Chapter 209: Indisposed

Around him the warhorses beneath the riders pawed at the earth.

Men and horses alike breathed streams of white mist into the cold air.

Zheng Fan held the reins in his left hand.

His great saber rested in his right.

His eyes were slightly closed as though he were resting.

No one knew what was happening inside the encirclement to the southwest.

But everyone remained ready.

Perhaps in the very next instant they would have to drive their horses forward and launch the most brutal possible charge against the enemy.

Finally the Jin army moved.

Zheng Fan opened his eyes.

He was just preparing to raise his cavalry saber and order the charge when he discovered the Jin troops ahead were actually withdrawing.

At the same time the Jin formations farther away also began pulling back.

And ahead the Marquis of Jingnan rode slowly forward atop his Pixiu, accompanied by his two standard-bearers.

Nearly ten thousand Jin troops surrounded him.

Yet not a single person dared block his path!

Once the distance between them narrowed—

Zheng Fan did not dismount.

He bowed from horseback.

"This subordinate general pays respects to the Marquis of Jingnan!"

The cavalry behind him shouted together, "WE PAY RESPECTS TO THE MARQUIS OF JINGNAN!"

The Marquis of Jingnan nodded.

Then continued urging his Pixiu forward.

Zheng Fan immediately turned his own horse around.

The cavalry behind him voluntarily opened a road.

Zheng Fan accompanied the Marquis of Jingnan back into the fortified manor.

The riders who had formed ranks outside followed them back one after another.

Outside once the Jin troops returned to their camps, they immediately began dismantling everything and preparing to leave.

They moved quickly.

Only grain, military supplies, tents, and other things convenient to transport were taken with them.

Zheng Fan remained beside the Marquis of Jingnan.

Tian Wujing dismounted from the Pixiu.

Zheng Fan immediately dismounted as well.

"It's exhausted.

"Give it some food meant for people.

"If you have wine—give it some wine too."

The Marquis of Jingnan pointed toward his mount.

"This subordinate obeys.

"Your Lordship may rest assured."

A Pixiu was a rare beast.

Forget comparing it with ordinary warhorses.

Even most Lieutenant Commanders could not compare with one in value.

Special treatment for a special target was only natural.

Tian Wujing rubbed his wrist.

Then said, "Take this Marquis to see the Jin Emperor."

"Your Lordship, this way."

Fortunately when Zheng Fan led Tian Wujing toward the room, he did not hear the earlier sounds of "campaigning" from outside.

After entering he discovered that the Jin Emperor appeared to have received word ahead of time.

Yu Ciming was already waiting.

Governor Zheng's heart immediately tightened.

Looks like after returning, he needed the Blind Man and Liang Cheng to hurry and isolate, absorb, and digest all those riders who had originally escorted the Jin Emperor into this fortified manor.

The Jin Emperor had now become nothing more than a decorative signboard.

And even the signature on that signboard belonged to the previous owner.

This little scrap of mosquito meat these cavalrymen—

Zheng Fan would simply accept them.

He also believed that aside from a few absolute loyalists, the others probably would not insist on following an Emperor who had lost even his Capital Region and possessed not a single piece of territory.

"This ruler of a lesser state, Yu Ciming—pays respects to the Marquis of Jingnan!"

The Jin Emperor knelt with extreme respect.

His posture was low.

The excitement brought by the powder he had consumed earlier seemed to have completely faded.

The two granddaughters from the fortified manor were nowhere to be seen either.

Tian Wujing did not help the kneeling Jin Emperor rise.

He simply stood there calmly.

After a while Tian Wujing spoke.

"You are useless now."

The Jin Emperor's body instantly softened.

He had been kneeling before.

Now he almost collapsed.

Standing nearby, Zheng Fan could only marvel at how brutally direct the Marquis of Jingnan was.

That sentence was about as straightforward as words could possibly become.

Still since Tian Wujing had personally come here, Zheng Fan assumed the Marquis already possessed his own judgment about the uprising.

He was, after all, a veteran commander.

The tricks the Jin Emperor had attempted to play could not possibly fool him.

"This Marquis will send men to escort you back to Yanjing.

"Go there and live quietly.

"If you develop any other ideas afterward—white silk or poisoned wine.

"Choose one yourself."

