Chapter 467: Imperial Decree and Down the Hatch

“Yes, Count.”

Xiao Yibo answered immediately and hurried off to make arrangements.

Liang Cheng chose that moment to tease him.

“Master is getting arrogant.”

Count Zheng shook his head.

“That isn’t it. Last time, I was only the General of Shengle, a miscellaneous-titled general who had seized Snow Sea Pass by gambling his life and then somehow managed to hold it.

“Why did I have to fight that desperately? Why did I have to be that reckless?

“Wasn’t it because I needed to force open a path upward with my own hands?

“So when I met the Imperial Envoy back then, what I was really seeing wasn’t the decree itself. It was recognition of everything I had endured through blood and fire. After all that work, the seed had finally reached the point of flowering and bearing fruit. Of course I was so excited I could barely contain myself.

“Now things are different. One way or another, I’ve finally entered the proper ranks.

“Even if we set aside how highly the Marquis of Jingnan regards me, I still command more than twenty thousand combat troops, most of them elite cavalry, and beneath my feet stands Snow Sea Pass, the gateway linking Jin with the snowfields.

“No matter how you look at it, that is already something.

“I’m not at the point where stamping my foot makes all Great Yan tremble, but if I truly lost my mind, stirring up another Savage catastrophe would not be difficult.

“A man has to carry himself according to the position he sits in.

“That sort of bearing cannot really be learned. If you force yourself to imitate it, you become nothing more than a monkey dressed in ceremonial robes. That would actually be the arrogance you were talking about.

“Funny when you think about it. In my previous life I ran a little studio with only a handful of people beneath me and lived very simply.

“This life has become spectacular, all thanks to you lot.

“I used to think becoming someone above other people must be incredibly difficult, as though every sentence, every action, even a cough had to contain some profound hidden meaning.

“Now I’ve realized the truly difficult part is climbing into that position in the first place.

“It is like a dish that has already been cooked and placed before you. Once it is there, whether you eat it with chopsticks or knife and fork, whether you chew slowly with perfect manners or gorge yourself with both hands, that part is entirely up to you.”

“But it may invite criticism,” Liang Cheng said.

“Criticism? Like what you just said?”

“Not only from me.”

“That is even simpler. Imagine sitting in a Western restaurant and ordering a medium-well steak, then someone at the next table laughs because you ordered medium-well.

“If a person needs eating a steak to manufacture that much superiority and ritual for himself, how insecure and invisible must he normally feel?

“Why bother paying attention to someone like that?”

Liang Cheng nodded.

“So you simply no longer care.”

“Exactly.”

“I think I understand.”

Zheng Fan looked at him in surprise.

“So you were actually asking me seriously just now?”

“Master, I am learning. I’m learning how to make jokes, and how to handle certain relationships between people.”

“I still think the cold, expressionless version of you from the comic was cooler.”

“Master, in our eyes, the version of you from the previous life who stayed up all night with messy hair was also the most familiar.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

“True. People always change. It is enough to enjoy the process.”

“Yes, Master.”

In the comic, Liang Cheng had been written as an ancient zombie who once served as a commander in a war among Demon Gods, only to be destroyed after his achievements grew so great they threatened his lord.

But the Demon Child was now obsessed with looking after a child.

Siniang, who once felt nothing toward men and treated brothels merely as scenic paintings, now wanted a child of her own.

So it was perfectly normal for this cold zombie to begin trying to fill in some of his own missing pieces.

Zheng Fan walked in front.

Liang Cheng followed behind.

Jin Shuke and the other generals prepared to salute.

Zheng Fan waved them off immediately.

“Save your strength. You’ll need to kneel for the imperial decree in a while. Sit first and have some tea. The Imperial Envoy still needs time to enter the city.”

“Yes, Count.”

“Yes, Count.”

Maidservants naturally brought tea into the hall.

Most of these girls belonged to the group of orphans Siniang had taken in years ago. Several years had passed. They had not exactly grown into adults, but they were already old enough to handle household duties.

By the generally beastly standards of this world, they had also already reached an age where they could be betrothed.

Siniang’s view was simple.

The residence needed servants anyway, so keep them here. At least their backgrounds were known and trustworthy.

When they grew older, they could be married to officers or trusted subordinates in the army. That would count as a respectable future.

Count Zheng had once jokingly asked Siniang whether this made them Snow Sea Pass’s version of the Silver-Armored Guard.

Siniang’s answer had been that whether the name fit or not, the actual effect was essentially the same.

Count Zheng lifted his teacup.

Every general below him lifted theirs at the same time.

Then Count Zheng started laughing.

Everyone else laughed with him.

The Imperial Envoy arrived quickly.

Far more quickly than even their quickest estimate.

