Chapter 156
Chapter 156
The time had come to sign the contract. Count Tang Lun of Jinhai would rather die than sign it, but with the crowd watching, and three figures of immense status looking on, he had no choice but to sign and affix his seal. In that moment, the Count of Jinhai's eyes burned, and his body trembled uncontrollably. Gold Mountain Island was the lifeblood of the Count of Jinhai's Estate, nurtured for decades. For it to fall into the enemy's hands was unthinkable. And yet, Count Tang Lun of Jinhai had no choice but to lift the brush in his trembling hand and sign. He had no other options left. Next, Count Jin Zhuo of Xuanwu signed and affixed his seal.
Three copies of the contract were drawn up in total. The third copy would be sent to the capital for the King to affix his seal before being stored away. Prefect Zhang Chong was also present. He had grown gaunt in just one night. His face, already sharp and angular as if carved by an axe, had taken on an even fiercer look. His expression was blank, showing no sign of disappointment or defeat.
Meanwhile, Shen Lang, though seated beside his wife, glanced over at Zhang Chunhua. From morning until now, this vixen hadn't looked at him once.
‘Hah! Women are all the same. When your family was poised to win, you'd come to seduce me every day, practically clinging to my leg. Now that I've won a small victory, you won't even give me the time of day.’
Today, Zhang Chunhua was also dressed beautifully. Unlike her previous modest, scholarly attire, she wore a red skirt that accentuated her bewitching face. When Shen Lang glanced at her once, Zhang Chunhua showed no reaction. When he looked a second time, her face remained impassive. The third time he looked—ouch! A sharp pain shot through his side. Mulan had pinched the flesh on his waist and twisted it a full 180 degrees. Shen Lang nearly teared up from the pain.
Mulan, a peerless beauty, was still smiling. It was as if she were a peacock spreading its tail, radiating her own beauty to overwhelm Zhang Chunhua. Shen Lang wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, leaned in, and kissed her on the lips. Everyone watching was stunned. Every man present seethed with jealousy, silently cursing him.
‘That sickly-looking bastard has no shame.’
The hearts of all the women fluttered.
‘What a bold husband. If my man were to kiss me in front of everyone like that, I think I'd faint!’
Mulan's face flushed red, and she released her grip on his side. She felt a sweet thrill, but at the same time, she wanted to dig a hole and hide. Unlike her husband, she was very particular about decorum. Royal Uncle Ning Yuanxian also saw the scene but pretended he hadn't. This was a solemn occasion, a sacred signing ceremony between the Count of Xuanwu and the Count of Jinhai, mediated by three powerful figures. The fate of the Jin Clan hung in the balance. To be shamelessly flirting with his wife at such a crucial moment—he felt the moral standards of today were not what they used to be.
After signing, the Count of Jinhai bowed to Royal Uncle Ning Yuanxian and the other two before leaving abruptly without a word. Perhaps because he was in the presence of three men of supreme status, he didn't dare throw a tantrum or curse about the unfairness of the outcome. He might resort to actions worse than curses, but he would not stoop to uttering them here. Just then, Prefect Zhang Chong stepped forward and bowed to the Count of Xuanwu, who returned the gesture. It was strange. Zhang Chong and the Count of Xuanwu were mortal enemies, locked in a feud that could only end with one of them dead. It was no exaggeration to say that Zhang Chong was behind every attack on the Jin Clan. And yet, the two men showed no open hostility, maintaining perfect courtesy from beginning to end.
Zhang Chong then turned and bowed to the three dignitaries.
“Zhang Chong takes his leave!”
Royal Uncle Ning Yuanxian returned the gesture.
“Prefect Zhang, take care.”
Zhang Chong left with his son and daughter. Royal Uncle Ning Yuanxian turned to the Count of Xuanwu.
“Xuanwu, I will be returning to the capital to report this matter to the King. But there is something I feel I must say to you, though I hesitate to do so.”
“Please, Your Highness, speak freely.”
