The Demon Lords

Chapter 554 58 Prince_3

If the Earl of North Border is not at the coronation ceremony, then Lord Jingnan definitely cannot be there either; otherwise, one side will be seen as suppressing the other.

"Although this coronation ceremony seemed somewhat rushed, there should have been signs long ago that Yan's Second Prince would enter the East Palace. He hasn't officially been the Crown Prince, yet he's effectively held that status for several years now. Brother Zheng, why do you specifically ask me about this?"

"Just chatting."

"Really? The Yan Emperor has six adult sons. The Eldest Prince, Ji Wujiang, is in Beifeng Prefecture. The Second Prince is succeeding as the Crown Prince. The Third Prince was deposed by you, Brother Zheng. The Fourth Prince has military backing from the Deng Family. The Fifth Prince is quite unremarkable, while the Sixth Prince is the Yan Emperor's least favorite. Allow me to be bold and ask, Brother Zheng, could it be that you also have a side you favor in this struggle for the throne?"

"To be honest with you, Master Yao, I do indeed."

"Oh? Can you tell me?"

"The Eldest Prince, Ji Wujiang, is my benefactor."

"This... When I read your 'Zhengzi Art of War,' I made specific inquiries about your past, Brother Zheng. I found out you once saved the Sixth Prince?"

"Yes, the Sixth Prince recommended me to the Eldest Prince."

"Truly?"

"Absolutely true."

Yao Zizhan laughed. "It's rare for Brother Zheng to be so honest. It surprises me a bit."

"I'm the type who likes to keep accounts. Money in, money out; a clear ledger puts my mind at ease. But some debts are truly hard to calculate—debts of human connection."

"I understand. I'd actually like to add another debt of human connection to your ledger, Brother Zheng. But frankly, this is ultimately a domestic affair of your Yan State. Even if I have some intelligence, it's nothing more than information relayed by the Silver Armored Guard—details already common knowledge throughout our Qian court. However, there is the Third Prince, the one you personally deposed, Brother Zheng. He did indeed show a strong inclination towards culture and learning."

"Is that all?"

What the hell? You're telling me now that the Third Prince was so culturally influenced by you he became a Qian enthusiast? What use is that?

"Shall I invent some more for you?"

Zheng Fan shook his head. "I want to hear Master Yao help me with an analysis."

"Hmm? Brother Zheng, forgive my frankness. With the Second Prince entering the East Palace to become the future ruler of Yan, and you being Lord Jingnan's man—Lord Jingnan who is the Second Prince's maternal uncle—you don't have to do a thing. Future success and prosperity are already laid out before you."

"Master Yao, that's not entirely sincere."

Yao Zizhan paused for a moment, then lowered his head to take a sip of tea and said, "Tian Wujing... he will not meet a good end."

Zheng Fan fell silent, tapping his fingers lightly on the tea table.

"Unless Tian Wujing becomes emperor, he will absolutely not meet a good end. Yet, he's the one least likely to rebel, so..."

"As for the future, who knows?"

"Hehe, Brother Zheng, do you know what Emperor Jin and my own sovereign have both lamented? Do you know what it is?"

Zheng Fan remained silent.

Yao Zizhan answered his own question, "Why don't I have a Tian Wujing by my side."

"Coincidentally, I often dream about why I don't have a hundred thousand cavalry by my side."

"Brother Zheng, do you remember when I asked you in the Skybreak Mountain Range if the Yan Emperor had any health problems?"

"I remember."

"Actually, Brother Zheng, you've misunderstood. You might think that if the Yan Emperor's health falters, it would be advantageous to our Qian. But in reality, what our Qian fears is precisely that—the Yan Emperor having health problems!"

As a minister of an enemy state, fearing the health problems of the opposing monarch is unusual. Generally, such fear would arise only if that monarch were a fatuous ruler. But on the contrary, no matter how you look at it, the Yan Emperor is far from incompetent. You might say he's somewhat aggressive in his military campaigns, but he has already conquered half of the Jin State. It's like comparing Emperor Yang of Sui with Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Yongle; all were somewhat militaristic, but only the former lost, and thus his reputation was ruined.

