Chapter 960: All Under Heaven, Changed Beyond Recognition

“Ow... gentler... hiss...”

Siniang removed the silver needles one by one from Zheng Fan’s chest and smiled.

“Master, the fact that it hurts means the hidden damage left by your failed advancement has basically cleared.”

“Mm.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

Once every needle had been removed, he habitually reached out and pulled Siniang into his arms.

Over the years, Zheng Fan could clearly feel that his appearance had matured.

In other words... he had entered middle age.

Fortunately, he had kept training.

With the physique of a Martial Artist, he had at least avoided becoming potbellied like Little Sixth back in the capital.

Siniang, however... her appearance seemed not to have changed at all.

She looked almost exactly as she had the first time they met at the inn in Hutou City.

Many people naively imagined how wonderful it would be if their partner could remain forever young.

When it actually happened in front of you... the repeated episodes of aching waist and weak knees could supply an endless stream of despair and pressure.

Fortunately... it was a happy kind of pressure.

“Your Highness.”

Liu Dahu reported from outside.

“Enter.”

Siniang rose and left her Master’s embrace.

“Reporting to Your Highness, General Li has sent a dispatch.”

Under ordinary circumstances, each command exchanged one report with central headquarters in the morning and another in the evening.

If something unusual happened, urgent dispatches were added as needed.

Zheng Fan opened the military report and skimmed it.

Then he raised one hand and rubbed between his brows.

The report said that recently the Chu forces in Wenqiu Commandery had begun making several larger and somewhat unusual movements.

Li Chenghui requested permission to judge and respond to the situation on his own authority.

Zheng Fan was not worried about the so-called unusual movements.

Under the current circumstances, soldiers faced soldiers and generals faced generals.

The battle line stretched so far that almost nothing remained truly secret.

The real purpose of Li Chenghui’s report was to probe how much initiative he possessed.

His hands were itching.

The generals under him were itching too.

They were struggling to resist the urge to move.

After all, although Li Chenghui’s command had been reorganized under the Standard-Household system after entering eastern Jin, its original framework had largely been preserved.

They had been in eastern Jin for five years without having time to establish serious military merit.

Now... they urgently wanted the chance to prove themselves.

“Master, is it troubling?” Siniang asked with concern.

Zheng Fan shook his head.

He picked up his brush, apparently intending to write a reply.

Then he hesitated.

A response that was neither heavy nor light might fail to achieve anything.

So he looked directly at Liu Dahu.

Liu Dahu understood and stepped forward.

Zheng Fan tossed his princely command token straight into Liu Dahu’s hands.

Liu Dahu caught it and dropped to his knees.

“This subordinate awaits orders!”

Zheng Fan then tossed Li Chenghui’s military report down in front of him.

“Take this Prince’s command token into Li Chenghui’s command tent. In front of every general under him, take this memorial and slap it directly into Li Chenghui’s face for me.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Liu Dahu took the token and left the command tent.

Zheng Fan closed his eyes and remained seated in the commander’s chair.

Siniang reached out and massaged his temples with just the right pressure.

“Is Master angry?” she asked.

“Not to that degree. Oh, right. Letters came from the children at home. Want to read them?”

Siniang asked:

“Did that little wretch write one too?”

“No. Big Girl wrote that her little brother misses us very much too.”

“He’s just certain I’m too far away to hit him, so his skin is itching again.”

“You could be a little gentler with our son. He is our own flesh and blood, after all.”

“All right, all right.”

Siniang sighed helplessly.

“What I’m worried about now is those two little ones causing some other disaster while we’re away.”

“Relax. Before we left, I spoke with Old Sha and asked him to help watch the children. Until we return, neither of them is getting out of the Residence. Once this battle is over, we’ll bring them with us. It’s about time they learned a few things.”

“Your Highness, the Grand General has arrived.”

“Enter.”

Liang Cheng came inside and saluted.

“Master.”

“Perfect timing. Li Chenghui just sent a dispatch saying something unusual was happening on his side and asking to handle it himself. I’ve already sent Dahu with my princely token to slap the report into his face. If I’d known you were arriving now, I could have had you stop by along the way.”

“He is probably finding it difficult to suppress the army’s restless desire to fight. Truthfully, every command is the same.”

“Exactly. So I sent Dahu to help him remember. This battle is about stability. What we’re competing over is who can endure boredom longer. Who can lie flatter. I’m prepared to spend the winter here.”

“With Master personally sitting here, this subordinate feels much more at ease.”

“Heh-heh.”

Zheng Fan could not help laughing.

“I genuinely can’t tell whether I’m always too insecure or whether your flattery is just that stiff. Every time you praise me, it somehow sounds as if you’re mocking me.”