This was effectively Tian Wujing deciding the Jin Emperor's fate on behalf of the Yan Emperor.

Yu Ciming's body swayed faintly.

He remained silent.

Whether he had fallen into complete despair or had already mentally prepared himself for this ending no one could tell.

Tian Wujing said nothing more.

He turned and left the room.

Zheng Fan immediately followed.

"My lord Marquis—hungry?"

"A little."

"Want something to eat?"

"Good."

Zheng Fan could not clearly define exactly what kind of relationship existed between him and Tian Wujing.

But one thing was undeniable.

Tian Wujing had saved him not once.

Not twice.

Tian Wujing's reputation had become terrible.

Even after a thousand years even if Great Yan truly unified everything beneath Heaven the histories would probably still refuse to leave him much of a good name.

But there was a saying Zheng Fan considered very fair.

Even if ten million people say someone is bad if he treats you well then you cannot call him bad.

There was no banquet.

No time or energy existed for preparing one now.

Freshly steamed mantou had just come out of the baskets.

White and soft.

Steam rolled from them.

Each man received a large bowl of egg-drop soup with a little vinegar.

Two small plates of pickled vegetables personally prepared by Siniang back at Green Willow Fortress were placed between them.

"My lord Marquis.

"The mantou with one red dot contains shredded radish.

"Two dots means red bean paste.

"Three dots means pickled vegetables."

Before the filled mantou went into the steamer someone marked them with red ink so different fillings could be distinguished according to personal preference.

Once they were cooked, finding the filling you liked would otherwise become troublesome.

Break one open and discover it was not what you wanted you still could not waste grain.

You would have to grit your teeth and eat it.

Tian Wujing asked instead, "No baozi filled entirely with meat?"

Clearly, the Marquis of Jingnan was also not accustomed to Green Willow Fortress's strange definition of mantou.

"Pure meat filling gets greasy too easily," Zheng Fan explained.

"Heh."

Tian Wujing laughed.

Then said, "I heard long ago that your family once ran a restaurant and counted as modestly wealthy.

"I never imagined your mouth had already become so pampered.

"Pure meat filling is too greasy?

"If Li Liangting heard you say that—he'd pick up a stick and break one of your legs."

"My lord Marquis makes fun of me.

"This life—

"I don't have many ambitions.

"I just want to treat myself a little better when it comes to eating."

"That's not an honest thing to say.

"From the first time this Marquis saw you—

"I knew you were ambitious.

"The only difference is that other men hide ambition inside their hearts and rarely expose it.

"Your ambition—is written directly across your face."

Hearing that, Zheng Fan touched his own face and laughed.

"Then my acting still isn't good enough.

"I'll need more practice."

"Ambition in a man is not a bad thing."

"Yes.

"My lord Marquis is correct."

Tian Wujing reached out and picked up a shredded-radish mantou.

He took a bite.

The first mouthful contained only white flour.

With the second he reached the filling.

The filling had been salted.

Eating it together with the soft white flour felt much like taking bites of a plain mantou together with side dishes.

"This mantou—is genuinely delicious."

"I still have quite a lot.

"Once steamed during winter, they don't spoil easily and can be stored for a long time.

"In the morning, when making congee, place a small steamer basket over the stove and heat several at the same time.

"Eat them with the congee—very comfortable.

"If you're hungry at night and don't want to trouble anyone—heating a few also fills the stomach nicely."

Tian Wujing nodded.

Then continued eating.

Zheng Fan simply accompanied him.

After each man had eaten three mantou they stopped almost in unison.

Both wiped their hands on the damp towels beside them.

"You're unusually quiet today," Tian Wujing said.

"My lord Marquis is joking.

"I already owe Your Lordship too many times.

"If I keep saying words of thanks—it'll only make us seem distant."

"You are a Yan man.

"And you once served under this Marquis.

"If something happens to you—this Marquis naturally cannot stand aside and watch you die."

"Of course.

"I'll always be one of Your Lordship's soldiers.

"Those Jin people thought we Yan were like them—fond of playing all these underhanded games."

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Tian Wujing's mouth.

"Zhao Jiulang—did arrange it that way.

"This Marquis also received documents from the central court informing me about the matter."

"............" Zheng Fan.

