhenbei Army was the one applying pressure.

“The great aristocratic houses joined together and intended to grant the Li Clan a princely title to calm the matter.

“You— and our Tian Clan only needed to gain a little advantage from the side.

“If the Ji Clan wanted to hate someone, the first target should have been the Li Clan.

“After the Ji Clan survived this crisis, they might even have tried harder to draw the Tian Clan closer.

“But you crippled Third Highness today.

“Have you not invited criticism onto our Tian Clan for no reason?”

“Father.

“Then let your son ask you:

What is the foundation upon which our Tian Clan stands?”

“A century of inheritance!”

“That was before.”

“Ten thousand mu of fertile land.

“Tens of thousands of tenant households.”

“Not now.”

Old Master Tian pursed his lips.

Then said, “The fifty thousand Jingnan troops.”

“Yes.

“The fifty thousand Jingnan troops.

“As long as we hold the heart of the Jingnan Army, our Tian Clan stands undefeated.

“Our Tian Clan is not one of the Four Great Aristocratic Clans.

“So why did this princely title fall upon our Tian Clan rather than theirs?

“Is it not precisely because your son has commanded the Jingnan Army for more than ten years?”

“So you used a Prince to buy the soldiers’ loyalty?”

“For their sake.

“To stand up for them— your son is willing even to cripple a Prince.”

Old Master Tian’s thin chest rose and fell.

At last, he reached out and patted Tian Wujing on the shoulder.

“My son has grown.

“Father has grown old.

“If you did not still need to return to Yinlang Commandery, I should have passed the position of clan head to you long ago.”

“Father.

“Your son truly has never valued the position of Tian Clan patriarch very highly.”

“Heh!

“What arrogance.

“You really do resemble your father when he was young!”

The old man’s expression immediately cleared, and he burst into laughter.

At the same time, he did not forget to turn and call toward Du Juan, who was following far behind.

“What is this?

“Is my daughter-in-law lame?

“How are you walking slower than a seventy-year-old man like me?

“How can I expect my daughter-in-law to serve me in the future?”

Du Juan immediately smiled.

Lifting the hem of her skirt with both hands, she trotted over.

Seeing her behave so freely, a flash of disdain passed through Old Master Tian’s eyes.

As expected of an agent born from the Secret Intelligence Department.

She could never compare with a proper young lady from a great house.

Crude.

But when he thought about his son’s impending princely title about the possibility of the Tian Clan obtaining a hereditary princely rank what did it matter if Ji Runhao planted one Secret Intelligence Department woman inside their household?

Before Du Juan reached them, Old Master Tian lowered his voice again.

“Ji Runhao has suspended court for ten days.

“Tomorrow, the Four Great Aristocratic Clans and our Tian Clan will lead the heads of thirty Yan aristocratic houses into the palace together for audience.

“Once that happens, everything will be settled.

“The Ji Clan cannot overturn the table anymore.

“Come.

“Your elder sister is inside.”

……

When Tian Wujing and Du Juan entered the elegant tower side by side, the Tian matriarch and the Empress had already separated.

But the red rims of both women’s eyes still revealed the tears from earlier.

Tian Wujing stepped forward first.

He knelt before the Tian matriarch.

“Your son greets Mother.

“May Mother enjoy health and peace.”

“Your daughter-in-law greets Mother.

“May Mother enjoy health and peace.”

Old Master Tian watched the scene and nodded slightly.

He could not help sighing inwardly once more.

A married daughter truly was water poured out of the house.

Only a son could be relied upon.

The Empress, seated in the place of honor, saw her younger brother enter and immediately kneel to their mother while leaving his Empress elder sister aside.

Her heart instantly chilled.

Anger surged through her.

She forcibly suppressed it.

She refused to believe that even her parents understood the need to first observe the rites between sovereign and subject before speaking of family affection yet her younger brother, who had commanded troops outside for years and valued rules above all else, somehow did not understand!

He was doing this deliberately.

He was telling her:

He belonged to the Tian Clan.

The Tian Clan came first in his heart.

The Empress struggled to calm herself.

As mistress of the inner palace, how could she fail to understand the current situation in the outer court?

Outside two hundred thousand Zhenbei troops from four garrisons watched like tigers.

Inside dozens of Great Yan’s aristocratic clans had joined together to pressure the throne.

Her husband had spent these days almost consumed by fury.

