Chapter 626: - Assassination Attempt

“Onward we go.
On the road, Elder Sister brings me word,
Nine li through the mulberry grove I seek Lanying.
And there before me,
A mulberry garden, lush and green...”

In the courtyard, Marquis Zheng sat with a cup of tea in hand, listening to Liu Ruqing sing opera.

Liu Ruqing had an excellent voice. She was beautiful too, with a mature charm all her own.

Marquis Zheng did not actually understand exactly what she was singing. She deliberately mixed in the accent of Chu, after all.

But it sounded good.

That was enough.

It was something to enjoy.

“The first bowl, dried fish stewed red with heavenly pork;
The second bowl, pan-fried fish fragrant enough to fill the room;
The third bowl...”

Even when the song reached this point, Marquis Zheng continued listening with relish. He even began imagining what the dishes might look like.

It was nothing like listening to someone rattle off a menu in his previous life:

Steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast young chicken, roast goose...

Just hearing the beginning had already made him sick of it, yet the performer would still proudly keep reciting until the very end, whereupon the audience offered a scattering of applause mostly out of relief that it was finally over.

Put plainly, perhaps the latter had simply been ugly.

Just then, the Blind Man walked in.

Liu Ruqing stopped singing and poured tea.

Zheng Fan turned toward the Blind Man.

“What happened?”

Given the Blind Man’s level of tact, he would never interrupt at a moment like this unless something serious had truly happened.

“Master, Chu has invaded Qian.”

“Mm. Mm?”

At first, Marquis Zheng did not react.

Only after turning the words over a second time did he truly register what had happened.

“Heh.”

Marquis Zheng laughed.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

He had actually guessed it right.

General-in-Chief Nian of Chu admired the Prince of Jingnan. That was practically an open secret.

Unexpectedly, the Regent of Chu was apparently a fan of the Emperor of Yan too.

He had copied the other man’s homework almost line for line.

“Marquis, Mr. Bei, you two talk. This concubine will go prepare some tea snacks.”

“All right.”

“Thank you for the trouble.”

The Blind Man sat down.

“Master, the commander leading Chu’s invasion of Qian is Nian Yao.”

“Of course. If Chu chooses to attack Qian at a time like this, they cannot afford the slightest mistake. Naturally they’d use the general most capable of fighting. Nian Yao has real ability.”

Once, Marquis Zheng, the young Barbarian prince, Zhong Tianlang of Qian, and Nian Yao of Chu had been named the four great future generals.

But in truth, no one yet knew exactly how capable that young Barbarian prince was.

And Zhong Tianlang, put plainly, was still a hot-blooded child.

Only after actually crossing hands with them had Zheng Fan felt that Nian Yao truly possessed the qualifications to stand beside him.

Zheng Fan asked:

“How is the war going?”

“According to the reports we have now, the Chu are smashing through everything in their path.”

“Mm. That isn’t strange. Qian’s military preparedness didn’t collapse in a day or two. These past few years they’ve certainly tried to revive it, but cleaning up that kind of rot can’t be done overnight. On top of that, to strengthen the Three Frontiers, they’ve kept pulling every unit capable of fighting from all over the country and sending them north. Then the native chieftains in the southwest rebelled again, forcing Qian to devote another enormous share of its attention there. The southeast was somewhere they never expected a major war in the first place. You can imagine how miserable the defenses and military readiness there must be.”

Marquis Zheng took a sip of tea and continued:

“Something similar happened in the history we know, didn’t it? The Jin dynasty had just been ravaged by the Mongols. Then, after the Mongols withdrew to campaign west, the Jin didn’t march north to recover their lost territory. Instead, they turned south and attacked the Southern Song, hoping to make up their losses there. Put plainly, there’s no morality between states. No friendship either. Over and over, history only keeps explaining the same sentence: If you’re weak, you get beaten.”

The Blind Man asked:

“Master, how far do you think this war will go?”

Zheng Fan considered for a moment.

“Chu just lost a major war and took heavy damage. On top of that, the court is stripping noble houses of their fiefs, which requires armies to suppress unrest. The Chu court will inevitably have a great deal of its attention divided. So I don’t think Nian Yao began this invasion with an especially large appetite. The problem is that the Qian may be so useless that once he starts winning, he won’t be able to stop himself. But once Qian reacts and begins organizing a proper response, the war should temporarily settle into a stalemate. Nian Yao may even voluntarily spit out some of the territory he has swallowed and negotiate peace. No matter how you calculate it, Chu will still have profited.”

The Blind Man nodded.

