Chapter 600
Chapter 600
"Suddenly returning home?"
The King's expression stiffened the moment he heard those words. After a long pause, Ning Yuanxian replied in a trembling voice.
"Nonsense. I will never let you resign! This is the State of Yue; there is no one I cannot protect. Even the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty cannot overstep his authority in the affairs of my kingdom."
His words were, to some extent, true. Although the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty was the common sovereign of the world and used various methods to indirectly control the different states, the domestic and foreign affairs of these states were fundamentally independent and autonomous.
"If I cannot even protect you, what face will I have to call myself a king?"
Ning Yuanxian roared, for Shen Lang's talk of resigning and returning home had wounded his dignity.
'To hell with it, I'll just be difficult! I, Ning Yuanxian, will refuse to pay the debt and refuse to arrest Shen Lang. What can you do to me? Of course, doing so would invite sanctions from the Great Yan Dynasty and the Hidden Yuan Society, but would the Great Yan Dynasty really mobilize its troops for such a reason?'
Shen Lang said nothing, quietly writing his letter of resignation. Ning Yuanxian spoke to him.
"Shen Lang, I know I've disappointed people in the past. Twenty-one years ago, when Prince Jiang Li fell, I went to Zhu Hongzhu to preserve my throne. I forced a divorce from my beloved first wife, which ultimately led to her death. I even sent Ning Han to the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion. I was weak then, so I had no choice but to compromise. I know in my heart that because of that, both the Crown Prince and Ning Han still look down on me deep down."
This was the knot in King Ning Yuanxian's heart, his shame. In his youth, he had followed Jiang Li with fiery passion, and as a result, a fatal disaster befell him as soon as Prince Jiang Li was destroyed. He could not withstand the pressure from the Great Yan Dynasty, so he compromised. Afterward, Zhu Hongzhu became his pillar of support and the leader of the State of Yue's civil officials. He would probably never be able to undo that knot in his heart for the rest of his life. Unless he could stand in the same position and rise again, a man whose back had been broken once would forever be seen as someone who could never stand straight.
For this reason, Ning Yuanxian was particularly conscious of his royal dignity. Of course, Zhu Hongzhu was a man who knew his place. After saving Ning Yuanxian, he did not flaunt his influence but acted with discretion, never taking the lead and attributing all glory to King Ning Yuanxian. That was how their relationship could become like that of a father and son.
But it was also because he had experienced such humiliation that Ning Yuanxian had become the vain person he was today. He knew, deep down, that he would never be able to wash away the shame of that time. His queen, from the Zhu Clan, was especially arrogant and condescending, always seeming to remind him that without the Zhu Clan, his throne would have been lost long ago.
"Shen Lang, believe in me, please believe in me... This time, I will resist to the very end. The Hidden Yuan Society should not even think of making me yield."
"Your Majesty, you are too impetuous, not thick-skinned enough, and not ruthless enough. Twenty years ago, Your Majesty divorced your first wife and begged the Zhu Clan for help. So what? Why must that incident be a knot in your heart?"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Ning Yuanxian was taken aback.
'Wasn't that humiliating? Wasn't that the same as someone else breaking my spine?'
In Shen Lang's view, there were many monarchs in history who had faced far more humiliating and frustrating situations. Let's not even speak of King Goujian of Yue enduring hardship to plot his revenge; wasn't Emperor Jing of Han formidable enough? As the supreme emperor of the Han Dynasty, he couldn't withstand the immense pressure during the Rebellion of the Seven States and sentenced his own confidant, Chao Cuo, to death by being cut in half at the waist. Emperor Jing also considered it a disgrace, but it didn't become a knot in his heart. After suppressing the seven states, he still enjoyed a renowned reputation as an enlightened ruler.
Furthermore, didn't Emperor Jing deeply trust Zhi Du, yet stood by and watched him be put to death? And what of Chancellor Zhou Yafu, a man of immense merit? He had practically saved Emperor Jing's life and was the greatest hero in quelling the Rebellion of the Seven States. Yet, wasn't he also essentially killed by Emperor Jing? Did even a trace of resentment linger in the heart of Emperor Jing, Liu Qi?
Ning Yuanxian had a reputation for being harsh and ungrateful, but he was a monarch who, deep down, valued sentimentality, which was why he could never become a truly great king. However, it was this very quality that made Ning Yuanxian feel more like a normal, human person to Shen Lang.
"The relationship with Prime Minister Zhu Hongzhu was destined to break down eventually, so Your Majesty need not be distressed over it. This is because Zhu Hongzhu inwardly considers himself a subject of the Great Yan Dynasty, not the State of Yue. Everything he has ever done has been to pave the way for the empire's unification. That is why, from the very beginning, I did not support Crown Prince Ning Yi's ascension to the throne. Behind His Highness the Crown Prince stand the Zhu Clan and the Hidden Yuan Society, which means they completely represent the interests of the Great Yan Dynasty. If he were to inherit the throne, could the State of Yue still be called the State of Yue in the future? That would be hard to say.
