Chapter 405: Rise

The Commandery Princess’s convoy arrived even faster than expected.

Snow Sea Pass had already dispatched a force to receive and escort her.

The original plan was for that unit to protect the Commandery Princess’s people while they camped outside for one night.

After all the Emperor of Yan had no daughters.

Among the second generation of the imperial clan, the Commandery Princess was essentially the most exalted woman in status.

A genuine golden branch and jade leaf.

But the Commandery Princess clearly had no intention of making camp in the open.

Deep in the night she arrived outside Snow Sea Pass.

There was no helping it.

The guest had arrived.

So the proper procedures and courtesies still had to be observed.

Count Zheng was, at heart, a refined egoist.

If a little surface effort could eliminate future trouble, he did not mind performing it.

Besides the most important point was that everyone in the world now knew Count Pingye was the Marquis of Jingnan’s favored general.

But if one truly discussed Zheng Fan’s origins then this Commandery Princess had actually been the first person to recognize his ability.

Unfortunately, because Count Pingye’s later achievements were simply too dazzling, the Commandery Princess had become permanently nailed to the wall as a negative example because of it.

The scout report said the Commandery Princess was traveling under a private ceremonial convoy.

So Count Zheng did not wear official robes or armor.

He wore ordinary clothing.

The nights had already become cold, so Siniang added a cloak over his shoulders.

Armored soldiers had long since formed ranks along both sides.

Because it was deep night, Snow Sea Pass itself remained fairly quiet.

There were no crowds.

Only the low rumbling of carriage wheels could be heard as the convoy slowly approached.

The carriage stopped before Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan cupped his hands.

“Zheng Fan, Chief Commander of Snow Sea Pass, pays respects to the Commandery Princess.”

There was no longer any need to kneel.

After years of struggling after campaigning north and south wasn’t one of the things he had been fighting for precisely the right to kneel before fewer people?

Still lowering one’s posture slightly cost nothing.

It was like the large number of Lieutenant Commanders in Beifeng Commandery.

On paper, they were all Lieutenant Commanders.

But everyone could still divide them into clear ranks according to the number of soldiers beneath them and the weight of their backgrounds.

With the Commandery Princess’s birth even Chief Minister Zhao Jiulang had to treat her politely.

The carriage curtain lifted.

Zheng Fan had expected some maid to lean out and relay a message.

Instead—

Li Qian, the Commandery Princess herself, lifted the curtain openly and smiled at Zheng Fan standing before the carriage.

“I am the troublesome guest this time.

“I hope Count Pingye will not take offense.”

Look at that.

Listen to that.

How educated.

How proper.

Gone was the icy tone of the woman who had once asked why he refused to become a servant of the Li Clan.

In the end face was something you earned through your own ability.

“The Commandery Princess’s visit to Snow Sea Pass is this general’s honor.

“How could there be any question of disturbance?”

The Commandery Princess’s gaze passed over Zheng Fan and looked behind him.

“Count Pingye, I have a military report here.

“Please return to the residence quickly so we can discuss it.”

With that she lowered the carriage curtain again.

A military report?

Zheng Fan did not believe that for a second.

If there truly were urgent military intelligence, then the escort force he had sent earlier would already have dispatched a rider ahead to deliver it.

No matter how one looked at it a single horse galloping at full speed would always be faster than a carriage.

But this excuse neatly blocked the words Zheng Fan had planned to say next.

For example, that a residence had already been prepared elsewhere for the Commandery Princess to rest.

Zheng Fan glanced toward the Blind Man standing beside him.

The Blind Man sighed.

Then nodded.

Since she had come then let her settle in.

A slight smile appeared at the corner of Zheng Fan’s mouth.

He stepped aside and opened the road.

The Commandery Princess wanted to enter his residence?

Fine.

Come.

This was Snow Sea Pass.

In the end its surname was Zheng.

As the host, Count Zheng still possessed that much confidence.

The Commandery Princess’s carriage began moving again.

Zheng Fan followed behind.

It was then that he happened to notice an elderly swordsman walking behind the carriage.