“Qian’s Emperor has recalled Meng Gong from idleness in the capital and sent him to take command in the southeast. This man has some history with us. Years ago, when you, Master, considered making a second surprise attack on Mianzhou City, he was inside commanding the defenses. Later, Old Chancellor Zhong valued him highly and promoted him very quickly. Before Old Chancellor Zhong died, he firmly opposed the northern expedition. Meng Gong was one of his staunchest supporters. Because of that, when the court became determined to launch the northern expedition, he was dismissed from office and sent back to the capital to sit idle. Given the present situation, Qian’s Emperor is probably hoping he can stabilize the southeast.”

“I know the man. I heard that the new defensive system along Qian’s Three Frontiers was designed by him under Old Zhong’s instructions a few years ago. He’s capable.”

“Yes.”

“Our court will probably sit back and watch the tigers fight. They may even add a little fuel to the fire. Send a few civilian officials as envoys to Qian, for example. Or have the First Prince pull the border garrisons back a little and then negotiate with Qian over increasing the annual tribute slightly. Give the Qian some reassurance. Tell them: We’re not planning to hit you right now. We don’t have the energy either. Feel free to pull a few more troops away from the Three Frontiers and use them against Chu.”

The Blind Man smiled.

“That should be more or less the plan.”

The State of Yan presently faced severe internal problems and no longer had the strength to open another major war.

So Chu and Qian biting each other was exactly what the Yan court most wanted to see.

Marquis Zheng added:

“Then over here, we haven’t completed the first warhorse transaction yet, have we? Raise the price. Another twenty percent. Let my elder brother-in-law feel reassured.”

“Yes, Master. This subordinate understands.”

Raising the price at the last minute was normally a disgusting thing to do.

Here, however, it was a political statement.

That extra twenty percent was the “benefit fee” Marquis Zheng was taking.

In exchange, for the near future, he would neither raid Chu nor apply military pressure.

His elder brother-in-law could fight Qian in peace.

Liu Ruqing returned with pastries. She said nothing and quickly withdrew again.

The Blind Man picked up one piece, took a bite, and said:

“It is amusing. Qian and Chu were originally allied against Yan, and now they’ve started fighting each other.”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“Eastern Wu pulled the same stunt once, didn’t it? Actually, what worries me more is Qian itself. If you’re going to hit Qian, then cripple it. Break it. If you just take one bite, then another bite, then another, you may actually end up tempering it into something stronger. Qian is still vast and rich in resources. There is no possible way it lacks talented people.”

“That possibility does exist. But Master does not need to worry too much. Whatever happens to Great Yan, our eastern Jin will only grow stronger with time. Right now, time is what we need most.”

“True. We started from nothing. Since we can organize everything properly from the beginning, we don’t carry much baggage.”

“Master, this subordinate will withdraw first. You can continue listening to the opera.”

“No. I should go practice the saber.”

“This subordinate spoiled Master’s pleasure.”

“You did.”

...

By the time Zheng Fan finished practicing, dusk was approaching.

Marquis Zheng returned to his room and soaked in the bath.

The temperature had been adjusted beforehand.

Just right.

He closed his eyes and quietly sensed the qi and blood in his body circulating in a slow, rhythmic flow.

It felt excellent.

Then the door opened.

Firm footsteps entered.

In truth, the three women of the rear household all walked differently.

Because of her martial skill, Fourth Lady’s steps carried a kind of lightness.

Liu Ruqing’s footsteps always held a slight trace of timidity.

The Princess, meanwhile, had grown up in the imperial palace. Reading faces and moods had been necessary, but she was still a Princess. When she walked, her steps were naturally steady.

Xiong Liqing came behind Zheng Fan, crouched down, and began scrubbing his back.

Qu Peiluo had gone home.

He had taken with him more than two thousand former Azure Luan Army prisoners who had been released, traveling through the Mount Meng region under the guidance of the Fan Clan.

Once he returned, he saw the Qu Clan ancestral temple destroyed and his clansmen slaughtered for the crime of rebellion.

According to a later letter from the Fan Clan, Qu Peiluo’s eyes had opened so wide that blood had nearly dripped from them.

Marquis Zheng temporarily ignored the melodramatic wording.

He himself was an award-winning actor, after all.

What interested him was what Qu Peiluo would do next.

“Husband, this concubine thinks Qu Peiluo probably won’t truly rise in rebellion.”

“Oh? Why?”

Somehow, as though their minds were linked, the conversation had landed on exactly the subject Zheng Fan was thinking about.

