Chapter 1097: and ===GLOSSARY===

Wen Chenghuan glanced at Zhou Ruiyuan, realizing he was up to something again, and said, "I am eager to hear your exalted opinion, Sir."

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "Hu Xiaotian is indeed arrogant; without any evidence, he dared to behead the commander of the Yongjiang Navy. This villain, using only three thousand men, defeated Tang Bohui's thirty thousand elite naval forces, then single-handedly infiltrated Wuxing Jun, beheaded Zhao Dengyun, and escaped unharmed. I simply cannot fathom—does Zhao Dengyun have no followers in the Yongjiang Navy? How could his thirty-odd thousand troops watch their commander be slain and remain indifferent?"

Wen Chenghuan said, "It's all because Hu Xiaotian lured those soldiers with grain and military pay, and his plot against Zhao Dengyun must have been long in the making; there are plenty of his insiders in the Yongjiang Navy, and it is said the one who personally struck the blow was Zhao Dengyun's own nephew, Zhao Wusheng."

Zhou Ruiyuan deliberately drew a cold breath and said, "That's troublesome—doesn't it mean Hu Xiaotian already controls Wuxing Jun? Wuxing Jun is Dakang's northern gateway; if it falls into rebel hands, that would be a major problem. Your Majesty must immediately dispatch troops to retake Wuxing Jun."

Long Xuan'en heard Zhou Ruiyuan's sarcasm—launching a punitive expedition? Wouldn't that force Hu Xiaotian to rebel? If Hu Xiaotian already controls Wuxing Jun, he effectively commands more than thirty thousand elite Yongjiang sailors; launching a campaign would likely entail heavy casualties. Long Xuan'en said, "Hu Xiaotian hasn't rebelled, and the situation isn't fully clarified—how can we act rashly?"

Zhou Ruiyuan bowed and said, "Your Majesty is sagacious; even if Hu Xiaotian harbors wolfish ambitions, under these circumstances I suggest pacification as the priority—times have changed. Formerly he held only Dongliang Jun; blockading the Yongjiang would cut off his livelihood. But if Wuxing Jun is truly under his control, he now has leverage to negotiate with the Yong people; if he offers two cities to Da Yong, Da Yong might well pardon his crimes."

Although Long Xuan'en knew Zhou Ruiyuan was speaking on Hu Xiaotian's behalf, his words were indeed reasonable.

Wen Chenghuan sneered, "According to Sir Zhou's view, Hu Xiaotian killing Zhao Dengyun is not only blameless but meritorious?"

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "Your Majesty, I have never called Hu Xiaotian a loyal subject; this boy is ambitious, and from his actions we see he is eager to establish a foothold in Yongjiang. Seizing Wuxing Jun to control the Yongjiang Navy aims to bargain with Your Majesty. Yet under these circumstances, if Your Majesty does not adopt a forbearing attitude, it will only push Hu Xiaotian toward Da Yong, ultimately harming Dakang's interests."

Long Xuan'en said softly, "Please tell us your suggestion."

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "Since things have come to this, why not return a favor? Zhao Dengyun is dead; even if we clear his name, he cannot be resurrected. Sir Zhao served loyally in life and would surely not mind serving the court after death. As long as Your Majesty understands his loyalty, we can nominally brand Zhao Dengyun a traitor to foreign powers, reward Hu Xiaotian handsomely—since Wuxing Jun is already under his actual control—we might as well confer Zhao Dengyun's position upon him."

Wen Chenghuan chuckled beside him, "Sir Zhou, you really have thought everything through for Hu Xiaotian! To commit such a heinous crime and yet be promoted—Sir Zhao's pure loyalty, giving his life for the state, only to be branded a traitor in the end. Sir Zhou, Sir Zhou, have you considered justice, have you considered the cycle of heavenly principle?"

Zhou Ruiyuan calmly said, "Justice lies in the hearts of the people; when the nation faces peril, what matters most? If sacrificing one's reputation can bring peace and prosperity to Dakang, I, Zhou Ruiyuan, have no hesitation—death is nothing to regret. Master Wen, if it were you, would you value your own reputation above the state?"

A twitch crossed Wen Chenghuan's lip as he mentally cursed Zhou Ruiyuan's ancestors eight generations over—Zhou Ruiyuan, Zhou Ruiyuan, your scheme is vicious. He bowed to Long Xuan'en and said, "Your Majesty, I firmly believe we must not indulge this wicked petty man Hu Xiaotian; if he gains power, he will only expand, and once his wings are full, it will be hard to rein him in."

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "Master Wen, since you are determined to punish me, I have no objection—just send someone to kill him. Would his death stop Da Yong from pursuing the defeat? Would the Yongjiang crisis be resolved? Or should we appoint another capable person to go to Yongjiang to deal with the fallout? In any case, I lack this ability; Master Wen, perhaps you can go now and still make it in time."

"You……" Wen Chenghuan, fuming with rage from Zhou Ruiyuan's words, could find no retort.

Long Xuan'en furrowed his brows and said, "You two, say less; you were supposed to give me ideas, but you're only causing me trouble—go away!"

The two bowed and took their leave outside the palace gates; Wen Chenghuan, so angry he abandoned all decorum, flicked his sleeves and strode off.

Zhou Ruiyuan watched his retreating back with a half-smile, shook his head, then spotted a figure hurrying from afar—it was Hong Beimo of the Tianji Bureau. Their eyes met, they exchanged a smile and a nod, but said nothing; Hong Beimo hurried into the Qinzheng Hall.

