Chapter 671: Ambition and Cold Tea

As Marquis Zheng descended the steps and reached Sun Ying's side, he said, "This Marquis does not intend to delay too long."

Sun Ying immediately kowtowed. "Ying can leave with the Marquis right now."

Then he turned toward his younger brother, Sun Liang. Folding both hands solemnly before himself, he said, "Little Brother, I will have to trouble you with Father's and Auntie's funeral arrangements."

Sun Liang, still sitting on the floor and somewhat slow to grasp what had happened, finally understood everything.

Their father had died suddenly, but in truth it had not been an accident. It had been planned long in advance.

Sun Liang felt that perhaps he ought to hate his elder brother. Yet he discovered that he simply could not.

His elder brother was very capable. If his elder brother could return to official service, then the Sun family would truly have someone to carry its legacy onward. This had been their father's choice.

With countless thoughts tangled together in his mind, Sun Liang faced his elder brother's solemn request, straightened into a kneeling posture, folded his hands before him, and returned the salute with equal seriousness.

His elder brother was leaving. Leaving with the Marquis. He would not even be able to take part in their father's funeral.

And yet, at this moment, Sun Liang actually felt a kind of relief.

He knew his own ability. Without their father, he simply could not shoulder the family alone. Now that his elder brother once again stood in front of him, the burden on his shoulders had become lighter.

"Notify Prefect Xu for this Marquis. Tell him I am going on ahead."

Zheng Fan gave Sun Liang that final instruction, then left the Sun residence with the Sword Saint.

Sun Ying, meanwhile, called over the two servants who had remained confined with him and had them prepare a carriage to take him out of the city.

His clothes, boots, and everything else had clearly been packed long ago.

He had known that the Marquis of Pingxi would pass Yingdu today.

So when he heard the news that his father was gone, even while his eyes reddened, he had already instructed the servants sharing his confinement to pack his luggage.

Because of that, his departure did not feel especially rushed.

Marquis Zheng left the city and rejoined the main procession. After waiting briefly for Sun Ying, he did not arrange any special escort to send the man back to Fengxin City. The procession simply set out at once and continued west.

...

To great poets and literary masters, autumn waves of wheat were scenery, perhaps accompanied by a little perfunctory compassion for the farmers. That sentiment could be placed there for decoration, like a carefully carved cucumber flower or piece of tofu at the edge of a banquet dish: pleasant to look at, but no one would actually move their chopsticks toward it.

To Marquis Zheng, the sight inspired an entirely different train of thought.

Professional habit, perhaps.

He could not help thinking that if they replenished a little more, stored a little more, nurtured things a little longer, then three years from now they could launch another national war.

A great official entrusted with governing a frontier and shepherding the people on behalf of the Son of Heaven had that word "shepherd" built directly into the job.

Letting the common people live and work in peace, filling the granaries, then teaching them ritual and propriety was far too slow. Worse, none of it looked especially impressive in the annals of history.

As long as ordinary life was tolerable, that was enough. After that, one still had to satisfy one's ambitions.

Grain, laborers, money, soldiers.

Expand the borders. Destroy states. Write books and leave a name for posterity.

That was the true pursuit.

Zheng Fan's party stopped to rest at a relay station. Word had been sent ahead, and all other guests had been cleared out. Only official couriers were still allowed to change horses and eat as usual.

The Marquis of Pingxi had the standing for that sort of display.

One more day and they would reach Litian City.

After dinner, Marquis Zheng reclined sideways in a chair with tea set beside him.

Sun Ying sat in the wheelchair he had brought from home and waited on him nearby.

This time, Zheng Fan had not brought a single military adviser from the Marquis Residence.

First, the operation back home was too large to spare them. The Blind Man and Gou Moli had mountains of affairs to handle every day.

Second, there simply was not much room for maneuver on this trip to the capital.

Just as Zheng Fan had told the Sword Saint before, he was going there to follow Old Tian. Whatever Old Tian meant to do, Zheng Fan would mean more or less the same.