Yet she could not comfort him.

She could not even speak freely.

Because her own natal clan the Tian Clan stood among the forces pressuring him.

Among the cries to establish two Princes in north and south, the southern Prince would be her own younger brother.

After entering the palace, she had become the Emperor’s woman.

The Emperor was the husband who would accompany her for life.

She was not foolish.

She understood everything clearly.

Even if she ignored her husband even if imperial families truly possessed no affection she still had to think about her own son.

Her son was obviously about to inherit the position of Crown Prince.

When he eventually ascended the throne, how was he supposed to rule with hereditary Princes controlling the north and south?

Could he ever sit securely upon the throne?

She was the Empress.

A woman of the Ji Clan.

The Empress of the Ji Clan.

She understood perfectly well that it was precisely because of the Ji Clan that she enjoyed the glory of returning home today.

If she devoted herself entirely to strengthening her natal family and the Tian Clan eventually replaced Yan what would any of that have to do with her?

Her son would be a deposed Emperor.

She would be Empress Dowager of a fallen dynasty.

Within the Tian Clan, who would still care about her?

What position could she possibly possess then?

“My son.

“You’ve suffered.

“My son…”

The Tian matriarch embraced Tian Wujing and cried bitterly.

Then she noticed Du Juan and clearly froze.

After learning this was her daughter-in-law, the Tian matriarch felt something was slightly strange.

No formal matchmaker.

No proper marriage rites.

No concubine ceremony either.

And yet her son had suddenly brought a woman home.

It violated the rules terribly.

But mothers might dislike their husbands having too many women while simultaneously wishing their sons had as many women as possible.

So the Tian matriarch immediately removed a jade bracelet from her wrist and gave it to Du Juan.

Du Juan quickly thanked her.

Only then as though he had just noticed his Empress elder sister was also present—

Tian Wujing saluted.

“This subject greets Her Majesty the Empress.

“May Her Majesty enjoy golden peace.”

“Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Younger Brother has labored hard guarding the frontier for the state.

“His Majesty praises you constantly.”

“This subject merely performs the duty of a subject.

“I am unworthy of His Majesty’s praise.”

“Younger Brother, Elder Sister returned this time because…”

“Father.

“Mother.

“Your son is tired.

“Let the banquet begin.

“Once it ends, your son can rest properly.”

“…”

The Empress fell silent.

“Good!

“Good!

“Let the banquet begin!”

Old Master Tian immediately made the decision.

He was extremely satisfied with his son’s attitude.

And because he knew the brother and sister had been close since childhood, he had genuinely worried his daughter might persuade Tian Wujing to oppose accepting a princely title.

This was the greatest opportunity the entire Tian Clan had ever possessed to soar upward.

From tomorrow onward, no one would speak merely of the Four Great Aristocratic Clans.

When discussing the highest families in Great Yan the two Princes of north and south would stand above all!

The banquet began.

The core members of the Tian Clan gathered inside the Elegant Garden.

Night descended quickly.

Lanterns and decorations lit the grounds until the place shone brilliantly.

Her Majesty the Empress appeared first.

Everyone, including Old Master Tian and the Tian matriarch, knelt once more.

After the Empress permitted them to rise, the banquet formally began.

The younger generation of the Tian Clan stepped forward one after another to recite essays or display martial skill, hoping to receive praise from the Empress.

That was part of the planned ceremony.

Once those formalities ended, Her Majesty said she felt slightly unwell and withdrew to rest.

Everyone naturally knelt again to see her off.

After the Empress left, the Marquis of Jingnan also departed with Du Juan, whom he had already introduced to the clansmen earlier that day, saying he wished to rest.

Only after the two greatest figures left did the banquet atmosphere truly loosen.

Everyone gathered more freely around Old Master Tian and the Tian matriarch, eating, drinking, and excitedly imagining the future.

Every person gathered here belonged to the Tian Clan’s core line.

Naturally, they all understood how dramatically the family’s standing would rise after tomorrow.

In fact, the Marquis of Jingnan becoming a Prince excited them even more than Her Majesty’s homecoming.

……

“Aiya.

“Little girl, careful.”

Zheng Fan reached out and pulled back a small girl who had run too close to the pond.

She was soft and pink, like a porcelain doll.

Adorable.

She held a piece of preserved fruit in one hand and was nibbling it.

“Ting’er!

