Back at the royal tent, Geqi and his men stormed in, their faces dark with anger.
"Master, there’s no need to keep pretending to be friendly with Ba-Yun. That man is truly vicious."
Chao Ge pressed his wrist down, signaling for calm. "He is indeed cunning. If we arrest him now and his ties to Wang Xun are exposed, I, as the ruler, will be blamed by the Liang Dynasty. After all, he is a Wugan."
Wang Xun had already rebelled, and if he had association with foreigners, it wouldn’t be too hard not to overthink things.
[A bit confusing to read, but it’s a roundabout way of saying that since Bayun is related to the Wugan Royal family, it wouldn’t be too hard to assume he was working under Chao Ge’s orders]
Geqi, both anxious and furious, asked, "Then how should he be punished?"
"Bindeya has already infiltrated Dezhou. Once Wang Xun falls, we will deal with him."
A shocking event quickly unfolded.
As the smoke of battle spread to the border, Chao Ge sat astride his horse, his expression cold and solemn.
Though it was already spring, the wind blowing in his ears was still bitterly cold, as if carrying whispers of hellish curses.
In the distance, a young girl rode towards them. Boerjin, standing beside Chao Ge, could barely contain his joy and shouted, "Bindeya!" The rider was none other than Boerjin's sister, who was skilled in witchcraft.
Bindeya dismounted and bowed to the ruler. "Xuanfu Envoy Wenshan has completely defeated Wang Xun!"
Bindeya had been placed as a spy within Dezhou. Upon receiving news that Chao Ge was ready to make his move, she immediately contacted the newly appointed Xuanfushi(1), coordinating as an inside agent and launching a night raid on Dezhou. Bindeya devised a plan to lower ropes from the city walls, allowing soldiers to enter. She also revealed the locations of the city's armories and supply warehouses. Once chaos erupted, she swiftly fled the city.
Now, the southern sky was ablaze, likely due to Wang Xun employing huǒ lóng (fire dragons) in resistance. However, this wouldn’t last long—it was merely a futile, desperate defense.(2)
"Has everyone from the camp evacuated?"
"It has been an hour. They should have crossed the river by now."
Chao Ge nodded slightly. "Let's go. We'll return with Ba-Yun's head and offer it to the Emperor of Liang as an apology."
"Yes!" A few men swiftly mounted their horses, their movements clean and efficient. They galloped away, leaving behind Yixian Mountain.
Yixian Mountain, a place divided by a thin line—on one side, the hellish furnace of war, on the other, the rampant spread of plague. Fortunately, the spring wind had finally blown, and the ice was beginning to melt.
In Ganzhou, Bulagan received word that Wang Xun's forces had been defeated, and Chao Ge had narrowly escaped. He was momentarily left without a plan. Knowing that this time he couldn’t escape a certain death, he resolved to go down fighting!
However, just as he sent out assassins to kill Chao Ge, Dai Qing acted swiftly, intercepting and killing them.
Dai Qing wiped the blood off his twin blades, still smiling with an innocent expression, "I've been watching for so long, and you finally made your move."
Bulagan had no idea that the mountain villa he thought was well-hidden had been exposed to Chao Ge two years ago. He lunged forward with bloodshot eyes, eager to fight. Dai Qing struck down with his twin blades, and in a single move, Bulagan’s wrists were split open. He knelt down in agony.
"Master will make the final judgement after he returns. Just be obedient and don't die," Dai Qing mocked.
Chao Ge and his group traveled lightly and reached the capital in just three days. By now, Bulagan was already fermenting in prison.
Chao Lun was excited, but before he could revel in it for long, his older brother crushed his joy with an Imperial decree.
"Since you're already back, why do I have to deal with Ba-Yun?"
Chao Ge calmly took a sip of his tea. "He is from your mother's clan. Handling it yourself will be better for your future succession. It will intimidate people both inside and outside of the Court. And when you marry a queen in the future, it will also prevent your in-laws from interfering in state affairs.
What? You can't do it?"
Chao Lun muttered quietly under his breath, but said nothing.
"The Ba-Yun Clan has lasted for three dynasties and has deep roots. There's no need to wipe them out completely. But if there are marital ties with any other major clans, you needn’t be too lenient. They have been at ease for far too long, and have enjoyed enough of this blessing."
Bulagan was still locked up in prison, but Chao Ge couldn't even be bothered to look at him. In the early days of his ascension, he had to rely on these people’s connections and influence to get things done. But now that Imperial power had been consolidated, there was no more use for these people.
"What about Consort Mother?"
Chao Ge paused at these words. If it were up to him, he would have revoked her title. But Chao Lun and Chao Bao were born of the same mother and shared a close relationship. Doing so would clearly give Chao Lun the reputation of being ruthless.
“You decide for yourself.” Chao Ge didn’t comment further, naturally taking a step back. It made Chao Lun feel relieved.
“By the way, this matter is complicated. Take care of it thoroughly. For major decisions, you can always consult with Cai Dan and the others. If you need more people, feel free to go to Daxi.”
Chao Lun felt a mix of emotions. His elder brother clearly had no hidden agenda in treating him like this, but when he had gotten into trouble before, even Cai Dan had advised him to take the throne as soon as possible.
It was only at this age that Chao Lun realized that it seemed like no one was truly by his brother’s side. His subordinates and ministers were all being trained for the future monarch. Their loyalty to him was based on the assumption that Chao Lun was the sole heir. Can someone in such a position really maintain their pure heart without seeking anything in return?
“What?”
Chao Lun realized that he had accidentally said the question out loud. Half panicked, half ashamed, he looked at Chao Ge.
Chao Ge remained silent for a long time, then pretended to be nonchalant, “I have no ambition for this. Back then, I was forced to take on the responsibility in a time of crisis. Besides, how do you know I don’t have something I desire?”