Upon seeing Hong Beimo, Long Xuan'en's expression was not pleasant either; he said coldly, "Why are you so late?"

Hong Beimo said, "Your Majesty, some matters delayed me, so I arrived late; please forgive me."

Long Xuan'en asked, "Have you seen those two?" Based on Hong Beimo's arrival time, he must have just run into Zhou Ruiyuan and Wen Chenghuan.

Hong Beimo replied, "I saw them, but didn't have a chance to speak."

Long Xuan'en said, "Those two—one wants to kill Hu Xiaotian, the other wants to reward him; I am rather at a loss."

Hong Beimo said, "Your Majesty surely already has a plan in mind; their opinions are not important to you."

Long Xuan'en waved his hand, and Wang Qian and the others all withdrew.

Long Xuan'en said, "I truly regret it; I shouldn't have let Hu Xiaotian go."

Hong Beimo said, "I, on the contrary, believe that Your Majesty releasing him was actually a brilliant move."

Long Xuan'en asked, "How so?"

Hong Beimo smiled and said, "For Your Majesty, the most important thing is time; the Yongjiang defense line is Dakang's natural barrier. Whether Zhao Dengyun is loyal or treacherous, it doesn't change the fact that he is a mediocrity; placing such a mediocrity to guard Yongjiang would likely be unable to withstand Da Yong's naval assault."

Long Xuan'en said, "Xue Shengkang is already dead; for now there's no need to worry."

Hong Beimo shook his head and said, "Precisely because Xue Shengkang died, the new ruler of Da Yong ascended the throne and is eager to establish his prestige among the populace; for a monarch, the simplest way is conquest—by seizing foreign lands to win over his own subjects' hearts. Tang Bohui's rush to take Dongliang Jun was merely to present it as a gift to Xue Daohong to gain trust—unfortunately he ran into Hu Xiaotian."

Long Xuan'en said, "Hu Xiaotian's battle might provoke a full-scale war between the two states."

Hong Beimo said, "This battle is bound to be fought; according to the intelligence I have received, Da Yong has already begun preparations and will dispatch troops southward in early spring of the second month."

Long Xuan'en said, "Hu Xiaotian might perhaps advance this battle."

Hong Beimo said, "Since he was capable of defeating Da Yong's thirty thousand naval forces with three thousand men, he may well be able to block Da Yong's army's advance; Your Majesty might not know, outside rumors say three thousand participants, but in fact five thousand took part in the fight, two thousand of them from the Beggars' Sect."

Long Xuan'en's brow twitched: "The Beggars' Sect!"

Hong Beimo lowered his voice and said, "Xu Lingkong has always been hiding among the Beggars' Sect; I suspect this matter is connected to him."

Long Xuan'en said, "It seems I have no choice but to go with the flow."

Hong Beimo said, "For Your Majesty, what truly matters is only time; at most a year, I will have accomplished great deeds, and by then this realm will still be under Your Majesty's control!"

Long Xuan'en stroked his beard and said, "You had better not disappoint me!"

The newly enthroned emperor of Da Yong, Xue Daohong, has had a rough couple of days; hearing that the three thousand troops of Hu Xiaotian routed the thirty thousand naval forces of Nanyang Water Fortress, killing the commander Tang Bohui and capturing more than ten thousand sailors, shocked Xue Daohong so much his jaw nearly dropped—this news is truly staggering, for Tang Bohui is a famed general of Da Yong; this should have been a sure victory, yet the overwhelming advantage failed to turn into ultimate triumph.

Minister of War Huang Beishan stood respectfully beside Xue Daohong; from the emperor's tightly furrowed brows he could tell the new sovereign was in low spirits—having just ascended the throne, he suffered such a heavy blow, a severe setback for the vigorous Xue Daohong; if he mishandles this affair, it will inevitably affect his standing in the hearts of his officials.

Although Xue Daohong successfully ascended the throne, this does not mean he can win over everyone; there are still many other voices at court—the Seventh Prince Xue Daoming has the support of Consort Shu, the Dong clan wields considerable influence in Dakang's court, and Grand Preceptor Xiang Liren is also a firm backer of Xue Daoming. After Xue Daohong's enthronement, he ought to have begun eliminating these rivals, but before he could act, the south erupted with this major incident.

In the past, when faced with such matters, Xue Daohong's first thought would be Li Chen Zhou; he and Li Chen Zhou are not only ruler and subject but also childhood playmates, close friends—alas, Li Chen Zhou obeyed his order to go to Bei Jiang to comfort the troops, the true purpose being to soothe General Weichi Chong; Xue Daohong knew his late father had long suspected Weichi Chong, hence the posting to guard the northern frontier; now that Xue Daohong has just taken the throne and wishes to steady his footing, he must secure the support of this senior military official, and Li Chen Zhou is clearly the ideal candidate for the task.

Huang Beishan said, "Your Majesty, I have just received news from the Nanyang Water Fortress: Hu Xiaotian proposes a condition for releasing the prisoners—there are eleven thousand three hundred captives in total, demanding two hundred catties of grain per person, amounting to two million catties."

Xue Daohong snorted coldly, "Is he a bandit? To resort to such despicable tactics!"

Huang Beishan said, "Your Majesty, those more than ten thousand naval troops are all the elite forces of the Nanyang Water Fortress…" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come and read.)