Chapter 552: Human Hearts, Generals and Ministers, the Emperor, the Torrent

Xue Peijun's breathing grew ragged as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes—the Emperor's favored minister, Minister of Light and Grace Guo Yanjun, had died just like that, his throat torn open, blood spilling onto the ground, a horrifying sight.

She looked at the divine general before her.

"This, this is…"

Yuwen Lie spoke concisely, his voice cold:

"You are Xue Daoyong's daughter. Jiang Yuan does not trust you."

"And by extension, Qin Yulong will be implicated."

Xue Peijun's emotions churned within her. By nature free and easy, she had been able to travel the jianghu and befriend Qin Yulong; the two had fallen for each other and married without telling Xue Daoyong.

She had harbored hidden worries before.

Worried whether her own background and origins might have some effect on Qin Yulong.

But those worries, until now, had never been so direct as this moment, leaving Xue Peijun's face somewhat dazed. Yuwen Lie swept a glance over the Qin family residence and said: "Pack your things."

Xue Peijun did not react for a moment.

She bit her lip, knowing that her husband was not actually on the same side as Yuwen Lie. She knew of the conflicts between Yuwen Lie and the Xue family, and between Yuwen Lie and Li Guanyi, and harbored her own wariness. She only demurred: "Just a treacherous minister—why worry so?"

Yuwen Lie said: "There is no treacherous minister."

Xue Peijun froze.

This handsome, cold-eyed divine general said flatly: "The inferiors follow the superior's example. So-called wicked favorites are nothing more than those who guess at the ruler's intent. If Jiang Yuan's heart had not shifted, Guo Yanjun would never have come here."

"The one truly rotten is Jiang Yuan."

"Everyone who died today was merely his hand."

Xue Peijun's heart trembled, a resolve quietly forming within. At a time like this, beset by upheaval and danger, with the situation shifting, it was hard to make any judgment—but she was, after all, Xue Daoyong's daughter. In just a few breaths, she said: "…Then I shall trouble you, General."

Yuwen Lie nodded: "Pick out your family members, pack your belongings."

"I'll be back shortly."

The divine general Yuwen Lie, dressed in nothing but a scholar's elegant white robe, Gripping Weight as he walked out of Qin Fu. Outside there were still the men Guo Yanjun had brought, all of them stunned dumb. Yuwen Lie saw that on either side of Qin Yulong's residence's main gate stood a battle-halberd, bestowed in years past by Jiang Wanxiang as a mark of martial merit.

The heavy spear in his hand moved, and the halberds planted on either side of the gate trembled and shrieked without cease, soaring into the air. A fist slammed into the halberds' tail ends.

The halberds shrieked like dragons and bored straight through.

Spinning out along the road ahead.

The killing intent they carried slaughtered every last one of the men Guo Yanjun had brought, blood spilling onto the ground. Yuwen Le swung himself onto his horse, gripped his heavy spear, and rode hard all the way to the Guo household. His expression was cold as he galloped straight into Guo Yanjun's residence.

The long spear swept left and right, cutting down the entire Guo Yanjun household.

Then he came out, a fierce fire still burning in his chest, unspent.

His brow cold and aloof, he gave the reins a sudden tug and rode at full gallop through the imperial city, heading straight for the palace gates. The commotion was simply too great—everyone inside the palace could sense it.

The Imperial Guard blocked the imperial way ahead, and truly saw Yuwen Lie coming with spear in hand.

The Imperial Guard general's heart shook with terror, yet he kept his expression in check and bellowed: "Why does General Yuwen bear arms and come to this place?!"

Yuwen Lie did not answer.

The Imperial Guard general's terror grew heavier and heavier.

He could only grip his weapon tight and roar: "Form up!"

The Imperial Guard formed ranks, trying to stop Yuwen Lie. Yuwen Lie's right hand gripped the heavy spear; the long spear hissed and roared in the wind, then Yan Xuanji raised it, gathering force, and smashed it down toward the front with a thunderous crash.

