Chapter 553: Responding to the Emperor, the Four Quarters Stir

When he learned of the Emperor's command, Wei Yiwen's eyes lowered, and the old Prime Minister fell silent; he wished to restrain the Emperor, but although this Emperor acted on every whim, he still held sovereign authority and his great name here.

Now, on the front lines, Grand Tutor Jiang Su faced Qin Huang Li Guanyi in a standoff, the great war yet unended.

Although both sides had never truly erupted into violent conflict, small clashes had never ceased.

The two sides were like martial arts masters, constantly probing one another.

Once the other side revealed a fatal strike, an absolute kill would erupt; in other words, that true war that would bring peace to the realm would not be too far off—Wei Yiwen had anticipated this situation.

Originally, the various states could maintain their balance for so long precisely because of mutual checks and balances, because of the arts of vertical and horizontal alliances; now, with only two nations left in the realm, both possessed reasons they could not avoid war.

Qin Huang Li Guanyi was in the prime of his years and strength; as a monarch, his only problem was that he had yet to produce an heir.

Apart from that, he could almost be compared to those wise and brilliant monarchs of the historical records, while the pillar of the Great Ying Kingdom, Grand Tutor Jiang Su, had already grown old; for Qin Huang, after unifying the realm and putting his ambitions into practice, this was naturally the wish in his heart.

But for Jiang Su, he could no longer afford to delay.

After Jiang Wanxiang passed away, the two-nation standoff that ensued was inherently an extremely unstable state; counting from the moment Jiang Wanxiang died, whether one year or several, at most no more than ten years, the realm would surely be unified.

It was merely that Jiang Su's method of cycling troops through low-cost training on the front lines had given Jiang Yuan an illusion, making this young Emperor feel that the consumption of the great war on the front lines was, in fact, not that significant for this vast realm.

"Foolish, utterly foolish!"

"Beyond foolishness!"

Wei Yiwen's hand clenched into a fist, and he smashed it hatefully onto the table, shaking it so that the cups and dishes clinked lightly; he said: "Detestable—even the incompetent rulers of the previous dynasty could hardly match your methods; does your greed have no end? Jiang Yuan!"

Jiang Wanxiang had already purged the entrenched noble families and factions once.

But perhaps it was precisely because this shrewd old monarch had swept away those old aristocratic factions that, like vines, would inevitably entwine and bind the new era, treating the new monarch as a puppet to suck blood from—

These creatures, who knew not where they came from, who in the past were not even fit to chat and laugh with the noble clans, had all emerged now.

At this moment, Wei Yiwen even felt that His Majesty had perhaps purged those old forces too thoroughly; in the past, these jumping-about, locust-like sycophants could never have passed the noble clans' gate.

"Your Majesty, did you anticipate all of this?"

Wei Yiwen sighed.

He thought that, compared to a monarch thoroughly controlled by the great clans, these sycophants, like weeds and autumn cicadas, without roots or foundation, knowing only flattery, might be simpler to deal with.

Jiang Wanxiang and Wei Yiwen had both personally witnessed the era of the great noble clans; they knew deeply the terror of those deeply-rooted, tangled networks, and even monarchs and the imperial clan had to be controlled by these great clans to a certain extent.

Marriage alliances, in-law connections—the maternal clan power of those outstanding Imperial Princes became their support; the struggle for succession among the Imperial Princes was nothing less than a brutal slaughter between the entire realm, the nation, and the noble clans.

This was what was called "co-ruling the realm."

In that era, the outstanding sons born of concubines in the imperial clan dissolved like water.

For them, eradicating the vast, deeply-rooted forces of the past would inevitably invite new troubles, but it was also something that had to be done; even Wei Yiwen himself at this moment could not bring himself to take these duckweed-like sycophants seriously.

"If His Majesty wishes to play, then let him play."

Wei Yiwen, silently and without a trace, influenced this so-called canal excavation.

He had, of course, agreed to the Emperor's request.

But through decades of experience, he silently and without a trace influenced the progress of the entire matter; to completely finish excavating the canal would take at least twenty years; facing the monarch, he could not use force to compel him.

He could only employ this single strategy of "delay."

He could only hope that the matter concerning Military God Jiang Su would be resolved quickly; meanwhile, he reluctantly shouldered the court's governmental affairs, spending at least half of every month sleeping at his workplace.

