Chapter 730
Chapter 730
In the State of Yue, censors were rarely punished for their words, making it a relatively safe position, but that trend had been changing in recent years. Ning Yuanxian had crossed the line several times, and this time, he had ordered a censor to be beaten to death right in the throne room. Bright red blood splattered onto the face of a nearby official as Ning Qi, Zhu Hongzhu, and Zhong E watched in silence. The King had beaten a censor to death, but every strike of the rod felt like a slap across their own faces. The faces of every civil and military official in the court turned pale.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack.*
The faces of many officials twitched at the sound of each blow. In that moment, a certain phrase surfaced in their minds.
*‘When a ruler treats his subjects as worthless, his subjects will treat him as an enemy.’*
But when they looked into their hearts, was that saying truly fitting? No, it was not. This time, it was not the ruler but the subjects who had failed to distinguish right from wrong. Thus, even the words of a sage did not hold true in every situation.
Ning Yuanxian slowly gazed at the corpse on the floor. His hands were still trembling. He no longer tried to hide it.
He had aged noticeably in the past two years. Before, though in his fifties, he had appeared to be in his thirties; now, he looked like a man in his sixties or seventies. Moreover, he found it increasingly difficult to move on his own. Each morning, it took a great deal of effort just to rise from his bed. The symptoms of the Gold-Breaking Ginseng that Shen Lang had spoken of were growing more severe. He did not have much time left.
“Court is dismissed!”
Ning Yuanxian gave the command and left the great hall, supported by Lü Zhun. Not a single person present cried out, “We respectfully see Your Majesty off.”
***
Had Crown Prince Ning Yi suffered such a blow, he would have thrown things, perhaps even abused a woman. But Ning Qi was not like that. He remained perfectly calm, returning directly to his own estate instead of visiting Zhu Hongzhu. He waited for news.
*What in the world happened in the capital of Chu? Even if the King of Chu had wanted to negotiate peace with Shen Lang and Ning Zheng, his army would never have agreed. Could he have defied the will of his people and his hundreds of thousands of soldiers?*
Before long, the official report arrived. Nan Yi’s words had been true. Shen Lang and Ning Zheng’s army, a mere nine thousand strong, had repelled every attack from the Chu forces within two days. The Chu army’s casualties had indeed reached a staggering forty to fifty thousand. Afterward, a plague had broken out in the capital of Chu, forcing the King of Chu to seal the city gates and halt the fighting. When the King of Chu himself contracted the plague and was on the brink of death, Shen Lang saved him with his medical expertise. Shen Lang then helped Chu bring the plague under control, saving countless lives. Thus, the enmity between the armies of Chu and Yue was resolved.
After reading the dispatch, Ning Qi closed his eyes and replayed every interaction he’d had with the new King of Chu. The man was truly formidable, truly impressive. Though they had been putting on an act in Tianxi Province, it had been so convincing that everyone believed the King of Chu genuinely intended to ally with him. Yet, in the end, he had turned around and betrayed him so readily. Furthermore, to ensure Ning Zheng’s safe return to Yue and a successful truce between their armies, he had not hesitated to become “infected” with the plague, putting his own life at risk. This King of Chu was far too ruthless with himself.
*Impressive, truly impressive. So this is what the Empire’s Prince of Yan meant. The world is full of brilliant minds, and in times of chaos, they emerge all at once.*
“Won’t the King of Chu’s actions incur the wrath of the Emperor?”
Zhong E asked suddenly. Zhu Hongzhu added his thoughts.
“The performance was flawless. He’ll get away with it. They can’t very well kill another King of Chu, can they?”
Indeed. The King of Chu’s actions had certainly displeased the Empire. But having already killed one King of Chu, could they really assassinate his successor?
