Chapter 425: Arrangements

That evening, Fan Zhengwen and his wife did not stay overnight at the detached residence.

They returned to the main Fan household in Xiayong.

Fan Zhengwen’s identity was not simple.

There were certain occasions where he needed to show his face.

After the couple left, Count Zheng waved away Siniang’s suggestion of preparing dinner.

He had drunk too much cooled tea.

He was not hungry.

Siniang walked behind Zheng Fan instead and began massaging his shoulders and neck.

“Master.

“Fan Zhengwen is not a simple man.”

Very few people ever received that assessment from Siniang.

Zheng Fan silently nodded.

“His words.

“His actions.

“Even every tiny expression on his face—he controls all of them to perfection.

“He is an ambitious man.

“And an excellent one,” Siniang continued.

Zheng Fan closed his eyes.

Then smiled.

“Do you believe that when he comes tomorrow—he’ll bring a complete plan?”

“I do,” Siniang answered.

“We already understand what kind of person Little Sixth is.

“His imperial father flattened the shrine he secretly established for his maternal grandfather and mother.

“And afterward, he could still keep acting the part and stand beside the fields looking appropriately sad.

“You ask me how much genuine family feeling a man like that truly possesses?

“I don’t believe there is much.

“Especially toward a maternal aunt he has barely interacted with—and an uncle by marriage even farther removed.

“They are all political creatures.

“Cold-blooded animals, every damned one of them.

“At most, the existence of this aunt became a bridge tying the two sides together more naturally.

“But the true foundation is still Fan Zhengwen’s ability.

“Little Sixth recognized his usefulness.

“That was why he absorbed the man into his network.

“I even suspect that from the moment Fan Zhengwen learned I would be the one entering Chu—he had already begun calculating this plan.

“Even if the timing didn’t line up with this princess—there would have been some Commandery Princess.

“Some County Princess.

“A legitimate daughter of the Qu Clan.

“Or some other target.

“He would have selected something for me in advance.

“Prepared everything.

“Like walking into a high-end bespoke clothing shop.

“The clothes he chooses for you won’t merely fit your height and build.

“They’ll match your personal taste and aesthetics.

“And he’ll still prepare several alternatives.”

“I didn’t expect Master to rate him this highly.”

“He’s no fish destined to remain in a pond.

“That’s exactly why he cannot tolerate continuing to live in Chu wearing the label of hereditary servant.

“Generation after generation—never able to escape it.”

So long as Chu survived the Fan Clan would remain hereditary servants forever.

“Master has no desire to recruit him?” Siniang asked.

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“He overlaps with the Blind Man.”

After a pause—

Zheng Fan continued:

“The Blind Man is far better.”

Zheng Fan already possessed someone skilled at planning, arranging, and laying out strategy.

This sort of talent was not something where having more automatically meant having better.

Add two men like that together and the result could easily become one plus one equaling less than two.

Perhaps even less than one.

Besides if necessary, the Savage King was also excellent in this field.

No matter how capable Fan Zhengwen was the Savage King would absolutely not be inferior.

And the Savage King had already proven his ability on an enormous stage.

It was simply unfortunate that his road to power had collided with Tian Wujing.

Zheng Fan had always maintained one principle:

**What belongs to me is mine. What belongs to Little Sixth is also mine.**

Even so, he had no intention of recruiting Fan Zhengwen.

Most importantly why would the man abandon a future where he might become an imperial relative and climb onto Count Zheng’s ship instead?

Unless Little Sixth eventually lost the succession struggle.

“Oh, right.

“Don’t you find this Great Marsh Fragrant Tongue strange?

“Most teas make people feel more awake.

“This one actually helps people sleep.”

“That means the Great Marsh is a good place.

“Master can go wander around there someday.”

“True.

“But there are far too many places I want to visit.

“Let’s first—”

Siniang immediately said:

“Steal the princess first?”

Zheng Fan froze for a moment.

