Chapter 699: The Marquis and the Prince

The grand court audience ended.

Ji Chengjue returned to his prince's residence. The first thing he did was go tease his son and daughter until he successfully made both of them cry, then hand them back to their matrons. Afterward, he stole the warm goat's milk from his younger son's hands and walked into the courtyard drinking it.

There was a reclining chair in the courtyard. Zheng Fan had lain in it when he stayed here during his last trip to the capital, and it had remained ever since.

Ji Chengjue lay down, drank his milk, and gently rocked the chair.

He did not replay the scenes from the grand court audience in his mind. He simply wanted to empty his head for a while.

Then He Sisi and Lingxiang came over together.

Ji Chengjue raised a hand.

"Let your husband have some peace and quiet."

At a time like this, he did not want his two women comforting him. He knew they wanted to help shoulder his pressure, but right now he truly did not have the energy to respond to them.

He only wanted silence.

And... he wanted that bastard surnamed Zheng.

He Sisi said, "Marquis Pingxi is here."

"Hu..."

Ji Chengjue froze, then said:

"Is he sick in the head?"

Before the grand court audience, Zheng Fan could have come.

After the grand court audience, he should not.

Because Ji Chengjue had won completely today.

And lost completely.

The Emperor of Yan's intention to protect the Crown Prince could hardly have been clearer.

And the attitude of an aging Emperor like this was often almost equivalent to an accomplished fact.

The Sixth Master's faction would lose most of its spirit today.

Wasn't it ridiculous?

You led your army to a magnificent victory. You seized cities and land. You smashed the enemy until they broke and fled.

And somehow... you still lost.

That was precisely why meeting Marquis Pingxi now was inappropriate.

What would people think they intended to do?

The civil route had failed, so now they were going to try force?

Not that force was impossible.

But before even the first stroke of the character had been written, why startle the snake in the grass?

"Aiya, I could smell the sourness from halfway across the residence. Are you burning vinegar to ward off plague?"

Marquis Zheng, dressed in ordinary clothes, appeared in the courtyard.

Behind him stood the Sword Saint and Xue San.

Zheng Fan already knew the result of the grand court audience.

He had Siniang disguise herself as him, put on his black armor, mount his Pixiu, and continue holding the Son of Heaven's sword while acting as a mascot with one of the garrison forces inside the city.

Zheng Fan himself changed into ordinary clothes. With Xue San leading the way and the Sword Saint helping them avoid detection, he slipped into Ji Chengjue's residence.

Because of the eldest imperial grandson, Ji Chengjue had once carried out an enormous purge of his own residence without giving face to anyone. Add the many experts guarding it inside and out, and the residence, especially the rear quarters, was actually extremely secure.

The Emperor of Yan had tacitly allowed this back then.

Presumably, he too wanted his eldest grandson to live safely.

"Prepare food."

Ji Chengjue immediately waved his two women away.

Marquis Zheng waved behind himself as well.

The Sword Saint and Xue San left the courtyard.

All at once, it became quiet.

Ji Chengjue sat in the reclining chair.

Then his eyes suddenly reddened.

His jaw pushed slightly forward.

People who were trying not to cry often made that unconscious movement, as though it could suppress the ache rising in the nose.

Marquis Zheng walked over.

He reached out.

Put a hand on Ji Chengjue's shoulder.

Just as Ji Chengjue prepared to enjoy the encouragement and support... he discovered that Zheng Fan was lifting him to his feet.

"..." Ji Chengjue.

Marquis Zheng was, after all, a peak Sixth Grade Martial Artist. Usually he stood beside people like the Sword Saint and naturally looked like nothing more than a little finger.

But before Ji Old Sixth... he was a genuine strongman.

Zheng Fan moved Ji Chengjue aside, sat down in the reclining chair himself, and leaned back.

He shifted his weight slightly.

The chair began rocking.

Ji Chengjue stood beside him and shrugged.

"Is this appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it?"

"I'm still an imperial prince. Give me a little face."

"At this point, your Sixth Master's faction is probably halfway to falling apart. The fact that I came here at all is already the greatest face I can give you."

Ji Chengjue sighed deeply and simply sat down on the ground beside him.

"Fair."

Zheng Fan was a Marquis. He could have refused to take sides.