That meant the decree-bearing party had not slowed down after encountering Snow Sea Pass’s outer scouts. They had simply continued riding hard. They were still slower than the courier who raced back to report, but the urgency of their journey was now unmistakable.

An ordinary Imperial Envoy needed to preserve some dignity.

Upon nearing his destination, he would normally stop first. Those with greater regard for ceremony might bathe themselves and brush down their horses. At the very least, they would change into clean, orderly clothing to hide the dust of the road.

This envoy clearly had done none of that.

Count Zheng waved one hand.

“Come on. Accompany this Count to receive the decree.”

The generals rose and followed Zheng Fan out of the hall.

At that exact moment, the Imperial Envoy was entering the main gate of Count Pingye Residence.

Normally, a decree-bearing mission consisted of a palace eunuch tasked with reading the imperial decree and an official from one of the Six Ministries.

The eunuch’s rank varied. Aside from Wei Zhonghe and a handful of others, palace eunuchs could be favored today and forgotten tomorrow.

The accompanying Six Ministries official was more revealing.

Look at his career history and bearing, and one could usually estimate how the Emperor and the great ministers at court regarded the man receiving the decree.

The one holding the imperial decree was a young eunuch with a fair, clean face. He looked barely over twenty. To receive an assignment like this at such an age suggested he was doing quite well inside the palace.

Behind him walked a young official of similarly striking appearance.

A Flying Fish pendant hung from the left side of his waist.

A saber hung from the right.

That combination looked rather unusual.

Civil officials of Yan were not as obsessed with scholarly elegance and bearing as their counterparts in Qian, but they still maintained a certain appearance. Even swords were uncommon on their belts, much less sabers.

The two groups approached one another.

The young eunuch raised the decree.

“Zheng Fan, Chief Commander of Snow Sea Pass and Count Pingye, receive the imperial decree!”

“This subject Zheng Fan pays respects to His Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live for ten thousand years!”

Count Zheng knelt.

Behind him, every general dropped to their knees as well.

“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

“Count Pingye Zheng Fan has defended the frontier for the state, endured great toil, and rendered distinguished service. He has further performed a mighty deed beyond our borders. Since ascending the throne, We have always known that only clear rewards and punishments establish proper order...”

The “mighty deed beyond our borders” referred, naturally, to stealing back the Princess of Chu.

The imperial decree could hardly say:

*Zheng Fan, you little bastard actually stole the Chu Princess for Us. We are delighted!*

So the matter had to be phrased obliquely.

Everyone understood what it meant anyway.

“Therefore, We hereby appoint Zheng Fan, Chief Commander of Snow Sea Pass and Count Pingye, as Grand General of Cheng State, and bestow upon him one barbarian saber presented in tribute...”

The young official accepted a long wooden case from an attendant behind him.

Then he personally walked before Zheng Fan and opened it.

Inside lay a saber of ancient, austere design.

The barbarians were poor. That was fact.

Many barbarian warriors lacked complete armor. Some even had to grind arrowheads from bone.

But the barbarians possessed one strange extreme.

Weapons and armor used by their upper ranks were often unexpectedly excellent.

The barbarian lands stood between east and west. To a certain extent, they could absorb forging and smelting techniques from both directions.

Yet because their own lands were so impoverished, they could not produce equipment on a large scale.

That created an awkward situation.

The barbarians could produce famous sabers and magnificent armor, yet even the Golden Tent cavalry directly beneath the Royal Court had a relatively low rate of full armor.

“Count Zheng, please receive the saber,” the young official reminded him.

The man wore an extraordinarily bright smile.

Such enthusiasm made even Count Zheng feel slightly overwhelmed.

Still, Zheng Fan nodded and took the saber.

It was heavy.

He drew the blade a few inches from its sheath and immediately felt its cold sharpness.

This truly was an excellent weapon.

Count Zheng had never possessed a particularly noteworthy personal weapon.

He had encountered plenty of famous swords, but unfortunately he did not practice the sword.

Otherwise, he would long ago have stolen Longyuan from the Sword Saint next door, where it was currently being used to prop up furniture.

As for famous sabers, Count Zheng knew there was a Kunwu Saber inside the belly of the Marquis of Jingnan’s Pixiu, a national treasure bestowed by the Emperor of Yan.

Knowing it existed was one thing.

He certainly did not dare steal it.

Now, finally, he possessed a fine saber of his own.

He did not know exactly how “treasured” this saber truly was, but it was unquestionably superior to the ordinary blades he had used before.

Most importantly, it was not covered in gemstones, nor did it possess some absurdly elaborate shape.

It looked simple.

Very simple.

Extremely simple.

That perfectly matched Count Zheng’s battlefield aesthetic.