“To follow the tide is to survive; to resist is to perish. Your family may have won this contest, but you cannot change the greater tide. If you bend now, you might at least protect your family. If this escalates to a fight to the death, you will face a great catastrophe.”
Royal Uncle Ning Yuanxian wasn't threatening him; he was offering sincere advice. He hoped that Count Jin Zhuo of Xuanwu would, like Viscount Zhu Nanzheng, surrender his family's fiefdom and military authority to the King, keeping only a manor of ten thousand *mu*. In doing so, he would lose power but could still live a life of wealth and splendor.
Count Jin Zhuo of Xuanwu replied.
“My family's legacy was passed down by our ancestors. I cannot be the one to let it crumble. I would rather die than live in disgrace.”
Royal Uncle Ning Yuanxian said no more. The Count of Xuanwu was as rigid and inflexible as ever. He didn't even know how to refuse politely. He truly was as hard and unyielding as a turtle's shell.
“Farewell.”
With that, Royal Uncle Ning Yuanxian left with the other dignitaries. From beginning to end, Duke Weiwu and Marquis Suoxian never even exchanged a single greeting with the Count of Xuanwu. Unlike the Royal Uncle, Marquis Suoxian wished for the destruction of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, while Duke Bian Wu of Weiwu was so arrogant that a man like Count Jin Zhuo was simply beneath his notice.
***
Several hours earlier, Viscount Zhu Nanzheng and Qiu Xiao, leading two hundred elite warriors, had finally traveled the two hundred *li* to reach Xuanwu City. However, they did not head for the northern dam. Instead, they gathered more men. Qiu Xiao rounded up several hundred pirate experts, while Zhu Nanzheng gathered the guards he had left at the Xuanwu prefectural manor. In addition, the Count of Jing'an's Estate mustered all the warriors they had stationed in Xuanwu City. Having assembled a force of over five hundred elite warriors, they used the cover of the final darkness before dawn to race madly toward the dam north of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.
Dawn was approaching, but the torrential rain still fell as if to overturn heaven and earth, and not a soul could be seen on the roads. The five hundred warriors led by Viscount Zhu Nanzheng had all changed into pirate attire. The 'pirate attire' consisted of little more than leather armor and a black cloth covering their faces, with holes cut out for their eyes, nose, and mouth.
The five hundred warriors raced madly for dozens of *li* and finally arrived at the dam, thirty *li* north of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. The dam stretched between two mountain valleys, measuring thirty *zhang* in length and seven *zhang* in height. This and the several connected dams were the product of three years of labor by the Jin Clan, mobilizing tens of thousands of workers.
Of course, the dam had been built well over two hundred years ago, and trees now grew upon it. But it remained incredibly sturdy, like a giant with its arms outstretched, holding back a hundred square *li* of water. Because these dams had been successfully built, Lu River County and Yangwu County could irrigate countless fields without worry, reaping bountiful harvests every year.
This dam was called the Jin Xu Dam. This was because the construction of this great dam had been overseen two hundred years ago by the Count of Xuanwu, Jin Xu. There were two watchtowers on the dam, where a group of warriors stood guard every hour. At its peak, there were twenty guards; at its lowest, there were always six or seven.
Viscount Zhu Nanzheng looked at the magnificent dam and felt a pang of jealousy.
‘Who does the Jin Clan think they are, building a dam grander than my family's? Since it's so majestic, the thrill of destroying it in a moment will be all the greater.’
The heavy rain had continued for a day and a half, and the reservoir's water level had risen to an extreme height. With such immense water pressure, a single breach would be enough to cause a flood that would bring down the entire dam. It is said that even a thousand-*li* dike can collapse from a single anthill; how could this dam withstand a large breach?
