Chapter 529
Chapter 529
Some with exceptional means even found out that Shen Lang had entered the palace to treat the King. Thus, many who didn't know the truth visited Ying Zheng's estate, hoping to get answers from Shen Lang. However, only four people knew the exact details of the King's condition: Shen Lang, Ning Jun, Consort Zhong, and Ning Mu. But none of them leaked the information. Consort Zhong, who had always been bold, immediately closed the palace gates and refused to see anyone except her older brother Zhong E and her son, Ying Qi. Ning Jun and Ning Mu were even less likely to reveal the King's condition.
However, Consort Zhong was far too straightforward and lacked any cunning. Unable to feign composure, she immediately closed her doors and refused all visitors, which ironically led many to believe that the King must be seriously ill; otherwise, she wouldn't have acted so drastically.
Soon, a rumor began to circulate in the capital. It was said that the King had indulged so much in women, draining his vitality daily, that he had suffered a stroke while in bed with one.
The rumor about a stroke was somewhat close to the truth. Before long, numerous private physicians secretly offered their diagnoses. A stroke, they said, was an extremely dangerous ailment. If it had happened once, a recurrence was highly likely, and a second one would surely be fatal. The ministers all came to seek an audience with the King, but they were all turned away. However, a few could not be refused. For instance, the Crown Prince, the Third Prince Ying Qi, and Zhu Hongzhu, among others. In any case, those with high status and immense power all went to see the King.
When they saw the King, he certainly appeared to have the symptoms of a stroke. His limbs were stiff, and his movements seemed labored. Soon, the ministers and people of Yue were convinced that the King's illness was a stroke. As a result, the King's reputation plummeted. Dying atop a woman had always been the hallmark of a foolish monarch. The reputation and dignity that Ning Yuanxian had painstakingly built were now in a constant decline. No matter how much they had praised him in the past, a king who suffered a stroke due to unrestrained indulgence with women could never be considered wise.
The first political reaction to the news of Ning Yuanxian's "stroke" was the cancellation of the arranged meeting between the son of a Great Yan Dynasty prince and a daughter of the royal clan. The second political reaction was Zhu Lin's grand army once again pulling back on the battlefield in the southern borderlands. The third was the retreat of Zhong Yao's army, and the fourth was the envoy from the State of Chu becoming unbearably arrogant, attempting to extort the State of Yue at the negotiating table.
The State of Chu, the aggressor in this war, not only refused to withdraw its troops from the occupied fortresses of Yue but also demanded a public apology from King Ning Yuanxian of Yue and compensation of five hundred thousand gold taels to Chu. The King of Chu showed his shamelessness in full. It seems the saying "an old man who doesn't die is nothing but a thief" was made for people like him.
***
At this point, the negotiations between Chu and Yue had completely failed. But then, the Fifth Prince, Ying Zheng, who had seemed perpetually listless, entered the palace to see the bedridden King and volunteered to take charge of the negotiations with Chu, wishing to share the monarch's burden. When Ying Zheng spoke up, many in the court and among the populace were astonished.
'The negotiations between Chu and Yue are hopeless. Are you, Ying Zheng, just coming to watch the spectacle? It's a task doomed to fail. You didn't show up when the talks were going smoothly, but now that they've reached an irreversible impasse, are you rushing to eat the shit before it gets cold?'
The King issued a royal decree.
Everyone thought His Majesty had issued the decree to make Ying Zheng a sacrificial lamb. Since the negotiations between Chu and Yue were bound to fail, someone had to take the blame. Ying Zheng, his least favored son, was the perfect candidate to bear that responsibility.
After Ying Zheng received the decree and took full charge of the negotiations, the first reaction was the entire Yue delegation reporting themselves sick. One claimed to have a high fever, another said he had hemorrhoids. In any case, whether they were officials from the Ministry of Rites or the Court of State Ceremonial, they all withdrew. When the new round of talks began, none of the fifteen Yue officials originally responsible for the negotiations showed up, leaving Ying Zheng abandoned there alone.
'We'll just watch and see how you handle this. Ying Zheng, you're a stutterer. We're worried you won't even be able to speak properly.'
***
Inside the office of the Court of State Ceremonial.
On either side of the massive negotiating table, twelve officials from the State of Chu sat on the left, while only two from Yue, Shen Lang and Ying Zheng, sat on the right. The officials from Chu felt as if they were playing on their home turf.
'It's strange to feel this way when we're clearly in enemy territory. We know, Ying Zheng, that despite being a useless prince, you're trying every trick in the book to earn merit and curry favor with the King of Yue. But you should have at least looked into what this job entails before jumping in. Did you come here to eat shit?'
Shen Lang said with a smile.
"Envoy, what is your official position in the State of Chu? Shall we begin the formal negotiations now?"
The Chu envoy glanced at Shen Lang with a dismissive look and said calmly.
"Is the State of Yue so lacking in men? To send a wet-behind-the-ears child to negotiate. What scholarly honor do you hold, and what is your official position?"
"This humble one is Shen Lang!"
The Chu envoy shook his head and said.
"Shen Lang? I've never heard that name in my life."
He made no effort to hide his disdain for Shen Lang.
"Your Highness Ying Zheng, this official is a Minister of the third rank in the Court of State Ceremonial of Chu. To be treated like this in the State of Yue... this official refuses to negotiate."