A saber existed to cut people cleanly.

Why hang a pile of decorative nonsense from it?

Once Zheng Fan accepted the saber, the eunuch continued reading.

“One set of golden armor is also bestowed.”

“Hm?”

The young official gestured.

Two attendants carried over a chest and opened it.

Inside lay a suit of gleaming golden armor.

Naturally, it was not made of solid gold. What kind of idiot would wear solid-gold armor into battle?

But if it was called golden armor, at least one thing was certain.

Under the noon sun, wearing it would make you the brightest man among a thousand armored soldiers.

Count Zheng leaned toward Liang Cheng and whispered:

“You can wear this.”

“Master, this is an imperial gift. Would that be appropriate?”

“On the battlefield, you are me. What is inappropriate about it?”

Liang Cheng thought for a moment.

Then he proposed an idea.

And that proposal proved he genuinely had been thinking about how to improve his understanding of human interaction.

“We could let A’Ming wear it.”

Count Zheng’s eyes lit up.

“Excellent idea.”

A’Ming, still unconscious inside the ice cellar and being watered with blood once every three days, had no idea that his future had already been arranged for him in glittering gold.

“Ahem...”

The decree-bearing eunuch saw Zheng Fan whispering to a general beside him and could not help coughing once.

Of course, it hardly counted as grave disrespect.

One could interpret Count Zheng’s behavior as being so overwhelmed by joy at His Majesty’s gift, so deeply honored by imperial favor, that he could barely contain his gratitude.

The young official quietly reminded him:

“Count, there is still more to the decree.”

“Hm?”

Count Zheng immediately settled back into a proper kneeling posture.

The eunuch continued:

“Count Pingye is ordered to enter the capital and attend an imperial audience before the middle of the fifth month. There must be no delay. Thus decreed!”

What?

What.

What?!

Count Zheng’s eyes went wide.

Enter the capital?

I just came back from Chu, and now you want me to go to Yanjing?

How far away was Yanjing?

Put it this way.

Travel east from Yanjing until reaching the Horseshoe Mountains, the old border between Yan and Jin. That was essentially the western edge of Jin.

And Count Zheng was currently standing at the eastern edge.

He had previously entered Chu through Mengshan and returned near Zhennan Pass, effectively crossing from the western side of Chu to its eastern side.

Now he had to run from east to west across Jin as well.

If it were only a matter of riding, Count Zheng could tolerate it. With his current body, even days in the saddle no longer left his thighs aching.

But the danger level of entering the capital was hardly low.

The last time he went to Yanjing, he happened to witness the Marquis of Jingnan exterminating his own clan.

What would happen this time?

How long had he even been home?

And now he had to start traveling again?

“Count Pingye, receive the decree.”

Seeing Zheng Fan staring into space, the eunuch had no choice but to remind him.

Zheng Fan drew in a deep breath.

Then his face blossomed with happiness and excitement.

“This subject receives the decree and kowtows in gratitude for His Majesty’s grace!”

The eunuch handed the imperial decree into Zheng Fan’s hands.

Then the flattering smile appeared immediately, and he began taking the initiative to build familiarity with Count Zheng.

Count Zheng understood these things as well.

He had not gone outside the city to receive the decree because there was no longer any need. Clearly, neither of the decree-bearers considered that improper.

Xiao Yibo quickly arranged the reception.

Count Zheng pressed down the thousand tangled thoughts in his heart and personally hosted the two envoys with wine.

During the meal, he learned that the young eunuch was named **Feng Guan** and was one of Wei Zhonghe’s godsons.

The young official was **Zhang Yuanshan**, an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Rites.

He was also, apparently, one of Count Zheng’s “fans.”

While drinking, Zhang Yuanshan repeatedly asked Zheng Fan about his past campaigns.

It was obvious he possessed a deep longing for the battlefield.

Later, Zhang Yuanshan also mentioned the year in which he had passed the provincial examination.

That was actually a coded way of telling Zheng Fan he belonged to the Sixth Prince’s side.

From the two envoys, Zheng Fan also learned that Little Sixth had already become a father.

A son had been born.

His name was **Ji Chuanye**.

Mm.

A name full of implications.

Zheng Fan had not even received Little Sixth’s letter yet.

These two decree-bearers had arrived faster than the letter and delivered the news first.

It was fortunate both envoys were young.

An older eunuch or official might genuinely have been unable to endure such brutal long-distance travel.

His Majesty’s decree had specified the latest date by which Count Zheng must reach the capital.

Snow Sea Pass lay extremely far from Yanjing.

That meant Feng Guan and Zhang Yuanshan had been forced to race wildly all the way here, changing horses at relay stations while barely daring to rest.

