Chapter 454
Chapter 454
Princess Yongyan was still under house arrest in a small building within the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. After Grand Princess Yongjue returned to the capital, she immediately handed Zheng Tuo over to Yan Ye of the Blackwater Terrace and retreated back into the seclusion of her quiet manor. She knew what had happened at Ning Zheng's estate and what Shen Lang had done at Xuanwu Gate, yet she remained behind her firmly shut doors, feigning ignorance, as if she had neither seen nor heard anything. One of her trusted eunuchs mentioned that this might be a good opportunity to mend her relationship with Young Master Shen Lang, but the Grand Princess simply retorted.
"Why should I mend my relationship with him?"
This matter involved the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, Ning Qi. She would absolutely, under no circumstances, get involved.
***
At that moment, the entire capital held its breath, waiting for the King's arrival. Too much had happened recently. The State of Yue had faced a fatal crisis, but thanks to the astonishing efforts of Shen Lang and Zhang Chong, the danger had been averted. In fact, the situation had been turned into one of great potential gain. King Ning Yuanxian had also taken a huge risk, acting as bait to dispatch Bian Wu to the State of Wu, where a river of Wu blood was shed.
In the short span of less than two months, the State of Yue had fought several battles and won every single one decisively. Previously, due to the defeat in the battle on the border and Su Nan's rampage through the capital, King Ning Yuanxian's reputation and prestige had taken a severe blow, hitting rock bottom. Yet, in just two months, everything had been reversed. King Ning Yuanxian's fame had reached its zenith, and the treaty between Wu and Yue, in particular, had sent shockwaves of astonishment through the eastern nations.
Even before, Ning Yuanxian had been a formidable presence in the court, keeping his officials on a tight leash. Now, with such a great success under his belt, he would wield the power of life and death over them with even greater impunity. Every official had to look out for themselves. In such a situation, the wise course of action was to quietly await the King's arrival and then join in the joyous celebration of this great victory. But unexpectedly, some had decided to stir up trouble.
First, the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, had, as if possessed, publicly executed five court officials within his own residence. Then, the great hero Shen Lang had slain a Guerrilla General of the court at Xuanwu Gate—an act that could be considered treason. As a result, troops from the Tianyue Commandery were still surrounding Shen Lang. They were waiting for the King's decree to storm in, arrest Shen Lang, and throw him into the dungeons of the Court of Judicial Review or the Blackwater Terrace. Shen Lang's actions were tantamount to slapping the King across the face and disgracing him; His Majesty would surely not forgive him easily.
Moreover, the King had originally intended to put on another display of power at his northern palace. What a blow it would be to the State of Chu when their envoy arrived at his palace only to witness the King of Wu meekly submitting to the King of Yue? How satisfying would that be for Ning Yuanxian? The vain monarch had long awaited that moment, but now it had all turned to dust. Everyone was certain that Ning Yuanxian was now in a towering rage. Upon his return to the capital, he would surely unleash a thunderous display of power that would shake everyone to their core. The officials in the capital all tucked their heads in, holding their breath, waiting for the King to unleash his full might. They hoped that only Shen Lang and Ning Zheng would suffer misfortune, and that not too many other heads would roll.
***
Inside the Prime Minister's Manor.
Zhu Rong, Governor of Tiannan Province, spoke.
"Father, His Majesty is just over a hundred miles from the capital. He seems to be arriving sooner than expected, which suggests he is traveling with haste and is likely furious."
Prime Minister Zhu Hongzhu of the Department of State Affairs was practicing his calligraphy. He was a true master of the art.
"What of the Crown Prince's side?"
Prime Minister Zhu Hongzhu replied to Zhu Rong's question.
"Let him do as he pleases."
"The decree that all who come from the White Night Army must first be quarantined before entering the capital—was that not issued by the Department of State Affairs?"
"I did not issue it."
Zhu Hongzhu was a man of truly extraordinary stature. There were four prime ministers in the Department of State Affairs, and he was the highest-ranking among them. He was the most respected of all civil officials, a man of absolute authority. To King Ning Yuanxian, Zhu Hongzhu was an indispensable pillar of the state.
Zhu Rong continued, "But since the Department of State Affairs issued the decree, everyone will naturally assume you were involved."
"It matters not. As long as His Majesty knows I had nothing to do with it."
The elderly Prime Minister rarely attended court sessions anymore, but he never failed to appear at the most crucial moments, acting as a stabilizing force, an anchor in the court.
"Since I have become a figurehead, it is no great matter if others use my name. Our Zhu Clan supports the Crown Prince, so we should not involve ourselves in too many affairs. At a time like this, there is no need for us to act at all."
Zhu Rong asked, "Then what of Shen Lang?"
"We walk different paths, so we cannot work together."
***
The King appeared north of the capital a day earlier than anyone had expected. The Crown Prince immediately led a host of officials to welcome the King's triumphant return with the grandest of ceremonies. To commemorate this great victory, the King did not proceed directly to the palace. Instead, he went to the newly built Confucian temple to pay his respects to the sages. Afterward, he visited the altar to honor his ancestors. By the time he finally entered the royal palace, darkness had already fallen. Ning Yuanxian first went to see Consort Bian. He pressed his ear to her belly, eager to hear if he could detect the fetus's movements. After spending a delightful hour with her, Zhang Zhao of the Tianyue Commandery arrived at the palace.
