Chapter 527
Chapter 527
“Then what about Ning Qi succeeding the throne?”
“That will not do either.”
“Ning Qi is also an outstanding prince. He should be able to suppress the Zhong and Xue clans.”
“That is true. I believe His Highness the Third Prince can suppress the Zhong and Xue clans. However, he cannot prevent a schism between the civil and military officials. The Zhu Clan will not tolerate the Third Prince’s ascension, just as the Zhong and Xue clans will not tolerate the Crown Prince’s! Though the two sides have not yet reached a breaking point, they will not stop fighting until one side is eliminated. In contrast, if His Highness Ning Zheng ascends the throne, both sides might reluctantly accept the outcome.”
Ning Yuanxian frowned.
“No. Don’t try to slip your own agenda in here. Ning Zheng is too weak.”
“No, he is not. His Highness Ning Zheng is not weak at all; he is righteous!”
“No, no. Ning Zheng will not be able to suppress the Zhong and Zhu clans.”
“What if the Zhu and Zhong clans are both wounded from fighting each other? His Highness Ning Zheng has the support of those with Princess Ning Li’s bloodline, so his future will be bright. They may even become an unparalleled source of strength for him.”
Ning Yuanxian still shook his head.
“Ning Zheng is too weak, far too weak.”
“With the Jin Clan, the Bian Clan, and Zhang Chong to support him in the future, how is His Highness Ning Zheng weak?”
“Besides your Jin Clan, no one else will pay Ning Zheng any mind.”
“And is that not your fault, Your Majesty? You have always been so cold and openly disliked His Highness Ning Zheng, so the officials of the realm follow your lead and disregard him. If you were to change your attitude and grant His Highness Ning Zheng significant power, the Bian Clan and Zhang Chong would naturally side with him.”
The king did not grow angry at Shen Lang’s accusation, because what he said was undeniably true.
“Why do you insist it won’t work when you haven’t even given His Highness Ning Zheng a chance to prove himself, Your Majesty?”
The king frowned and said nothing. A headache was still throbbing, so he closed his eyes again.
“Although the stroke you suffered was brief, it has taken a considerable toll on your body. You will need to rest in bed for at least half a month. What do you think will happen during that time if you do not attend court?”
Ning Yuanxian had always projected an image of robust health; revealing his illness now would surely have severe consequences. If he were absent from court for half a month, the court would undoubtedly fall into turmoil.
“While you are away from court due to your illness, the situation will certainly worsen. Both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince will make their moves, and the struggle for the throne will escalate in an instant. Most importantly, there is the war in the Southern Ou Kingdom and the matter with the State of Chu. The external situation surrounding us will immediately turn grim. The State of Chu, in particular, will not miss this opportunity. When you are weakened by illness, the enemies at our borders will bare their fangs and charge in madly for a bite. Therefore, resolving the conflict between Yue and Chu through negotiations is now completely impossible. Unless, of course, the State of Yue compromises and makes concessions. But if we yield, the King of Chu will only look down on us more and continue to press his advantage. We might even have to sign an unequal and humiliating treaty, despite having won the war.”
Ning Yuanxian nodded. He knew the King of Chu all too well. He was greedy, cunning, and extremely treacherous. At the negotiating table, if the State of Yue showed even the slightest hint of concession, he would renege on all his previous promises to extract even more. He might demand that Yue cede dozens of miles of its border, issue a public apology, and pay a hundred thousand gold coins in reparations. He might even attempt something reckless while the King of Yue was ill.
“Since we can no longer resolve this through negotiations, we will engage in a decisive battle on the border. The victor will receive territory and reparations! In four months, Your Majesty will have recovered and can once again appear before everyone, full of vigor. If, at that time, you manage to utterly crush the King of Chu in a decisive border battle, he will be thoroughly intimidated, and your prestige will reach a new peak. That will offset the negative repercussions of your illness, and all your subjects and enemies will fear you once more.
Therefore, in this decisive border battle, we must not fight as equals; the disparity in our forces must be significant. Only if the State of Chu believes victory is certain will the King of Chu be tempted to agree to a decisive battle. I will begin recruiting new soldiers now and, in four months, train them into an invincible elite army. Defeating Chu's five thousand elite soldiers with two thousand new troops will be a victory so brilliant, so thrilling, that it will seem like a miracle!
Right now, Your Majesty, you are in dire need of a miraculous victory. Only then can you strike great fear into the King of Chu, your domestic officials, and the Southern Ou Kingdom. Such a victory would be of incredible value. You can achieve the same effect without having to assemble an army of a hundred thousand or spend an astronomical amount on military expenses.”
“And if you lose?”
“The world may think we will lose, but I guarantee you, I will not! If I am defeated, I will take His Highness Ning Zheng and flee far away to Raging Tide City, completely abandoning the struggle for the throne. But if I succeed, Your Majesty will…”
“What else do you want?”
“You will appoint His Highness Ning Zheng as the Commander of Tianyue, officially giving him the chance to contend for the throne. And you will allow him to expand his army to five thousand men.”
The Commander of Tianyue Fortress was in charge of the entire capital’s guard force, making him the foremost commander in the State of Yue. The current Commander of Tianyue was one of the Crown Prince’s men, and he had been insolent to Shen Lang on several occasions. He was the one who had surrounded and tried to arrest Shen Lang at the capital gates, the one who had stormed into Ning Zheng’s estate to capture him, and the one who had sent thousands of troops to surround Ning Zheng’s residence. Seizing the post of Commander of Tianyue would be a massive blow to the Crown Prince and a meteoric rise for Ning Zheng’s own power. It would be Ning Yuanxian’s declaration to the world that Ning Zheng had officially earned the right to contend for the throne.
