Chapter 761: He Who Eats a Thousand Human Galls Becomes Invincible

This was a true family feast. Besides Zhang Zhao, Lady Cao Sanniang, and Yan Nai, the only others present were Cao Yuanzhong, Princess Baoding and her husband Zhao Kuangzan, Zhang Zhao's third son Zhang Xianzhao, Sage Zhang's treasured second daughter Princess of Song Zhang Qixiu, and his third daughter Princess of Ming'an Zhang Qinan.

Zhang Liecheng was there too. Although he had made many mistakes, he also had merits, and crucially he was a man all alone in the world — the only person who could be called family was Zhang Zhao.

Judging from his performance this time, the man was a bit greedy, but his loyalty was still there. One could even say he treated Zhang Zhao as a true father, so Zhang Zhao was still prepared to give him another chance.

Of course, among his seven sworn sons, Murong Xinzhang's position was absolutely unique and irreplaceable; even Li Cunhui could not shake it in the slightest.

This could be seen from the attitude of Zhang Zhao's children toward Murong Xinzhang.

The moment his eldest son entered the hall, before he had even paid his respects to Zhang Zhao and Cao Yannai, Zhang Xianzhao and his two sisters' eyes lit up at the sight of Murong Xinzhang, and they let out barely suppressed cheers.

Zhang Zhao laughed heartily at the sight and waved his hand, and the three little ones went bouncing over, surrounding Murong Xinzhang, laughing and jumping.

Murong Xinzhang gave Zhang Xianzhao a very sharp long dagger, which delighted Zhang Xianzhao so much that he immediately struck a pose and flourished it on the spot. The younger sisters also received large Liaodong pearls and fine pheasant feathers as gifts.

Having settled his younger siblings, Murong Xinzhang came before Zhang Zhao's seat and prostrated himself in a grand ceremonial bow. After three kneelings and nine kowtows, he said with tears in his eyes:

"Father, it has been two years since we last met. I do not know if you have been in good health. Your son, in Shenyang, has thought of you constantly."

Zhang Zhao hurriedly stood up, his own eyes growing hot. Murong Xinzhang had lost his father in childhood, and after following him, he had truly treated Zhang Zhao as a father all along.

At the same time, Zhang Zhao had learned to raise sons by teaching Murong Xinzhang as he went. Although the two were only seven years apart in age, they were true father and son.

Zhang Zhao personally helped Murong Xinzhang to his feet, grasped his arms, and said with emotion: "My son, with the strength of but a single military province, you subdued the Khitan and slew Yelu Lihu in battle, and afterward pacified the peoples of Andong. Your merit is immense, and my heart is deeply gratified!"

This was no mere flattery. The Khitan might be on its last legs, but a centipede does not fall over even when dead; to clean things up as neatly and decisively as Murong Xinzhang had still required real ability.

But before the two could finish their display of father-son affection, Lady Cao Sanniang, Yan Nai, had already come running over in tears.

Zhang Zhao and Murong Xinzhang had not seen each other for over two years, but Lady Cao Sanniang had not seen her son for nearly four years.

Sanniang held her son's hand and wept like rain. Murong Xinzhang knelt on the ground, whimpering like a little dog. Mother and son said nothing, yet it spoke more than a thousand words.

Afterward, Murong Xinzhang paid his respects to his maternal grandfather, Cao Yuanzhong.

He also paid respects to Zhang Liecheng with the courtesy due an elder brother, which took Zhang Liecheng completely by surprise; his expression turned awkward and moved at once.

But when it came to Zhao Kuangzan, the young man tried to be clever. He took Princess Baoding, Zhang Qiwan, by the hand, intending to pay his respects to Murong Xinzhang as a brother-in-law.

Unexpectedly, Murong Xinzhang gave a cold snort and rolled his eyes. Zhao Kuangzan had no choice but to perform a full ceremonial bow to Murong Xinzhang and say, "Your nephew greets his fourteenth uncle-in-law."

Only then did Murong Xinzhang laugh heartily and pull Zhao Kuangzan to his feet, and the family feast began.

This banquet delighted everyone beyond measure, and the tense atmosphere of recent days seemed to have vanished entirely.

Murong Xinzhang reported to Zhang Zhao that the eminent monk Cixian had stopped him outside the city of Beiping Prefecture. Zhang Zhao nodded lightly; he of course knew that Cixian and Murong Yanchao and the others had arrived at Beiping Prefecture.

