Chapter 440
Chapter 440
Zheng Tuo felt a jealousy so intense he could have coughed up blood, yet at the same time, his entire body burned with heat. Count Zhenyuan was a position he dreamed of even in his sleep. What did attaining that title mean? It meant he could rightfully live in the Marquis Zhenyuan's Estate, even replacing Su Nan to govern the Su Clan's domain. Of course, the King’s desire to kill him now surely reached the heavens. But hadn't the King wanted to tear Shen Lang and Jin Zhuo to pieces before? In the end, however, the King had still enfeoffed Jin Zhuo as Marquis Xuanwu. With time, the King’s murderous intent would fade, and the situation would change.
Even knowing the ruthless killing intent hidden within the King’s edict, Zheng Tuo still yearned for it. Only by accepting the King’s decree could he legitimately take the Su Clan's place. This was the same as when Shen Lang had used every trick in the book to have the King enfeoff Jin Zhuo as a marquis and grant Raging Tide City to the Jin Clan. Therefore, even if the edict was bait hiding a sharp blade meant to kill him, Zheng Tuo could not resist the temptation to swallow it.
In an instant, Zheng Tuo let out a sharp wail, a sound so startling it made Grand Princess Ningjue jump. He then launched into an even more exaggerated performance, his body trembling with sobs as he collapsed to the floor, unable to rise.
“My lord, my lord… With such immense grace bestowed upon me, how can this servant ever repay you? My lord! Thank you for this boundless favor…”
Zheng Tuo repeatedly struck his forehead against the floor until it was a bloody mess, accepting the edict with violently trembling hands. He then read the King’s decree several times over, bursting into tears again and again. Finally, he placed the edict in a high place and even lit incense beside it.
“Grand Princess, please take the seat of honor.”
Grand Princess Ningjue hesitated for a long moment before finally sitting down. She was a severe mysophobe and had no desire to touch anything in Zheng Tuo’s room.
Zheng Tuo asked.
“Grand Princess, is His Majesty aware of the actions of that scoundrel, Shen Lang?”
“He is, and he is greatly angered.”
“This servant also finds it unbelievable. Shen Lang has run rampant, leading the Qiang Kingdom’s cavalry into the State of Yue to slaughter innocent people. He openly killed the governor of Tianxi Province and even murdered the court’s official troops. His actions are truly lawless and inhumane. I truly wish to plead with His Majesty. His Majesty has shown Shen Lang such care and favor, how dare that scoundrel betray His Majesty’s trust like this? Such a disloyal and unfilial wretch is no better than a dog or a pig.
Grand Princess, rest assured. I will soon eliminate that scoundrel to bring justice to the people of Tianxi Province and present a satisfactory result to His Majesty. I will restore peace to Tianxi Province of the State of Yue.”
Hearing Zheng Tuo call a deer a horse and invert black and white, Grand Princess Ningjue was rendered speechless. It was a long while before she spoke.
“His Majesty is furious and has ordered me to escort him to the capital to be dealt with personally.”
Upon hearing this, Zheng Tuo’s face twitched.
‘So, he sent the edict for Shen Lang’s sake after all.’
The King had enfeoffed him as Count Zhenyuan to save Shen Lang’s life, but Zheng Tuo had already resolved to kill Shen Lang. He certainly did not want that wretched cur to escape to the capital.
This begs the question: had Shen Lang ever wronged Zheng Tuo? Although Shen Lang had harmed countless people, he had never once harmed Zheng Tuo. On the contrary, it was Zheng Tuo who had ceaselessly plotted against him. Yet, in the end, it was Zheng Tuo who resented Shen Lang, his hatred bone-deep. This world was truly a strange place.
This was just like the people of Baiye Army. They knew that Zheng Tuo was the one who had slaughtered them and that Shen Lang was innocent, yet they still wanted to vent their anger on Shen Lang, to resent him. At times, people could be despicably vile. It was because Shen Lang saw through this that he regarded most people as no better than dogs or pigs.
“I must escort Shen Lang to the capital. What are your intentions, Count Zhenyuan?”
Grand Princess Ningjue deliberately pressed Zheng Tuo for an answer. Though his mind was twisted with the desire to tear Shen Lang to shreds, he didn't want to defy Ning Yuanxian's edict right now. Ning Yuanxian had only issued the decree to make him Count Zhenyuan; he had not yet decreed that the Marquis Zhenyuan's Estate or the Su Clan's original fiefdom would be granted to him. It was as if a carrot had only been half-placed in his mouth. Of course, Zheng Tuo knew that if he let Shen Lang go, the King wouldn't give him the rest of the carrot. But he worried that if he didn't do as the King wished, the King might take back the first half as well.
Zheng Tuo let out a long sigh and replied.
“Everything this servant has was given by my lord. Naturally, I can only follow my lord’s command.”
Hearing this, Grand Princess Ningjue’s heart twinged.
‘Listen to him. Is he implying that not killing Shen Lang is some great favor he’s bestowing upon the King?’
This world was full of absurdities. With Su Nan’s rebellion, Zheng Tuo, who had always acted the part of a loyal subject, had become the most reprehensible of all. Now that the rebellion was quelled, who would have thought that Zheng Tuo, the King's own confidant, would resort to the same nauseating tactics of threatening the King as Su Nan once had? Truly, the ways of the world were unpredictable.
