Crowning Himself King
*A living god*. What a grandiose title.
As if spreading the rumor across the other states weren't enough, it had even reached the Jin court.
The Crown Prince's "thoughtfulness" was truly remarkable. While dragging the Bai family's name through the mud, the moment her reputation hit rock bottom — when everyone turned to condemn her — he would extend a hand on her behalf, and under that righteous pretext, thoroughly subdue her. That was the plan.
Bai Jingyan narrowed her eyes. When a man is drowning in despair, and someone reaches out to him — makes him the grandest offer of goodwill — no matter who he is, he will be moved to tears with gratitude.
In this life, the Crown Prince's machinations against her differed from the Liang King's schemes in her past life only in method. The heart of them was exactly the same.
Ever since Xiliang had sued for peace in the Southern Border war, Bai Jingyan had been turning the question over in her mind. The imperial house had failed to tolerate even her grandfather, who had served with unwavering loyalty. What kind of minister, then, did they actually want?
Perhaps what they wanted was a minister capable of taking the field in their stead and defending the nation — yet one who submitted to them without question. A dog, in other words: one who could neither defy them nor covet any rights of his own. A man who desired no honor, who had no need of principle or backbone. A man stuffed from crown to heel with nothing but their interests, who counted it a glorious privilege to hurl his life down and become the stepping-stone beneath their feet. A man whose very marrow was packed with nothing but loyalty to them.
And how much loyalty, exactly? Enough that, were they to command him to kill his own son, he would slice off his daughter's head as well and present the two together. Enough that, if they ordered this capable minister to kill his father, he would bring back both his parents' heads as a matched pair — and then, like a dog wagging its tail, beg them pitifully for just one more glance of favor, desperate as a fool for that loyalty to be recognized.
*So the deaths of the Bai family — the Emperor probably calls that karmic repayment, debts we brought on ourselves!* And in King Xin's eyes, the Bai family were nothing but overreaching rabble-rousers who didn't know their place!
The Bai family had always had their own iron in their bones. They refused to dance to the tune of those treacherous court parasites.
What the Bai family carried in their hearts was the nation and its people — not that Emperor on his throne.
The Bai family's honor and renown had risen above the Emperor himself. They had not feared even death.
*The imperial house must believe the Bai people have only themselves to blame.*
She had been born in Jin and met with an imperial house like this. She did not yet have the strength or the means to rebel — but that was no reason to lay aside her integrity, abandon her great ambition and her dignity, and become some cur.
So she had been left no choice but to exploit the Crown Prince's psychology. She had to appear to him as a devoted minister — one who served him loyally to the marrow, yet was forever burdened with his misunderstanding because of her dignity.
Only then could she use him.
"Let's go. We need to catch up with the column."
Bai Jingyan stepped outside.
Bai Jinchi turned her head to glance out the window once more. The moment she saw Ji Nanghua coming down from the tower and leading off toward the magistrate's office the people who had spread the rumors, she hurried after her sister.
When they descended from the tavern, the street was still in an uproar over the "merchants" who had spread the rumors. The crowds were shouting that they would drag the men to the magistrate's office, suspecting that anyone who had insulted the Small White Marshal must surely be a spy from an enemy state.
Bai Jinchi mounted her horse as though she hadn't heard a word, and galloped after her sister.
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A ten-year-old boy, running errands for the men hauling timber along the city wall, was carrying an empty bowl to the teahouse that offered free tea to travelers. When he saw Bai Jingyan ride past, he lifted his head, sweating and panting, and looked at her with eyes as clear and bright as if they had been washed by rain — then chased after her.
Reaching the teahouse at last, the boy set the empty bowl hastily on a table and darted over to the old man who was boiling tea.
"Grandfather!"
The old man followed the child's pointing finger toward the city gate with clouded eyes.
"It's the Small White Marshal! Our benefactor! The Small White Marshal!"
The boy's voice rang with emotion.
The old man gazed after the gaunt figure on horseback, and his eyes trembled.
As Bai Jinchi rode out of the city behind Bai Jingyan, she was bitterly disappointed not to have seen Ninth Brother Bai Qingyun.
