Chapter 508
Chapter 508
After the fall of the Zhuo Clan, Zhuo Xiao'an had been cast into the mortal world, her circumstances more wretched than even the lowest of courtesans. How, then, did she manage to build her power anew? How did she not only become a representative of the Hidden Yuan Society but also gain the status of Crown Prince Ning Yi’s mistress? It was all because of a single sentence. Princess Ning Han had said to her, "I am sorry." That one apology instantly elevated Zhuo Xiao'an from hell to heaven. It is said that when one person rises, their family and associates rise with them. Thanks to Princess Ning Han's words, Zhuo Xiao'an, once a insignificant ant, had soared into the sky, riding on the princess’s shoulder.
Many believed the princes of Yue were locked in a struggle for the throne, but in Zhuo Xiao'an's eyes, the successor was already decided. Crown Prince Ning Yi was born of the same mother as Princess Ning Han and, furthermore, had acknowledged Queen Zhu as his official mother. Thus, he had the support of the colossal Zhu Clan and Princess Ning Han. She believed the Crown Prince's position was as solid as Mount Tai, unshakable by anyone—not even the King himself.
The Crown Prince's chief aide spoke.
"Shen Lang, how can he be so lucky? To have found a madman from the Lan Clan and ten others with special bloodlines. Can we truly not make an issue of their special bloodlines? They are remnants of Jiang Li's faction, after all."
Zhuo Xiao'an replied coldly.
"Don't court death. The suspicions surrounding those with special bloodlines have been completely cleared. Several great and sacred organizations have vouched for them, and the Emperor of the Great Yan Empire himself has issued a decree. No one can touch that matter. Do you understand?"
The Crown Prince suddenly asked, "Zhuo Xiao'an, didn't you say you killed Gao Duhuan? Why is he still alive?"
Zhuo Xiao'an immediately knelt. Until recently, no one knew that the new Centurion Shen Lang had recruited was Gao Duhuan. But when the King appointed him as the Centurion of Ning Zheng's Marquisate of Zhangping, he had to unmask himself. At that moment, Zhuo Xiao'an saw his face from a great distance and confirmed it was him. No words could describe the tremor she felt in her heart.
*Gao Duhuan isn't dead? How is that possible?*
She had clearly fed him the deadly poison of Fudao Mountain and even stabbed him in the chest with a knife. For him to have survived was simply unbelievable.
"Why didn't you cut off his head then?"
To the Crown Prince's cold question, Zhuo Xiao'an bowed her head and answered, "This servant was wrong."
The Crown Prince stepped forward and lightly plucked the golden hairpin from Zhuo Xiao'an's hair.
*Thrust!*
He plunged it forcefully into her chest. The golden hairpin pierced the peak of her bosom, stopping a mere half-cun from her heart. Any deeper, and her heart would have been pierced, killing her instantly. The Crown Prince pulled out the hairpin and stabbed her other breast. This time, it pierced through the peak and into her lung. Zhuo Xiao'an let out a cough, a mouthful of blood welling up in her throat, but she dared not spit it out, desperately holding it back.
"The great bandit Gao Duhuan has committed heinous crimes, and my Royal Father once issued a decree for his capture. Now that Gao Duhuan is hiding under a false name in my fifth brother's estate, he poses a great threat to my brother and the capital's safety. Order the Tianyue Admiralty to join forces with the Dali Temple, go to Ning Zheng's estate, and arrest the fugitive Gao Duhuan. If anyone resists, kill them without mercy!"
"Yes!"
***
The King had summoned Shen Lang to the palace for a meeting.
"Shen Lang, you have the gall of a giant. What incredible luck did you have to find eleven people with special bloodlines?"
Shen Lang replied, "That matter has, in fact, long been unrestricted. Isn't a prince of the Great Yan Empire already seeking out and gathering those with special bloodlines?"
The King waved his hand, not wanting to discuss it further. The incident with Jiang Li's remnants was a sore spot for him.
"Shen Lang, we had a bet, you and I. If all eleven of those beggars passed the examination, I would grant you two thousand private soldiers."
Shen Lang quickly said, "Your Majesty, it is not for me, but for His Highness Ning Zheng that you are granting two thousand soldiers."
Ning Yuanxian frowned. He disliked any mention of Ning Zheng.
"A bet is a bet. You won this time. I will honor my promise. Tell me, which of my armies have you set your eyes on? The Imperial Guard? The Border Army? Both are elite forces. If you like, I can transfer some of them to serve under Ning Zheng."
"Your Majesty, this servant intends to recruit his own soldiers."
Ning Yuanxian was once again surprised.
"Recruit your own soldiers? Are you planning to set up a stall on the street and recruit them as you did before?"
"Precisely. I intend to offer the highest wages and recruit an unprecedented army. I will forge them into an invincible force in the shortest possible time! I will make them the strongest army in the State of Yue, an army that will strike terror into the hearts of any enemy on any battlefield."
