Chapter 729
Chapter 729
Just then, a man stood up and said with a sneer.
“Have the esteemed lords here not heard the news? Why does everyone insist that His Highness Ning Zheng has been captured or killed? Why do you all assume His Highness will not arrive on time?”
He was Zhang Shun, son of Zhang Chong who served in the Censorate. He had recently been promoted to the fifth-rank position of Investigating Censor. However, in the royal court, he was still a low-ranking official with little influence, and most secretly dismissed his words as trivial.
Ning Zheng had already retreated into the inner city of the Chu Royal Capital, surrounded by an army of over two hundred thousand. He was in an enemy state, an enemy city. With no word for so long, it was overwhelmingly likely that his forces had been annihilated, or that he had been captured or killed. If Ning Zheng and Shen Lang had managed to repel the King of Chu’s two-hundred-thousand-strong army with only nine thousand men, they would not be men, but gods.
Zhang Shun bowed and said.
“Your Majesty, the sight of His Highness Ning Zheng reciting the Heavenly Proclamation at the last Grand Heavenly Rite is still vivid in my mind. To avoid incurring the wrath of the heavens, I believe the one who started the task should be the one to finish it. His Highness Ning Zheng must be the one to handle the Heavenly Proclamation this time as well.”
The Vice Censor-in-Chief shot to his feet and said coldly.
“And what if His Highness Ning Zheng does not return? The Grand Heavenly Rite is only seven days away. Should Your Majesty be forced to recite the Heavenly Proclamation yourself?”
At that moment, Prime Minister Zhu Hongzhu stepped forward, bowed, and said.
“Your Majesty, perhaps we could do this instead?”
“Speak.”
His attitude toward Zhu Hongzhu was exceedingly cold. In the past, he would have said, “Please, speak, Imperial Guardian,” but Ning Yuanxian was no longer in the mood for such pleasantries with him.
“For this Grand Heavenly Rite, let us designate His Highness Ning Zheng as the one to recite the Heavenly Proclamation, with His Highness Ning Qi as his alternate. If His Highness Ning Zheng fails to return in time, then His Highness Ning Qi will recite it.”
What did “if Ning Zheng fails to return in time” truly mean? In everyone’s mind, Ning Zheng was a man who would never return. He had been besieged by the Chu army for over a month; not even an immortal could save him now. Ning Yuanxian considered for a moment, then nodded and issued an imperial edict.
“So be it! Ning Zheng shall be appointed to recite the Heavenly Proclamation at the Grand Heavenly Rite, with Ning Qi as his alternate.”
This was a concession from the officials to the king. But they believed this concession would have no bearing on the matter, for Ning Zheng was not expected to return. Just then, a shout came from outside.
“An urgent dispatch! An urgent dispatch has arrived!”
A moment later, a Commander of a Thousand rushed into the palace hall like an arrow. To everyone’s surprise, it was Nanyi.
‘Isn’t… isn’t he one of Ning Zheng’s men? How did he get back?’
“Your Majesty, congratulations! His Highness Ning Zheng has repelled the King of Chu’s army of two hundred thousand and achieved a great victory! This is the new armistice agreement signed by the King of Chu and His Highness Ning Zheng. And this is a state letter from the King of Chu to Your Majesty, declaring the previously signed armistice null and void.”
As Nanyi’s words echoed, the great hall fell into a deathly silence.
‘My heavens! What did I just hear? What on earth happened? Ning Zheng, defending the inner city of the Chu Royal Capital with a mere nine thousand soldiers, repelled the King of Chu’s two-hundred-thousand-strong army? He said repelled, right? Not annihilated? But how could the King of Chu just give up the fight? For the sake of his people’s morale and to avenge his grievances, he should have fought to the bitter end and completely wiped out Ning Zheng’s forces. And what’s this about a new armistice agreement? Annulling the old one? Does that mean annulling the agreement signed by His Highness Ning Qi?’
A moment later, after grasping the situation, the ministers of the Yue court were enraged.
‘What is the King of Chu playing at? Is he refusing to honor the previously signed armistice? What does he take our State of Yue for? And His Highness Ning Zheng signed a new armistice with the King of Chu? There must be a conspiracy here. Ning Zheng’s army must have been cornered and besieged by the King of Chu. To save his own skin, Ning Zheng must have signed a new treaty, offering even greater benefits to the State of Chu. This new armistice must be a treaty that severely disgraces our nation.’