Zhu Hongzhu has kept a low profile in recent years. Though clearly the leader of the civil officials, he has spent most of his time at home feigning illness, appearing concerned not to detract in the slightest from Your Majesty's glory. In truth, it wasn't that he didn't covet power, but that he was laying out a more meticulous and far-reaching plan. On the surface, he was protecting the Crown Prince, but in reality, he was serving the interests of the Great Yan Dynasty.
I once asked Your Majesty to arrange a meeting between Jin Mucong and Zhu Ying. If Zhu Hongzhu were a loyal subject of Yue, he would have accepted that olive branch and shown some goodwill. But the Zhu Clan showed no such inclination. My and Your Majesty's intentions were very clear: even if His Highness Ning Zheng ascended the throne, the Zhu Clan would remain the head of the civil officials, their position unshaken. So why did Zhu Hongzhu reject the proposal so decisively? Was it because he cherished His Highness Ning Yi? No. Ning Yi is not even the Queen's biological son, merely an adopted one.
In fact, there was something I held back in my heart. If Jin Mucong could marry Zhu Ying, then in the future, His Highness Ning Zheng could also marry a daughter of the Zhu Clan and make her his queen. His Highness Ning Zheng's wife, Lady Zhuo, is a virtuous woman, but she has not borne any children and is merely the daughter of a merchant, making it difficult for her to ascend to the position of queen in the future. The marriage between Jin Mucong and Zhu Ying was just a small attempt to explore such possibilities! But Zhu Hongzhu flatly refused!
Afterward, the events of the Great Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony and the Hidden Yuan Society all proved one thing: Zhu Hongzhu's humility over the past twenty years was all a facade. He remained quiet only because his core interests had not yet been threatened. But once they were, he would become a fierce tiger, ready to tear a man to shreds!"
As Ning Yuanxian listened to Shen Lang's words, he sat down and began to listen intently.
"Furthermore, the Xue and Zhong clans, while appearing to be subjects of Yue, are also constantly currying favor with the Great Yan Dynasty. Through the arranged meeting between the daughter of the Zhong Clan and the son of the Great Yan Dynasty's Prince Wu, Zhong Yao's intentions were laid bare. As for Marquis Wu'an, Xue Che, he once managed the Blackwater Terrace for Your Majesty, but later became stationed in the Great Yan Dynasty, handling Yue's diplomacy and intelligence. This time, when the Hidden Yuan Society seized my people with the Blank Bloodline, the Blackwater Terrace continuously provided them with information. Not only that, but before the Hidden Yuan Society took our people, Wu Jue, a disciple of the Floating Dao Mountain, came to me as a representative and issued a stern warning: stop the bloodline modification experiments and hand over all existing research results."
Upon hearing this, King Ning Yuanxian's eyes narrowed. Being an intelligent man, he immediately recognized the extremely dangerous signal.
"Ultimately, my research report on those with the Blank Bloodline will fall into the hands of the Hidden Yuan Society. Their alchemists will immediately use my methods and the Floating Dao Mountain's bloodline research records to test the blood of the three thousand seven hundred individuals and confirm that they possess the Blank Bloodline.
Your Majesty, the Zhong Clan secretly makes overtures to the Great Yan Dynasty, so what of the Xue Clan? The relationship between Yan Nanfei and the Floating Dao Mountain is unusually close. Moreover, the Floating Dao Mountain played a crucial role in the annihilation of Prince Jiang Li, and after his fall, they became the biggest beneficiary. The Floating Dao Mountain is an organization with very close ties to the Great Yan Dynasty. That is why both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, Ning Qi, have rushed to align themselves with the Great Yan Dynasty.
Whichever of those two princes ascends the throne, it is difficult to say what the future status of the State of Yue will be. But His Highness Ning Zheng sees only the State of Yue and is willing to dedicate himself to the country without fear, even if it means being utterly broken."
Ning Yuanxian, his gaze now calm, picked up the teapot and filled Shen Lang's cup to the brim.
"After eliminating Prince Jiang Li, the Great Yan Dynasty originally intended to ride that momentum to abolish the various states and unify the Eastern world. However, the Eastern world turned out to be larger and wider than expected, and complex situations arose within the Great Yan Dynasty itself, forcing them to stabilize their internal affairs before pacifying the external states! Therefore, the Great Yan Dynasty first implemented a new policy to break Prince Jiang Li's influence and destroy him, then swept away the old aristocratic families and military clans within the empire, thoroughly centralizing power. It took over a decade for the Great Yan Dynasty's new policy to near completion. And once the Great Yan Dynasty fully establishes its centralized monarchy, it will turn to swallow the surrounding nations.
To be frank, the current Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty is truly an outstanding monarch of his era, a ruler who appears perhaps once in a hundred years. It wouldn't be a bad thing if such a person unified the world. But I've grown hostile toward him because he seeks to suppress civilization, keep the people ignorant, and trap the entire world within a primitive state."
In truth, whatever the Emperor's thoughts were, they had little to do with Shen Lang. Shen Lang did not care for the countless people of the world, so it was no concern of his whether civilization advanced or regressed. But it seemed that the supreme Emperor looked upon Shen Lang with some displeasure. Although in the Emperor's eyes, Shen Lang was an utterly insignificant figure, hardly worth mentioning, Shen Lang had noticed in various small encounters that the Great Yan Dynasty held a very unfriendly attitude toward him.