‘This dam, built by the Jin Clan over several years with countless men and resources, will be brought down by me, Zhu Nanzheng, in a single stroke. And… what a thrilling scene it will be. The Count of Xuanwu's fiefdom, spanning over a thousand square kilometers, with more than ten towns and a hundred villages, will all be submerged. How many homes and fields will be destroyed? How many people will die? A thousand? Ten thousand? Only the heavens know! How much money will the Jin Clan lose? That, too, only the heavens know. This will not only completely offset any gains they made from retaking Gold Mountain Island but also deal them a fatal blow, enough to annihilate their clan.
The heavens are on my side! This torrential rain, falling for a day and a half without cease, must be a sign from the heavens, an opportunity for me to destroy the Jin Clan. You commoners who are about to die, do not blame me, Zhu Nanzheng, for my cruelty. Blame yourselves for being born as subjects of the Jin Clan. One cannot achieve great things without being ruthless. It is said that those who aspire to greatness do not concern themselves with trivial matters.’
Zhu Nanzheng asked.
“Are all the tools ready?”
“Everything is ready.”
“Send three hundred men to patrol the area like a dragnet. Kill anyone you encounter. Have fifty men infiltrate the two watchtowers on the dam and kill all the Jin Clan guards. The remaining one hundred and fifty will use all their strength to dig through the dam! We will destroy the Jin Clan's century-old legacy and bring despair and death to the countless people of the Xuanwu fiefdom! We will make the Jin Clan and that despicable Shen Lang regret ever making an enemy of us!”
***
Ten-odd *li* north of the Viscount of Nanshan's Estate, the dam of the local reservoir was rather small. It was only ten *zhang* long and five *zhang* high. This dam, too, was built with the Zhu Clan's private funds, and so it was called the Nanshan Dam. The reservoir above the Viscount of Nanshan's Estate was connected to the Lu River Reservoir, but it was really just a tributary. The Jin Clan had once invested vast amounts of manpower and resources to build the Jin Xu Dam for the welfare of over a hundred thousand people. In contrast, the Zhu Clan's dam and reservoir were built solely for their own family's benefit.
Zhu Nanzheng's fields, mountain lands, farms, and horse pastures were all concentrated in this valley. Despite the heavy rain, it was not difficult to see the opulence of the Zhu Clan. Their castle was not as large as the Jin Clan's, but it was magnificently and lavishly constructed with large amounts of white marble, with a river flowing beneath a small bridge. The Jin Clan's castle resembled a military fortress, but the Zhu Clan's castle was filled with the hedonistic atmosphere characteristic of the aristocracy, boasting dozens of gardens, large and small.
The King preferred hedonistic nobles like them and disliked prudent, diligent nobles like the Jin Clan, who cared for their people. The legacy of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate consisted of its entire fiefdom, Wang'ai Island, and several thousand private soldiers. But the century-old legacy of the Viscount of Nanshan's Estate was all contained within this valley. Countless fertile fields, gardens, and luxurious mansions.
***
To cover the two hundred *li* as quickly as possible, Jin Hui rode madly through the night, changing horses five times. Finally, just as the sun was about to rise, he reached the Zhu Clan's reservoir, the Nanshan Dam. He had prepared for a life-or-death battle, but when he arrived at the dam, he was surprised to find not a single soul in sight. There was a watchtower on the Viscount of Nanshan's reservoir dam, but when Jin Hui arrived, all five soldiers inside were fast asleep. A particularly jarring sight was two men sleeping naked under the same blanket.
One man, judging by his long beard, was clearly an officer. The young man beside him had handsome features, but his eyes were tear-filled and his expression was vacant. Jin Hui truly did not want to know the story behind this scene. He immediately drew his dagger and made a swift cut. In an instant, the pair of male lovebirds under the blanket lost their lives. He then easily dispatched the three remaining Zhu Clan warriors and was about to begin his important task.
Just then, he heard a sound from behind. Jin Hui lunged like lightning, bringing his blade to the person's neck, ready to slice off their head with all his might. But he quickly stayed his hand. Before him was a woman, her clothes in disarray, her hands and feet bound, her body covered in wounds. He didn't have to think hard to know what had just happened to her here.