So bringing an adviser or not made little difference.

Now that Sun Ying had joined him, the man could at least shoulder a little of the staff work.

Of course, Zheng Fan had no intention of sitting him down and explaining the Marquis Residence's situation or its objectives. Sun Ying would have to see, learn, and ask the others for himself.

Along the road, Zheng Fan had not spoken much with him. He treated him neither warmly nor coldly.

Sun Ying, for his part, knew exactly where he ought to be and when. Even when the Marquis said nothing, he understood that he should remain nearby.

A retainer or adviser did more than offer plans and strategy. He was also expected to share idle conversation, play chess, discuss music, and perform whatever other social functions the household required.

Unless your talents carried you high enough to earn special treatment, those were simply part of the job. Before you had proved your value, you had no right to put on airs.

"After coming all this way," Marquis Zheng asked, "what do you think of Jin territory now?"

Sun Ying answered immediately, "It already shows signs of recuperating alongside the people."

Zheng Fan nodded slightly.

Sun Ying continued, "But Ying has heard that the drought in Yan territory remains severe this year."

"It does. The Ministry of Revenue is still worried sick. This year, Yan will more or less have to rely on Jin to help make up the shortfall."

"For our Marquis Residence, that is actually good news."

"How is it good news?" Zheng Fan looked at him and continued unhurriedly. "The money and grain the court sends us will be reduced. Or they may simply leave those obligations for us to shoulder ourselves. The war has been over for almost a year now. They can justify it."

"Marquis, even seasonal harvest hands among the common people understand that whoever feeds them and pays them is the household whose wheat they cut. The Marquis Residence already possesses an unusually strong degree of independence. If the court further restricts or cuts off the money and grain flowing here, the Residence's position will only become even more detached from the center."

Zheng Fan shook his head. "Nothing in this world is ever that simple. Besides, you eat what you should eat and drink what you should drink. Perhaps you see this as good news, but to this Marquis it simply means an annoying reduction in income."

Sun Ying nodded.

He had only joined midway and had never even been to Fengxin City. Naturally, his analysis and planning were bound to remain somewhat superficial.

Zheng Fan's answer was effectively telling him that the Marquis of Pingxi Residence was already completely in the hands of the Marquis's own core people. The court, at present, simply had no strength to divide or interfere with it.

So the money and grain sent by the court were pure supplementation.

"What worries this Marquis now," Zheng Fan said, "is that our Emperor's heart still may not have fully settled."

Hesitation appeared on Sun Ying's face.

"If you want to say something, say it. There has never been any such thing as forbidden subjects in front of this Marquis."

"Yes, Marquis. Ying has only just joined you. There are matters I can analyze only by pushing tactical reasoning to an extreme, in the hope that perhaps it might provide the Marquis with even the slightest spark of inspiration."

"Go ahead."

The Savage King had once evaluated the Sun family's eldest son.

In handling minute details, Sun Ying was not as good as the Blind Man, meaning he was not suited to mundane administration. In controlling the overall situation, he was not as good as Master.

Of course, when Gou Moli said "Master," what he really meant was himself.

But the Savage King had added one more thing.

A fish placed in different regions, or even before people with different tastes, could be prepared in countless ways. How much more so a human being?

Among strategists, some excelled at precise calculations that decided victory from a thousand li away. Others specialized in finding strange new paths and producing flashes of genius from unexpected angles.

The Savage King believed Sun Ying belonged to the latter kind.

Using Xia terminology, one might call him a venomous strategist.