"Your Yan State's Second Prince is a ruler who maintains the status quo, not an ambitious, pioneering sovereign."

"The Silver Armored Guard knows even this?"

"Whatever books the Second Prince has read, whatever articles he has written, whatever actions he has taken—as long as it can be investigated, it's collected and sent back to the imperial capital. The Silver Armored Guard has specialists who analyze and summarize this for our sovereign. I am among them."

"I'm telling you, if you Qian people could divert the effort you put into running spies towards reorganizing your military, you wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat last time."

Yao Zizhan ignored Zheng Fan's taunt and continued, "The Yan Emperor intends to accomplish in his own lifetime what should rightfully take three generations."

Saying this, Yao Zizhan extended his fingers and began to slowly count.

"Logically, curtailing the power of the great families and centralizing authority is the work of one emperor.

The next emperor can then strengthen the military and wage war abroad.

And the emperor after that can build on these achievements and strive for dominance in the East.

Ji Runhao wants to accomplish all of this in one go. He doesn't just want to leave his descendants a unified East and a new Xia; at the very least, he aims to crush the other two nations and establish the Yan State as the undisputed primary power in the East.

Originally, there should have been at least five, or even ten, years for recuperation and consolidation.

Yan State could have completely assimilated the New Jin territory. You must remember, the knights of the Three Jin were genuinely formidable. If the Yan State could also raise a large field army in the Jin land, then if they were to march out with three cavalry armies, who could possibly contend with them?

Of course, our Qian State could also have caught its breath. Using the wealth from Jiangnan, we could have reorganized our forces and strengthened our defensive lines. The internal strife in the Chu State would likely have ended by then too. At that point, an alliance between Qian and Chu against the Yan State would have made the outcome truly uncertain."

"So?"

"So, if the Yan Emperor's health truly falters, a new round of warfare could begin within a year. He wants to see his Yan cavalry breach our Qian State's imperial capital while he is still healthy. At the very least, he wants to crush our Qian State as he did the Jin State, leaving us with only half our territory. This is the Son of Heaven's obsession, his Internal Devil. I may not understand military matters, but I am skilled at fathoming the hearts of men."

Zheng Fan yawned and said, "Master Yao, you've gone off-topic."

"I have already answered."

"Tsk, where?"

"If the Yan Emperor remains healthy and without issues, then a ruler who merely maintains the current state of affairs would suffice. The Crown Prince's succession to the throne would be a certainty. However, if the Yan Emperor's health falters and he is compelled to launch another war…"

Yao Zizhan closed his eyes at this point.

"Still keeping me in suspense?"

"I'm not keeping you in suspense, but... hehe. If the Yan Emperor is forced to launch another war, and if it goes as smoothly as last time, directly shattering our Qian, then that would be one thing. It would simply mean our Qian is truly beyond help, and you Yan people are indeed favored by destiny. But if our Qian State manages to endure…"

Here, Yao Zizhan slowly opened his eyes. They were somewhat bloodshot, and his breathing grew heavy. He said slowly, "Then the Yan Emperor will install the prince who most resembles him to take over this chaotic situation. He will gamble the National Destiny and continue the fight until one side completely collapses. Because in a war of National Destiny, there is no retreat."

The prince most like him? Zheng Fan stroked his chin, his mind racing.

Yao Zizhan drained his teacup. "Forgive my frankness, but among the six adult princes, based on the available information and my analysis, the one who most resembles the Yan Emperor should be…"

Yao Zizhan gave Zheng Fan a thumbs-up.

Zheng Fan, raising his hand, quietly tucked his little finger back, leaving only his thumb extended.

The two thumbs met in a moment of silent understanding.

Yao Zizhan stood up, clapped Zheng Fan's shoulder, and said earnestly, "Therefore, Brother Zheng, that connection you have with the Eldest Prince—you absolutely must not let it break. You need to visit him more often."

A look of understanding spread across Zheng Fan's face. He rose and bowed to Yao Zizhan. "Thank you for your teachings, Master Yao."