First, they feared some unexpected incident along the road might delay them.

Second, they needed to leave Count Zheng enough time to return to the capital.

If Zheng Fan arrived late, the Emperor of Yan probably would not punish Count Zheng.

The beating would land on the two envoys instead.

The court would simply say they had delivered the decree too slowly and caused Count Zheng to miss his appointed date.

Finally, Feng Guan reminded Count Zheng of one more thing.

When he entered the capital this time, he needed to bring the Princess with him.

Once the banquet was nearly finished, Zheng Fan asked the Blind Man to continue entertaining the guests while he withdrew.

Carrying the imperially bestowed barbarian saber and warmed by a little wine, Zheng Fan headed toward the rear residence.

The rear compound was large.

Aside from Count Zheng’s own sleeping quarters and Tian Tian’s rooms, a great deal of space remained unused.

One flat section had no flowers or plants and had been reserved specifically as the Pixiu’s enclosure.

To Zheng Fan’s surprise, Siniang was currently standing there feeding dried meat to the Pixiu.

The beast was eating happily.

When it saw Zheng Fan approach, it even left the enclosure of its own accord and rubbed against him.

The fence was merely symbolic.

No one actually restricted the Pixiu’s freedom.

Naturally, the beast itself rarely wandered.

Too many frightening existences lived inside Count Pingye Residence.

It had become exceptionally obedient.

“Why aren’t you resting?”

Zheng Fan knew Siniang had been sleeping a great deal recently to recover from her injuries.

“I woke up. Then I heard about the imperial decree, so I came to put a little more weight on this one.”

When Zheng Fan traveled to Yanjing, naturally he would ride the Pixiu.

The beast had been bestowed by the imperial palace.

Returning to the capital without riding it would look strange.

Fortunately, he would be taking guards along this time.

There should not be too much danger on the road, so standing out a little did not matter.

“Master, this servant will not accompany you to the capital this time.”

Because of her injuries, Siniang could not currently display her full strength.

And every Demon King already filled his own role.

If someone accompanied Master to Yanjing, someone else had to remain behind.

“Mm. I know. It is just a little unfortunate.” Zheng Fan looked at Siniang and smiled. “I originally thought... heh. Seems we’ll have to delay things a little longer.”

“That may be better. By the time Master returns, this servant will certainly be fully recovered.

“I want a baby like Tian Tian.

“Never sick.

“And able to be free-range raised.”

Since infancy, Tian Tian had slept atop Sha Tuo Queshi’s coffin lid.

The Demon Child had been his playmate.

Yet he had never once fallen ill.

He could entertain himself alone, never crying or fussing.

A child like that was genuinely effortless to raise.

“We will.”

Zheng Fan stretched lazily.

“This time I’ll have the Blind Man accompany me.”

“Naturally. The Blind Man still hasn’t advanced.”

Siniang and the Blind Man were both management-type talents.

One of them had to remain behind.

The military reforms were already complete.

What remained this year was civilian development and commercial operation, both areas in which Siniang excelled.

“Master should bring Fan Li as well. A’Ming still needs to lie at home.”

“Fine.”

After a pause, Zheng Fan added:

“When I first came back a few days ago, I already agreed with the Sword Saint that the next time I went out, he would accompany me.”

“That is excellent.”

“But even now I still have no idea how much strength he has actually recovered.”

Siniang smiled.

“However weak he may be, can he really be weaker than that Swordsmith of Chu?”

Zheng Fan considered that.

Then nodded.

“That is true.”

The Swordsmith had never drawn a single sword against him, yet his mere presence had exerted crushing pressure.

The effect of the Sword Saint would only be greater.

Perhaps disliking the faintly oppressive mood of impending separation, the Pixiu snorted loudly and tossed its head, forcibly ruining the atmosphere.

Count Zheng came back to himself.

He looked at the Pixiu, then beckoned toward Siniang.

“Come here. Perfect timing. I nearly forgot something.

“Help me hold this fellow still.”

As he spoke, Count Zheng raised the barbarian saber.

“Back on the battlefield, I once saw Tian Wujing slap his Pixiu on the head, and the beast spat out the Kunwu Saber straight into his hand.

“Tsk, tsk.

“That posture.

“That movement.

“Far too dashing.

“I’ve been jealous ever since.

“Come on. Good boy. Kneel down.

“Open your mouth.

“Hmm.

“This barbarian saber seems a little thick.

“Open wider.

“If you dare close your mouth, I’ll shave your head off with the blade.

“Quickly.

“If you can’t even swallow things, what kind of Pixiu are you?

“Wider.

“I’m putting it in.”

“...”

The Pixiu stared at him.

————

[End of Chapter 467]