The King said dismissively, "There you go with your grand bluffs again. Do you know how long it takes to train soldiers? You may be remarkable, but your success this time was due to finding eleven people with special bloodlines. Such people are becoming rarer in the world. You will have to recruit soldiers from scratch and train them from scratch. How long will it take for two thousand such men to become the most invincible army in Yue? You speak such shameless boasts, such foolish, sleep-talking nonsense."
The King waved his hands from side to side and continued, "Don't waste your efforts on pointless tasks. If you recruit and train soldiers from scratch, when will they ever become a proper army? I will transfer a thousand men from the Imperial Guard and a thousand from the Border Army to you. It's settled. Don't go to unnecessary trouble. We don't have much time."
"Four months. In four months at most, I will make them the strongest army in Yue. By then, these two thousand men will not only defeat four thousand on the battlefield, but eight thousand, even ten thousand."
The King shot Shen Lang a glare.
"Your Majesty, I am serious! If you wish, I will write another military pledge. I will recruit soldiers from scratch, train them, and in four months, make them the number one army in Yue. At that time, Your Majesty may inspect them personally."
The King sneered, "Inspect what? Shall I watch them perform martial arts? A few choreographed moves?"
"The King of Chu has already colluded with the elite army of the State of Nangu. He will never yield at the negotiating table. But we cannot afford another true war with Chu right now, so Your Majesty will need to arrange a field engagement at the border."
A field engagement at the border? That was one way to resolve disputes between states, a form of limited warfare. The last time, the King of Yue had fought a field engagement with the King of Wu and lost. That defeat had led to a series of devastating crises for the State of Yue.
"What kind of field engagement?"
"My two thousand trained soldiers against five thousand of Chu's great army. If we win, Chu will admit defeat and compromise. They will not only withdraw all their troops, but the King of Chu will apologize to Your Majesty, pay five hundred thousand gold coins in reparations, and cede twenty-three fortresses."
Ning Yuanxian was stunned by his words and asked, "And if we lose?"
"Then Your Majesty will apologize to the King of Chu, acquiesce to Chu's occupation of our twenty-three fortresses, and pay them two hundred thousand gold coins in reparations."
The moment he heard this, Ning Yuanxian’s anger flared, and he nearly kicked Shen Lang.
"You damn brat, what grudge do you have against me? You're trying to trap me! Is a matter of state a child's game? You, with your two thousand new recruits, defeating five thousand of Chu's elite soldiers? Are you dreaming? Do you see state affairs as your personal experiment?"
Shen Lang, of course, couldn't let the King kick him, so he quickly dodged. When the King missed his first kick, he tried to chase him down and kick him again, but Shen Lang ran off, forcing the King to pursue him. Grand Eunuch Lü Jun watched the scene, feeling pity once more.
*Your Majesty possesses profound martial arts skills, does he not? In contrast, Shen Lang is a frail weakling. If you truly wished to kick this brat, could you not kill him with a single strike? Why are you chasing him?*
Just then, a young eunuch rushed into the room.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Her Highness Princess Ning Han has returned!"
Ning Yuanxian was stunned by the words, and then, a moment later, wild with joy.
*Ning Han has returned? My most, most beloved daughter has returned? My most pride-worthy child has returned?*
How many years had it been? He hadn't seen this daughter for nearly a decade. Of course, even when she wasn't by the King's side, Ning Han remained at the highest core of power in this world. Even though she wasn't in Yue, she was still helping her Royal Father.
"Quickly, quickly, bring Ning Han here. No, I will go and greet my daughter myself. Shen Lang, you damn brat. You come with me. Let's go see Ning Han together."
Shen Lang had long heard of Princess Ning Han's resounding fame. Her name had come from the lips of giants like Qiu Yao'er, the Divine Maiden Xue Yin, and the Sword King Li Qianqiu. A direct disciple of the Master of the Left Faction, hailed as the most beautiful woman in Yue a decade ago. But even setting aside all these legendary tales, a single fact would make anyone tremble: she was a person on the same level as Qiu Yao'er. Not just in martial skill, but in other aspects as well, she was Qiu Yao'er's equal.
The more Shen Lang understood the truth of this world, the more he realized the paramount position the Master of the Left Faction held, and by extension, the weight Princess Ning Han carried. The annihilation of the Zhuo Clan was an absolute secret, but Zhang Yuyin had hidden nothing, telling Shen Lang the truth. In fact, she spoke of the Zhuo Clan's destruction as if it were a trivial matter, unworthy of mention to the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion—and indeed, it was. A powerful family like the Zhuo Clan could be wiped out with a single breath from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion.
But why were organizations like the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, Xuankong Temple, Fudao Mountain, White Jade Capital, and Zhetian Tower so formidable? Of course, they displayed abilities that seemed to transcend the mortal world, but on the surface, they appeared to be harmless groups that did not interfere in worldly affairs. Nevertheless, they stood at the apex of this world's pyramid of power. Why? What was the reason? In truth, it was because for ages, they had been tracking and excavating the ruins of the ancient world, thereby mastering most of its secrets and immense power. And Princess Ning Han was a figure who had established herself as a representative of such a transcendent power.