Chapter 473
Chapter 473
Zhuo Zhaoyan peeked her head out and surveyed the area. Gao Duhuan’s corpse bobbed up and down in the river, drifting steadily downstream until it vanished from sight. A cruel smile touched her lips as she spoke slowly.
“The most useless thing in this world is a martial artist with no brains.”
With that, she turned and departed. Of the four top-tier masters, two walked ahead and two behind, protecting her. They were true masters of their craft, and their identities seemed highly secretive, suggesting they were not from the Hidden Yuan Society. As Shen Lang had once said, it appeared Zhuo Zhaoyan was not merely a member of the Hidden Yuan Society but also bore a clandestine mission of some kind.
Twenty li downstream on the Raging River.
Gao Duhuan’s body was sinking steadily, about to be swallowed completely by the water. At that moment, a shadow shot out, snatching him from the river in a flash. In one fluid motion, the figure lifted the submerged Gao Duhuan and swiftly returned to the riverbank. It was the Sword King, Li Qianqiu. On the bank, Li Qianqiu laid Gao Duhuan on the flat ground. He listened for a heartbeat but heard none. He checked for breath but found nothing. The man appeared to be completely dead. But whether he was alive or dead, he had to be brought back. The Sword King slung Gao Duhuan’s body under his arm and began to race madly toward the capital.
* * *
It had been quite some time since the delegation from the State of Chu entered the capital, and the negotiations between the two nations had been ongoing for a month. Day after day, the representatives from both sides engaged in verbal sparring, arguing for over a month with no resolution in sight. Although Chu was the strategic loser, they pressed their case all the more fiercely, trying to force the State of Yue to bow its head.
In the recent three-way conflict, the State of Wu had undoubtedly suffered the greatest losses. They had lost over forty thousand troops on two fronts, and while the number of civilian casualties was never announced, it was substantial. Furthermore, the loss in tax revenue was astronomical. As for the State of Chu, while their losses seemed minor on the surface, they had in fact suffered enough to make the King of Chu cough up blood in anger.
First, to support Su Nan’s rebellion, Chu had engaged in battle with Zhong Yao on the border. As the aggressors, Chu’s losses were immense. They had captured several of Yue’s fortresses and pushed the border four or five li into Yue’s territory, but at the cost of over ten thousand casualties. Now, with the armistice negotiations, they were on the verge of having to relinquish all those fortresses within that four-to-five-li strip of land.
With Wu and Yue now in a nominal alliance, Chu had to adopt a strategic defensive posture for the time being. The ten thousand casualties were a significant loss, but it was nothing compared to the strategic setback caused by Su Nan’s downfall. For years, Chu had colluded with Su Nan, offering him and the State of Qiang countless benefits to ensure the success of his rebellion, which was meant to dismantle the State of Yue. The profits they had funneled to them through clandestine trade over nearly a decade amounted to a staggering sum.
But now, the Su Clan’s rebel army had been annihilated, and the plot to tear Yue apart had failed. All the money they had invested had gone up in smoke. In terms of true losses, the King of Chu had suffered far more than the King of Wu. Furthermore, with the State of Qiang now an ally of Yue, the pressure on Chu had intensified. It was because of these immense losses and mounting pressure that Chu’s delegation could not yield an inch at the negotiating table.
Chu had already agreed to withdraw its troops and return all captured fortresses, but they could not agree on the other two conditions. First, the King of Yue demanded that Chu publicly admit its wrongdoing, issue an apology, and acknowledge that the battle was initiated by them. Second, the King of Yue demanded three million gold coins in reparations.
Upon hearing these terms, even Shen Lang almost choked.
‘His Majesty is certainly opening his maw like a lion, determined to extort them.’
For this war, the State of Yue had borrowed over two million gold coins from the Hidden Yuan Society. Because the war went more smoothly and ended more quickly than expected, they had not even spent the entire loan. Ning Yuanxian intended to extort the repayment amount from Chu and even turn a profit. But how was that possible? Unless the King of Chu had lost his mind, he would never agree. He would rather fight another battle than pay reparations.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely impossible to get the money. They could use the Qiang cavalry to raid and cause chaos within Chu’s borders, putting direct pressure on them. Then, at the negotiating table, Chu would tremble and be forced to meet Yue’s demands. But Ning Yuanxian chose not to do so. Although the King of Yue was vain, a risk-taker, and a harsh ruler, he was by no means shortsighted. The State of Qiang had become Yue’s ally with great difficulty; it was far more important to manage and strengthen this relationship. Besides, a weapon like the State of Qiang should be used at critical moments. One should never treat them like a younger brother, calling on them for every little errand. Sooner or later, that relationship would sour.
