Chapter 728
Chapter 728
The first day of the seventh month.
Third Prince Ning Qi returned to the capital of the State of Yue with three thousand cavalry, sending the city into another frenzy. All the civil and military officials turned out to welcome the triumphant Ning Qi. King Ning Yuanxian, however, did not attend, citing ill health as his excuse. But all the high-ranking ministers of the court—Zhu Hongzhu, Zhong E, Ning Ji, Ning Jiang, and others—were at the city gates to greet him. Tens of thousands of the capital's citizens also came to welcome Ning Qi. Though someone had organized their presence, they had come with genuine excitement in their hearts. In this war, Ning Qi had indeed performed magnificently, repelling the hundreds of thousands of Chu troops, reclaiming hundreds of miles of lost territory, and saving the State of Yue from the brink of collapse.
“Long live! Long live! Long live!”
“Long live Yue! Long live the King!”
Hearing the cheers of the crowd, Ning Qi's heart trembled. The phrase 'long live' was once acceptable, but now it was a term reserved exclusively for His Majesty the Emperor and was not to be used lightly. But what could he do? He couldn't rebuke the people in front of everyone. Royal Uncle Ning Ji said to him,
“Your Highness, the Third Prince, His Majesty is slightly unwell, so I have come in his stead to welcome you to the city. Please, drink this wine.”
Ning Qi accepted the cup and drained it in one go. He was inwardly disappointed.
‘My Royal Father is truly not a wise ruler. Is this the time to be angry? When the army marched off to a war that would decide the nation's fate, the monarch saw them off outside the city gates. When the soldiers return in triumph, the king should welcome the victorious army into the city. If you start something, you should see it through. Royal Father, just because you dislike me, are you willing to dampen the spirits of the officers and soldiers?’
Though displeased, Ning Qi showed none of it on his face.
“Enter the city!”
The Vermilion Bird Gate opened, and Ning Qi, leading his three thousand cavalry, rode majestically down Vermilion Bird Avenue toward the royal palace. Tens of thousands of people lined both sides of the grand avenue, cheering for him.
“Yue has won a great victory! The Third Prince is magnificent! Our State of Yue is so majestic!”
These were not slogans prompted by others, but words spoken from the heart. The people of the capital truly cherished Ning Qi in their hearts. Of course, they also held Ning Zheng in high esteem and admiration. However, if there were a scale to weigh their sentiments at this moment, it would undoubtedly tip in Ning Qi's favor. Ning Qi had repelled Chu's army of hundreds of thousands and killed the King of Chu. Although the Great Yan Empire's investigation had concluded that Ning Qi had nothing to do with the King of Chu's death, the people of Yue firmly believed in their hearts that he had. Thus, at this moment, Ning Qi's prestige inevitably overshadowed Ning Zheng's.
There had been no news of Prince Ning Zheng for a long time. With the King of Chu's army of over two hundred thousand advancing on the Chu capital, it was assumed that Ning Zheng and Shen Lang, with their mere nine thousand soldiers, had already abandoned the city and fled. Of course, the people of Yue understood the situation. Prince Ning Zheng had already achieved his objective; his successful surprise attack and capture of the Chu capital had forced the Chu army to halt their campaign in Tianxi Province. However, fleeing was hardly a glorious act. Though no one said it aloud, a feeling of slight disappointment was unavoidable. Comparing the two, Prince Ning Qi's great victory was flawless. In the eyes of the people, it seemed perfectly acceptable for him to inherit the throne in the future.
Royal Uncle Ning Ji rode alongside Ning Qi and asked,
“Ning Qi, what has become of Ning Zheng?”
Ning Qi replied.
“Fifth Brother decided he would absolutely not withdraw his forces. He retreated into the inner city of the Chu capital, cutting off his own escape route, so he has likely been surrounded by the King of Chu's two hundred thousand troops.”
Ning Ji sighed inwardly.
