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No One To Confide In
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Chapter 77: No One To Confide In
Several days later, Lu Zi Xiang ordered the Yangwei General Song Yan De to lead the army north to take down Lu Qi Yang.
Once this order was issued, Great Chu was greatly alarmed, shocking everyone from top to bottom.
Who didn’t know that the north was currently in the midst of war. With the barbarians repeatedly attacking the borders outside, this was precisely the time when they needed Zhennan Wang Lu Qi Yang. But, his Majesty insisted on stripping Zhennan Wang of his position and campaign against him at this time. Wasn’t this just cutting off one’s own path of retreat?
A certain rumor quietly spread among the people——-His Majesty has already secretly made a deal with the Mujin tribe, not wanting this barren patch of land at the north border anymore. That’s why, he dared to openly campaign against Zhennan Wang.
Once these rumors arose, the north was no longer peaceful. The ordinary commoners immediately gathered their children and surged towards the south. For a time, regardless whether it was the official roads or small paths, they were all packed with carts, horses, oxen, and mules pulling along luggage. Regardless whether it was day or night, there were always people traveling in a hurry, having the roads jammed pack. A stream of torches and lanterns headed southward, endlessly stretching out, like a long river among the mountain and forest.
Chaotic times were drawing near, who can truly remain unscathed?
• • •
After Song Yan De arrived at the north border with his forces, he had Lu Qi Yang’s line of retreat cut off. With the Mujin tribe in front, and Song Yan De in the rear, Lu Qi Yang was cut off in the center, unable to advance or retreat, their provisions also dwindling with each passing day.
When the news reached inside the borders, some people started saying that Zhennan Wang’s days were numbered.
However, in the army under Zhennan Wang, there weren’t any signs of anxiety or concern.
That very night, Lu Qi Yang ordered the generals under him to head towards Hongcheng.
This Hongcheng was a key gateway town, directly leading into the heart of Chu, originally guarded by Wei Zhen. It was currently in the dead of the night. Hongcheng’s gate was tightly shut, exuding an air of unyielding defense.
Liu Yu’s body was increasingly weak lately, so no longer stayed at the army camp, instead moving to Hongcheng’s administrative headquarters. Today, he was feeling a bit more energetic, so donned his clothes and went up to the city walls for a stroll.
Ever since Lu Zi Xiang set out to campaign against Lu Qi Yang, he frequently was unable to sleep at night, fearing that Lu Qi Yang really die at the hands of Chu one day, letting the foreign tribe gain an advantage for nothing and invade the borders.
The stars in the pitch-black sky stretched out like a river of light, the night drowned in silence. However, amidst a patch of darkness outside the city, the light from a torch suddenly lit up the place. A soldier shouted from below the city walls, “Sir Liu, General Wei! This humble one has come under wangye’s order to request some provisions!”
Hearing these words, Liu Yu was a bit shocked. Wei Zhen who was accompanying by his side was also between shock and suspicion.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
When this squad of light cavalry arrived beneath the city walls, Wei Zhen was just somewhat on guard, fearing these people were the vanguards leading the charge for Zhennan Wang, so sent a scout out to gather intel. Who knew that these people would shout such daring words under the city walls.
“Request provision?” Wei Zhen endlessly wavered, saying, “Could it be that it’s really as the rumors say outside, Zhennan Wang has already depleted his supplies and exhausted his army?” After saying this, Wei Zhen anxiously started pacing back and forth, “If Zhennan Wang loses to his Majesty, the Mujin tribe certainly will take the opportunity to invade the border. This Hongcheng is a key military post. The Mujin people certainly will come. I’m not very knowledgeable towards the Mujin tribe, don’t know if Sir Liu knows a little more?”
After saying this, Wei Zhen already started preparing for the worst, contemplating how to fend off the enemy once Zhennan Wang dies.
Liu Yu didn’t answer for a long time.
He stood in the dark of the night, glancing down at the faint lights below the city walls, his face hidden in the darkness.
“Sir Wei, at present, I’m no longer the military inspector. Whether or not Hongcheng will lend provisions, asking Sir Wei to make the decision on your own.” Liu Yu straightened his clothes, saying in a low voice, “If you lend provisions to Zhennan Wang, then it will be going against his Majesty. But, if you don’t lend, then perhaps Zhennan Wang will die here.”
Wei Zhen angrily said, “Sir Liu, what are you saying? I, Wei Zhen, have never been someone that’s scared of death, naturally prioritizing the welfare of the country!” Pausing for a moment, he subdued the anger on his face and said, “Just, afraid it will implicate Sir Liu……….”
Liu Yu shook his head and said, “I’m now merely a commoner, so how can it be considered ‘implicating’?” After saying this, he slightly lifted his eyes, wearily saying, “This body of mine perhaps won’t make it through the winter of this year. Since his Majesty wants this life of mine, then just take it.”
