Chapter 555
Chapter 555
"Rest assured, King of Chu. The Imperial Army will guarantee your safety."
At Prince Yan's words, the King of Chu closed his eyes in anguish. In the thirty-odd years since his ascension, he had never experienced such profound humiliation and disgrace. The young King of Wu must have felt this way a few months ago. But the King of Wu was still young; he could endure the humiliation, bide his time, and still accomplish great things. The King of Chu, however, was already over sixty. Opening his eyes again, his rims red with unshed tears, the King of Chu gave a sharp wave of his hand. The ten-thousand-strong army of Chu began to retreat, pulling back twenty *li*. Only two men remained behind: Doda and Doi, who were still squatting in the bushes, relieving themselves.
* * *
Prince Yan of the Great Yan Dynasty spoke.
"We will now proceed to the second article of the truce: the King of Chu shall read the edict!"
Ceding territory and retreating his army twenty *li* had not been the most humiliating part. This was. The King of Chu wanted to have the Crown Prince read the edict in his stead, but he knew someone would say:
'This is a duty for the monarch, yet the King of Chu asks his Crown Prince to do it for him? Why not abdicate the throne to the Crown Prince then? After all, you are too old to even read an edict properly, are you not?'
Trembling, the King of Chu rose and unfurled the prepared edict. It was an edict that only the defeated could read. Its essence was a public confession of fault, an admission that the recent border war between Chu and Yue was entirely his doing. It was not just an admission to his adversary, but to the entire world.
'What in the devil's name is this?!'
Having never imagined he would be defeated, the King of Chu had paid little mind to the content and simply ordered the Ministry of Rites to draft it. But who knew some genius in the Ministry had penned one or two thousand characters with such eloquence?
'D-dammit! Who wrote this? Why is it so florid? Even a loyal subject can harbor a treacherous heart!'
The King of Chu began to read the edict of confession, word by painful word, as officials from the various states present began to record it. For the King of Chu's admission of guilt was a proclamation to the entire world. If he was to lose face, he had to lose it completely. Reading the edict, the King of Chu was overcome with such grief that tears threatened to fall.
'Humiliation the likes of which I have never known. I am over sixty, nearly seventy—why must I suffer this shame? Who on earth wrote this? To make it so long... is it to ensure I am thoroughly disgraced before I die?'
Unconsciously, his voice grew choked with emotion. Suddenly, from below the platform, an envoy from one of the states shouted out.
"Your Majesty, King of Chu, please speak up! I cannot hear you!"
It was the envoy from the State of Liang, an enemy of Chu.
'You... you damn scoundrel!'
But the King of Chu had no choice but to raise his voice. If he spoke too softly, some envoy might use it as an excuse to record his words incorrectly. And since the edict was to be disseminated throughout the world, any misrepresentation would only bring him greater shame. The King of Chu read the nearly two-thousand-character edict for a full half-hour. His body trembled, and his voice quivered. In contrast, King Ning Yuanxian of Yue was ecstatic, nearly mad with triumph.
'Exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating! I have never felt such satisfaction!'
The King of Yue felt even more vindicated now than when he had defeated Su Nan, more than when the King of Wu had come to him, bowing his head in admission of fault. When the King of Wu had come to apologize, Ning Yuanxian, for the sake of the bigger picture, had not shamed him. He had not stood idly by but had personally consoled him. But this time was different. With a thousand foreign envoys and the delegation from the Great Yan Dynasty present, it was like slapping the King of Chu hard across the face in front of everyone. The slap was so satisfying it seemed to echo, making the very hairs on his head stand on end.
'Shen Lang, you magnificent scoundrel, you must truly be a gift from the heavens. Hahahahaha! Without you, would I have ever seen this glorious day? The war to determine the hegemon of the south has not even begun, yet the King of Chu has already been defeated so utterly his face is ashen. Today, my prestige has reached an even higher peak!'
* * *
After half an hour, the King of Chu finally finished reading the nearly two-thousand-character edict. He resolved that upon his return, he would have the man who drafted this edict executed. His voice was completely hoarse, and standing there in the cold wind, he felt an icy chill spread from the depths of his heart to the tips of his toes. After reading the edict, the King of Chu's body was so stiff he could not move.
Prince Yan stepped forward from the ranks once more.
"We will now execute the third article of the truce. Present the war reparations!"
The King of Chu flinched again.
'It's still not over?'
Because he was about to be shamed yet again. The so-called presentation of war reparations was likely similar to a donation ceremony of later generations. The kind where a large, ceremonial check is presented by the donor to the recipient while countless reporters snap photos with flashing cameras. Now, the King of Chu had to bow and present a massive, twenty-catty gold coin to King Ning Yuanxian of Yue with both hands. On the giant coin were inscribed the words: Eight Hundred Thousand Gold. Like a battle standard, it was a symbolic object that could be displayed in the royal palace forever.
