Chapter 884: In Dreams, I Know Not That I Am a Guest

The army returned in triumph.

Compared with the lightning speed of its departure, the procession coming home was visibly burdened by far more carts and wagons.

For the side organizing a war, expenses generally came in three major categories.

The first was mobilization money. This was an old military custom: before ordering men to work, distribute rewards first to raise morale.

At heart, it was not much different from bandits in a mountain stronghold eating and drinking their fill before descending the mountain to attack a hard target.

Of course, within the Yan military system, this particular chronic problem was not especially severe. It was more common among local military strongmen. The major field armies, such as the Zhenbei Army, the Jingnan Army line, and today’s Eastern Jin Army, had long since developed a tendency to rejoice at the sound of war as Great Yan rose and expanded.

The second expense was the continuous supply of money and grain during the war itself.

Rewards raised morale.

Money and grain kept the army moving.

The latter mattered even more than the former.

The third category was postwar rewards.

Those had always been the most important of all.

After a major campaign, if the rewards distributed afterward were insufficient, mutiny could easily erupt. Soldiers who had only just stepped off a battlefield were the hardest men in the world to control, because the stink of blood still clung to them.

And the capital of Liang had indeed solved an urgent problem.

Do it yourself and you will never go hungry.

To a certain degree, Zheng Fan had also reduced the pressure on Little Sixth when the time came to issue those later rewards.

At the same time, Prince Pingxi announced another order.

Any brothers crippled in this campaign could receive Standard Household status under Prince Pingxi Residence in eastern Jin.

The families of brothers who died in battle could receive pensions from Prince Pingxi Residence.

On the surface, this seemed like another enormous favor.

But from the perspective of a subject... it was genuine overreach.

Whose army was this?

The Son of Heaven’s army?

The court’s army?

Or the private army of Prince Pingxi?

It was one thing for Prince Pingxi to maintain his own direct troops inside eastern Jin.

Was he now planning to treat other Great Yan forces as though they belonged within his own system too, buying their hearts and gathering them beneath his banner?

Zheng Fan did not care much about those questions.

The reason he was willing to accept disabled soldiers was that most of them had not completely lost the ability to care for themselves.

In truth, men who suffered injuries on a battlefield severe enough to be genuinely beyond treatment usually had an extremely difficult time surviving at all.

Men with grave external injuries, such as missing arms or legs, could still be absorbed back into eastern Jin and used as local File Leaders, Squad Leaders, and similar grassroots officers. They could strengthen local administration at its roots.

As for their loyalty... nothing needed to be said.

Providing pensions for the families of the dead was, for Prince Pingxi, who had always been notoriously stingy, a rare instance of voluntarily opening a vein and letting the silver flow.

He had not thought too deeply about it.

During the breakout, eight thousand iron cavalry had died for him.

If he did nothing at all afterward... his conscience would not let him rest.

As for the Blind Man... he was delighted to see it.

While life remained, rebellion never ended.

No matter how difficult the road might be, a person needed to keep a little hope in his heart.

After entering South Gate Pass, Prince Pingxi directly refused every banquet invitation.

Of course, only a tiny handful of people possessed the standing to invite him in the first place.

And that same handful had long since prepared themselves to be refused.

“Father!”

The Prince walked forward and swept Tian Tian into his arms.

Tian Tian did not look fat.

But he was astonishingly solid.

Every time Zheng Fan returned from a campaign and held this godson again, he felt as though the boy had gained another layer of weight.

Xue San had once joked that this was called having excellent bone mass.

Ordinary Martial Artists, after first stepping onto the path of cultivation, needed to spend enormous amounts of time repeatedly tempering sinew and bone in order to build their physique.

People with outstanding natural talent, like Tian Tian, could skip that process almost entirely.

Worse yet... his innate frame was so excellent that even if he did nothing, his bones, sinews, and body could still surpass those others had painstakingly hammered into shape after years of training.

The Prince planted a fierce kiss on Tian Tian’s adorable cheek.

On campaign, finding an opportunity to bathe was already difficult enough.

Shaving was far too extravagant.

So the beard covering Zheng Fan’s face stabbed painfully into Tian Tian’s tender skin.

But Tian Tian merely smiled.

After setting Tian Tian down, the Prince looked toward the Crown Prince.

Ji Chuanye stood there with both hands slightly clenched into little fists.

He wanted to look.

Then did not dare look.

Like a shy little girl, he fidgeted awkwardly in place.

Prince Pingxi had always been Ji Chuanye’s idol.

And this contrast was simply far too appealing to a child.

