Chapter 217: Bad Ideas

The chaos across Jin’s Capital Region had been pacified by daybreak.

More precisely, aside from Yu Huacheng leading nearly two thousand Jin troops in one final attempt to “do what man can and leave the rest to Heaven,” creating some trouble for the Yan army once Liang Cheng cut off Yu Huacheng’s head with a single saber strike everything remaining amounted mostly to clearing out routed soldiers and stabilizing the situation.

A great state that had existed for nearly as many years as Great Yan the single character “Jin,” after enduring countless twists and hardships had finally been trampled completely into muddy filth.

After this night even if the Jin Emperor still lived even if the Empress Dowager still lived the words “Great Jin” would lose their final trace of color.

This was not like the fall of other dynasties, when countless loyalists and martyrs emerged.

Not like those periods when men remained loyal to the former dynasty, raised banners one after another, and continued rebelling for years.

For several decades, the Jin imperial clan had already been hollowed out by the Three Great Clans.

The dynasty had existed as little more than an empty frame.

Now even that frame no longer possessed any reason to remain.

Zheng Fan and the Empress Dowager sat together for nearly half the night.

Only when the horizon began paling did Zheng Fan stretch.

Looking at the Empress Dowager, who had not slept the entire time he could not help asking curiously, “Your Majesty.

“You can really hold it in that long?”

The Empress Dowager glared furiously at him.

Truthfully their relationship had become considerably more harmonious after the previous night.

Normally, the Empress Dowager had to maintain a dignified, imposing air, preserving the image of someone whose anger or calm carried imperial authority.

But before Zheng Fan this shameless hoodlum, lecher, barbarian, and rogue she knew such posturing was useless.

She had worn that mask for far too long.

Last night, Zheng Fan had ripped it completely apart.

Strangely that allowed her to grow accustomed to showing her genuine self again.

“Fine.

“Is there a chamber pot in here?

“You know—the thing used for peeing at night?”

Zheng Fan gestured with his fingers.

When the Empress Dowager said nothing, Zheng Fan shook his head.

“A toilet bucket?

“Privy pail?

“Night-soil bucket?

“What do you Jin people even call that thing?

“Forget it.

“Handle it yourself.”

At that moment, Siniang walked in.

“Master.”

“How are they?”

Zheng Fan immediately stepped forward and took Siniang’s hand.

The Empress Dowager watched Zheng Fan holding the hand of a fair-skinned young “soldier.”

Her brows furrowed faintly.

But very quickly she relaxed.

It was like growing up with a father who smoked because your grandfather smoked too or with both of them drinking.

Something witnessed constantly from childhood naturally stopped feeling especially shocking.

Jin society had long possessed such customs.

As a result—

Jin nobles tended to display unusually high tolerance toward this sort of preference.

“Ah Cheng suffered a minor injury while killing Yu Huacheng.

“Everyone else is fine.”

“That is good.

“Good.”

Siniang turned her gaze toward the Empress Dowager.

After seeing how beautiful she was Siniang covered her mouth and laughed.

“Hehe.

“Master—is this servant about to gain another younger sister?”

“General Zheng!

“The Marquis has been brought into the palace!”

An armored soldier reported from outside.

Brought into the palace?

Zheng Fan immediately understood the implication.

He looked at Siniang.

“Watch her.”

Then he turned toward the Empress Dowager.

“She is a woman.

“You should not be embarrassed in front of her, right?”

The Empress Dowager looked at Siniang in astonishment.

A woman?

Armored Jingnan Army troops guarded outside.

Siniang remained inside.

Zheng Fan trusted completely that nothing could happen to the Empress Dowager under those circumstances.

After speaking he hurried from the bedchamber.

As he swung onto his horse, he asked the soldier who had come to report, “Where is the Marquis?”

“He just entered the palace through the southern gate.”

“Understood.”

Zheng Fan urged his horse toward the palace gate.

The Empress Dowager’s residence stood near the rear section of the Jin imperial palace.

If he headed toward the main entrance from here he should encounter them along the road.

Truthfully, the Jin imperial palace was not very large.

The fundamental reason was that the former outer palace district had long ago become civilian housing.

That had drastically reduced the palace’s total area.

In that sense it was somewhat like the Forbidden City in later generations.

At the small plaza before Zhenghe Hall—

Zheng Fan spotted the party escorting the Marquis of Jingnan.

Ren Juan personally led them.

Several hundred armored soldiers surrounded the center.

There a Pixiu walked slowly.

Someone lay leaning against its back.

