Thank you to sarah for your support on Kofi! Here’s a double update!
On the battlefield.
Moba Zampu rode atop a tall, powerful horse. Holding a longsword, his already imposing figure was made even more formidable by the dark armor he wore.
His deep-set features were very different from those of the Central Plains people. Sweeping past the two opposing commanders who were locked in fierce combat, his gaze settled on the tall, striking figure at the forefront of the Great Ning Army.
That person was Ning-wang Qin Xiao, the most powerful and influential figure in Great Ning.
The two deputies were equally matched in the fight, and their battle wouldn’t end anytime soon. But when they noticed Moba Zanpu’s arrival, they knew that the situation had changed.
Therefore, although neither of them had emerged victorious, they tacitly stopped fighting and returned to their respective army formations.
After his deputy’s safe return, Qin Xiao rode his horse toward the center of the two armies as Moba Zanpu did the same.
On one side was the Regent of Great Ning, who held a position second only to the Emperor, and on the other was the Sovereign of the Sai Kingdom. Regardless of who won or lost, the outcome would decide the reputations of their respective countries.
Under such circumstances, these two generals should not engage each other in combat on the battlefield. Moba Zanpu simply wished to talk things over again.
If Qin Xiao agreed to give him Gansu, he would have no compunctions about revealing how Dingbei-wang had colluded with him. After all, tangible benefits were all that truly mattered.
But when Qin Xiao first arrived and sent people to “negotiate,” he only made one request, which the other party promptly refused. And the very next day, he launched an attack.
The situation had changed now, and Moba Zanpu felt it necessary to have a conversation with Qin Xiao.
And he had leverage on him.
The Great Ning Dynasty was currently plagued by dire internal conflict, and Qin Xiao was facing enemies on all sides.
However, if the two of them were to cooperate, Moba Zanpu could guarantee that he would keep an eye on the neighboring Shanxi and Sichuan regions for him, so that Dingbei-wang and Pingxi-wang couldn’t engage in any underhanded schemes.
This was an offer that Qin Xiao absolutely couldn’t refuse.
Qin Xiao, however, had no intention of wasting words on him, and upon approach, he squeezed his legs against his horse’s flanks and charged forward.
Moba Zanpu was caught unawares by the sudden attack. His face darkened, and he swiftly grabbed hold of his longsword, stepping forward to meet the blow.
This Ning-wang of the Qin family had recently killed several of his most formidable commanders, so he didn’t dare underestimate this opponent.
Qin Xiao’s spear thrust directly at Moba Zanpu’s face in a swift, powerful movement, displaying a level of skill no less impressive than that of a seasoned general who had spent years fighting on the battlefield.
Moba Zanpu felt an intense wave of pressure, and with a flick of his wrist, he swung his longsword horizontally.
The blade of the sword struck the spearhead, and the piercing clash of metal against metal resonated through the air, causing both armies to stir and prepare for battle.
After the first exchange, the two immediately launched their second attacks.
Qin Xiao wielded his spear with effortless finesse, each strike aimed at a vital point. Moba Zanpu’s expression grew increasingly grim, and his hand throbbed dully, yet Qin Xiao remained utterly composed throughout, with no sign of tremors in his spear-wielding hand.
This Ning-wang’s arm strength was truly astonishing!
The spear thrust toward his abdomen this time, and when Moba Zanpu raised his sword to block it, the spearhead abruptly changed direction and lunged toward his throat.
He quickly shifted his defensive stance, but he was a moment too late, and could only hastily raise his arm to block. The spearhead punched straight through, splattering blood into his face.
With a roar, Moba Zanpu forcibly deflected the spearhead, his hand almost completely numb.
On the opposite side, Qin Xiao suddenly placed one hand on his horse’s back and used that momentum to leap into the air, thrusting his spear forward.
The injury slowed Moba Zanpu’s reaction time, and Qin Xiao stabbed him directly in the shoulder.
Then, without any hesitation, Qin Xiao pulled back his spear and took several steps back.
At the same time, Moba Zanpu brought his sword down with great force and unleashed a brutal attack.