The censors in the hall all scrambled forward, ready to attack fiercely.
“Your Majesty, the armistice agreement cannot be altered!”
“Your Majesty, I impeach the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, for selling out the interests of the State of Yue for personal gain and to cowardly save his own life, and for privately signing a disgraceful and unequal treaty with the King of Chu.”
“Your Majesty, we cannot allow the interests of our State of Yue to be violated. We will not recognize any new armistice agreement.”
The civil and military officials filling the hall appeared righteous and indignant. They knew Ning Zheng’s methods all too well. It was the shallow trick of claiming victory after a defeat, of claiming to have repelled the Chu army after cowardly saving his own skin by selling out Yue’s interests. Hadn’t Crown Prince Ning Yi used the same tactic before? He had clearly suffered a great defeat, yet he claimed a great victory, even going so far as to say he had nearly annihilated the main force of the Qiang Kingdom’s army. The new agreement Ning Zheng had signed this time was surely filled with harsh and humiliating conditions.
Amid the uproar, Nanyi unfolded the new armistice agreement and read it aloud.
“Article One: The Yue army will withdraw from the Chu Royal Capital. The Chu army shall not conduct any attacks. Furthermore, the State of Chu will sell food and supplies to the Yue army on their return journey.
Article Two: The states of Chu and Yue will completely cease hostilities. The border will be restored to its state of two years prior.
Article Three: Within the next five years, the Celestial Way Society will provide two million gold coins to the State of Chu for the construction of a new royal palace.
Article Four: The State of Chu will permit the Celestial Way Society to establish related commercial institutions within its borders.”
After reading the entire agreement, Nanyi shouted.
“My esteemed lords, is there a single clause in this new armistice agreement that disgraces our nation?”
The great hall was utterly silent. Nanyi continued with a sneer.
“I am sure you all clearly remember the armistice agreement His Highness Ning Qi signed with the King of Chu. The most crucial clause was that the states of Chu and Yue would cease hostilities and restore the border to its state of twenty-five years prior. In other words, our State of Yue was to cede two hundred li of territory. I know my lords enjoy feigning ignorance, but facts are facts, are they not?”
Nanyi’s words were like a sharp slap across the face of every official in the court. And they struck Ning Qi’s face harder than anyone else’s. It was, of course, true. They had simply deliberately concealed that point while proclaiming victory to the people of Yue. Nanyi continued.
“When His Highness Ning Zheng heard the terms of the previous armistice, he was deeply unsettled for a long time. With the resolve not to cede even an inch of our land, he decided not to withdraw his army of just over nine thousand men and instead defend the Chu Royal Capital. This was to force a desperate, all-out battle with the King of Chu’s army and pressure him into signing a new armistice.
In the battle for the Chu Royal Capital, we repelled the Chu army on the very first day, inflicting thirty thousand casualties. On the second day, the Chu army suffered nearly twenty thousand more casualties! If this is not a brilliant victory, what is? Did you all truly believe this victory report I read was as shameless as the one from Crown Prince Ning Yi?
Our Nirvana Army fought desperately for the State of Yue, and His Highness Ning Zheng pushed himself into a corner for the State of Yue. How does that become a crime, an act of signing a treaty that disgraces our nation? Where is the sense in such an absurd accusation? My lords, you all keep saying you won’t recognize the new armistice. Do you wish to stand by and watch as our State of Yue cedes its territory? For the sake of partisan strife, for your own interests, are you willing to cast aside your honor? Prime Minister Zhu Hongzhu!”
Nanyi shouted, his demeanor as fierce as a tiger’s. Zhu Hongzhu flinched, then spoke.
“General Nanyi, do you have something to teach me?”
“Young Master Shen Lang instructed me to ask you: between these two armistice agreements, which should our State of Yue choose, and which should we discard?”
Everyone sneered at the question.
‘Shen Lang, you son of a bitch. You don’t leave even a shred of dignity, do you? Your slaps are vicious indeed. You’re not just slapping faces; you’re tearing them to shreds.’