“MY LORD MARQUIS!”

Zheng Fan naturally knew why Tian Wujing had remained alone outside the Capital Region the previous night.

And throughout the entire offensive there had been no news whatsoever of the Sword Saint of Jin.

That was enough to prove the Sword Saint had gone to find the Marquis.

“My lord Marquis!

“My lord Marquis!”

Zheng Fan leapt from his horse and ran toward them.

He had just prepared to perform an advanced sequence with a difficulty rating of 3.7—“stumble,” followed by “struggle back up,” followed by another “stumble,” another “rise,” and then a “choked sob” when the Marquis of Jingnan atop the Pixiu suddenly lifted his head and looked at the approaching Zheng Fan.

Huh?

Hm?

Zheng Fan instinctively slowed.

Not dying?

Not barely breathing?

Not coughing blood?

The Marquis of Jingnan spoke.

“In such a hurry to wail at this Marquis’s funeral?”

“No.

“This...”

Zheng Fan looked somewhat embarrassed.

When he had first heard the news he genuinely assumed the Sword Saint had severely injured Tian Wujing.

Perhaps even brought him close to death.

The greatest difference between Martial Artists and swordsmen was that Martial Artists could “bathe” inside a sea of troops.

Swordsmen were unrivaled in single combat.

Looking at Tian Wujing now did that mean he had defeated the Sword Saint?

For a moment, Zheng Fan genuinely did not know how to describe the man.

His ability to command armies already approached the level of a military god.

And his individual strength was equally terrifying.

If only he had not possessed that stain of exterminating his entire household...

“Ren Juan.”

“My lord Marquis!

“This subordinate is here!”

“For everything that follows—assist Governor Zheng.”

What followed naturally meant gathering wealth.

Great Yan did not intend to permanently station troops in Jin’s Capital Region.

The newly annexed territories already under Yan had not yet been fully digested.

There was no need to swallow too much at once and choke.

At the same time—

Yan and the Situ Clan also needed a small buffer zone between them.

It would be enough for Yan to retain Xinsu City as the boundary.

But the wealth here could not simply be abandoned.

Zheng Fan needed money.

The Marquis of Jingnan needed money too.

Once an army moved whether for pre-battle rewards, post-battle rewards, or simply maintaining troops and administration during ordinary times silver poured away like water.

“This subordinate obeys!”

Just like that the task landed on Zheng Fan.

Of course, Zheng Fan himself would merely act as intermediary.

He would certainly subcontract the actual work afterward.

Besides after practicing once already in Chuzhou City—

Zheng Fan trusted that Siniang and the Blind Man had become even more proficient at keeping accounts while quietly padding their own pockets.

No matter how all-capable Tian Wujing might be surely the man did not also possess the equivalent of a senior accountant’s certification?

“My lord Marquis, please go inside and rest first.

“This subordinate has already sent for the best physician in the area,” Ren Juan reminded him.

The Marquis of Jingnan did not answer.

Ren Juan silently signaled the party to continue forward.

Zhenghe Hall stood ahead.

Just as the procession resumed moving—

Zheng Fan could not help speaking to Ren Juan.

“Commander-in-Chief Ren.

“Having the Marquis rest inside Zhenghe Hall... would that not be inappropriate?”

Zhenghe Hall stood along the central axis of the Jin imperial palace.

The hall itself was not especially large.

It was not used for full court assemblies.

Instead, the Jin Emperor had once used it for private meetings with close ministers.

It also served functions similar to an imperial study.

Hearing Zheng Fan’s words—

Ren Juan immediately glared at him.

“Ren Juan.”

The Marquis of Jingnan spoke.

“My lord Marquis?”

“Although this Marquis just fought the Sword Saint of Jin—

“I can still twist your head off right now.”

“My lord Marquis!

“If Your Lordship wants this subordinate’s head—

“I can personally cut it off and present it to you!

“This subordinate was negligent.”

The Marquis of Jingnan closed his eyes.

Whether his injuries were flaring or he simply no longer wished to speak no one knew.

Ren Juan could only wave his hand.

The procession changed direction toward a side hall on the western side.

Zheng Fan continued following.

After the Marquis of Jingnan was settled he waved one hand.

“All of you go handle your work.

“This Marquis will regulate his injuries alone.”

Only then did everyone withdraw.

Once outside—

Ren Juan looked toward Zheng Fan.

“This general was careless earlier.

“Many thanks to Governor Zheng for the reminder.”

Zheng Fan immediately cupped his fists.

“My lord fought throughout the night and is naturally exhausted.

