Chapter 577
Chapter 577
The King laughed.
“Are you truly not planning to lie low for a while to avoid their resentment?”
“I won’t avoid it. Do you think they’d dare come and beat me? Besides, without any contracts or receipts, if just anyone can come and claim they were swindled after buying my Golden Dragon’s Blood, must I acknowledge it?”
*Incredible!*
The King laughed so hard his face ached. He had to slap his cheeks a few times before he could compose himself into a serious expression.
“Shen Lang, you’ve done well. Truly, very well!”
Shen Lang was taken aback.
*Your Majesty, it’s truly strange to see you praise me with such a straight face. When you say things like that with that expression, it makes me feel like you’re trying to set a trap for me.*
“I’m not talking about raising the gold. To help Ying Zheng in the succession struggle, I was worried you would act like a lawless rogue and harm the Crown Prince or Ying Qi. I thought you would resort to all sorts of schemes to frame your enemies, just as you did with Su Nan. But you didn't. Even when the Crown Prince’s and Ying Qi’s factions took the initiative to harm you, you exercised restraint and considered the greater good of the nation. That was truly well done! In this succession struggle, you have consistently used constructive methods, not destructive ones! Moreover, you presented the facts and changed my mind, making me see Ying Zheng in a new light. That is what you’ve done exceptionally well!”
“Your Majesty, for decades, the State of Yue…”
“Enough. I know what you’re going to say.”
The King quickly cut Shen Lang off. He knew Shen Lang was about to launch into his usual speech, insinuating that Ning Yuanxian had squandered the family fortune, leaving many hidden troubles for the State of Yue, and that a diligent and resolute monarch like Ying Zheng was needed to resolve such a crisis.
*No matter how you put it, you’re just saying I’ve left a mess for the future king. I know I’ve made mistakes, so you don’t need to keep bringing it up.*
“At least for now, Ying Zheng has been doing quite well.”
On the surface, Ying Zheng was still in a difficult position, grappling with many problems, but the King saw things more deeply. Ying Zheng handled matters with immense integrity. Whenever he resolved a crisis, he didn't just cover up the chaos to make things look good; he addressed the problem at its root. The current state of the Yue Kingdom could not be fixed with mere window dressing.
Suddenly, Ning Yuanxian said with a smile, “Shen Lang, Ying Zheng is inflexible in his work. If he ascends the throne, he will surely implement new policies. When that time comes, the flames of those new policies will fall upon your family as well.”
“Our Jin Clan can give up its current fiefdom and its private army. All we need is our fleet!”
Hearing this, Ning Yuanxian was startled.
“Of course, before that, I will first eliminate the Xue Clan.”
The King felt a headache coming on and quickly changed the subject. The Xue Clan were also his trusted subjects, so it was unsettling to hear Shen Lang constantly talk of eliminating them.
“Shen Lang, do you know that someone is trying to harm you?”
Shen Lang nodded.
“Of course, I know someone is after my life. The Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Hidden Yuan Society—these three factions have joined forces to destroy my Nirvana Army.”
The King sighed. He was deeply disappointed. In this succession struggle, Shen Lang, the most lawless of them all, had instead shown restraint, considered the bigger picture, and stayed within bounds. In contrast, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince had resorted to dirty tricks. Their actions were even a blatant disregard for him, Ning Yuanxian, the monarch.
*Whose Nirvana Army is it? Shen Lang’s? Ying Zheng’s? No. Ultimately, this Nirvana Army belongs to the State of Yue, to me, Ning Yuanxian! Don’t you know what role the Nirvana Army might play on the battlefield in the future? It could even turn the tide of the entire war.*
Ning Yuanxian held incredibly high hopes for the Nirvana Army.
*It’s fine for you to fight for the throne, but you cannot harm the interests of the State of Yue. Not only have your actions harmed the interests of the State of Yue, but they have also harmed my interests. How can I believe that you, who disregard the interests of our state, could become good monarchs?*
Compared to them, the hard-working and beleaguered Ying Zheng was far more pleasing to the eye.
“Shen Lang, do you need me to step in? Shall I stop them?”
Shen Lang smiled. “There’s no need.”
The King also smiled and asked, “Are you sure there’s no need? They are trying to cut off your lifeline.”
Shen Lang was speechless.
*Your Majesty, if you’re going to use a metaphor, please choose a better one. The way you put it, it sounds like someone is trying to bite off my… well, you know. The Nirvana Army is extremely important; it’s the lifeline for Prince Ying Zheng’s bid for the throne and the lifeline I need most to defeat the Crown Prince and the Third Prince. But it’s not *my* lifeline. My lifeline is safe and sound.*
“Then I shall watch you closely.”
Afterward, Ning Yuanxian fell into a long silence. He seemed to be hesitating over something, as if he was about to make a startling decision. After a long while, the King finally spoke.
“Shen Lang, since you’ve handled things well, I will reward Ying Zheng. And I will put the Crown Prince in his place for you.”
Shen Lang was startled.
*Your Majesty, surely not? Are you really going to move this quickly?*
If he wasn't mistaken, the King was about to make a big move.
“For the grand army's southern expedition, a Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony must be held. In the past, I conducted the rites, and the Crown Prince read the sacrificial ode. This time, I will have Ying Zheng read it. Is there a problem?”
