Chapter 789
Chapter 789
Of the two, Mulan was the first to break the long silence.
“Why have you summoned me?”
To Mulan’s question, Xue Yin answered.
“We will not win this battle.”
“I know that, and my husband knows that.”
“I have spent years preparing an identical double for Lang’er. Surely you know what plan I have in mind?”
“I do. You intend for him to die in my husband’s place.”
“But would that alone be enough?”
It would not be enough. The death of a single double would neither be convincing nor shocking enough; the Empire and the six transcendent powers would doubt his death.
“What must be done to make it convincing and shocking?”
“There must be sacrifices.”
“Yes, there must be sacrifices. In the past, Su Nan faked his own death in such a way and deceived almost everyone. Therefore, we must stage an even more realistic performance. To make it so utterly real that anyone would be fooled, over a hundred thousand people will have to die.”
Jin Mulan was silent.
“I have rendered Lang’er unconscious and hidden him away completely. I’ve hidden him in a place known only to the two of us. From the moment Lang’er disappeared, this man, Jing, will take his place.”
Mulan’s face contorted.
“Jing, Lang’er’s double, will board the ship with you and head out to sea. I, Zhong Chuke, Li Qianqiu, Banya, Gao Duhuan, Lin Shang—all of us will protect you as you escape to the sea. And the hundred-thousand-strong army will remain in Xuanwu City to hold off the Empire’s astronomical legions, buying you time and covering your rear.”
Mulan said nothing.
“But in truth, you have no chance of escape. The Empire began gathering half the world’s ships months ago, blockading a sea region over eighteen thousand li wide. You never had a chance to flee.”
Mulan remained silent as the Divine Maiden Xue Yin continued.
“To protect your fleeing ship, our hundred thousand soldiers will be completely annihilated by the Empire’s grand army. Then, at sea, our grandmasters will fall one by one to hold back the martial legions of the six transcendent powers. I, Zhong Chuke, Li Qianqiu, Banya, Geungun, Lin Shang, and Nandao—we will all die! We will die at the hands of Xixian and Yinghan. Staging the play this far will be shocking enough.
But it still lacks the final scene. That final scene is for you to act. After all of us grandmasters are dead, there will be no one left on your ship to protect you. At that moment, your Jin Clan will commit suicide as one, and you will kill Jing in front of Xixian and Yinghan. After that, you will kill yourself, and finally, you will blow up the entire ship. All of us will die, vanishing from this world, and Lang’er alone will survive. Only then can there be hope for the future. As long as he lives, there is still hope. In a few years, he will return as a king to carry on his father’s will and complete the great work his father left unfinished.”
Jin Mulan slowly closed her eyes and asked.
“Everyone dies?”
“Yes. Everyone must die. Including Big Dummy and you. Only then will it be realistic. Only then will the Empire and the Emperor be deceived.”
“Did my husband agree to your plan?”
“No. He would never agree. He would try to protect all of you again. Although he is the lord and we are his subjects, this matter must be done my way. We can never follow his lead.”
Jin Mulan, her eyes still closed, fell silent once more.
“Why? Are you unwilling to do it?”
“In your hearts, Shen Lang is the son of Jiang Li, the lord of the world, and the hope of the world. But in my heart, he is Shen Lang, my husband. That is all. He only ever wanted to live a fulfilling life; he never intended to be some lord in the first place.”
This time, it was the Divine Maiden Xue Yin who paused for a moment before speaking.
“I, too, once thought that way, and I nearly gave up on what I am doing now. But do we have a choice at this moment?”
“I am willing to die for my husband. That is beyond question. But everything I do must have his consent. A blind sacrifice only serves to move oneself. You and so many others may be willing to sacrifice yourselves for him, but you must first ask if that is what he wants.”
“I will ask only you. Are you willing?”
“I am.”
“Then that is enough.”
“But my husband has another plan…”
“You and I both know him well. He loves to take risks. But I will never let him take such a risk again. If he dies, everything is over. This matter has already been decided. Besides, it doesn’t matter if you disagree. The plan has already begun.”
“What did you say?”
To Mulan’s trembling question, Xue Yin replied.
“I said the plan has already begun and cannot be stopped.”
Mulan asked in shock.
“Th-Then what about our children? What about our Shen Mi, Shen Ye, and Shen Li? They are so young. Surely they don’t have to be sacrificed with us?”
Mulan spoke, her eyes welling with tears.
“No, they do not need to be sacrificed. However, when you take your own life, you must hand the three children over to Xixian and Yinghan.”
Jin Mulan’s voice trembled as she asked.
“Hand them over to the two shameless women who tried to murder my husband?”
“Only then will it look real, and only then can the three children’s lives be spared. Furthermore, it is the only way Lang’er can save them when he returns as a king.”
Jin Mulan said through her tears.
“But then my husband will live in agony for the rest of his life.”
“Is it not better to live in agony than to die?”
“Where is my husband now? Have you already done something to him?”
“Yes, he is no longer at home. We have already acted, rendering him unconscious so that he will not awaken, and he is hidden in a place of absolute safety. Only I know where it is, and I will not speak of it until I die.”
Jin Mulan rushed back home and searched everywhere, but her husband was nowhere to be found. No one she asked had seen him. But Li Qianqiu knew what had happened, as did Jin Zhuo and Zhong Chuke. Mulan went to Jin Zhuo, crying.
“Father, how could you all do this without even asking my husband what he thinks? He already said he would not sacrifice anyone, that he would protect us all and ensure our entire family remains safe.”
