Chapter 57: Forcing the Palace
On the very day of negotiations with Chu Lianmo, the State of Qi announced its withdrawal.
Chu Lianmo’s heroic feat of subduing the enemy without fighting became a popular tale throughout the State of Chu.
When Chu Lianmo led the army back to the capital, Emperor Chu Wen was also very pleased during the morning court session. “Mo’er, how did you do it?”
“How your son did it can be discussed later,” Chu Lianmo smiled slyly. “Father, your son has rendered such great merit for Chu; how do you intend to reward me?”
Emperor Chu Wen said cheerfully, “Ask for whatever you want; Zhen can give it to you.”
“Really? Then your son wants…” Chu Lianmo put away his smile, his gaze suddenly sharpening. He deliberately glanced at Chu Ziqian first before speaking unhurriedly, “The position of Crown Prince.”
“You!” Chu Ziqian’s face instantly turned as black as charcoal.
“…Mo’er.” Emperor Chu Wen also instantly put away his smile. “The position of Crown Prince concerns the foundation of the country; how can it be changed so trifingly? Do not talk nonsense. Zhen can agree to anything else.”
“Heh, it seems Father will not give your son a chance to solve the problem peacefully.”
With a wave of Chu Lianmo’s hand, a group of soldiers swarmed in, completely surrounding the great hall.
Leading them was the Great General, Jiang Zhenxiong.
“Audacious!” Emperor Chu Wen shouted sternly. “You intend to usurp the throne! Jiang Zhenxiong, Zhen has treated you well; do you also intend to join Prince Rui as a traitorous subject?!”
Jiang Zhenxiong said indifferently, “Your Majesty, you have indeed not wronged this subject. However, Chu Ziqian sent assassins to kill his own brother and framed it on my second son. He has also hurt and failed my youngest son for many years… If those were all, perhaps it could be overlooked, but he sold government positions for personal gain, causing countless commoners to die unjustly! This subject absolutely cannot serve such a monarch in the future!”
“Hahaha!” Emperor Chu Wen suddenly laughed loudly. “Jiang Zhenxiong, Zhen did give you military power, but did you think Zhen would let the troops in your hands outnumber the Imperial Guards? Men!”
With Emperor Chu Wen’s command, another group of soldiers surrounded them, forming a standoff with the Jiang family army.
“Chu Lianmo, there is one more thing you probably don’t know, right?” Chu Ziqian suddenly spoke coldly. “This Prince* also has an army.” (Note: As Crown Prince, he refers to himself as ‘Gu’ – The Lonely One/This Prince)
“…Hmm?” These words stunned Emperor Chu Wen first. “Where did you get an army?”
Emperor Chu Wen had always been suspicious; regardless of which son it was, he had never granted them military power.
“Father, please forgive your son for acting on his own initiative. Your son recruited soldiers privately precisely to guard against Chu Lianmo’s wolfish ambition!
“That day, when Chu Lianmo led the Imperial Guards to quell the border rebellion, although he returned the Tiger Tally afterward, the generals and soldiers recognize people, not just tallies. Your son was afraid he would incite them to rebel, so I prepared for any eventuality.”
A thought flashed through Chu Lianmo’s mind. Connecting it to what Jiang Yingnan had once said, he immediately understood—
Chu Ziqian had embezzled hundreds of thousands of silver taels meant for repairing dams, along with the proceeds from selling official positions over the last two years, just to do this.
“Ridiculous, truly ridiculous! I never had any intention of using the Imperial Guards to cause trouble, yet you, as the Crown Prince of a nation, used money squeezed from unjustly dead commoners to recruit private soldiers!” Chu Lianmo accused angrily. “Father, do you really want such a person to become the future monarch of Chu?!”
“…” Emperor Chu Wen was speechless for a moment.
“Father, you should be able to figure it out, right? Big Brother raising an army isn’t just to deal with me. He is afraid that if you ever have the thought of deposing him, these swords are ready to be turned against you at any time.”
“…” For a moment, Emperor Chu Wen also fell into deep confusion.
Chu Lianmo was certainly trouble, but the Crown Prince he had tried his best to protect was by no means a kind soul either.
“Father,” Chu Lianmo softened his tone, “I don’t know if you would have any way to survive if dealt with by Big Brother’s army, but I can promise you: as long as you agree to abdicate, I will let you be the Retired Emperor* and will not harm a hair on your head. Your son hopes this matter can be resolved peacefully.” (Note: Taishang Huang – Retired Emperor)
“Heh!” Before Emperor Chu Wen could reply, Chu Ziqian sneered. “Where do you get the confidence to think that a mere Jiang family army can fight against the combined numbers of the Imperial Guards and my army?”
“Big Brother, this Prince has more than just the Jiang family army.” Chu Lianmo smiled breezily. “The Qi Royal Imperial Army led by the Qi Emperor has not actually returned to Qi. They are waiting right outside the city gates of the Chu capital.”
“What did you say?” Chu Ziqian’s face changed dramatically in an instant.
“Prince Rui!” Emperor Chu Wen was also shocked and angry. “You actually allied with another country to rebel and usurp the throne from your own father!”
“Another country? That is the motherland of my beloved. In my heart, I have long regarded Ah Jun as my wife, and myself as half a Qi person!”
“Actually, it’s more than just that.” Suddenly, someone walked in with a grin. It was Zuo Fei. “Disciples of my Xishan Sect and some allied sects are also outside awaiting Prince Rui’s orders.”