Zhu Hongzhu’s hands trembled slightly as he spoke.
“If there are no other conditions attached, then naturally, we should choose the latter agreement.”
Nanyi then turned to Ning Qi and said.
“Your Highness, the Third Prince, you were the one who signed the previous armistice. It stated that the border would return to its state of twenty-five years ago. Does that not mean ceding two hundred li of our State of Yue’s territory?”
‘This damn Shen Lang! Isn’t it enough for you to slap me across the face like this?’
Ning Qi said coldly.
“That is correct.”
The common people could be deceived, but when questioned publicly in court, Ning Qi had no room to evade.
“Your Highness Ning Qi, then which armistice agreement do you believe our State of Yue should choose? Should the agreement you signed not be discarded?”
At Nanyi’s words, Ning Qi’s face twitched as he replied.
“Naturally, the armistice agreement my fifth brother signed with the King of Chu is superior.”
Nanyi then looked at Zhong Yue of the Bureau of Military Affairs and said.
“Lord Zhong Yue, which armistice agreement do you think is better?”
‘Dammit! Nanyi, isn’t that enough? Slapping us endlessly like this. By continuing to ask, are you planning to slap every single person here in the face?’
Zhong Yue instinctively glanced at King Ning Yuanxian.
‘Your Majesty, are you truly going to let this insignificant Commander of a Thousand humiliate the officials of your court?’
But contrary to Zhong Yue’s hopes, Ning Yuanxian leaned back, adopting the posture of someone about to enjoy an interesting spectacle. The alienation between the monarch and his ministers had reached such a state. Zhong Yue of the Bureau of Military Affairs closed his eyes and answered.
“If no other conditions are attached, then naturally, the latter armistice agreement is better.”
Nanyi held up another official document and said.
“Your Majesty, this is the state letter from His Majesty the King of Chu that I mentioned earlier. It explains to Your Majesty why he signed the new armistice agreement and why the previous one must be annulled.”
‘Damn it all! So it’s not just Shen Lang; the King of Chu is also here to slap me, Ning Qi, in the face? I didn’t realize the King of Chu had such intentions. Back in Tianxi province, you called me ‘Worthy Brother Ning Qi’ with every other word, acted as if you would bare your heart to me, and spoke constantly of watching over and helping each other. Yet, as soon as you returned to your capital, you betrayed me? You dare to slap me across the face so viciously! What kind of bewitching potion did Shen Lang give you to make you let him and Ning Zheng go? They burned down your royal palace! How will you explain that to your soldiers, to the people of Chu?’
It was not only Ning Qi who was bewildered; all the court officials found it incomprehensible.
‘Why? Why would the King of Chu do such a thing? The previous armistice was clearly more beneficial to the State of Chu, wasn’t it?’
Unable to make sense of the situation, a censor abruptly stepped forward and said.
“Your Majesty, this is illogical. His Highness Ning Zheng and Shen Lang had only nine thousand troops, while the King of Chu had over two hundred thousand, and it was his own capital. Why would the King of Chu sign a new armistice with His Highness Ning Zheng? And one that is disadvantageous to Chu, no less. There must be a secret pact! Shen Lang and His Highness Ning Zheng must have made a secret pact with the King of Chu, and the terms of that pact must be gravely detrimental to the interests of our State of Yue. I implore Your Majesty to investigate this thoroughly!”
Damn it all, this was a perfect example of baseless slander and fabricating crimes. The censor bowed his head even lower and said.
“Your Majesty, there must be a conspiracy here. His Highness Ning Zheng must have made a treasonous pact with the King of Chu. You must not agree to this. For the hundred-year grand enterprise of our State of Yue, you must not rashly agree to this treaty.”
Ning Yuanxian narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Amusing, most amusing. Siding with your own faction while ostracizing others. For the sake of profit, you care not for face, nor for right and wrong, and you can even cast aside the interests of the nation. Guards, beat this censor to death.”
At his words, Eunuch Lü Jun gestured, and two imperial guards moved to drag the censor away.
“No need to drag him out. Beat him to death right here!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The guards then forced the censor to the floor and, in front of all the civil and military officials, began to beat him mercilessly. The battered censor’s blood splattered across the great hall.