"Brother went to find Gu Yijian, but who knows if the master will take him as a disciple. What will Brother do if Gu Yijian refuses him?"
Bai Qingyun could no longer walk.
"Then we leave it to fate. Even if Gu Yijian won't accept him, as long as your brother still has his spirit, there's nothing to fear."
Bai Jingyan gave a faint smile.
"Trust me. Qingyun will make his name yet. You'll see."
Those who achieve great things are never content with extraordinary talent alone. They must also possess an unbreakable will.
Bai Jingyan believed her ninth brother had both.
"Small White Marshal!"
"Small White Marshal!"
At the call, Bai Jinchi and Bai Jingyan turned their heads.
The people of Fengxian were streaming out from the city gate, a crowd of them all together. At their head, holding a small child's hand, walked the only schoolteacher Fengxian had ever known.
As the two riders wheeled around, the people of Fengxian knew for certain — it was the Small White Marshal.
Every one of them dropped to their knees behind the old teacher. They were grateful to the marshal who had brought them home, grateful that they would never again have to wander as refugees. And grateful that she had crushed the Xiliang raiders, spared the lives of border folk as fragile as grass, and kept them safe.
Only a general of the Bai family — only the Bai Army — had ever treated the people of the frontier as human beings rather than beasts to be abandoned.
Bai Jingyan dismounted and bowed in salute to the people of Fengxian, then remounted and rode off with Bai Jinchi.
The old man helped his grandson to his feet. Watching Bai Jingyan and Bai Jinchi vanish into the distance, he gently stroked the head of his beloved grandson.
"Chun-ah, remember this. The Bai Army and the generals of the Bai family are the benefactors of us, the people of Fengxian."
"I'll keep Grandfather's teaching in my heart. That's how Chun-ah recognized the benefactor right away!"
The boy's voice was bright as a mountain spring. He watched the direction where Bai Jingyan had disappeared and went on, chest puffed out.
"When Chun-ah grows up, I'm going to join the Bai Army too. I'll become a general who protects the nation and its people, just like the Small White Marshal! And if fortune smiles and I meet the Small White Marshal again, I'll bow to her properly and thank her for saving my life so many times!"
"Good lad! A true man, through and through. Only one who knows how to repay a debt of gratitude deserves to be a son of the Seo family!"
The old man nodded with a smile.
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It was deep into the night before the column finally reached Wengcheng.
When Bai Jinchi entered the post station, she heard the news that Li Tianfu had been throwing a tantrum — raging about what could possibly be so urgent that they had to force-march like this, as though she were racing to her death in order to be reborn.
Bai Jinchi curled her lip.
"If Her Highness the Xiliang Princess wants to be born again, she need only say the word. I'll gladly spare her the effort."
Li Tianfu stormed out of her room, ready to demand an accounting from Bai Jinchi — but Liu Chentuo held her back. Shaking his head, he urged her not to provoke a confrontation with Bai Jinchi.
*A peace-bride princess of Tianfeng State — why is my luck so wretched?*
Li Tianfu wrung her handkerchief in her fists, forcing back her tears, and turned away sharply. She didn't even want to speak with Liu Chentuo.
At dinner, the Crown Prince specially summoned Bai Jingyan to play Go with him, and asked her whether anything amusing had happened in Fengxian that day.
Bai Jingyan placed her stone with deliberate care and answered with a pleasant smile.
"Nothing at all, Your Highness."
Zhan Yu looked at Bai Jingyan as if he wanted to say something, but could not bring himself to open his mouth. He simply bowed his head and poured her tea.
The Crown Prince clenched his teeth as well. He had given Bai Jingyan a chance, and she had trampled it.
Advisor Fang had been right. Whatever person Bai Jingyan wished to take down using the Crown Prince's own hand — the moment she went after them, her purpose would reveal itself. And did she truly imagine the Crown Prince could be used so easily?
Swallowing his fury, the Crown Prince continued the game. In fact, he thought, this might work to his advantage — he could use whoever she wanted to strike against to seize Bai Jingyan by the scruff of the neck. Tempting her with profit while menacing her with imperial authority would be far more reliable than trying to subdue her with sweet promises or empty talk of lofty ideals.