The old man was also looking directly at him.

The carriage traveled ahead.

Naturally, Zheng Fan and the old swordsman ended up walking side by side.

Truthfully—

Count Zheng wanted no part of that arrangement.

The instant he recognized the old man, Zheng Fan immediately shifted his gaze and intended to fall a few steps farther behind.

He wanted as much distance as possible between himself and this swordsman capable of opening Second Grade.

After all even with the Demon Child inside him and even though Zheng Fan himself was now a Sixth Grade Martial Artist at this range, if Seventh Uncle genuinely wanted to kill him, it would still be absurdly easy.

Unfortunately you might want to avoid someone.

But that did not mean he would let you.

Seventh Uncle deliberately walked over to Zheng Fan and cupped his hands.

“Count.”

“Seventh Uncle, why be so formal?

“You’re treating me like an outsider.”

“Count’s cultivation talent truly puts this old man to shame.

“In only three short years, you have already reached Sixth Grade as a Martial Artist.”

When Seventh Uncle first met Zheng Fan the man had barely begun walking the martial path.

Only three years had passed.

And he was already Sixth Grade.

Some people truly were uncut jade.

At first they lay buried within mountain stone without showing the slightest brilliance.

But once someone dug them out and gave them even a little polish their radiance immediately became clear.

Back then, Seventh Uncle had even considered accepting Zheng Fan as a disciple.

He was also quite certain he had made that intention clear.

But at that time, Zheng Fan had only wanted to reunite with the Demon Kings as quickly as possible.

He had possessed no interest in remaining behind and becoming someone’s disciple.

Thinking about it now he had truly made the correct choice.

This had nothing to do with the power or armies he now controlled.

Simply imagine if he had become Seventh Uncle’s disciple and learned martial arts from him, wouldn’t he have been forced to cultivate that damned lifetime-one-sword technique too?

In Count Zheng’s view, the technique could be renamed:

**The Sword Art of Showing Off Once in Your Entire Life.**

And there was even a very real chance it would accidentally become:

**The Sword Art of Never Managing to Show Off Even Once in Your Entire Life.**

“Seventh Uncle praises me too highly.”

“Count, why are you sweating?” Seventh Uncle asked.

“Too much internal heat lately, probably.”

“Count is still young.

“You should take greater care of your health.”

“Many thanks, Seventh Uncle.”

“I have long heard that Yu Huaping, the Sword Saint of Jin, is here with Count Pingye.

“This old man has been obsessed with the sword his entire life.

“I would very much like to meet the Sword Saint.

“Would Count be willing to introduce us?”

“Yes.

“The Sword Saint did indeed once defend Snow Sea Pass alongside me and fight the savages together.

“But after the savages were defeated, the Sword Saint went wandering.

“He does return from time to time.

“Sometimes he finds me and shares a drink.

“But after we finish drinking, he leaves again the next day.

“Whether he is now in Snow Sea Pass, somewhere on the snowfields, or back in Yingdu—

“I genuinely do not know.”

“That is unfortunate.”

“Seventh Uncle need not worry.

“The next time I see him, I’ll introduce you.”

“Many thanks, Count.”

“Seventh Uncle is too polite.”

Before long the Commandery Princess’s carriage entered Count Pingye Residence.

Zheng Fan immediately ordered preparations for receiving her.

He himself sat first inside a small hall and waited.

Seventh Uncle stood opposite him.

He did not sit.

Did not drink tea.

He simply stood there.

Apparently he had long since become accustomed to it.

Count Zheng lifted his cup and drank several mouthfuls of tea.

Truthfully after reading Little Sixth’s earlier letter—

Count Zheng really did feel tense whenever Seventh Uncle stood nearby.

As the saying went, one only regretted having read too few books when the time came to use them.

Martial arts were exactly the same.

They did not wait long.

The Commandery Princess soon emerged again.

She had changed into a long black dress.

It gave her a kind of elegant, classical beauty unique to the East.

Fair was fair the Commandery Princess truly was beautiful.

So Count Zheng could somewhat understand why the Savage King had once been such a beast.