“You people…!” Chu Ziqian was so angry he couldn’t speak. “As members of the Qi martial arts world, why do you care about the affairs of the Chu court?!”
Zuo Fei smiled faintly. “Ah Jun helped our Qi martial arts world quite a bit. Besides, regardless of whether one is from the martial arts world or the court, we are first and foremost people of Qi. How can we allow someone who bullies Qi at will to sit on the throne of Chu?”
“…Forget it… Forget it…” Feeling that the situation was lost, Emperor Chu Wen slumped into his dragon throne. This was likely the last time he would sit in this seat. “Prince Rui, Zhen agrees to your conditions. Zhen can abdicate to you, so you need not bear the infamy of patricide and usurpation, but you must keep your promise.”
Chu Lianmo was just about to nod when he heard Chu Ziqian shout sharply, “Gu hasn’t nodded, who dares abdicate to Chu Lianmo! Li Hui!”
Following his command, a young man looking like a general barged into the hall. “Subordinate is present.”
“Gather the full strength of the army and fight these traitorous subjects to the bitter end!”
“Chu Ziqian, you are crazy!” Chu Lianmo shouted angrily. “You know full well the disparity in strength is vast. Doing this is just sending your men to die for nothing! This Prince already promised Jiang Yingnan to spare your life. I advise you not to resist stubbornly.”
“…” Hearing Jiang Yingnan’s name, a complex expression flashed across Chu Ziqian’s face.
“Big Brother, let it go!” At this point, even Chu Weide dared not resist anymore. He nimble knelt toward Chu Lianmo. “Fourth Brother… no, Your Majesty, spare my life!”
Chu Lianmo glanced at him with disgust. “Men, take him to the dungeon to be dealt with later.”
Then Chu Lianmo looked at Li Hui. “Surrender. Before you make a move, this Prince can pardon all of your crimes, and those suitable can even be recruited.”
“Your Highness,” Li Hui, the commander of the Crown Prince’s army, looked at Chu Ziqian with hesitation. “The disparity in power is indeed too great. I fear fighting will only send the brothers to their deaths…”
“Shut up!” Chu Ziqian interrupted Li Hui furiously. “They say ‘maintain an army for a thousand days to use them for an hour.’ Gu has fed you for so long, and this is how you greedy, fearful cowards repay me?!”
“Subordinate dares not! Subordinate will go lead the brothers to fight immediately!”
Li Hui turned and left.
Then, the Crown Prince’s army and the Jiang family army clashed.
To call it a battle was inaccurate; it was more like a one-sided massacre.
Even Chu Lianmo couldn’t bear to watch, but Chu Ziqian merely watched coldly as his soldiers bled and sacrificed themselves for him one by one.
He was simply unwilling to surrender; he wanted to fight Chu Lianmo until the very last moment.
Until a figure appeared.
It was Jiang Yingnan, galloping in on a warhorse. He held a gleaming silver spear, his long hair tied high in a bun. Gone was the gentle demeanor of a scholar; he was now every bit a valiant young general.
“Chu Ziqian! If you dare let your men harm my Jiang family army even a little, I will personally cut off your head!”
As soon as Jiang Yingnan’s voice fell, his spear drew a sharp arc, cleanly killing a soldier of the Crown Prince’s army.
Having seen Jiang Yingnan’s gentle and refined appearance so often, Chu Ziqian had almost forgotten that he was the son of a general.
“Don’t hurt him!” Chu Ziqian quickly stopped his subordinates who were about to swarm Jiang Yingnan. “Ah Nan, how can you bear to treat Gu like this! You are the person Gu cares about most in this world; how can you unite with others to deal with me!”
Just as Chu Ziqian was distracted, Chu Lianmo drew his sword and stabbed at him without warning.
Chu Ziqian didn’t expect a sneak attack and couldn’t defend in time.
Chu Lianmo’s sword tip stopped just as it touched Chu Ziqian’s neck; it did not pierce him.
He looked at the people of the Crown Prince’s army and said coldly, “Your master has been captured by me. Will you still resist?”
No one dared to move rashly.
Li Hui threw down his spear and knelt. “I beg Prince Rui not to harm my master!”
Jiang Yingnan, however, wasn’t worried about Chu Ziqian’s safety at all, because he believed Chu Lianmo was a man who kept his promises.
He simply stared at Chu Ziqian and said coldly, “Yes, it is I who united with them to deal with you. Did you know? If I hadn’t told Prince Rui and the others about the secret ledger in your room and conspired with them to steal it, perhaps my father wouldn’t have agreed to cooperate with them.”
“…Hahaha… Hahahaha!” Chu Ziqian knew all was lost. Suffering this double blow, he threw his head back and laughed wildly. “My life is truly a joke! The thing I tried so hard to fight for was destroyed by the hands of the person I tried so hard to love!”
Jiang Yingnan didn’t want to feel heartache for Chu Ziqian anymore, but his heart was ultimately stung by those words.
“Chu Ziqian, you brought this on yourself. I once loved you with all my heart, willing to give everything for you, and certainly never interfering with your great cause. It was you who disappointed me again and again until I despaired, forcing me to make this move… Maybe only this way, between us, there might be…”
When he said the words “a sliver of a way out,” Jiang Yingnan’s voice was already so soft that no one else could hear it.
Chu Lianmo raised his palm and struck Chu Ziqian’s crown.
He crippled Chu Ziqian’s martial arts.
He had told Jiang Yingnan that aside from this life, he would leave Chu Ziqian with nothing.
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