This strike was both a counterattack and a command to his troops.
A long, deep horn blast echoed from the army behind him, and those brawny men all roared and charged forward.
Rather than turning to leave, Qin Xiao instead lightly squeezed his horse’s flanks and charged toward Moba Zanpu again.
And the Great Ning Army behind him also began to move.
Qin Xiao had brought with him on this campaign the formidable commander Cheng Shuo from the capital, and when he passed through Shanxi on the way, he also recruited the local garrison leader, Hu Fang.
Hu Fang was a man in his forties, a former subordinate of the Qin family and a seasoned veteran of many battles.
With Cheng Shuo currently absent, Hu Fang was the highest-ranking military officer under Qin Xiao.
He held a military banner high, and when he waved it a few times in a strange pattern, the army instantly divided into three ranks.
The infantry on the left raised their shields and spears, forming an impenetrable “wall of steel” as they advanced at a rapid march.
The soldiers in the central ranks raised their longbows, drawing them into full moons as the arrow tips gleamed with a chilling light.
The light cavalry on the right flank were not many in number, only a bit over ten thousand-strong, but they were fast-moving and had already taken advantage of the chaos on the battlefield to encircle the enemy from behind.
“Fire the arrows!” Hu Fang shouted.
Thousands of arrows were released simultaneously.
The Sai Army raised their shields to protect themselves, but due to the short distance, the cavalry and infantry behind these shield-bearing soldiers were already being pierced through.
For a time, screams, the clash of weapons, and the cries of wounded war horses all mixed together as the entire narrow plain was painted with blood.
The battle lasted for a full three hours, from evening until late into the night.
This long, narrow stretch of land had initially given the Sai Army an advantage, but the Great Ning Army directly broke through their flanks, encircled them from behind, and formed a pincer attack.
Fearing that they would become trapped, Moba Zanpu had no choice but to turn his army around and retreat.
But the more than 10,000-strong cavalry blocking the way obstructed them relentlessly, preventing them from moving even an inch.
However, after a few hours, the entire plain was strewn with corpses, and the enemy army was able to break through the blockade behind them and flee.
Qin Xiao led his army in pursuit all the way to the enemy encampment. The prolonged marching and fighting had left the soldiers physically and mentally exhausted. The rain was also coming down heavier, and the night wind caused them to shiver in their soaked clothes.
Qin Xiao didn’t pursue them further, instead ordering his men to set up camp and rest.
They would continue their pursuit tomorrow at dawn, aiming to drive the enemy forces out of the Gansu region within a few days.
The soldiers busied themselves setting up tents and campfires.
Standing at a high vantage point, Qin Xiao could see the enemy army’s innumerable tents, as well as the scattered, disorganized formations of tens of thousands of soldiers.
Hu Fang came to a stop at his side. Looking out with squinted eyes, he said: “My Lord, Cheng Shuo will likely arrive at about noon tomorrow. Should we wait until then to take action?”
“No need,” said Qin Xiao. He turned and walked toward his tent. “The enemy has suffered at least 40,000 casualties, while we have only suffered around 20,000.”
Now that their forces were roughly equal in number, they had a very good chance of winning the battle.
Moreover, Cheng Shuo wouldn’t actually be coming to meet them; he had something else to take care of.
But this was a confidential matter, and Qin Xiao had not informed anyone else.
Hu Fang had participated in countless battles, and had learned a great deal from Grand Commandant Qin in his youth. Naturally, he could tell that Qin Xiao had other plans.
But the biggest taboo in a military camp was the leakage of military intelligence – the fewer people who knew, the better.
So rather than investigate further, Hu Fang posed a different question: “Will we pursue the enemy further after driving them out of Gansu?”
“En.”
“But —” Hu Fang glanced toward the 20,000 soldiers who had formed their own separate group within the ranks.
Those were all men from the Northwest Army, but their commander, Pang Ruizhi, was not among them.
A message previously sent from the Northwest to the capital had stated that the 70,000-strong Northwestern Army was no match for the enemy forces, and had lost Gansu within three days.
