Chapter 120: The Court Envoy Arrives at Shuofeng |
Shuofeng had been continuously recovering for nearly a month now.
During this time, the snow had been falling heavier and heavier. There was no energy left to reconstruct the city defenses, but that didn't matter—after all, once Ji Yuan's army had completely arranged everything in Northern Liang, they gradually returned to the State of Qi.
Ji Yuan himself remained in Wuwei to stabilize the people's hearts and the military's morale. After winter passed, he too would have to leave.
During this period, Xiao Qun and Chen Ling continuously transported supplies and military equipment here, providing able-bodied civilians to expand the Shuofeng garrison.
This must have been the Emperor's intention.
This territory was taken by Wei Wusheng, so even the Emperor didn't dare to fight for it.
If he really wanted to compete for it, he would have replaced all the commanders and mid-level officers here.
On the contrary, he deliberately avoided sending civilian officials or generals, only sending able-bodied commoners who could replenish the ordinary soldiers.
Song Shi'an understood the reasoning behind this perfectly well, but it was difficult to state it plainly: Your Majesty also needs to placate Little Wei.
Of course, if the Emperor decided to play dirty, that would also be a headache. Therefore, until receiving explicit permission in person, Little Wei wouldn't return.
Otherwise, if you hit him with "abandoning his post without authorization," that would be another troublesome charge that could be big or small.
Finally, the court's envoy arrived.
The Deputy Envoy of National Trust, Zhu Quan, entered the county office.
Upon seeing him, Little Wei rose from his desk. Song Shi'an, who was seated on the left side, also stood up.
"Your Highness, this is not an imperial edict," Zhu Quan explained with a smile.
The two sat back down.
"Envoy Zhu, please sit," Little Wei extended his hand.
Zhu Quan then sat in the position across from Song Shi'an and said, "Here is a military order from His Majesty, a response to Your Highness's earlier request to return to Sheng'an."
After he presented it with both hands, Xinyue walked forward, received it, then turned and presented it to Wei Wusheng.
After Wei Wusheng opened and read it, he lifted his head with a smile and said, "His Majesty has agreed for me to return to Sheng'an first."
"Then Your Highness, when will you depart?" Zhu Quan asked.
"Then tomorrow, I'll set out together with Envoy Zhu. How does that sound?" Wei Wusheng asked.
"This humble official would be greatly honored," Zhu Quan smiled lightly.
"Then today, let Shi'an properly entertain Envoy Zhu," Wei Wusheng arranged. "Let Envoy Zhu experience Northern Liang's unique local customs and the crisp, sweet Lang liquor."
"Then I shall impose upon Master Song," Zhu Quan bowed to Song Shi'an in salutation.
"Envoy Zhu, please don't stand on ceremony," Song Shi'an returned the courtesy.
Suddenly, Zhu Quan brought up, "I wonder if Master Song still remembers Zhu Chong?"
"Hmm..." After a moment of thought, Song Shi'an asked, "Isn't that Jingming's close friend?"
"Yes, my unworthy son is Zhu Chong," Zhu Quan said modestly.
"I see." Then Song Shi'an introduced him to Wei Wusheng: "Your Highness, Envoy Zhu's son passed the juren examination together with my younger brother last year. He's also quite young with limitless prospects."
"Oh, so he's also an acquaintance," Wei Wusheng nodded with satisfaction and asked, "What position does your son currently hold?"
"At the Imperial Academy. He just advanced to Rank 9 and plans to take this year's metropolitan examination. However, his talent is still shallow and his scholarly gifts aren't particularly outstanding, so I don't hold much hope," Zhu Quan waved his hand dismissively.
"The jinshi examination is too difficult to pass. It's held every two years, with only thirty people accepted each session. Although Si Prefecture has the most acceptances, nearly ten people, Si Prefecture is the center of the realm, the land of Jingzhao. Wanting to achieve a consecutive success as a juren is truly difficult," Wei Wusheng still understood this much.
Juren was just the threshold for entering officialdom.
It was a prerequisite.
And if you wanted to advance quickly, you still needed to pass the jinshi examination.
Because Great Yu was not a unified dynasty, it couldn't allow several thousand juren to waste state resources continuously preparing for exams. So the exam subjects remained those two: lyrical composition and policy essays, making it easier for officials already in service to not expend too much energy on exam preparation while not neglecting their studies.