"Marquis, my understanding of the court and the larger situation naturally cannot compare with yours. Since you occupy your present position and still feel this concern, there must be a reason for it. Therefore, Ying will boldly speculate from the foundation of the Marquis's intuition. The Marquis suspects His Majesty may be an old warhorse still dreaming of a thousand-li gallop, his heroic ambition undiminished. In other words, this summons of the two Princes and two Marquises to the capital may not be as simple as the rumors outside suggest. It may not merely be about settling the succession. But given the Marquis's status, and given the intelligence-gathering ability of the Marquis Residence, if another national war were being prepared, it would be impossible for there to be no advance preparations. As the saying goes, before the three armies move, grain and fodder go first. Preparations of that scale cannot be hidden. In any campaign where more than ten thousand regular troops are deployed, tens of thousands of laborers must follow. Baggage, grain, provisions, weapons, and equipment all move together. There is no way to do that silently. So this war, if there is one, must either be fought very quickly, or it must be another long-range strike over a thousand li."

Zheng Fan narrowed his eyes and looked at Sun Ying. One finger lightly tapped the armrest, signaling him to continue.

"If His Majesty intends to use troops, where can he use them? The snowfields? There is no need. The State of Qian? The Three Frontier Strongholds stand in the way, and Eastern Sea Grand Commander Zu Zhuming personally commands the Three Frontiers. The State of Chu? South of Shanggu Commandery, along the banks of the Wei River, two Pillars of State sit in command. Neither of those can be settled in a day or a night. Neither can produce results without mobilizing the full power of the state. If we fight there, it is a national war. South Gate Pass? Beyond South Gate Pass lie many petty states, but they are only small fish and shrimp. While the great powers remain, those states serve as buffers between them. Once a great power is destroyed, those petty states can be settled with a proclamation. And the dish is too small. It is beneath His Majesty's table. So if we look in every direction, only one place remains."

Zheng Fan's eyes opened slightly wider.

Yes.

Only one place remained.

Sun Ying pressed forward while the iron was hot.

"Marquis, only the Barbarians fit these conditions. The desert is boundless. Campaigning against the Barbarians routinely means marching and turning across a thousand li. Logistics? There is hardly even such a thing as logistics out there. Prince Zhenbei Residence stood over the desert for a century. Why was it able to suppress the Barbarians? There was no other reason. The system established by the first Marquis of Zhenbei effectively transformed the Residence itself into a new desert Royal Court. For the past hundred years, it has been fighting the Barbarians by the Barbarians' own methods. Whatever military supplies are absolutely necessary, the Residence must already have accumulated them. Ever since the great clans were trampled beneath cavalry hooves, laborers and grain have been levied from countless regions. Only Beifeng Commandery was different. Half the Zhenbei Army was mobilized, but no grain or laborers were levied from there. As for military intelligence and the terrain, the Residence must know them perfectly. If we fight, then fight the Barbarians. Strike the Barbarian Royal Court itself.

"Ying has heard that the old Barbarian King is an ambitious hero. All his life, he has worked to restore the Royal Court's former glory. For that purpose he endured, maneuvered, and displayed political skill rarely seen among the Barbarians. He spent his entire life lying low, and in old age pushed forward his youngest son, the one hailed as the fledgling eagle of the desert, using his own lifetime to pave the road for the boy. That Young Barbarian Prince was once ranked alongside the Marquis among the Four Great Generals of the younger generation.

"If Great Yan goes to war against all the Barbarian tribes, then it will certainly be a great war, a national conflict no smaller than the campaigns against Chu or Qian, perhaps even larger. But if the target is only the Royal Court? No need to prepare grain. No need to mobilize laborers. No danger of beating the grass and startling the snake. All that is needed..."

Zheng Fan spoke.

"All that is needed is a gamble."

One elite force.

Or perhaps three elite forces moving together.

A strike over several thousand li.

Destroy the Royal Court.

It would be a wager in which only victory counted.

A draw or a defeat would both mean total annihilation.

A layer of shadow suddenly spread through Zheng Fan's heart.

"Marquis, Ying has spent a long time pondering His Majesty's temperament. He is a proud emperor. And the prouder a man is, the more he wants to resolve every difficulty before his own death and leave his descendants the best possible position. Over these years, Great Yan's iron cavalry has invaded Qian, destroyed Jin, campaigned against Chu, and driven back the Savages. But for centuries, the blade truly hanging over Great Yan's head has always come from the desert. This is only an analysis built upon the Marquis's own belief that His Majesty remains unsatisfied and may still intend to use troops. Perhaps it is wild fantasy. But for now, Ying can only say whatever appears in my mind."

