Chapter 23: Soul Returns to Hometown

  The peace treaty was concluded, and King Xie was spared. In May, he followed the envoy back to Southern Chu. As soon as they entered the territory of Chu, he was assassinated and his body returned to Jianye for burial. The king had been on the throne for four years, during which time he neglected state affairs, favored petty men, and distanced himself from worthy ministers, bringing the country to the brink of disaster and himself deeply trapped in prison. The weakness that accumulated in Southern Chu and could not be reversed were all his fault.

  The Book of Southern Chu · Biography of Emperor Yang of Chu

  Lu Can was overjoyed, knowing that as long as Prince Yong did not make things difficult for Southern Chu, the others could be easily placated with either bribes or benefits. He hastily thanked Prince Yong, but Lu Can's expression did not change much, as he knew that Prince Yong would inevitably have some conditions to propose. Therefore, he sincerely said: "Your Highness is magnanimous and generous, I, on behalf of the people of Southern Chu, thank Your Highness. If there are any instructions, please speak directly, even if it's difficult for me, I will still strive to accomplish it."

  The King of Yong just smiled and put it aside. He had obtained enough from the treasury of South Chu to last him several years, so he was not greedy. Moreover, in his opinion, the people of South Chu would eventually become subjects of Da Yong, so he would not add insult to injury at this time. If he provoked the deep-seated hatred of the people of South Chu, it would be detrimental to the pacification of Jiangnan in the future. As for whether or not to demand territorial concessions and reparations, that was a matter for the imperial court. He had long known that his father's bottom line was for South Chu to pay 50 million taels of silver in reparations, to be repaid over ten years. This way, South Chu would not be able to expand its military strength on a large scale within ten years. However, if he did not make any demands, it would inevitably raise suspicions and even make the ruler and ministers of South Chu uneasy, worrying about when they would launch an attack. He glanced at Jiang Zhe and asked with his eyes.

  I received a hint from King Yong, and my heart moved slightly. I said calmly: 'King Yong admires the literary style of Nan Chu very much. When I mentioned the matter of Chongwen Temple to him, he was extremely envious. If General Lu can take charge, it would be best to send a copy of the collected books in Chongwen Temple to His Highness. Of course, if you can add some authentic works by famous masters, that would be even better. If your mission can fulfill His Highness's wish, then he can guarantee that he will not demand an inch of land from Nan Chu.'

  Lu Can was taken aback. As a military general, he didn't place much importance on these books. The King of Yong's request wasn't excessive to him. Using some books and calligraphy to exchange for the King of Yong's concession wouldn't be too bad, as it would prevent Southern Chu from suffering heavy losses in the peace talks. However, the Chongwen Temple was built by the previous king's decree. If he were to do this, someone might impeach him. Thinking about this, he couldn't help but hesitate.

  I saw his intention and said lightly: 'The Lord of Taishang is currently in Dayong, General, if you can't make up your mind, you can go ask Wang Shang.'

  Lu Chan immediately came to his senses, such a good shield not to use, he was still too inexperienced, so Lu Chan happily said: 'The prince's request, I will agree on behalf of the king, and when I return to South Chu, I will send someone over immediately.'

  Li Zhe was about to respond, but I said: 'If it's going to take so long, please have the envoy send a letter back instead. If we can deliver the books before negotiations begin, Prince Yong will surely have something to say.'

  Lu Can looked at Yang Xiu, with a questioning expression. Yang Xiu, being a scholar, gave Jiang Zhe a stern glance. The books that Jiang Zhe had requested were the essence of Southern Chu's culture. This person's profound gaze was indeed extraordinary. He thought back to when Chengdu fell, and both Dayong and Southern Chu rushed to seize the Ministry of Revenue's archives. These were the foundation for governing the country. Although the books Jiang Zhe requested this time were not Southern Chu's household registers, their value was even more precious. Dynasties rise and fall, but household registers can always be investigated clearly. Only that brilliant culture is a long-lasting, unchanging treasure. However, he also knew that this condition was not difficult for Southern Chu, at least better than ceding territory. He sighed inwardly and nodded slightly. Lu Can decisively said: "Don't worry, Your Excellency, I will immediately send the books back."

  After sending off the envoy from Southern Chu, I was somewhat tired. Li Zuo bid farewell and left. On the way, Li Zuo thoughtfully said: "Cui Yun is indeed astute. If we can obtain the classics of Southern Chu, it will be very beneficial to our Great Yong. After all, our Great Yong excels at expanding its territory, but governing the country relies on civil administration. The world obtained by horseback cannot be governed by horseback. Cui Yun is truly a national scholar." Guo Lian coldly said: "Your Highness, that Southern Chu envoy was neither arrogant nor humble, and he was well-versed in both literature and martial arts. He is also the leader of the young generals of Southern Chu. If we don't eliminate him, I fear that he will be a future trouble without end."