At home, the man was a loving father.

Then he went outside... and broke an enemy capital.

Tian Tian could behave without the slightest restraint before Zheng Fan.

Ji Chuanye still felt shy.

Prince Pingxi did not favor one child over the other.

He stepped forward, picked the Crown Prince up, and even tossed him into the air several times.

“Ohhhh!”

“Hahahaha!”

Eunuch Huang had only just followed them inside.

Seeing the scene, he put on a professionally astonished expression.

Inside, however... he was calm as hell.

Prince Pingxi doing something like this to the Crown Prince?

Mm.

Was that really strange anymore?

The Crown Prince was set back on the ground with a deeply satisfied smile.

Zheng Fan walked over and sat in a chair.

Tian Tian immediately began feeling around in his clothing and found the iron cigarette case.

The Crown Prince ran off and brought over a candle.

“Mm...”

Tian Tian hesitated.

There was no fire striker, so lighting the cigarette was awkward.

He put one end of the rolled cigarette between his own lips, preparing to help light it.

The instant Zheng Fan saw this, he rose again, picked Tian Tian up, and slapped his backside several times.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Then he took the cigarette away.

“Don’t touch this.”

“All right, Father.”

Tian Tian did not feel wronged at all.

Together with the Crown Prince, he held the candle so Zheng Fan could light his cigarette.

Eunuch Huang took an imperial decree from inside his robes.

“Your Highness, this is His Majesty’s decree.”

“Chuanye, read it,” the Prince said.

“All right!”

The Crown Prince accepted the decree from Eunuch Huang.

He opened it.

The message was surprisingly short.

“Godfather, Father says he no longer has anything left he can reward you with, so he bestowed two cucumbers grown by our own family.”

“Where are the cucumbers?”

Tian Tian blinked.

“I took them and ate them.”

The Crown Prince nodded too.

“I ate one as well.”

“Oh.”

The Prince did not care.

He looked at Eunuch Huang.

“Eunuch, you’ll be returning to the capital now, yes?”

“Your Highness is correct. Once this slave had waited for Your Highness to return, I was to begin preparing immediately to return to the capital and report.”

Zheng Fan pointed toward the Crown Prince.

“You taking my godson back with you?”

The Crown Prince instinctively grabbed Tian Tian’s hand.

Tian Tian held his in return.

The two children had long since grown deeply attached to one another.

“Your Highness, His Majesty did not mention that matter in the decree. Naturally, this slave will not be taking him.”

“Mm.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

Eunuch Huang continued:

“Your Highness, this campaign has been a tremendous victory. Shangjing itself was broken. Has Your Highness considered returning to the capital for a visit?”

Naturally, those words would not have been written into the imperial decree.

Most likely they had been conveyed orally.

Once words were written down, they became the golden words of the sovereign.

If those golden words were rejected... how awkward would that be?

“This is His Majesty’s meaning?” Zheng Fan asked.

“No. No, this is only this slave. I merely took the liberty of asking. Your Highness has achieved such extraordinary merit. The entire capital will be stirred and inspired by it.”

“The Princess is about to give birth. This Prince needs to go home. Right. Carry a message to His Majesty for me.”

“This slave is listening. Your Highness, please speak.”

“For the next several years, Qian and Chu should not have the strength to do much of anything. As for me, I have spent these years campaigning north and south. I haven’t had much idle time at home.”

Hearing this, Tian Tian and the Crown Prince exchanged looks.

“With two children about to be born, I plan to stay home more and spend time with my wife and children. Tell him to hurry and put the family foundation back together. At most, five years. When the next great war begins five years from now, I do not want the boys under my command fighting on empty stomachs again.”

“Yes. This slave will certainly convey every word.”

“One more thing. I did not get to eat those two cucumbers he sent me, but I understood the sentiment.”

“Your Highness and His Majesty understand one another heart to heart. You are true kindred—”

“Don’t interrupt me.”

“This slave deserves death.”

“From now on, use the Wang River as the dividing line. Everything east of the Wang River, I will be responsible for developing. Yan proper and the rest of Jin will be his responsibility. Once I return, I’ll spend time with the children while also training troops. Over these next few years, I want to build the Eastern Jin iron cavalry properly and make eastern Jin as self-sufficient as possible. As for him, he can continue reclaiming military authority. But tell him to stop choosing idiots for the work. At most, we have five years before war starts again. There is no reason to cripple our own martial strength and waste ourselves in internal friction.”

Cold sweat began dripping from Eunuch Huang.

This was openly criticizing His Majesty’s previous mistake.