After Qin Xiao and his army arrived in Shaanxi, he had sent people to seek out Pang Ruizhi.
Commander Pang was the brother-in-law of Minister of War Lu Youwei. In his early thirties, he had a carefree and somewhat dissolute demeanor. He burst into tears upon seeing Qin Xiao, saying that he was incompetent and wished to redeem himself by accompanying Qin Xiao to Gansu.
But Qin Xiao had said: “Since you’re aware of your incompetence, take off that military uniform and go home to be a pampered young master.”
Everyone in the capital was already accustomed to Qin Xiao’s manner of speech, but this was Pang Ruizhi’s first time witnessing it.
He was only able to accept it a little easier due to his military background.
Upon hearing this, he simply said that he was indeed incompetent, but he wished to make amends if Qin Xiao would give him a chance.
He even put on a dramatic display, acting as if he was going to be unreasonable and throw a gigantic tantrum. It was unknown where he had learned such behavior.
But Qin Xiao didn’t buy into his act at all, and threatened to directly dismiss him from his position if he continued to drag his feet like this.
Only then did Pang Ruizhi quiet down.
Qin Xiao then requested another 20,000 soldiers from the Northwest Army, adding them to his forces to bring the total number up to 110,000.
In fact, throughout the journey, Qin Xiao would select soldiers and officers from city defense forces or garrison troops at each place he visited.
For military officers, the path to promotion had always been on the battlefield, so they happily followed along when this opportunity arose and brought with them their trusted subordinates. Therefore, these seemingly disorganized troops were actually quite unified.
But the 20,000 Northwest Army soldiers were different.
Perhaps because their commander hadn’t come along and there was no one among them to take the lead, or perhaps because they had been influenced and manipulated by Pang Ruizhi, they always formed their own group out of step with the main army.
It was fortunate that they still understood the importance of obeying military orders on the battlefield. Otherwise, this battle would have been impossible to fight.
What Hu Fang was worried about now was whether there were any ill-intentioned individuals among these soldiers.
Focused on driving the enemy out of Gansu, these soldiers were still obedient, but things might change once they left the Gansu region.
Qin Xiao was currently the target of assassination by every force in existence. If there were indeed any assassins hiding among these soldiers, a surprise attack during battle would be very difficult to guard against.
Therefore, if Qin Xiao wished to fight his way all the way to the Western Regions and penetrate deep into enemy territory, he would face even greater danger.
Without even glancing at those people, Qin Xiao said: “Of these nearly 100,000 soldiers, half of them belong to various factions. It is impossible to guard against them all.”
It would be better to simply place benefits right in front of them.
Recapturing Gansu would be a great achievement, but reclaiming lost territory was simply the duty of military officers, and if there were any rewards, they wouldn’t be substantial.
However, if the army were to march westward and conquer the Western Regions, that would expand Great Ning’s territory and be a tremendous achievement.
When the time came for such incredible merit to be officially recognized, everyone would receive unexpected benefits.
In addition, the border territories of the Western Regions contained much of value, all of which would be spoils of war to line the pockets of these soldiers.
What was not to like about this?
Upon hearing this explanation, Hu Fang felt enlightened, and said with a smile: “My Lord’s words are correct. This old veteran was being foolish.”
No wonder Qin Xiao hadn’t been particularly worried or cautious from the beginning. He clearly had everything under control.
These soldiers were indeed backed by powerful forces, but they were merely pawns in those people’s hands.
For them, tangible achievements were far more important than vague promises or so-called protection.
These people had already pledged their allegiance to various forces out of self-interest, so they could just as easily pledge their allegiance to Qin Xiao and be of use to him.
“Rest assured,” said Qin Xiao, “right now, everyone wants me to continue westward and conquer the Sai Kingdom. No one will attack me before then.”
Hu Fang was startled, and his expression shifted slightly.
*
*
Meanwhile, in the distant Sai Kingdom camp, the tens of thousands of soldiers who had beaten a hasty retreat were in disarray, with many of them rushing directly into the military camp.
Inside the seemingly endless rows of tents, many small, delicate dancers screamed and rushed out, and many others were trampled to death by the speeding warhorses.
