Inside the city of Jinling…

This time, when Xiao Rong entered the palace, he wouldn’t bring Zhang Biezhi along, which led to unanimous opposition from everyone.

Xiao Rong initially intended to ignore them, but unfortunately, the noise was too loud. Even the usually silent guards spoke out to stop him. For some reason, their attitude had suddenly changed from two days before, and they became much more concerned about his personal safety.

Xiao Rong had no idea that these people had finally received the message passed on from their comrades outside. The King had been furious upon receiving the first letter and seemed ready to kill a few people for amusement. Even though they were all Qu Yunmie’s personal guards, none of them wanted to die at the hands of their own King.

…

Annoyed by their constant pestering, Xiao Rong finally picked two people to follow him. After all, they would be stopped outside the palace anyway, as the palace guards wouldn’t allow them to enter.

Once they were allowed to follow, the rest of the group backed down. Meanwhile, after a good night’s sleep, Zhang Biezhi had finally regained his energy, and his mouth, which never seemed to close, started working again.

“You were ridiculed so badly yesterday, yet today you still want to go looking for them? In my opinion, there’s nothing good about staying in Jinling—too many people, and too many pests!

“The Northern Army is enough to deal with the Xianbei. Why bring in this bunch of useless officials? Besides, do you really think they’re willing to send troops? Today, you’ll probably return empty-handed again.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

He slammed his teacup onto the table with a bang. It didn’t break, but the sound was very loud.

Zhang Biezhi jumped in surprise, then saw Xiao Rong staring at him with an annoyed expression. “In terms of rank, age, and status under the King’s rule, since when did it fall to you to lecture me?”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

His words had come out without thinking, and it wasn’t until Xiao Rong pointed it out that he realized the problem. Then his expression turned a little guilty. “I wasn’t lecturing you, I was just saying…”

After a brief pause, he added in a quieter voice, “You told me to act like I used to.”

Xiao Rong replied, “That was for dealing with outsiders. Did you really think your old ways were charming?”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

He lowered his head in frustration and said nothing more.

Seeing him suddenly fall silent, Xiao Rong’s feelings shifted slightly. He hadn’t expected Zhang Biezhi to be so sensitive. After a moment of silence, Xiao Rong spoke up. “Even though I’m going to the palace, you won’t be idle today. Go walk around the main city—visit teahouses, gambling halls, and places where people gather. Pay attention to the living conditions of the residents and note any differences compared to Chenliu. Then, report back to me in the evening.”

Xiao Rong was just giving Zhang Biezhi something to do so he wouldn’t get too bored and cause trouble. Zhang Biezhi was taken aback, and wasn’t expecting such a delicate task to be given to him.

In the past, he had always been assigned tasks like guarding prisoners or transporting captives, jobs that weren’t too important. He wasn’t even trusted to transport supplies since losing prisoners wasn’t a big deal, but losing supplies was costly.

Although Zhang Biezhi was somewhat dim-witted, he had an unknown strength: no matter what task was given to him, he would always do his best to complete it. Of course, if the task exceeded his abilities, he might not succeed, but he would definitely put in the effort.

Just like the last time they went to Xinan, even though he had been reluctant, he hadn’t delayed the journey. Although he complained constantly, he never abandoned Xiao Yi and the others. Every time danger arose, he was the first to charge ahead.

Jian Qiao knew about this strength of his, but Zhang Biezhi’s reputation was so poor in the eyes of others, that every time Jian Qiao wanted to give him an important task, Qu Yunmie would be the first to object. This was why Zhang Biezhi never earned any military merit.

Skill was important, but character was something that superiors valued highly. Jian Qiao’s concern before the journey wasn’t that Zhang Biezhi wouldn’t be able to protect Xiao Rong, but that he might anger Xiao Rong, who could curse him on the spot, never to return.

Such was the mysterious nature of Xiao Rong in the eyes of some.

…

After assigning Zhang Biezhi his task and quietly instructing Ah Shu to follow him, Xiao Rong felt reassured and headed to the palace.