“This subordinate would not dare.”

“Enough. Go. Gou Moli should already be moving. As for me, I’ll keep lying here and fish across the distance with my imperial brother-in-law.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

...

“Long live His Majesty! Long live! Long, long live!”

“Long live His Majesty! Long live! Long, long live!”

The Emperor of Chu’s gaze paused briefly on Prince Ding’s severed arm before moving away.

Looking at Xie Yu’an, Xiong Tingshan, and the core generals kneeling before him, the Emperor did not even sit in the commander’s chair.

Instead, he spoke directly.

“We did not come to the front this time to supervise the battle. We only came to look for Ourselves, so We would know the situation in Our heart. Whatever you lack, We will find some way to supply from the rear. At present... that is about all We can do.”

“Your servants are ashamed!”

“Gentlemen, the future of Great Chu, the future of the Chu people, rests upon your shoulders. We will bear it together with you.”

“Your servants swear loyalty unto death to Your Majesty! Loyalty unto death to Great Chu!”

The Emperor did not remain inside the command tent for long.

After the brief audience, he left.

The man accompanying him was not his brother Prince Ding, but Xie Yu’an.

The military camp here was not, strictly speaking, right on the front line.

More accurately, Yan and Chu had spread their forces so widely and stretched the front so far that distinguishing exact front and rear positions no longer carried much meaning.

“On the road here, We encountered a band of Savages too. Our guards killed them all. We even personally killed one.”

“Your Majesty is mighty.”

The Emperor pulled an orange from his sleeve and began peeling it.

Seeing this...

Xie Yu’an’s eyelid twitched involuntarily.

He immediately changed direction.

“Actually, this minister already explained it clearly in my memorial. To Prince Pingxi Residence in eastern Jin, Savage lives are not especially valuable. They may even be hoping as many of these Savage auxiliaries drawn through the pass as possible get consumed.”

“We know what methods Our imperial brother-in-law uses on the Savages. It is an extremely sophisticated art of domestication.”

“Your Majesty’s methods are extraordinarily sophisticated as well.”

In truth, large formations composed of Shanyue troops had already begun appearing throughout Great Chu’s imperial-clan Imperial Guards.

Compared with previous reigns, the present Emperor’s exploitation and development of the Shanyue could genuinely be called unprecedented.

The price... was the decline of the noble houses.

The ancestors of Chu’s noble clans had all risen by following the First Marquis of Chu in campaigns against the Shanyue.

That history was their glory.

So the old Chu aristocracy had not merely suppressed imperial power much as Yan’s great clans once had.

Its existence had also left deep ethnic tensions inside Chu for generations.

The Xie Clan possessed Shanyue blood.

Even though its lineage also descended from ancient nobility, for a very long time it had remained unable to enter the core circle of Chu aristocrats.

If even the Xie Clan had suffered that treatment... the situation elsewhere needed little explanation.

But fortune’s wheel had turned.

Today, with father and son of the Xie Clan both occupying high positions, the Xie household had instead become the support upon which Chu’s suppressed noble factions leaned.

Meanwhile, the Emperor of the Xiong Clan—the very imperial house those nobles had once elevated to the throne—now relied with one hand upon a system of poor commoners and lowborn men that broke aristocratic monopoly... and with the other upon the Shanyue.

Everyone... had changed households.

“Xu Weichang is dead,” the Emperor said. “Before he left, he submitted one final memorial. In it, he cursed Us viciously.”

“That was his temperament. Your Majesty need not take it to heart.”

“He was right.”

The Emperor suddenly stopped walking.

At the same time, he held the peeled orange out to Xie Yu’an.

Xie Yu’an accepted it and began “gnawing” through it.

Juice dripped down the robes of his Grand Commander’s uniform.

“But even if he was right... We still do not believe We were wrong.”

Xie Yu’an swallowed the entire orange like a starving man and released a long breath.

Then he immediately answered:

“This minister thinks the same.”

“Truly?”

“Truly.”

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction.

Then pulled out another orange.

“...” Xie Yu’an.

“Continue speaking your true thoughts.”

“Your Majesty, if Yan was destined to produce a man like Zheng Fan, then even if Your Majesty had done nothing, Great Chu’s situation would not be much better than it is today. Perhaps... Great Chu’s national strength would not have become this weak. But in truth... Great Chu itself would be even more fragile. At least now, Your Majesty can twist Great Chu into a single rope.”

“It is We and your Xie Clan who have twisted Great Chu into a single rope together.”

“This minister is ashamed.”