Bai Liyu sat inside his tent, listening to the commotion outside with a tranquil expression as he slowly sipped his tea.
“Master,” one of his subordinates said in a low voice, “The enemy Sai Kingdom is preparing to retreat. What should we do?”
“They haven’t retreated yet, have they?” Bai Liyu said calmly.
His collaboration with the Sai Kingdom was originally for the purpose of drawing Qin Xiao into his territory.
Everyone wanted Qin Xiao dead, but no one dared to make the first move and set the stage for his demise.
Bai Liyu was giving them an opportunity, and would wait to see how they would react.
The Wang family was currently unreliable, and it was unclear what other forces were planning. Since Ning-wang would be remaining here for some time, Bai Liyu was in no hurry to take action.
There was nothing wrong with using his own methods once everyone else had exhausted their options.
But when that time came, he would inevitably be forced to take greater risks.
Therefore, if possible, he didn’t want Qin Xiao to die by his hand.
He had previously considered using Moba Zanpu’s help to eliminate Qin Xiao, but now, it seemed that Moba Zanpu was simply no match for the man.
But having said that, the Sai Kingdom Army was indeed not going to withdraw its troops anytime soon.
Gansu was a very important strategic location; if the Sai Kingdom were to occupy this area, it would have taken the first step toward entering the Central Plains.
Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, Moba Zanpu would not withdraw his troops.
His decision to retreat back to the military encampment was actually the wisest choice.
This location was surrounded on both sides by steep mountain ridges, making it truly easy to defend and difficult to attack. Because the terrain was narrower than that of the battlefield, there was no need to worry about being outflanked by Qin Xiao from behind and hemmed in on both sides.
On the contrary, Qin Xiao was the one who should be more wary.
After three hours of fierce battle, both the soldiers and their horses were exhausted and in need of rest.
While the Sai Kingdom army rested and recuperated in their camp, the Great Ning soldiers would be forced to set up their tents again and restart their cooking fires. Relocating was troublesome, and there was no guarantee that they would get sufficient rest. Furthermore, with the dark nights and strong winds during this period, events capable of affecting the course of the battle were highly likely to occur.
Bai Liyu stood and walked out of his tent. Looking at the gradually calming military camp, he then raised his eyes toward the distance.
He could faintly see the flickering lights where the Great Ning Army was stationed. The terrain was higher there, and from such a vantage point, they could observe every movement in the enemy camp.
The rain seemed to be heavier than it was in the daytime, and the cold wind penetrated straight to the bone.
Bai Liyu adjusted his robes, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
By this time, the 5,000-man force sent out by Moba Zanpu should have arrived at the Ganying Post Station.
That was where Great Ning’s military provisions were stored. Bai Liyu had only mentioned it briefly, saying that they could cut off the food supply once the weather dried up, but the impatient Moba Zanpu immediately sent people over, presumably with the intention of taking a more aggressive approach.
Alternatively, they might be planning to raid and steal the grain in order to supply it to their own soldiers.
Bai Liyu was leaning toward the latter option.
*
*
Meanwhile, the 5,000 Sai Kingdom calvarymen had indeed arrived near the Ganying Post Station.
The Ganying Post Station was located in Ganying Village. Due to the small local population, the granaries were practically abandoned, so Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi had stored all of the escorted grain and supplies there.
It was far enough from the battlefield to allow for a timely retreat if something went wrong, yet not so far that supplies couldn’t be delivered readily.
On a low hill outside the village, the leading officer and his troops concealed themselves in the woods and observed the area carefully for some time. When they saw that there were only a few dozen guards, their confidence rose.
At a wave of the leader’s hand, nearly a hundred soldiers dismounted, then stealthily entered the village carrying light equipment.
They proceeded silently, and upon reaching the granary, they ventured inside to verify that there was indeed grain stored there, to avoid any deception.
Shortly afterward, a soldier spotted a fire blazing in a certain part of the village.
This was a secret signal: if there was grain in the granaries and the guards were not a threat, a fire would be set in a random location.