His father had used his own life to pave a road for him again.

Sun Ying felt pressure.

He had to prove, through his own ability, that his father's sacrifice had not been wrong.

At the same time, he could never betray the Marquis.

If he did, he would be betraying his father.

Zheng Fan lifted his teacup.

"Drink."

"Thank you, Marquis."

Sun Ying raised his own cup.

The tea had already gone cold.

Marquis Zheng had never been particular about tea. The only one he ever spoke of with any enthusiasm was Daze Xiangshe.

If the tea was cold, then drink it as cold tea.

He practiced martial arts in this life. His constitution was excellent.

For now, he had no need for goji berries soaked in warm water.

Sun Ying also drank quietly.

He himself enjoyed such refinements, but at a time like this he naturally would not fuss over them.

After setting down his cup, Sun Ying saw that Zheng Fan was still thinking and continued:

"Marquis, you naturally understand His Majesty far better than this subordinate does. You know more clearly than I what kind of sovereign he is. Strip away every external factor and look only at His Majesty himself, and there are three points of evidence."

"Three points?" Zheng Fan smiled and set down his cup. "You really cannot change this habit of yours, can you? Always three points, four items."

"This subordinate will change."

"No need. I only said it casually. Continue. What three points?"

"First, His Majesty is skilled at secretly accumulating momentum before unleashing thunder. Like a true dragon soaring through the heavens: first it gathers clouds, then brings thunder, and finally, in an instant, torrential rain turns the earth into marsh."

"Speak normally. You're a Jin man. You don't need to flatter him this hard."

"Marquis, this subordinate sincerely admires His Majesty. He truly is a mighty sovereign for the ages. In the early years, the court and Marquis Zhenbei Residence faced one another with armies deployed, nearly reaching open war. Then came the sudden trampling of the great clans beneath cavalry hooves. Yan cavalry invaded Qian and advanced like a broken bamboo, almost reaching Shangjing itself, while the true Yan main force instead passed through South Gate Pass and destroyed half of Jin. Later, Great Yan negotiated peace with Chu. The state was exhausted, the people's strength depleted, yet His Majesty used the Third Prince's death while rescuing the sovereign as a pretext and forcibly launched another national war, catching Chu utterly unprepared. From this, one can see that if he means to fight, then the target must be one no one in the world expects. Which means... the Barbarians."

"Second point."

"The second is that His Majesty is cold by nature."

While making that judgment, Sun Ying carefully watched Zheng Fan's expression. When he saw that Zheng Fan showed no reaction to such a deeply disrespectful statement, he relaxed and continued.

"This point, Marquis, you understand even better than I do. Everyone says His Majesty loves the Sixth Prince most, but how did he treat the Sixth Prince in earlier years? And there are all the other hidden matters besides. Over these past two years, His Majesty first exchanged several letters of warning with the old Barbarian King. The old king, in turn, did not stir up trouble during Great Yan's repeated wars. The two sides seem to have reached a tacit understanding. Then the Young Barbarian Prince offered golden armor and a Barbarian saber in tribute and addressed His Majesty as Uncle. Finally, the First Prince married a Barbarian Princess. She gave birth to imperial offspring and has been treated with exceptional favor in the palace.

"When the First Prince was ennobled for military merit, though he himself was stationed in the west, he was made Marquis of Andong. Meanwhile you, Marquis, despite being the one positioned farthest east, were granted the title Marquis of Pingxi. Of course, east, south, west, and north symbolize the four directions beneath Heaven and need not be confined by literal geography. But it still expressed a certain willingness to consider the feelings of the First Prince as the Barbarians' son-in-law, of the Barbarian Princess, and of the Barbarian Royal Court.

