Chapter 572: - The Prince's Banner

“How come you’re the one bringing the food today?”

Xue San sat on a cabinet at the entrance to the tent, swinging his three legs as he asked.

Gou Moli carried a tray of food in both hands and smiled.

“Nothing else to do, so I figured I’d come chat with him and straighten out his head a little. Third Master, you’ve worked hard.”

Qu Peiluo was being guarded personally by Xue San.

Leaving him to anyone else did not feel safe.

A’Ming was too lazy.

Having the Sword Saint guard a prisoner would be wasteful.

Fourth Lady doing it? Master would hate to waste her time.

Fan Li watching him? There was a real chance he might simply watch the man to death.

After thinking it through, only Xue San suited the job. With San’er sitting here, no matter what trick Qu Peiluo wanted to play, it would be useless. They would never suffer one of those soul-crushing television scenes where a princess under guard somehow inexplicably escaped.

“No need to be so polite.” Xue San shook his head. “We don’t have to stand on ceremony with each other. Master doesn’t like it.”

A man’s face was something he earned for himself.

At Qingtan, from setting the board to breaking it open, the entire sequence of moves had flowed like water and ended with the Yan winning a great victory at almost no cost.

That had all been Gou Moli’s work.

How much ability you possessed determined how much respect you could reasonably expect. That truth never changed.

Gou Moli nodded, raised one hand, and lightly slapped his own mouth.

“Exactly. I’m already fixing the habit.”

Xue San asked:

“Going in to look at the man you defeated and harvest some happiness?”

“Exactly. Double happiness.”

“Fine. Go talk some sense into him. He still has a little use.”

“Of course. But we still need to be careful. That brat is young, and that’s exactly the problem. A young tiger is easy to raise into trouble later.”

Xue San said dismissively:

“We even dared keep you. What does he count for?”

“Tsk. Very persuasive.”

“Go in.”

“Good.”

Gou Moli carried the food into the tent.

Inside, Qu Peiluo sat on the ground with shackles around his ankles.

Gou Moli set the meal down.

The food was quite good.

Braised beef with bamboo shoots, quick-fried greens, mutton soup, and two flatbreads for the staple.

With the Chu soldiers looting everywhere and offering up their spoils, there was naturally no shortage of military provisions.

Chu was at war, and the common people here were living extremely hard lives. But no matter how hard life became, native collaborators could still beat hidden grain out of you. As for great households and nobles, “sharing the hardship of the nation” would never actually make life hard for them.

Qu Peiluo did not act delicate.

Since he had not died, he might as well eat and drink properly.

Seeing him eat with real appetite, Gou Moli sat beside him, reached into his pocket, took out two mint candies, and tossed them into his mouth.

Count Pingye smoked.

Gou Moli did not.

In his eyes, tobacco was like taking Five Minerals Powder. A vile vice.

The mint candy, however, he had asked some from the Blind Man. It was the same kind Count Pingye kept in his cigarette case.

Qu Peiluo stopped halfway through the meal and looked at Gou Moli.

He could tell the man bringing him food today was not ordinary.

Because he was ugly.

That scar across his face was far too striking.

Gou Moli nodded.

“Good. If you can still eat, then you’re fine. No matter how much hardship there is in this world, no matter how much pain, so long as a man still wants to eat, he can wade through it.”

“Who are you?”

“Same as you.”

“Same as me?”

“Mm. More like the same as your father.”

“...” Qu Peiluo.

“I joined forces with your father once. Then both of us lost to the same man.”

Qu Peiluo’s eyes narrowed.

Then he gave an amused laugh.

“He actually dares keep you beside him?”

Clearly, the young lord of the Qu Clan had guessed Gou Moli’s identity.

“Haaah...”

Gou Moli let out a long breath.

“What is so strange about that?”

Qu Peiluo nodded.

“He really is... somewhat admirable.”

To guard Snow Sea Pass while keeping the Savage King beside him.

What kind of nerve did that take?

Putting himself in Zheng Fan’s position, Qu Peiluo knew he could never have done it.

“Heh.”

Gou Moli picked up the chopsticks, stole a piece of beef from the meal, put it in his own mouth, and chewed.

“He really is a man worth admiring.”

“He keeps you around as a slave?”

Qu Peiluo pointed at the meal before him.

If the Savage King was merely kept nearby as a watched slave, that at least made some sense. Having a great man from former days waiting on you hand and foot should be rather satisfying.