In Jinling, court was held every five days, but it was mostly for show. Important decisions were almost always made when the Young Emperor was absent, during meetings led by Sun Renluan known as the Council of the Eight Dukes.

The Council of the Eight Dukes, as the name suggests, consisted of the Grand Marshal, the Grand General, the Minister of Works, the Minister of War, the Grand Tutor, the Grand Chancellor, the Grand Guardian, and the Grand Minister of Justice. Officially, only these eight individuals were supposed to attend, but in reality, anyone could participate if Sun Renluan approved. If he didn’t approve, even someone like Yang Zangyi could be kicked out.

In fact, Sun Renluan had done just that once. Yang Zangyi, despite his high rank as Minister of War, was unable to speak at the council for two months. During that time, Yang Zangyi’s anger had reached its peak.

Zhang Biezhi, completely unfamiliar with the official system of Jinling, had mistakenly assumed that yesterday’s verbal sparring represented the stance of Southern Yong. In reality, yesterday was just a warm-up, today was the main event.

Xiao Rong didn’t arrive early, but the Council of the Eight Dukes hadn’t yet finished. He deliberately waited outside, not allowing the palace eunuchs to announce his presence. Only after the meeting ended did he reveal his intention to meet the Grand Marshal privately.

The people in the palace were likely loyal to the Grand Marshal. Upon hearing this, they didn’t say much but quickly left, returning a moment later to inform him that the Grand Marshal was willing to see him.

Following this person through the winding paths of the palace, Xiao Rong found himself far from the hall where the court had been held the day before. He eventually arrived at the destination.

Had history not recorded that Sun Renluan preferred quiet and lived in a remote part of the palace, Xiao Rong might have thought this eunuch was trying to kill him.

…

Although the place was remote, it had everything one could need, and the furnishings were extremely luxurious. It was no exaggeration to say that, for a moment, Xiao Rong thought he had entered another world.

Many of the items here would still be considered priceless even in modern times, reminding Xiao Rong of the bronze artifact exhibition he had visited with friends after graduating from elementary school.

The bronze artifacts were from over two thousand, or even three thousand years ago, yet the items used by ancient kings still looked timeless through modern eyes. If bronze artifacts could have such an effect, how much more so would items that were much closer in style and materials to modern times?

If Xiao Rong had been a more sentimental person, he might have stared at these items in awe, feeling like his life had truly been worthwhile. However, Xiao Rong didn’t have much of an artistic side. He simply took a quick look around the room and sighed inwardly.

“So much wealth.”

If only all this wealth could belong to the Northern Army.

…

After bowing to Sun Renluan, Xiao Rong sat down across from him.

Before Sun Renluan could speak, Xiao Rong had already seated himself. This attitude caused a subtle change in Sun Renluan’s expression.

Yesterday, from a distance, Xiao Rong had only seen Sun Renluan briefly. Now, sitting face-to-face, Xiao Rong realized Sun Renluan was quite good-looking.

Even though he was over forty years old, he didn’t appear that old. While other men with beards might look ten years older, Sun Renluan’s charm hadn’t faded at all—he was still a very handsome and distinguished older man.

It made sense, though. The Sun Family had produced more than one empress, and with generations of genetic refinement, they were unlikely to produce unattractive children.

Pulling his gaze back, Xiao Rong smiled and said, “Thank you, Grand Marshal, for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet me. Yesterday in court, my words caused a commotion. I hope the Grand Marshal can forgive my mistake.”

Sun Renluan replied, “It’s no matter. What brings you here today?”

Xiao Rong said, “It is still about yesterday’s matter. The formation of the allied army is already settled. Back when the northern tribes formed an alliance and invaded the south, burning, killing, and looting, they turned the Central Plains into a living hell. Now, we must repay them in kind. I won’t hide it from the Grand Marshal—someone has already responded to the King’s invitation.”

Sun Renluan asked, “Oh? How many people?”

Hearing this, Xiao Rong smiled lightly and said, “The number of people is not important. Attacking the Xianbei is the will of the people, it is a righteous cause that everyone is responsible for. Anyone with ambition will not ignore such an invitation.”

Sun Renluan’s lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing.

