Chapter 399
Chapter 399
The King of Wu, fully clad in armor with a sword in hand, felt his heart stir with the urge to cut down his enemies at once. The two great kings of Wu and Yue had amassed over a hundred thousand troops on the border, and with a sharp weapon in his grasp, a murderous impulse to charge out and annihilate the enemy suddenly arose within him. Initially, the King of Wu's strategic objective was singular: to seize the Leizhou Archipelago while the State of Yue was in turmoil. But now, with the King of Yue facing imminent destruction, it presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the State of Wu.
‘Heaven punishes those who do not seize its gifts, and disaster befalls those who fail to act on opportunity! If Su Nan rebels and the Su and Jiang clans join him, they will gather an army of seventy or eighty thousand. Once they sweep through the south of Tianxi Province, Ning Yuanxian will have a fire in his own backyard. If Su Nan’s ambitions are greater, his soldiers might even reach the walls of the Yue capital. What will Ning Yuanxian do then? He will surely recall his troops to the capital. At that moment, he won't be able to watch his back, leaving him at his most vulnerable. What if I turn this charade into a real war then? If I lead my hundred-thousand-strong army south, we can have a true battle of kings, can we not?
How can I avenge the humiliations the State of Wu has suffered in the past? How can our state rise to become the pinnacle of the south? How can we make the name and authority of Wu resound throughout the world? Defeating the king of another state would be enough. If I crush Ning Yuanxian’s main force, who in Tianbei Province would dare to stand against me? Then, not only will I reclaim the territory of nine commanderies, but I will demand even more.’
The King of Wu’s breathing grew ragged, finding it difficult to suppress the temptation to strike the State of Yue. Yet, his reason warned him not to be blinded by greed and not to fight an unprepared war. A decisive battle between two kings—what a momentous affair! It was a gamble on the nation's fate and could not be entered into rashly. However, the art of war also taught, "A chance to fight, once missed, will not return. Never lose a good opportunity."
Finally, the King of Wu issued a decree.
"Continue moving troops here. A civil war may erupt in Yue, forcing a decisive battle between myself and Ning Yuanxian. We cannot be unprepared."
Grand Marshal Wu Zhi asked with a trembling voice.
"Your Majesty, where will we get more troops? Aren't we just feigning a decisive battle with the King of Yue?"
"Move the troops from the west here. The battle of kings was originally a pretense, but now it could become real. If Su Nan sweeps through the south of Tianxi Province, he might march his army all the way to the Yue capital. What will Ning Yuanxian do then?"
Grand Marshal Wu Zhi replied.
"He will withdraw his army to reinforce the capital."
The King of Wu asked.
"And will that not be our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defeat the King of Yue?"
Grand Marshal Wu Zhi thought his words had merit, but their original strategy had not included a real battle. Seeing his hesitation, the King of Wu said.
"I'm not saying we will fight, but that we must be prepared!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
* * *
King Ning Yuanxian of Yue held the proclamation denouncing his state, written by Su Nan, his entire body trembling incessantly.
"Well written, a fine denunciation indeed! He has painted me as a tyrant like Jie and Zhou of antiquity! Why not just write me down as the greatest fool and despot in history? Is Shen Lang mentioned in this proclamation too? How absurd. For a mere sixth-rank minor official to be named in Su Nan's proclamation… ridiculous!"
‘Damn it, do you need a certain pedigree or rank to be insulted? I may be a minor official, but does that mean I can't be named and cursed in a proclamation? Don't look down on people.’
Had Shen Lang heard Ning Yuanxian's words, he would surely have thought so. In any case, Ning Yuanxian was utterly enraged. The current situation was far worse than he had anticipated. He had originally expected the State of Chu to merely put on a show, not to genuinely fight. He thought Chu was already embroiled in major conflicts in the north with the State of Liang and the new Kingdom of Dagan, making it difficult for them to manage another front. But they had truly engaged in battle. When Chu's army of over a hundred thousand attacked the border pass defended by Zhong Yao, Ning Yuanxian was genuinely shocked, his courage failing him. The moment he heard the news, he felt as if a great disaster had truly struck.
‘Is our great Kingdom of Yue really finished?’
He quickly calmed his startled heart and, instead, fell into a state of excitement. It felt as if the more terrifying and dreadful the situation became, the stronger he grew.
Of course, Ning Yuanxian's strength was not obstinacy, but true strength. This type of person strangely becomes frivolous when everything is going smoothly, doing things an ordinary person would never consider. But when adversity strikes, they transform, appearing crazed yet flashing with sharp wisdom.
The Grand Eunuch Lü Jun said.
"Your Majesty, shouldn't it be time for Count Bian Wu to launch his attack? The sooner he begins, the sooner Zhang Chong will be relieved of his plight."
"No… the time is not yet right."
Ning Yuanxian answered, his voice trembling and impassioned, his eyes bloodshot. Seeing him, Lü Jun and the Third Prince, Ning Qi, grew fearful.
‘The situation is this critical, and he still says the time is not right?’
"The decisive moment has not yet arrived. The time is not yet right."
Ning Yuanxian muttered to himself, pacing back and forth inside the barracks with reddened eyes.
"Ning Qi, take thirty thousand troops, head south, and return to the capital."
The Third Prince, Ning Qi, replied with a trembling voice.
