Chapter 249
Chapter 249
“The strategy to become a king across the sea is ninety percent complete. Only the final piece remains. Once that piece is in place, our Jin Clan will find long-term stability, and your title, Father-in-law, will be elevated by a rank.”
“The rest will require a contest of strength with the King.”
“That's right. We'll need a slight contest of strength with the King. It could become extremely intense, with pressure like Mount Tai bearing down on our heads, or it could pass as if nothing happened. I'm hoping for the latter.”
“As do I!”
In this battle, the Jin Clan didn't lose soldiers or warhorses, but they paid an astronomical price in gold. For a while, they will need to enter a period of recovery to reorganize the clan and train the new recruits they've gathered. It would be best to quietly complete the strategy and then take full control of Raging Tide City.
“That depends on Prefect Zhang Chong's cooperation. I hold him in very high regard, and if we work together, it will surely bring a perfect outcome. I'm very much looking forward to the Prefect's arrival for negotiations tomorrow! I doubt anything unexpected will happen.”
* * *
The next morning, Zhang Chunhua appeared inside a tower on the walls of Raging Tide City. Her forehead was covered in wounds. The look she gave Shen Lang held no trace of flirtation; instead, it was cold. Women were all like that. No matter how clever, they could never admit defeat. Qiu Yao'er, of course, was an exception. Right now, she was neither man nor woman, but simply a pregnant person.
“Where is my brother?”
Zhang Chunhua asked. Shen Lang gestured, and Jin Hui and Thirteen brought over a coffin. Inside lay the body of Zhang Jin. The moment Zhang Chunhua opened the coffin, tears streamed down her face. She had three older brothers, but she was closest to Zhang Jin. Her eldest brother served under the Great General of Pingnan, and her second brother was a civil official in the capital, so only she and Zhang Jin had always accompanied their father. Though she had anticipated this outcome, seeing Zhang Jin's body before her made her heart ache as if it were being torn apart.
*Shen Lang, I'll kill you. I'll kill you and tear you to shreds.*
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Zhang Chunhua swallowed them back. Her father had warned her several times.
*'One can appear weak, but one must not have the heart of the weak. Some words should never be spoken aloud.'*
This was the typical mindset of the weak. If she were to shout that she would kill Shen Lang, it would be nothing more than the desperate cry of the powerless. Words that merely vented resentment should never be spoken.
“Yesterday, when your and Qiu Xiao's fleet approached Raging Tide City, Zhang Jin thought his father was on one of the ships. He desperately shouted warnings from the white tower. But knowing you couldn't hear him, he leaped from the tower, taking his own life, hoping you would see him. In the end... you didn't even see it.”
Hearing this, Zhang Chunhua collapsed to the ground, weeping even more sorrowfully. Zhang Jin wasn't his father's most outstanding son, but he was the most obedient and filial. And now, that brother was gone. After crying for a long time, Zhang Chunhua finally dried her tears and looked at Shen Lang.
“My father invites you to negotiate on the sea. Just the two of you. Of course, you may bring one guard.”
“That won't be necessary!”
Indeed, a guard wasn't necessary. With the Count of Xuanwu garrisoned in Raging Tide City, killing Shen Lang wouldn't change the fact that the Jin Clan now occupied the city. Moreover, in a way, Shen Lang and Zhang Chong were already in the same boat.
* * *
Shen Lang took a boat out to sea. Although he had said he didn't need a guard, five ships sent by the Heavenly Path Society and Jin Shiying followed him. Surprisingly, Zhang Chong's side truly only had a single boat. Some might see this and think the Jin Clan petty, but it was no great matter. His father-in-law had always been the conservative type, prioritizing safety above all else.
Zhang Chunhua escorted Shen Lang to Zhang Chong's boat and then left immediately. Only Zhang Chong and Shen Lang remained on the vessel, its sails unfurled, drifting with the current. The few ships of the Jin Clan followed closely behind, even maintaining a five-hundred-meter distance in a surrounding formation.
* * *
Shen Lang entered the cabin and was startled by the sight of Zhang Chong. In the short time since he'd last seen him, Prefect Zhang Chong had aged far more rapidly than Count Tang Lun. His once jet-black hair was now streaked with a considerable amount of white. However, he still sat ramrod straight, his eyes sharp, though he no longer possessed the same menacing aura as before.
Shen Lang stepped forward, bowed, and said.
“Greetings, Lord Zhang.”
Zhang Chong returned the greeting.
“Since the Count of Xuanwu has not come, this old man will not rise to greet you.”
Shen Lang quickly replied.
“Not at all, my lord.”
As Shen Lang was his junior, it was only natural for Zhang Chong to remain seated. Zhang Chong then poured Shen Lang a cup of tea. Shen Lang accepted it with both hands and drank it in one gulp. He wasn't the least bit worried that the tea might be poisoned.
“I am deeply sorry about what happened to your esteemed son, Zhang Jin.”
Shen Lang expressed regret, not apology. Zhang Chong waved his hand dismissively.
“What use is there in tallying favors and grudges on the battlefield?”
And then, the two fell into silence. Zhang Chong was a master politician, but not a master of social graces, nor was he particularly eloquent. Shen Lang, for his part, disliked dealing with people dishonestly.
“Shall we begin with you, Young Master Shen, or shall this old man start?”
“As I am the junior, I will begin.”
“Very well.”
“Qiu Tianwei seized Gold Mountain Island, enraging the King. I imagine you, Prefect, were also anxious.”