“Ting’er!”

Two maids called from the distance.

They were probably searching for the child who had slipped away.

“They’re looking for you, aren’t they?

“Don’t run around.

“It’s dark.

“If you fall into the pond, nobody may notice.”

Zheng Fan spoke to the little girl in his arms.

She truly was adorable enough to stir the fatherly instinct inside Demon King Zheng.

“You… eat…”

The little girl apparently decided the uncle holding her was not bad.

She lifted the preserved fruit toward Zheng Fan’s mouth.

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“You eat it.

“I don’t want any.”

The little girl became angry.

She slapped Zheng Fan’s chest and shouted, “You… eat!”

“Hahaha.”

A little girl trying to look furious only made her even cuter.

“Ah!

“There she is.”

“Ting’er is here!”

The two maids rushed over and took the child from Zheng Fan.

Seeing his armor, one maid said, “Thank you, My Lord.”

“Watch the child more carefully.”

“Ting’er is mischievous.

“We looked away for only a moment and she ran out of the Elegant Garden.”

“Exactly.

“Ting’er has such a fierce temper.

“No one in the estate dares provoke her.

“She is the old ancestors’ precious treasure.

“They even call her Little Spicy Girl.”

Although chili peppers had not yet developed into the grand cuisines of later generations, things of that sort were not rare because of the Silk Road.

Wealthy households especially liked trying new ingredients.

Zheng Fan nodded.

After the two maids carried the little girl away, he crushed the cigarette butt beneath his boot and walked back.

Food had been arranged for the personal guards and the Jingnan soldiers who had accompanied the Marquis back.

The treatment was good.

Meat.

Soup.

Everyone ate happily.

Zheng Fan had barely returned when he saw a familiar figure approaching.

At first he paid little attention.

Only when the man came closer did he realize it was Tian Wujing himself.

The Marquis had already removed his gilded armor earlier.

Now he had put it back on.

And inside the shadow behind him, Zheng Fan saw Du Juan.

The instant the fully armored Marquis appeared, every Jingnan soldier put away his relaxed attitude and the food in his hands.

They immediately straightened their equipment and stood.

Suddenly panic rose inside Zheng Fan.

A terrifying premonition began climbing from the bottom of his heart.

It was not fear exactly.

It was more like being stunned by what his own mind had begun guessing.

The Marquis of Jingnan swept his gaze across the troops.

Soon eight Lieutenant Commanders stepped forward together.

Zheng Fan drew in a deep breath and followed them.

Eight Lieutenant Commanders plus Zheng Fan knelt on one knee before the Marquis.

“Jingnan Army— receive my command!”

“This general is here!”

“This general is here!”

“This general is here!”

In the next instant, every Jingnan soldier around them dropped to one knee.

The looseness of the banquet vanished completely.

In its place descended killing intent so dense it almost seemed ready to drip.

“Immediately surround the Elegant Garden!”

Zheng Fan kept his head lowered.

His mouth hung slightly open.

He began silently drawing breath after breath.

The eight Lieutenant Commanders showed shock on their faces.

But almost immediately they lowered their heads again.

The Marquis of Jingnan had controlled the Jingnan Army for more than ten years.

In the eyes of its soldiers, he was their God of War.

They recognized his military orders even before they recognized the Emperor’s imperial edicts.

“Once the encirclement is complete— leave not even the chickens and dogs alive inside the Elegant Garden!”

The command fell like lightning.

The bodies of all eight Lieutenant Commanders nearly swayed.

Yet military instinct still made them answer immediately.

“This general obeys!”

“This general obeys!”

“This general obeys!”

In the next moment, more than a thousand Jingnan soldiers surged toward the Elegant Garden under the command of their officers.

The tide of armored men naturally split apart as it passed the Marquis of Jingnan.

The Marquis stood there like an unmoving rock.

Du Juan stood beside him and looked up at her man.

The Marquis reached out and took her hand.

“Today— you suffered grievance.”

“Marquis, this concubine does not feel wronged.

“Today can even count as me formally entering the family.

“You, Marquis— you are the one who has truly suffered grievance.”

“Heh.

“This Marquis— feels no grievance.”

He raised his head slightly and looked toward the brilliant river of stars in the night sky.

Then he said in a deep voice, “The fall of Great Yan’s aristocratic clans— shall begin with my Tian Clan.”

(End of Chapter)