Chapter 268: Terrible News!

Zheng Fan did not suggest that Tian Wujing leave the army early and hurry back alone.

A Pixiu could run faster and farther than even the finest warhorse, but since Tian Wujing had led an army out on campaign, there was no possibility of him simply abandoning it and returning by himself first—even if his wife was about to give birth.

Making such a suggestion would, first, be an insult to the Marquis of Jingnan.

Second, it would be risking his own life to flatter a man who genuinely might kill him for it.

After more than twenty days marching through the Tianduan Mountains, the army finally emerged and returned to Shengle City.

Siniang and the Blind Man mobilized the soldiers and civilians inside the city to organize a grand feast for the returning expeditionary troops.

In truth, it was basically one enormous running banquet.

There were very few meat dishes.

Most of the food was vegetarian.

But the Yan soldiers, many of whom had experienced eating meat until they were sick of it for the first time in their lives, looked at those vegetables like starving tigers released from cages.

They ate with astonishing relish.

Tian Wujing also entered Shengle City.

Perhaps every part of him wanted to leave immediately and rush back to Litian City, but one had to finish what one started.

Today was the army’s grand feast.

The imperial court had not yet issued its rewards, but this was effectively an early victory celebration.

As commander of the expeditionary army, Tian Wujing naturally could not leave on a day like this.

After today, he could leave the army to several Chief Commanders to reorganize and lead back.

Then he himself could travel light and hurry home.

Originally, Siniang had personally prepared a full banquet inside Shengle City to receive Tian Wujing and the Jingnan Army’s Chief Commanders.

What Zheng Fan had never expected was that Yao Zizhan still had not left.

According to the agreement between the two of them, this Literary Sage of Qian should have finished his period of teaching and departed long ago.

Before Zheng Fan left for the campaign, he had even specifically instructed the Blind Man: the old fellow was indeed a little unusual, but he was entertaining enough.

Killing him would be rather boring.

Better to release him back into the wild.

After all, Zheng Fan still needed him to return home and, as promised, help brag about him.

Yet the old man had not left.

Instead, with skin thick enough to shame a city wall, he sat waiting in the main hall for Tian Wujing and Zheng Fan.

Once Yao Zizhan announced his identity, the Jingnan Army’s several Chief Commanders tactfully excused themselves to Tian Wujing and to Zheng Fan, their host.

They said they would feel more comfortable eating and drinking with the soldiers below, then declined their seats and left.

That made Zheng Fan reassess Yao Zizhan’s influence yet again.

Perhaps because in his previous life he had been steeped in things like *Three Hundred Tang Poems*, Zheng Fan had never felt much awe toward the so-called Immortal Poets or Sage Poets of this world.

But the fact that Yao Zizhan’s name alone could make these Chief Commanders feel they ought to withdraw from the table that was much more interesting.

Perhaps the old man’s constant boasting that the Emperor of Yan would gladly trade three thousand iron cavalry for his bag of old bones really was not empty bragging after all.

And so, a table originally meant for a crowd was suddenly left with only three people.

Tian Wujing sat in the seat of honor.

Yao Zizhan sat second.

Zheng Fan accompanied them from the lowest seat.

Yao Zizhan raised a cup of wine first and toasted the Marquis of Jingnan.

“This remnant of Great Xia, Yao Zizhan, congratulates the Marquis of Jingnan on returning victorious!”

Tian Wujing lifted his wine cup in perfunctory acknowledgment.

At the end of the day, three of the Four Great States were legitimate successor states of Great Xia.

Back then, the Son of Heaven of Great Xia had enfeoffed the Marquis of Yan, Marquis of Jin, and Marquis of Chu, charging them respectively with dealing with the barbarians, the savages, and the Shanyue tribes.

All three succeeded.

Not only had they expanded Great Xia’s territory and driven back foreign peoples, their lines had endured to the present day.

The State of Qian, by contrast, had no such legitimate connection.

Qian’s founding emperor had nothing whatsoever to do with Great Xia.

By the time Qian arose, the region had already passed through several generations of division and warlord rule since Great Xia’s fall.

Naturally, however, the Zhao sovereigns of Qian would never admit that.

Even if they had to fabricate history outright, they would invent some ancestor who had supposedly served beneath the Son of Heaven of Great Xia and accomplished some grand merit.