Still, with great difficulty, he maintained the operation of this Great Ying Kingdom.

At least there was no sign of collapse.

But somehow, it still reached Jiang Yuan's ears; Jiang Yuan was furious, shook his head, and said: "Old fool, how dare you deceive me for being young, playing such tricks here!"

Pacing back and forth, he then said: "Yet a mere lowly official dares to peddle his petty schemes here—overestimating his own ability!"

In the autumn of the third year of the Great Enterprise, Emperor Ying Jiang Yuan led three thousand cavalry out on an inspection tour of the great canal he had ordered built; because a bridge had not been completed, he personally beheaded the Director of Waters Huang Gen and nine overseers of the labor.

A few days later, the bridge was completed, and he continued on his way.

He proceeded further; the Governor of a certain commandery, Qiu He, presented food that was exquisitely refined and delicious; upon reaching Mayi, the Governor of Mayi, Yang Kuo, was "clean-wind in both sleeves," with no delicacies or beauties to offer.

Jiang Yuan was greatly displeased; he promoted Qiu He and transferred Yang Kuo to a bitter, cold land.

Thus, those presenting gifts along the way became especially numerous.

The many ministers knew that if they went through the motions without real effort in these matters, when the Emperor's blade fell, it would be no problem to cut them down in one stroke, and even their entire clan of nine relations would be in danger.

Yet if they served His Majesty well, there was even promotion to be had.

It was merely a simple outing, yet Wei Yiwen's preparations had already been easily affected; for the many ministers, they only needed to carry out His Majesty's commands, which was never a difficult thing to do in the first place.

If they slowed the progress, they would even face danger to their lives.

Even though everyone knew that such matters were solely for the Emperor's luxurious enjoyment, and going along with the Emperor's wishes would likely be of no benefit to the realm, few would use their own lives to remonstrate.

For that meager monthly salary, why bother!

Death is terrifying.

But rewards, promotion, and the continuation of wealth and honor were so enticing.

Thus, all the ministers and officials vied with zealous bravery.

Wei Yiwen's methods were casually broken by Jiang Yuan; the old Prime Minister was silent for a long time, then sighed toward the heavens, knowing that Jiang Yuan was not the kind of person lacking in intellect, but that his heart and mind were entirely not set upon the nation.

They were all spent on suppressing and controlling the officials.

It was not that Wei Yiwen was no match for this monarch; it was simply that in the realm, he, Wei Yiwen, was ultimately in the lower position; for one in a subordinate place to influence and control one above required a degree of heart and means that could not be compared.

On this day, Qin Yulong resolved to take Xue Peijun and their child far away from Ying Kingdom at this moment.

He was already disheartened.

But Qin Yulong had been away from the border garrison for too long, and was eventually discovered; someone wrote a letter reporting it to the court, and Jiang Yuan was furious, issuing an imperial edict to have Qin Yulong and his wife escorted to court; at this point, Qin Yulong realized that within the border army, there were likely many of Jiang Yuan's eyes and ears.

He Ruo Qinhu, Wei Yiwen, and others vouched strongly for Qin Yulong.

Jiang Yuan's anger grew heavier; he hurled the jade object in his hand onto the court floor and raged: "As a great general of the border, he yet abandoned his post without leave, leaving the great army behind at the border—what is Qin Yulong trying to do?!"

"Is he trying to hand over my Great Ying Kingdom's entire border to Li Guanyi?!"

"Or perhaps, along with it, hand over all those fierce soldiers and armies as well?!"

Wei Yiwen was silent for a long time.

This old fox, who had been scrambling through officialdom his whole life, could hardly hold back from cursing—do you truly not know why Qin Yulong returned?!

Even so, in his heart he still harbored a grudge against Qin Yulong, feeling that for the sake of a mere woman, Qin Yulong had done something so absurd—it had gone too far.

But he also knew just how heavy the weight of a famed general at the Eighth Heaven, one who could almost certainly defeat every other general of that realm, truly was in a situation like this.

He did not approve of Qin Yulong's actions or his choice.

A mere woman—at worst, marry her off to a princess as compensation.

But he valued Qin Yulong's weight, and said: "General Qin Yulong had his reasons; moreover, the General's stratagems were brilliant, no war broke out at the border, and the affairs of the state were not lost."