If Count Pingye knew what Qu Peiluo was thinking, he would probably say:

Yes. King Fuchai of Wu found it satisfying too.

Gou Moli shook his head.

“I came to see you of my own accord. As for being a slave or servant, how should I put it? The Son of Heaven treats the myriad people as a flock and sends his great regional lords to shepherd them. Put plainly, unless you’re sitting on that Dragon Throne, everyone is serving somebody. The only difference is whether your clothes are fine or ragged. As for which kind I am, you can guess for yourself. But I can tell you one thing. That battle at Qingtan? I commanded it. Our Count couldn’t be bothered spending much thought on you, so he handed the matter over to me.”

“Heh. Hehehehe...”

Qu Peiluo rolled his neck.

“Then I truly did not lose unjustly.”

“There is nothing unjust about it. At the end of the day, you’re still a young man. The hair only just finished growing.”

“He isn’t that much older than I am.”

“Different. Different.”

Gou Moli only said “different.”

Truthfully, he himself found it difficult to explain exactly what the difference was.

That Blind Man, that Liang Cheng, and that Mr. Feng were true experts in civil administration and military affairs.

Yet all three remained utterly devoted to that man without the slightest thought of rebellion.

The others were one thing.

What Gou Moli truly could not understand was the Blind Man.

That man clearly loved rebellion more than anyone else.

So why had he never rebelled against his own Master?

“These past few days, the Azure Luan Army under you has committed no shortage of sins. Your hands won’t wash clean anymore.”

Qu Peiluo fell silent.

Zheng Fan had people tell him certain things.

“If I were you, I’d be thinking about doing something useful now. The Qu Clan’s reputation is already destined to rot. Since that cannot be changed, you might as well pull yourself together and use the situation to win something tangible. For example, the safety of the Qu Clan household. Or take the Fan Clan. Do you really want to wait until Great Yan’s iron cavalry rides into Chu and watch the Fan Clan become masters while your Qu Clan becomes their slaves? You don’t, do you? Hahahaha. Do you know what the most terrifying thing in this world is? A slave who turns the tables and becomes master over his old master. The methods. The torment. The humiliation. Could you endure it?”

Qu Peiluo said nothing.

“At the root of it, where in this world is there an immortal dynasty? A thousand years ago, half the Yan lands were still Barbarian pasture. The Jin lands were still the old homeland of my people. The Chu lands were still paradise for the Shanyue. Then one decree came down from the Son of Heaven of Great Xia. The Three Marquises opened the frontiers. And everything that needed changing changed, didn’t it? But even mighty Great Xia, after standing for centuries, still collapsed when the time came. Sometimes, a man has to learn to take things lightly. Only after you take them lightly can you see what you truly want. That Southern Marquis of Yan exterminated his own clan with his own hand, yet led armies outward and remained undefeated through a hundred battles. He destroyed states, swallowed territory, and became a god of war for his age. When history writes of him, naturally there will be no shortage of men cursing him. But far more people will revere and worship him. If you die here now, what meaning does it have? Forget whether there will even be another Meng Shou decades from now. Even if there is, at most he will add four words to the Qu Clan’s entry: ‘Loyal father and son.’ But who will care about you, Qu Peiluo? Official history is sometimes not that different from popular storybooks. Most people read for excitement anyway. Even if you die heroically now, most people in later generations who know your name will still know you from biographies of Count Pingye. They’ll know you as the man whose wife Count Pingye stole. Hehehe. The greater our Count’s future becomes, the more ink history will spend on him. And you? You’ll increasingly become one little romantic flourish in his story. Generations from now, people will turn it into popular tales and put it on the stage. The actor playing our Count will stand in front with a heroic painted face, saber in hand, beauty in his arms. And the actor playing you? He’ll kneel below, trembling, while the audience laughs. If our Count becomes a Marquis in the future, then a Prince after that? Now that will be incredible. Your name will rise with his. Some day, if a woman in some village takes another man and everyone finds out, when they warn her husband they might ask: ‘What’s your surname?’ The man says, ‘Zhang.’ The villagers say, ‘No. Your surname is Qu.’ And the man will understand immediately. Hehehehehe. Tsk, tsk. Like the sound of that?”

Qu Peiluo pursed his lips.

“What happened has already happened. It’s in the past and cannot be changed. So what matters now is how you make up for it. You still have value. Truly. Otherwise, you would already be dead.”

Gou Moli knew Count Pingye’s temperament well.