That meant the Marquis of Jingnan had come this time in defiance of the imperial order?

After all most of the time, the Chief Minister acted according to the Emperor's will.

Especially when communicating with a commander of Tian Wujing's rank even Zhao Jiulang did not possess the authority to order him around independently.

"My lord Marquis..."

"It was not solely for you.

"Even if another Yan force had been trapped here—this Marquis would still have come to save them.

"In the end—since Great Yan was founded, what we have relied upon is nothing more than generations of Yan sons throwing themselves forward and supporting one another.

"Back when I used your assassination attempt as an excuse to bring you to the capital and cripple the Third Prince—it was not purely because this Marquis wanted to vent his own anger.

"This Marquis was genuinely furious.

"The realm had been peaceful too long.

"Too many people had forgotten the foundation beneath their feet.

"Great Yan is not wealthy.

"Great Yan is not large.

"The imperial court may play the imperial court's games.

"Back when the great clans still existed, they could play the great clans' games.

"Merchants, porters, common people—everyone has their own ways.

"But the army—cannot be touched.

"And certainly cannot be manipulated casually.

"Qian is wealthy.

"Its territory is vast and abundant.

"Its culture flourishes.

"But if its armies are useless—then the state itself is destined to be weak.

"This—is the belief of this Marquis.

"And also the bottom line of this Marquis."

"This junior will remember Your Lordship's teaching."

"That military treatise you wrote—was also decent."

"It is too crude to enter refined halls.

"I only made Your Lordship laugh."

"A mere thousand words naturally cannot account for the countless changes upon a battlefield.

"But it is enough to say—you possess the seed of a famous general."

"Your Lordship overpraises me."

"The Situ Clan before us now—is only an empty shell.

"Most of its forces are deployed along the Heavenbreak Mountain Range.

"This Marquis did not bring troops here.

"But the Jin commanders opposite believe Yan has rejected the tacit agreement with them.

"They also know perfectly well that the Situ Clan's main army is not in the west.

"If war breaks out now—they will certainly lose.

"That is why—they withdrew."

Zheng Fan froze briefly.

Then he immediately understood.

And at the same time he suddenly realized why the Marquis of Jingnan could arrive alone and force the entire Jin army to withdraw.

Which meant his Shengle City could be taken back!

"It is said the wild-men settlements north of the Heavenbreak Mountain Range have become restless recently.

"They appear to have even chosen a new King.

"Do you know why Great Yan has stopped campaigning against the Situ Clan at this moment?"

Zheng Fan immediately sat upright.

He answered, "My lord Marquis.

"This subordinate once heard that when the Great Xia Dynasty was founded, the ancestors of Great Yan's imperial Ji Clan were enfeoffed in the north to suppress the barbarians.

"The Xiong Clan of Chu was enfeoffed in the southeast to suppress the Shanyue.

"The Yu Clan of Jin was enfeoffed in the northeast to suppress the wild men.

"Compared with barbarians, wild men, and Shanyue—the Four Great States are more like brothers quarreling within the walls of one household while resisting outside humiliation together.

"A hundred years ago, Emperor Taizong of Qian launched a northern expedition while Great Yan was fighting a decisive war against the barbarian tribes in the desert.

"That was Qian's injustice.

"Now the wild men show signs of unrest and revival.

"Although the Situ Clan were retainers of the Yu Clan, for a century they have shouldered the burden of suppressing the wild men.

"At present, since the Situ Clan is dealing with the wild-men threat, Great Yan is not Qian.

"And His Majesty, Emperor of Great Yan, possesses a breadth of spirit no Qian ruler could compare with.

"So long as the wild-men danger remains unresolved—so long as the Situ Clan continues fighting the wild men to the death—

"Great Yan's iron cavalry will not march east into the State of Cheng.

"This perfectly demonstrates the vast breadth of mind and lofty strategic vision possessed by His Majesty, Emperor of Great Yan.

"This subordinate admires His Majesty so completely that I wish I could shout 'Our Emperor is wise!' ten times every night before sleeping and ten times every morning after waking."

Tian Wujing listened calmly to the entire performance.

Then said only:

"Speak like a human."

Zheng Fan drew in a deep breath.

He gritted his teeth.

Then asked, "Is His Majesty's health failing?"

(End of Chapter)