“Failing to consider every detail under such circumstances is entirely understandable.”

“Heh.

“Truthfully—it was never anything especially serious to begin with, was it?”

Zheng Fan immediately heard the hidden meaning behind Ren Juan’s words.

A man capable of becoming a Commander-in-Chief might possess unusual habits or peculiar personality traits.

But he would never be stupid.

Zhenghe Hall was a place reserved for the Emperor of Jin.

It carried extremely powerful symbolism tied to imperial authority.

If the Marquis of Jingnan stayed there and word reached Yanjing people with ulterior motives could easily use the matter against him.

In earlier years, perhaps the Marquis could have stayed there without consequence.

Zheng Fan even believed that if the Yan Emperor heard about it, His Majesty might later laugh and ask Tian Wujing to sit on Great Yan’s dragon throne too just to compare whether the Yan Emperor’s seat was more comfortable than the Jin Emperor’s.

Originally this truly would not have counted as anything significant.

The relationship between the two Marquises and the Yan Emperor was simply that solid.

Far beyond what outsiders could understand.

But yesterday the Marquis of Jingnan had hinted that something might be wrong with the Yan Emperor’s health.

If that guess were true then an Emperor in the prime of life and an Emperor whose body had begun failing were two completely different creatures.

Still, Ren Juan had not intentionally been trying to trap the Marquis of Jingnan.

Rather whether inside the Zhenbei Army or Jingnan Army even if both Marquises were completely loyal to the state what about the men beneath them?

The Commanders-in-Chief.

The Roaming Generals.

Which of them would not dream of obtaining the merit of “following the dragon”?

“Heh.

“This general originally thought that since the Marquis admires and promotes Governor Zheng so greatly—

“Governor Zheng ought to count as one of our own.”

Zheng Fan immediately answered, “My lord—precisely because we are our own people—

“I had no choice but to speak.”

“What do you mean?”

At Ren Juan’s signal, the nearby armored soldiers had already moved away.

There was no need to worry about eavesdroppers.

“My lord—what was the purpose behind what you just did?

“Were you testing the Marquis’s intentions?

“Or were you trying to prove your own intentions to the Marquis?”

“Continue.”

Ren Juan stared at Zheng Fan.

“My lord should understand what sort of man the Marquis is.

“To call him loyal to the state and a pillar of the realm would not be excessive in the slightest.

“The Marquis—will not rebel!”

“That is all?”

“My lord.

“If you test him the way you just did—the Marquis will genuinely kill someone.”

“Heh.

“This general is not afraid to die.”

“But dying like that would not be worth it.”

“Oh?

“Not worth it?

“Then tell me—what kind of death would be worthwhile?”

“My lord—you should do it this way.

“This merit is far too great.

“Why try to swallow it alone?

“Besides—could one man truly digest it?”

“Then what should be done?”

“My lord, do not rush.

“Listen until I finish.

“If you act alone, the Marquis will certainly kill you for the sake of the state and use your death as a warning to others.

“After all, although my lord is a Commander-in-Chief—

“Great Yan has not yet reached the point where losing one Commander-in-Chief would cause the entire state to collapse.”

“............” Ren Juan.

“My lord.

“These ideas—these intentions—should first be buried inside your heart.

“Do not reveal them casually.

“This is a major affair.

“It is not arranging a marriage where every ceremony proceeds one step at a time according to fixed custom.

“In the coming days—there is no need for my lord to hurry.

“Slowly contact the other Commanders-in-Chief and Roaming Generals of the Jingnan Army.

“Only approach men you truly trust.

“Then have them contact the Roaming Generals, City Governors, Garrison Commanders, and the many backbone Lieutenant Commanders under their own banners.

“Once everyone is connected—choose an appropriate opportunity.

“An appropriate moment.

“An appropriate place.

“Look at where we are now.

“We possess only a few thousand exhausted soldiers.

“What could that possibly accomplish?

“At the very least—the Jingnan Army’s main force should be beside the Marquis.”

“Then hurry and tell me.

“After everyone is contacted—what do we do?”

Zheng Fan drew in a deep breath.

Then said, “Everyone rushes forward together.

“Throw an imperial dragon robe directly over the Marquis’s shoulders.

“Then—from my lord and the other Commanders-in-Chief and Roaming Generals—down to the tens of thousands of Jingnan Army soldiers—everyone kneels at once and shouts together:

“LONG LIVE OUR EMPEROR!

“LONG LIVE!

“LONG, LONG LIVE!”

(End of Chapter)