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The march out had been a hard forced ride, but the return journey required no such haste. From Mount Weng to Mount Yuqing they traveled slowly — a full eight days.
The carriage had jolted the entire way, leaving the Crown Prince utterly spent, but the news that they were about to cross Mount Yuqing jolted him suddenly awake. He sat bolt upright, pushed back the carriage screen, and looked outside. The terrain was truly vast beyond measure.
"Go — go fetch General Bai and General Zhang Danyue for me!"
he ordered Zhan Yu.
Zhan Yu answered at once, climbed down from the carriage, and crossed to the escort carriage to have the marching soldiers relay the command.
To catch a thief, you had to seize the ringleader first. He didn't know what Bai Jingyan was up to, but he had to keep her close at hand. With Zhang Danyue there as well, all he needed to do was be ready to seize Bai Jingyan first, whatever happened.
Soon Bai Jingyan and Zhang Danyue rode up and entered the Crown Prince's carriage.
The Crown Prince studied Bai Jingyan's face — composed as ever — then pushed the bamboo scroll lying on the table across to her and Zhang Danyue.
"Rebellion has broken out among the Rong Di tribes. The Rong Di King was gravely injured during a hunt and died half a month ago while being treated at the Snow Palace. His will named the King's younger brother, Afumu, as his heir.
But according to the Rong Di crown prince, after the King was wounded, Afumu had him confined in the Snow Palace, forced him to write that will, and then killed him. Afumu took the King's will, crowned himself in the Snow Palace, and founded a new state. He calls it Nandi — the Southern Di."
"Following right in Nanyan's footsteps!"
Zhang Danyue exclaimed, his brows rising.
Bai Jingyan read the scroll's contents carefully, then asked the Crown Prince.
"Did the Rong Di send envoys to Jin requesting aid?"
The Crown Prince's heart pounded. He had not expected Bai Jingyan to cut straight to the point. He shifted in his seat and nodded.
"The Rong Di sent envoys bearing treasure and jewels to beg Jin for help. They went to Liang first, I'm told — but Afumu showed up with three times as much wealth as they carried, asking that Liang not meddle in Rong Di's internal affairs."
"And so Afumu brought three times the treasure to Jin as well?"
Zhang Danyue asked.
The Crown Prince nodded.
"And on top of that, Afumu drove tens of thousands of horses here as a gift!"
"Then why don't we do the same as Liang — take all the treasure and the horses, and just stand by and watch?"
Zhang Danyue replied solemnly.
The Crown Prince looked at Bai Jingyan, lost in thought.
"What is your assessment, General Bai?"
"If the Bai Army were as strong as it was before the Southern Border campaign, then under the pretext of answering the Rong Di crown prince's plea for aid, we could have marched straight into Rong Di and stationed our troops there openly — all in preparation to swallow Rong Di whole. But though Jin emerged victorious from this Southern Border war, it was a wretched victory. Xiliang has yet to honor its promise of ceding territory, so we cannot rashly commit the Bai Army."
Bai Jingyan pushed the scroll toward Zhang Danyue and continued.
"Our intelligence reports that Liang is moving troops toward the borders of our Great Jin — but their intent is unclear."
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes.
"In the war that destroyed Shu, Jin led the charge while Liang reaped the profits from behind. The Liang Emperor is a man who loves nothing better than to profit from another's labor. Now Liang's soldiers are drawing near to Jin's frontier. What if what they want is to strike Jin in the very moment we commit our armies to aid Rong Di? When Shu was divided among us, Jin took the Pingguan fortress, and Liang has nursed that grudge ever since."
Bai Jingyan bowed her head, considering for a moment, then spoke again.
"But if Your Highness and His Majesty are willing to accept the risk, then I believe the attempt is worth making. If we swallow Rong Di, Jin gains the greatest horse pastures and warhorses in existence — and horse pastures and warhorses are the greatest weakness of Jin's great army. It was that very weakness that left us tormented by Rong Di and Xiliang for so long, was it not?"