“Because his temperament is too soft. Completely different from you, Husband. You’re very hard.”

“That goes without saying.”

“What do you think he’ll do?”

“This concubine thinks he’ll probably withdraw from the world. Find somewhere no one recognizes him and simply keep living.”

“Mm. That won’t be up to him. Once he finishes mourning in front of the destroyed Qu ancestral temple, the Fan Clan and the men he brought with him will spread word that he has returned. Then someone in his own group will immediately restrain him, lock him up, and use his name to recruit troops and buy horses with the Fan Clan behind them. They’ll oppose your imperial brother in his name.”

“With the handful of men he has, even with the Fan Clan supplying him, one sweep from an Imperial Clan Guards army would erase them.”

“They don’t need to fight head-on. The Qu Clan ruled its fief for centuries. Those connections don’t disappear so easily. Fight a guerrilla war. As long as that banner remains standing somewhere, it can keep irritating your brother.”

Qu Peiluo had only ever been an idle move on the board.

Zheng Fan had never expected it to bear some grand fruit, so he did not care especially much.

Besides, keeping Qu Peiluo beside him had become awkward.

If Qu Peiluo himself did not feel awkward, Marquis Zheng certainly did.

Killing him?

That would have been a shame.

After all, Qu Peiluo had treated him wonderfully.

Almost absurdly well.

So the best answer was to find an excuse to release him and let him contribute the last bit of heat he still had left.

“Husband, I heard Great Chu and Qian have gone to war.”

“Yes. But don’t worry. For your sake, I won’t interfere too much. Your brother can fight in peace.”

“Even though I know Husband is lying to me, hearing you say it still makes me happy.”

“Heh.”

At that moment, the Princess removed her clothes and slowly stepped into the bath.

Her skin was very fair and soft. Under the hot water, it took on a pale pink flush.

“Elder Sister said... I can now.”

Zheng Fan closed his eyes.

The Princess bit her red lip.

Amid the drifting steam, she suddenly straightened her expression and declared in a proper, commanding voice:

“Little Zhengzi! Hurry and attend this Palace to bed!”

Marquis Zheng opened his eyes in surprise.

Xiong Liqing, who had just said those words directly to his face, was already so nervous she could barely breathe.

She was afraid of Zheng Fan.

Very, very afraid.

But from what Elder Sister had said, and from what she herself had observed, her husband seemed to enjoy this sort of roleplay.

So she had thrown caution to the wind.

And then... she discovered Zheng Fan was perfectly calm.

The crushing pressure of worldly hierarchy, the fear of Zheng Fan rooted deep in her heart, and the sudden regret of realizing she might have spectacularly misjudged the situation nearly made the usually strong-willed Princess cry.

She had been clever for so long.

And at a moment this important, she had somehow managed to screw it up.

“Who taught you that?” Zheng Fan asked.

“I... heard it somewhere myself,” the Princess whispered. “Husband, I was wrong.”

“No. You weren’t wrong. You were just correct a little too early. I hadn’t caught up yet.”

Marquis Zheng rose from the bath, swept the Princess into his arms, and slapped her once across the backside.

Smack!

“Little Zhengzi? You’ve rebelled against Heaven itself. Let your husband show you how you’re going to be punished!”

“I was wrong, Husband. I was wrong, Husband.”

“Who was wrong?”

“I... I was wrong.”

“Who was wrong?”

“I was wrong, I was wrong.”

“Who are you?”

“I... this Palace. This Palace was wrong.”

“No. You weren’t wrong.”

At last, the Princess understood.

Still held in his arms as he carried her toward the bed, her expression suddenly hardened.

With a majesty she did not need to fake, she declared:

“Impudent! Little Zhengzi, do you believe this Palace won’t punish your crime and execute your... mmph, mmph...”

What followed was naturally an entire night of “sentencing” amid campaigns of clouds and rain.

...

Beside one of Fengxin City’s newly built walls, an iron-tower figure walked beneath the moon with a small figure sitting on his shoulder.

Fan Li and the Sword Maid were out for a stroll.

“Big guy.”

“Mm.”

“I’ve grown up.”

“Mm.”

“But I still like sitting on your shoulder.”

“Mm.”

“Master said that in another half year, I can start practicing the sword.”

“Mm.”

“Once I’ve mastered it, I’ll avenge my first master.”

“Mm.”

“Will you stop me?”

“Mm.”

“Fine.”

The Sword Maid looked a little melancholy.

She raised her head and looked at the moon.

She herself did not quite know what she was feeling melancholy about.