Yet he still came.

Going through all this trouble to get here was itself support.

And encouragement.

"Your move was excellent. Shame I missed the best part at the end."

"Yeah."

Ji Old Sixth thought it was a shame too.

"But in the end, you still lost. Know what we call that in war?"

"What?"

"There have been battles where an army keeps winning and winning, then suddenly can't advance anymore, or even collapses all at once. Why? Because of the greater momentum. And clearly, the greater momentum is with the Crown Prince, not you. Fight as beautifully as you want on the local battlefield. Win battle after battle. It still doesn't matter."

"Aren't you just talking nonsense? Besides, the greater momentum isn't with the Crown Prince. It's with Imperial Father."

"Exactly. Three columns of Zhenbei troops, fifteen thousand cavalry in total, have entered the capital. They're now stationed in three districts inside the city, forming horns with the imperial palace.

"We're screwed. Absolutely screwed. His Majesty has left us no opening at all. Under the normal rules of the game, His Majesty is the arbiter, and the arbiter is blatantly favoring your opponent."

The implication was obvious.

They could only try something outside the rules.

Truthfully, Zheng Fan felt that rebelling as an imperial prince in the capital was actually easier than raising a rebel banner elsewhere in the country.

Yanjing was the empire's heart.

And an imperial prince already wore the legitimacy of a lawful heir.

A few hundred armored men, some coordination from within the palace... perhaps that alone could decide the whole realm.

The problem was that the Emperor they faced was this particular man.

Even at the end, he still held the situation in an iron grip.

Inside Yanjing... the Emperor's will remained supreme.

"Little Sixth. Do you have people inside the Imperial Guards?"

"I do."

Ji Chengjue was very honest.

"If you needed them, how many men could you pull out?"

"With money, promised offices and rewards, and complete secrecy beforehand... a thousand at most."

"A thousand isn't enough."

Three hundred Zhenbei cavalry could probably charge them once and send the whole lot scattering.

When you were staging a rebellion, morale did not come with some inherent will to die.

It came with an inherent tendency to collapse.

One setback... and the tree fell, the monkeys scattered.

"Why so few?" Marquis Zheng asked unhappily.

"That's not few." Ji Chengjue tilted his head back and looked at the sky. "They were meant to be a final escape route, enough to escort my family out of the capital at the critical moment. Lead them in an assault on the palace gates? I wouldn't dream of success even if I had the same dream ten times."

"Don't lose heart. Don't get discouraged. Think back over your old days. You'll realize you should've gotten used to this long ago."

"Zheng, is that how you comfort people? Who did I support most heavily before? Who did I hope to use as my road into military power? And what happened? The bastard rose into the clouds and flew all the way to the easternmost edge of the realm. Can I rely on him now?"

"Uh..."

"I need comfort."

"What comfort do you still need? I came here personally for one reason. Ji Old Sixth, I want to know whether you still have a way.

"If His Majesty is absolutely determined to protect the Crown Prince, are you completely finished? Not even room left to struggle once?"

"Do you have to be this direct?"

"I'm helping you. I'm smashing your fantasies directly so you'll pick up the spear of reality and thrust it straight into the miserable life standing in front of you."

"Sigh."

Ji Chengjue rubbed his face.

He would never behave like this before his wives. No matter what happened, he had to maintain the posture of head of the household.

Not for dignity.

Because he understood that the pillar holding up a house could not fall.

It could not even tremble.

One shake would frighten everyone living beneath the roof.

But before Zheng Fan... his body and his emotions became far more expressive.

"Actually, I started arranging things a long time ago. A few Lieutenant Commanders. Several guards. Not many. I slowly drew them over while Imperial Father was living in the Rear Garden.

"I wouldn't call them deathly loyal. But at least they give me a chance to try.

"All I need is to arrange their duty rotations so they're guarding on the same day. Then there's a good chance I can bring a group of men directly into the inner palace without obstruction.

"Ignore how feasible that is for a moment. Even if it works, Imperial Father is surrounded by experts from the Secret Intelligence Department. Suppose I charge in with a hundred men. Instantly controlling Imperial Father would still be a dream.

"And if I fail to control him immediately, the troops still loyal to Imperial Father will swallow my handful of men without leaving a scrap."