Zheng Tuo continued.
“Shen Lang has committed a capital crime, an act worse than any beast. I originally intended to kill him to rid the State of Yue and His Majesty of a national scourge and a traitor who has stained His Majesty's honor. But since His Majesty has issued an edict, it is, of course, for His Majesty to decide alone!”
Grand Princess Ningjue replied.
“Then it is settled. Count Zhenyuan, withdraw your troops from the estate.”
“Your Highness, I absolutely cannot do that. That scoundrel Shen Lang is worse than a dog or a pig. Only by keeping my army beside him will he feel any fear. What if I were to disband my troops and he were to show you disrespect, Your Highness?”
Hearing such an insulting remark from Zheng Tuo, Grand Princess Ningjue was filled with a regret so intense she wished she could draw her sword and cut him down. But Zheng Tuo’s martial arts were no inferior to hers, and outside this room, at least a hundred experts lay in ambush, with a hundred bows aimed at her.
“Very well. I will go and deliver the edict to Shen Lang. I shall take my leave!”
Zheng Tuo prostrated himself on the floor, his tone incomparably respectful.
“I shall see Your Highness off.”
He bowed low, escorting Grand Princess Ningjue out and watching as she entered Shen Lang’s camp. Zheng Long approached him and said coldly.
“Father, the trebuchets will soon be reassembled. We can then smash Shen Lang's army to pieces. Once we drive them into open ground, our twenty thousand troops will outnumber them ten to one. We can easily annihilate them. If we just let him go like this, aren't we doing that wretched cur too great a favor?”
Zheng Tuo held up the edict, unfolding it to read its contents once more.
“Ning Yuanxian is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. I have seen through this nature of his recently. To think he would grant me the title of Count Zhenyuan, a position I've dreamed of, all for the sake of a mere Shen Lang. But now that my relationship with the King is broken, do you think I, Ning Yuanxian, still fear you?”
Zheng Long sneered.
“The moment we chose not to support Zhang Chong, we thoroughly fell out of favor with the King. Since things have already come to this, what is there to fear? With twenty thousand troops in our hands and fortified within the Marquis Zhenyuan's Estate, Ning Yuanxian can do nothing to us unless he sends an army of at least fifty or sixty thousand to attack. But can he even muster fifty or sixty thousand troops right now? Bogged down on the Nanguo front, how can he pressure us? He should be trying to appease us, not bite us.”
Zheng Tuo also sneered.
“Precisely. If we don’t seize this golden opportunity Heaven has given our Zheng Clan, we would be fools for the ages. Is there a special breed for kings and nobles? The Ying Clan called themselves hegemons, so why can’t another clan do the same?”
“Su Nan’s fall is our Zheng Clan’s gain!”
“Hahaha, indeed it is. Have you begun the great purge within the army?”
“It began long ago. All key positions have been filled with our people, and all officers loyal to the King have been eliminated.”
“Ning Yuanxian has a flawed character. When he hates someone, he hates them to death, and when he likes someone, he gives them his infinite trust. Was it not his mistake to have trusted an ambitious tyrant like myself? Hahahaha!”
***
As soon as Grand Princess Ningjue entered Shen Lang's camp, she exclaimed.
“Leave. Leave now, and Zheng Tuo won't pursue you for the time being. In a few days, he might change his mind. Come back to the capital with me.”
Shen Lang fiddled with the secret edict the King had given him, his tone completely unconcerned.
“His Majesty’s handwriting is decent, but it lacks a sense of refinement. I should teach him a new script sometime. I guarantee it will look much more sophisticated.”
Grand Princess Ningjue’s hand twitched, her desire to slap Shen Lang so strong she had to consciously suppress it. It wasn’t that she couldn’t bring herself to strike him, but rather that this human garbage was so frail, she feared a single blow might kill him.
“This is no time for your nonsense. We need to leave quickly. Do you understand? Let’s return to the capital at once. Zheng Tuo is preparing his trebuchets. With a dozen large trebuchets, he can force you out of this narrow area and into open ground. Then, with his twenty thousand troops against your mere two thousand, he will surely annihilate you.”
It was a rare sight to see her speak so many words at once.
“No. I am not leaving. In fact, I am going to kill Zheng Tuo. I will kill his entire family, except for Zheng Hongshan.”
The absurdity of his statement stunned Grand Princess Ningjue once more.
‘Did you sleep with Zheng Tuo’s daughter, too?’
“Don’t let your imagination run wild. Zheng Hongshan is now our Jin Clan’s daughter-in-law. Life is truly unpredictable. I originally intended to make Zheng Tuo an ally, but who knew he would prove even more disgusting than Su Nan? If I don’t kill his family, I won’t be able to quell the resentment in my heart.”
Grand Princess Ningjue looked at Shen Lang and asked.
“Is the Queen of the Qiang Kingdom sending you reinforcements?”
“No. The Queen of the Qiang Kingdom may be my sister-in-law, but she is a very independent person. Her army is hers, not mine. That distinction must be clear. If I overstep my bounds, I will earn her dislike.”
“You know about boundaries?”
“You and I dislike each other, Grand Princess, so we don’t bother with boundaries.”
“If the Queen isn’t sending reinforcements, you have only two thousand soldiers left. With such a small force, you intend to eliminate Zheng Tuo and capture the Marquis Zhenyuan's Estate? Are you sleep-talking?”