Chapter Seventeen: The Loyal Soul's Despair

  The king was stabbed on the way, and when he arrived in Xiangyang, he fought bitterly with his injuries. When the King of Qi saw that the virtuous king had returned, he retreated. Within a month, an imperial edict was issued, blaming the king for not fighting hard enough, and ordering him to return to Yong. The king was deeply grieved, and wept blood in the middle of the night before dying. The three armies wore mourning clothes to pay their respects to the virtuous king.

  The Biography of Deqin Wang Jue in the Book of Chu of Southern Dynasties History

  Zhao Juping calmly said: "Golden bow, Long Sun, eyebrow green shirt, silver bow, Duanmu, red makeup, Luo Sha. Seeing the silver bow here, I know that Huo Luo Sha Qiao Yan'er must also be here. I didn't expect you all to sneak into my South Chu."

  Duanmu Qiu lightly stroked the bowstring and said, "Who in the world doesn't know that it's only a matter of time before Da Yong unifies the land? Even the heroes of the Southern Chu martial arts have mostly surrendered to me, Da Yong."

  Zhao Ke angrily said, "Shut up." This was actually the thing he hated most in his heart. Da Yong valued military achievements and did not care about one's background, so many Jianghu figures from South Chu had joined Da Yong. In South Chu, to become a high-ranking official, one must have an impeccable family background, which is why the military strength of South Chu was far inferior to that of Da Yong.

  Qiao Yan'er's eyebrows were upside down, and she said: "What a big nerve, dare to scold us, Duanmu Shixiong, help me sweep the array." As she spoke, she pulled out the long sword on her back, like a flame, and pounced on Zhao Jue's personal guards. These guards were all skilled in battle and melee combat, but Qiao Yan'er was a top-notch master, so even though it was one against six, she showed no fear at all. Moreover, Qiao Yan'er's attack was fierce and unstoppable, not inferior to the guards' ferocity. Duanmu Qiu's eyes were fixed on the battlefield, and after a moment, he suddenly drew his bow and shot an arrow. A silver shadow, like a ghostly apparition, pierced through one of the guard's throats.

  Zhao Ju furrowed his brow, these two people, one was skilled in close combat, the other was skilled in long-range attacks, they cooperated tacitly, he only brought eight personal guards, and was likely to be killed by them one by one. He glanced at the guards behind him and said in a low voice: "We'll go deal with Duanmu Qiu."

  The two men nodded at each other and rushed towards Du Muqiu together. Du Muqiu saw them from afar, drew his bow and shot two arrows in quick succession, killing another two imperial guards. By this time, Zhao Jue had already reached him and stabbed at him with his long sword. Du Muqiu employed his lightness skill to dodge the attack, but he was unable to shoot any more arrows and could only use his silver bow to deflect the blows. His silver bow was specially made and even Zhao Jue's treasured sword could not harm it in the least. The two groups of people clashed with each other, and Du Muqiu's martial arts skills were actually inferior to Zhao Jue's. Several times he tried to escape but was trapped by Zhao Jue, who however also could not kill him. But Qiao Yan's side had already gained the upper hand, if she killed all the imperial guards and came over to support Du Muqiu, then Zhao Jue would have no chance of escaping anymore. Just as Zhao Jue was getting anxious, he saw two figures out of the corner of his eye - they were Dao San and Bai Yi. One held a short sword while the other grasped a small crossbow, quietly approaching Qiao Yan. At the same time that Zhao Jue noticed them, Dao San's crossbow suddenly shot out five cold arrows. Qiao Yan reacted quickly and dodged with all her might, but at this moment, Bai Yi's short sword struck towards her slender body like lightning. Qiao Yan's eyes flashed fiercely as she used her long sword to deflect the blow, creating a wall of steel that repelled Bai Yi's attack. Bai Yi stumbled back, his hands covered in blood, while Qiao Yan had been stabbed in the abdomen. Her face pale and worried, she hastily pressed a point on her body to stop the bleeding, shouting "Shixiong!" as she threw her long sword towards Zhao Jue. Zhao Jue dodged out of the way just in time, but Du Muqiu took advantage of the situation to rush forward, shooting five arrows from his silver bow that blocked the imperial guards who were trying to kill Qiao Yan. He then turned around and shot another arrow that forced Zhao Jue back before rushing over to Qiao Yan's side. He swept her up in his arms and fled the scene.