Count Pingye, who “disliked killing.”

But when the Count killed people, barring absolute necessity, he did not need to use his own hands.

“If I were you, I’d have gotten over it long ago. A wretched life is still better than a good death. Think of it this way. You’re living for your clansmen. Living so the Qu Clan can continue. Once you think like that, enduring humiliation and bearing burdens starts tasting a little sweet. It won’t feel nearly so bitter.”

“You are a very formidable persuader,” Qu Peiluo said sincerely.

“Too kind, too kind.”

The Savage King pointed at the meal he had brought.

“Eat well. Drink well. Look how good life is. Why insist on taking things too hard? The great taboo in this world is becoming a whore and still insisting on building yourself a chastity arch. Your reputation is gone anyway. If you don’t even get benefits out of it? What a loss. What a terrible loss.”

“What can I do now?”

“First, show yourself and call Zhang Huang and Han Xu over. Meet them face-to-face. Han Xu’s side basically isn’t a problem anymore. As for Zhang Huang, our Count values him quite a bit. The man knows how to command troops. Talk honestly with him. Let him recognize reality and understand what you mean. Second, send someone under your own name to announce to the Qu Clan that you have come over to the righteous side and surrendered to Yan.”

“The first can be done. The second cannot be achieved merely by sending a message back. Even if I personally returned, many members of the clan would oppose me.”

“That doesn’t matter. Once Great Yan’s iron cavalry rides in, we can lend you twenty thousand riders to make a circuit around your own gates. Then the second matter becomes much easier. I’m not asking you to immediately squeeze another Azure Luan Army out of the Qu Clan lands. Your Qu Clan may be fat, but even a fat cow cannot keep giving milk forever. Send the letter first. Let the people who oppose you jump out. Then when you return next time with iron cavalry behind you, it will be easier to clean up the heads.”

“Those are loyal and righteous men of my Qu Clan!”

“No. Those are thorns who refuse to obey you. If a thorn is loyal but not loyal to you, what fucking use is he?”

“...” Qu Peiluo.

“There is a third thing. Go before the Count. Offer him tea. Knock your head.”

“He... would trust me?”

Gou Moli laughed.

“Compared with me, what the hell are you?”

“...” Qu Peiluo.

“If he can tolerate me, why couldn’t he tolerate you? Did the Count steal your wife, or did you steal his?”

“I...”

“Sell your misery. Cry poverty. Act aggrieved. Your surname is Qu anyway. Surely no one needs to teach you how to act wronged? Our Count is actually very kindhearted. So long as you behave, understand your position, and listen properly, he will more or less compensate you for a few things. I’ll put it plainly. I think this time Yan takes Zhennan Pass, then swallows Shanggu Commandery, and that should basically be enough. Zhennan Pass will also be placed under our Count in the future. As for the lands of your Qu Clan, you can set them up as an independent dominion. If Chu wants to deal with you, Great Yan’s iron cavalry can ride south from Zhennan Pass to help. That canal can be dug a little farther too. Then in the future, the Jin lands will have another route into Chu. An age of great contention. An age of great contention. How many great houses collapse? How many mud-legged peasants climb into Heaven? In a tide like this, merely keeping your household from falling is already impossibly difficult. If you can accomplish that, then even after you descend to the Nine Springs one day, you’ll be able to argue properly with your ancestors. They won’t have much room to condemn you.”

“How could I possibly win an argument against them?”

“At first, you definitely couldn’t. But once your son comes down, then your grandson, then your great-grandson, and after that generation after generation without end? When all of them stand beside you and help argue your case, won’t that be enough?”

“Hehehe...”

“You think that is a joke?”

“Isn’t it?”

“It is one of the greatest truths in this world. Why do emperors fear nothing more than dying without descendants? Look at the founding emperor of Qian. Everyone remembers him as the man who seized the realm from the orphan and widow left behind by his sworn elder brother. But back then, the founding emperor personally opened territories together with that sworn brother and destroyed several minor regimes. He was a genuine fierce general. Yet are there many stories about him? No. Because his descendants did not become emperors. They were simply confined generation after generation.”

Qu Peiluo slowly nodded.

Gou Moli stood.

“That is enough. You should be able to understand what I’ve said. I rarely waste words.”

“Did he ask you to come tell me all this?”

“No. You are not important enough in our Count’s heart.”

“Fine...”

“I just wanted someone to keep me company. That is all.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank yourself for never quite being willing to die.”

