Chapter 731
Chapter 731
Fire cannot be wrapped in paper. Though someone was desperately trying to suppress public opinion, the events at the royal court eventually came to light. It is said that stopping the mouths of the people is harder than damming a stream. The common folk can sometimes seem incredibly foolish, as if their every emotion is being manipulated. That is why many civil officials mistakenly believe the people will believe whatever they propagate, just as they say it.
For example, the civil officials and the scholar factions once desperately used public opinion to attack Shen Lang and Ning Zheng. As a result, the two were condemned by all and branded as a disgraceful surrender faction. But in truth, it wasn't their instigation that led the masses to condemn Shen Lang and Ning Zheng. Rather, the people had simply aligned with the public opinion of the scholars and officials, which happened to match their own sentiments. This is the part that creates the illusion that one can control public opinion and incite the emotions of the masses.
Back when the Crown Prince was heading to the Southern Ou Kingdom to prepare for a decisive battle with the Sovereign Geung, the reason Shen Lang and Ning Zheng were condemned by all, hated and despised, was not simply because they were a surrender faction hoping for capitulation, but because the people themselves hated Shen Lang. Shen Lang had repeatedly slapped them in the face, humiliating them, and never showed mercy when he killed. That was why everyone had joined in condemning him.
Therefore, when one tries to steer public opinion in a direction the masses do not wish to go, it can neither be suppressed nor controlled.
"When the King of Chu's army of over two hundred thousand attacked the Chu capital, His Highness Ning Zheng held his ground with nine thousand soldiers, never retreating. In the end, he repelled the king's massive army and forced him to sign a new armistice."
"Did you hear? The old armistice signed by His Highness Ning Qi and the King of Chu had a hidden agenda. It said they would restore the borders from twenty-five years ago, but that actually meant we would be ceding two hundred li of land to the State of Chu. But the new armistice signed by His Highness Ning Zheng doesn't cede a single inch of our State of Yue's territory. So that agreement Ning Qi signed was actually a treaty that disgraced our nation's prestige, and it's been thrown out!"
Words like these flew about as if they had wings, and soon, all the people knew of the matter. However, they did not curse Ning Qi. In fact, they still held him in high regard and looked up to him. This was because, in their hearts, they still believed that Ning Qi had killed the previous King of Chu and repelled Chu's army of hundreds of thousands. Besides, even though the previous armistice ceded two hundred li of land, it couldn't be called a disgraceful agreement. Achieving such a result when the nation was on the brink of ruin was not so bad.
Some spread rumors that while the armistice signed by His Highness Ning Zheng did not cede any land, it required an indemnity of two million gold taels, which would be extorted from the people of Yue. This was a deliberate attempt by some to muddy the waters, but King Ning Yuanxian quickly dispelled the rumor.
Ning Yuanxian immediately posted copies of the new armistice between Chu and Yue all over the capital. Everyone could clearly see that it stated the Tiandao Society would pay two million gold taels to help build the Chu royal palace, and in exchange, the State of Chu would open its markets to the Tiandao Society. This news greatly met the people's expectations and was seen as a truly miraculous victory.
'To have displayed the might of our State of Yue from thousands of li away... His Highness Ning Zheng is amazing, truly amazing! This is a true great victory. Before, he led an army of less than ten thousand on an expedition of thousands of li, raiding and capturing the Chu capital, taking the Queen of Chu prisoner, and burning the Chu royal palace. That record alone was enough to make one tremble, and now he has repelled the King of Chu's army of over two hundred thousand with only nine thousand soldiers, forcing the king to compromise. Truly incredible. This is an unparalleled achievement.'
In an instant, the scales in the hearts of the people of Yue tipped toward Ning Zheng, and his weight once again surpassed Ning Qi's. A monarch like this should lead the State of Yue, so the nation could grow stronger. If Ning Zheng was receiving such praise, what about Shen Lang? The people of the capital knew, of course, that Shen Lang's contribution to the war's outcome was immense, but they simply did not want to mention him. It couldn't be helped. Shen Lang had struck the people of the capital too harshly, frequently humiliating them or even killing many. Even if the people he killed were all local ruffians, were ruffians not also people?
***
Shen Lang led an army of less than seven thousand, heading continuously east, crossing most of the State of Chu as he marched his troops back. During the march, he and Mulan probably made love twice a day on average. But later, it became difficult to even do it once every three or four days. Mulan could hold back and not cry out, but Shen Lang screamed like a banshee, and eventually, Queen Soman heard him. The Sovereign Geung's wife couldn't stand it any longer and went straight to Mulan.
"Little sister, I know it's a lot of fun. But do you have to do it every day? Show a little restraint. Your trash husband is about to be drained dry. Don't you know your own power, little sister?"
After that, Mulan wouldn't even touch Shen Lang, consistently saying only, "Let's do it when we get home." Shen Lang thought Queen Soman was definitely just jealous. After all, he and Mulan soared like a pair of wild geese every day, while Soman and Sovereign Geung were far apart and could hardly meet.
'Damn it, just because you have no water to drink, you're trying to stop others from drinking theirs?'
***
Ning Zheng's party once again undertook the arduous journey across the snow mountains. This time, there were only six of them, nearly all of whom were martial arts masters, so they traveled at great speed. Pressing on with almost no rest or sleep, they crossed hundreds of li of high, rugged mountains in just three days, covering most of the thousand-li Great Snow Mountain range.
On the fourth day of the seventh month, Ning Zheng's party crossed the final snow mountain. It was the highest one, reaching an altitude of seven thousand meters. Of course, in this world, the word "altitude" was first mentioned by Shen Lang. Once they crossed this mountain, they would enter the State of Jiang.
