Chapter 395

Are you willing to join Tai Ping Gong in launching a campaign against Jiang Su...?

Even Chen Fubi, a hero of a lifetime, was momentarily stunned upon reading these words; he raised his head, as if seeing that young figure reaching out to him, then he laughed, bursting into loud laughter: "Ridiculous!"

"Tell him, Tai Ping Gong is no longer here."

"Qin Wu Hou has his own achievements; Qin Wu Hou has his own path. Do not speak such words again."

"There is only one Tai Ping Gong in this world."

"Just as there is only one Qin Wu Hou in this world."

Yu Langwang's internal Qi erupted, shattering the letter into fragments; he rose and cursed: "Young whelps of this generation, go back to your own duties! Jiang Su won't come—and even if she did, it's none of your business to fight beside me!"

Xiao Wuliang fell silent and said: "Lord, the Young Master is... should you meet him?"

Chen Fubi turned and waved his hand: "Meeting him only brings annoyance. Do not."

"Send them back to their own lines."

Li Guanyi and Chen Wenmian never managed to meet Yu Langwang; Chen Wenmian waited through one sunrise and sunset, then fell silent for a long while, pulled up his spear planted in the ground, mounted his warhorse, turned his steed, and departed with Li Guanyi.

What he did not know was that in the main camp, the aged gray wolf had watched his figure recede until it vanished from this world, never moving.

Chen Wenmian stood outside for a full day and night.

Yu Langwang sat quietly inside, watching him for a day and night.

Qin Wu Hou secretly attempted to ally with Yu Langwang Chen Fubi; he was refused.

Facing Jiang Su requires at least two top generals; with Yu Langwang absent and the Whale Fisher unreachable in the short term, Li Guanyi bore heavy pressure, yet his speech and conduct remained unchanged, steadying the troops' morale.

Meanwhile, in Ying State, both Yu Langwang and Li Guanyi had changed.

Lan Wendu's secret letter, traveling at maximum speed, finally crossed countless checkpoints and appeared on the desk of Chen Dingye, Emperor of Chen, in Jiangzhou City; Chen Dingye, upon seeing the multitude of proofs delivered by Lan Wendu, immediately felt boundless rage rise within him.

"Lu Youxian!"

"I trusted you so deeply—and you betrayed your country? You conspired with Li Guanyi, that traitor, to scheme against Yu Langwang?!"

"Kill! Kill!"

With irrefutable evidence, Chen Dingye's fury surged, nearly overturning his desk; he dashed off an imperial decree in one breath, nearly pressing his seal down, ordering someone to replace Lu Youxian and bring back this veteran general of Chen!

He could not help but be overwhelmed by emotion.

He had already been bearing the terrifying pressure from Jiang Su, the First Divine General—whose name had once sounded fearsome, but Chen Dingye had never truly felt its weight.

Only now, facing Jiang Su in battle, did he understand what "Number One Under Heaven" truly meant.

The immense pressure, as if the front line could collapse at any moment, nearly choked the breath from him.

Supplies, grain, troops, and logistics continued to pour endlessly to the front.

The entire Chen State seemed on the verge of collapse; Chen Dingye had staked all his hope on the Western Front, on the invincible Yu Langwang. The day Yu Langwang fell, Chen Dingye locked himself in his chamber, sinking into profound despair.

From a strategic standpoint, Yu Langwang was Chen's strongest general, its only supreme commander.

Even if he were no longer emperor, he would still protect the Chen dynasty's fate.

On this point, he and Yu Langwang had once stood on the same side.

But Yu Langwang's defeat overturned everything; Chen Dingye knew Chen had lost all hope of dominating the realm, and now, amid chaos, it was merely waiting for death. During that time, Chen Dingye sank into agonizing torment and bitter hatred for the past.

Why did we strike against Tai Ping Gong?

Why did we ever believe Ying State's alliance?

Why, why...

Past events—the shattered generals, the broken legions—now gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes. No one knew what things might have been had he never moved against Tai Ping Gong, or against Yue Pengwu and others.

Yet precisely because of this, the path not taken seemed endlessly beautiful in imagination.