Clang—a sharp, clear ring of metal.

A horse-halberd swept out sideways and intercepted Yuwen Lie's spear head-on. Yuwen Lie shot a sideways glance and saw He Ruo Qinhu in full robes, gripping his weapon to block the strike. He Ruo Qinhu's eyes seemed about to split from fury, looking at him as one does at a hopeless case, and raged:

"Yuwen Lie, what are you doing?!"

Both hands gripping his weapon, he pressed the heavy spear back toward Yuwen Lie and hissed in a low, urgent voice: "Riding armed into the forbidden grounds—Yuwen Lie, are you trying to rebel?!"

Yuwen Lie said: "Only come to seek some justice."

He Ruo Qinhu said: "What justice!"

Yuwen Lie said coldly: "Even if His Majesty's lust runs deep, ancient lords of men had three palaces and six courts—he has a full sixteen courtyards of beauties, still not enough for him, and now he has set his sights on Qin Yulong's wife."

He Ruo Qinhu felt a nameless fury rise within him.

He could barely keep hold of his weapon, wanting nothing more than to turn around and charge in alongside Yuwen Lie—but his position, his connections, all dictated he could not act rashly. He said: "This matter—there may be something fishy here. How can you take to sword and spear like this?!"

"Yuwen Lie, put away your weapon. I will go with you to face His Majesty."

Yuwen Lie did not sheathe his weapon.

He Ruo Qinhu saw the situation slipping beyond control and said:

"Duke Jingwu, Divine Might General—do you not understand how to endure for the greater good?!"

Yuwen Lie said coldly: "The Divine Might General can endure."

"Yuwen Lie cannot."

The Bai Hu roared fiercely, and with a surge of brute strength, it forced He Ruo Qinhu's weapon aside. Yuwen Lie was over forty; in terms of foundation realm, he might be roughly equal to He Ruo Qinhu, but that surging tide of qi and blood, the fearsome physique of Bai Hu Da Zong, surpassed the aging He Ruo Qinhu.

Yet another voice shouted: "Does General Yuwen no longer care for the Yuwen clan?!"

"General Yuwen—will you ruin the late Emperor's realm?!"

Yuwen Lie's movement halted.

It was Wei Yiwen who had arrived. Though this Prime Minister had clashed with Emperor Jiang Yuan time and again, at this moment he stood without hesitation on the side of imperial authority. Yuwen Lie looked coldly at the other famed generals and ministers who had gathered here.

All of them blocking his path.

Yuwen Lie's force cracked a fissure in the palace gates, but these ministers and generals stood before him. Yuwen Lie suddenly understood—his spear's point could not pierce through this opponent.

His opponent this time was not merely that Emperor Jiang Yuan, who had pretended for three years after ascending the throne before giving himself over to indulgence.

It was the dynasty of Great Ying itself, these civil and military officials, this loyalty unto death.

It was the way of ruler and minister that had endured for thousands of years.

The so-called Emperor was merely the figurehead presented to the outside by this tangled web of countless interests.

Wei Yiwen's palm clamped down on Yuwen Lie's long spear, lowering his voice: "... The Grand Tutor is still out on campaign. If the Grand Tutor returns, Qin Huang Li Guanyi will drive straight in—what then?"

"Have you forgotten the late Emperor's grace in recognizing your worth?"

Yuwen Lie's heavy spear slowly drooped down.

He realized that the opponent he faced could not be broken by mere personal valor. This cold, clear-eyed divine general swept his gaze over the worried Wei Yiwen before him, and the seasoned He Ruo Qinhu, and only said coldly: "You gentlemen have arrived rather quickly."

"When Qin Yulong's wife met with trouble earlier, why were you late?"

All were left without words to answer.

Yuwen Lie set his heavy spear on the hook at his mount's side, then suddenly seized a war-bow at his hip, drew an arrow with a flick, clamped his legs around the horse's back. The warhorse let out a long neigh and reared up on its hind legs. Yuwen Lie stood atop the warhorse, drew the bow full, the arrow locked onto what lay ahead, amid a sudden panic.