"So the problem is still inside the palace. As long as His Majesty is there, we have no chance."

He said "we."

Not "you."

The imperial palace was the Emperor's home.

He might have moved away and lived in the Rear Garden for a long time.

But once he returned... he remained the supreme master of this place.

Outside ministers were difficult to purge casually.

Eunuchs, palace maids, imperial guards and the rest inside the palace were different. Replacements and arrests needed no cooperation from the outer court.

The efficiency was frighteningly high.

"Not just His Majesty," Zheng Fan reminded him. "There's also the Crown Prince. You'd need to seize both at the same time."

"Mm."

"So is there still a chance?" Zheng Fan asked again. Then he explained, "Because if you really have no hope left, I'll go to the Eastern Palace and temporarily cultivate a little affection with the Crown Prince."

"You're really that realistic?"

"I'm thinking about Great Yan's future. The provinces and the central government must coexist harmoniously. You should understand my difficulties."

"There is still one chance," Ji Chengjue said.

"I don't want another literary battle. Even if you repeat what you did today at the grand court audience, even if you force the Crown Prince into a dead end again, His Majesty says one sentence and once again you've won and lost at the same time.

"That's boring as hell."

"Are you teaching me how to do things?" Ji Chengjue asked.

"Can't I?" Zheng Fan asked back.

"Zheng Fan, do you understand what you're urging me to do?"

"The same thing I've been urging you to do since the first time we met."

"But I don't have a way right now. You're a Marquis who leads armies. You should see it more clearly than I do. On the surface, Imperial Father has given me no opportunity whatsoever!

"You can't expect me to go beg Old Fourth now and ask him to open the gates with the troops under his command.

"If Old Fourth had the guts to do something like that, why wouldn't he sit on the chair himself?"

"Keep your voice down. What are you shouting for? It's just rebelling and forcing your father to abdicate. Didn't His Majesty say at today's grand court audience that he was willing to yield the throne to a worthy man?"

Zheng Fan continued rocking in the chair and reminded him:

"Fail to decide when decision is needed, and chaos will decide for you."

Ji Chengjue drew a deep breath.

Then slowly exhaled.

"Zheng Fan."

"Mm?"

"Remember what you promised me. My family."

"I'm practically the standard-bearer for good character."

"And there is one last chance." Ji Chengjue looked at Zheng Fan. "The final chance."

"Need my help?" Zheng Fan asked.

Ji Chengjue shook his head.

Zheng Fan immediately relaxed.

"Old Zheng."

"Mm."

"Did you ever imagine that the things you told me five years ago in Marquis Zhenbei Residence, the things we talked about back then... would actually become real today?"

"You mean you once doubted they would? I've always been certain this day would come."

"Because you trusted me?"

"Because I'm confident." Zheng Fan pointed to his own nose. "I've always trusted myself."

He had not finished the sentence.

The complete version should have been:

I've always trusted the Demon Kings under me.

"Do you realize that if I really become Emperor, the things you're saying to me now will leave thorns in my heart?"

"Become Emperor first, then worry about it. Besides, you're talking as if saying nothing would magically make you treat me as some loyal and virtuous minister.

"If we try to live by the proper sovereign-minister relationship, sooner or later we'll have problems.

"I'm not the Prince of Jingnan. I'm not Prince Zhenbei. My first principle is that I want to live without feeling stifled.

"Before, I had to kneel. Had to say pleasant things to people above me. Sometimes I even had to swallow a little humiliation.

"That wasn't because great men don't fuss over trifles. It was purely because I figured that once I climbed high enough, I wouldn't have to swallow humiliation anymore.

"I really can't stand being wronged."

"Actually, neither can I."

"Could you not crowd in when I'm praising myself? It makes you look shameless."

Ji Chengjue tilted his head and kneaded the back of his neck hard.

"I've been fighting Imperial Father all this time."

"Look at you, putting gold on your own face again. You've been getting abused by Imperial Father all this time."

Ji Old Sixth automatically filtered out Zheng Fan's mockery and continued on his own:

"This time, I intend to truly fight him."

As he spoke, Ji Old Sixth drew a circle in the dirt with one finger.