“No need to be. The Emperor of Yan can sit as an equal beside Our imperial brother-in-law. We may not have matched his father, but are We somehow not even equal to his son? Speak about the war.”

“Yes. This time, the Yan army is remarkably patient.”

“They finally have silver in their pockets. They’re no longer barefoot. And that man understands enjoyment better than anyone. Once he has savings, naturally he knows even better how to spend them comfortably. We ask only one thing. What is the best possible outcome for Great Chu in this war?”

“This minister would not dare deceive Your Majesty. In truth, Your Majesty should already understand. The best possible outcome for Great Chu is to use this iron chain across Moya, Wenqiu, and Shangyang Commanderies... to hold the Yan army here. Force the Yan... to accomplish nothing and withdraw on their own.”

“The same as when Nian Yao was here.”

“Yes. This minister has heard rumors among the common people already. They say one Old Turtle Nian left, only for an Old Turtle Xie to replace him.”

“Hahahaha.”

The Emperor laughed.

Then handed the second peeled orange to Xie Yu’an.

Xie Yu’an could only accept it and continue eating in huge bites.

“Qian’s support will arrive soon.”

“It is enough if they send grain, supplies, and military equipment. There is no need for Qian troops to come.”

“Mm. They never intended to send troops anyway. Do you know what the Qian people fear most now?”

Xie Yu’an wiped orange juice from the corner of his mouth and smiled.

“They fear the Yan will pull another feint east and strike west.”

“Yes.”

“There is no solution to that. After the Yan seized the Three Jins, the entire north became their horse range. Eight hundred years ago, the Barbarians occupying one corner of the northwest were enough to leave all Great Xia unable to sleep in peace. Today’s Yan... is many, many times stronger than the Barbarians at their peak.”

“Letting the Yan take the Three Jins was the greatest mistake.”

“Your Majesty did everything possible at the time.”

“No need to comfort Us.”

“This minister wasn’t... *hic*...”

Xie Yu’an saw the Emperor pull out a third orange.

Fortunately... the Emperor did not start peeling it.

Instead, he faced north and said:

“Our imperial brother-in-law hates taking losing bargains most of all.”

“Your Majesty, just treat this minister as General Nian.”

Xie Yu’an reached down and made a slicing gesture across his lower body.

“And General Nian after taking the knife, at that.”

The Emperor looked at Xie Yu’an without speaking.

Xie Yu’an licked his lips.

Then he knelt solemnly.

“Your Majesty, this minister considers himself supremely clever. But this minister does not believe I can compare with the man across from us. So... I will choose to do nothing. Only hold. Only defend. Only be a turtle. A turtle... with no distracting thoughts. I also ask Your Majesty to extinguish every other thought and concentrate on coordinating logistics and military supplies from the rear while keeping the court calm. Sovereign and minister shall each fulfill his charge. Together... we will shelter Great Chu through this calamity.”

The words were already extremely grave.

They were also far from polite.

And what came next was even less polite.

“Your Majesty, Shanggu Commandery fell into Yan hands many years ago. Sansuo and Liusha Commanderies had long since become empty shells, nothing more than meat already sitting beside the Yan’s mouth. The situation around Fan City has been rotten for years too. The territory that was going to be lost... has already been lost. To fight for it again now would only make the overall situation deteriorate further. Great Chu today... is still Great Chu. But lose one more battle... Your Majesty... you will no longer be the sovereign of a state... only the lord of one.”

“We... understand.”

The Emperor raised his head.

“We will not say another word about affairs at the front. This place... We entrust to you.”

At that moment, a squad of Phoenix Nest Internal Guards hurried toward them.

The men actually belonged to two different groups.

One served within the army.

The other attended the Emperor personally.

“Read it.”

“This minister obeys.”

Xie Yu’an rose and accepted the message delivered by the Phoenix Nest Internal Guard.

When he turned to report to the Emperor... he found His Majesty peeling the third orange again.

“Your Majesty, this is intelligence from eastern Jin. Reinforcements sent by the Yan court have already entered eastern Jin.”

“Was the report slow in reaching us, or did the Yan troops march slowly?”

Planting agents inside eastern Jin had become increasingly difficult.

Correspondingly, intelligence now traveled more slowly too.

“Neither,” Xie Yu’an answered.

“Oh?”

“The secret message says the Yan court troops entering eastern Jin were ordered... to lay down their armor and return to the fields.”

“Lay down their armor and return to the fields?”

The Emperor sounded surprised.

“It says Prince Pingxi Residence issued the order because eastern Jin had mobilized too many soldiers and laborers to the front. So the court reinforcements were ordered to help... rush the autumn harvest.”

...