If the situation changed, they would burn down the granary and the remaining soldiers would then retreat.
The fact that it wasn’t the granary that was on fire proved that the situation was safe and that the provisions were still there.
Thus, the leading officer issued a command and led the rest of the four thousand or so soldiers to race into town.
However, as soon as they reached the outskirts, they saw a troop of Great Ning Army soldiers rushing out of the village, numbering two or three thousand men.
The officer’s heart skipped a beat as he immediately realized that he had fallen into a trap. He swiftly ordered a retreat, but another troop of soldiers rushed them from the rear, and they were caught in the middle.
In town, Wang Pengyi arrived at the entrance of the granary and saw that Cheng Shuo had already led his troops to capture all of the soldiers who had sneaked in.
“Thank you for your hard work, Commander Cheng,” Wang Pengyi said. “You’ve been busy all day; leave the rest for this official to handle.”
Cheng Shuo replied cooly: “It was no trouble at all, Lord Wang. We shall take our leave.”
Wang Pengyi knew that the other party didn’t trust him, so he dropped the subject and simply said: “Everything that Lord Ning-wang requested has been prepared. Please take it with you, Commander.”
“Many thanks,” Cheng Shuo said in a businesslike manner, then strode off toward the edge of town.
Behind him, the hundreds of Sai Kingdom spies who had been captured were all having their throats slit by Great Ning soldiers.
Wang Pengyi looked on with a grimace. He knew they were enemy combatants, but the thought that they were merely pawns controlled by others lingered in his mind, and he felt that persuading them to surrender would be better than killing them.
But when it came to military matters, he wasn’t nearly as capable as these commanders. His ideas were also sometimes overly-benevolent and flawed, so he had no intention of speaking up.
Unable to bear the gruesome sight any longer, he turned away and instructed a servant boy: “Have them buried.”
He didn’t necessarily believe in the concept of burial for the purpose of eternal rest, but although the weather had turned cooler, he did worry that so many bodies piled together might rot and spread disease.
*
*
At the Great Ning Military Camp.
Strategist Qian Ziming sat in his tent, his mind racing as he idly toyed with a teacup.
Previously, when he had discussed with Dingbei-wang the possibility of colluding with the Sai Kingdom to lure Qin Xiao here, he and the other strategists had listed all of the possible outcomes and countermeasures and submitted them to the vassal king.
Given the current situation, Bai Liyu would certainly inform Moba Zanpu of the location of the Great Ning Army’s supply depot and try to persuade him to deploy troops to destroy the granary.
But Qin Xiao had apparently anticipated this possibility, and directed Cheng Shuo to guard it.
Although Qian Ziming didn’t know when the commander had departed, he guessed that he had taken around 10,000 soldiers with him, which was a considerable number.
Moreover, given that a formidable military officer like Cheng Shuo had split off from the main army, it was unlikely that his sole purpose was to guard the granary. He must have other tasks to carry out.
Qian Ziming considered the current location of the troops and slowly constructed a three-dimensional model in his mind.
With mountains on both sides, it would be difficult for the nearly 10,000 soldiers led by Cheng Shuo to even attempt an encirclement. Unless Qin Xiao pushed the Sai Kingdom army further into the vast plains, and Cheng Shuo also traveled there via an alternate route and arrived ahead of time, a pincer maneuver would not be possible.
If they indeed carried out such a plan, then the Sai Kingdom would surely meet defeat.
A shrewd glint flashed through Qian Ziming’s eyes.
That being the case, the Sai Kingdom would no longer have any strategic value.
Why not allow Qin Xiao to continue fighting and expand the northwestern territory even further?
At that time, whether Qin Xiao appointed his own people to govern the newly-conquered territory or entrusted it to people from another faction, Bai Liyu would have the opportunity to incorporate this territory into his own fiefdom.
In these turbulent times, the more territory and subjects he possessed, the more resources he would have at hand to establish himself firmly amidst the chaos.
And when the chaos subsided, he would be able to strengthen himself with those resources, pursue opportunities, and ultimately seek out the highest position of power.