As for consecutive successes?
Extremely rare.
Someone like Song Jing who became a jinshi at twenty was famous as a child prodigy for miles around.
"I won't force him. Let him work hard," Zhu Quan changed the topic. "How could every family produce a genius like the jieyuan?"
When he said this, everyone was amused.
After the laughter, Wei Wusheng said, "Then Shi'an, you take Envoy Zhu for a good tour, then let him rest well."
"Yes."
Following Wei Wusheng's instruction, Song Shi'an led Zhu Quan away.
Little Wei also returned to the military camp, handling some official duties while waiting for Song Shi'an.
Finally, that night, the other party came to Wei Wusheng's room.
"Shi'an." Wei Wusheng, who had been organizing military affairs at his desk, rose to greet him. "Sit down and talk."
Just like that, the two sat facing each other with a desk between them.
"The situation in Sheng'an right now is somewhat complicated," Song Shi'an said.
"What did Zhu Quan say?" Wei Wusheng asked with great concern.
"This matter needs to be told from the beginning."
Previously, there had basically been no intelligence from Sheng'an, because the eight hundred li emergency courier only reported military situations, and the eight hundred li emergency used relay cavalry in segments rather than coming directly from Sheng'an. What was actually happening in the imperial capital could only be guessed at.
Now that the Deputy Envoy of National Trust had come, the most accurate intelligence had arrived as well.
Of course, the other party couldn't say this openly, so he could only speak privately when Song Shi'an was receiving him.
"Is there much?" Wei Wusheng asked.
"After we seized all of Langya's troops, the eight hundred li emergency returned to Sheng'an, and the next day a court assembly was convened. My father entered the imperial prison at that time," Song Shi'an knew his father had been imprisoned. What he wanted to discuss were the details. "But in the court, when all the officials were strongly demanding strict punishment for me, one person sang a different tune."
"Who?"
Wei Wusheng was extremely curious.
"The son of the Minister of Agriculture, Ye Changqing," Song Shi'an said.
As soon as this name came out, Wei Wusheng's expression froze: "One of the Prince of Wu's people."
"In the court assembly, he questioned the authenticity of the noble families' accusation letter."
"Then that was actively protecting you," Wei Wusheng said seriously.
Don't think that an ordinary sentence in court has no significance.
Those who could attend court were the hundred officials.
But not every one of the hundred officials dared to actively speak.
Ye Changqing's father was the Minister of Agriculture, honored as one of the Nine Ministers. He was currently comforting the farmers in Yi Prefecture, and indeed held high position and great power. But Ye Changqing was merely a Fourth Rank official. At that time, when everyone was cursing Song Shi'an, this humble junior actually dared to talk back.
This was staking his political life to protect someone.
"Moreover, after my father entered the imperial prison," Song Shi'an continued, "His Highness the Prince of Wu personally went to the Court of Judicial Review. After that, my father's case made no progress whatsoever, dragging on until this battle was finished."
"Not only did the Prince of Wu's people intervene, but the Prince of Wu himself personally got involved... No wonder I could feel that the resistance from Sheng'an wasn't that strong." Wei Wusheng had already seen it—within Sheng'an city, the secret struggle between the two noble princes.
It could even be said it had evolved into open competition.
"So in this battle, the Prince of Wu's contribution was also very great," Wei Wusheng nodded. "Including earlier when he exhausted his family fortune to reward the army—all of it was placing his bets on us."
"Yes, and he also received generous returns," Song Shi'an acknowledged.
"Then..." Looking at Song Shi'an, Wei Wusheng seemed hesitant to speak.
"What does Your Highness think?" Song Shi'an asked.
"The Prince of Wu is already illustrious and honored; he cannot be further enfeoffed. What he can still obtain is the Emperor's favor and the allegiance of court factions." Wei Wusheng knew what should be done, but said hesitantly, "But we're supposed to be free of factions and cliques to ease the sovereign's worries, aren't we?"
"But power is born from struggle."
"What do you mean?"
"Your Highness." Looking at Wei Wusheng, Song Shi'an asked, "Can we say anything between us?"
"Since the day we made our blood oath, there has been no more 'you and I,'" Wei Wusheng said solemnly. "Here, there is only Sheng'an."
"Then Your Highness should become part of the Wu Prince faction."
Song Shi'an stated.