“Ning Zheng will return,”
Ning Qi said, and the others present nodded. Once Ning Zheng returned, the King would jubilantly take him to the Grand Rite of Heaven Worship to once again read the prayer to the heavens. Afterward, he would enfeoff Ning Zheng as the Duke of Yue and simultaneously depose Crown Prince Ning Yi. It was as clear as day what would happen. But in the current situation, could the officials truly oppose Ning Yuanxian and prevent him from naming Ning Zheng as Crown Prince? It was likely impossible. The King and his officials had already thrown all pretense of civility aside. If the monarch issued a royal edict to name Ning Zheng Crown Prince, how could they stop him? Would they have to defy the royal edict, disobey the King’s command, and refuse to acknowledge the investiture? Would they have to boycott the court and bring all of Yue’s state affairs to a grinding halt?
“We cannot go that far unless absolutely necessary. The consequences of halting the court’s functions would be unthinkable.”
Ning Qi said. Suddenly, Xue Che spoke up.
“Why not just prevent Ning Zheng from returning?”
No one showed the slightest surprise at his words. Normally, internal power struggles did not escalate to such a catastrophic point. But now, after that public humiliation, with their pride torn to shreds and the King having beaten a man to death in court, what lines were left to cross? Xue Che stood before a large map.
“Shen Lang’s army marches quickly, but not quickly enough to return in time. Ning Zheng and Shen Lang must be the first to return, which means they will likely leave the main force and travel ahead.”
Xue Xue spoke.
“Shen Lang has his Black Mirror Division, so news of what happened in Tianyue City and the Grand Rite of Heaven Worship has surely reached him by now. He will undoubtedly try to get Ning Zheng back to the capital at the fastest possible speed.”
Xue Che continued.
“Ning Zheng and Shen Lang have three likely routes. The first is the standard route: crossing most of Chu, then cutting through Tianxi Province to the capital. The second: after crossing most of Chu, they could head south from Pingnan Pass, take a detour through the State of Jiang, and enter the capital from the southern part of Tianxi Province. This would allow them to bypass the Zhong Clan’s territory. The third route is far from conventional. They could cross the Great Snow Mountain again, leave Chu for the State of Jiang, and then return to the capital from the south of Tianxi Province. If we are to kill Shen Lang and Ning Zheng, we must know their route beforehand.”
Zhu Hongzhu, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke.
“We are assassinating Ning Zheng.”
Everyone was taken aback.
*What does he mean by that? Are we not to kill Shen Lang?*
Zhu Hongzhu did not elaborate.
“Budao Mountain borders Chu. Can’t you monitor their movements and determine their route?”
Ning Qi asked. Xue Che did not reply, acting as if he had no connection to Budao Mountain. Instead, Xue Xue answered.
“We can!”
“Then make preparations. Use all your strength to abduct and assassinate Ning Zheng. He must not return to the capital.”
Killing Ning Zheng would effectively end the struggle for the throne; no one else could challenge Ning Qi. Even if Ning Yuanxian were to fly into a rage, he would ultimately have no choice but to choose Ning Qi. He couldn’t possibly entrust the kingdom of Yue to Ning Zhen or Ning Jing, could he? The State of Yue would be doomed.
Ning Qi continued.
“The only Grandmaster-level expert with Ning Zheng and Shen Lang is Li Qianqiu. Li Qianqiu’s wife is near the Grandmaster realm, and while Big Dummy’s skill is unknown, he is exceptionally strong. Furthermore, Jin Mulan’s abilities are also said to be unfathomable.”
Jin Mulan’s martial prowess was indeed an unknown quantity.
“How many Great Grandmasters can we mobilize?”
Ning Qi asked. Xue Che replied.
“Myself and Yan Nanfei.”
“What about Governor Yan E of the Blackwater Terrace?”
Xue Che thought for a moment before answering.
“It is inconvenient for him to act.”
Xue Xue said.
“Budao Mountain can mobilize two Great Grandmasters.”
Zhu Hongzhu added.
“I can request three from my side.”
He specified that he could *request* them.
“So, a total of seven Great Grandmasters?”