  Zhao Jue let out a breath, looked at Dao Hui and Bai Yi, and smiled: "Thanks to you guys." At this moment, Zhao Jue suddenly saw the look of extreme horror on everyone's face. With his quick thinking, he immediately rushed forward, but it was too late. He only felt a sharp blade piercing through his soft armor, deeply stabbing into his waist. This was because Zhao Jue had dodged in time. Zhao Jue saw his guards rushing over, with Dao Hui and Bai Yi being the fastest. Bai Yi brushed past him, and a miserable cry came from behind. Dao Hui supported him, took out a wax ball from her bosom, crushed it, and stuffed the medicine inside into his mouth. Zhao Jue only felt the severe pain coming on, and he couldn't help but let out a loud cry before fainting.

  When Zhao Ke woke up, he found himself lying on the table in the tea shed. Tao Rui, Bai Yi and other close guards were looking at him with worried faces, while the close guard who had originally joined forces with him to deal with Duanmu Qiu was lying dead not far away. He smiled bitterly: "I didn't expect that there would be a spy from Dayong by my side, he has been following me for more than a year."

  "Your Highness, I have temporarily stopped the bleeding and bandaged your wound, and you have taken the spiritual medicine. Within a month, as long as Your Highness remains calm and composed, your life should be out of danger. However, since your injury is too severe, if we can return to Jianye and let my young master treat you in person, I believe you will recover within half a year."

  Zhao Jue thought for a moment and said, "They ambushed us halfway, they must not want me to return to Xiangyang. If I can't go back, I'm afraid something bad will happen in Xiangyang, so I'd better go to Xiangyang."

  One of his trusted guards spoke up in a bitter tone: "Your Highness's injuries are so severe, how can you go into battle? It would be better to return to Jianye and recover."

  Zhao Jue said calmly, "There's no need to say more. I, the king, would not sacrifice my body for the sake of the country. Let's set off immediately and head to Xiangyang." Everyone had to obey his orders, and Dao Sui and Bai Yi exchanged a glance, both filled with helplessness and admiration.

  Everyone wanted to persuade him further, but Zhao Jue refused to listen. Dao Sui could only re-dress Zhao Jue's knife wound tightly, fearing that he would overexert himself. Originally, everyone did not dare to rush, but Zhao Jue was anxious about the safety of Xiangyang and hurried along despite his injuries.

  Everyone was helpless, and if they didn't return to the military camp, they might encounter assassins again. They could only speed up their journey. When Zhao Jue finally entered the city of Xiangyang, it was already the second day's dusk. Under the cover of night, with the help of Rong Yuan's arrangements, Zhao Jue successfully entered the city.

  Dao Sui and Bai Yi discussed and decided that Dao Sui would stay behind to take care of Zhao Jue's injuries. He had learned medical skills from Jiang Zhe, although they were not yet advanced, but definitely better than those of the military doctors in Xiangyang. Meanwhile, Bai Yi returned to Jianye to report back to Jiang Zhe.

  When I heard from Bai Yi that Zhao Jie was injured, I couldn't help but sigh. As early as when Zhao Jie went to battle, I had a premonition of unease. Now that Zhao Jie is injured in battle, could my premonition become reality? Thinking about it, although Zhao Jie has some suspicions about me, he's still a good superior after all, so I hesitated for a long time and finally decided to go to Xiangyang once.

  To be thorough, I brought Chen Yin and Chi Ji with seven people to follow us. After gathering outside the city, we rushed towards Xiangyang as soon as possible. Since I'm not good at horseback riding, I got a horse-drawn carriage, although it was bumpy, but overall more comfortable than riding a horse. Along the way, from the secret camp's intelligence, I learned that King Qi Li Xian launched a massive attack on the city, but Zhao Jue personally defended the city wall, so the Yong army suffered heavy casualties and could not win. Although unable to approach the battlefield, I still got a general idea of the situation. In recent days, the Yong army has lost 40,000 men in Xiangyang, I think it should have reached King Qi's limit.