Shen Lang was genuinely shocked.
*Your Majesty, isn't that a huge risk?*
Having Ying Zheng read the sacrificial ode at the Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony was a clear blow to the Crown Prince. Generally, only someone with the qualifications of a junior monarch could perform such a task, so the King's move was incredibly abrupt. Moreover, everyone in the State of Yue knew that Ying Zheng stuttered. And the more nervous he got, the worse his stutter became.
The sacrificial ode to the heavens had to be read aloud and smoothly before all the civil and military officials and tens of thousands of soldiers. Not only that, but the delivery had to be sonorous and dynamic, filled with emotion, and even carry the aura of a future king. If Ying Zheng succeeded, it would not only boost his prestige but also be a powerful signal from the King to the world. It would be a major victory in his bid for the throne.
But what if Ying Zheng failed and stuttered while reading the ode? He would become a laughingstock for the entire world. After such a failure, it wouldn't matter if his stutter was later cured; the world would forever see him as a stutterer. However, if Ying Zheng read the ode well, the label of "stutterer" would be shed forever. Even if he continued to stutter in conversation later, it would no longer matter. This signal was too important. It was a signal that the King supported Ying Zheng, and it would qualitatively advance his claim to the throne.
“Is there a problem?”
At Ning Yuanxian’s question, Shen Lang fell into deep silence.
*Right? Is there a problem?*
For the past few months, Ying Zheng had been practicing speaking with a stone in his mouth every day, working extremely hard. His tongue was often raw from the stone, sometimes even bleeding. But despite all that, curing a stutter was incredibly difficult. King George VI couldn't overcome it in his entire lifetime and never completely conquered his stutter even in speeches as king. Ying Zheng had learned to speak more slowly in his daily conversations, which made him sound better and his stutter less obvious. But when he was excited or nervous, he still stuttered. However, this opportunity was too precious. Although Ying Zheng was starting to stand out, he would still face opposition from the court officials if he were to ascend the throne. They would all oppose him for the same reason.
*How can a stutterer ascend the throne? Isn't that a disgrace to the nation?*
Ying Zheng was unattractive, with dark skin, a short stature, and a prominent birthmark on his face. But as subjects, they couldn't attack his appearance, so they could only oppose his ascension based on his stutter. And their words held some merit. In the current environment, it was indeed difficult to accept a stutterer as the monarch of a nation, especially when the King had other healthy and outstanding sons. Therefore, if Ying Zheng could deliver a brilliant performance at the Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony, radiating a dazzling aura, he could silence all the officials. In the future, no one would be able to use his stutter to block his path to the throne.
The King asked again, “Shen Lang, is there a problem? There isn’t much time. I will hold the ceremony in three days. The method of speaking with a stone in his mouth won't be enough to correct Ying Zheng's stutter by then. On that day, Ying Zheng must not only speak smoothly but also deliver a sufficiently stunning performance.”
A stunning performance? The King wasn't just asking for the level of a King George VI speech; he wanted a Hitler-level oration. For ordinary people, speaking is just speaking, but for a monarch or a prime minister, public speaking is a crucial political skill. Especially on modern Earth, a person with exceptional oratory skills could become president. Hitler, though one of history's worst dictators, became famous for his speeches, through which he stirred the blood and shook the souls of countless people.
“It can be done. No problem.”
Shen Lang nodded and said.
“Shen Lang, are you truly certain? Do you understand that if he stutters even once, the entire ceremony will be ruined, and it will be a fatal blow to his bid for the throne? If you are not certain, do not take the risk. We can just let the Crown Prince, Ying Yi, read the ode.”
“On the day of the Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony, I will ensure that His Highness Ying Zheng shines with a dazzling light, that his voice opens the ears of the deaf and resonates in their souls, making everyone see him in a new light!”
“Then I, too, shall watch with great interest. You only have three days! If you are absolutely certain there is no problem, I will issue a royal edict to Ying Zheng, formally proclaiming the matter.”
Shen Lang nodded.
“No problem!”
* * *
That afternoon, the King issued a royal edict.
The moment the edict was issued, it caused a huge uproar. It even overshadowed the news of raising five million taels of gold. Everyone was shocked once again.
*What on earth is His Majesty thinking? Reading the sacrificial ode is the Crown Prince's duty, isn't it? He's entrusting it to the Fifth Prince, Ying Zheng? Hasn't His Majesty sent too shocking a signal? Is the Crown Prince's position unstable? Is Prince Ying Zheng about to rise? Has the King's favor finally shifted to the Fifth Prince?*
*But Your Majesty, the credit for raising the military funds belongs to Shen Lang; it has nothing to do with Ying Zheng. Everyone knows that Ying Zheng stutters! Furthermore, how important is this Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony? What a sacred moment! If Ying Zheng stutters while reading the ode, not only will his own prestige be ruined, but it will also be an act of disrespect to the heavens and the sages. If the heavens hold this against us, won't it bring ill fortune to this war?*
*This concerns the fate of our nation, Your Majesty. You have been too rash. We know you had a major disagreement with the Crown Prince over borrowing funds from the Hidden Yuan Society and that you wish to provoke him. Even so, you must not treat a great matter of state like child's play!*