It would take Qin Xiao at least two or three months to conquer the Western Regions territories.
By then, the soldiers would be exhausted from intense and prolonged battle, supplies would be dwindling, and Bai Liyu, as well as other factions, would have further opportunities to take Qin Xiao’s life.
This was the optimal solution.
Qian Ziming knew that as long as Qin Xiao revealed his intention to continue attacking the Western Regions, the various forces within Great Ning would not act rashly.
They were playing the same game, and hatching the same plan as he and Dingbei-wang.
Qin Jingzhao and his wife had been discarded once they’d served their purpose, and now it was Qin Xiao’s turn.
Practice makes perfect.
*
*
Back in the capital, Chu Jiubian received a war report from the Northwest even before Qin Xiao’s third confidential letter arrived.
This report was presented at the morning court session by Minister of War Lu Youwei.
It stated that Qin Xiao had driven the foreign army out of Gansu, but he didn’t stop there. Instead, he continued westward, conquering two cities and further expanding the territory of Great Ning.
These few lines of text made no mention of the difficulty and peril involved, nor did they mention the state of Qin Xiao’s health.
But Chu Jiubian could almost imagine the scenario, and he now had a clear understanding of the situation.
With this war report in hand, no faction would dare make a move against Qin Xiao for the time being.
They were all waiting for Qin Xiao to conquer even more territory, and also waiting for him to exhaust himself.
Several censors and other officials spoke up to congratulate the emperor with words such as “Our Great Ning is fortunate,” and “Ning-wang is a valiant hero of Great Ning.”
Chu Jiubian looked down slightly to conceal the chill in his eyes.
What good is it to be a hero of Great Ning if you still die due to political infighting?
Chu Jiubian wasn’t thinking about Qin Xiao, but rather his parents – Qin Jingzhao and Wei Lingyun.
Both the Qin and Wei families came from military backgrounds. During the founding emperor’s reign, the head of the Wei family was granted the hereditary title of ‘marquis,’ which would be passed down through generations, but since then, the Wei family had not produced any military commanders. On the contrary, they had all been scholars, which made the original Marquis Wei seem like a genetic anomaly.
That was, until Wei Lingyun was born.
From a young age, she had displayed extraordinary martial talent. A great many elders said that this was exactly the demeanor Marquis Wei possessed when he still lived, and that Wei Lingyun was destined to bring glory to the Wei family.
Not wanting to delay her progress, her family sent her to the northern frontier and entrusted her to Grand Commandant Qin.
Grand Commandant Qin took her under his wing and provided her with careful instruction.
At that time, Qin Jingzhao was also learning martial arts from his father, the current Grand Commandant, and thus grew up beside Wei Lingyun.
The two were childhood sweethearts. They later married and had their eldest daughter, Qin Feng, followed by their sons Qin Xiao and Qin Chuan.
After that, they also brought their Auntie Wu and her twin girls with them.
However, this once harmonious family found their peace shattered by the appearance of Emperor Yingzong. Unable to remain aloof from political affairs, they were forced into the vortex of the struggle for power.
Chu Jiubian had always suspected that there was something fishy about the deaths of Qin Jingzhao and Wei Lingyun.
He had recently come to suspect that the Sai Kingdom invasion was likely a scheme orchestrated by the Lu family and Dingbei-wang, so he set out to obtain more information.
The investigation didn’t yield evidence of their collusion with Dingbei-wang, but it did reveal traces of their past activities in the Northern Desert region.
Therefore, the deaths of Qin Jingzhao and Wei Lingyun were undoubtedly connected to the Lu family!
Chu Jiubian wasn’t sure how much Qin Xiao knew about this matter, and also didn’t have any concrete evidence, so he could only put the matter aside for now and wait until Qin Xiao returned to discuss it further.
The morning court session was still underway, with everyone in unanimous agreement to support Qin Xiao’s plan to attack the Western Regions and the Sai Kingdom.
Minister of Revenue Su Sheng stepped forward and said: “Your Majesty, the treasury’s funds are insufficient to support Lord Ning-wang’s prolonged military campaign. Imploring Your Majesty to make the decision.”