  As expected, when I was over 200 miles away from Xiangyang, I received the news that the Yong army had retreated. According to the secret camp's report, the Yong army should have withdrawn from the southern border of Chu, which means I would encounter them head-on. To force them out, I ordered a temporary stay in a small village and waited. As far as I knew, the Yong army had come all the way without committing any atrocities, so they shouldn't be here to plunder. That afternoon, the Yong army passed by the village. Before that, the Yong army's vanguard came to the village and ordered each household not to go out. I had changed into a green shirt and linen clothes, and Chi and the others had also changed into peasant attire, so they didn't attract any attention. In fact, they didn't plan to enter the village, so as long as they controlled the roads outside the village, it would be fine. However, just as I was waiting, I suddenly heard a commotion outside, followed by someone banging on the door and shouting: "People inside the house come out, this place has been requisitioned by our army."

  Chen Yin quietly walked to my side, inquiring with his eyes. I thought for a moment and slightly shook my head. Chen Yin pretended to be flustered and rushed to the door, opening it and pleading: "General, spare our lives, General, spare our lives."

  The one who broke the door was a soldier wearing black iron armor. From his attire and sword, he didn't seem to be an ordinary soldier. He glanced inside the house and said, "Don't panic, we'll use your house for a bit. You all go to the side room and stay there. Don't move, don't make a sound."

  I stood up and walked out with Red Hare. The soldier suddenly stopped me and said, "What's your name? Do you have any merits?"

  I calmly said: "Late-born Jiang Suiyun, a humble scholar with no achievements or fame. What instructions does the general have?"

  The soldier's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt, and then suddenly came to his senses, shouting: "Come on, catch them, they are spies!" With his shout, a team of soldiers rushed in, surrounding us with swords and guns. Chen Yin took a step back, blocking my body, without making a move, he knew that it was not the time to be impulsive.

  I asked with a puzzled expression: "Why did General say that Wang Sheng was a spy?"

  The soldier's eyes flashed with an inexplicable chill, and he said: "I think you're the kind of person who doesn't shed tears until they see a coffin. From your demeanor and temperament, you are absolutely someone who has been pampered for years, and there is also a quality that surpasses ordinary people. If you're not a spy, why would you say you have no official title?"

  I couldn't have imagined that this soldier would be so astute, and I couldn't help but size him up for half a day. Just as I was thinking about how to deal with the current situation, an iron cavalryman came galloping over, shouting: "Haven't you prepared the house yet? The prince urgently needs a place to recover from his injuries." The soldier hastily replied: "General, I think this household is somewhat suspicious..."

  The words had not been spoken yet, when the general caught sight of me, was taken aback for a moment, and laughed: "I thought it was someone else, but it's actually Jiang Hanlin, Mr. Jiang, I didn't expect to meet you here." I had been smiling wryly since that general arrived, and could only say: "It turns out it's Huang Huwei from beside Prince Qi, I didn't expect us to meet like this today."

  That general said calmly, "In the past, Your Highness went on a diplomatic mission to Southern Chu, and you were ordered to follow and serve, with all due etiquette. Huang was also very grateful. Now that the two countries are at war, you are a high-ranking official of Southern Chu, why have you appeared in this remote village?"

  My heart skipped a beat, he just said that the prince needs to be treated for his injuries, so I said: "To be honest, a friend of mine is seriously ill and medicine has no effect on him. As I am somewhat familiar with traditional Chinese medicine, I went there to treat his illness."

  General Huang's face indeed showed a look of surprise, and he said: "It turns out that Lord Jiang is skilled in the art of Qigong. The King of Qi has been shot by an arrow and our military doctors are unable to treat him, so we had to rush back to Dayou as quickly as possible. Now, along the way, his condition has worsened, so please, Lord Jiang, take a look at him."

  I smiled and said, "A doctor has the heart to cut his own thigh, how can I not follow orders?" General Huang immediately ordered someone to invite Prince Qi to come here. Those soldiers showed a strange expression, and I heard him whispering to General Huang, "He is an official from Southern Chu, will he really treat His Highness sincerely?" General Huang also whispered, "When we were in Jianye, this Jiang gentleman was easy-going and uninhibited, not bound by his status. His Highness said that this man has a heart full of brocade, and should not be underestimated, and treated him with great care. I think he won't forget old friendships, let alone now that he is in our hands, I'm sure he wouldn't dare to have any other intentions."

  Before long, the carriage of King Qi arrived, and General Huang and others carried King Qi into the room. I saw that his face was fiery red, unconscious, and after diagnosing his pulse, he said with a sigh: "Your Highness has been poisoned by my South Chu's poisonous arrow, which is made from the venomous snake liquid obtained from Nanman. If it weren't for Your Highness' deep internal strength and strong physique, and if you hadn't taken some antidotes in time, you would have died long ago. Now it is a symptom of increased toxicity, and if not treated, you will surely die within three days."