The Count of Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, was silent for a moment before speaking.
“I thought Master Xue Yin’s method was exceedingly safe. Moreover, I discussed it with your mother, and she, too, said she was willing to make the sacrifice.”
Mulan, unable to stop the tears streaming down her face, cried out in despair.
“I am willing to sacrifice myself for him too! But my husband doesn’t want this. Everyone is willing to sacrifice themselves, even a hundred thousand people, to protect one man, but even if my husband survives, he will live the rest of his life in pain. I don’t want him to suffer!”
“Lang’er said he would protect everyone, but have you considered the possibility that he intends to sacrifice himself to protect all of us?”
Mulan was stunned. After a long moment, she said in a trembling voice.
“He said he would keep our entire family safe. I asked him if that included him, and he said he, especially, would be unharmed.”
“And do you believe that?”
Mulan fell silent.
“The situation before us is exceedingly clear. Either Lang’er sacrifices himself to protect us all, or we all sacrifice ourselves to protect him alone. And even if Lang’er sacrifices himself, he may not necessarily be able to protect us all. In that case, the choice is not difficult, is it?”
Tears streamed endlessly down Mulan’s face.
“In any case, our three treasures will survive. What more could we complain about?”
As Mulan wept silently, Jin Zhuo continued in a calm voice.
“Mulan, you have never lied, nor have you ever been good at acting. But this time, you must act well.”
Mulan finally broke into sobs and nodded.
“I understand. I know what I must do.”
* * *
The next day.
“Shen Lang” appeared before everyone. Those gathered in front of Xuanwu City all knelt in unison.
“We greet Your Highness, Prince Jiang!”
“We greet Your Highness, Prince Jiang!”
Nearly a hundred thousand people shouted in unison.
“Long live Your Highness, Prince Jiang! Long live, long live!”
“Protect Prince Jiang!”
Soon, “Shen Lang” boarded a magnificent, large carriage. Jin Mulan and Xiao Bing, holding the three children, entered the carriage with him. Then Jin Mucong, Shen Wan and his wife, Shen Jian, Jin Zhong, Jin Hui—all of Shen Lang’s family—boarded the carriage, while Jin Shiying led two thousand of the family’s warriors, following behind. The procession, consisting of over three thousand people, advanced endlessly toward the eastern sea. The grandmasters, including Li Qianqiu, Xue Yin, and Zhong Chuke, stayed close by the carriage, protecting them.
“Army, advance! Protect Prince Jiang as he heads to the sea!”
“Army, advance! Protect Prince Jiang!”
Geungun, Gao Duhuan, Aronana, and others gave the command, and a hundred thousand soldiers followed behind “Shen Lang’s” procession, escorting them toward the coast. But at that very moment.
*Fwooo!*
*Fwooo!*
Countless horns blared from hundreds of li around as the astronomical imperial legion advanced like a majestic tide, closing in on them. Every beast within hundreds of li fled in terror, and not a single blade of grass was left where the grand army passed.
* * *
The great ship built for Shen Lang by the Sky-Sea Pavilion was complete. It was truly an unprecedentedly massive and splendid vessel. It was one hundred and eighty meters long and sixty meters wide, with a total of nine masts and twelve sails. It could carry over three thousand people, with a displacement of nearly seven thousand tons. It had taken many long years to build this ship. “Shen Lang,” along with the entire Jin Clan and an army totaling two thousand people, boarded the colossal ship, and a fleet of nearly a hundred vessels of various types escorted the great ship. They departed majestically from Xuanwu Dock, sailing toward the vast, open sea. Over a hundred thousand people knelt with tears in their eyes, shouting.
“Your Highness, Prince Jiang, we wish you a safe journey.”
“Your Highness, Prince Jiang, may your journey be peaceful.”
* * *
“Leaving? Where are they going? Where can they possibly go? Are they going to flee to the heavens?”
Ying Wuming, commander of the Imperial Allied Forces’ Western Army, sneered. At the same time, the commander of the Imperial Allied Forces’ Northern Army, the Crown Prince of the Great Jin Kingdom, sneered as well.
“Shen Lang is trying to escape? Did he say he was fleeing to the heavens?”
His gaze then turned to the supreme commander of the Imperial Allied Forces, the Crown Prince of the Great Yan Empire, Ji Cang. The Imperial Crown Prince gave his order in a slow drawl.
“Advance the army. Eradicate every last remnant of Jiang Li's faction. In Xuanwu City, leave not a single person, a blade of grass, or a tree standing. Slaughter three hundred thousand!”
This was not a war but a tour for the imperial legion, a journey for the Empire to display its might. Under the pretext of annihilating Jiang Li’s son, they would sweep away all who opposed the Empire, with the intent to crush everything in their path. But even a tour required blood. The imperial legion was like the finest sword; once drawn from its sheath, it must taste blood. Killing three hundred thousand would perhaps satisfy the blade.
Since he had appeared before the world as the Crown Prince of the Empire, his prestige would suffer if he did not kill at least that many. Some monarchs in history had exterminated up to the tenth degree of kinship. Compared to them, how much nobler was he, the Crown Prince of the Great Yan Empire? Shen Lang was the son of Jiang Li; exterminating the tenth degree of kinship was not enough. Everyone within a three-hundred-li radius should be killed. Therefore, all people, regardless of age or gender, within three hundred li of Shen Lang’s home were considered rebels.
“Slaughter them all!”
With the Imperial Crown Prince’s order, the astronomical imperial legion advanced, tightening its encirclement, preparing for a great slaughter of three hundred thousand.