  Li Zai smiled faintly and said, "There are many heroes in the world. If I were to kill one every time I see one, I'm afraid my hands would be too soft. The Southern Chu is weak, and a single tree cannot hold up the sky. Without a wise ruler, even if there were a capable general who could conquer and fight well, what good would it do? Gu Yan, tell Wei Xiangye for me that he must send Shang Weijun back. No wonder Su Yun told me to treat Shang Weijun kindly back then; it seems he had already thought of today. If Shang Weijun returns to Southern Chu, Lu Xin will not be able to monopolize power again. With time, as an outsider, Shang Weijun will be able to dominate the court. At that time, with a powerful minister inside, I'd like to see what kind of great waves these talented scholars can stir up."

  He felt a chill in his heart, and although he had already admired Jiang Zhe very much, he had never seen Jiang Zhe's cunning tactics before. Now that Li Zuo had told him about it, Jiang Zhe was truly thorough and farsighted, making him completely convinced. However, looking at the Duke of Yong, His Highness was able to see through Jiang Zhe's intentions and make use of them, such a monarch-subject relationship would indeed make enemies' hearts tremble with fear. No wonder His Highness had gone to great lengths for Jiang Zhe; now it seemed that everything was worth it. Thinking this way, the thread of jealousy that had been hidden in his heart for a long time finally dissipated. He nodded and accepted the order, saying: "Your Highness may give more benefits to Nan Chu, just consider it as a favor to Mr. Jiang, so even if Mr. Jiang doesn't say anything, he will be happy in his heart."

  Li Zai sighed and said, "Yes, even now he has lost interest in Southern Chu, but still has some affection for them. If not, why would he agree to meet with the envoy of Southern Chu? He is so kind-hearted that I fear when we attack Southern Chu in the future, he will not exert himself."

  Gou Jian smiled and said: "Your Highness, don't worry, it's just a small South Chu, if we can't even take it down, wouldn't that be a joke to us subordinates? Your Highness has both civil and military officials at your disposal, what is there to worry about? However, Your Highness, General Zhangsun and General Jing have sent letters saying that everything is fine in the army and asking if they can follow you closely. They are all still shaken by the events of the past few days, and Your Highness also needs a few more great generals to guard your side."

  Li Zai thought for a moment and said: 'You're right, I don't think there will be any changes in the military's mind now. We should also bring them back to our side. These days without them, I always feel that my heart is left with some surplus while my strength is insufficient. You pass on the order for me, let them enter the capital, they are all under my command, no one can say anything about it.'

  The subsequent negotiations were tedious, but there was no major obstacle. The Southern Chu side naturally hoped for a successful negotiation, and the Dayong side did not want to drag it out either. King Yong did not intervene, and the Crown Prince was too lazy to ask about it. During this period, King Qi seemed to be in a bad mood and rarely left his door. As a result, the negotiations proceeded smoothly under the leadership of Chancellor Wei Guan. The other members of the Southern Chu delegation were naturally delighted, but Lu Can felt uneasy in her heart, always feeling that things should not have gone so smoothly. Although the matter was proceeding smoothly, due to the large number of details that needed to be discussed, it still took nearly a month to reach an agreement.

  According to the terms of the treaty, Nanchu would inherit the title of vassal state of Dayong, and every year would offer tribute and come to pay homage. This time, due to their defeat in war, Nanchu had to pay an indemnity of 60 million taels of silver, which would be paid over a period of 12 years. In addition, the two countries agreed to trade with each other, ending nearly a year of warfare and blockade. However, the tax on goods from Nanchu entering Dayong was increased by half. The members of the royal family and officials of Nanchu who were captured by Dayong could be ransomed back, but at different prices. Two people would be left as hostages: Zhao Jia's eldest son, Zhao Xi, who was born to a woman from Dayong, and Zhao Jia's younger brother, Prince Jian of Zhao, Zhao Yun. As for the women from Dayong who were favored concubines by Zhao Jia, most of them chose to stay in their hometown, and Lu Can did not mind. Their future livelihood would be taken care of by Dayong, and he wished that none of the women from Dayong would return. However, two women from Dayong, who were wives of Zhao Jia, asked to follow him back to Nanchu. They had spent their youth in Nanchu, so they preferred to return to a land filled with hostility rather than leave their children behind.