He genuinely found it difficult to understand Siniang’s peculiar obsession with women carrying titles like “Princess” and “Commandery Princess.”

But he did not want to dampen her enthusiasm right now.

So he nodded.

“Right.”

...

The following afternoon—

Fan Zhengwen returned.

This time—

Count Zheng was not sleeping.

Fan Zhengwen arrived in an ordinary cargo wagon.

In truth, that was how he had come the day before as well.

He had disguised himself as a laborer.

In any case—

Zheng Fan, standing at the gate, could not spot a single flaw in the disguise.

Earlier, in the Mengshan region, Count Zheng had been able to swagger in openly with his troops because Fan Zhengwen possessed absolute confidence that news from the area could be sealed off completely.

He believed he had the ability to keep everything buried inside Mengshan.

But here in Xiayong because Fan Zhengwen could not control every single variable with perfect certainty he became far more cautious.

This time, Fan Zhengwen did not bring Madam Min.

Instead he brought an old man.

The old man looked filthy and disheveled.

But when he approached and bowed—

Zheng Fan noticed that the cloudiness in his eyes vanished instantly.

They became perfectly clear.

After entering the residence, Fan Zhengwen excused himself first.

He carried a bundle of clothing and went away to change and wash.

Yes.

He even took a bath.

Meticulous in his methods yet also carrying an almost fussy refinement and pride.

Tsk.

Looking at Fan Zhengwen—

Zheng Fan could genuinely see the Blind Man’s shadow.

When it came to pretentious little rituals the two men were almost exactly alike.

Zheng Fan sat inside the main hall.

The old man sat opposite him.

The old man had not bothered changing clothes.

Before sitting, he cupped his hands toward Zheng Fan.

“This commoner, Weng Canghai, pays respects to Count Pingye.

“May Count Pingye enjoy health and fortune.”

“Old Sir, please sit.”

“Many thanks, Count.”

Weng Canghai sat.

After sitting he simply drank tea.

He did not speak.

A short while later—

Fan Zhengwen returned after washing in a hurry.

Once again, he looked like the handsome middle-aged gentleman from the previous day.

“Heh.

“Count has seen something laughable.

“Whenever serious business is about to be discussed, if my body feels unclean—

“I become uncomfortable all over.”

Zheng Fan smiled.

“I understand.”

Fan Zhengwen looked toward Weng Canghai.

“Count.

“This is Weng Canghai.

“He was Fan Zhengwen’s private tutor.”

Weng Canghai stood.

Then added:

“This old man now serves as Steward Fan’s retainer and adviser.”

Zheng Fan nodded again.

He understood.

In truth, all three men were straightforward people.

From the very beginning, this meeting carried a clean, efficient atmosphere.

After the brief introductions, Weng Canghai walked into the center of the hall and pulled a sheet of paper from inside his clothes.

A map.

Only this map contained additional markings.

Weng Canghai crouched and spread it across the floor.

Then he rose.

Fetched several teacups.

Used them to pin down the corners of the map.

Afterward, he brushed aside the strands of hair hanging beside his face and began:

“Count.

“This is Mengshan.

“This is Xiayong.

“This area.

“This area.

“Here.

“And here.

“This entire region—is Qu Clan fief territory.”

The Qu Clan’s fief was enormous.

If one wanted a comparison the Qu Clan itself resembled a feudal prince ruling this entire domain.

Families like the Fan Clan resembled the ministers and retainers serving beneath such a prince.

“Qu Tiannan, the Pillar of State of the Qu Clan, died outside Yupan City.

“Inside Chu, there are rumors that Qu Tiannan never needed to die.

“At the very least—he should never have died in such a miserable fashion.

“The reason he met that end, they say, was because the court—because the Regent—trusted Yan’s peace agreement.

“That caused this Pillar of State of Chu to order forty thousand sons of Chu to lay down their weapons—only to be slaughtered helplessly.”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“In truth, it was merely the difference between dying earlier and dying later.