  The crowd was shocked, and a middle-aged general said coldly, "If that's the case, do you have any way to save him?"

  I looked at him with inquiring eyes, and the general said: "This general is Fan Wen Cheng, a near-body guard general under the command of King Qi."

  "I smiled slightly and said, 'General, don't worry, I arrived just in time. As long as I give the prince acupuncture and prescribe some medicine, his life will definitely be saved. However, from now on, the Prince of Qi will need to rest for half a year.'"

  General Fan and General Huang both showed joy on their faces. Under their supervision, I performed acupuncture for King Qi with Chi Ji as my assistant. It took me an hour to complete the complex process of inserting golden needles into the acupoints. Then, I prescribed a detoxification formula, which fortunately didn't require any special medicine that they didn't have in stock. After taking the medicine, King Qi's complexion returned to normal and he slept much more soundly. General Huang thanked me profusely and escorted me to the side room to rest. When they left, Chen Yin asked in a low voice, "Sir, will they let us go tomorrow?"

  I said calmly: "It doesn't matter, I think King Qi is a clever person. If he doesn't let me go, I have my own way to take his life."

  The next morning, the King of Qi woke up and General Huang immediately summoned me to examine the king. Li Xian lay on the bed smiling at me, waiting for me to announce that the poison in his body had been eliminated and he only needed to continue taking my prescription to remove the remaining toxins. After I did so, Li Xian smiled and said: "Who would have thought that we would meet by chance today? Thanks to Lord Jiang's rescue of my life, why don't you just follow me back?"

  I calmly said, "Your Highness, the King of Qi, is wrong. As a subject of Southern Chu, how can I surrender to Great Yong? If Your Highness does not remember the favor of saving my life, then just kill me."

  Li Xian hastily said: "Sir, don't be angry, how could I dare to forget the kindness of saving my life? If sir is unwilling, I won't force it."

  I was secretly delighted, for I had long known that Li Xian inwardly admired the Duke of Yong, and the Duke of Yong was a man who valued loyalty and righteousness. In this situation, he would not make things difficult for me. So as long as I said so, the Duke of Qi would also not do anything ungrateful or disloyal. That's why I could unconditionally treat the Duke of Qi's wound.

  Li Xian saw that I had lost my temper and asked, "I heard that Lord Jiang went to treat a friend's illness. Does Your Highness know him?" I saw the doubt in Prince Qi's eyes and calmly said, "This person is naturally known to you, it is Zhao Ke, the Duke of Southern Chu."

  Li Xian flew into a rage: "So you actually went to treat his illness! How dare you, do you think I would let you cure him?"

  "I said coldly: 'When the Great Yong and Southern Chu were at war, Emperor Taizong was assassinated midway, Your Highness was wounded on the battlefield. Since I am treating your illness, I don't worry that you will invade our borders again in the future. I didn't know that you are so afraid of Emperor Taizong that you want him to die at the hands of an assassin.' Li Xian was speechless for a long time before saying: 'I thought Zhao Ke would not be able to withstand my Great Yong cavalry even if his injuries were healed, forget it. You go and treat his wounds, tell him that I will definitely make him die by my hand.' I slightly bowed, indicating obedience."

  Three days later, the injury of King Qi has basically recovered, and he let me go. Until we parted ways, in the carriage, he said: "Mr. Jiang, South Chu will eventually perish at my hands, when that time comes, Mr. Jiang can come to find me, I will definitely keep your family and life safe." I just remained silent, as for whether he took it as consent or dissatisfaction, it's up to him.

  After parting with He Qi Wang, I rushed overnight and finally arrived in Xiangyang. Bai Yi and the general guarding the city gate recognized me, and soon I entered the city and rushed to De Qin Wang's residence. However, as soon as I reached the door, I heard a painful cry coming from inside, and I was stunned. Then, like a madman, I rushed in. The soldiers guarding the gate basically all recognized me. When I rushed into De Qin Wang's bedroom, I saw Rong Yuan kneeling on the ground wailing, while Zhao Jue lay on the bed with a pale face. Tou Xuan stood beside him, looking sorrowful. Seeing me enter, Rong Yuan choked and said: "Sui Yun, you're too late."