Such an attempt to provoke him wouldn’t work. He was backed by the Young Emperor, and a mere appeal to righteousness wouldn’t sway him.

Xiao Rong seemed to notice that his words hadn’t worked and, pursing his lips, continued, “Of course, for other ambitious individuals, we are inviting them to join this great cause. As for the Grand Marshal, we are asking the court to send reinforcements.”

Sun Renluan’s expression changed slightly. Asking the court to send troops and asking for reinforcements were two very different things, despite only a slight difference in wording.

The former treated the court as a partner, while the latter treated the court as a superior authority.

The Northern King had been independent for many years. He had never sent grain or provisions to Jinling, nor had he ever acknowledged that he was still a subject of the Emperor. Although he hadn’t openly rebelled against the Yong Dynasty, everyone had come to accept that the Northern Frontier and the land north of the Han River were no longer part of the Yong Dynasty.

However, from what Xiao Rong was saying now, it seemed as though he wanted to trade the court’s military support for the Northern King’s renewed allegiance to the court.

Sun Renluan found this hard to believe. Who would be foolish enough to do such a thing?

Sure enough, when Sun Renluan tactfully asked this question, Xiao Rong gave an equally tactful response.

The gist of it was that the Northern King could never truly submit to the court again. Submission would mean paying taxes and supporting the Emperor, and they didn’t even have enough to eat themselves. Plus, given Qu Yunmie’s character, he would never agree to serve under someone else. However, the Northern Army was genuinely in dire straits, so they were willing to outwardly pledge loyalty to the court. This would include showing the court’s banner alongside the Northern Army’s during the campaign against the Xianbei. In future, when appointing officials north of the Han River, they would no longer make private, unauthorized seals and stamps. Instead, they would send a letter to Jinling and use the official documents and insignia issued by the Emperor.

Sun Renluan: “…”

At first, he thought this sounded pretty good. After all, even if the court sent troops, they wouldn’t send too many. Three to four thousand soldiers would be considered generous. With the court’s banner leading the charge, the credit for the victory would go to the court. They could then spin the narrative to make it seem like it was their hard-fought battle that led to the triumph.

However, as he listened further, he realized something was off.

On the surface, it looked like the Northern King was acknowledging the Emperor’s legitimacy by using the Emperor’s insignia. However, the court would have no real control over the officials north of the Han River. The one truly in charge would still be Qu Yunmie. Even worse, since the officials would be recognized by the Emperor, this meant that not only had the Northern King acknowledged the Emperor’s legitimacy, but the Emperor had also legitimized the Northern King’s rule over a vast territory.

Take Xiao Rong, for example. He was currently in a vague, unofficial position as Governor of Chenliu. Yet if he received the court’s official insignia, his position would become entirely legitimate, benefiting him even more.

Sun Renluan’s gaze at Xiao Rong instantly became vigilant. This man had clearly dug a trap, ready for him to fall into. Fortunately, he realized it in time, or else he would have ended up doing all the work for someone else’s benefit.

However, even knowing it was a trap, he still didn’t dare to outright reject Xiao Rong.

After all, even a superficial submission could help curb Qu Yunmie’s ambitions, preventing him from turning his attention toward Jinling immediately after defeating the Xianbei.

This was a double-edged sword, entirely dependent on how it was wielded. If used well, it could spell trouble for Qu Yunmie, if mishandled, the trouble would fall on himself.

Digging a trap wasn’t difficult, but making the other party recognize it as a trap and still hesitate over whether to jump—that was where true skill lay.

Sun Renluan looked at Xiao Rong and slowly let out a chuckle. “I think I understand now why the Northern King sent you alone, Xiao Rong. You alone are as effective as a thousand soldiers.”

Xiao Rong pressed his lips together and smiled back. “Your praise is too generous, Grand Marshal. I dare not accept it. The King sent me alone simply because he trusts me more. The King’s wishes are my wishes, and the King’s heart is my heart.”

Sun Renluan observed the subtle smile on Xiao Rong’s lips and grasped the hidden meaning.