The more painful the present struggle,

the more beautiful and illusory the unchosen path appeared—and in this agony, Lan Wendu's secret letter returned; in Chen Dingye's eyes, this defeat and humiliation were no longer merely the consequence of his own choices.

His pain, his fury, his helplessness before reality—

now had a new outlet.

The hatred he had never even recognized in himself instantly shifted, transforming into murderous intent toward Lu Youxian, the traitor: It was you—if not for you, Yu Langwang would not have suffered such a crushing defeat!

If not for you, Chen still had hope for the realm!

If not for you letting Li Guanyi escape three years ago!

Would this have happened now?!

You—

Chen Dingye poured all his rage, madness, fury, and murderous intent into this imperial decree; emperors of Chen were all skilled in calligraphy and painting, and this decree of Chen Dingye, written in wild cursive with ink splashed wildly, was a supreme masterpiece.

Had he not been emperor, this wild cursive could have ranked among the top ten in all history.

But he was emperor.

This was proof of his fury.

Chen Dingye lifted his seal, soaked in crimson ink, paused, then set it down; his face returned to its cold, calm expression, as if the powerless, raging Chen Dingye had been purged along with the ink.

"... How absurd."

"If this decree survives into posterity, people will mock it."

Chen Dingye sighed, took the decree ordering Lu Youxian's arrest and detention, pressed one end against the eternal lamp, and the flame of whale oil ignited the paper; the splashed wild cursive burned to ash.

"Lu Youxian, will you betray me?"

"Or is it Lan Wendu?"

Chen Dingye thought calmly, yet wrote a second letter with perfect composure.

Chen Dingye did not know what had gone wrong on the front, but he knew—

Lu Youxian may not have betrayed Chen.

But replacing a general mid-battle guarantees the loss of the frontier!

His choice is already clear.

Chen Dingye's second imperial edict was completed in one swift breath; he stamped the seal, swiftly put it away, and ordered it sent via a beast-borne flying eagle. Then, he brought forth the evidence Lan Wendu had provided—proof that Ye Buyi, Zhou Liu's camp, and others had defected to Qin Wu Hou of Anxi.

He summoned veteran generals Ye Chongdao and Zhou Xianping to the palace for a banquet.

These two were commanders of the Night Galloping Cavalry and the Zhou family's Hook-and-Sickle Legion; upon seeing the evidence, their faces turned ashen, sweat beading on their brows. Despite his grave wounds, Ye Chongdao rose to beg pardon and volunteered to personally lead the campaign against his son.

Chen Dingye stopped them.

"What has your sons' affairs to do with you?"

"This secret letter reached me alone. After me, only you have seen it."

Chen Dingye's face took on an unnatural pallor; his black hair had turned streaked with gray. A malevolent aura and the aura of kingship converged upon him like two lone dragons, devouring his vitality and Qi to exchange for immense power.

Chen Dingye took the letter and cast it into the spring-heating brazier.

Before the eyes of Ye Chongdao and Zhou Xianping, the secret letters burned to ash.

Chen Dingye said: "Your children naturally make their own choices—but I have never doubted you. The realm is vast; I rely on you all." He rose and left. Spring chill bit the air, fine snow fell, and the palace lay shrouded in endless white.

Chen Dingye watched the falling snow in silence, then murmured:

"Brother, you are unleashing your divine might in the Western Regions—you seek one final, glorious battle on the battlefield before your end… At this moment, facing the Divine General, how much chance do you truly have?"

"The head of Yu Langwang… the same Yu Langwang who once blocked Jiang Su, the Divine General… even without mentioning your plan to attack Xiyicheng of Ying, your very life is a temptation of immense weight to the Divine General."

"In his eyes, no greater achievement exists than killing you and Tai Ping Gong."

"The Divine General's pride demands he strike you—and you will surely die beneath his spear."

"If Tai Ping Gong were still alive, it would be better."

"Alas, Tai Ping Gong is gone."