Most likely, even back then the Commandery Princess had already begun showing the outline of the beauty she would become.

“Your Highness.

“The military report?”

The Commandery Princess did not take the central seat of honor.

Instead, she sat directly opposite Zheng Fan.

The central chair remained completely empty.

Hearing Zheng Fan ask about the military report she immediately laughed.

“Count Pingye, really.

“You knew perfectly well I was joking.

“Why are you suddenly treating it seriously now?”

“Your Highness, please do not blame me.

“Everyone knows the saying that a sovereign speaks no idle words.

“In the army—we also do not treat military intelligence as idle words.

“The Commandery Princess has personally led troops and fought wars.

“You should understand that principle better than most.”

You had commanded soldiers before.

You had fought in battle.

You should understand perfectly well just how serious it was to joke about military intelligence.

The Commandery Princess rose.

She dipped slightly in a formal curtsy toward Zheng Fan.

“Yes.

“Qian’er knows her fault.

“I ask Count Pingye’s forgiveness.”

“Your Highness, this...”

A smile quickly returned to the Commandery Princess’s face.

She sat back down and looked around the room.

“I was simply very curious what sort of atmosphere Count Pingye Residence possessed.

“Now that I have seen it—its reputation is well deserved.”

“Heh.

“Your Highness is joking.

“I myself only moved into this residence recently.

“What reputation could it possibly have?”

“How could it have none?

“Count Pingye Residence was built in the northern part of the city, beside the north gate.

“Exactly like the words Count Pingye once said:

“**The Zheng Clan guards the gate for the state.**

“That kind of heroic spirit is truly admirable.

“Back in the desert—

“Qian’er once wanted to take Count Pingye into my household as a servant.

“Every time I remember that matter now, I feel ashamed.

“I can only blame my own poor eyes for failing to recognize great talent.

“Qian’er apologizes to Count Pingye here.”

Qian’er this.

Qian’er that.

The way she kept referring to herself so intimately made Count Zheng’s scalp prickle.

The Commandery Princess had lowered her posture so far that it was almost like two people singing a duet where one person suddenly forced the melody into an absurdly low key.

If you still wanted to harmonize you had to follow.

The difficulty was enormous.

Zheng Fan rubbed his forehead.

He did not take the bait.

Instead, he looked at the Commandery Princess and smiled helplessly.

“Your Highness.

“I, Zheng Fan, am a crude man.

“A soldier.

“So if there is something to say—let’s speak openly.

“If Your Highness truly came only to admire the snow at Snow Sea Pass, then although winter has not yet arrived and the endless white landscape has not fully appeared, some places deeper on the snowfields should already be covered in frost.

“This general can send people to escort Your Highness there.

“If Your Highness has other business—you can simply tell me.

“If it is within my ability—

“I will certainly do my best.”

“Count Pingye, listen to how distant you sound.

“This time I came without ministers accompanying me.

“No eunuch carrying an imperial decree came either.

“Some things have happened recently.

“I simply wanted to come outside and relax.

“It appears I really have caused Count Pingye trouble.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

“The Chu people around Zhennan Pass have been restless lately.

“This general has been troubled by that matter these past few days.

“I ask Your Highness to forgive any failure in hospitality.”

“Military affairs are naturally more important.

“Truthfully, Count Pingye need not concern himself with me at all.

“I’ll simply walk around.

“Look around.

“Entertain myself.

“You and I can each enjoy our own convenience.”

“In that case...”

Zheng Fan stood.

He cupped his hands toward the Commandery Princess.

“In that case—after the military situation settles, this general will come apologize to Your Highness for the inadequate reception.”

“Count Pingye speaks too seriously.

“The Chu slaves are arrogant enough to provoke the frontier again.

“I hope Count Pingye teaches them a proper lesson.”

“The western residence has already been prepared.

“Your Highness has traveled east for a long time and must be exhausted.

“Please rest well.”

“I have troubled Count Pingye.”

Zheng Fan left the small hall.

The Commandery Princess’s attendants were arranged inside the western residence of Count Pingye Residence.