‘Wouldn't the army be annihilated then? Ning Zheng is too unyielding. To gamble with nine thousand soldiers just for the sake of fame... Why didn't he flee before the King of Chu's army returned to the capital? Is fame more important than his life, or the lives of his nine thousand soldiers? He only knows how to advance, not how to retreat. It's clear now that Ning Qi has performed exceptionally well, even better than Ning Yi. If he inherits the throne, he will do a fine job.’
* * *
Ning Qi entered the royal palace for an audience with King Ning Yuanxian.
“Your servant greets the Royal Father. May the Royal Father enjoy ten thousand years of prosperous health.”
“Don't you think using the phrase 'ten thousand years of prosperous health' for me is a bit presumptuous?”
Ning Yuanxian retorted with heavy sarcasm.
‘Ning Qi, you serve His Majesty the Emperor so well. You should know better than to commit the taboo of saying such words to me.’
Ning Qi did not argue, but bowed his head and replied,
“Your servant begs forgiveness.”
Ning Yuanxian looked at his son again. He was gaunt and covered in scars, yet he seemed like a sharply honed blade.
‘Truly an outstanding son.’
For a moment, Ning Yuanxian couldn't help but ask,
“Ning Qi, are you certain that you are right?”
“Yes!”
“Regarding Yue's New Policies, Shen Lang once quoted a line from the *Book of Changes*: 'There is no going without returning; it is the boundary of Heaven and Earth.' At the time, Shen Lang pointed out that while our New Policies were blazing fiercely, the State of Yue is still a vassal state of the Great Yan Dynasty. He asked what we would do if the Great Yan Empire were to use the same methods against us in the future.”
Ning Qi said nothing, and Ning Yuanxian continued, unconcerned.
“Of course, if our New Policies had been completely successful, our nation would be stronger than it is now, and we would have had more power to resist when the Empire eventually tries to swallow us. So let me ask you now. You accepted His Majesty the Emperor's offer to enfeoff you as Prince of Yue. You even accepted his proposal to send an Imperial high official to serve as our Prime Minister. In the future, will you also accept it if the Emperor proposes to disband our army, stipulating that the Yue army must not exceed one hundred thousand men? In the future, will you stand by idly if an official sent by His Majesty the Emperor takes control of Yue's Privy Council?”
Ning Qi instinctively wanted to say that in times of unpredictable change, one must bide their time like a submerged dragon in a pond, as the *Book of Changes* advises. But to say such a thing would be to reveal his rebellious intentions toward His Majesty the Emperor, wouldn't it? So, unable to voice his thoughts, Ning Qi simply remained silent.
“Once you take one step back, you are forced to keep retreating. Perhaps you want to say that you are biding your time. The states of Jin and New Qian are so powerful, yet they won't just sit idly by and wait to die. You think that after they rebel against the Empire and the world falls into chaos, you can seize the opportunity to rise again. Is that what you're thinking?”
Ning Qi still maintained his silence.
“Then you should not forget this. When our State of Yue implemented the New Policies, the Jin Clan tried to hide under the great tree that was Marquis of Zhenbei, Nangong Ao, to escape the sunlight of the new reforms. They thought Nangong Ao was the greatest noble in Tiannan Province. But what was the result? Before I even had to act, Nangong Ao was the first to surrender to the New Policies. If you lean on a great mountain, the mountain will collapse. You can only rely on yourself. Ning Qi, you are very intelligent, but you are too intelligent. You lack Ning Zheng's firm and unshakeable will.”
Ning Qi flinched at the mention of Ning Zheng and retorted in his mind.
‘Must we be like Ning Zheng, who would rather break than bend, only to see the state fall and the Ning Clan annihilated? Why must we be the first sacrifice? Why can't someone else be the sacrifice?’
“If the people of the world were to rank individuals, Princess Jiang Li would be at the absolute peak, Prince Gong at the highest tier, and Ning Zheng at the upper tier. In comparison, you, Ning Qi, would be rated as mid-to-upper tier at best.”