“His Majesty the King stated on the surface that he lacked the power to dispatch troops and reclaim Gold Mountain Island for the Count of Xuanwu, but in reality, not a day went by that he did not think of reclaiming the fief for his subject.”
“To resolve the King's worries, you, Prefect, gathered the forces of Nujiang Commandery and successfully persuaded Qiu Hu. Meanwhile, our Jin Clan set a trap on Wang'ai Island, luring Qiu Tianwei's grand army to attack.”
“The Zhang and Jin clans joined forces to annihilate the pirate Qiu Tianwei, restoring peace to the eastern waters of the State of Yue.”
“The crime of Count Jinhai, Tang Lun, colluding with the pirate Qiu Tianwei is unforgivable. Though he hails from an old noble family, he had no thought of loyalty to the King or love for his country. Instead, he conspired with bandits, bringing disaster upon our State of Yue. How can such a disloyal man have the face to hold a position in the Yue court? I implore you, Prefect, to petition the King to strip the Tang Clan of their title and confiscate all their fiefs to punish them for their treason. Only then will your new policies in Nujiang Commandery be brought to a successful conclusion.”
“The Count of Xuanwu has performed a great service and achieved great merit by dispatching troops, taking Raging Tide City, and eliminating the pirate Qiu Tianwei.”
“From this day forward, Raging Tide City is no longer an isolated fortress at sea. It has become an inseparable part of our State of Yue. Congratulations to the King on expanding his territory. You, Prefect, have led your soldiers and bravely seized the Leizhou Archipelago, establishing an immortal achievement. Our Jin Clan will not ignore your contributions and will be sure to petition the King on your behalf.”
Zhang Chong said nothing more.
“The King's new policies have benefited the nation and its people, and our Jin Clan has supported them absolutely! To set an example for the old noble families of the realm, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate will reduce its army by two thousand men.”
The two thousand men they had previously recruited would now be disbanded. When the time was right, he planned to send them to serve as guards for maritime merchant caravans. Shen Lang had calculated everything thoroughly. Zhang Chong still said nothing.
“In the battle for Raging Tide City, the government forces of Nujiang Commandery were defeated by Qiu Yao'er, and over three thousand were taken prisoner. After our Jin Clan defeats Qiu Yao'er, we will rescue those prisoners and return them to you, Prefect, completely unharmed.”
“Thank you.”
And so, the two concluded their negotiations. There were no surprises, and it didn't feel like a negotiation at all. There was no push and pull, no haggling over terms. It was as if they had already agreed, one singing a verse and the other responding in harmony. Of course, they were merely stating the public narrative for the world to see. Zhang Chong would naturally report the specific details and the full course of events truthfully to the King.
“I have already sent a secret memorial to the King. Whether what follows is a thunderous war or a gentle breeze will depend entirely on the King's will.”
“The day the King issues his decree will be the day I release the three thousand prisoners.”
“Just now, I saw the ships of the Heavenly Path Society entering Raging Tide City one after another.”
“Yes!”
After expanding its army, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate now commanded a full five thousand private soldiers. Adding the thousand pirates left by Qiu Yao'er and the thousand or so soldiers provided by the Heavenly Path Society, the forces defending Raging Tide City reached a total of seven thousand. But the most crucial point was that the Jin Clan had acquired all of Qiu Tianwei's pirate ships, giving them control over most of the seas. In contrast, Zhang Chong had to defend the dozen or so islands of the Leizhou Archipelago with Qiu Hu's four thousand pirates under his command. Now that the Jin Clan occupied all three of Raging Tide City's towers, and with the towers built by Qiu Tianwei being extremely sturdy, successfully conquering it with four thousand pirates was nothing but a fool's dream.
Did he want to wage war against the Jin Clan? To do so, the King would have to assemble a grand army of twenty to thirty thousand and build a massive fleet of warships. Only after a year and a half of such work could he take to the sea and attack Raging Tide City. Would the King be willing to pay such a high price? The war to suppress the rebellion in the Southern Scourge Nation was also raging fiercely. If the King pushed the Jin Clan too far and they defected to the State of Wu while holding Raging Tide City, the entire nation would be thrown into turmoil.
The story Shen Lang and Zhang Chong had just woven was the best possible solution, a plausible explanation to present to the world. This way, the King could save face. And on the surface, hadn't the Jin Clan won a great victory? They had expanded the territory of the State of Yue, which was no small feat. Of course, the Jin Clan had succeeded in expanding the territory where the Ning Clan had failed, which was a loss of face for the Ning Clan. Could the King tolerate his own loss of face?
Zhang Chong poured Shen Lang another cup of tea.
“Regardless of the King's final decree, this old man has been defeated in this battle. You are a young man to be feared.”
“The King will surely know of your hard work and troubles, Prefect.”
“The Count of Xuanwu and I are of a similar age. I wasted more than ten years in the past, and now I have taken a great fall. I don't know when I will be able to rise again.”
“It is not so dire. I believe you will fare well, Lord Zhang.”
Shen Lang was merely saying what was expected. He truly wasn't certain what end Zhang Chong would meet. In the battle for Raging Tide City, Zhang Chong had certainly salvaged half the situation for the King, preventing the Jin Clan from seizing the entire Leizhou Archipelago. This way, they could at least check and monitor the Jin Clan from the islands around Leizhou, preventing them from running rampant in the eastern seas.
But in the end, Zhang Chong had lost this battle against the Jin Clan. The King of Yue was a very fickle and harsh man. Therefore, no one could know what fate awaited Zhang Chong.