For the pardons of these men had been approved by Zhang Zhao himself. They had traveled north together with Cao Yuanzhong, and Cao Yuanzhong had even secured an official post for Murong Yanchao from Zhang Zhao.

But hearing Murong Xinzhang speak of it now, Zhang Zhao immediately realized this was a good opportunity to strengthen Murong Xinzhang's power.

For Wang's Goryeo was, after all, a great country with a population of a million. The entire province of Andong was only of that scale now, and likely even smaller.

If they could not fully mobilize the Khitan, Xi, Shiwei, Balhae, and Jurchen peoples, it would truly be hard to fight.

Historically, when the Liao themselves went to war with Goryeo, they did not gain much either.

The two states fought three wars in total; the Liao won two small victories and suffered one small defeat, and all were hard-fought.

Although that happened forty or fifty years later in history and might not apply directly to the present, it still showed that Goryeo was not a country easily conquered.

Moreover, the eminent monk Cixian would be of great use in the plan Zhang Zhao had devised for Murong Xinzhang: replacing the peninsula's original Buddhist establishment with the Six Dharma Sect and using the Six Dharma Sect to win over the people's hearts.

This man was a master of the Tripitaka, skilled at translating Indian Buddhist scriptures into Chinese and even Khitan. When it came to religious matters, he was bound to be more professional than Zhang Zhao and Murong Xinzhang.

The only concern was how to ensure that the eminent monk Cixian could be used by Murong Xinzhang — or rather, would be content to serve Murong Xinzhang.

Cao Yuanzhong had remained silent all along. By now he finally understood: his precious grandson Murong Xinzhang would not become the Khitan king he had imagined, but was instead being sent off to that poor, remote land of Goryeo.

Fine! Grandfather Cao was furious.

He glared somewhat angrily at his daughter Sanniang and son-in-law Zhang Zhao, who were still enthusiastically laying out plans for Murong Xinzhang.

"Shameless pair!" Cao Yuanzhong very nearly shouted it from his heart.

Truly shameless! First these two had nearly schemed him, their own father, to death, and now they were going to scheme against his precious grandson.

Even though Cao Yuanzhong had a very good temper, he was so angry he could barely contain his fire. One truly wonders what Grandfather Cao would think if he knew that Murong Xinzhang's final destination was Japan.

"I have heard that all four thousand men of Wuning Garrison took part in the rebellion. The Sage surely cannot leave them in Xuzhou. Why not exile them, together with their families, to Liaodong, to serve under Xinchang's command?"

Zhang Zhao was in the middle of discussing matters with Murong Xinzhang when he suddenly heard Cao Yuanzhong speak coldly from the side.

Sage Zhang was thick-skinned. He chuckled. "That is an excellent proposal. I shall immediately order Cunhui to move the four thousand soldiers of Wuning Garrison, along with three thousand households of their families, to Liaodong, to serve under my son's command."

Cao Yannai also knew why her father was so angry. What she and Zhang Zhao had done, had they not been born into an imperial family, would count as scheming against one's own father — unfilial and rebellious.

But she too was thick-skinned. Seeing Cao Yuanzhong angry, she did not hurry to soothe him, but instead looked at him with a grin.

"Your daughter has heard that Father has considerable savings, including two iron mines in the Xiaqiu smelting works in Xuzhou. Why not hand them over to Xinchang as well? When your grandson becomes Great King of Goryeo one day, would that not bring honor to your face too?"

Cao Yuanzhong:...

What karmic retribution was this! Cao Yuanzhong could hardly keep from crying out. So the two of you send my grandson off to Goryeo like an exile, and I, the maternal grandfather, have to throw in two iron mines as well?

The moment Murong Xinzhang heard that his maternal grandfather held iron mines in a top-tier coal-and-iron base like Xiaqiu, his interest was immediately piqued.

"Grandfather, is this true? If you truly dote on your grandson Xinchang, why not also bestow the miners and iron-smelting craftsmen from the mines?

Your grandson's Liaodong is sorely lacking in craftsmen. With them, the great enterprise will succeed. Uncle will have the merit of assistance, and upon returning to court, even the post of Vice Chief Minister would be within reach."

Cao Yuanzhong drew a sharp breath. Only now did he realize that the three people before him were truly cut from the same cloth.

Ambitious, unafraid of difficulty, and never idle; when it was time to be thick-skinned, they could thicken up at once.

Grandfather Cao trembled and pointed at Sanniang and Murong Xinzhang. "What a fine daughter! What a fine grandson!"