The arrow, like a streak of flowing light, bored its way through the space before the crowd.

Under the influence of the nation's fortune, the arrow's might was diminished, but it still savagely punched through the pavilion ahead, the gardens. Jiang Yuan, hearing the commotion outside from Yuwen Lie, was vexed at heart, only amusing himself with his beauties, with eunuchs attending at his side.

"Yuwen Lie—tsk, this servant would say, a divine general like General Yuwen, born of a great clan, simply will not submit to discipline—who doesn't know that? This awe-inspiring great general only serves His Highness the Prince of Zhao; in his eyes, where is Your Majesty at all?"

Jiang Yuan, irritated, only said: "Yuwen Lie is a pillar of the state—how dare you speak of him thus?"

But suddenly his vision blurred. That eunuch screamed as an arrow pinned him straight to the wall, fresh blood flowing. After a moment of stunned blankness, he kept on shrieking. Jiang Yuan sat there in a daze, his hand trembling as he raised it to touch his cheek.

A stinging, burning pain.

He pulled his hand back and looked—blinding fresh blood.

Jiang Yuan sprang up abruptly, face deathly pale, stumbling backward step after step. He stood stunned for a long while, unable to speak, only feeling his chest tight and suffocated, his footing hollow and unsteady; he had to press hard against a nearby table to barely steady himself.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, save me, Your Majesty!"

The screams came.

Jiang Yuan raised his head and saw the little eunuch pinned to the wall, writhing, struggling, howling—but the arrow's energy was fierce and murderous, wave after wave of biting cold qi. He watched the eunuch struggle on the wall, then slowly go still, and die.

His limbs hung down.

Jiang Yuan had been on the battlefield, had killed men himself, but since becoming Emperor, this arrow had grazed past his face, and it still dealt him a tremendous shock and a shadow on his heart. His fists clenched, his teeth ground together, and in his eyes there mingled savagery and fear.

"Yuwen Lie!"

Outside the main gate of the imperial palace, the assembled ministers and officials were terrified. He Ruo Qinhu roared: "Yuwen Lie!"

Yuwen Lie merely lowered his bow, tossed it onto the ground, and said coolly:

"I did not kill him."

"If you want to put on a show, go perform it before the Emperor."

Yuwen Lie turned and left coldly. The horse's hooves struck the road, producing crisp, rhythmic clopping sounds, and he rode straight off into the distance, leaving behind him a crowd whose faces, one after another, were exceedingly ugly.

Yuwen Lie had wiped out the entire Guo clan, charged through the palace gates with spear in hand, then rode back. When he returned to Qin Fu, Xue Peijun had only just finished packing, and came out with the child and some belongings together.

Yuwen Lie had Xue Peijun and the child sit on the horse's back, and personally took up his spear to lead the horse.

He went straight to the Zhao Wang residence and said: "Qin Yulong and I were merely colleagues. If you come to the Yuwen household, there will inevitably be gossip and rumors. Under the Zhao Wang's care, no one will dare speak carelessly."

Zhao Wang Jiang Gao agreed without the slightest hesitation.

He had a courtyard set aside for Xue Peijun and her child to stay in.

He told them he would shelter them with his very life, that they need not worry about anything else, only to live well. After settling Xue Peijun and her child, Jiang Gao pressed his lips together, paced out, and saw Yuwen Lie sitting quietly by a lake, his expression faint and indifferent.

Jiang Gao tidied his appearance, stepped forward, and said:

"Yulong is out fighting for the nation, yet the Emperor has done such a thing—it is truly a grave wrong. I heard it was that Court Physician Guo Yanjun who incited and stirred trouble; that man has already been executed by General Yuwen."

Yuwen Lie gazed at the lake and said: "A treacherous minister? Incitement?"

"Then why did he not leap out to be a traitor in the late Emperor's time?"

Jiang Gao did not know how to answer, and only sighed.