"King of Chu, present the gold!"
The King of Chu took the enormous gold coin, bowed, and presented it to the King of Yue.
"King of Yue, please receive this gold!"
At that moment, from below the dais, Shen Lang could no longer contain himself and let out a snort of laughter. The phrasing was just too perfect. In that instant, countless people glared at Shen Lang with fury. The King of Chu and the Empire's Prince Yan were especially incensed.
'What kind of place is this? What kind of moment? And you dare to laugh like that? Have you no sense of decorum?'
King Ning Yuanxian accepted the giant gold coin and bowed slightly.
"I thank you for this gold, my royal brother. Your younger brother is almost embarrassed to accept it!"
The King of Chu said nothing, but his face was taut with rage. Then, officials from the Ministries of Rites and Revenue of both sides came forward to inspect the gold piece by piece. To ensure not even half a catty was missing, all the gold was weighed on large scales. After a full thirty minutes, all fifty-six thousand catties of gold had been transferred. With the three articles of the truce fulfilled, everything should have been over.
Without another word, the King of Chu bowed to Prince Yan and prepared to leave immediately. Just then, King Ning Yuanxian strode forward to support the King of Chu by the arm as he descended the dais. To get down from the dais, one had to descend ninety-nine steps. The King of Chu, infuriated, tried to shake off the King of Yue's hand, protesting that he was not so old he couldn't walk on his own. But Ning Yuanxian's grip was too firm, and he could not pull his arm away. And so, with the Crown Prince of Chu on one side and Ning Yuanxian on the other, the King of Chu was escorted down the steps, making him look all the more old and frail.
The King of Chu felt like he was about to explode. He knew that in everyone's eyes, King Ning Yuanxian appeared young and vigorous, while he looked like a decrepit old man. Finally, the ninety-nine steps came to an end, and the King of Chu boarded his massive royal carriage. Ning Yuanxian stood outside, bowing with his hands clasped.
"My gratitude, Royal Brother!"
Then, Shen Lang suddenly bowed and shouted.
"We are here to see Your Majesty off! Have a safe journey! You must travel well, Your Majesty!"
'Shen Lang, that damn scoundrel! He's kicking a man who's already down.'
"Your Majesty, you must return in seven days to see us again!"
As Shen Lang shouted again, the others could no longer tolerate it. His words had gone too far. The first comment might have been unintentional, but this one was purely malicious.
'What does he mean, return in seven days? Is he telling the King of Chu to come back for his own seven-day memorial service after he dies?'
Everyone glared at Shen Lang with rage. Prince Yan was especially furious.
'Shen Lang, are you truly so audacious and disrespectful? This is an open curse, wishing death upon the monarch of another state!'
Shen Lang said loudly.
"Was this not once the land of Chu? In seven days, the border markers will all be moved. I merely meant that the King of Chu should return in seven days to see this land one last time. What is it? Did I say something wrong?"
Everyone was speechless.
'It's true what they say: the utterly shameless have no equal. Your audacity is boundless, and your logic is unassailable. We cannot win a war of words with you.'
The Crown Prince of Chu gave the order.
"Depart!"
The King of Chu's carriage set off to the west. But before it had gone even a single *li*, the King of Chu could finally bear it no longer.
"Pfft!"
He sprayed a mouthful of crimson blood and passed out. The eunuch inside the carriage was terrified, but he did not dare announce that the king had fainted.
* * *
Inside the Yue military encampment.
"Zhong Yao, what do you think of my Nirvana Army?"
Ning Yuanxian said excitedly. Though it was winter, he still wore thin robes as if to show off his physique, making him appear all the more dashing and gallant. For the past few months, he had been suffocating. His cerebral infarction had been treated within an hour, so he had suffered no actual damage to his brain or bodily functions. After a month of recuperation, his body was perfectly fine, but to feign illness, he had to dye his hair white every day and maintain a stooped posture. Now, at last, he could finally walk with his head held high.
Of course, he felt a twinge of sadness. The days where he could walk so proudly might be numbered. Because the Three Prohibitions of Gold that afflicted him would only grow worse. Ning Yuanxian had to cherish these final moments of vigor. Currently, Ning Yuanxian's prestige was once again at its zenith. One could tell just by looking at Zhong Yao's demeanor.
'I do not have much time left. I must use it to resolve all of Yue's critical threats.'
Upon hearing Ning Yuanxian's question, Zhong Yao answered immediately.
"Your Majesty's Nirvana Army is truly worthy of being called the strongest army in the world."
Ning Yuanxian turned as if remembering something.
"Zhong Yao, how much do I owe you for military expenses?"
"Nine hundred and fifty thousand gold."
"Ye Jun, bring nine hundred and fifty thousand gold to Grand Marshal Zhong. And bring another three hundred and fifty thousand gold for the Grand Marshal to use for future military expenses!"
Zhong Yao bowed.
"I thank Your Majesty for your immense generosity."