Xiao Rong was implying that he had full authority to make decisions. Whatever promises he made here could be fully implemented when he returned.

Even so, negotiations weren’t that simple, and Sun Renluan still wasn’t ready to agree. “Under heaven, all lands belong to the Emperor, and all people are his subjects. The Emperor’s blessings extend to all, including the Northern King. To ask the court for military aid over this matter alone—there doesn’t seem to be much sincerity in that.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

He had thought Sun Renluan would be different from those aristocratic officials, but it turned out he was just better at hiding it. In truth, he looked down on the Northern Army, just like the others, though he feared their strength.

It didn’t take long for him to reveal his true thoughts. Given a little leeway, he really dared to push further.

Still, knowing Sun Renluan had this flaw made Xiao Rong feel more at ease. A conceited opponent was always preferable to one who regarded you as a constant threat.

Smiling faintly, Xiao Rong pulled a gold ingot from his sleeve and placed it in front of Sun Renluan, deliberately showing the side engraved with the Huang family’s emblem so that Sun could see it clearly.

Xiao Rong asked him, “Would this count as a show of our sincerity?”

Sun Renluan recognized that the item belonged to the Huang family but didn’t immediately understand Xiao Rong’s meaning.

This time, it was Xiao Rong’s turn to show a smile that was outwardly sympathetic but inwardly mocking. “Perhaps the Great Marshal is unaware, but Huang Yanjiong has been recruiting soldiers in Jianning for some time now. His subordinates alone number over a hundred officers, and his total military force exceeds one hundred thousand. At this scale, it’s hard to believe he’s just defending himself.”

Sun Renluan was taken aback.

Xiao Rong didn’t meet his eyes, allowing him to process the information. In truth, Huang Yanjiong only had around sixty thousand troops, but everyone exaggerated these days, so Xiao Rong did the same.

Besides, sixty thousand was a bit underwhelming. Saying one hundred thousand immediately made the threat more serious.

One hundred thousand troops—that was enough to even threaten Jinling. They could force the city into a state of total defense. While it was unlikely they would actually capture the city, no one wanted to fight another siege war.

Especially with an even larger enemy looming on the horizon. Who knew if Qu Yunmie would take advantage of the situation?

Wait…

Something wasn’t right. If this were true, why would Xiao Rong tell him?

Testing Xiao Rong’s intentions, Sun Renluan asked, “Governor Xiao, surely you jest. How could you, from so far north, know something even I, stationed here, am unaware of?”

He glanced at the gold ingot on the table and added, “Did Governor Huang tell you this himself?”

Xiao Rong caught the sarcasm in his tone but only smiled mysteriously. “If Governor Huang were willing to tell us directly how many troops he commands, we wouldn’t need to gather intelligence day after day. I wasn’t there to witness the events of the past, but the Great Marshal saw it all firsthand. Huang Yanjiong humiliated our King back then, and they’ve been sworn enemies ever since. But because Huang Lijiang once helped the King, the King owes the Huang family a great debt. From that day forward, he couldn’t openly oppose the Huang family, even though the internal conflict has been unbearable.”

Sun Renluan had nearly forgotten about Huang Yanqin until Xiao Rong’s reminder. The memory of those past events resurfaced, and he paused before responding calmly, “That was nothing more than youthful squabbling, not as serious as Xiao Rong makes it out to be.”

Xiao Rong replied, “It may seem trivial to others, but to those involved, the pain runs deep. The King and Huang Yanjiong’s animosity has only worsened with time. This time, when we joined forces to attack the Xianbei, the King first reached out to Huang Yanjiong to gauge his position and see how many troops he could provide. Do you know what Huang did on his first day in Chenliu? He set a deadly trap, forcing the King to nearly kill his benefactor’s son.”

As Xiao Rong recounted the events, he made the situation sound incredibly tense. Qu Yunmie’s blade had hovered at Huang Keji’s throat, and Huang Yanjiong had leaped to his feet in agitation. In that critical moment, Huang Keji revealed his true identity, leaving Qu Yunmie in shock, dropping his sword, and deeply regretting how close he had come to killing the son of Huang Yanqin.

