novelraw Chapter 379
Chapter 379
Yan Zheng did not even look at her, his voice cold as he commanded, "Someone, take him away."
Qu Jiang fell to his knees with a heavy thud. "My Lord! Even if you wish to punish me, I must speak! This Lady Chu is not fit to be the mistress, and she will only hinder your great cause! Back in the outskirts of the capital, you severely depleted your vital energy by rushing back to save her, even missing the best opportunity to crush the West Mountain Camp. I could see then that this woman would only bring you harm!"
"One who aims for greatness must not be tethered by petty romantic feelings! Once you have seized the world, what kind of woman could you not have? Why must you trap yourself because of her? Furthermore, I have heard that her lineage is suspicious; she is very likely a remnant of the former—"
Before he could finish, Yan Zheng barked an interruption, "Meng Yang, are you a dead man?"
Meng Yang was so startled that he quickly covered Qu Jiang’s mouth and dragged him away.
Qu Jiang struggled desperately. Just as he was being hauled out of the tent, he managed to break free for a moment and let out a final roar: "A femme fatale! She is a beauty who brings ruin, My Lord!!"
A dead silence fell over the military tent. The army physicians trembled, not daring to make a sound.
Yan Zheng gave a wave of his hand, and they fled as if granted a divine reprieve.
Finally, only the husband and wife remained in the tent.
Chu Ruoyan gazed at Yan Zheng, her hands and feet feeling ice-cold.
After a long silence, she heard him speak softly, "Ayan, let me explain..."
"Fine. Tell me."
Yan Zheng was momentarily stunned. He grasped her hand and said, "My return last time was indeed too rushed, and it took a toll on my health, but after these few days of recovery, it is no longer an issue..."
"Is it really not an issue?" Chu Ruoyan looked steadily into his eyes.
Yan Zheng knew he could no longer hide it. He unfastened his armor, revealing several marks on his chest from acupuncture needles. "I am not hiding it from you. The doctors have already seen to it. With acupuncture and medicine, they say I will be fully recovered after a few days of rest. Qu Jiang mentioned earlier that I did not attack Taizhou for this reason. Do you believe me now?"
Chu Ruoyan nodded and buried her face in his chest. After a long while, she spoke in a muffled voice, "I knew it. Hurrying back and forth like that was bound to cause trouble... Yan Zheng, promise me that you won't push yourself like this ever again, alright?"
The man instinctively started to say yes, but she pressed her fingers against his lips. "Don't just placate me. Look at what happened this time; at the slightest hint of trouble concerning me, you rushed back from Xuzhou City again. Yan Zheng, I stayed behind because I wanted to help you, not to become a burden. You must also give me a basic level of trust. At the very least, believe that I won't be so easily harmed, alright?"
Yan Zheng was slightly dazed. Looking at the woman’s shimmering, watery eyes, he could not help but lean down to kiss her. "Alright."
The next day, Qu Jiang attempted to take his own life in his quarters.
He was stopped in time by Shadow, but he still managed to slash his throat, leaving him unable to make a sound.
Yan Zheng walked in and said indifferently, "Qu Jiang, you took it upon yourself to harm the mistress. I cannot keep you. But out of consideration for our brotherhood in arms, I will not kill you. Since you are so fond of the Pei clan of Yuzhou, you shall go and serve under them instead."
Qu Jiang’s eyes filled with terror. To men like them, being forced to switch allegiances was synonymous with betrayal; it was a fate worse than death!
He immediately tried to smash his head against the corner of a table, but he was held back by Meng Yang. "Vanguard Qu, why go to such lengths? The Young Master said he wouldn't kill you, so you must live well. Otherwise, what will happen to your elderly parents?"
Qu Jiang’s expression changed drastically, and he made whimpering, gurgling sounds from his throat.
Meng Yang continued, "Out of consideration for your past loyalty, the Young Master has already sent word to the Pei family. He has also sent both of your parents there. From now on, you can settle down and be a guest retainer for the Pei family in peace."
Qu Jiang’s face turned ashen. He never imagined that Yan Zheng would force him to live out his days in such a wretched, lingering state!
No wonder Old Xu had warned them before that while the Master was usually lenient, his reverse scale would provoke a thunderous rage!
But why? Why was Chu Ruoyan the Master’s reverse scale?
Qu Jiang was led away, his eyes full of resentment. Yan Zheng dusted off his sleeves and said calmly, "Announce this to the entire army. In the future, if anyone else acts on their own authority, they won't need to go to the Pei family. They will be sent directly back to the capital."