"But there is nothing to regret…"

Chen Dingye extended his hand, catching snowflake after snowflake. His eyes held a faint indifference and desolation. His gaze fell upon a coldly beautiful woman approaching—Xue Shuangtao, the eldest daughter of the Xue family, whom he had enfeoffed as a Princess, come to visit Consort Xue and the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince, barely over two, was being mischievous.

Xue Shuangtao bowed slightly, then slowly departed, unafraid.

Chen Dingye lowered his eyes; his gaze was clouded—but this time, the venomous fangs of the serpent did not emerge, for behind Xue Shuangtao walked another beautiful woman, clad in plain white robes, holding a long sword, her temples pure white, her gaze straight ahead.

Chen Qingyan.

The cold schemes brewing in Chen Dingye's heart halted. In the end, they dissolved into a sigh. As Chen Qingyan passed him, Chen Dingye said: "Sister, your little courtyard—the plum blossoms have bloomed this spring."

"You might as well come see them."

Chen Qingyan did not turn back, only replied coolly: "The courtyard is empty."

"Burn it."

"There is nothing left to see."

She did not look at Chen Dingye, but hurried after Xue Shuangtao.

Finally, the imperial palace lay buried in snow. The guards and maids dared not disturb the Emperor; they circled far away, heads bowed, hands clasped, walking swiftly. Only Chen Dingye stood alone, hands clasped behind his back, amidst the swirling snow, gazing at the white expanse covering the world. He laughed softly, murmuring:

"What a great snow."

………

That day, Lu Youxian had already learned the general situation within the city.

He had at least pinpointed Lan Wendu's condition—he knew Lan Wendu was certainly the traitor within. Lu Youxian gripped his sword, drew it, and stared at his own reflection in the blade—his gaze sharp as frost.

"Lan Wendu will frame me."

"At this moment of peril, if he convinces His Majesty to change commanders, our Great Chen is doomed—"

"Rather than be forced into a fate like Yue Pengwu's."

"We must cut through the predicament with our swords!"

"Death is death either way—how can we die at the hands of scheming villains?"

A cold, lethal gleam flashed in Lu Youxian's eyes.

At that moment, Lan Wendu sat alone drinking, gathering his allies, cursing Lu Youxian as a stubborn, foolish fool. "Without my strategies," he sneered, "how could I have earned such fame across the realm? How dare he give me orders?"

All around him, those who had received his bribes, and who were in this secluded chamber, nodded in agreement, murmuring approval. As they drank merrily, sudden chaos erupted. Dazed, they saw a group of men storming up the stairs.

All wore armor, armed with crossbows and armor-piercing hammers.

They advanced without a word—two arrows flew. The two scholars beside Lan Wendu groaned and collapsed backward. Lan Wendu snapped awake, a chill crawling up his spine. Footsteps pounded—Lu Youxian strode forward.

Dressed in black-scaled armor, his expression cold, both hands gripping a hammer.

Lu Youxian roared at once:

"Lan Wendu, traitor to the state, betrayed military secrets! By military law, he shall be executed!"

"Kill him!"

Lan Wendu erupted: "Lu Youxian, explain yourself—when did I ever—"

He tried to shout, but the stench of blood filled the air; for some reason, his voice lost its force. His heart pounded wildly—he was furious—

He was the loyal subject! Lu Youxian was the traitor!

Yet at that moment, his mind cleared.

What if… I am the traitor?

And why… did I end up here?

His thoughts shifted rapidly. He had once been a hero of his age. Suddenly, memories returned—every change began the moment he met the man named Wen Qingyu. Now, facing death, all past events sharpened into clarity: that smile, that calmness.

Life and death shattered the lure of profit.

Lan Wendu's reason returned. He now viewed his interactions with Wen Qingyu from an outsider's perspective—and felt a chill. At that moment, he understood Wen Qingyu's terror.

He was not inept at scheming for himself!

He was, almost without doubt, the greatest schemer for self-preservation in the world.

Wen Qingyu, Wen Qingyu… no, no, he is not Wen Qingyu.

He is the Ninth Son of the Imperial Academy, the most elusive and inscrutable master of self-deception.

Wen Qingyu, how dare you deceive me like this!

I treated you as a brother, yet you…!!!