Seven Great Grandmasters to kill Ning Zheng? And Ning Zheng only had one true Great Grandmaster by his side.
Ning Qi said resolutely.
“When dealing with an enemy, one must plan for every contingency! The more we can mobilize, the better! Go to the Hidden Yuan Society and the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion and ask if they can dispatch Great Grandmasters.”
“Understood!”
“We have only eight days. We must succeed. Failure is not an option! Ning Zheng must be slain!”
“Yes!”
***
Shen Lang and Ning Zheng departed from the capital of Chu on the twenty-eighth day of the sixth month. When they were about two hundred li from the city, Shen Lang spoke.
“Your Highness, we must split up.”
Ning Zheng was startled.
“The capital is in an uproar. Countless officials and citizens have petitioned His Majesty, insisting that since the heavens blessed our State of Yue with a great victory in this war for our nation’s destiny, a Grand Rite of Heaven Worship must be held to express our gratitude. His Majesty tried to delay the rite, but a recent earthquake in southern Tiannan Province fueled rumors of it being a heavenly warning, forcing his hand. The Grand Rite of Heaven Worship must proceed, and His Majesty wishes for you to read the prayer. He then intends to enfeoff you as the Duke of Yue.”
Ning Zheng nodded.
“By now, Nan Yi should have reached the capital and delivered the news that we have signed a new truce with the King of Chu, completely nullifying the one arranged by Ning Qi. Once that happens, your reputation among the people will surely surpass Ning Qi’s. His Majesty will name you Duke of Yue, and then Crown Prince. This leaves our enemies with only one path: defying the royal edict and halting the functions of the court. But neither Zhu Hongzhu nor Ning Qi will want to go that far. Therefore, they will resort to assassinating you. Killing you solves all their problems. If you march with the army, you will be too obvious a target. You must leave the main force.”
Gou Duhuan said.
“Your Highness, Young Master, I will lead the army back to the capital.”
“No, I will lead the army back. You will accompany His Highness on a different route.”
Shen Lang said. Ning Zheng asked in surprise.
“You’ll lead the army alone?”
“Mulan will be with me.”
“Big Dummy should go with you as well.”
Ning Zheng said, but Shen Lang disagreed.
“No. Big Dummy must go with you.”
“I can’t allow that. It would put you in too much danger. You would only have Mulan by your side. If our enemies go mad and try to assassinate you, she won’t be able to fend them off alone.”
Shen Lang sighed.
“I will not be assassinated. For the next few months, at least, there is no one in this world who can kill me.”
Everyone was stunned.
*Why?*
Shen Lang did not explain. Gou Duhuan asked him.
“Young Master, which direction should we take His Highness?”
“You must take the same route we came by, across the great mountains and the Great Snow Mountain.”
Hearing this, Li Qianqiu asked.
“Why? Is it because that path allows for stealth, so we won’t be discovered by our enemies?”
“No. We will be discovered no matter which path you take. However, the summit of the Great Snow Mountain is a more suitable battlefield for certain people.”
“Are you saying an assassination attempt is inevitable?”
“Yes. It is certain to happen.”
“Then why aren’t you going with His Highness, Young Master? If you lead the army, you won’t be able to serve as a decoy.”
“As I pass through Tianxi Province, I intend to see if an opportunity arises to deal a fatal blow to the Zhong Clan.”
Everyone was aghast at his words.
“I am very much hoping the Zhong Clan’s army will come to destroy our Nirvana Army. Only then will I be able to strike them a fatal blow.”
Ning Zheng glanced at Shen Lang.
“Are you truly certain that no one will try to assassinate you?”
Shen Lang nodded.
“I am.”
“Very well. We will do as you say.”
An hour later, a group of six—Ning Zheng, Li Qianqiu and his wife, Big Dummy, Gou Duhuan, and Wu Chi Tang Yan—slipped away from the army, heading south to secretly cross the high mountains.