As for Zhang Zhao — son-in-law though he was, even if you gave Cao Yuanzhong ten times the courage, he would not dare point at him.

Murong Xinzhang was "overjoyed." "Grandfather says this — does that mean you agree?"

Cao Yuanzhong nodded heavily, though whether it meant agreement or something else was unclear.

But Murong Xinzhang took it as agreement and was instantly beside himself with delight. Grandfather Cao rubbed his forehead, feeling that if he stayed any longer he might actually fall ill from anger.

"I cannot hold my liquor..." Cao Yuanzhong said.

But before he could finish, Zhang Zhao immediately cut in: "Attendants, escort the Duke of Qiao down to rest."

And so, before Cao Yuanzhong could even move, he was immediately "helped" to his feet by the palace attendants. Zhang Zhao, Lady San, and Xinzhang'er all looked at one another and burst out laughing.

Cao Yuanzhong, helpless, was held by the attendants and couldn't move his hands. He could only shake his head as he looked at Murong Xinzhang and said,

"Take it, take it all. Shazhou and Suzhou, plus the two hundred-some households of craftsmen skilled in armor-making and arrow-shaft making — they were my Cao family's private retainers from years past. Your grandfather and your uncle have no use for them now, so send them all to Liaodong."

Oh, these were retainers left over from the days of the Cao family's Guiyi Army, still under Cao Yuanzhong's control! The kind even Zhang Zhao found inconvenient to inquire about.

Only then did Murong Xinzhang put away his smile and solemnly perform a full kowtow to Cao Yuanzhong. "Your grandson Xinzhang thanks Grandfather for his affection."

Cao Yuanzhong left, grumbling. Zhao Kuangzan immediately felt several gazes land on him, and for no reason at all, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He stammered as he looked at Murong Xinzhang. "Fourteenth Uncle-in-law, I still have two or three hundred men of the Lulong Army retainers under my command. If you can make use of them, take them all."

Murong Xinzhang waved his hand. "I'm not short on manpower right now. Just give me Zhao Sisi!"

At the mention of Zhao Sisi, Zhao Kuangzan's face went dark.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to part with the man. Rather, the reason Zhao Kuangzan had been so easily brought under the control of the Wuning Army this time was that Zhao Sisi, his trusted confidant, had betrayed him and sold him out.

How to describe Zhao Sisi? He was actually a clansman of Zhao Kuangzan, chosen from childhood to be Zhao Kuangzan's personal guard. The two had been together since they were seven or eight years old.

With a relationship like that, the reason Zhao Sisi still betrayed him was actually something Zhao Kuangzan found too embarrassing to speak of.

That wretch Zhao Sisi cared nothing for power or wealth, but there was one thing he loved: an extreme obsession with and worship of martial prowess.

How extreme was this worship? When his own martial skills could no longer improve, the fellow heard from someone that the Caizhou bandits led by Qin Zongquan, Sun Ru, and others in years past had rampaged unchecked and been invincible precisely because they ate people.

Only by eating people could one's battle strength multiply. As the saying went: eat a thousand human gallbladders, and none under heaven can stand against you!

Zhao Sisi immediately believed this without a doubt, and secretly sent men to kill people on the Si River, taking their gallbladders to eat.

When Zhao Kuangzan learned of this, he flew into a rage and ordered a strict investigation.

Zhao Sisi was terrified, afraid the investigation would trace back to him. And since his intelligence was mediocre to begin with, Wang Jun sent someone to sweet-talk him, and in a daze he boarded the Wuning Army's pirate ship. Now he was locked in prison awaiting death.

The only reason he was still alive was Zhao Kuangzan's soft heart. After all, he had been his personal guard for twenty years, and in days past they had been nearly as close as real brothers. Zhao Kuangzan still couldn't bring himself to do it.

Murong Xinzhang saw Zhao Kuangzan staring at him in alarm and gave a cold snort. "Don't get the wrong idea. Your uncle-in-law doesn't eat people. It's just that when we campaign against Goryeo, a born villain like Zhao Sisi is exactly what I can use."

Of course he could use him — because the strategy Zhang Zhao had devised for Murong Xinzhang was to first kill off half of the overlords north of the peninsula.

Then take the survivors south, have them kill off half of the overlords in the south, and then become the overlords of the south themselves.

This plan would be a river of blood, slaughtering all the way. Murong Xinzhang didn't intend to use his own core military force for this task, so a demon like Zhao Sisi was perfectly suited.

(End of Chapter)

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