Yuwen Lie said: "A minister is merely the reflection in the sovereign's heart. In the late Emperor's time, Guo Yanjun was a diligent and capable official, granted the title of Court Physician, greatly valued and favored—his brush flowed with brilliance, and handling affairs came especially easily to him."

"The late Emperor passed away; Jiang Yuan ascended the throne."

"How did he become the kind of traitor he is now?"

"There is no such thing as a traitor or a loyal minister. A man like him is merely an ordinary person going with the flow. When the Emperor is capable, he is a loyal and efficient official; when the Emperor is like Jiang Yuan, he becomes a traitor who only knows how to cater to his master's tastes."

Jiang Gao sighed and said: "General Yuwen, these words of yours cannot be spoken carelessly."

Yuwen Lie said: "Before ascending the throne, Jiang Yuan could still endure and put on a front. It has only been a little over two years since his accession, and he has already completely stopped pretending. His deeds have grown increasingly willful and unrestrained."

"How could he possibly be a match for Qin Wang?"

Jiang Gao looked about at other things and spoke of other matters, not responding to Yuwen Lie's words.

Yuwen Lie went straight to the point.

Brief and to the essence, he said: "If you have such an intent, I can help you."

Jiang Gao said: "How could I commit such treasonous, rebellious acts?"

Yuwen Lie gazed at Jiang Gao and said: "What does Your Highness value more—the realm, or your own personal reputation?"

Jiang Gao fell silent, heaved a long sigh, and said: "General Yuwen, you understand military texts, but you must not have read much history. In the annals, those who merely built palaces and did not recklessly reach out to interfere in the great military affairs of the state were often considered mediocre, or even decent, emperors."

"The most fearsome are those who, though within the palace, are obstinate and self-willed."

"Those who insist on personally commanding the battlefield, who must tell soldiers a thousand li away how to fight. Yuan'er's conduct, among the many emperors in the annals, is really nothing remarkable. Besides..."

"If I were to ascend the throne, it would likely be disadvantageous to Great Ying."

Yuwen Lie said: "If you were to ascend the throne, would you summon Jiang Su back?"

Jiang Gao shook his head and answered: "If I were to ascend the throne, naturally I would not recall Grand Tutor Jiang Su. Such a thing, I would still not do."

"But my thinking and my principles are not centered on warfare. I would certainly try to negotiate peace with Li Guanyi, to spare the people from years of war and suffering. Grand Tutor Jiang Su, on the other hand, would certainly be an absolute hawk."

A trace of self-mockery appeared on Jiang Gao's face: "Do you know?"

"Yuwen, the real trouble is not a willful, pleasure-seeking spendthrift emperor in the court; it is a new emperor in the court, rubbing his fists and palms, intending to actually do something."

"When that time comes, there will be two voices in the court and the army."

"One for war, one for peace. What are the officials and soldiers to do? In such a moment of mortal peril for the nation, there can only be one voice. An indulgent emperor like Yuan'er, for the state, is actually the least destructive option."

Yu Wen Lie looked at Jiang Gao's resolve; this former Crown Prince was not unaware of the present situation, but he understood even more clearly the temperament he had already cultivated, and the violent, irreconcilable conflict between himself and Jiang Su.

Now, Jiang Yuan busied himself with building palaces and indulging in wine and women.

For a hegemon-level kingdom of the Central Plains, this was not yet something that would shake the state's foundations, but if at one moment he wished to fight and at the next to make peace, that would be troublesome indeed, for Jiang Su and Li Guanyi were waging war on the front lines.

Li Guanyi noticed that this old fellow had begun rotating his troops.

Jiang Su mobilized soldiers from the rear to replace the armies that had previously clashed with the Fire Qilin Army, rotating them once every three months, so that all of Ying's elite troops would have experience engaging the Son of Heaven and the Fire Qilin Army.

Pojun said: "He's training his troops…"

"Jiang Su is letting Ying's armies grow accustomed to the suppression of our army-soul battle formations."