"I beg Your Majesty, considering General Qin Yulong's campaigns for the nation and his toils and merits, to mete out only a light punishment."

Jiang Yuan said: "How can the great affairs of the state be erased by the mere word 'merit'!"

"Every powerful minister of past dynasties who was beheaded had once rendered merit to the state and the altars of soil and grain—well, did they not deserve to die?"

"Can past merit and present consequence truly cancel each other out?!"

"Your ranks and wealth were all bestowed by the state; serving the nation with loyalty is the natural duty you ought to fulfill. Yet such a grave offense is defiance of sovereign and father. Prime Minister, to offset the crime of great disrespect with what ought to have been done—is that fitting?"

Wei Yiwen knew this was Jiang Yuan taking a swing at him.

The aged Prime Minister fell silent, as if struggling over whether to protect Qin Yulong.

Jiang Yuan suddenly said: "How old is the Prime Minister now?"

Wei Yiwen said: "Eighty-six already."

Emperor Ying Jiang Yuan said with deep feeling: "The Prime Minister has lived eighty-six years, toiling for our Great Ying for a full sixty years, toils and merits alike—his posthumous title could be Wenzheng."

Wei Yiwen opened his mouth, then fell silent.

He was already white-haired, not one of those rare Wudao Sect masters of whom only one appears among countless men; his lifespan was not that long. He did not covet beauty, did not indulge in pleasures, did not crave food and drink, did not love the sound of strings and pipes.

But this name—

For the twenty-something Wei Yiwen of those days, full of high spirits, his breast surging with hot blood, able to stand against Shantai Xianming and laugh, cursing him as crude and radical, unfit for the orthodox Great Dao!

The him of those days would not have cared for such renown, would only have done what was right.

But he was old now, far too old.

The high spirits of his youth had vanished; the hot blood in his breast had gradually cooled. What his old eyes saw now was only the passing of one old acquaintance after another, one colleague after another dying in disgrace.

He saw the Red Emperor, the Great Khan King; he saw Chen Dingye, the Divine Martial King; even the towering Jiang Wanxiang—all departed one by one. The more so, the more he felt a kind of fear, even a sense of emptiness.

For this old man who had read books his whole life, the single character "name" held too great a temptation.

Especially since he did not even know whether he would live to see the year of ultimate peace under heaven. Perhaps before Jiang Su and Qin Huang decided victory and defeat, he himself would already be dead. And so, this single character "name"…

Wenzheng.

The highest posthumous title for a civil official.

Wei Yiwen fell silent. Jiang Yuan's eyes lowered slightly; with a casual wave of his hand he had the eunuch beside him read out the imperial edict—promoting the former Crown Princess's Ping Consort to Empress, while that Side Consort bore the compound surname He Ruo.

She was the daughter of He Ruo Qinhu.

Wei Yiwen was silent, looking toward the old general over there, eyes closed, his body laden with merit. The old general kept his eyes shut, as if he could not see the radiant splendor and bright grandeur of the palace.

Wei Yiwen suddenly recalled that the Empress was pregnant.

They were all people who had long navigated officialdom—in an instant, they understood everything.

You too have been won over, He Ruo…

Was this why He Ruo Qinhu stood ever more firmly by Your Majesty's side? Empress, imperial in-laws—if the Empress bore a son, the future Emperor would be He Ruo Qinhu's grandson.

And so, a new great clan and aristocratic house was about to be born.

Wei Yiwen suddenly felt a great tearing sensation; he felt an intense shame rising from the depths of his heart, a shame that made him dizzy, that made him want to stride forward and halt everything about to happen.

Yet for some reason, he could not take that step.

And so it was—in this struggle between self and self—that today's court session ended. Your Majesty dispatched a great force to go out and seize Qin Yulong. He might not kill this famed general, but he would absolutely keep him under his own control.

Wei Yiwen slowly walked out.

He looked at the world and the court outside, his expression dazed. He Ruo Qinhu over there was the same. They stood here, watching the great hall, watching the officials in crimson and purple robes lined up like ants upon the earth, walking off into the distance.

Right beneath their feet.

Wei Yiwen was dazed and wordless. With the bearing of an old man, he watched himself clearly walk to this point, make his choice, struggle a hundred times while choosing, and then, once the choice was made, grow calm.