"We'll rest for three shichen, then cross the Great Snow Mountain and enter the State of Jiang early tomorrow morning!"
After Li Qianqiu spoke, the group made camp on that highest snow mountain and rested for three shichen. The next day, as the sun rose in the east, they were able to witness the sunrise, an incomparably beautiful spectacle. This was the first sunrise they had seen in the Great Snow Mountains, as the constant blizzards usually made it impossible to see.
The Sword King's wife asked.
"Who in this world do you think is most like the sun?"
Ning Zheng thought for a moment before answering.
"His Highness Jiang Li."
Everyone nodded in unison. Yes, His Highness Jiang Li was truly like the sun. In the old Eastern Dynasty, slaves had existed in large numbers, but the slave trade was completely abolished by the hand of Emperor Jiang Li. And his greatest achievement was completely shattering the blockade and monopoly on civilization imposed by the Great Yan Empire and the transcendent factions. He had tried to make the brilliance of the ancient civilization shine upon the entire Eastern world, but he ultimately failed and died suddenly. Yet his death still radiated a powerful brilliance.
The ancient records revealed to the world in recent decades far surpassed the amount that had emerged in the previous several hundred years. At the very least, he had let countless people in the world know that ancient ruins existed, that an ancient civilization had existed. If not for him, would scholars have ever had the right to see ancient inscriptions? Would they have ever been able to touch ancient records?
The few martial arts manuals available had either leaked from the various transcendent factions, or a handful had been unearthed by chance by martial arts masters. Most directly, the appearance of His Highness Jiang Li had raised the level of martial arts in the Eastern Dynasty by a whole tier. That was why it was so regrettable. The sudden death of His Highness Jiang Li had once again suppressed the momentum of a rising civilization.
Ku Douhuan narrowed his eyes. He was truly one of His Highness Jiang Li's men. Not only him, but also Nan Po, Dao Da, and Dao Yi. Ning Zheng suddenly spoke.
"I truly lament that I was not born thirty years earlier."
His lament stirred the hearts of the others in the party.
'That's right. Why couldn't we have been born thirty years earlier? Then we could have served under His Highness Jiang Li and accomplished a magnificent great work together with him.'
Ning Zheng said.
"I spoke with Shen Lang. He said that if the civilization of the entire world could advance, then unifying the world would be a good thing. But if the Great Yan Empire were to unify the world, it would surely seek to completely blockade civilization, which he said would be a kind of regression. Therefore, he said the unification of the world by the Great Yan Empire would be a disaster for the world."
Li Qianqiu said.
"It is a shame. There is no one else in this world like His Highness Jiang Li, so no one can match the Great Yan Empire."
"We can only do our best. Let's go!"
Just as Ning Zheng's party quickened their pace again, descending from the Great Snow Mountain to enter the territory of the State of Jiang, Li Qianqiu suddenly spoke.
"I'm afraid it won't be easy to leave."
Indeed, just as he said, no one could move any further. A dozen or so shadows shot out from the base of the snow mountain, kicking up snow in all directions as they passed. In an instant, more than ten people had leaped to the summit, surrounding Ning Zheng's party from a distance of several dozen meters. They were all wearing masks. There were ten grandmaster-level experts and five top-level masters. Li Qianqiu's gaze swept over them one by one. Xue Che, Lian Nanfei, two masters from the Hidden Yuan Society, three masters from Mount Fudao, one master from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, and among the remaining two masters was a face Li Qianqiu knew—a master by the name of Zhu Yanxing.
'What a truly luxurious lineup. To mobilize ten grandmasters just to kill Ning Zheng... truly remarkable. Amazing, magnificent. And they still claim to follow the rules? To be transcendent factions? How utterly laughable. Didn't you from Mount Fudao say you don't dispatch assassins? Didn't you from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion claim to be high above, like immortals? Yet today, why have you all gathered to commit murder?'
Of course, this place was desolate, without a soul in sight. If they killed Ning Zheng's entire party, they could pretend nothing had happened, and the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion could still go around claiming to be a faction that transcended the mortal world. When the stakes are high enough, all rules can be broken, and the benefit of assassinating Ning Zheng this time was certainly great enough. Was it not a matter of changing the successor of the State of Yue? Of course, Ning Qi alone could not have mobilized so many master-level experts. Not without the will of an even greater power behind him.
Ning Zheng said.
"Count Xue, it has come to this, so why do you still hide your face? Why not remove your mask?"
Xue Che spoke, his voice disguised.
"Your Highness Ning Zheng, you have mistaken me for someone else. I do not know anyone by the name of Count Xue. The reason we wear masks is because it is too cold here, and it is much warmer with them on."
Lian Nanfei said.
"Your Highness Ning Zheng, you have chosen an excellent grave for yourself. To die in a place with such a magnificent view is a great fortune for you."
Xue Che continued.
"That Your Highness Ning Zheng would truly attempt to cross the snow mountains to return to the State of Yue is truly admirable. However, you ultimately did not exceed our expectations, so why not die here today? Of course, you are the son of the King of Yue, so we will allow you the honor of taking your own life."
Lian Nanfei also muttered.
"Your Highness Ning Zheng, you do not have the strength to fight this battle. We do not wish to harm innocent lives, so how about you take your own life, and we will let the five people by your side go?"
Li Qianqiu shouted.
"Your Highness, you must not believe them! Even if you take your own life, they will still kill all of us. If you choose death, we will lose our will to fight."