Chapter 357
Chapter 357
Ning Yuanxian lifted the cup of strongly brewed tea and took a fierce gulp. He didn’t normally enjoy his tea so strong. He valued his health and always preferred it lightly steeped. But today, he drank the dark brew as if it were a potent spirit. In contrast, Duke Weiwu, Bian Wu, had always favored strong tea. He took the teapot instead of the cup, pouring directly into his own and drinking it down in continuous sips. He acted with remarkable freedom in Ning Yuanxian’s presence.
“Brother, Su Nan has escaped, and we cannot catch him. He aims to achieve a great victory with little effort, to bring a new Yanzhou tragedy upon our State of Yue. He has schemed to join hands with the State of Jiang and make himself a king.”
At the mention of the Yanzhou tragedy, Bian Wu’s expression remained unchanged. Everyone considered it the blemish of his life. At the time, Bian Wu had been the Grand Marshal of the State of Wu’s southern army, poised to reach the highest office among the officials. In the end, he betrayed the King of Wu, leading a hundred thousand troops and the territories of three commanderies to defect to Yue, which resulted in Wu’s devastating defeat in the war. No matter how lofty his position in Yue became, the fact that he had betrayed his former lord was an undeniable stain.
But Bian Wu paid it no mind. He had betrayed the King of Wu only because the king had first wronged him. How had his father and son died? Furthermore, he and Ning Yuanxian were sworn brothers. During that most critical moment, Ning Yuanxian, then the Crown Prince of Yue, had personally entered Bian Wu’s military camp. Bian Wu still remembered the scene. The two sides were in a tense standoff. This king before him might not be known for his everyday courage, but at crucial moments, he displayed great wisdom and a willingness to take risks.
King Ning Yuanxian continued.
“It will take time for Su Nan to return to his fiefdom, and even more time to weave his conspiracy and ally with Wu, Chu, Jiang, Nangu, and the Shaman tribes. That time is a golden opportunity for us to disrupt the enemy’s rhythm. Therefore, we must be the ones to strike first. We will attack with a small force, but it must be a victorious battle that deals them a heavy blow.”
“Your sworn brother shall lead the army to attack the State of Wu. It must be a bloody and brutal fight, but the scale of the war must be small. The current treasury cannot support two major wars. We must achieve a brilliant victory in a small-scale conflict. We must kill enough of them to make the State of Wu howl in agony, to display our might so that the surrounding nations tremble in fear.”
In some situations, one retreats to advance. In others, one must attack in order to retreat. And sometimes, one fights in order not to fight. This was not the first time such a brilliant decision had been made in the State of Yue. Yue had fought several world-shaking, small-scale wars, and the effect had always been excellent.
“Then we must risk a surprise attack.”
The king replied to Bian Wu’s words.
“We must use the tactic of feinting east to attack west!”
“Though the King of Wu is young, he is a formidable figure. It will be difficult to deceive him.”
“I will personally put on a play. That should be enough to pin down the bulk of Wu’s main army. In that opening, you will make your move, brother.”
Hearing this, Bian Wu was greatly astonished.
“Your Majesty means to pretend to lead a punitive expedition, personally leading troops to Tianbei Province and feigning a decisive battle with the King of Wu at Shangye City?”
“Correct. Moreover, I will draw half the soldiers from your army in Yanzhou. In any case, we will create the appearance of a storm brewing, a decisive battle between Wu and Yue.”
“Then what of the State of Chu?”
“Speed is paramount in military command. Chu has friction with both the State of Liang and the new Kingdom of Daqian to its northwest; they won't be able to react so quickly. As for Su Nan, he will absolutely not dare to openly betray Jiang and declare himself king before Jiang’s civil war is over. Therefore, we must fight this battle as a swift, decisive strike! It is a battle fought to avoid a war. We must make them believe we possess terrifying combat strength. If this proves Yue’s might, the surrounding nations that hope to take advantage of us will retreat in fear.”
“But Your Majesty, for you to leave the capital in such an emergency will cause unrest in the court.”
It should not be forgotten that Su Nan was the pillar of the neutral faction; his supporters in the court were legion. The king shook his head at Bian Wu’s words.
“No. The officials who clung to Su Nan are all rootless trees. They only joined the neutral faction to avoid supporting one of the princes in the succession struggle. On the surface, they seem formidable, but once the pillar of the neutral faction crumbles, they will scatter like beasts, unable to withstand the storm. As long as the Crown Prince and Yingqi remain, they cannot overturn the court. There is no need to worry about them. If they dare to cause any trouble, we will simply kill them without mercy. Such civil officials are like leeks that grow back when cut; even if we cut them down, others will soon fill their places.”
The king had laid out a bold and extremely risky plan. But to miss this window of opportunity could lead to an even more catastrophic collapse, a decline they would witness with their own eyes. Bian Wu narrowed his eyes, lost in thought. The man before him now was the Ning Yuanxian he knew. In critical moments, he was a man of astonishing spirit, an extreme risk-taker. Bian Wu couldn't tell if this was a strength or a weakness. But in a crisis of this magnitude, an assertive king was far better than a passive fool.