“By that point, the siege had already lasted a long time.

“The Chu army had lacked food from the beginning.”

Qu Tiannan had been a Pillar of State of Chu.

A man like that could never be mediocre.

Yes the fact he inherited the position was certainly helped by the surname Qu.

But the Qu Clan possessed immense power.

There was no possible way they would choose a useless idiot to inherit the office of Pillar of State.

If supplies had been sufficient if relief forces had been expected then even if the Emperor of Chu issued imperial edict after imperial edict—

Qu Tiannan would still have invoked the principle that a general in the field need not obey every command from the sovereign.

He would have refused to open the gates and surrender.

He was not stupid.

Reality had forced him to bury his head in the sand like an ostrich.

Hearing this, Weng Canghai smiled.

“Count naturally speaks the truth.

“But truth and falsehood have never been what court and country truly care about.

“First—the Regent likely needed to calm criticism.

“Second—the Qu Clan supported the Regent from the very beginning.

“They directly committed their elite Azure Luan Army to the campaign in Jin.

“And that entire force was lost.

“By sentiment or by reason—the Regent must compensate the Qu Clan.

“A marriage alliance—is naturally the best method.

“Xiong Liqing, Fourth Princess of Great Chu, is said to be young and beautiful.

“She was deeply favored by the late Emperor.

“And like the Regent, she was born of Noble Consort Ming.

“Therefore—marrying the Fourth Princess to Qu Peiluo, Qu Tiannan’s legitimate eldest son, is the most suitable arrangement possible.

“The Regent intends to bind the Qu Clan permanently to his war chariot.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

He listened carefully.

Weng Canghai did not waste much time discussing relationships among the people involved.

Truthfully that explanation had served only one purpose: to emphasize the Fourth Princess’s status.

She was no invisible princess born to some unfavored concubine.

She was genuinely important.

“By custom, since the wedding is set for the Lantern Festival—the Fourth Princess should remain in Ying Capital through the New Year.

“That means she has fewer than fifteen days to travel from Ying Capital to Ju’an City, where the Qu Clan’s main household is located.

“After all—this is a princess being married out.

“It is not the imperial clan taking in a prince-consort.

“So this old man predicts that around the tenth day of the first lunar month—the princess’s wedding procession should appear near Zhou County, south of Ju’an City.

“There is an imperial villa outside Zhou County.

“When the late Emperor of Chu toured outside Ying Capital, he once stayed there.

“And for a Chu imperial wedding—especially a princess marrying out—there can be no shortage of ceremony.

“Neither the Regent nor the Qu Clan will permit outsiders to find fault with this alliance.

“The accompanying eunuchs.

“The dowry.

“The formal exchanges.

“All the required procedures must be completed.

“At minimum—that will take three days.

“So on the tenth day of the first lunar month—the princess’s wedding procession should have only just settled into that imperial villa outside Zhou County.

“And that—is precisely our opportunity to strike!”

Weng Canghai raised one finger.

“First—ten days from Ying Capital to Zhou County is a hurried journey.

“The wedding procession will inevitably be exhausted.

“Men and horses both.”

A second finger.

“Second—they will only just have entered the villa.

“They will not yet understand the surroundings.

“Every aspect of reception and handover will be difficult to coordinate immediately.

“This is also the first time the Qu Clan has ever married an imperial princess.

“There will certainly be countless details that require adjustment.

“On that day—both sides should be so busy they barely know which way is up.”

Zheng Fan listened patiently.

When Weng Canghai paused, he asked:

“Is there a third?”

Weng Canghai smiled.

“Count.

“The imperial villa at Zhou County may be an excellent place.

“But no matter how fine a residence is—if nobody lives there for too long and it lacks human warmth—it decays.

“Now add the enormous matter of an imperial princess marrying out.

“The villa must naturally be renovated.