"Remember when Great Cheng still existed. The late Emperor led Great Cheng's main forces beyond the passes to attack the Savages, leaving the rear empty. Why did Great Yan not seize the opportunity to invade? Marquis, you yourself followed the Prince of Jingnan out from Shengle, crossed the Tianduan Mountains, entered the snowfields, and fought an auxiliary campaign to support them. That is breadth of vision. His Majesty's breadth. The breadth of a Son of Heaven.

"This subordinate does not believe that an emperor with such breadth would truly flirt with the Barbarians, ease relations, or even turn weapons into gifts of jade merely because he wanted to attack Qian and pursue unification. The better His Majesty treats someone, the more likely it is that he intends to draw the blade against them. That is the art of emperorship."

Zheng Fan asked, "And the third point?"

Sun Ying drew a deep breath.

In his mind, a rainy night in Yingdu half a month earlier suddenly appeared.

He had leaned against one side of a door panel.

On the other side, beneath an umbrella, his elderly father had sat on the steps.

Father and son had sat almost back to back, separated only by the door.

"Then what is the third point?" Grand Tutor Sun had asked.

"There's a third? Father, I only thought of those two."

"The art of emperorship, the art of emperorship. Yours is still not enough. The art of emperorship does not mean playing the court in the palm of your hand, using powerful ministers against powerful ministers and factions against factions. It is not balancing, not winning people over, not supporting one side, then sitting safely behind the curtain afterward, thinking yourself clever, thinking your methods exquisite, imagining that you control the entire board.

"The art of emperorship is not merely that when the sovereign commands a minister to die, the minister has no choice but to die. It is that the sovereign gives you the opportunity to die where your death has meaning.

"This third point must exist. For you, and for that man, this third point is especially important. When martial artists of the jianghu duel, they often speak of the opening three-axe routine. If your first three blows land well, the road afterward becomes smooth. Only then can you truly enter the inner circle. Only then will the other man think highly enough of you to place you in the position of a strategist or adviser rather than someone who merely drinks tea, chats, and keeps him entertained."

"Father, then what is the third point?"

In the curtain of rain, Sun Youdao smiled.

He reached out and pointed west.

This man, whose talent for statecraft had once assisted a sovereign in founding an imperial enterprise, used the wisdom of his entire life to give his third point.

"If Great Yan attacks the Barbarians, who is most suited to command the army?"

Behind the door, Sun Ying understood immediately.

"The Prince of Jingnan!"

Sun Youdao nodded.

Then he sighed and slowly stood.

"With that third point, you will qualify to become a strategist under the Marquis of Pingxi Residence."

"Father, how could it possibly be that simple? Are you truly certain that Marquis Zheng will release me from confinement and even take me with him and keep me in service? The Marquis of Pingxi Residence cannot possibly be lacking one strategist."

"Son."

"Father..."

"The truth is, your father has never blamed you. Truly. I never blamed you for acting on your own and staining my clean reputation. I never cared much about that. I was actually very gratified. When you were small, I remained beside the late Emperor, planning for him, and neglected your upbringing. But you never disappointed me. Truly. Liang is an honest man. But only in you have I ever seen the shadow of my younger self.

"Remember this. The state you are in now is not because you were foolish, not because you were stupid. No. You are not stupider than your father. Truly. At your age, you are far cleverer than I was. It is simply that the momentum of the age is different. The great trend no longer belongs to Jin. It no longer belongs to Great Cheng."

"Father..."

"I'm tired. I'm going back to rest. Last night, I dreamed of the late Emperor. Heh."

...

"Marquis, this third point is simple. If His Majesty truly means to undertake such a grand gamble, then from the Emperor of Yan's point of view, who is most suited to command it? Who would be willing to go? Who wants to go? Who has already made up his mind to go? Who, once he goes, whether he wins or loses, would bring relief to everyone?"

Zheng Fan's eyes slowly closed.

Sun Ying lifted the cold tea again, preparing to drink.

Without opening his eyes, Marquis Zheng said:

"The tea's cold. Siniang, add hot water."

[End of Chapter 671]