Even if it meant covering their ears while stealing a bell, they still insisted on squeezing themselves to the table.

“Marquis, this old man has also heard about what is happening in the State of Dacheng.

“Alas.

“The Yu line spent centuries opening and expanding that land.

“Now it stands on the brink of collapse.

“It truly makes one sigh.

“Our ancestors did not build these foundations easily.

“If we descendants cannot preserve the lands and borders they left us, what face will we have to meet them beneath the earth?”

Zheng Fan silently ate his food.

At the same time, he felt Yao Zizhan’s words were a little strange.

They were far too emotional.

To be fair, the Emperor of Yan could throw an arm around the Situ Clan and say, “You and I are both remnants of Great Xia. Naturally, we should resist foreign enemies together.”

But the Emperor of Yan would never say anything like that to the sovereign of Qian.

Nor would he reveal even a hint of such sentiment.

The spectacular stunt Qian had pulled a century ago was simply too unforgettable.

So why was Old Yao suddenly getting sentimental now?

What medicine was he selling in that gourd?

Tian Wujing set down his cup.

“Master Yao, if you have something to say, then say it.”

In the end, he still gave Yao Zizhan some face.

He did not directly tell him:

Speak like a normal person.

Yao Zizhan sat back down.

“Marquis, the State of Dacheng is in grave danger.

“What this old man wishes to say is this:

“Chu cannot be relied upon right now.

“My Great Qian is too far from Dacheng.

“I only hope the Marquis and His Majesty the Emperor of Yan can consider that we are all remnants of Great Xia and lend the Situ Clan a hand.

“This splendid land may be ruled by anyone—but it cannot be ruled by savages.”

“Is that the meaning of your sovereign, or your own?”

Yao Zizhan stood.

From inside his robes, he drew out a yellow scroll.

Then, with complete solemnity, he said, “A secret edict personally issued by His Majesty, Emperor of Great Qian!”

Zheng Fan continued eating.

The lotus-root sandwiches Siniang had fried were fragrant without being greasy, crisp without being scorched.

Truly delicious.

Tian Wujing also picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.

That left Yao Zizhan standing there in a painfully awkward silence.

After a while, even Yao Zizhan himself could not keep up the act.

He held the secret edict forward and said, “Marquis, this was written personally by my sovereign.”

Tian Wujing did not reach for it.

He merely said calmly, “A secret edict from the Emperor of Qian.

“Why hand it to a Marquis of Yan?”

Zheng Fan immediately chimed in, “Exactly.

“Could it be the sovereign of Qian wishes to grant our Marquis a princely title in Qian?”

Yao Zizhan laughed.

“Why not?”

Zheng Fan continued teasing him.

“Fine.

“Send the Western Army up here and place it under our Marquis’s command.”

To Zheng Fan’s surprise, Yao Zizhan nodded again.

“If the Marquis truly wishes to visit Great Qian and see the scenery south of the Yangtze, then what harm would there be in placing all three armies of Great Qian in the Marquis’s hands?

“In the campaign that shattered Jin, the world believes the Marquis of Zhenbei was the true commander.

“But among those who truly understand warfare, who does not know who really fought that campaign?”

“Well, this is strange.

“Teacher Yao, you weren’t this stupid before.”

Yao Zizhan ignored Zheng Fan.

He continued speaking to the Marquis of Jingnan.

“Marquis, my sovereign has long admired you from afar.”

Tian Wujing nodded.

“If there is an opportunity in the future, this Marquis will visit Shangjing and pay respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Qian.

“After all, the road has already been scouted.

“As for the scenery south of the Yangtze, I can take a look along the way.”

The meaning beneath his words could not have been more obvious.

Yao Zizhan sighed.

His gaze fell upon the secret edict.

Seeing that the Marquis of Jingnan still refused to accept it, he could only turn toward Zheng Fan.

“Brother Zheng, why don’t you take it?”

“What would I take it for?

“Your sovereign wrote it for the Marquis, not for me.”

“My sovereign also remembers Brother Zheng very clearly.

“That meeting in the warming chamber—

“Brother Zheng’s wit and conversation left such an impression that my sovereign has never forgotten it.”

Zheng Fan glanced at Tian Wujing.

Seeing no reaction from him, Zheng Fan reached out and accepted the secret edict.

He did not open it.

After that, Yao Zizhan finally behaved himself.