"Royal Father, that… that is too dangerous."
As the Third Prince said, it was an extremely perilous move. Currently, the State of Yue had a hundred and ten thousand troops gathered on the defense line of Shangye City, while the State of Wu had amassed a hundred and twenty thousand. The two sides were more or less evenly matched. But now, Ning Yuanxian had ordered Ning Qi to take thirty thousand troops back to the capital. This would leave Ning Yuanxian with only eighty thousand troops, while the King of Wu would still have a hundred and twenty thousand. The disparity in their forces would create a fatal temptation for the young King of Wu.
‘I have a hundred and twenty thousand troops, while Ning Yuanxian has only eighty thousand. Let's turn this fake war into a real one. If I defeat the King of Yue, my, Wu Qi's, fame will shake the world.’
Ning Yuanxian said.
"It is decided. How can the enemy be moved if there isn't much to gain from fighting us? Since the king himself has started this play, we must see it through to the end! Issue the decree. Su Nan has committed treason, and I am greatly alarmed. I hereby command the Third Prince, Ning Qi, to lead thirty thousand troops south to defend the capital. Depart immediately."
The Third Prince, Ning Qi, knelt and said.
"What if you, Royal Father, lead the army back to the capital, and I remain here to face the King of Wu?"
"You will not do. I must be here to lure Wu Qi! Zhang Chong has personally thrown himself into danger; is there anything I cannot do?"
Everyone was aghast.
‘Can this be seen as merely the king taking a risk? This is a massive gamble. To love risk this much, is he not a madman to the core? No wonder he fanatically worshipped Jiang Li over twenty years ago. We thought twenty-some years of quiet kingship had made him prudent, but at such a crucial moment, his true madman nature is revealed.’
"The matter is decided. Since I have made myself the bait, I will become the most tempting, no, an absolutely irresistible bait."
The Third Prince, Ning Qi, bowed his head deeply and said.
"Your son obeys the command. Royal Father, please take care of yourself."
A few hours later, the Third Prince, Ning Qi, personally led thirty thousand troops south, back to the capital. The fierce general Nan Po was greatly disappointed to be leaving the battlefield and departed south, cursing furiously. Everyone was utterly shocked.
‘Has the King of Yue lost his mind? He keeps making one foolish move after another. If you were worried about Su Nan rebelling, you should have sent a large army to Tianxi Province to guard it from the start, not angrily march north to have a decisive battle with the King of Wu. Now that Su Nan has actually rebelled, you're worried about losing the capital and hastily order the Third Prince to lead troops back. When a crisis hits, Ning Yuanxian becomes foolish and ignorant, acting without a clue.’
Now, on the northern defense line, the State of Yue had eighty thousand troops, while the King of Wu had a hundred and twenty thousand. The King of Wu couldn't help but be tempted. A sharp blade in hand naturally breeds a murderous heart! Who could resist the temptation to kill the king of another state? Especially a young king who had not long been on the throne? If he defeated the King of Yue, a great part of Tianbei Province would become Wu's territory, and the King of Wu would achieve a historic feat for the ages. The State of Wu would once again become the hegemon of the south.
* * *
News that the Third Prince of Yue, Ning Qi, was leading thirty thousand troops south to the capital first reached the camp of the King of Wu. Upon hearing the news, the King of Wu was ecstatic.
"Hahahaha! Ning Yuanxian is a hundred times more foolish than I thought! He appears strong on the outside but is weak on the inside; that saying was made for him. It was the King of Yue who, after losing a battle on the border, angrily led his army to fight me personally. And now, with Su Nan's army a thousand li away, it is also the King of Yue who, fearing for his capital, hastily sends troops back.
Ning Yuanxian can't back down now for fear of becoming a laughingstock to the world. He knows neither when to advance nor when to retreat, making only foolish moves. It is no wonder that the State of Yue is on the verge of collapse. It is not right to refuse what heaven has given! If I let such a fool as Ning Yuanxian go, wouldn't I become the laughingstock of the world? Issue the decree. Move thirty thousand troops from the west to reinforce my camp!"
Hearing this, several old ministers warned in unison.
"Your Majesty, you must not. You absolutely must not act recklessly. Please proceed cautiously according to the original plan. The battle between the two kings was merely a strategic threat; we must not turn this feigned battle into a real one."
The King of Wu scoffed at them.
"Years ago, when my royal father intended to move against Bian Wu, didn't you all constantly warn him not to be rash, to move with caution, lest a pressured Bian clan rebel? And what was the result? Bian Wu escaped from the capital of Wu, returned to Yanzhou, and later caused the Yanzhou tragedy. Didn't that lead to two decades of decline for our State of Wu?"
At the mention of Bian Wu, the color drained from the faces of his many confidants and old ministers. The King of Wu continued, undeterred.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given to me by heaven. If I let Ning Yuanxian return to his capital, I will lose this golden chance. A heaven-sent opportunity is lost in a moment of hesitation. If I acted like you people, always cautious, always talking about strict defenses, my ancestors would never have conquered this land, and I would be nothing more than a fisherman today.
The State of Yue is now beset by crises on all sides and could collapse at any moment. If our State of Wu does not take sufficient action, do you think the State of Chu will yield to us when it comes time to carve up Yue?"