His meaning was quite clear. A lowly sixth-rank official like Shen Lang was no better than a stray cat or dog, far too low in rank to be worthy of negotiating with a high-ranking third-rank minister like himself. Ying Zheng suppressed his anger and said.
"Then this Marquis will negotiate with you directly."
The Chu envoy said with a smile.
"Very well, then. Speak slowly. There's no rush."
Hearing this, Ying Zheng's face instantly turned crimson. The envoy was mocking him for his stutter. Then, Wang Huaili, the Minister of Chu's Court of State Ceremonial, said slowly.
"In truth, there is nothing to discuss. This is our final ultimatum. There's no need to waste time. Our terms will absolutely not change. The responsibility for this border conflict lies entirely with the State of Yue. Yue initiated the war and suffered a humiliating defeat."
His ability to so naturally twist black into white was almost admirable. The border war between Chu and Yue was entirely Chu's fault; they had provoked it from the start and had been the ones to initiate hostilities on Yue's border.
"This is the final ultimatum from our king to the King of Yue.
Article 2: Our king has studied the maps and discovered that the sovereignty of twenty-three fortresses, including the Fortress of Anning, has belonged to our State of Chu for one hundred and thirty years. Today, our brave and fearless Chu army has shed blood to occupy these twenty-three fortresses, which is merely an act of reclaiming our ancient territories. Therefore, we can never withdraw from them. These twenty-three fortresses and their surrounding lands are all sacred and inviolable territory of our State of Chu, and we will not yield a single step.
Article 3: The State of Yue has senselessly started a war on the border. Although you have suffered another humiliating defeat, you have inflicted enormous damage upon our country. Therefore, the State of Yue must compensate our country with five hundred thousand gold taels.>
His Majesty the King of Chu is watching from behind, so we cannot back down. Not a single word written here can be altered, and these conditions cannot be changed at all. The State of Yue has two choices. Sign here, or meet us on the battlefield!"
The Chu delegation spoke decisively and firmly.
"Hahaha!"
Shen Lang suddenly burst into loud laughter. Wang Huaili, the Minister of Chu's Court of State Ceremonial, was instantly enraged. He pointed at Shen Lang and said coldly.
"Who is this whelp? Do you even have the right to speak here? Your Highness Ying Zheng, if you do not throw him out, we will immediately withdraw from these negotiations and see you on the battlefield."
Shen Lang clapped his hands once, and ten men suddenly poured out from nowhere. They were the ten Nan brothers, dressed as beggars, each holding a dog-beating stick. The Chu delegation looked at them in shock and asked.
"Who are you? This is the sacred negotiation hall between our two nations. What have you come here to do? Shen Lang, what are you trying to do?"
The ten Nan brothers said nothing and immediately rushed forward, wildly beating the envoys with their dog-beating sticks.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack.*
In the blink of an eye, the Chu envoys were being bludgeoned by the sticks, howling in pain and spattering crimson blood everywhere.
"Shen Lang, what are you doing? Do you have a death wish? Daring to beat a diplomatic delegation—this is unheard of! Guards, guards!"
Shen Lang stood up from his seat and asked in a shocked voice.
"How did you beggars get in here? Get out, get out now. Do you think this is a place you can just walk into? Lord Wang, are you alright? Envoys of Chu, are you all okay? You beggars have some nerve. How dare you barge in here and beat the people of the Court of State Ceremonial? Who do you think you are, acting so brazenly? Who put you up to this? Guards, guards!"
Shen Lang called for help in a voice even more desperate than that of the Chu delegation. Moreover, he bravely rushed toward them, attempting to save the leader of the Chu delegation.
"You scoundrels, stop hitting Lord Wang! Do you all want to die? You've caused a huge incident! Lord Wang, I've come to save you."
Then, Shen Lang aimed for the groin of Chu's Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial and kicked with all his might.
'The Descendant-Ending Kick!'
"Aargh!"
Wang Huaili, the leader of the Chu delegation, immediately let out an utterly wretched scream. He clutched his family jewels with both hands, writhing and convulsing desperately on the floor. The pain was so intense it felt like he might die from the convulsions.
"Lord Wang, where are you hurt? You must hold on. I'll go get help."
Shen Lang shouted loudly, then aimed for Wang Huaili's face and kicked him again.
"Aargh!"
Another miserable scream echoed as two of Wang Huaili's front teeth went flying. The Chu delegation was beaten for a full five minutes. Only then did the ten Nan brothers swiftly retreat, leaving a parting shot.
"You slept with the women at Spring Wave Pavilion and didn't pay. You promised to pay and then skipped out. Next time we see you, we'll beat you to within an inch of your life."
The dozen or so members of the Chu delegation left behind were a pitiful sight, rolling on the floor and wailing. Shen Lang crouched down in front of Chu's Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial and said slowly.
"Lord Wang, don't worry. We will definitely handle this matter appropriately. We will be sure to apprehend the true culprits and resolve this case. However, I must say a few words to you. How could you call for women and not pay? You can skip out on gambling debts, but you can't skip out on paying for a woman's company. It's not even that much money, is it? Just how many times have you failed to pay, Lord Wang? Perhaps I should step in and pay for you?"