Shen Lang was right. Ning Yuanxian desperately needed a miraculous victory. If Shen Lang could truly create a miracle, it would kill three birds with one stone. But no matter how he thought about it, Shen Lang’s words sounded utterly absurd. Recruiting soldiers now and training them into an invincible, elite army in just four months? Was that even possible?
For a decisive battle on the border, the State of Chu would undoubtedly deploy its most elite and powerful army. The last time Ning Yuanxian fought a decisive battle on the border, he had lost to the King of Wu. And Chu’s elite army was even stronger than Wu’s. For the past decade, the State of Yue had largely been at peace, while the State of Chu had been in constant conflict with the states of Jian and Liang to its west, its wars never ceasing. It was inevitable that Chu’s army would be fiercer and more adept at combat than Yue’s. Yet Shen Lang claimed his two thousand new soldiers, with only four months of training, could defeat Chu’s five thousand elite troops? It sounded as preposterous as a tale from the Arabian Nights or a daydream. However, every bold claim Shen Lang had ever made had come to pass. This was just a far grander and more outlandish boast than any before.
*What should I do? Should I take the gamble?*
In the past, the king would never have gambled with the fate of his nation. But now, having faced a great calamity and walked through the gates of hell and back, with Shen Lang being the one who had saved him, it felt as if heaven itself had sent him this man. Ning Yuanxian stared at Shen Lang for a long time before speaking.
“Shen Lang, I do not trust Ning Zheng, but I trust you. I will grant your wish. You may recruit and train soldiers starting now and arrange for a decisive battle on the border. If you lose, you will leave immediately. Go far beyond the sea. The farther from the State of Yue, the better! If what you say is true, that I have the Pageumsam disease, then my time is short. When I am truly weakened, I will no longer be able to protect you. Ning Yi and Ning Qi will not spare you.”
A trace of sorrow tinged every word Ning Yuanxian spoke. Then, he collected himself and said, “If you win this time, I will formally grant Ning Zheng the opportunity to contend for the throne. I will appoint him Commander of Tianyue and allow him to expand his army to five thousand.”
Shen Lang extended his hand.
“Then we have a deal!”
The king also extended his hand and grasped Shen Lang’s.
“A deal.”
The king tried his best to keep his hand steady, but it still trembled slightly.
“I will not disappoint you, Your Majesty. This battle is not just for His Highness Ning Zheng—it is even more for you!”
***
Upon returning home, Shen Lang was overjoyed to see someone he had not met in a long time. Waiting for him was Yun Mengze, the ambassador of the Great Yan Dynasty. This kind-hearted and righteous man had returned to the Yan Capital on his and Ning Yan’s behalf, running around everywhere and petitioning people, only to be met with scorn.
“Brother!”
“Brother Lang!”
Shen Lang and Yun Mengze embraced warmly.
“Brother Lang, I am truly useless. After months of tireless effort, rushing about, my work amounted to less than a single letter from Ning Han.”
Yun Mengze mocked himself once more. In recent months, he had felt a deep sense of powerlessness and conflict. He then hesitated for a moment before saying, “Brother Lang, I have some news you might want to hear. Qiu Yao’er has established a kingdom overseas.”
Shen Lang was slightly taken aback by the news.
*Qiu Yao’er established a kingdom overseas? So soon? It hasn’t even been a full year since she left Raging Tide City, and she’s already founded a kingdom? Wasn’t her dream to explore the unknown world? Why establish a kingdom?*
“How did you hear about this, brother?”
“The slave owners and city lords from the overseas cities all fled to the Yan Capital, seeking His Majesty the Emperor’s protection. The news came from them.”
*All of them? Does that mean a great many people came? Does that mean Qiu Yao’er destroyed numerous cities?*
Yun Mengze nodded.
“You’ve guessed correctly. She destroyed many cities on her westward journey. Half of the lords of the cities she vanquished fled west, while the other half fled east and are now requesting His Majesty the Emperor to dispatch troops to annihilate her.”
“And what is His Majesty the Emperor’s intention?”
“He couldn’t care less whether they live or die.”
The imperial family of the Great Yan Dynasty currently prioritized the mainland and paid no mind to matters beyond the sea. Why would they go to the trouble of annihilating Qiu Yao’er for the sake of those city lords?
“Explain in detail. What exactly happened?”
“Qiu Yao’er led her female pirates west to explore the unknown world. Along the way, she encountered numerous pirates and the trade fleets of various cities. Even though she left them alone, they saw that her fleet was small and composed entirely of women, making it a tempting target. In the end, they attacked her instead.”
Shen Lang knew that at sea, trade fleets were, in some respects, no different from pirates. Even in the 17th and 18th centuries, the fleets of many Western nations also engaged in piracy. Qiu Yao’er’s fleet heading west was indeed very small and consisted mostly of women, making it appear very weak.
“As a result, the pirates and trade fleets met with great misfortune. She was victorious in every battle, sweeping through them as she went. According to those city lords, she probably annihilated ten times her own number in enemies.”
Shen Lang gasped in astonishment.
*Annihilated ten times her number? Qiu Yao’er is truly formidable, no matter where she goes.*