“This subject accepts the command. I will give my all and will not disappoint Your Majesty.”
‘Since the king himself will act as bait to draw the attention of the State of Wu, I, Bian Wu, must be willing to lay down my life.’
Ning Yuanxian stood and bowed with clasped hands.
“Then I leave everything to you, my brother.”
Bian Wu knelt and kowtowed.
* * *
The next day, in the royal court.
The king once again played the part of an enraged monarch, roaring in the court. This time, however, he did not mention Su Nan at all.
“The State of Wu has brazenly led its troops south, approaching our Shangye City in Yue! Furthermore, numerous spies lurking in our capital have colluded with bandits to set fires everywhere, killing or injuring thousands of our innocent people and burning a thousand homes! The people of our Great Yue Kingdom are good and hardworking, yet they have suffered this undeserved calamity! As king, I am sworn to protect the land and pacify the people. How can I face my ancestors now that this has happened! How dare the spies of Wu run so rampant and act with such arrogance in our capital? Blackwater Terrace, hear my command!”
The Grand Marshal of the Blackwater Terrace, Yan Ye, was finally present at court today. He stepped forward and knelt on the floor.
“As Shen Lang once said, there are those in the court who collude with the State of Wu. Go and thoroughly investigate who is colluding with them! No matter who it is, no matter how high their status, kill them without question. And the Blackwater Terrace is to use all its power to capture the bandit leader, Gao Duhuan!”
Grand Marshal Yan Ye kowtowed and said, “I obey the command!”
The king was about to unleash another slaughter. Under the pretext of colluding with Wu, he intended to wipe out all of Su Nan’s direct followers within the capital. Suddenly, the king shouted.
“Su Nan? Where is Su Nan? Zhong Yue, where has Su Nan gone?”
The Vice Minister of the Privy Council, Zhong Yue, replied, “Your Majesty, this subject does not know. However, the fire last night started at the Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate, and more than half of it was burned down. Marquis Su Nan is advanced in years; he must have been greatly frightened.”
The king said, “Indeed! Lü Zhun, send the royal physicians to the Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate. Minister Su has served with great merit; we cannot afford to lose him.”
“Yes!”
The Grand Eunuch Lü Zhun acknowledged the order and immediately departed for the half-burnt Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate with several royal physicians and rare medicinal herbs. The ministers below the dais were completely stunned.
‘What sort of play is the king performing?’
Everyone was lost in a fog. At that moment, the court became a stage for Ning Yuanxian’s one-man show. Having vented the fury in his heart, Ning Yuanxian took a moment to catch his breath and rubbed his eyes. A young eunuch beside him quickly offered a warm towel. The king took it, covered his face for a minute, then removed it. His anger seemed to have subsided, and his expression was calm, his tone composed.
“Ministers, the King of Wu’s thirty-thousand-strong army is approaching our Shangye City in Tianbei Province. What do you think we should do? You have debated for days; it is time for a conclusion.”
At Ning Yuanxian’s calm words, the officials all stepped forward from their ranks to voice their strong condemnation of the situation, but none offered any substantive opinions. They could hardly be expected to. A major event had occurred in the court: Su Nan, Vice Minister of the Privy Council, had betrayed Yue and fled. Not only that, but the menacing advance of the King of Wu had terrified many of the ministers. They felt that the State of Yue was beset by crises on all sides, like a palace on the verge of collapse.
King Ning Yuanxian sneered. “Haha… Even if you all discussed it for three or five years, you would reach no conclusion. I have already decided. I will personally lead an expedition to war! That King of Wu, who still smells of his mother’s milk, dares to lead his troops south—this is a threat to our State of Yue! Does he think I have grown old? Then I will show him that I am still valiant, and why I have remained undefeated. He is so eager for war, so I must oblige. I will personally lead the campaign!”
At the king’s words, the ministers were aghast, unable to believe what they had heard.
‘His Majesty will personally go to war?’
Several ministers from the Department of State Affairs came forward and kowtowed.
“Your Majesty, we implore you to reconsider! The war with the State of Nangu has reached a tense stage, and the treasury is nearly depleted. If we open another war front in the north, the treasury will be completely emptied.”
Most of the officials continuously came forward, kowtowing and begging him to reconsider.
“Your Majesty, it is said, ‘A nation that does not prepare for war is in peril, but a nation that loves war will perish’!”
“Your Majesty, the treasury is limited! It cannot sustain a war and will fall into a massive deficit!”
“Your Majesty, the State of Yue must prioritize stability now. We cannot endure any more turmoil.”
Ning Yuanxian sneered. Civil officials were always like this, spouting the words of sages as if they were the only truth. Yes, the words of sages were indeed truths, but sometimes, those truths had to be used in reverse. Without another word, Ning Yuanxian rose from his throne and forcefully threw off his royal robes. In that instant, everyone could clearly see the armor he wore underneath. The king immediately drew his treasured sword and swung it down with all his might, cleaving the throne before him.