Did you from the very start see me as a disposable pawn? Is the only difference between early death and late death, and how one dies, and by whose hand?

Lan Wendu cried out: "No, stop! I didn't!"

Lu Youxian ignored him, stepped forward, and brought his golden mace down in one blow, shattering Lan Wendu's skull, sending him crashing to the ground, blood and brain matter mingling. Lu Youxian's face was blank as he swung the iron mace, reducing Lan Wendu to a pulp.

Lu Youxian spat into the pile of pulp, sneering:

"Tai Ping Gong's death came from men like you spreading gossip."

"The nation's peril comes from greedy men like you!"

"Deserving death!"

Lu Youxian took Tai Ping Gong and Yue Pengwu as precedents.

He was a steady strategist, in character and in warfare alike.

So he struck first, hammering to death all of Lan Wendu's loyalists.

Then he told the others: "Today's deed is mine alone. When Your Majesty later judges the crime, do not conceal anything—lay all blame upon me. Your ranks are beneath mine; you were coerced, and powerless to resist."

The other officers and generals all bowed their hands, saying they dared not.

But on the third day,

Lu Youxian, having prepared himself mentally, received a secret letter from Chen Dingye—

He fell silent for a long while, stabilized affairs within the city, issued all subsequent military orders, then returned to his quiet chamber and unfolded the letter.

He had already decided to stubbornly reply to Your Majesty with: "A general abroad is not bound by the sovereign's orders." But when he opened the letter, he froze slightly.

Inside the secret letter were all of Lan Wendu's letters, unchanged word for word, and with them, a short sword. He drew it from its scabbard—the blade still gleamed fiercely.

There were appointment edicts and imperial decrees.

Chen Dingye promoted Lu Youxian by one rank and added three hundred households to his fief.

Regarding Lan Wendu, Chen Dingye's reply consisted of only four characters.

【You shall take it yourself!】

Lu Youxian was shaken. He stared at the letters—his own handwriting, his own aura, even the seal was flawless. Together, they made even him doubt whether he himself was the traitor.

Yet the Chen Emperor, long believed by all under heaven to possess only treacherous cunning and no grand, righteous ambition, had issued a verdict like a blade, shattering the entire scheme of deceit and division.

Lu Youxian rose, cradling the short sword in both hands, his expression calm, and said:

"Yes."

"Your servant accepts Your Majesty's command!"

……………………

Li Guanyi and Chen Wenmian returned; they had not gained Yu Langwang's aid.

Yet unexpectedly, Lu Youxian came personally, bringing a gift—a box. Li Guanyi opened it, his eyes narrowing; Wen He, Master Yan Daiqing, and Po Jun all felt shifts within.

For inside the box was a head, smashed beyond recognition.

Pickled in lime, it looked even worse.

Li Guanyi asked: "General Lu, who is this man?"

Lu Youxian said blankly: "He was my deputy general, Lan Wendu. He sowed discord between Qin Wu Hou and our state. I have crushed him to death and sent his head as an apology to Your Lordship."

Back and forth, like a game of weiqi—generals and strategists locked in silent combat.

Li Guanyi replied: "Good killing."

Lu Youxian added:

"Aside from this matter, I have come with a second purpose."

Li Guanyi closed the box and pushed it aside, saying:

"General Lu, speak."

Lu Youxian straightened, his expression solemn: "My state wishes to form an alliance with Qin Wu Hou."

"To jointly strike Jiang Su!"

Po Jun and Li Guanyi were both startled.

After Yu Langwang had refused alliance,

the Chen state, which held the deepest grudge and hatred toward Li Guanyi, now came seeking deeper alliance to attack Jiang Su. In this chaotic age, alliances shifted beyond judgment.

Li Guanyi even felt that when he thought the situation could not grow any more taut,

the great heroes and enemies of the world would tell him:

No, it can grow even tighter.

Like now—

A single move, deadly and overlooked, had fallen. Li Guanyi lowered his gaze and looked at Lu Youxian: "We have received your alliance proposal, but whether we shall form an alliance requires our consideration."