"He even wants Ying's elite forces to get used to fighting us…"

The violet-eyed strategist pondered; from the actions taken at this moment, one could roughly guess the overall strategy Jiang Su intended to adopt. Li Guanyi looked at the map and said: "I'm afraid the final decisive battle won't be far off…"

"Jiang Su is already making preparations for the decisive battle to come."

Pojun nodded. This young lord and minister pair both understood clearly in their hearts that the aged War God Jiang Su could not compete with the Son of Heaven, who was only twenty-four at present, for the future; he could only stake everything he had on the present.

"We shall begin training our troops as well."

"Also, I heard Jiang Yuan has been causing quite a stir inside Ying's capital."

Pojun said: "Yes, Jiang Yuan's indulgence in wine and women wastes an enormous amount of gold and silver daily, but the foundation Jiang Wanxiang left behind—let alone one Jiang Yuan eating and drinking it up—even if he alone indulged like this for a year, it would not compare to the expenditure of a single great battle."

"It's just that I heard he seems to have cast covetous eyes on General Qin Yulong's wife, and quite an incident has arisen from it."

Li Guanyi's movements paused, and he felt a shock of astonishment:

"At a time of great upheaval across the realm, he lays hands on a great general's wife and children?!"

Pojun said: "Are such things so rare in the annals of history? What Chen Dingye did in his day—was that the only case?" Li Guanyi was silent for a long while, then said: "It would be unkind to General Qin Yulong. Send a letter to Zhenbei City."

"Tell Marshal Yue he need not press the battle line hard; give General Qin Yulong the leisure to deal with this matter."

Pojun looked at Li Guanyi and said: "My lord, after all, he is an enemy general."

Li Guanyi said: "What I seek to break is Ying's realm; how could I use this to coerce, and instead let loyal ministers and good generals see their families humiliated?"

Pojun bowed in salute, and so Li Guanyi wrote to Yue Pengwu to inform him of this matter. Yue Pengwu was likewise a man of upright character, and so did not take advantage of the situation to press the attack. Yu Wen Lie also wrote to Qin Yulong about the matter.

Although both He Ruo Qinhu and Wei Yiwen hoped Yu Wen Lie would suppress this matter, Yu Wen Lie was coldly aloof and merely claimed illness, refusing to see them, giving the two of them a cold reception. After they had waited several hours and left in helplessness,

they heard the sound of Yu Wen Lie playing the qin and softly singing the Battle-Breaking Song.

He Ruo Qinhu was helpless; Wei Yiwen listened to him sing the Battle-Breaking Song and said: "A fine melody."

He Ruo Qinhu said: "His breath is full and strong—a martial general of the Nine Heavens realm, even if he does not command troops, is still a top-tier martial expert under heaven. What illness could trouble him? He simply does not wish to see you or me."

Not only did he refuse to see them, he deliberately let these two Divine Generals and renowned ministers know he did not wish to see them.

This man's arrogance could be seen from a single instance.

If he took a liking to someone, even a beggar, Yu Wen Lie could drink with him; but if he took a dislike, even a renowned general who had shared life and death with him on the battlefield, or a Prime Minister who stood second only to one man above ten thousand, he would treat as garbage.

Wei Yiwen merely said: "General Yuwen is still too aloof and proud."

"Carrying on like this will not end well."

He Ruo Qinhu said coldly: "And to think you and I helped him smooth over the previous matter! Hmph, the brat has no manners!" Yu Wen Lie had previously nearly executed Guo Yanjun's entire clan, and the fallout had been extremely ugly.

He Ruo Qinhu, Wei Yiwen, and other veteran generals and civil officials vouched forcefully for Yu Wen Lie's innocence; Jiang Yuan approved, and even put on a show that it was Guo Yanjun's own doing and had nothing to do with him. Far from blaming Yu Wen Lie, he bestowed even greater rewards upon him.

Yet everyone knew this was merely increasing favor on the surface, while the substance within was thin.