The King of Yue had noticed that the current ruler of Qiang, Queen Aronana, was an emotional person who acted according to her feelings and strove to improve the lives of her people. Thus, over the past month, the King of Yue had already sent two delegations to the State of Qiang. The first was to formally exchange state letters, congratulating Aronana on becoming queen. The second delegation brought a large retinue and gifts of tea leaves, silk, and grain. They also agreed to purchase Qiang-produced sheepskins, cowhides, wool, and cheese. He had even prepared a third delegation, which would consist of a large number of skilled artisans to help the Qiang build reservoirs and several new cities and towns. In short, he was constantly offering benefits to the State of Qiang, providing aid with no conditions attached.
Ning Yuanxian was incredibly clever. Had it been someone like Arogang or Arotae on the throne, whose greed was second nature, offering them benefits would have been useless. But with Aronana, this approach was highly effective. As King Ning Yuanxian of Yue proactively sought friendship, the bond between the State of Qiang and the State of Yue grew ever closer. Of course, at the height of the intense negotiations with Wu and Chu, someone from the royal palace had asked Shen Lang if he would join the negotiating team. But Shen Lang had replied that he was too busy and could not go. Hearing this, King Ning Yuanxian was so furious he could barely stand it.
‘That damn scoundrel. Is it because it’s not your problem that you don’t want to get involved? If I ever seek you out again, I, Ning Yuanxian, will…’
Regretfully, Ning Yuanxian stopped his internal tirade before he could finish the harsh thought. What could he do? Drag Shen Lang over and whip him a few times? Shen Lang had made it clear that he would not concern himself with the tedious negotiations with Wu and Chu for the time being, and that dragging them out would yield no good results anyway.
The King was a very complex man. When dealing with the State of Qiang, he acted with great magnanimity, making one brilliant decision after another. Yet, when negotiating with Chu, he indulged in wild fantasies, trying to extort more and more with each passing day. One could call this boldness, but it was more accurately described as extreme greed. Moreover, the King was prone to frivolity. Of course, Shen Lang was no stranger to frivolity himself, so they were two of a kind.
In any case, the most important thing for Shen Lang now was to achieve a shocking and unexpected result in the civil and martial examinations to be held in just over a month. If he succeeded in getting all eleven beggars to pass, Prince Ning Zheng’s faction would be established almost overnight. While it might not reach the heavens, it would come close. But if he failed, Shen Lang and Ning Zheng would become complete laughingstocks, and their dream of contending for the throne would be over.
By now, Shen Lang had become an immense celebrity in the capital, his name even spreading throughout the entire State of Yue. To borrow a term from a later era, he had become an overnight star—though for all the wrong reasons. There are no secrets in this world. While the specifics of the pledge between him and the King were not revealed, everyone could guess its contents.
Everyone in the capital now knew that Shen Lang had taken on eleven beggars and that they were to sit for the Autumn Examination, with all of them required to pass. The story even included the detail that if he failed, Shen Lang would have to give up everything and return home, while Prince Ning Zheng would be stripped of his marquis title. Of course, the part about stripping the title was an embellishment added by the rumor-mongers, but the general gist of the wager was quite accurate. When this news spread, everyone was once again stunned.
‘Shen Lang, that madman! That prancing clown. Can’t you stay quiet for even a moment? Do you find it amusing to constantly flaunt your presence with such insane antics? We’re tired of watching you act like a mad clown. They’re eleven beggars, aren’t they? The participants in this year’s capital examination are all brilliant talents, one in a thousand. How can a piece of trash like Madman Lan, who has never attended a school in his life nor sat for any examination, possibly take the capital’s Autumn Examination? And you want him to pass? How can a group of half-cripples who’ve never practiced martial arts all pass the martial examination?’
They had moved beyond calling Shen Lang a cripple or a madman; now they believed he harbored sinister intentions, seeking to defile the sanctity of the state’s imperial examinations. Moreover, no gambling den would even open a bet on this matter, and not even the vagrants on the street were willing to wager. One day, however, a ruffian casually remarked:
“If Madman Lan really passes the examination, I’ll eat ten catties of shit.”
That was perhaps the only bet in the capital regarding this affair. And more and more people joined in. Many local hooligans, vagrants, beggars, and even ordinary citizens took part in the wager.
“If Shen Lang succeeds, and Madman Lan and the ten beggars pass the examinations, I will eat ten catties of shit.”
The ruffians even publicly declared that if Shen Lang lost, they wouldn't just piss on him; they would spit in his face. The number of people vowing to spit on Shen Lang grew and grew, eventually reaching nearly ten thousand. If Shen Lang won, they would each eat ten catties of shit. If Shen Lang lost, any of them could spit in his face once.
What could Shen Lang say to them? People of this world truly have short memories. It hadn’t been that long, yet the people of the capital had forgotten just how many he had killed. Had they, in the past month or two, truly come to see him as nothing more than a prancing clown, feeling no fear of him at all?