  I shouted in a flustered tone: "Tuo Liu, how could this be? How could you fail to protect his life?"

  The eunuch stepped forward and said, "Your Excellency, I administered medicine to the Crown Prince on his behalf, and it was effective. Although the Crown Prince has been directing battles from the city walls for several days, his injuries have not worsened. But who would have thought that today, the Emperor issued an edict rebuking the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince saw the edict, became enraged, and had a severe attack of apoplexy, spitting blood repeatedly. In less than half an hour, he...he passed away."

  Rong Yuan wiped away his tears and said in front of everyone: "Sui Yun, don't blame him, he has done his best."

  "I coldly said: 'Where is the imperial edict?'"

  Rong Yuan let out a long sigh, pointed to the table beside him, I walked up and picked up the yellow silk imperial edict, took a look, only felt suffocated in my chest, a sweetness in my mouth, and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The edict on it was written with icy words.

  "King Shu is well-versed in the art of war, with 100,000 elite soldiers at his command and control of Xiangyang's strategic location. Why has he been unable to achieve victory despite prolonged battles? He allows Rong Jun's army to come and go as they please. Is it not because there are traitors among us? I hope the Grand Commander will consider that our national strength is dwindling, and quickly decide on a swift battle plan."

  I put down the imperial edict, pushed away Chi Ji and Dao Sui who were about to support me, looked at the table, on which a memorial was placed. I opened the memorial, Chong Yuan wanted to come over to stop me, but stood still instead. I lowered my head to take a look, the handwriting was neat, but there were bloodstains splattered in several places.

  "I, with the honor of the royal family and mediocre talent, was known by the previous emperor, entrusted with important tasks, and commanded troops. How could I not have done my best? Alas, my frail body has many illnesses, and my great ambitions have not been fulfilled. I died halfway through my journey, leaving behind endless regrets.

  Now, the Great Han is rampant and cruel, while Southern Chu is exhausted and weak. This is truly a critical moment for survival or destruction. As I am about to die, how could I not speak the truth and offer sincere advice? Since the alliance between Southern Chu and the Great Han, every court minister has looked up to the Great Han with bated breath, fearing war and seeking peace. However, how can we expect a tiger's heart to be easily appeased?

  The ruler should trust wise ministers, distance himself from petty people, be frugal in the palace, diligent in governance, focus on military affairs, form alliances with Northern Han, and resist the Great Han. Only then can Southern Chu's altars and temples be safe.

  The defense of Xiangyang is extremely important. I recommend that you entrust it to a capable person, who was my former subordinate. Please issue an imperial decree to appoint this person as the new commander of Xiangyang, so that Xiangyang can be secure without incident.

  Liu Xin, the Marquis of Zhen, is a loyal and heroic person, who handles matters with care. He can take over the position of Grand Marshal. As I submit my memorial, tears fall from my eyes, and I am at a loss for words. If Your Majesty deigns to consider my words, I will die without regret."

  I put down the memorial, thinking of Zhao Jie's grief and sorrow, his heart bleeding as he wrote this memorial, tears falling like rain. "Why is the king so stubborn? If only he had listened to me back then, taken control of the army himself, there wouldn't be today."

  "His Majesty, on his deathbed, thought of you, sir, and wanted to recommend you to guard Xiangyang. However, after careful consideration, he said: 'Rong Yun's noble character is unmatched in the world, but I'm afraid he will prioritize self-preservation and won't be willing to die with me. Mr. Rong, please convey my message to him: if South Chu is destroyed one day, I hope you can spare a thought for our past friendship and leave a lingering fragrance for me.'"

  I remained silent for a long time, and then said faintly: "Mr. Rong, please restrain your grief. The king is not an unfeeling person. Upon seeing the prince's memorial, he will surely regret it. As for Mr. Rong's defense of Xiangyang, it should be feasible to accomplish. But now that Yun's heart has turned cold and his spirit has waned, he is about to resign from office and travel far away. We shall meet again another day and speak of other matters."

  After finishing speaking, I turned around and left. When I reached the door, I lifted up the curtain of the carriage and got in. At that moment, I heard the distant sound of cannons shaking the sky, twelve shots were fired, indicating that the commander had died in battle. Putting down the curtain, I calmly said: "Let's set off." The horse carriage started moving, after a long while, I pushed open the window to look at the gloomy sky outside, for the first time, I truly felt that Southern Chu was finished.

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