“And the Fan Clan—is the household specifically responsible for those renovations.”

Hearing this a smile appeared on Zheng Fan’s face.

“So everything lines up perfectly?”

If the Fan Clan handled renovation of the imperial villa then planting their own people inside became vastly easier.

There would be no need to storm the place from outside.

When the time came they could erupt from within.

Seize the princess.

Then immediately break out.

The difficulty of the entire operation dropped enormously.

And the strike would land precisely when the wedding escort and Qu Clan reception parties were drowning in ceremonial procedures and handovers.

Weng Canghai nodded.

“It truly lines up perfectly.”

“No.”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“There is still one problem.”

“Count, please speak.”

“To tell the truth—even when Brother Fan first mentioned kidnapping the princess yesterday, this Count never thought the act of seizing her would be especially difficult.

“Of course—with Old Sir’s arrangements, it becomes even easier.

“But I believe the true problem is this:

“after we take her—how do we withdraw?”

Years earlier, Count Zheng had dared take three hundred cavalry and smash straight through Mianzhou City.

Naturally, he would not find attacking one princess’s wedding procession impossibly difficult.

Yes.

There would certainly be experts beside the princess.

There would also be Imperial Clan Guards protecting her.

But this was not the same as a battlefield.

Besides some soldiers existed to kill in formation.

Others existed primarily to stand as ceremonial guards.

The wedding procession would certainly contain many Imperial Guards used for display.

They might look numerous but without true experience fighting in formation, they would struggle to create a serious threat.

However, once the princess was captured how exactly were they supposed to run?

This was still Chu territory.

Kidnap an imperial princess inside Chu and the entire state would erupt in fury.

The Chu armies dispatched to hunt them would become countless.

Back when Zheng Fan had first been a fearless calf unafraid of tigers, the Qian army had chased him all the way across its territory.

In the end if Tian Wujing had not personally led the Jingnan Army forward and frightened off Grand Commandant Yang—

Zheng Fan’s enterprise might genuinely have collapsed and died the moment it began.

After seizing the princess, asking the Fan Clan to arrange their withdrawal was possible.

But that would amount to selling the Fan Clan out completely.

Count Zheng himself did not care.

Even if he treated the Fan Clan as a disposable tool used them once then carried the princess back home in triumph while the entire Fan household was exterminated afterward what did that have to do with him?

But would the Fan Clan agree?

“Count sees clearly.

“The greatest difficulty in this entire affair—is the withdrawal route.

“If the retreat is arranged poorly—the entire situation could be thrown into disaster.

“However, Count, look here.

“This is Mengshan.

“Beside Mengshan—is Qishan.

“By formal boundaries, Qishan also falls within Qu Clan fief territory.

“But that area—is managed by the Wu Clan.

“The Wu Clan and Fan Clan are the same.

“Both are hereditary servant families of the Qu Clan.

“Only—the Wu Clan handles far more of the trade between Qian and Chu.”

Hearing this—

Zheng Fan lifted his head.

“Heh.”

Fan Zhengwen smiled.

Weng Canghai smiled too.

Everyone present was intelligent.

Many things required only a hint.

If they returned through Qishan rather than Mengshan the route would certainly be longer.

And once they finally left the mountains and returned to Jin territory they would emerge much farther west.

Of course, the shortest possible route after kidnapping the princess would be to march openly through Zhennan Pass and return to Snow Sea Pass.

That was the closest road.

It was simply somewhat expensive in lives.

Using Qishan, however allowed them to divert the disaster eastward.

The Fan Clan could be pulled clear.

The Wu Clan could be dragged into the pit.

First the Wu Clan became the toilet paper used to wipe their asses clean.

Second the Fan Clan simultaneously eliminated a competitor.

Zheng Fan had no objection to doing something that achieved several goals at once.

His requirements were simple.

One the princess.

Two return safely to Jin territory.

If those two goals could be satisfied he did not mind mutual benefit.