Bai Lihong looked toward Chu Jiubian.
Chu Jiubian stepped out of the ranks and said: “Lord Su, there is no need to worry. The agreement for the second batch of fine salt has already been signed, and I expect that all parties will pay their deposits within the next two days.”
He had initially planned to sell only one batch of fine salt, but the unexpected outbreak of war in the Northwest had forced him to sell another.
In order to siphon even more money from the Qiu family, he had even bought more wine from the System Mall to give them.
He didn’t buy the ridiculously expensive Maotai wine this time, but rather an ordinary variety, which still tasted much better than the current cloudy rice wine. The Qiu family certainly didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity, and signed a sales agreement at a price that was much higher than that of fine salt.
Su Sheng had previously demanded payment from these people several times, and was growing increasingly proficient at it.
So upon hearing Chu Jiubian’s explanation, he unhesitatingly agreed and went to collect the money as soon as the court session ended.
In order to support Qin Xiao’s continuing war, these families stopped dragging their feet and handed over what was agreed on, not holding any of it back.
After registering the funds, Su Sheng allocated most of the money to Cai Peng, an assistant official in the Ministry of Rites, and tasked him with escorting it.
This was the candidate chosen after Chu Jiubian went over all of the options.
Cai Peng came from a family with a scholarly background, and although they were not quite as prominent as the Wang or Yuan families, they were still quite well-off.
However, he had reached his current position due to his status as a disciple of Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan.
The escort selection process this time was different than it was for the initial batch of military supplies, because this time, whoever got the job would take it seriously.
Therefore, Chu Jiubian had decided on Cai Peng, who was known for his upright and somewhat rigid character. There was also one more reason for choosing him: the Xiao family.
The Xiao family had long been in a state of dormancy, and Chu Jiubian didn’t want to see them remain so cautious and timid. He must make them proud once more.
One’s downfall must be preceded by arrogance.
Only then would further weaknesses be revealed.
After the court session, Chu Jiubian instructed Hong Fu to take Bai Lihong back to Yangxin Hall, while he himself departed the palace.
Wang Qichen hadn’t even opened his own paper shop yet before busying himself with opening the “Nanjiang Silk Shop.”
Situ Zhaoling had received a large quantity of fabric the day before last, which she then delivered to Wang Qichen through the Divine Realm, asking him to help arrange it in the shop.
At that moment, Wang Qichen finally found his opportunity. He said to the High Priest: “This subordinate believes that Grand Tutor Chu may already be aware of your existence.”
In fact, when Chu Jiubian had previously worn Nanjiang silk to the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet, Wang Qichen heard people talking about it and felt that something was amiss. He thought that perhaps the High Priest had obtained such a valuable thing and hastily sent it to Chu Jiubian.
But this was a private matter between the gods, so he couldn’t just ask about it directly. Subtlety was needed.
Chu Jiubian, sitting upon his divine throne, felt as if he was experiencing split personality disorder.
He feigned a moment of silence before chuckling softly: “I knew I couldn’t keep it from him.”
His tone of voice purposely conveyed a subtle sense of ‘helplessness’ and ‘indulgence.’ And Wang Qichen regarded him with a knowing smile and an expression that said, ‘I just knew it.’
Chu Jiubian: “……”
He dug his toes into the ground, but his tone remained steady as he said: “There is no need to mention me specifically when you see him. If he asks about me, simply say that I am in this realm.”
Situ Zhaoling was unaware of the relationship between Chu Jiubian and the High Priest, and although she was confused, she didn’t ask further questions.
She was a playful and unconventional person, but she understood that some things could be made light of, while others could not.
Wang Qichen also didn’t actively engage in gossip, and simply kept the High Priest’s words in mind.
Chu Jiubian left the palace gates and boarded a carriage bound for Splendid Plaza. Today was the opening day selected by Wang Qichen and Situ Zhaoling, and the shop was located the most prosperous location in the city.
Chu Jiubian had decided to go and take a look – and also to meet his Believers in person.
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Neon Dragonfly Translations 