Chapter 758
Chapter 758
‘Damn it, is this real or fake? Am I the one who doesn’t get it, or is the world just changing too fast?’
This was precisely what the people of the capital were thinking. Not long ago, they had been overwhelmed by a sense of despair and impending failure, but now, victory followed victory. When the Zhong Clan declared their rebellion, the citizens of the capital hadn't trembled as if the world were ending, but their hearts were filled with unease. It was clear to everyone that this civil war was a struggle for the throne.
Of course, for Zhong Yao, this battle wasn't just for Ning Qi's sake; it was also a fight to establish his own independent state. However, in the eyes of the people, Zhong Yao had raised his army for the sake of Ning Qi's claim to the throne. They were certain that after seizing Tianxi Province, Zhong Yao's great army would march directly on the capital under the pretext of saving the royal family and placing Ning Qi on the throne. Thus, everyone worried that the true, decisive battle would take place in the capital. If that happened, the people would once again be plunged into misery. Besides, didn't the Zhong Clan have a massive army of one hundred thousand? If Bian Wu's army didn't march south, Prince Ning Zheng's forces would suffer a devastating blow. But who would have thought that in just over a month, it would be the Zhong Clan, not Shen Lang, who would be defeated.
‘An army of one hundred thousand, nearly wiped out? Damn, since when did our State of Yue’s army become so formidable?’
While not every citizen in the State of Yue was jumping for joy, the people of the capital were inwardly leaping with delight, and their support for Ning Zheng grew even stronger. What makes a great monarch? It is one who can resolve all problems before the people even have time to worry about a war breaking out, making it so they barely feel the effects of a civil war, even if one occurs.
‘Shen Lang is incredible.’
The people of the capital were reluctant to say the words out loud, but they couldn't help but think it. Rumor had it that this battle was entirely commanded by Shen Lang's wife. To think she had fought a hundred-thousand-strong army with only a few thousand soldiers. No one could believe the news; they thought it was a series of miracles that one wouldn't even dare to write in a novel.
“It's Shen Lang's wife who's amazing, not Shen Lang.”
“Even though Jin Mulan is so powerful, Shen Lang still ended up on top of her. Doesn't that make him even more amazing?”
“Why do you assume Shen Lang was on top of Jin Mulan? Maybe Jin Mulan was on top of Shen Lang!”
There were always more than a few people in this world who could grasp the truth.
“Hearing that actually makes me think Shen Lang is even more incredible. He got such a formidable and stunningly beautiful wife, and when it comes to the important business, he doesn't have to lift a finger—he can just lie back and enjoy it. His wife gets on top and does all the work herself. How amazing is that?!”
***
Inside the Third Prince's residence.
Ning Qi stood silently in the garden, motionless. He had suffered another fatal blow. Why did he insist on remaining in the capital? The Zhong Clan was powerful, and so was the Xue Clan. When the Zhong Clan rebelled, displaying the astonishing might of their hundred-thousand-strong army marching forth, Ning Qi had held significant power in the capital. In a way, both the Zhong and Xue Clans were fighting a civil war for him. If the Zhong Clan's army reached the capital, who could stabilize the situation? Only Ning Qi could pacify the Zhong Clan. Yet, in just over a month, their army of one hundred thousand had been annihilated.
“An army like the Nirvana Army should never have appeared in this world.”
Ning Qi let out the same sigh as the Great Yan Empire. What was he to do now? The Zhong Clan was destroyed, but the Xue Clan remained strong. However, the Xue Clan was, in a sense, a power that had already broken away from the State of Yue. They had managed the Southern Province Archipelago for decades, almost to the point of being an independent state. Moreover, they had Fudao Mountain behind them, and Xue Che, in alliance with the Hidden Yuan Society, had long been in secret contact with the Empire. The relationship between the Zhong Clan and Ning Qi was exceedingly close, whereas his connection to the Xue Clan was more distant. Now that the Zhong Clan had surrendered, Ning Qi had lost half his strength. As a prince who had lost his power and failed in the struggle for the throne, would he now have to wag his tail and curry favor with Ning Zheng? Where was he to go?