Worse... the meaning of dividing territory into separate spheres of responsibility could hardly have been clearer.

“Before making any major move involving military authority, tell him to inform me first.”

“This slave... this slave understands...”

“That’s about it. Do not alter the tone when you repeat it. Changing the tone is more likely to create problems. Oh, right. Add one final thing. I have sat on the dragon throne already. Honestly... it isn’t very comfortable. Whether I become Emperor or rebel against the throne has no particular meaning to me. My two children are about to be born. Both pregnancies are girls. I’m delighted. He can relax too. But if I ever have sons, then the affairs of the children and grandchildren can be left to the children and grandchildren themselves. I am willing to work with him and unify all Xia early. I do not want fresh waves stirred up between us, the sort of thing that pains those close to us and delights our enemies. Neither of us wants that. The main thing depends on him. The sooner we destroy Qian and Chu within our own lifetimes and unify the whole realm, the sooner our task is complete. What happens afterward... is no longer our concern. Of course, if someone insists on forcing me to do it, then I will not refuse the courtesy. He understands me. In this life, the thing I endure least is even the slightest grievance.”

“This slave... this slave understands.”

“Not one word missing. Do not change the tone. Carry it back exactly.”

“Yes. Yes.”

In truth, these were Zheng Fan’s genuine thoughts.

The Emperor was wary of a Prince who commanded enormous military power below.

The Prince himself... was also wary of the throne above.

Yet at this moment, the thing Zheng Fan wanted most remained the same.

He wanted to send troops as soon as possible and destroy Qian and Chu completely.

After all... eight thousand waist tokens were still waiting for him to dig out.

“Enough. This Prince leaves for eastern Jin tomorrow.”

“Your Highness, so soon?”

“I originally planned to leave tonight.”

Zheng Fan looked toward the two children.

“You two go pack as well. Sleep early tonight. Your younger brothers and sisters are about to be born.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Yes, Godfather.”

Eunuch Huang left.

The two children went to pack their things.

When Zheng Fan walked outside, he happened to see the Sword Saint leaning against a pillar nearby.

“That way of speaking when sending a message to the Emperor... in this lifetime, I have never heard anything like it. Even Tian Wujing back then would not have been rude to this degree.”

Clearly, the Sword Saint had heard the conversation inside.

He had not deliberately eavesdropped.

People at his level simply possessed hearing far too sharp to avoid it.

“That is because Old Tian and I are different after all. If I really were Old Tian, I would not need to say any of this. The man above would actually feel safer.”

“Then how do you think the Emperor sees you?” the Sword Saint asked.

“When both of us lay our hearts bare to each other, nobody else gets a chance to sow discord. Old Sixth Ji is used to calculating accounts, but what he is best at calculating is not small sums. It’s debts of human feeling.”

At that point, Zheng Fan laughed.

“Heh. We really are lucky the man sitting above is Old Sixth Ji. If it were anyone else, with a Blind Man in our household, we might have raised the rebel banner long ago.”

“Do you truly have no interest in becoming Emperor?” the Sword Saint asked.

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“How could I possibly have no interest? But I focus more on what lies directly in front of me. Once I go home, the life I live really won’t be much worse than an Emperor’s. The main question is whether he gives me the opportunity.”

At that moment, A’Ming walked over.

“Master, are we leaving tomorrow morning?”

“Yes. One route of troops as escort will be enough.”

At those words, the Sword Saint’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

Last time Zheng Fan had rushed home because his wife was about to give birth, he had encountered an assassination.

This time, clearly, the Prince intended to leave absolutely no opening whatsoever in his own security.

“Leave the Blind Man here to handle the handover.”

Meeting with commanders from each route, building relationships, establishing political and military understandings, managing exchanges of favors and sentiment... those things were still better left to the Blind Man.

The Blind Man enjoyed doing them too.

“Yes. I’ll notify him now. I mainly came because Fan Li and Xue San asked me to. They both miss their wives.”

“Forget Xue San. But Fan Li’s wife... that bastard isn’t actually that much of a beast, is he?”

“Who knows?” A’Ming teased.

After A’Ming left, the Sword Saint spoke again.

“On one side you say you have no intention of seizing the imperial throne. On the other, you leave your most capable subordinate here to build relationships with all these generals.”

Zheng Fan gave an easy “Mm.”

“There is one thing I have never denied. The foundation allowing me and him to enjoy a harmonious relationship as sovereign and subject is this: when he suspects you might possess the ability to overturn his realm... you had better genuinely possess that ability.”

“And you call this opening your hearts to one another?”

“This is called reality.”

...

