Chapter 705
Chapter 705
“Then I shall trouble you, emissary. I will never forget the goodwill of Voodoo Mountain.”
Though Ning Qi spoke these words, his heart was filled with vigilance toward Voodoo Mountain. The only way to make the King of Chu die suddenly at a specific time was by using venomous parasites. In that case, who would administer the parasite to the King of Chu? A trusted eunuch? Or one of his consorts? Ning Qi was reminded of his own concubine, Xuexue. Wasn’t she also a disciple of Voodoo Mountain? Years ago, she had used a parasite on the Sword King’s wife. There was truly nothing new under the sun. If Voodoo Mountain used such a tactic on the King of Chu today, what guarantee was there that they wouldn’t use the same tactic on him, the new King of Yue, in the future? For now, he pushed those thoughts aside and spoke respectfully.
“Then please ensure the timing is perfect. The King of Chu must die suddenly at the very moment my arrow seems to strike near him. Only then will it have a truly shocking effect.”
The emissary from Voodoo Mountain replied.
“Your Highness, rest assured. This performance will surely astound the world!”
Ning Qi nodded gravely.
“Your Highness need only wait to savor the moment of glory. Killing an enemy king on the battlefield is a feat that no past King of Yue has ever accomplished. Once you perform such a miracle, no one in the world will be able to stop you from ascending the throne.”
Third Prince Ning Qi said with a stoic expression.
“I only wish to share my father’s burdens and resolve the crisis facing the State of Yue. I have no other thoughts.”
*Hmph. Must you always look so cold when you’re being pretentious?*
“Third Prince, if there are no other issues, shall we proceed with the performance tomorrow?”
“Very well!”
*Tomorrow, I, Ning Qi, will stage the grand spectacle of shooting the King of Chu dead.*
***
Inside the King of Chu’s barracks.
The King of Chu felt better than ever. The arrival of Yue’s Ning Qi had certainly improved the situation slightly, allowing him to act like some great savior, but it could not stop the scales of victory from tipping toward Chu. His victory in this war was now a foregone conclusion.
“What is the situation at Pingnan Pass?”
At the King of Chu’s question, the Crown Prince of Chu replied.
“We have held it. Aronana’s Qiang soldiers attacked fiercely at first, but it seems they are losing steam. Their assaults have lessened recently, so they will likely cease their attacks soon.”
The King of Chu held the great Qiang army in contempt. He knew better than anyone how treacherous and fortified Pingnan Pass was. Aronana thought he could capture it with only Qiang soldiers? That was the rambling of a fool. It seemed that scoundrel Shen Lang had run out of tricks.
“We must consider what comes after the war. As things stand, it is impossible to completely annihilate the State of Yue, nor will the Great Yan Dynasty permit it. In that case, would it be better for Ning Qi to take the throne, or Ning Zheng?”
The Crown Prince was startled.
*We are the enemy. Do we have a say in who becomes the Crown Prince of Yue?*
He soon realized they truly did have a great deal of influence. A victory in Zhenxi Province would allow the Chu army to march straight to the capital of Yue. At that point, whoever the King of Chu chose to negotiate with would be the one to appear at the negotiating table. The person who negotiated a ceasefire with the King of Chu would be one step closer to the position of Crown Prince of Yue.
“Ning Qi is not a simple man. If he takes the throne, it will be disadvantageous for our State of Chu.”
To the Crown Prince of Chu’s words, the King of Chu said.
“You only see the surface. Ning Qi uses vicious methods, but he knows how to compromise. Ning Zheng, on the other hand, has a will of iron and is not easily swayed. Such a ruler is the greatest headache for an enemy nation. Furthermore, Ning Zheng will have Shen Lang’s support…”
The King of Chu did not finish his sentence, but his meaning was crystal clear. If Ning Zheng became Crown Prince, Shen Lang would be free of worries and on a path to success. But if Ning Qi took the throne, the Jin Clan would face a fatal disaster, and Shen Lang might die without a place for his burial.
“I hear the Xue Clan’s fleet has finished assembling. Once Ning Qi is on the throne, regardless of this war's outcome, the Xue fleet will seize the opportunity to attack Raging Tide City, fulfilling his promise to the King of Wu and the Hidden Yuan Society.”
“If the Xue Clan doesn’t mobilize then, we can pressure Ning Qi to attack Raging Tide City and destroy the Jin Clan. Once Raging Tide City falls, Shen Lang will have no escape route out to sea. Later, when Ning Qi ascends the throne, he can easily destroy the Jin Clan under a new, legitimate pretext. Shen Lang will become a stray dog, with not even his bones left to be found! Raging Tide City must be completely empty now, so if the Xue Clan’s fleet attacks, Leizhou Island will surely fall. The Jin Clan’s overseas base will be finished for good.”
As he spoke, the Crown Prince of Chu ground his teeth, as if already seeing the image of Shen Lang utterly defeated, his bones uncollected. To this father and son, their greatest enemy at the moment was Ning Qi, but in their hearts, they resented Shen Lang far more. They truly wanted to kill him, drink his blood, and devour his flesh. The Crown Prince of Chu suddenly asked.
“But there has been no sign of Shen Lang recently?”
Hearing this, the King of Chu’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately frowned. The Crown Prince quickly said.
“He is probably with Aronana’s army. He intended to emerge if they won, but now that they are being beaten into submission, he has naturally gone into hiding. At a glance, his behavior is just like that of a clown.”
Just then, a black shadow darted into the King of Chu’s barracks.
“An extremely urgent report! A secret message from Her Majesty the Queen and the Privy Council. A most urgent report!”
