Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The Xuande Emperor did not need to say it explicitly; he simply wanted Qi Xiaomian to be more cautious.
Without responding, Qi Xiaomian returned to the previous topic. "Your Majesty, what exactly did the book of the Dayu Kingdom record about me?"
He mentioned that in his battle against Wei Ting, he had been rather courteous.
Qi Xiaomian countered, "In my fight with Wei Ting, I drove him out of four cities in just four days. Then I took down another four cities of Dayu. Is that what you call courteous?"
The Xuande Emperor questioned him, "You clearly had the strength to expand more territory for Great Jing. Why didn’t you?"
"The military strategy states that one should not pursue a desperate enemy. Based on the actual situation on the battlefield, I decided to halt and consolidate the territory we had gained."
There was nothing particularly wrong with that statement.
The Xuande Emperor then asked, "But why, just half a month after you captured those cities, were they taken back?"
Qi Xiaomian replied, "I handed them over to the Western Army immediately after capturing them. If they failed to hold them, how is that my fault? Weren't you also in the Western Army camp at that time?"
"No," he said. "I had left the camp. I held the city for the Western Army and even captured four more cities. They expressed their gratitude publicly but were suspicious of me behind my back. No matter where I went, someone was always following me. They warned us not to go here or there."
His temper nearly flared up at that moment, but seeing the heavy casualties of the Western Army stirred some sympathy in him. In the end, he held back his anger. However, fearing a real conflict if he stayed any longer, he decided to hand over command early and leave.
Halfway out, he heard that Wei Ting had launched a counterattack. Rushing back, he found that Wei Ting had just managed to reclaim those four cities without attacking any more of Great Jing's territories. He also learned that reinforcements had arrived for the opposing side. Weighing his options, he ultimately decided to hold onto the territory he already controlled.
"I reported this matter to Court; Your Majesty must have forgotten?"
"Moreover," he continued, "I suspected there might be a traitor among us. How could it be so coincidental? Just as I left, they launched an attack—it was clearly a leak of information. I raised my concerns with the Northwest Army commanders, but they dismissed it entirely. I didn’t want to overstep my bounds."
"Fearing further sabotage from potential traitors was one reason why I chose to defend rather than attack."
This reasoning sounded reasonable enough; indeed, the Xuande Emperor had seen that report and thought it posed no significant loss before setting it aside.
However, he sighed and said, "But Great Yu Emperor does not see it this way."
Qi Xiaomian replied confidently, "I've made him suffer multiple times; what good words could he possibly say about me?"
"The Great Yu Emperor claimed he met you three days after you seized those four cities of Dayu. You were dining at a small tavern in one of those cities when he happened to be there as well. You even shared a table with him and talked for nearly two hours."
Qi Xiaomian recalled this encounter vividly. It was indeed that man who had dragged him into discussing court affairs until Qi Xiaomian grew tired of it and slipped away without paying for his drink—what a messy old man!
"Is that really the Great Yu Emperor? Could it be that his identity has been mistaken for that of a scruffy man, scheming and plotting?"
However, if it truly is the Great Yu Emperor, and he was recognized at that time, Qi Xiaomian would likely pretend not to know. What good would it do to kill him? The Dayu Kingdom would still have another Monarch. If that Monarch thought to use the Emperor's revenge as an excuse to start a war, it would be the innocent common people who would suffer.
If Dayu had a good chance of winning, Xuande Emperor might even throw this culprit under the bus to secure peace between the two nations. If Great Jing were to win, the two kingdoms would become one, making military generals less significant, and they might even be feared by the emperor.
All these outcomes were unfavorable for him; it was better to maintain the status quo and let the two nations continue to balance each other out.
Qi Xiaomian thought for a moment. The Great Yu Emperor was also someone who valued his life; how could he possibly infiltrate the border during a great war? Moreover, especially when the four cities at the border had already fallen—if there was danger, he would have fled long ago; how could he remain?
"Also, Your Majesty, have you checked whether the Great Yu Emperor attended court during those days?"
"I've already asked my spies. During those days, the Great Yu Emperor reported sick and did not attend court."
"Well, that's quite a coincidence!" Qi Xiaomian muttered to himself.
Xuande Emperor remarked with a strange tone, "Isn't that just coincidental? He just happened not to be in the palace."
Qi Xiaomian reminded him, "It could also be that he was indeed ill. If Your Majesty has doubts, you can have the spies investigate further."
"If you continue to question me without verification, I will not accept it," Xuande Emperor huffed angrily, throwing the state document at Qi Xiaomian's feet. "You complain that I don't trust you; then take a look for yourself. The Great Yu Emperor recorded everything you said on that day in detail."
"Moreover," he continued with disdain, "you practically took up half of the document with your praises. You kept calling him 'young general.' Tsk tsk, he really values you. According to him, he's met you more than once!"
Faced with Xuande Emperor's fury, Qi Xiaomian remained composed and picked up the state document to examine it closely.
The document stated that he had encountered the Great Yu Emperor three times; once even on Great Jing's territory. With only a few attendants accompanying him, they had already reached central lands. In terms of courage and determination, Xuande Emperor was far inferior to the Great Yu Emperor.
Comparing his memories with what was written in the document, Qi Xiaomian concluded that he might indeed have met the Great Yu Emperor. However, during those three encounters, there was no resemblance in appearance or demeanor between him and the person he spoke with; Qi Xiaomian considered himself quite skilled at disguises yet failed to notice any flaws in the other party.
The third encounter occurred while Qi Xiaomian was returning to court for duty. On his way, he stopped at a simple tea stall with only four rickety tables and chairs all occupied. A slightly plump Dayu merchant waved him over and squeezed out a spot for him.
Without much thought, he sat down. Their conversation wasn't about court affairs but rather about people's livelihoods—how well the citizens of Great Jing were farming and how well Dayu was raising livestock. However, the amount of grain exchanged for a single animal was simply too little.
Once again, the conversation turned to Great Jing's silk, tea, and cuisine. Wealthy merchants spoke eloquently about these treasures, concluding with a sigh, "You people of Great Jing are truly fortunate to have such abundant resources."
Now, as I calculated the time, I wondered if the Third Prince's last batch of grain traded with Dayu was actually a disguise for the Great Yu Emperor's purchase. Ha! You’ve raised a traitor to your own country and still have the audacity to question others.
Seeing Qi Xiaomian remain silent for a long time, Xuande Emperor scoffed, "What’s wrong? Out of words?"
Qi Xiaomian felt a chill in his heart and replied formulaically, "Your Majesty, it was merely a few conversations with outsiders. Perhaps Dayu's spies saw something and reported it to the Great Yu Emperor, allowing him to write such a passage from his perspective."
His intention was to sow discord. The heart of the Dayu Kingdom is treacherous; I implore Your Majesty not to be deceived by him.
Yet Xuande Emperor remained relentless. "Hmph! He offered ten cities for you! That shows your worth in his eyes. If he hadn’t met you or investigated you, how could he bear to part with you?"
Comment 0 Comment Count