“Big guy.”

“Mm.”

“I want the moon in the sky.”

“Dream on.”

“...” Sword Maid.

The Sword Maid jumped down from Fan Li’s shoulder.

When they had first met her, she had still been only a tiny sword attendant following Yuan Zhenxing around and constantly complaining that her idiot master was so useless they were always going hungry.

Four years had passed.

She could not yet be called a grown woman, but the beginnings of a future beauty were already visible.

“Big guy, I want mutton soup.”

“Mm.”

Fan Li stepped forward, picked the Sword Maid up, and set her back on his shoulder.

He walked into the city and stopped before a mutton-soup shop.

Fengxin City had no curfew, to make commerce easier, so the shop was still open at this hour.

There were not many customers.

In one corner of the first floor sat a lone man, quietly drinking soup by himself.

“Junior Brother!”

The Sword Maid called out.

That lonely figure was Hero Chen.

One bowl of soup and one entire basin of soup were soon brought over.

With the air of an old hand explaining the world to a novice, the Sword Maid asked Hero Chen:

“Junior Brother, after you finish that bowl of soup, are you planning to go have some fun in the red-tent quarter?”

As she spoke, the Sword Maid even winked.

Hero Chen nodded.

“Mm.”

“Mm?”

The Sword Maid froze.

Then she shouted:

“Well, well! I never thought a thick-browed, big-eyed fellow like you would also...”

“Master told me to go.”

“Uh... Master told you to go to the red tents?”

“Mm.”

The next thing the Sword Maid asked was not why Master had sent him there.

Instead, she asked:

“Has Master ever gone there with you?”

Hero Chen shook his head.

“Master hasn’t.”

Only then did the Sword Maid relax.

In this life, her first master was irreplaceable.

But this second master was the one she truly respected from the bottom of her heart.

Perhaps in Marquis Zheng’s eyes, the Sword Saint was simply the Sword Saint.

But to someone like the Sword Maid, a daughter of the jianghu, the Sword Saint embodied what a true wandering hero ought to be.

“What does Master have you doing there?”

“Sweeping floors. Wiping tables. Delivering washbasins... Oh. The night before last, one man collapsed during sex. I stimulated him with sword qi and saved his life.”

“Oh. I understand. Master is making you temper your heart in the mortal world.”

“Mm. I understand that too.”

Just then, a group of riders thundered down the street outside.

Fengxin City had no curfew, but galloping through the city without reason was still a serious crime.

So something had unquestionably happened.

Those were messenger riders.

“Something happened,” Hero Chen said.

The Sword Maid turned toward Fan Li.

“Something happened.”

Fan Li continued drinking his mutton soup.

Only after a long while did he set down the basin.

“Yes. Something happened.”

...

Something had indeed happened.

And it was something major.

But the news did not disturb Marquis Zheng.

The next morning, Marquis Zheng emerged from the bedroom refreshed and glowing.

The Princess, meanwhile, was too exhausted and needed to sleep a while longer.

That was more like it.

Wasn’t this how the normal script was supposed to go?

Marquis Zheng was eating breakfast when Fourth Lady came over.

Normally, everyone did not gather for breakfast because Marquis Zheng’s waking time was never fixed.

Seeing Fourth Lady sit down beside him, Zheng Fan felt a little awkward.

It was the embarrassment of a man whose wife had discovered that he had gone out and spent 398 on “services.”

“Master, have another egg.”

Fourth Lady peeled an egg herself and placed it in Zheng Fan’s bowl of congee.

“All... all right.”

Fourth Lady did not ask about the details of last night, even though she had once said she wanted to watch.

As for jealousy, she genuinely felt none.

After all, Fourth Lady had been the one determined from the beginning to bring the Princess into the household.

Hearing the Princess call her Elder Sister, watching that genuine Princess behave meekly and carefully before her...

Fourth Lady enjoyed it too.

That was why yesterday, not only had she signaled to the Princess that it was time to attend Master in bed, she had also reminded her that the next morning she absolutely had to wake later than Master.

When Master rose, she should pretend to be startled awake, then say she was too exhausted to get out of bed.

“Next,” Fourth Lady said, “it should be Uncle.”

“Mm? Uncle?”

Zheng Fan immediately understood.

“Oh. Uncle. Heh.”

Fourth Lady took out a letter and placed it before Zheng Fan.

“Sun Youdao sent someone from Yingdu with this urgent letter.”

“Something happened?”

“Yes. The Fifth Prince was attacked by an assassin in Yingdu.”

[End of Chapter 626]