Yu Wen Lie wrote to Qin Yulong about this matter.

Qin Yulong was of jianghu gallant-knight origin, and his fury flared to the heavens. Only because of the matter of the nation could he not abandon the frontier; when clashing with Yue Pengwu, Yue Pengwu showed him Li Guanyi's letter, and Qin Yulong finally set aside his last worry.

If it had been He Ruo Qinhu, or even Grand Preceptor Jiang Su,

who said, "You may go settle your family affairs; we will not launch a sneak attack on you at this time," Qin Yulong would absolutely not have believed it.

But Li Guanyi and Yue Pengwu's pledge, he accepted.

That very night he rode hard for several days, galloping back to the capital, and saw that his wife and children were safe. Only then did Qin Yulong's heart ease. Xue Peijun had previously been calm and brave, appearing very steadfast, but upon seeing Qin Yulong, she could not help but feel heartache and sorrow, tears streaming without cease, and poured out all the grievous matters of these past days.

Qin Yulong felt only a fire rising in his heart, and his disappointment with Ying grew greater and greater.

He was so enraged he wished to take up his spear and storm the palace. He was silent for a long while, then gripped Xue Peijun's hand, as if having made up his mind, and said: "Peijun, let us leave."

Xue Peijun had just coaxed the child to sleep; hearing this she was stunned and said:

"Leave? Go where?!"

"To Jiangnan?"

Qin Yulong silently shook his head, his heart cold and despairing, and said:

"The late Emperor showed me the grace of recognition; I cannot betray him and defect to the Son of Heaven. But that scoundrel Jiang Yuan, treating me thus—I absolutely cannot fight for him! As things stand, you and I can only cast aside the world's turmoil and great affairs."

"Let us find some place with clear mountains and pretty waters, and ride free through the jianghu."

"Or perhaps…"

Qin Yulong fell silent; he gripped Jiang Wanxiang's sword and said:

"Prince Zhao, set things right, and ascend to the throne of the Son of Heaven!"

At this time, it was already the fifth month of the third year of the Daye era. Jiang Yuan, long accustomed to life within the imperial palace, had finally grown restless; even though the master craftsmen were skilled at carving the wonders of the world, their work could be called peerless,

no matter how fine the scenery, after seeing it too much, one would grow weary and bored.

Therefore, an edict was issued: "By hearing the songs of the roads and consulting with the common folk, one can discern the merits and faults of laws and governance; now I shall tour the four quarters and observe the customs of each region."

Ying's great Emperor, Your Majesty, wished to tour the four quarters of the realm, following the ancient precedent of the Son of Heaven's inspection tours. Yet there were two difficulties. One was that traveling by land was truly too exhausting—the jolting of carriages and the fatigue of the journey; the very first Son of Heaven to tour the four quarters had died on the road from such exhaustion.

Then there was only the water route.

Second, the water route was precisely under the control of the Son of Heaven, Li Guanyi.

Jiang Yuan, however, wore a haughty and domineering expression and said: "All the mountains and rivers under heaven are governed by the Son of Heaven; how could there be a thing that human effort cannot overcome by Heaven's principle!"

"The water route is not within our control?"

"Then we shall open a new one!"

"Cut through the Four Waterways, divert them into the sea, and channel every water route under that bandit Emperor's command into our Great Ying!"

Before the Court Physician died, Jiang Yuan and he were as close as brothers, seeing each other every day; but after this Court Physician's death, Jiang Yuan mourned for a few days, and then new ministers arrived.

So he returned to his original temperament and pleasures.

As if Guo Yanjun had never existed.

Vice Minister of the Secretariat Yu Shiji and others memorialized, saying the Son of Heaven was mighty, and Jiang Yuan decreed—

Reopen the water routes.

Build a new Grand Canal!

?? Jiang Yuan's behavior and all his actions are modeled after

? 《Zizhi Tongjian · Sui Annals Four through Sui Annals Six》

? Every absurdity, including the early disguise and later conduct, can be traced to a model (palms pressed together)