Prince Rui brought his family fortune with him, left his fief, and came to Shangjing.

The wealth of Prince Rui Residence was donated to fill the state treasury.

Its estates were turned over to the imperial demesne.

As a member of the imperial clan, Prince Rui had truly made himself an example for everyone else.

After personally attending the first sacrifice held at the restored Imperial Ancestral Temple together with the Emperor, Prince Rui’s body finally could no longer endure.

He died of illness.

When news of Prince Rui’s death arrived, his heir Zhao Mugou fell gravely ill and could not rise from bed.

One had to remember what this Heir Prince had accomplished.

He had persuaded the Crown Prince, who had proclaimed himself Emperor, to return and confess his crimes.

Inside the Yan barbarian camp, he had loudly cursed Prince Pingxi and preserved the dignity of Qian.

He had even brought back the captured nobles and high officials.

In short, throughout the national catastrophe, this father and son had behaved impeccably.

They were admired beyond measure.

The old virtues of Emperor Taizu’s line had survived all the hardship of these generations and still inspired remembrance.

Across court and countryside, a saying had already begun quietly spreading.

The realm of Great Qian had originally been stolen by Emperor Taizong’s line from Emperor Taizu’s line.

First had come Emperor Taizong’s Northern Expedition a century earlier, where the elite armies were annihilated.

Now Shangjing itself had fallen.

Taizong’s line had obtained the throne illegitimately.

That was why calamity after calamity continued befalling the state.

...

Zhao Mugou slowly regained consciousness.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Han Sui sitting beside his bed.

“You should not have fainted at a time like this. It amounts to helping the rumors outside grow stronger. Too much is as bad as too little.”

“I wasn’t pretending...” Zhao Mugou answered helplessly.

Han Sui sighed.

“Then recover properly. Your body is the most important thing.”

“Yes... Grandfather.”

Han Sui nodded and rose.

“These days, pay attention to your tea and food.”

“I understand.”

Han Sui left.

Zhao Mugou watched his back disappear through the doorway.

He had wanted to call out and ask him to stop.

Because during the two days he had lain unconscious... he had dreamed an extraordinarily long dream.

In that dream... he saw Yan iron cavalry destroy Shangjing.

But the dream was different.

It was not what had happened before.

It was not reality.

Because in the dream, those carried away by the Yan were not merely nobles and the Empress.

The Emperor and the Crown Prince were taken too.

Just before the Yan broke the capital, the Emperor hurriedly passed the throne to the Crown Prince in an attempt to avert disaster.

In the end... both Emperor and Crown Prince were captured and taken back by the Yan.

And Zhao Mugou... went again and again as an envoy to the Yan camp, hoping they would release the Emperor and Crown Prince.

The commander of the Yan army did not seem to be Prince Pingxi.

It was another man.

His face was blurred.

The Yan looted everything they could and withdrew.

Most of Great Qian’s northern territories fell.

Zhao Mugou personally organized a volunteer army.

The Yan defeated it.

With no other choice, he fled south.

Then, with almost the entire imperial clan carried away...

Han Sui stepped forward.

In the name of returning the throne to Emperor Taizu’s line and restoring the proper foundation of the state, Han Sui called upon the officials in exile to enthrone Zhao Mugou as the new Emperor.

And so... south of the Qian River...

Zhao Mugou established a court of his own.

Right.

There had also been a woman in the dream.

She was beautiful.

Very, very beautiful.

When his volunteer army was defeated and he was forced to flee south, she had rescued him from beneath Yan iron hooves.

She accompanied him all the way south.

She protected this last bloodline of the Zhao imperial house until he finally reached Han Sui.

In the end... he made her his Empress.

She was skilled with a sword.

Her sword was fast.

Sharp.

At the beginning, one ferocious Yan soldier after another died bitterly beneath her blade.

Later, when Zhao Mugou faced assassination again and again, it was still this Empress who protected him every time.

What was her name again?

Zhao Mugou struck his own head repeatedly.

He was furious.

Furious that he had forgotten the name of a woman from a dream.

He did not know why.

He desperately wanted to remember her.

Somewhere in the unseen currents of fate, he felt as though those experiences in the dream were what should truly have happened.

Suddenly... he remembered.

In the dream, the first time she saved him from Yan pursuers, she had spoken with enormous pride:

“I am Qian’s Second Sword.”

And he had foolishly replied:

“Then Qian’s First Sword is Baili Sword?”

She had scoffed.

“Baili Sword doesn’t amount to shit. The seat of Qian’s First Sword belongs to my master!”

[End of Chapter 884]