The Murong family currently hated them with a passion. Being sent back there would be walking straight into a death trap.
Meng Yang’s heart shivered as he accepted the order.
Meanwhile, the imperial court was equally unsettled.
The Emperor looked at the pleas for reinforcements from the commander of Taizhou, which were flying in like snowflakes. He slammed his hand against the dragon throne with a thunderous crack. "Speak! All of you, speak! If Taizhou is lost, they will be at the gates of the capital in no time! Each of you enjoys the court's salary, yet now you have all turned into mutes?"
The officials fell to their knees in a wave. "We are incompetent. We beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness."
"Forgiveness, forgiveness! All you know is to beg for forgiveness! What use do I have for a pack of good-for-nothings like you?" The Emperor said in a fit of rage, "Each of you must come up with a solution today. If you cannot, you shall die!"
Lately, an untold number of people had been executed in the court, and the ministers were terrified.
Duke Zou said, "Your Majesty! This old minister believes we should send reinforcements to Taizhou!"
"Fine! Then who shall we send?"
"This..." Duke Zou turned around, only to see the few remaining military officers kneeling on the floor, each hanging their head lower than the last.
Prince Yu suddenly spoke, "Imperial Brother, I recommend someone: Su Tingjun, the Vice Governor of Shuntian Prefecture!"
The Emperor was taken aback, then clapped his hands. "Good! Prince Yu’s suggestion is excellent! Minister Su already has a blood feud with the rebel Yan. If he leads the army now, he will surely be able to slay the traitor for me!"
Gu Sun and the others, however, had eyes full of worry.
After the court session dismissed, he gathered Cao Yang, Grand Tutor Rong, Old Censor Yu, and others at his residence.
"Senior Grand Secretary Cao, in your opinion, is there still any room for mediation in this war?"
He asked about mediation, not whether Su Tingjun could win.
This was because everyone present knew in their hearts that no matter how capable Su Tingjun was, he could not possibly defeat Third Yan, who had emerged from a sea of blood and mountains of corpses.
Senior Grand Secretary Cao remained expressionless. "The Emperor acted willfully and moved against County Princess Changle. This war is now unavoidable."
Grand Tutor Rong let out a long sigh. "But no matter the reason, one cannot simply rebel. How will the history books record him in the future?"
Senior Grand Secretary Cao shot him a look. "The Grand Tutor is mistaken. Since when has Third Yan ever cared about the opinions of others? Forget the future; he doesn't even necessarily care about the present."
Old Censor Yu let out a cold laugh. "Good! It’s for the best! Look at what the capital has become. People are dying every few days! Moreover, while the generals were out fighting, the Emperor turned around and wiped out their entire families. If Third Yan didn't rebel, he would be a man without spirit!"
They all knew that the old matriarch of the Mei family was his own sister. Tragically, when she was executed, the old Censor was unconscious and unable to save her, leaving him full of regret and fury!
Seeing that Gu Sun and Grand Tutor Rong remained silent, Senior Grand Secretary Cao waited a moment before speaking slowly, "Gentlemen, though I shouldn't say this—the talents we possess are not meant for loyalty to a single person, but to be loyal to the world and bring peace to the people! The livelihood of the people is the true foundation of the nation. We must not let ourselves be blinded by a single leaf!"
He was the one who had received the most imperial favor, yet at this moment, he was the most clear-headed.
Grand Tutor Rong’s gaze darkened as he sighed. "Who doesn't know that? The Emperor lacks great strategic vision; it was only because he could broadly accept counsel in the past that we had such a long period of stability. Unfortunately, he can no longer listen to anyone now. On the other hand, Third Yan..."
Speaking of this son-in-law's younger brother, Grand Tutor Rong’s eyes flickered again, but in the end, he did not continue.
In terms of governing the realm, Third Yan was far superior to the man currently occupying the throne. Looking solely at his achievements during his time as Senior Grand Secretary, he was a master of utilizing talent and fostering unity among the officials—a level of excellence that even Gu Sun had failed to reach during his tenure as Prime Minister.
A deathly silence fell over the courtyard, suddenly broken by a servant who rushed in. "Master, messengers have arrived from the palace! They request that you all return immediately!"
Gu Sun was startled. "What is the matter? Why such haste?"
"It seems Lord Su of the Shuntian Prefecture has been struck by a sudden illness. He can no longer take command of the army or depart for the campaign!"