"Your Majesty, I report. Five days ago, Shen Lang returned to the capital leading his troops. However, according to the decrees issued by the Department of State Affairs and the Bureau of Military Affairs, anyone returning from the White Night Army must first be quarantined and undergo a physical examination to ensure they are well before the quarantine can be lifted. But Shen Lang, arrogant from his great achievements, flouted the Department's decree. He publicly executed the Commandery's Guerrilla General Wang Dong and slaughtered eighty-three soldiers of the city garrison.
"Such conduct is shocking to all who hear of it. Furthermore, since they came from the White Night Army, I fear they may be infected with smallpox. Therefore, I dispatched two thousand troops to surround Shen Lang's residence and prevent anyone from entering or leaving. As for how to deal with Shen Lang, I await Your Majesty's sole judgment!"
Zhang Zhao of the Tianyue Commandery was the King's man, but his allegiance had shifted toward the Crown Prince—a move the King himself had permitted. The Grand Commander of Tianyue stood firmly with the Third Prince, Ning Qi, controlling all military power around the capital city. It was only logical, then, to hand control of the city garrison to the Crown Prince's faction. Besides, the most elite force, the Imperial Guard, was completely loyal to Ning Yuanxian, so the current situation was well-balanced. Hearing Commander Zhang Zhao's report, the King flew into a rage.
"Shen Lang, that audacious cur! What does he think Xuanwu Gate is? The front door of the Jin Clan's estate? Not only did he force his way through the gate, but he publicly executed one of our court's generals? Does he think his merits in Tianxi Province give him the right to do as he pleases? How insolent! Lü Jun, take some men to Ning Zheng's estate and arrest Shen Lang."
The Grand Eunuch Lü Jun replied, "Yes!"
And so, Lü Jun personally led several dozen guards to Ning Zheng's estate to "arrest" Shen Lang.
***
Half an hour later, Shen Lang appeared before King Ning Yuanxian and paid his respects.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
The King stared at Shen Lang for a long moment, checking to see if he looked haggard or gaunt from hardship, but he saw no such signs. His face was as radiant as ever. Instantly, the King felt displeased.
'For the past two months, I have poured my heart and soul into every moment, draining my energy and aging several years, yet you haven't changed a bit? How dare you!'
The King had intended to feign anger, but he dismissed the thought. Putting on a show every time was getting dull. The King spoke with a tone of regret.
"You wretched boy, couldn't you have shown a little restraint? Did you have to react so fiercely? You knew someone would try to harm you as you entered the city, so why didn't you just sneak in? By killing that Guerrilla General, did you not tarnish my reputation? Forcing your way through Xuanwu Gate like that—do you have no regard for the dignity of the state?"
Shen Lang opened his mouth to explain.
"Enough, enough. Any ridiculous excuse you offer will be nothing but nonsense. It's not as if you're a good person to begin with."
The King waved his hand dismissively, cutting off his excuses.
"This incident is serious, and I must punish you. The state's authority is no laughing matter. But we'll discuss that later. You have performed a great service by eliminating Su Nan and Zheng Tuo, saving the White Night Army from the plague, and successfully containing the smallpox outbreak within its ranks. What reward do you desire? Speak!"
"I can ask for anything?"
"Wait! On second thought, keep your mouth shut. I will speak."
'Very well. You speak, Your Majesty.'
"Yunmeng Ze has departed for the Yan Capital to annul his marriage to Princess Yongyan. The girl will soon be single. How about I set a date for you to marry Yongyan?"
'Ugh!'
For a moment, Shen Lang didn't know how to respond. He couldn't bear to hurt Yongyan's feelings. But he could never leave the Jin Clan, and he especially didn't want to leave Jin Mulan's side.
"As for Jin Zhuo, I will issue a royal decree ordering him to grant you your freedom. From then on, you will no longer be the Jin Clan's live-in son-in-law. I don't wish to pressure you and Jin Mulan to separate, so I will turn a blind eye to whatever relationship you two maintain in private. But officially, you must have Yongyan as your one and only wife."
By turning a blind eye to their relationship, King Ning Yuanxian was already showing them the utmost consideration and benevolence. Not only was he giving his daughter to Shen Lang, but he was also willing to ignore his relationship with Jin Mulan. Shen Lang hesitated before speaking.
"Your Majesty, I... I wish to remain a live-in son-in-law. How about this? On one hand, I'll be the son-in-law of the Jin Clan, and on the other, I'll be the son-in-law of Your Majesty's family. Being the son-in-law of two families at once might be rather interesting."
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Ning Yuanxian couldn't believe his ears.
'Could there truly be someone so utterly shameless in this world? To be the son-in-law of two families at once? H-how could he even think of such a thing!'
Lü Jun, who was listening from the side, was completely dumbfounded.
'Is... is this man insane?'
In an instant, the King's body trembled with rage.
"Throw him out! Throw him out!"
A moment later, Shen Lang was once again thrown out from the King's presence. Ning Yuanxian roared like a madman.
"Shen Lang, do you know what you've just done? You will never get another chance. You ungrateful wretch! You have forever lost the opportunity to become my son-in-law. You scoundrel, you absolute scoundrel!"