In truth, if the Fan Clan insisted on sacrificing itself with no concern for its own survival—

Count Zheng might become afraid to play with them.

The fact that everyone possessed their own interests and demands made this the best form of cooperation.

“Are you confident?” Zheng Fan asked.

Weng Canghai countered:

“Count traveled through Mengshan yourself.

“What did you think of the defenses at those forts?”

“Very ordinary.”

Those fortified posts might have been somewhat more alert than the pathetic chicken forts of Qian years earlier.

But fundamentally they were another version of Qian’s frontier army.

The Qu Clan legally maintained private armies inside its fief.

Meanwhile, barren outer lands were handed to servant families to manage.

Under a structure like that if those places somehow produced excellent soldiers, *that* would have been strange.

“Count.

“This old man can only say that the defenses in Qishan are weaker than Mengshan.

“Not stronger.

“Mengshan once directly faced the old Situ Clan.

“So no matter what—there was still some degree of vigilance.

“Qishan lies closer to Qian.

“Its people mostly conduct trade with Qian as well.

“Naturally—birds of a feather gather together.”

Zheng Fan almost laughed.

Weng Canghai continued:

“Also—the Fan Clan has planted several nails inside Qishan.

“They can help Count pass through far more smoothly.

“This old man would never dare guarantee there will be no accidents.

“Nor do I dare promise every step will proceed smoothly.

“But—with Count and these tiger-like elite troops under your command—even with only one thousand men—fighting your way through Qishan should not be especially difficult.”

Zheng Fan silently nodded.

Then he raised one hand and rubbed between his brows.

Siniang understood immediately.

She went outside and called Xue San in.

Fan Zhengwen and Weng Canghai were both shrewd men.

Naturally, they showed no contempt toward the dwarf standing beside Count Pingye.

Both rose and saluted him politely.

Zheng Fan had already heard the overall strategy.

There was no need for him to trouble himself over the remaining details.

As a leader he only needed to know what needed to be done.

Exactly how to do it was the work of the people beneath him.

“You discuss it.”

Zheng Fan pointed toward Xue San and Siniang.

Then glanced at Fan Zhengwen.

Fan Zhengwen immediately stood.

He left the main hall together with Zheng Fan.

Weng Canghai remained behind with Xue San and Siniang to continue discussing the operational details.

Zheng Fan silently took out his large metal case.

He drew out a cigarette.

Fan Zhengwen had a very sensitive nose.

He immediately asked:

“Tobacco?”

“Heh.”

“Does Count take alchemical powder?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“This Count doesn’t touch that.

“Brother Fan enjoys it?”

Fan Zhengwen smiled.

“Fan Zhengwen does not practice martial arts.

“So I treasure my life and cultivate my health.”

“Good.

“Health preservation is good.”

“Count.

“Around evening, Fan Zhengwen will need to return.

“Would Count be willing to accompany me back to the Fan Residence for a visit?

“I will not dare boast about much.

“But when it comes to luxury—the Fan Clan can rank second and contend for first throughout northwestern Chu.

“After all—this is also the foundation on which my Fan Clan survives.

“If we ourselves did not know how to play—did not know how to enjoy life—then how could we possibly lead our master’s household in playing and enjoying?”

Fan Zhengwen smiled.

“And there is still quite some time before the New Year ends.

“Count staying here alone is inevitably somewhat cold and dull.

“In Xiayong, Count naturally cannot bring troops into the city openly.

“But with some disguise—walking through the city and seeing Chu’s customs and ordinary life would still be worthwhile.”

He paused.

“Besides—the Fan Residence possesses the **Twelve Phoenix Hairpins**.

“It is merely some teasing name coined by country bumpkins in the surrounding villages—but Count may still wish to offer an appraisal.”

Zheng Fan considered for a moment.

Then flicked cigarette ash aside.

“Then I would be disrespectful to refuse such hospitality.”

————

[End of Chapter 425]