With that, Gou Moli left the tent.

Xue San was still sitting outside, swinging his three legs like a pendulum.

Pa!

Pa!

Pa!

This time, Xue San was clapping with his hands.

“Excellent. Excellent.”

“You flatter me.”

“Back when we ran the inn, we always had one problem. I performed acrobatics with A’Cheng. The Blind Man slept outside pretending to run a fortune-telling stall. A’Ming brewed wine in the back. Fan Li hauled water and chopped firewood. Fourth Lady knew how to greet customers, but she’s a woman. Sometimes that wasn’t convenient. Besides, now she has a man. Now I think you could work as the waiter.”

A smile appeared on Gou Moli’s face.

“It would be my honor.”

Xue San put one hand over his chest.

He closed his eyes.

“Fine. I accept you.”

Gou Moli blinked.

Xue San opened his eyes again and shrugged.

“What a pity. No effect.”

...

“All right. You’ve worked hard too. Go rest.”

“Yes, Count.”

Jin Shuke withdrew from the command tent.

Count Pingye sat on a carpet.

Fourth Lady came over and began gently kneading his brow.

“Master, have you decided what we do next?”

“The safest option is to choke off the supply route of the Dugu army ahead. But I find that a little unsatisfying. The riskier choice is to keep fighting north. Earlier, the Dugu army didn’t come deal with us, probably because the fighting farther north was more urgent. Besides, the Qu Clan’s Azure Luan Army had come, and everyone above and below probably assumed it was enough to force me away. Now I’ve smashed the Azure Luan Army and followed after them. That Pillar of State may finally decide to deal with me himself. Our troop numbers are still too small. Those surrendered Chu soldiers are excellent at burning, killing, looting, and destroying Chu’s war potential. But if they actually fight the Dugu Clan’s army, I’ll be satisfied so long as they don’t get in our way.”

Fourth Lady smiled.

“Master still isn’t satisfied? Truthfully, Master doesn’t need to worry this much. Just choose whichever course makes you happiest.”

“I believe the Prince’s main army has already moved. And I also believe that once his army starts advancing, after bypassing Zhennan Pass it will certainly drive straight through, cross Shanggu Commandery, ford the Wei River, and keep fighting all the way south. Think about it. If our army happened to be trapped inside a Dugu encirclement, hanging by a thread between life and death, and suddenly Great Yan’s Black Dragon Banners appeared over the hills on the horizon, maybe a few eagles wheeling overhead too, and then... ‘Tiger!’ ‘Tiger!’ ‘Tiger!’ What a beautiful picture.”

“It would indeed be beautiful.”

Fourth Lady did not say the second half.

Like a prince coming to save the princess.

“But that is a scene from television. Reality is never timed that perfectly.”

“Master is right.”

“Forget it. We’ll take it step by step. Split the difference. We won’t be overly safe, but we won’t throw safety away entirely either. We fight north for a stretch, then stop. After stopping, fight north again. Fight, stop, look. Ideally, we sense the Prince’s army arriving from the north, then answer each other and charge together. That keeps the danger smallest and makes the picture look best.”

At that point, Count Pingye raised a hand and slapped his forehead.

Then he sighed.

“So the prettier the picture, the more carefully somebody designed it beforehand.”

...

Outside Zhennan Pass, the Yan army surged like a black tide.

South.

South again.

Still farther south.

The troops inside Zhennan Pass and the two great camps on either side had received no order to sortie.

They did not dare leave their fortifications.

They could only watch.

This was not the first time the Yan army had behaved with such contempt.

Years ago, when Great Yan marched south against Qian, it had moved in exactly this fashion, bypassing the three great defensive strongholds of Qian’s Three Frontiers.

Back then, what the Yan left behind was Yinlang Commandery.

This time, what lay behind them was an eastern Jin almost reduced to ruins.

Nian Yao sat on the gate tower of Zhennan Pass.

He stared into space.

He completely ignored the black cloud visibly spreading across the earth below.

Before him, an entire mass of generals knelt.

They had knocked their foreheads bloody against the ground.

They begged the General-in-Chief to send troops and stop the Yan army.

Nian Yao looked straight through them.

He remained in a daze.

...

One man wore gilded armor and rode a Pixiu beneath the protection of his personal guards and close troops.

He galloped at speed.

On every side of him stretched an endless black flood of cavalry.

The Prince’s Banner marched south.

The second phase of the campaign against Chu had officially begun.

[End of Chapter 572]