Hearing this voice, the Chu army cleared a path. The King of Chu frowned instinctively at the words.
*Why are the Queen and Privy Councilor Yan Jing mentioned together? It makes it sound as if the two are having an affair.*
It had to be said, the King of Chu’s jealous paranoia was as severe as it could be. A moment later, the messenger arrived before the King of Chu and presented the secret letters from the Queen and Privy Councilor Yan Jing. After a thorough inspection confirmed the letters were not poisoned, the two messages were presented to the King of Chu. He opened them, and his body trembled as his eyes widened. He could not believe what he was seeing.
*H-How is this possible? Is this some kind of joke?*
The contents of both letters were the same. Ning Zheng and Shen Lang had suddenly appeared before the capital of Chu with an army of ten thousand. However, both letters also expressed their resolve. The people of the capital were united, and they had conscripted an army of forty thousand. Combined with the original garrison, a grand army of seventy thousand was defending the capital. They vowed to protect the city and annihilate the forces of Ning Zheng and Shen Lang. The King of Chu read the letters again and again, then suddenly walked over to a map.
*This… This is preposterous. How did Ning Zheng and Shen Lang’s army get there? The only way is to cross the Great Snow Mountains and enter Chu territory. Only then could they appear near the capital of Chu undetected. But that’s impossible. The Great Snow Mountains stretch for over a thousand li.*
Throughout history, no army had ever been able to cross them. The mountains were thousands of zhang high, practically in the heavens, and there were no paths to speak of. The King of Chu could not possibly imagine Shen Lang’s army crossing the Great Snow Mountains. But the Queen and Privy Councilor Yan Jing would not joke about such a matter.
*Did Shen Lang’s army fly there? That scoundrel truly employs astonishing methods.*
Startled by Shen Lang’s move, the King of Chu was relieved by the latter part of the message. The defending army numbered seventy thousand, and the capital of Chu was one of the most fortified cities in the world. An army of less than ten thousand could never hope to capture it; Shen Lang’s forces would be annihilated. The fortifications and scale of Zhenxi Province were far inferior to the capital of Chu, yet wasn't he attacking it with an army of over three hundred thousand? Perhaps in a short while, he would receive news of Ning Zheng and Shen Lang’s deaths.
Of course, the King of Chu dared not hold high hopes for killing Shen Lang. That scoundrel was too cunning. But annihilating his army should not be a problem. Seventy thousand against ten thousand, with a fortified city, the favor of timing, geography, and popular support—if they couldn't win with all that, they might as well commit suicide. Yet, despite these thoughts, the King of Chu waited with a heart full of fear and anxiety for the next report from the capital.
***
The next day.
Ning Qi had completed all his preparations. Today, he was to stage a performance that would shake the world. If he shot the King of Chu dead with an arrow, the world would tremble. With such an unparalleled achievement, who would dare to stop him from ascending the throne? However, the King of Chu unexpectedly did not attack the city; he did not even initiate battle today. Ning Qi was suspicious.
*What is the meaning of this? Could the King of Chu have discovered some clue? That’s impossible. But why isn’t he fighting? He attacked the city every day before, so why not today?*
The world-shaking performance was all set, but in the end, Ning Qi was unable to use it. He couldn't very well shoot an arrow from thousands of meters away toward the King of Chu's barracks and stage a scene where the king suddenly died inside. That wouldn't be grand at all. It would be an assassination, not a public execution by arrow, and he would be branded a vile schemer, not a hero.
***
Inside the King of Chu’s barracks.
He was still filled with fear and unease. The capital was too important—even more important than Zhenxi Province or the entire war before him. Thus, until a report came confirming the annihilation of Ning Zheng and Shen Lang’s army, the King of Chu decided not to attack Zhenxi Province any further. His army was exhausted from the continuous assaults anyway, so this was a good opportunity to rest and regroup for a few days. Fortunately, he did not have to wait too long. The very next day, news arrived from the capital of Chu. However, it was not a victory report.
“An urgent dispatch from the capital! An urgent report has arrived!”
A cavalryman galloped in at full speed. The King of Chu shivered once but was overjoyed. The Queen and Privy Councilor Yan Jing were truly remarkable. They had completely wiped out Ning Zheng and Shen Lang’s army in less than a day. A moment later, the report was in the King of Chu’s hands. It was indeed from the Queen and Yan Jing. But the contents within made the King of Chu nearly faint on the spot. The news was that the capital's outer city had fallen, and Ning Zheng and Shen Lang’s army had broken through into the city. However, Privy Councilor Yan Jing had led the army to retreat to the inner city and vowed not to yield an inch.
*The outer city has fallen? How on earth did they manage that? Shen Lang has less than ten thousand soldiers. With seventy thousand defenders, the outer city fell in less than a day?*
An hour later, a second report was delivered. The inner city had fallen, and Privy Councilor Yan Jing had retreated with the remnants of his army into the royal palace. Another hour later, a third report was delivered. Ning Zheng and Shen Lang had set the Chu Royal Palace on fire, and the flames pierced the heavens. The King of Chu could no longer withstand the immense blow. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his heart, his vision went black, and he fainted on the spot. Only after he collapsed did a mouthful of blood spill from his lips, and his entire body began to convulse repeatedly.
*The royal palace! The palace that the Chu royal family spent hundreds of years to build. Even capturing ten Zhenxi Provinces could not make up for that loss. That is the foundation of our Chu clan, and Shen Lang, that scoundrel… You are truly vicious. Truly ruthless! Aren’t you afraid of incurring the wrath of all the world's kings by doing this?*