  On April 20, the several hundred carts of books that Nan Chu had promised to send to King Yong entered the territory of Da Yong. The two high-ranking generals sent by King Yong received the books and personally escorted them to Chang'an. One of them was called Zhangsun Ji, also known as Golden Bow Zhangsun, who was unparalleled in archery and was the top marksman in the army. He came from a poor background and had joined the military at a young age, honing his exceptional skills through battle. His archery skills were forged on the battlefield, where he could take lives from 500 paces away as easily as picking something out of his pocket. The golden bow that was always by his side was a personal gift from King Yong, and it used specially crafted arrows that could kill high-ranking generals from over a thousand paces away. The other general was called Jing Chi, who had a somewhat rough temperament but was unmatched in beheading enemy generals and capturing their flags. He was the top brave general under King Yong's command. It was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that sending them to escort books was not the real reason why King Yong had summoned them to the capital.

  On April 25, the Southern Chu envoys escorted Taishang Guozhu and the redeemed civil and military officials on their way home. Da Yong treated them with great courtesy, and Crown Prince Li An saw off Emperor Huang for thirty miles. Princess Chang Le also poured wine to bid farewell to Zhao Jia at the Long Pavilion. However, Emperor Yong had an edict saying that Princess Chang Le had been away from home for many years and should be allowed to stay a few more days. But everyone knew that Emperor Yong would not let Princess Chang Le return to Southern Chu because during the negotiations, the Southern Chu envoys mentioned that King Zhao Ling of Southern Chu was willing to honor his legitimate mother as Empress Dowager, but was rejected by Wei Guan. However, they did not want to deal with this matter for the time being, after all, welcoming back the king and officials of Southern Chu was the main purpose of this trip.

  The day of seeing off, there was another person who drew attention, that is, the officer of Tian Ce's Mansion, Sima Jiangzhe, who followed King Yong out of the city to see him off. Although he had just recovered from a serious injury and almost stumbled when walking, no one dared to underestimate him. Everyone knew what his personal attendant, Li Shun, had done, let alone King Yong's love and respect for him were known throughout the world.

  I made my last bow to the former king, and Zhao Jia's eyes were dazed. He had even forgotten who I was. When he spoke grandly under the eunuch's whispered guidance, congratulating me on being reused by the great Yong, hoping that I would forget past grievances and work hard for the peace of both countries, my heart was calm. This person has never been the master I wanted to serve. This farewell is just a matter of starting and ending well. After all, I doubt whether he can return alive to Southern Chu. If it weren't for His Majesty wanting to get rid of this son-in-law as soon as possible, why would he be in such a hurry to end the negotiations?

  As I gazed at the distant procession of the Southern Chu envoys, my weary expression made me want to return to my carriage. However, I noticed two people staring at me - one was Princess Chang Le, who looked calm and serene after many days, but somewhat pale compared to when she watched the martial performance. The other person was a woman wearing a moon-white palace attire, likely in her early twenties, with an absolutely stunning appearance, elegant complexion, noble demeanor, slender figure, and beautiful posture. She stood beside Princess Chang Le, whose own beauty was already renowned, yet this woman's dazzling radiance stole all the attention. What caught my attention wasn't her beauty, but her pair of crystal-clear, icy-cold eyes - a pair I would dream about. She was the assassin who nearly killed me.

  I said in a low voice: 'Is she Li Han Yu?'

  The King of Yong has walked up to me and said in a low voice: 'It's her, the Empress asked her to take care of Chang Le, so she came together.'

  Xiao Shunzi heard that the woman was Li Han Yu, and his eyes suddenly flashed with a dazzling cold light. He stared at Li Han Yu, determined to remember everything about this woman in his heart.

  As I got on the horse carriage, I thought to myself: 'Such a woman, proud and beautiful, is exactly the kind of partner that young masters from wealthy families dream of having. Can Qin Qing really reject her?'

  On May 7th, news arrived that the ruler of Southern Chu was assassinated shortly after crossing the river. The assassin used the martial arts of the Li family from Shu, leaving behind a line of bloody words: "The rivers and mountains are my family's treasure, our country is destroyed, our family is ruined, today we settle the score." After Zhao Jia's death, several of his concubines took their own lives to follow him in death.

