Chapter 438
Chapter 438
After reading Princess Ning Jue's secret dispatch once, and then once more, the King truly trembled. He was, of course, dismayed that Su Nan had escaped. Ning Yuanxian was well aware of that old man's capabilities and predicted that if he rose to power in the Western Regions, he would become a great threat to the State of Yue in the future. However, the various nations of the Western Regions were completely beyond Yue's reach, so there was nothing he could do. But to his surprise, Shen Lang had actually managed to kill the entire Su Clan.
The King could hardly imagine how the final confrontation between Shen Lang and Su Nan had played out, but he was certain it must have been a magnificent spectacle. For some time, the King had been receiving one piece of bad news after another; good news rarely came in succession. Yet, within the last few days, he had heard two pieces of exceptionally good news in a row. That rascal, Shen Lang, wasn't just remarkable; he was endlessly so.
Ning Yuanxian then opened the second secret dispatch, and this time, he was even more startled, his body shaking.
In an instant, Ning Yuanxian's head throbbed.
‘Has that damned rascal truly gone mad?’
The Marquis of Zhenyuan's Estate was like an iron fortress, exceedingly difficult to conquer, and Zheng Tuo commanded a grand army of twenty thousand within its walls. Zheng Tuo was no piece of trash like Yang Yongnian. Although Ning Yuanxian had played a part in his rise, Zheng Tuo had earned his current position through his own outstanding military achievements. Moreover, the troops under his command were the true elites of the Western Army, incomparable to Yang Yongnian's worthless soldiers. With Zheng Tuo defending the estate, it would be difficult to breach even with twenty thousand, fifty thousand, or even eighty thousand men, let alone two thousand. For Shen Lang to attack that place with a mere two thousand was, by any measure, an act of suicide.
‘That damned rascal has truly lost his mind. He’s incredibly useful… but completely uncontrollable.’
Ning Yuanxian said in a fit of anger.
“You scoundrel, can’t you let me have even a few days of peace? I already said I would deal with Zheng Tuo.”
Lü Jun read the secret letter and spoke.
“Your Majesty, perhaps Lord Shen intends to endure one more hardship to completely resolve the chaotic situation in Tianshi Province. After the annihilation of Su Nan’s army, isn’t Zheng Tuo the only remaining element of instability?”
Ning Yuanxian’s voice trembled as he spoke.
“It’s too dangerous. Taking risks before was a necessity, but now the grand picture is settled. Why take such a huge risk? Zheng Tuo will really kill him. Zheng Tuo is a ruthless man; he will definitely use this opportunity to kill Shen Lang!”
“Your Majesty seems to have momentarily lost your composure out of excessive concern for Shen Lang's safety. Su Nan was so formidable, yet he couldn't kill Lord Shen. No matter how great Zheng Tuo is, he cannot be greater than Su Nan.”
Ning Yuanxian trembled with rage. Just when the grand situation was decided, a peripheral problem had emerged.
“Quickly, issue an edict to Zheng Tuo, enfeoffing him as the Count of Zhenyuan. First, appease him with a title, then tell that scoundrel Shen Lang to come back. There is no need to take such a risk when the situation is so favorable.”
Lü Jun was taken aback. The title of Count of Zhenyuan would fill Zheng Tuo’s head with all sorts of fantasies. Zheng Tuo was originally a newly risen noble, the Count of Pingxi, with no proper fiefdom or private army. In contrast, the title of Count of Zhenyuan was akin to Su Nan's former title, Marquis of Zhenyuan. Zheng Tuo would surely ponder the meaning of being granted the title 'Count of Zhenyuan'.
‘What does the King mean by granting me this title? Is he telling me to replace Su Nan? Is he going to enfeoff me with the territories that originally belonged to the Su Clan?’
Zheng Tuo would undoubtedly know it was bait, but he would have no choice but to take it. He craved power and success above all else. Being enfeoffed as the Count of Zhenyuan was the realization of his long-held desires, something he would never refuse.
Lü Jun said in a quiet voice.
“Your Majesty, it will take at least five days for that edict to reach the Marquis of Zhenyuan's Estate; it might be too late by then. Lord Shen is an extraordinary man; he surely wouldn't have gone into battle unprepared. If the war ends before then…”
Ning Yuanxian cursed in a rage.
“That scoundrel gives me immense joy one moment, only to fill me with dread the next. Why must he take such risks when things are going so well? Is he attacking the Marquis of Zhenyuan's Estate with a mere two thousand men just to show off his great abilities? What if he loses? What if he dies… Hurry, issue the edict, issue it!”
Ning Yuanxian brandished a large brush and wrote the imperial edict enfeoffing Zheng Tuo as the Count of Zhenyuan. He then completed another edict to be delivered to Shen Lang. On it were written three simple words.
“Quickly, this must be sent to the Marquis of Zhenyuan's Estate at the fastest possible speed. Arrive within five days. If you are late by even a single hour, I will have all of your heads!”
A warrior from the Blackwater Terrace kowtowed and received the order.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lü Jun hastily sealed the two secret edicts, stamped them with wax, and handed them to the Blackwater Terrace warrior. The warrior took them and bolted out like an arrow. The rest was up to the Blackwater Terrace to mobilize all its manpower and resources to swiftly deliver the King’s will. Overcome with anger, Ning Yuanxian threw down his unfinished bowl of sweet rice balls and stomped on it several times.