When Wei Zhen heard, a complicated look appeared on his face.
He had Liu Yu treated as an honored guest, precisely because he admired his talent and character.
Great Chu currently favors civil governance over military strength, the civil officials all timid and apprehensive. An entire city full of officials, yet the great majority advocate for peace and submission. Very few dare to stand against the foreign tribes like Zhennan Wang. But, Liu Yu, who although was a civil official, has never once thought of backing down, helping Hongcheng fight against the Mujin tribe many times.
“I, Wei Zhen, am indebted to Sir Liu. If not for Sir Liu devising strategies for me, I would’ve already died under the hooves of the Mujin horses.” Wei Zhen clenched his fist and said resolutely, “This matter will be decided by Sir Liu!”
Liu Yu casted him a glance, gathering his sleeves that got filled by the night wind and calmly saying, “Since that’s the case, then open the gates and welcome them in.” As he lifted his eyes, he recalled how his Majesty had him removed from his post previously. He couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “Don’t know if this was also within his calculations.”
As he spoke, Wei Zhen already went down to give orders. Hongcheng’s gates slowly opened, making a heavy sound.
• • •
Hongcheng was a key town leading into the heart of Chu after all, possessing an abundance of supplies and troops. Obtaining their support, Lu Qi Yang immediately had the power to fight back. Song Yan De although wielded a large army, he has never really commanded tens of thousands of soldiers before, so inevitably somewhat ambitious in thought, but lacking in practice. In comparison, Lu Qi Yang who has already trained for a long time at the Northern Pass had the upper hand, forcing Song Yan De to retreat in defeat again and again.
In less than a month, Lu Qi Yang first defeated the Mujin tribe, then drove back Song Yan De.
Song Yan De was incompetent. Lu Zi Xiang naturally was furious.
Although furious, he was also powerless.
Chu lacked military generals. As such, there was actually no one that could rein in Zhennan Wang at present. Seeing how Zhennan Wang has raised his banners, about to bring chaos to his reign, Lu Zi Xiang was both anxious and angry, unable to sleep peacefully through the night.
Inside Ganfu Palace, this usually calm and dignified ruler was filled with anger, having a ring of stubble on his face, appearing somewhat haggard.
“This emperor has long said that Zhennan Wang has the intention of rebelling!” Lu Zi Xiang swung his wide sleeve, saying to the officials kneeling in a row outside the hall, “And you all? Each and every one all making excuse for Zhennan Wang, saying that only Zhennan Wang can fend off the Mujin tribe! But now, he is leading his army inward. This is coming for the capital!”
The officials outside the hall held their breath, daring to be angry but not daring to speak, only having their heads buried even deeper.
Seeing no one speak, Lu Zi Xiang was increasingly angry. He loudly sighed, stopping in his steps and sternly saying, “Who else in this court can lead an army? Could it be that this emperor needs to personally ride into battle in order to bring Zhennan Wang to justice?”
Lu Zi Xiang once led troops before in the south, establishing extraordinary military achievements before. Precisely because of this, he is fully aware of how dangerous it is to hold military power in hand, thus extremely wary of Lu Qi Yang who was similarly a military general.
“Your, your Majesty…….” An elderly official with white hair and beard tremblingly said, “How about letting the generals of the Song family all go to the north……….”
Lu Zi Xiang’s eyes turned, blankly saying, “Very well then. Those generals of the third and fourth rank, let them all go for this emperor. If unable to take down Zhennan Wang, then there’s no need to keep them.”
The line ‘there’s no need to keep them’ made all the old officials break out in cold sweat.
His Majesty is extremely angered, wanting these generals to fight with their lives on the line!
Those generals, none of them have ever truly led troops and fought in battle before, so how can they contend against Zhennan Wang?
Even so, no one dared to speak. They could only respond with ‘yes’ and praise his Majesty’s brilliance.
After the officials withdrew, Lu Zi Xiang lost his strength and collapsed onto the dragon throne. He pressed between his brows and said, “Ran’er, today, this emperor finally understands what the so-called ‘power brings disaster’ means.”
Shen Ran slowly walked out from behind the curtains and soundlessly stood behind him.
Lu Zi Xiang pressed his temple, his voice slightly dyed with weariness, “Once Liu Yu gained power, becoming the foremost figure in court, he no longer obeyed this emperor. Once Lu Qi Yang gained power, taking control of the army, he also no longer follow orders. This emperor ordered him to return to the capital, but he refused to listen.”
He lifted his head and looked around, just seeing the inside of Qianfu Palace shining with gold and jade, and adorned with carved dragons and painted phoenixes. This palace hall that has housed many emperors throughout history, in this moment, appeared incomparably desolate and lonely, like a prison.