He focused on eating and drinking.

Near the end, he even composed a poem to enliven the feast.

Then he claimed he could no longer hold his liquor and left the table early.

Once Yao Zizhan departed, Tian Wujing set down his chopsticks.

Zheng Fan immediately set down his own.

“Come with this Marquis to see the soldiers.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

Zheng Fan understood what Tian Wujing intended to do.

Then he added, “Marquis, I’ll have my wife pack a few things.

“We’ll return with you later.”

“You are no longer handling Shengle City’s affairs?”

“I have several stewards beneath me.

“It will be fine.

“I only ask that the Marquis not punish me for abandoning my post without authorization.

“After all, I am the child’s godfather.

“I should at least go take a look.

“Once I have seen the child, my wife can remain behind to care for Madam during her postpartum month.

“This general will ride back through the night afterward.”

Tian Wujing nodded, granting permission.

“Go speak with your wife.

“Count it as this Marquis owing you a favor.

“This Marquis will go to the military camp first and look in on the soldiers.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

Zheng Fan first went inside and spoke with Siniang.

After hearing him, Siniang’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Master, logically speaking, Dujuan should already have given birth.

“Why has Shengle City received no news about it at all?”

“What do you mean?”

“Master, it was normal for letters to have difficulty reaching you and the Marquis while you were marching through the snowfields and the Tianduan Mountains.

“But everyone knows the Marquis would inevitably pass through Shengle City on his return.

“If Madam had already given birth, why did no one come here in advance to wait for the Marquis’s army and report the news when he returned?”

“That’s true.”

Zheng Fan drew in a breath.

Then said, “No wonder.

“The Marquis is in such a hurry because he must have noticed something was wrong too.

“Wait.

“No.

“Counting the days, Dujuan may only have given birth very recently.

“Litian City is also quite far from us.

“The messenger might simply still be on the road.”

Siniang understood the relationship between her Master and the Marquis of Jingnan.

“Hopefully that is all it is.

“Master, then shall we leave?”

“Don’t we need to pack anything?”

“What could the Marquis’s residence possibly lack?”

“That’s true.”

After Zheng Fan gave the Blind Man a few more instructions, he and Siniang went to the military camp together.

The camp had become even livelier because of Tian Wujing’s arrival.

The Marquis of Jingnan was carrying a cup of wine as he moved among the soldiers.

The drinking was mostly ceremonial.

From the Chief Commanders of the Jingnan Army down to the ordinary grunts, no one dared try to force Tian Wujing to drink.

When Zheng Fan and Siniang entered the camp, Tian Wujing glanced toward them and nodded.

He was signaling Zheng Fan to wait a little longer.

He still needed to visit the soldiers who had been wounded or fallen ill.

Just then, a fast horse came galloping in from outside the camp.

More than ten Jingnan Army scouts rode behind it.

Even though a feast was underway inside the encampment, the security outside had not relaxed in the slightest.

And it was obvious those scouts recognized the rider.

They neither stopped him nor required him to wait for permission.

They merely accompanied and escorted him toward the central camp.

The rider was missing his left arm.

As the man galloped past Zheng Fan, Zheng Fan felt that he looked somewhat familiar.

After thinking for a moment, he remembered.

The man should have been one of Tian Wujing’s former personal guards.

His name was Ma Kui.

For a period, Zheng Fan himself had once mixed in with the Marquis of Jingnan’s personal-guard camp while traveling to the capital, which was why he recognized him.

Ma Kui had apparently suffered a grievous wound during the campaign that shattered Jin and become half-disabled.

So he had not remained with the army.

Instead, he returned to the Marquis’s residence and became one of the men who “guarded the house.”

Tian Wujing watched his former personal guard galloping toward him.

His gaze narrowed.

Ma Kui swung down from his horse.

He stumbled and rolled across the ground several times before scrambling to Tian Wujing’s feet.

At first, the surrounding soldiers nearly laughed.

But when they saw the tears and mucus covering Ma Kui’s face, every one of them instinctively fell silent.

Ma Kui crawled to Tian Wujing.

He reached out and grabbed the Marquis’s boot.

Then he cried out miserably, “Marquis!

“Marquis!

“This subordinate deserves death!

“This subordinate deserves death!

“This subordinate failed to protect Madam...”

[End of Chapter 268]