Ning Qi felt a sudden jolt to his heart, an indescribable displeasure. His own father had rated him as merely mid-to-upper tier. What an insult! But Ning Yuanxian continued with a self-deprecating laugh.
“Of course, I, Ning Yuanxian, am mid-to-lower tier.”
Finally, Ning Qi could no longer hold back and asked,
“Then what about Shen Lang? What tier is he?”
“That fellow is too vulgar to be ranked.”
* * *
After Ning Qi's return, petitions from the civil and military officials flooded in like a tidal wave. They all requested that Prince Ning Qi be allowed to read the Sacrificial Ode to Heaven. Ning Yuanxian put all the petitions on hold. The next day at the morning court session, all the civil and military officials requested that Prince Ning Qi read the Sacrificial Ode at the Grand Ceremony of Heavenly Worship. Once again, the entire court spoke with one voice. The leaders of the court, including Zhu Hongzhu, Zhong E, and Ning You, all publicly submitted memorials requesting that Ning Qi read the Sacrificial Ode. Ning Yuanxian looked at Ning Ji and asked,
“Royal Uncle Ning Ji, what are your thoughts?”
He intended for Ning Ji to voice his opposition. As king, it was difficult for him to step forward himself, and Royal Uncle Ning Ji was an upright and honest man, unfailingly loyal, who always spoke for the king at crucial moments. Ning Ji understood the king's intentions but hesitated for a long while. He truly believed that Prince Ning Qi would be a fine choice. Of course, Ning Zheng was good, but Ning Qi's abilities seemed far superior.
‘Why does His Majesty hold such a prejudice against Prince Ning Qi?’
Ning Ji gritted his teeth and decided to follow his own conviction.
“I, too, agree that the Third Prince, Ning Qi, should read the Sacrificial Ode at the Grand Ceremony of Heavenly Worship.”
Hearing this, Ning Yuanxian's expression changed drastically.
‘Why have even you, Ning Ji, changed your stance? Do you not understand my intentions?’
Ning Ji knew he had disappointed the king, but he believed his words were for the good of the State of Yue. King Ning Yuanxian sneered.
‘Very well, then. I shall have to step forward myself.’
Ning Yuanxian said with a smile.
“Ning Zheng read the last Sacrificial Ode. Why are you lords unwilling to serve one master to the end at a time like this?”
The ministers were at a loss. At that moment, Zhong E of the Privy Council stepped forward and said,
“Reporting to Your Majesty. Prince Ning Zheng has achieved great merit in this war, so it would be fitting for him to read the Sacrificial Ode. However, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst; he is still within Chu territory. According to the latest intelligence, at the crucial moment, Prince Ning Zheng still refused to withdraw his army from the Chu capital and was ultimately surrounded by the King of Chu's army of over two hundred thousand. There has been no news since he retreated into the inner city.”
King Ning Yuanxian frowned. He had sent envoys to the King of Chu several times regarding this matter, trying to secure a safe retreat for Ning Zheng.
“During this process, my elder brother, Zhong Yao, and Prince Ning Qi also sent secret letters to Prince Ning Zheng, urging him to withdraw from the capital before the King of Chu's army arrived. Since the strategic objective had been achieved, there was no need for pointless sacrifices. Yet, Prince Ning Zheng refused. In the days to come, if Prince Ning Zheng is captured by the King of Chu, our State of Yue will have to pay a great price to get him back. Therefore, it is unrealistic for Prince Ning Zheng to read the Sacrificial Ode.”
Zhong E's words were truly interesting. He had already concluded that Ning Zheng would either be killed or captured. In that case, the State of Yue would be forced into a passive position. Thus, his words implied that Ning Zheng's steadfast defense of the Chu capital and refusal to retreat was not a merit, but a mistake. Hearing this, all the civil and military ministers shook their heads and sighed, lamenting that Prince Ning Zheng had been too stubborn. He had clearly achieved a great victory, yet by creating this unexpected situation, he had brought a huge problem upon the State of Yue. Among all the civil and military ministers filling the grand hall, not a single one spoke up for Ning Zheng.