Even subconsciously calculating in his heart—

Qin Huang and Grand Preceptor Jiang Su may not necessarily decide victory and defeat. If the Grand Preceptor wins, Great Ying is stable, and he would surely obtain such a great name. But if the Grand Preceptor loses, then whether or not he had followed the late Emperor Jiang Wanxiang's command, the outcome would not differ much.

How to choose—this was not a difficult decision.

But if he wished, in the case of the Grand Preceptor's victory, to preserve himself, there was still one more thing to do…

Ensure that Emperor Ying Jiang Yuan would not be deposed.

Their stances aligned. He looked at He Ruo Qinhu over there; neither could say anything. Human beings are complex in temperament; they do not remain unchanged forever. Indeed, under the dual influence of such grave danger and such fierce temptation, they would undergo drastic change.

So long as one still sought fame, pursued profit, or even merely longed to shelter one's children.

The essence of aristocratic houses and great clans would never disappear.

It was not a specific enemy that, once slain, would never revive.

Wei Yiwen, who once wielded a silken pen with eloquence, could not utter a single word today.

He only felt that the power of the great clans and aristocratic houses that the late Emperor had, over the past few years, labored day and night to erase had, in these three years, come back to life upon himself and He Ruo Qinhu.

Back then they had clearly exhausted their minds, killed until blood flowed like rivers.

Yet three years was enough for it to reappear.

It was just like the parasitic vines rooted in this court.

They could not be killed out, could not be exterminated, could not be rooted out!

Wei Yiwen instinctively gave himself a reason for his choice—even if Jiang Gao ascended the throne, new great clans would arise; even under Li Guanyi's banner, clans would appear. This was something almost impossible to avoid.

So his actions were merely natural.

After a long while, He Ruo Qinhu said, "Today's wind is cool."

Wei Yiwen forced a smile. "Yes."

Neither of them had any inclination for idle chat; their inner complexities could not be spoken to others, for they had originally been heroes sent by Jiang Wanshang to sweep away those old, stubborn things.

But now, these very things were reviving from within them.

Guilt? Or resentment? Or perhaps, silently convincing themselves with every possible excuse.

So they did not wish to speak.

Wei Yiwen suddenly smiled and said, "Heh, even in this situation, General Yuwen still hasn't come—though Your Majesty has already summoned him…"

He Ruo Qinhu nodded.

Wei Yiwen looked at the sky, this time with a complex expression, a sigh, even a trace of envy, and whispered:

"Truly… aloof and proud."

"Yuwen Lie."

When Emperor Jiang Yuan sought to capture Qin Yulong.

Prince Jiang Gao made an immediate decision, using his connections and resources, risking everything to escort Qin Yulong's family out of the city, even seeing them off personally; when Qin Yulong and the others emerged, they saw Jiang Gao standing beneath the pavilion, stunned.

Qin Yulong stepped forward and bowed. "Your Highness, why are you here?"

Jiang Gao forced a smile. "General Qin is departing—how could I not come to see you off?"

Much sorrow filled the air; Xue Peijun held her five- or six-year-old child and said nothing. Jiang Gao looked at the child, exchanged a few pleasantries, but the child, clearly shy, turned his head away.

Jiang Gao's face showed complex emotion. He bent down, looked at the child, and smiled. "The road ahead is long—you must protect your mother."

The child nodded.

Jiang Gao thought for a moment, took off the jade pendant at his waist, and pressed it into the child's hand. Qin Yulong was shocked. "This—Your Highness, you cannot!"

Jiang Gao raised his hand to stop Qin Yulong, then reached out and stroked the child's hair. "When I was young, I was frail. My mother personally obtained this peace jade for me—it was meant to keep me safe through life. I hope this child may be safe too."

"And you both may live in peace."

Qin Yulong sighed. Jiang Gao ordered wine brought. "General, as you journey far, drink this wine." Qin Yulong looked at Jiang Gao's earnest face, then at the cup—his hand reached out, but Xue Peijun seized his sleeve.

Qin Yulong's hand paused.

He saw his wife shake her head.

With the two nations at war, the tenth-ranked general of the realm must leave his homeland—whose wine would anyone dare drink at such a moment?

Jiang Gao's eyes held bitterness. He smiled. "Madam is right—I thought too poorly." He poured wine for himself, drank one cup, then poured the second onto the ground. "May the General be safe."