…

At that moment, there were no storytellers around, but Xiao Rong’s dramatic narration left Sun Renluan stunned, as if he were present, witnessing Huang Yanjiong’s cruelty and Huang Keji’s fear.

As for Zhou Liang, Xiao Rong conveniently erased him from the story. Zhou Liang had already fled, and who knew where he’d gone. Xiao Rong didn’t want Sun Renluan to realize Zhou Liang’s potential and send someone to recruit him.

So, in Xiao Rong’s version, the entire devious scheme was attributed solely to Huang Yanjiong. Every wrong was his doing—he was thoroughly corrupt inside and out. Now that he had an army of a hundred thousand soldiers, Sun Renluan needed to weigh carefully how to deal with him!

…

Of course, Sun Renluan couldn’t just go along with what Xiao Rong said. He still opposed Xiao Rong’s claims, but Xiao Rong merely smirked.

Sun Renluan was starting to develop a shadow over Xiao Rong’s smile. Every time Xiao Rong smiled like that, it meant bad news was coming.

Sure enough, Xiao Rong soon revealed that Huang Yanjiong didn’t want to send troops to attack the Xianbei. However, before leaving, he had struck a deal with the Northern Army. If Qu Yunmie could report his military achievements to the court and have his territory changed back from Jianning to Lujiang, Huang Yanjiong would respond to Qu Yunmie’s invitation to join the campaign. Not only that, but he would write a letter personally, releasing Qu Yunmie from the moral obligations that the Huang family had imposed.

It had been Xiao Rong who suggested this condition, which piqued Huang Yanjiong’s interest. When he told Sun Renluan, he reversed the roles, making it seem like Huang Yanjiong had proposed it. Xiao Rong wasn’t lying, though—Huang Yanjiong did agree to send troops on that condition.

With this subtle change of narrative, Huang Yanjiong now appeared to be an ambitious traitor. His desire to return to Lujiang indicated two things: first, that he still harbored resentment over past events, which explained his obsession with reclaiming the land. Second, while trying to return to Lujiang, he was also raising an army. Once stationed there with a hundred thousand troops, he could easily break through Jinling’s walls.

In fact, he had an advantage over Qu Yunmie, who still had to cross a river to reach Jinling, while Huang Yanjiong wouldn’t even need to climb a mountain—he’d be right on the city’s doorstep without any worries about supply lines.

For the first time, Sun Renluan’s expression turned more serious. A man with ambition wasn’t frightening, what was frightening was someone with ambition who voiced it out loud. People like that were either reckless or very confident.

Xiao Rong observed Sun Renluan’s expression, and at the right moment, he sighed. Huang Yanjiong’s threats against their King had certainly hit a sore spot. However, their King was a wise man, and there was no way he would do something foolish to strengthen an enemy. Lujiang was close to both Jinling and Chenliu, and Huang Yanjiong hated both the court and Qu Yunmie, who had once eloped with his concubine. Knowing that such an enemy was still out there gnawing at him left Qu Yunmie restless. Thus, he sent Xiao Rong to explain everything and to propose that they collaborate in luring Huang Yanjiong into battle, weakening him before ultimately dealing with him later.

As for how to lure him, it was simple: the Grand Marshal just needed to write a letter to Huang Yanjiong, instructing him to follow the Northern King’s lead in attacking the Xianbei. This way, Huang Yanjiong would believe that the Northern King had indeed communicated with the Grand Marshal and would think that his return to Lujiang was already underway.

Whether there really was a plan in place didn’t matter—it could always be decided by the Grand Marshal’s word later. Compared to deploying the court’s army, writing a letter was a trivial matter. Sun Renluan, listening to Xiao Rong, was also curious to know how many troops Huang Yanjiong could muster. If he could easily raise ten or twenty thousand men….

Although Jianning was far away, it wasn’t a region to be complacent about. The southern plains beyond the Han River were difficult to defend due to the terrain, and Huang Yanjiong’s proximity to Jinling posed a serious threat. Southern chaos always ended quickly because the terrain made it hard for anyone to carve out an independent kingdom.