Lu Youxian fell silent, then said: "Your Lordship and Crown Prince, you may take your time. But the tide of the world surges swiftly; opportunities vanish in an instant. Jiang Su is terrifying. My sovereign has but one message for you both."

He raised his head, looking at the young Qin Wu Hou, at the prince in white robes.

Lu Youxian was momentarily dazed.

This chaotic age is truly absurd. The once-young general had thought—these two young men should have been the defenders of Chen's frontier, the Chen state's most outstanding heir.

Now they stood on opposing sides.

Li Guanyi said: "What does Chen Dingye have to say? Speak."

Lu Youxian whispered:

"My Emperor shall personally tear open the curtain of chaos."

"This alliance is no longer the old balance of power, nor mere maneuvering among factions—indeed, you two have no choice but to agree. To strike against the Ying state, this fleeting opportunity—if you do not wish to watch it vanish in an instant, then—"

"You must form an alliance!"

After speaking these words, Lu Youxian departed; his steps were firm and steady. Li Guanyi and Chen Wenmian pondered this notion of "must form an alliance," both doubting it.

Yet the next day, a rumor spread across the land.

Not only Li Guanyi and Chen Wenmian, but even Jiang Su, Jiang Wanxiang, and Chen Fubi, while on campaign, heard this news—a revelation capable of reversing the entire war's tide—

On the northern battlefield, Chen's morale surged, having already suppressed the Ying state!

Soldiers fought fiercely; generals forgot themselves.

With unmatched ferocity, they pushed the front line forward a hundred li.

All because of one thing.

A change of commander.

This time, the commander's banner atop the central army fluttered, embroidered with golden patterns, radiating a majestic, domineering aura that continuously lifted Chen's entire front-line morale to an unimaginable height.

Emperor Chen Dingye—personally led the campaign!

Chen's troops were brimming with spirit; on the blazing battlefield, Chen Dingye wore the treasured armor of Duke Chen Baxian, wielding a long spear, mounted on a Fire-Treading Lion Horse, his gaze like fire—calm—as he gazed upon the snow-laden battlefield of Saibei.

His eyes were indifferent, lonely, serene, resolute.

Yu Langwang, Chen Fubi, the famed general of the realm, the hero of the age—for the Divine General Jiang Su, he was the ultimate prize, the supreme military achievement.

Because Yu Langwang had once allied with Tai Ping Gong to block Jiang Su's advance, even without strategic value, even if Chen Fubi had no intention of breaching Ying's borders, Yu Langwang alone would draw Jiang Su to personally pursue him.

To let Yu Langwang successfully breach Xiyicheng and seize Ying's frontier, Jiang Su must be restrained; and to divert the gaze of the realm's foremost divine general, Jiang Su, away from Yu Langwang—eliminating the greater threat—there was only one way:

A battlefield of greater value than Yu Langwang, Chen Fubi!

Emperor Chen Dingye's personal campaign—if not personally stopped, Ying might lose its frontier entirely under Chen's soaring morale. Is this not a threat? And is not this body, this life, itself a military achievement?

A faint smile curled on Chen Dingye's lips; he carried an icy, detached aura. The ruthless man raised his spear, pointing forward, as snowflakes fell from the sky. Chen Fubi murmured, "What a great snow!"

"Truly a fitting time to die."

"Whose hand shall take this great head?!"

"The chance to kill a nation's emperor—Jiang Su, will you refuse this achievement?"

Chen Dingye raised his voice, proclaiming loudly:

"Chen's soldiers, today, I stand with you."

"Great Chen—ten thousand autumns, ten thousand ages!"

"Chen's soldiers—ten thousand autumns, ten thousand ages!"

In response came a thunderous roar from the troops:

"Your Majesty shall triumph!"

Chen Dingye pointed his spear forward: "Deploy the formation!"

The army unfolded in layer upon layer; the northern winds' snow battered his face. Chen Dingye gripped the spear's tip, spurred his warhorse forward, exposing himself to grave danger.

Banners flared fiercely—I am the bait, drawing the torrent of the realm's fate.

"Chen Fubi…"

Chen Dingye rode across the battlefield, murmuring softly:

"I owe you nothing now!"

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