He fell silent, brushed his robe.

The former Crown Prince knelt halfway before Qin Yulong. Qin Yulong's face turned pale with shock, reaching out to grasp Jiang Gao's arm. "Your Highness, what are you doing?!"

Jiang Gao said, "You have given everything for home and country, yet you depart under false charges. I cannot clear your name—I can only do this."

Qin Yulong whispered, "When I abandoned my army and returned, I already accepted this fate. My wife and I are, after all, of the Jianghu spirit—but I owe the late Emperor great kindness…"

He looked at Jiang Gao, his grip tightening unconsciously. "Jiang Yuan, the Second Prince, understands human nature, possesses such wisdom—but he thinks only of himself, not the state!"

"If this continues, Great Ying will be destroyed by his hands. If Your Highness has the heart to save the nation, just raise your arm and call out—Yulong and General Yuwen will gladly become your left and right arms. Then we can restore order and protect the realm!"

"Your Highness!"

Jiang Gao's expression froze. He thought of Jiang Yuan's recent foolish deeds; a flicker of inner struggle appeared on his face.

But the struggle faded.

His clenched hand loosened. Jiang Gao sighed. "This is tantamount to rebellion—forcing a brother to abdicate… I simply cannot do it. Besides, my nature would surely clash with the Grand Tutor."

Qin Yulong looked at Jiang Gao, sighed for a long time, then finally withdrew his arm in disappointment, saying nothing. He left with his wife and child. Fifty li farther on, they saw a man ahead, arms crossed over a heavy spear, leaning against a tree.

Qin Yulong said, "General Yuwen!"

Yuwen Lie said nothing, raised his hand, and threw.

A wine jar flew through the air; Qin Yulong caught it.

This time, without a single doubt, his weary face carried a faint smile. He smashed the seal without hesitation, tilted his head back, and drank. Yuwen Lie drank as well. The two divine generals emptied their cups in one gulp.

Yuwen Lie spoke no farewell. He lifted his long spear and said:

"If you're going to Li Guanyi, go."

"But on the battlefield, Yuwen Lie will be the first to kill you!"

Qin Yulong bowed with clasped fists. "The late Emperor showed me great favor. I merely retire to the Jianghu—I will never oppose Great Ying!"

Yuwen Lie gave no reply. He mounted his warhorse and rode away.

As if his refusal of the Emperor's summons, his ride a hundred li out, had been solely to share a jug of wine with Qin Yulong—and once drunk, he had no further interest, only returning to ride alone.

Qin Yulong's heart stirred. He finally spoke. "General Yuwen, your aloof pride is not a virtue in today's Great Ying. Trees that tower above the forest are struck by the wind; those who walk higher than others are condemned by all."

"General Yuwen, take care!"

He called out. Yuwen Lie gave no response.

Qin Yulong sighed deeply, filled with sorrow. Xue Peijun asked, puzzled:

"Are you this sorrowful?"

Qin Yulong replied, "I don't know how he sees me—but among all I've known, only General Yuwen deserves the title of lifelong true friend."

Xue Peijun frowned. "You two never had much contact before."

After a long silence, Qin Yulong answered:

"Friendship between people is not measured by time."

Yuwen Lie rode his horse back, and all he saw was the towering, solemn imperial city of Ying.

Back at the Yuwen residence, a royal decree lay waiting.

He did not glance at it. He crushed it under his foot.

Burn the wine for warming.

…………

In the third winter of the Daye era, Jiang Yuan had seized control of the entire court in his own way; the officials flattered him, while Grand Preceptor Jiang Su and Qin Huang faced off against each other, the frequency of their clashes dropping, with faint signs of two great cities being forged here.

Yuan Shitong, Xue Tianxing were still outside the northern border pass.

They had received a letter, ordering them to hold their position here and not leave lightly.

Though they did not understand why, they still waited.

And on this day, when great winds rose on all sides,

a youth who appeared gentle and plain-looking finally arrived here.

Yuan Shitong and Xue Tianxing stepped forward to greet him, saying: "Mr., you've finally come."

"How should we address you?"

On the northeastern edge of the Daying Kingdom, that gentle and plain-looking youth revealed a trustworthy smile:

"I am Yan Daiqing."

?? Asking for monthly tickets, friends~

? If you have time, you can also vote on the Divine Works ranking