"..." Although Wei Wusheng felt resistance, he also knew this was proper and expected.
In politics, the most taboo thing was being ungrateful and disloyal.
If the Prince of Wu invested so much but received no return, others who invested in Little Wei would also withdraw their capital one after another.
"After returning this time, Your Highness will definitely be enfeoffed as a prince—that prince title that rightfully belongs to Your Highness. However, most likely it won't be the most honored single-character great state," Song Shi'an predicted. "At that time, Your Highness's status will be slightly less than the Prince of Su, but somewhat stronger than the Prince of Zhongping."
Currently, the ranking of the princes should be: Prince of Jin slightly stronger than Prince of Wu, Prince of Wu far stronger than Prince of Su. After the Prince of Su, the Prince of Zhongping and Prince of Jiangling were evenly matched, while the Prince of Changsha was young and powerless—his best fate would be to become a carefree prince.
Among them, the Prince of Su was difficult to evaluate.
Third in line, and his maternal family was very powerful, from Duke of Li's lineage. By rights, he should also be a strong contender.
But he was sickly.
Therefore, in Great Yu, only the Princes of Jin and Wu were qualified to compete for the position of heir apparent.
Giving Wusheng a single-character prince title would mean allowing him to compete. Not giving it but still granting real power would mean letting him choose.
Since he was Wusheng, the Emperor wouldn't give him a chance to compete.
"So if I become part of the Wu Prince faction, the Prince of Wu's chances of becoming heir apparent become even higher," Wei Wusheng said.
"At least it becomes fifty-fifty with the Prince of Jin."
Lowering his voice, Song Shi'an said, "And if the military farming succeeds later, at least seventy-thirty."
"I understand."
Wei Wusheng became completely clear.
His joining was equivalent to giving the Prince of Wu another Prince of Zhongping, allowing him to contend with the Prince of Jin.
If the Prince of Wu wanted to be the Emperor's blade, land reform was necessary.
If the Prince of Jin wanted to protect the great families, he had to resist land reform.
If reform succeeded, the Prince of Wu would become the next Emperor of Yu.
If reform failed, the Prince of Jin would become the next Emperor of Yu.
Whether the loser could survive depended entirely on how ruthless their brother was.
But the coerced were different.
If they failed, the coerced were certain to die.
This coerced person naturally referred to Song Shi'an.
"But Your Highness, you being part of the Wu Prince faction doesn't prevent you from simultaneously accumulating strength," Song Shi'an said. "Even if the Prince of Wu truly becomes heir apparent, as long as you preserve your strength, you can still be the most noble among the noble."
Become a Thirteenth Prince, a standing vice-emperor.
As for what came after, it didn't matter—what dynasty didn't fall, what powerful minister didn't perish?
Children and grandchildren would have their own fortunes.
But no matter what, it was far better than Wusheng having nothing at all.
Moreover, right now his strength simply had no way to compete.
With those few troops and no grain, wanting to fight back to the imperial capital and kill all the other heirs—that was childish talk.
"Good, I'll listen to you."
Wei Wusheng nodded, agreeing to all of this.
The two thus settled the matter and continued talking for quite a while.
Very late, Song Shi'an finally took his leave.
Not long after he left, Wei Wusheng ordered the guards to summon Xinyue.
Xinyue, dressed in regular clothes with a sword at her waist, walked before Wei Wusheng.
"Summoning you so late, I've troubled you," Wei Wusheng smiled faintly.
"Your Highness, your heart seems very troubled."
Xinyue saw his heaviness.
Wei Wusheng, his thoughts exposed, lowered his head. After a long moment, he said, "Shi'an's family was protected by the Prince of Wu."
"Mm." Xinyue nodded.
"Shi'an and I both think we should become part of the Wu Prince faction."
After speaking, Wei Wusheng raised his head and asked uneasily, "Will His Majesty give Shi'an to the Prince of Wu? Will he separate me and him, bestowing us separately?"
"..." Xinyue was stunned for a moment, then said rationally, "It's possible."
Bearing this worry, Wei Wusheng looked into Xinyue's eyes and said, "Tomorrow I'll return alone. You and Shi'an will go back to Sheng'an together."
"I obey Your Highness's command."
After Xinyue answered, she also looked into his eyes.
And finally, Wei Wusheng gave his explanation: "Only you are his reason not to leave me."