“When that scoundrel Shen Lang returns, lock him up. That should stop him from running around causing trouble! Where does he get the audacity to stir up so much chaos? Wasn't he a farmer's son? This is absolutely outrageous. And Zheng Tuo, that bastard. He deserves to die!”
Lü Jun stepped forward and silently cleaned up the shattered bowl, sighing inwardly. He knew his master's temperament better than anyone. Though Lü Jun was supremely loyal, he had to admit that His Majesty was truly harsh and ungrateful, showing little concern even for his own daughters. The only people the King genuinely cared for were a select few: Bian Fei, the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and Princess Ning Han. He was only lenient with Princess Ning Yan because he felt a lingering guilt for marrying her off to an unsuitable husband.
But now, the King was genuinely concerned for Shen Lang. Otherwise, with his temperament, would he ever have compromised with Zheng Tuo? Inwardly, the King was consumed by the desire to tear Zheng Tuo to shreds, but to save Shen Lang, he gritted his teeth and enfeoffed Zheng Tuo as the Count of Zhenyuan. It was all to appease him, to prevent him from taking harsh measures against Shen Lang.
It seemed there truly was such a thing as affinity between people. The King loved those he liked to death and hated those he disliked with equal intensity. When Zhang Chong achieved a great merit, the King was deeply moved, but after the duel at Baiye Commandery City, his interest in Zhang Chong faded in an instant. Though his edicts still expressed the utmost concern for Zhang Chong, Lü Jun could sense the shift in the King's heart. And Lü Jun knew that when the King liked someone, he lost all reason.
How could a man as cunning as Lord Shen attack Zheng Tuo without being certain of victory? Shen Lang leading two thousand men to attack Zheng Tuo's twenty thousand and conquer the impregnable Marquis of Zhenyuan's Estate sounded utterly preposterous, but what was a genius villain like Lord Shen incapable of achieving?
* * *
Should he kill Shen Lang? For a fleeting moment, Zheng Tuo hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't want to kill Shen Lang, but he was worried about the consequences. In truth, he didn't much care about the repercussions within the State of Yue. He considered the King a completely ruthless man, so killing someone like Shen Lang was of little consequence.
The important thing was that a narrative had already been established in Yue. Shen Lang was firmly framed for the crime of bringing Qiang soldiers into the country to slaughter the people; even jumping into the Raging River couldn't wash away that stain. Furthermore, his public execution of Yang Yongnian, the Central Commander of Tianshi Province, was an undeniable fact—an act of rebellion.
In contrast, Zheng Tuo was the greatest hero who had suppressed the Su Clan's rebellion. What was he to do when faced with a traitor like Shen Lang? Naturally, he could execute him on the spot. The only consequence he truly feared was incurring the wrath of the Qiang Kingdom. Zheng Tuo had heard a rumor that the current Queen of Qiang was the wife of a man who was like a brother to Shen Lang. Of course, Zheng Tuo believed this rumor to be false. That pretty boy Shen Lang was handsome and shameless; he must have been having an affair with the Qiang Queen. What woman would be interested in his brother, that Big Dummy? Shen Lang was surely cuckolding the fool behind his back.
If Shen Lang were to learn of Zheng Tuo's thoughts, he would surely castrate him and use the man's own life cord to gag his babbling mouth. And if A'luonan'a were to learn of his thoughts, she would flay him alive and make a drum from his skin.
‘I’ve grudgingly accepted a pretty boy like Shen Lang into my family. But me, having an affair with him? Don't even joke about it. That pretty boy is as scrawny as a bean sprout. How could someone like me, A'luonan'a, possibly be interested in a man like that? I like heroic, well-built men, like Big Dummy!’
That would likely be A'luonan'a's reaction, but Zheng Tuo believed that if he killed Shen Lang, the Queen of Qiang would lead tens of thousands of Qiang troops in a frenzied attack on the Marquis of Zhenyuan's Estate. However, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. First, the Qiang were a nomadic people from the highlands; their cavalry was fierce and skilled in battle, but in a siege, they were as useless as a trash army. The Marquis's Estate was built on a high mountain with only a single road leading to its gates, making it impossible for even a hundred-thousand-strong army to spread out and launch an effective assault. Thus, the idea of the Qiang army conquering the estate was nothing but a fool's dream. If they failed, Zheng Tuo would, in turn, become a national hero for repelling foreign invaders. Once that happened, he would have a legitimate reason to occupy the estate, and even the entire Baiye Commandery.
To fend off the Qiang invasion, the King might have to swallow his surging anger and recognize Zheng Tuo's control over the entire Baiye Commandery. More importantly, as long as the chaos in Tianshi Province continued, the states of Wu and Chu would not withdraw their forces, meaning the instability would remain a major crisis for Yue. At that point, Zheng Tuo's value would skyrocket, and he could completely replace Su Nan. He could even possess more land and a larger army than Su Nan ever did, becoming the third great warlord in the State of Yue, after the Bian and Zhong clans.
If that came to pass, Zheng Tuo would reach the pinnacle of his life, wielding immense power. Amidst the collapse of the State of Yue, the Zheng Clan could even establish its own independence and become new vassals of the Great Yan Dynasty. Thinking it through, killing Shen Lang had far more benefits than drawbacks.
‘Then let’s kill him!’
Having made his decision, Zheng Tuo ordered his great army to commence battle with Shen Lang. At his command, the entire army assembled, and the battle was about to erupt.