"This is Yanjing. You should feel it more deeply than I do. You're Marquis Pingxi, famous throughout eastern Jin, yet inside the capital your own personal capability may not even match the Sword Saint of Jin beside you.

"And precisely because the board is this small, because everything happens within a few square inches, what we need are ruthless moves and delicate moves.

"If I can't break the surface with force... then I'll use a needle to pierce the entire situation open."

"Sounds like you have a plan."

"This is the only road left. I have to take it. And afterward, I'll still need to see what you and Eldest Brother..."

"Hey. Didn't you say you didn't need me?"

"I don't need you beforehand. Afterward, I'll need the two of you to make things safer. I'll do ninety-nine steps. For the final step, I need you and Eldest Brother to stand behind me."

"The weight of just the two of us still isn't enough."

"Hardly anyone knows the two Princes aren't in Yanjing."

Ji Chengjue began laughing as he spoke.

"The fox can borrow the tiger's might. Father can do it. Why can't his son?"

"You're not going to tell me the details?"

"If you and Eldest Brother are really willing to stand out when the time comes, then stand out. The direction of the wind will be obvious.

"I'll walk the road in front first. If it goes wrong, you take care of my family.

"If it goes smoothly... if I make it... whatever you want to do, I will help you.

"Like you said, you, Zheng Fan, hate being wronged more than anything. My half a lifetime hasn't exactly gone smoothly either.

"But I want my brother's life to go a little more smoothly."

As he spoke, Ji Chengjue leaned back with both hands braced on the ground and looked at Zheng Fan.

"For fuck's sake, change your pose," Zheng Fan cursed.

Ji Chengjue sat upright again.

"Old Zheng. My father isn't a good father. But I want to be a good father. My father isn't a good brother either. But I want to be a good brother."

"Things you say in advance usually end up going the opposite way," Zheng Fan reminded him.

"What, you looking down on Yan's Little Sixth now? I treat you as my brother. I refuse to believe that one day you, Zheng Fan, will actually be willing to bring the blade down on me."

"Future matters can wait for the future. Take care of yourself first.

"Also, San'er will stay behind later and discuss escape routes for your family with the people in your residence.

"If you lose... those children of yours..."

"Like Tian Tian?"

"Dream on. They'll live rich, safe lives."

Ji Chengjue nodded.

"All right. I'm leaving. I need to go back and relieve Siniang. If His Majesty suddenly summons me into the palace, the disguise will be exposed."

Siniang could disguise herself as Zheng Fan almost perfectly because she understood him and knew him extremely well.

But if she entered the palace... no disguise would fool the people there.

"This Prince respectfully sees Marquis Pingxi off."

Ji Old Sixth rose and bowed.

Marquis Zheng stopped.

Turned around.

And saluted Ji Old Sixth.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The two exchanged one final smile.

After leaving the prince's residence, the Sword Saint asked:

"Does he still have a chance?"

"He does," Zheng Fan answered with certainty.

"You trust him that much?"

"Which 'him' do you mean?"

"There are two of them?" the Sword Saint asked.

"Yes."

"You're playing mysteries again."

"I just feel that things aren't that simple."

"But the Emperor is old. After today's outcome, the Crown Prince's position is essentially secure."

"Know when the Crown Prince's position will truly be secure?"

"When?"

"When His Majesty issues an edict granting Sixth Highness poisoned wine.

"An Emperor for the ages who wants to accomplish in one lifetime what would normally require three generations of wise sovereigns... would he really protect the Crown Prince until he ascends the throne, then casually leave a powerful younger brother at court beside him?

"I don't believe it."

"Then what exactly does the Emperor of Yan want?" The Sword Saint glanced at his own sword. "And don't play mysteries again."

"I think the old Emperor may simply not have had enough fun yet. Or maybe he hasn't played to his heart's content.

"In the final stretch of his life... he wants one enormous game.

"At the roast-duck restaurant, both Princes hinted at something like this.

"Birds of a feather flock together.

"Maybe the one who truly wants a huge disturbance... is His Majesty himself.

"You know there are people among the tribes of southwest Qian who are skilled at raising Gu, right?"

"I know. Seen them. Killed them."

Marquis Zheng smiled and nodded.

"No matter how I look at it... the Emperor's way of raising his princes looks an awful lot like... raising Gu."

[End of Chapter 699]