“Yeeeeee... HAAAAAA!”

Dressed in full armor, Gou Moli galloped wildly while releasing one long howl after another.

Behind him stretched an endless body of Savage cavalry.

Their armor gleamed.

Their weapons were sharp.

Their morale... was high.

For one dazed instant, Gou Moli almost recovered the feeling of those days when he had still been the Savage King.

Only... he did his best not to think about it too carefully.

No matter the subject... rough memories were always more beautiful than close inspection.

The main body of the Savage army raised at Fan City for years had finally been unleashed.

Following the Qishan Mountains, they began racing south.

Like a knife sharpened and prepared long ago... sliding down between Chu’s ribs.

Along the road, the results of years of placement, infiltration, and preparation began appearing one after another.

Fortified villages surrendered in clusters.

Some military forts even opened their gates voluntarily and chose submission.

Gou Moli made full use of cavalry mobility throughout the advance.

His purpose was simple.

Reach one of Chu’s great arteries early... and cut it.

In sharp contrast to Gou Moli’s magnificent charge... two hundred li south of his vanguard...

Xie Zhuyang sat steadily atop the walls of Guyue City in full armor.

“Clan Head, the Yan army at Fan City has moved!”

Xie Zhuyang nodded and rose.

Facing north, he said in a deep voice:

“Transmit the order. The bag... can be prepared.”

“We obey!”

Xie Zhuyang reached out and lightly patted the battlement.

Behind Guyue City—in other words, farther south—the waterways were dense.

The Chu court had deliberately dredged them in earlier years.

When General Nian had campaigned against Qian, he too had led his army through this region.

Now... these waterways had become the largest channel connecting Qian and Chu.

The moment the Yan Emperor and the Yan Regent Prince announced their declaration of unification to all All Xia, Qian cargo ships had begun appearing throughout these rivers.

Both Qian and Chu now understood perfectly well that neither possessed the capital to fight the other anymore.

Their relationship had become one where the lips and teeth depended upon each other.

If Chu failed to hold...

Qian would be next.

Guyue City was the largest and final barrier north of this entire region.

If it fell, the Yan would be free to raid these waterways and sever the flow of support between the two states.

“Nian Yao must have seen this step back then too. That is why he was willing to risk himself to pull out that nail at any cost.”

Xie Zhuyang raised his head and looked at the sunset.

He smiled.

“If the nail could not be pulled out... then waiting for it to jump out by itself works just as well.”

Xie Zhuyang gazed out over the magnificent rivers and mountains before him.

He could not help sighing.

“What a pity. This splendid realm is like a painted scroll. What a hatred... that the Yan are so rampant and unrestrained. Otherwise... your father would have staked everything to fight you a throne to sit on!”

“It is not too late even now.”

A woman’s voice sounded beside Xie Zhuyang.

He showed no surprise at all.

It was clear he had long known she was there.

The woman wore blue silk.

Her feet were bare.

She gave off an otherworldly, almost ethereal impression.

“Clan Head Xie, did you take the antidote I gave you?” the woman asked.

Xie Zhuyang shook his head.

“Merely a sterilizing drug. You think I had no idea my own son was feeding it to me?”

“You truly adore that son of yours.”

“You have never raised children. You would not understand. You can sire a whole litter of sons and still not get one as thoughtful and satisfying as him.”

“Hehehe.”

The woman laughed.

“Clan Head Xie truly sees things clearly.”

“There is one thing I have never understood.”

“Ask.”

“Today, every clear-eyed person in All Xia can see that the great momentum lies with Yan. Your sect has hidden from the world for a hundred years. Now that you have finally emerged, why not go to Yan and add flowers to brocade? Why insist on coming to Great Chu to deliver charcoal in the snow? And when I offered to introduce you to His Majesty, you refused. Could it be... Sect Master has taken a liking to these old bones of mine? Or perhaps... you prefer my son? Feel free to choose. My son and I are very close.”

“Hahahahahaha...”

The woman laughed again.

She laughed until tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

Then... her gaze abruptly hardened.

One palm slapped against the battlement.

A deep handprint appeared in the stone.

Even the surrounding bricks and tiles trembled from the impact.

“A hundred years ago, my master ordered the entire sect to shut its gates and withdraw from the world. We were to accumulate a century of momentum. Then, when Heaven and Earth settled anew, we would emerge and follow the tide... in exchange for three hundred years of glory. The gates were closed. But even when a gate is shut... one still has to open the window from time to time and let in some air. And the more we looked... the more we realized... we could not remain hidden any longer. Unbelievable. Inexplicable. This world... has somehow already been changed... beyond recognition!”

[End of Chapter 960]