‘Zhu Hongzhu, you said this was the darkness just before the dawn. But how long will this darkness last?’
***
A few days later.
Jin Mulan led the Nirvana Army into the capital, escorting several hundred prisoner carts in a grand procession. In the very first cart was Zhong Yao, and nearly every member of the Zhong Clan was confined within the carts that followed. Crown Prince Ning Zheng personally came to the Vermilion Bird Gate to receive them.
“Sister-in-law, you have endured much.”
“Your Highness!”
Ning Zheng addressed Jin Mulan not as his cousin, but as his sister-in-law. The prisoner cart was opened, and Zhong Yao, in shackles and chains, tried to kneel before Ning Zheng.
“Marquis Zhong, there is no need for formalities for now.”
Ning Zheng stopped Zhong Yao from kneeling, and the two men stood in silence for a moment.
“We will speak again after you have seen my father. Sister-in-law, please remove Marquis Zhong's shackles and chains.”
“Your Highness, thank you. But I am a guilty man; I feel more at ease wearing these.”
At Zhong Yao's words, Ning Zheng said no more and gave him a slight bow.
“My father has been waiting a long time. Let us proceed to the palace at once.”
With that, Ning Zheng mounted his horse. Zhong Yao sighed inwardly. He had never met Ning Zheng before. But from their brief encounter just now, he had gleaned much. Firstly, Ning Zheng was not a man of many words, and he was even less of an actor. Despite having won a great victory, he showed no signs of smugness, and his gaze held no enmity toward Zhong Yao. He truly had the bearing of a wise ruler from ancient times—magnanimous, practical, completely without exaggeration, and ever more generous to people when he gained power. Such a monarch was what all the capable ministers of the realm dreamed of. Ning Qi was more intelligent and more domineering, but his methods were too harsh, making him a rather fearsome ruler for his subjects.
***
An hour later, Zhong Yao knelt before Ning Yuanxian.
“Your guilty subject pays his respects to Your Majesty.”
Ning Yuanxian was still in his wheelchair. His hair was completely white, and though his hands had regained much of their movement, they trembled more severely than before.
“Minister Zhong, you still look so young, yet I have already grown old.”
Ning Yuanxian said with a smile. Zhong Yao bowed his head, unable to speak. He was, in truth, an arrogant man, and in the past, he had always spoken little whenever he saw Ning Yuanxian.
“Zhong Yao, we used to despise each other. You looked down on me, and I looked down on you. Isn't this better now? Both you and I have fallen from grace, and paradoxically, we can now face each other calmly.”
Zhong Yao bowed his head and said, “How would your subject dare?”
“To be honest, I had no choice but to strike the Zhong Clan. But you, whether in personal virtue or great integrity, were lacking in neither.”
This was also true. In terms of personal virtue, Zhong Yao had never done anything unbefitting of a man, and his choice to support Ning Qi was not wrong. In terms of upholding the greater good, during the war between Chu and Yue, Zhong Yao had thrown the full force of his clan into holding back Chu's three-hundred-thousand-strong army. If not for him, the Chu army would have marched straight to the capital. From beginning to end, he never shied away from war and did everything in his power to stop the King of Chu.
Of course, he had attempted to form ties with the Great Yan Empire, trying to marry Zhong Sisi to the son of the Empire's Prince Wu. But who is perfect? Compared to Su Nan and Xue Che, Zhong Yao was far better. Besides, at the last moment, when the Zhong Clan raised their army, they did so under the pretext of saving the royal family with their military might, not by declaring a rebellion and marching on the capital. He could not just sit by and wait to die, allowing the King of Yue to strip him of his army and fiefdom. That was why Ning Yuanxian said he lacked neither great integrity nor personal virtue.
“Therefore, I will not kill a single member of the Zhong Clan. Your clan has a sufficiently large mansion in the capital, so you may settle here. After a few years of keeping a low profile, a descendant of the Zhong Clan will surely rise to prominence again.”
Zhong Yao bowed his head, his voice trembling as he said, “This subject thanks Your Majesty for your immense grace.”