  I put down my pen and let out a soft sigh. The Emperor must have assigned the task of assassinating Zhao Jia to the Crown Prince, and they indeed had some skills. They got the leader of the Jin Xiu Alliance, Huo Ji Cheng, to assassinate Zhao Jia, clearing the relationship between the assassin and Da Yong. It was so easy for them to succeed, I suppose those concubines were insiders. Huo Ji Cheng gained both fame and wealth, and Da Yong was also satisfied. Unfortunately, Lu Can was a victim of circumstance. As an envoy, he was responsible for escorting Zhao Jia, but he let him get assassinated. He won't be able to recover from this in the short term, no matter whose idea it was. This person is indeed cunning and ruthless. I wonder if it was the Crown Prince or Feng Yi Men who designed the assassination plan. I wrote down two names on paper: Lu Jing Zhong and Li Han You. It should be one of them. Although I haven't seen Li Han You use schemes, but from the way she assassinated me with such decisiveness and ruthlessness, I knew she wasn't an ordinary woman.

  I was thinking about this matter, Li Zai walked into the study, his face gloomy: 'The prince is good at tactics, the emperor rewarded him heavily today, this assassination not only went smoothly but also cleared the suspicion of Da Yong, I'm just wondering how Jin Xiu Alliance became the prince's person, although the prince said it was just secretly passing on information to Jin Xiu Alliance and providing some convenience, but I don't believe Jin Xiu Alliance is really so easy to use, I must investigate the relationship between Jin Xiu Alliance and the prince.

  I had a clear understanding in my mind that the prince was going to make his move on the Brocade Alliance, and he must have been preparing to take action. After all, through mutual trade, he would naturally be able to gain huge benefits without having to risk smuggling again. I glanced at Xiao Shunzi and gave him a signal, and his whispered voice echoed in my ear: "Young Master, do you want me to tell Chen Yin to arrange for the Tianji Pavilion to escape?"

  I nodded slightly, and Xiao Shunzi quietly retreated. Li Zai looked puzzled and said: "Su Yun, what's wrong? Are you hiding something from me?"

  I respectfully said: "Your Highness, I have something to report to you. There is indeed a connection between the Brocade Alliance and the Crown Prince." After that, I briefly told him about the Crown Prince's smuggling of military equipment, and King Yong furrowed his brow and listened for half a day before suddenly slapping the table and saying: "How can this be? They actually moved their mind to the military supplies. Rangyun, how do you know so clearly? Did you have a hand in it?"

  I smiled and said, "This is my secret, but I already have complete evidence in my hands. Although it was a trap set by me, I only provided an opportunity, not forced the prince to do it."

  Li Zuo sat back, after a long while he said: 'You're right, if the prince isn't willing, who can force him? Alright, I'll listen to you. Since the prince is acting like this, it's no wonder that our king doesn't care about brotherly love. Military equipment and supplies are so important, yet he does such a thing. But do you think we can succeed with one move? I always feel it's not very likely.'

  I replied, "Your Highness need not worry about this matter, it will naturally come to nothing. But please trust my judgment, if this matter were to erupt, Your Highness only needs to make a fair decision and not put too much pressure on the Crown Prince. Only then can I proceed with the next step."

  Li Zai smiled and said: "You always cover up like this?"

  I said calmly: "What I'm good at is plotting and scheming, if I were to say it out loud, I'm afraid it would worry Your Highness. It's better for me to plan instead. If Your Highness can trust me, I'd like to mobilize some people to do something."

  Li Zai said: "You don't need to ask me, in my mansion, you can order anyone above or below, no one dares to disobey." I nodded slightly to express gratitude. At this time, Li Zai saw the intelligence on my desk and hesitated, saying: "Suiyun, some things are inevitable."

  I nodded slightly, my expression calm and collected, and said slowly: "Your Majesty knows that you have not fulfilled your duties as a king. When Jianye fell, you should have taken responsibility and apologized. Although Your Majesty is muddled, you are not a bad person. Over the years, you haven't accomplished much, but you also haven't done anything to harm the people or the law. You simply shouldn't be a ruler. Now that your spirit has returned to Southern Chu, it's time for you to die without regret."

  I stood up and walked out of the study, took a breath of fresh air, then casually plucked a bamboo leaf and played it. The trembling, ancient music was sorrowful and mournful, like weeping and complaining, making people's hearts break. After finishing the tune, my expression gradually calmed down. I'm not already heartless with Nanchu, so why should I be sad for that foolish king? Thinking this way in my heart, I still felt some sadness. That person was after all my former ruler, and he was the king of Nanchu, dying like this under Dayong's conspiracy, how could I not feel sorrow? Suddenly, I regretted forcing the King of Shu to death that day. In any case, he was the master of Shu, dying under my pen, no wonder the people of Shu hated me so much.

  Li Zai had been standing far away, and now he walked over, saying lightly: "The books from Nan Chu have arrived, aren't you going to take a look? It's also a good opportunity to meet my trusted general Ai Jiang."

  I bowed slightly and said: 'How dare I disobey.'