Chao Ge turned to dismiss him, “Enough. I haven’t recovered from my illness yet, so I need to rest for a few months. You’ve been handling court affairs well. Just keep learning from Cai Dan. That old guy is a bit pedantic, so you don’t need to follow everything he says - be flexible and adapt when necessary.”
Chao Lun took his leave. In a blink, Yan Guan was summoned to the Cheng'en Hall.
“Your Majesty,” Yan Guan bowed formally, his expression calm and composed. But Chao Ge’s heart was already itching like a cat's claws, filled with unbearable restlessness. He had already heard from Chao Lun about what Yan Guan had said when he insisted on coming to Sangta to save him. After thinking it over for quite some time, Chao Ge felt that Yan Guan wasn’t completely without affection for him.
Previously, when Chao Ge had forcibly kissed him, he had indeed gone a bit too far. He expected Yan Guan to avoid him afterward, at the very least. Yet, during their time together in Sangta, Yan Guan’s behavior had become increasingly hard to decipher.
Chao Ge had a vague suspicion.
"Things were busy before, and I never had the chance to properly reward you. Now, since you’ve done a great service by saving me, is there anything you want?"
Yan Guan was silent for a moment, as if he was weighing something in his mind. In the end, he shook his head and said, "My Lord’s recovery is not solely due to my efforts. The Seniors of the Medical Bureau also did their best."
"That has all been recorded by the historians, and I will reward them accordingly. But right now, I’m only asking you—what do you want?" For no apparent reason, Chao Ge felt a surge of nervousness. This was truly strange.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Chao Ge finished speaking, Yan Guan raised his head and looked at him with a complicated expression, as if he had finally come to a decision.
Seeing Yan Gaun suddenly kneel down and bow deeply, Chao Ge had never felt a sight so jarring.
"This humble servant dares to appeal, my Lord, for redress..."
Hearing Yan Guan mention how he had been forced to confess under the threat of death, Chao Ge interrupted, "There’s no need to say more, I know everything." Heaven only knew how furious Chao Ge had been when the case file containing Yan Guan’s life history had landed on his desk.
But at the time, Chao Ge had no grounds to appeal to the court of the Liang Dynasty on Yan Guan’s behalf.
Once again, the hall fell into a long silence. Chao Ge rose and walked toward Yan Guan, suppressing the ache in his heart, and gently said, "Get up, I have something to show you."
Yan Guan stood, keeping his head lowered, and followed Chao Ge to the desk. Chao Ge stood behind Yan Guan and waved his hand to sweep open the case file.(1)
The document read: "The Court of Wugan in Liangzhou relied on unworthy people. Clan member Ba-Yun Bulagan, and his relatives, colluded with foreign enemies to harm the Royal family, leading to the rebellion and harming the diplomatic relations between the two nations. Yan Guan, a medical officer of the Liang Dynasty, saved my life, and I owe him a debt of gratitude. When I think of the cause of the disaster in Dezhou, I feel both ashamed and angry... However, I have heard that there seem to be some unjust elements in the charges against Yan Guan. His only wish is to return home with a clean record. As the ruler of Wugan, I cannot leave this matter unresolved. I hope His Majesty will show leniency towards the crimes in Liangzhou..."
After reading the contents of the paper, Yan Guan’s lips moved, but before he could speak, Chao Ge said, "I'm sorry. I knew about your situation a long time ago but delayed seeking justice for you. One reason was that the timing wasn’t right. At that time, the situation in Liangzhou was extremely unstable. The other reason..." Chao Ge paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse. "I had selfish motives."
Yan Guan repeatedly looked over the petition that was meant to be presented to the Emperor of the Liang Dynasty. In his heart, he thought, why apologize? Chao Ge clearly owed nothing to anyone.
This petition that Chao Ge was preparing to present to the Liang Dynasty Emperor was written with sincerity, even humbling himself. In reality, Ba-Yun Bulagan’s collusion with Wang Xun wasn’t as deep as claimed, and it wasn’t the true cause of the Dezhou rebellion. Chao Ge’s willingness to personally go to the capital with gifts to ask for forgiveness was probably more for his own sake.
Yan Guan was indeed smart, and Chao Ge’s next words confirmed his thoughts. "Once Chao Lun finishes cleaning up, I’ll go South with you. The matter with Ba-Yun needs to be resolved, and you shouldn’t bear this false accusation. As long as I’m here, you have someone to rely on, right?"
Why did the feeling of wanting to cry feel so unfamiliar? Was it because he hadn’t shed a tear since the day he was condemned? Yan Guan clenched his jaw, thinking, why would the heavens toy with him like this? Why drag his name through the mud and then bring someone like Chao Ge into his life? Such a good person...
"Don’t cry," Chao Ge embraced him from behind, "You’ll be home soon. You should be happy."
As soon as Chao Ge finished speaking, he himself couldn’t hold on any longer. It was unbearable. No matter how many times he tried to confess, he still couldn’t make Yan Xiaoguan stay.
Chao Ge stared at the half-exposed porcelain-white neck in front of him, and, with a sudden impulse, he bit down.
Footnotes:
宣撫使 (xuān fǔ shǐ) - Xuanfu Envoys or “Pacification Commissioners” were originally high ranking military officials appointed to monitor the border regions. They were responsible for announcing the power of the state, pacifying the border, protecting generals, and supervising the military.
火龙 (huǒ lóng) - fire dragons were the earliest form of multistage rockets used in post-classical China. Huolongchushui were the primary inspiration for the man-portable artillery depicted in Disney's Mulan films.
The important documents in those days were written on rolled-up scrolls (as you can see in historical c-dramas). So, Chao Ge is sweeping open a scroll to show the redressal appeal to Yan Guan.
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