Ning Yuanxian smiled and said, “Consort Zhong is fierce, but she is young and beautiful. In the past, I thought she and I were a decent match, but now she looks like my daughter. With the Zhong Clan returning to the capital, she will be closer to her family. I will tell her to visit them often. Being with an old man like me must be dull and uninteresting for her.”
For a moment, Zhong Yao was at a loss for words again.
“Zhong Yao…”
Ning Yuanxian's voice turned solemn. Zhong Yao knelt upright, ears pricked, awaiting his command.
“This world is ever-changing, and no one can say for certain how the future will unfold. Above your head is the sky of the State of Yue, but above that lies the sky of the Great Yan Empire. I have not killed a single member of the Zhong Clan this time. I hope that in the future, should the heavens change, the Zhong Clan will still remember today's events.”
Zhong Yao listened respectfully to every word. Ning Yuanxian continued with a smile, “The phrase ‘a dragon lies in wait in the abyss’ is quite good. Since you have decided to lie low, then do so thoroughly for a few years. Pay no mind to how the heavens change; wait until you see the color of the sky has truly changed before making your decision. I may not be a successful monarch, but these words I offer you are from the bottom of my heart. You are different from the Zhu Clan. Their roots are in the Yan capital. You are also different from the Xue Clan. They act without adhering to any bottom line.”
Zhong Yao bowed his head and said, “This subject will surely take Your Majesty's words to heart.”
Ning Yuanxian moved forward and patted Zhong Yao's shoulder, reiterating, “The heavens may change, but they may also return to how they were. My old colleague, take heed! Draft the edict. Zhong Yao is stripped of his title as Marquis of Zhenxi and is to be enfeoffed as the Marquis of Anning. By my imperial command!”
***
Inside Consort Zhong's palace.
Zhong Yao was finally reunited with his younger sister. As Ning Yuanxian had said, although Consort Zhong was not young, she was still incomparably beautiful and looked so youthful that she appeared to be in her early thirties at most. Her fiery temperament was a headache for everyone; she provoked people at the drop of a hat, and she treated King Ning Yuanxian no differently. When Ning Yuanxian ignored her, she would think, ‘You want me to cater to you? Absolutely not,’ and ignore him right back. Thus, though they had been married for over twenty years, they had spent most of that time like enemies.
Recently, however, Consort Zhong's personality had changed significantly. It wasn't because the Zhong Clan's power had waned, but because Ning Yuanxian had fallen ill. Seeing him gradually weaken with age, Consort Zhong had grown tender. She couldn't stay angry with him forever. If Ning Yuanxian died in a fit of anger, she would be without her husband. Ning Yuanxian was the only man in her life; how could she not love him? The sight of the old, frail king made her heart twist in pain.
Consort Zhong said, “I think this outcome is for the best. I always thought our family would come to a bad end, that the entire clan would be wiped out.”
Zhong Yao felt helpless. This sister of his never minced her words.
“We may have lost our fiefdom and army, but the family is alive, so it's a good thing. We can start over. Perhaps in a few decades, our family will prosper once more. In any case, it's better than Su Nan. His entire family was killed, leaving him a lonely old man who now desperately tries to father children every day.”
‘Ugh!’
Zhong Yao couldn't bear to listen anymore and decided to take his leave. He truly could not continue a conversation with her. The King must have had it rough. How did he manage to live as husband and wife with her for decades? Speaking of which, Ning Yuanxian treated his wives quite well. In the past, he had been pressured into divorcing his first wife, who then died in sorrow. That incident had left Ning Yuanxian deeply ashamed, and because of it, he treated his other wives even better.
How tyrannical was Consort Xiao in her day? After Su Nan's failed rebellion, everyone expected her to be put to death. Yet, she did not die, nor was she stripped of her position as consort. How arrogant was Empress Zhu? She looked down on Ning Yuanxian from her high perch with utter disdain. But now, even after Zhu Hongzhu resigned as Prime Minister, Empress Zhu remained safe and sound. The same was true for Consort Zhong. When the Zhong Clan rebelled, Consort Zhong received no reprimand whatsoever. Ning Yuanxian was certainly harsh and ungrateful to outsiders, but he was undeniably good to his own people.