“How come this emperor feels, ever since ascending the throne, no one will open their heart to this emperor anymore like in the past?” Lu Zi Xiang asked.
Shen Ran smiled, but didn’t answer. She just had her two hands placed on Lu Zi Xiang’s shoulders, gently massaging.
• • •
Lu Zi Xiang although sent several generals, no one could defeat Lu Qi Yang. They could only watch Lu Qi Yang once again have the Mujin tribe driven out of the borders. Then, turning around, Lu Qi Yang directly erected the banner, declaring that the emperor was muddle-headed, needing to rectify the order of the court.
When the commoners heard of this matter, they all turned to Lu Qi Yang——-Lu Qi Yang was locked in battle against the invaders at the Northern Pass, yet Lu Zi Xiang chose to stab him from behind, wasn’t this precisely being muddle-headed?
In any case, no matter how the throne changes hands, it’ll always be someone from the Lu clan sitting on it. For matters that don’t concern them, the commoners just indifferently watched from the sidelines, only fearing that the fires of war might burn onto them.
After getting rid of the Mujin tribe, Lu Qi Yang marched south, heading straight for the capital. When arriving in the Wu province, he halted his troops.
Not for any other reason, just because Zhennan Wangfei Shen Lan Chi was here.
• • •
Shen Lan Chi going to the Wu province to recuperate, these words weren’t false.
Just, Lu Qi Yang had purchased five to six residences here, each having their own style. Whenever Shen Lan Chi was happy, she would reside in the one in the east. When unhappy, it was just staying in the west of the city. When in a good mood, she would stroll to the south of the city, and when in a bad mood, go for a stroll in the north.
If Lu Zi Xiang were to send soldiers, Shen Lan Chi would just leisurely go live elsewhere. Thus, the soldiers will certainly find nothing.
When the commoners of the Wu province heard that Zhennan Wang came, they quickly rolled up their blankets and bedsheets, wanting to flee south. In a few days, the enormous Wu province just quieted down. When Shen Lan Chi went out in her free time, she saw that every household had their doors shut, the storefronts quiet, a bleak and deserted sight.
She was currently five months pregnant, precisely the time when one was the most picky with food. During the day, she only wanted to eat the Hu pancakes[1] from the west district. On this day, she sent Ah Luo out to go buy Hu pancakes as usual. Ah Luo was gone for a long time, but returned empty-handed, saying: “The shop owner selling the pancakes has left too. It’s said that they’ve gone south.”
Shen Lan Chi blanked for a moment, her complexion instantly changing, having a dejected look.
“But I want to eat Hu pancakes.” She sighed.
Standing by the partly open door, she looked around, “Don’t know if that shop owner will come back or not?”
Right at this time, a woman carrying a load on a pole passed by in front. She was dressed for travel, her face covered in dust. Hearing Shen Lan Chi’s words, the woman wiped the dust from her face , saying with a flattering smile, “Madam, do you want to buy Hu pancakes? I have some homemade Hu pancakes. If you don’t mind, you can take them. Just, give this humble woman……a bit of money for the road.”
Shen Lan Chi let out an ‘aye’, letting the servant open the door, saying, “I’ll give money to buy them.”
When the woman heard, she immediately began rummaging through her luggage. On the carriage behind her, a child’s face peeked out. It was a five to six year old girl, her hair tied into two little braids, her face super cute.
Shen Lan Chi thought, this woman although was rough-looking, her child was nevertheless very cute.
Shen Lan Chi was currently pregnant, so when seeing children, she can’t help but glance a few more times, and afterwards, begin to wonder whether her own child will be a boy or a girl, and what they will look like.
That child, seeing her mother busy, leapt down from the carriage and swiftly ran to Ah Luo’s side, tugging Ah Luo’s dress with sparkling eyes and saying, “Mommy! I want to eat candy.”
Ah Luo was at a loss for what to do as she looked towards the woman. The woman hurriedly had her daughter pulled back, her face full of apology, “My daughter isn’t very bright, often randomly calling others mother, asking miss to not take seriously.”
“Innocent words of a child, no need to mind.” Shen Lan Chi stroked her swollen belly as a smile appeared on her face, “She’ll know better in the future.”
In the next moment, that little girl slipped out from under her mother’s arm.
This time, the little girl directly tugged Shen Lan Chi’s dress, blinking her eyes and saying, “Mommy! You’re really pretty!”
“Aye.” Seeing the little girl’s cute face, Shen Lan Chi instantly felt a surge of affection, bending down and patting her head.
Right at this time, she heard an astonished sound come from nearby, “Wan-wangfei……..”
Shen Lan Chi lifted her head and saw Lu Qi Yang pulling along the horse, his mouth agape, a look of shock like having gotten struck by lightning.
“This, this, this?” Lu Qi Yang stuttered, at a loss for what to do, saying, “Lan Lan, our child….is already this big?”
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