Inside her room the Commandery Princess sat in a chair.

Three maids immediately began searching every corner.

They checked up and down.

Only after confirming there were no hidden tunnels, secret chambers, or similar mechanisms did they salute and withdraw.

Very soon only the Commandery Princess and Seventh Uncle remained.

The Commandery Princess removed her hairpin.

Her long black hair fell loose.

At the same time, she said:

“Seventh Uncle, you can tell our Count Pingye genuinely fears you.”

Seventh Uncle smiled.

The Commandery Princess continued:

“I truly did not expect Little Sixth and Zheng Fan’s relationship to be this close.

“That night’s incident—he very obviously wrote to Zheng Fan about it.”

“Yes.”

Seventh Uncle nodded.

Clearly, he had reached the same conclusion.

“That day outside the residence, Zheng Fan saved Little Sixth.

“That should have been the first time they met.

“Seventh Uncle—do relationships this solid truly exist in the world?”

“Impossible to say.

“But the fact His Sixth Highness told Count Pingye what happened that night already proves their relationship is far closer than we previously imagined.

“Much, much closer.”

The Commandery Princess’s side truly did not fear Little Sixth using that assassination attempt as leverage.

Assassinating an imperial prince was unquestionably a capital crime.

But an imperial prince being able to predict the Empress’s death in advance was even more terrifying.

Once both sides possessed something capable of destroying the other the so-called leverage became far less important.

“Zheng Fan’s wings truly have hardened.

“Which is natural.

“Everything I can offer him now—the Marquis of Jingnan can offer too.

“And even things I can no longer offer him—the Marquis of Jingnan still can.

“With Tian Wujing behind him, he genuinely possesses the confidence to stand on equal footing with a woman who has been away from home for years.

“Entertain ourselves.

“Each take our own freedom.

“He agreed too easily.

“No matter how I look at it—it feels like caution.”

“So, Young Mistress,” Seventh Uncle said, “I think tonight we should do nothing.

“The situation outside is already beginning to stir.

“Better to watch where the wind blows first.”

“What Seventh Uncle says is right.

“For now—there are two things to handle.

“First, beginning tonight, I’ll trouble Seventh Uncle to walk around this residence more often.

“Second—tomorrow or the day after, I will test Count Pingye’s price.”

Business involved giving and taking.

As for the Zhenbei Army troops still stationed in Jin territory—

Li Fusheng’s formation could be set aside for the moment.

But the soldiers formerly belonging to Li Bao’s formation were another matter.

Giving them to the court was still giving them away.

Giving them to the Marquis of Jingnan was also giving them away.

So why not let the Li Clan build a platform in the middle?

As long as the return was sufficient what difference did it make who ultimately received them?

They had no real choice about giving them away anyway.

Those two garrisons differed fundamentally from the formation Li Liangshen commanded.

Unless the Prince of Zhenbei appeared personally those two armies were destined to drift farther and farther from the Marquis of Zhenbei Residence.

...

“There are two things.

“Pass the orders down.

“First—

“Xue San.”

“This subordinate is here.

“This subordinate failed in his duty.

“Please punish me, Master.”

“Find it.

“Focus on the laborers who helped build the underground prison beneath Count Pingye Residence.

“Unless something unexpected happened, someone among them leaked information.”

“Yes.

“This subordinate will catch that fly immediately.”

Intelligence work was sometimes helplessly frustrating.

When you wanted development when you wanted population that was often exactly when enemy spies found the most comfortable environment in which to operate.

Zheng Fan then looked toward Siniang.

“Did you move Tian Tian out?”

“Master, he was already relocated in advance.

“Only Sha Tuo Queshi’s coffin remains where it was.”

“Leave that there for now.

“Tonight—none of us sleep.

“We watch until dawn.”

“Yes, Master.”

...

It was already deep into the latter half of the night.

The Commandery Princess had finished washing.

She sat beside the bed then slowly lay down.

And beneath the rear residence of Count Pingye Residence inside a coffin a tall, imposing male figure slowly sat upright.

————

[End of Chapter 405]