Sun Renluan thought of Huang Yanjiong and casually nodded to Xiao Rong. Seeing him nod, Xiao Rong tactfully stopped talking about Huang Yanjiong, as if that had never been his main objective. Huang Yanjiong was merely a token of sincerity. Now that the gesture of goodwill had been made, Xiao Rong naturally returned to the topic of sending troops.

However, this time, Sun Renluan wasn’t so easily swayed. The two engaged in further rounds of back-and-forth negotiation, and in the end, Xiao Rong had to retreat in defeat. Realizing that he couldn’t persuade Sun Renluan, Xiao Rong rose to leave. Before departing, however, he handed over a secret recipe sent by Huang Yanjiong, stating that Huang Yanjiong wanted Qu Yunmie to pass it to Sun Renluan in hopes of facilitating his relocation to Lujiang.

In fact, this secret recipe wasn’t the only thing Huang Yanjiong had sent—there were many other gifts. Xiao Rong didn’t mention this, though. If Sun Renluan asked, he would say the rest of the items were stored elsewhere and would be delivered later. If Sun Renluan didn’t ask, then those items would simply be extra benefits for him.

…

Sun Renluan had been in control of the court for many years and had seen plenty of fine things. Naturally, he wasn’t fixated on the gifts from Huang Yanjiong. He barely glanced at the secret recipe before casually acknowledging it with a disinterested “hmm.”

Immediately after, Xiao Rong mentioned that Huang Yanjiong had also sent a beauty treatment formula meant for the Empress Dowager. Without asking Sun Renluan’s opinion on the matter, Xiao Rong said he intended to visit the Empress Dowager to deliver the gift and pay his respects.

In the early days of feudal dynasties, the power of empress dowagers was unimaginable. Many wielded power for decades, even after the emperor had grown fully capable, and they continued to maintain authority behind the scenes.

The Empress Dowager Sun wasn’t particularly influential—mostly because she lacked the capability. Had she been more competent, she could have ousted her brother, Sun Renluan, from power and wouldn’t have ended up as a mere figurehead.

Still, even as a figurehead, she was a revered empress dowager, living a life of luxury. Ministers could request an audience with her as a form of flattery.

Had Xiao Rong asked Sun Renluan, he would have likely refused, but Xiao Rong cleverly preempted him, making it difficult for Sun Renluan to decline without appearing impolite.

After all, his sister only cared about jewels and men—what harm could come from letting Xiao Rong visit?

As Xiao Rong left, Sun Renluan suddenly thought of a troubling possibility: Xiao Rong was extremely handsome, and his sister… well, she might take an interest.

Sun Renluan was in his forties, while the Empress Dowager was only in her twenties. Although they were siblings, they weren’t close, as they were born to different mothers. Sun Renluan barely knew his sister. However, Xiao Rong certainly knew what kind of person the Empress Dowager was.

She was indeed greedy and lustful, but more than anything, she was hopelessly romantic.

At this point, the Empress Dowager already had her true love by her side, so even Xiao Rong’s beauty wouldn’t be enough to displace that affection.

When Xiao Rong finally entered the Empress Dowager’s palace, things went exactly as he had expected. The Empress Dowager sat behind a curtain. She was startled by Xiao Rong’s appearance, admiring his looks for a long while, but after much hesitation, she suppressed her desires. Xiao Rong was no ordinary nobleman—he was tied to the Northern King and couldn’t become her plaything. Besides, she feared that someone might get jealous.

With a tinge of regret, the Empress Dowager instructed her maid to accept the gift, exchanged a few polite words with Xiao Rong, and dismissed him.

However, little did the Empress Dowager know that the respectful Xiao Rong who behaved so courteously in her palace changed his demeanor as soon as he left.

Before stepping outside, he deliberately crumpled his sleeves, making it seem like someone had grabbed him forcefully. Once he exited, he appeared flustered, his face flushed unnaturally red. He clenched his fists in humiliation and quickened his pace, occasionally covering his face as if trying to avoid recognition whenever someone passed by.

The patrolling guards glanced at him, then looked toward the palace.

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

Support translation: