Hearing Emperor Xia speak of revenge, a sharp glint flashed in Qian Wanguan’s eyes. "Oh? Your Majesty intends to dispatch troops? Has this been decided?"
"Precisely!" Emperor Xia, casting caution to the wind, declared decisively, "Grand General of the Imperial Guard, Tantai Zhan, step forward!"
"I am here!" Tantai Zhan strode in from outside the hall, knelt on one knee, and paid his respects to Emperor Xia.
"I command you to lead two hundred thousand men of the Imperial Guard. Set out immediately, march north, and launch a punitive expedition against the Northern Desert Da Kuo Royal Court. First, you are to capture the true culprit. Second, you are to display our nation’s might. And third, you are to avenge the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Empress, and all the others!"
"I obey!" Tantai Zhan cupped his fist and accepted the order, his face a mask of reverence.
Inwardly, however, he gave a bitter smile. ’Your Majesty, oh, Your Majesty... you’ve fallen for it. You’ve been backed into a corner where you can only use a foreign war to divert from internal conflicts.’
’But what you don’t know is that the Imperial Guard now belongs entirely to the Lord Emperor. Even after we go north, our primary objective will be self-preservation.’
Emperor Xia continued, "As for the Southern Barbarians, I will issue a decree to the Southern King, ordering him to mobilize the Southern Border Army to subjugate the Hundred Races. He must capture the Witch Doctor who administered the poison, destroy the source of the poisonous herbs, and give the Princes, Princesses, and the Empress the justice they are owed."
One decree after another was dispatched. Emperor Xia, who had long been suppressing his rage, was now determined to make the Northern Desert Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Race pay a heavy price.
What he didn’t realize was that he had already fallen into a trap. The true culprits were not the Northern Desert Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races, but the elder Crown Prince, Xia Wuyang, hidden within the Imperial Palace.
But the three major powers responsible for this case—the Imperial Guard, the Shadow Guard, and the Divine Capture Sect—were now all secretly controlled by Xia Wuyang. Emperor Xia was not a particularly clever man; a little deception was all it took to obscure the killer’s identity. Tricking him was not difficult.
Moreover, Emperor Xia had deduced all of this himself. Xia Wuyang had merely arranged for people to nudge things along, which only served to further convince the Emperor that this was all a conspiracy by the Northern Desert Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races.
Even though Sun Wuyang of the Celestial Eye had sensed something was amiss, he was hamstrung by the fact that everyone around him was a spy. He would never have imagined that the revered Grand General of the Imperial Guard, the Shadow Guard Chief Zheng Zhicang, and the head of the Divine Capture Sect’s temporary headquarters—also Zheng Zhicang—were all working for the enemy.
No matter how capable Sun Wuyang of the Celestial Eye was, faced with such a cruel reality, he too had fallen completely into the trap.
Qian Wanguan listened with a smile. Only after Emperor Xia had finished speaking did he cup his hands and say, "Your Majesty is wise. Launching a punitive expedition against foreign enemies to seek revenge is perfectly just. The Celestial Treasure Pavilion is willing to donate one million taels of silver to aid Your Majesty’s military expenses, so that the culprits may be caught swiftly and justice may be served for the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang."
Emperor Xia was taken aback for a moment, then he understood. This was the Celestial Treasure Pavilion’s way of showing support, but it was also an investment.
Once the war began, armaments, provisions, medicinal supplies... every single one of these was a business with exorbitant profits. The Celestial Treasure Pavilion would certainly not let the opportunity pass.
Besides, with the Celestial Treasure Pavilion putting up so much money to support the war effort, how could he possibly give the related business to anyone else?
With just a little effort, the Celestial Treasure Pavilion would be able to earn far more than one million taels of silver from this.
"Shopkeeper Qian is very thoughtful. I will remember the Celestial Treasure Pavilion’s loyalty and patriotism," Emperor Xia said flatly.
"Then, this humble servant takes his leave." Qian Wanguan bowed and departed, his steps much lighter than when he had arrived.
Silence returned to the hall, leaving not a sound to be heard.
Emperor Xia slumped onto the Throne, feeling utterly exhausted in both mind and body, filled with an indescribable sense of agitation.
Using a foreign war to divert internal conflict was one of the most common and most dangerous stratagems in the art of being an Emperor, one not to be used lightly. This was true even though he was more than eighty percent certain that the culprits were the Northern Desert Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races.
If he won, he could naturally rally the people’s hearts and consolidate imperial power. But if he lost... it would be like piling snow on top of frost, potentially leading to the Dynasty suffering a devastating blow, or even risking collapse.
"Northern Desert... Southern Barbarians..." Emperor Xia gazed at the gloomy sky outside the hall and muttered to himself, "You have all pushed things too far. Otherwise, this war would never have happened."
He didn’t actually know who the culprit was anymore, but he had no other choice.
Before long, two hundred thousand men of the Imperial Guard mobilized, preparing to march north.
Outside the north gate of White Jade City, banners and flags blotted out the sun, and a forest of blades and spears stood ready.
A deputy grand general of the Imperial Guard, clad in Golden Armor, sat astride his warhorse. Behind him was a military formation that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The war drums thundered and the horns blew long and loud. The grand army, like a black torrent, slowly began to move north.
They did not carry many supplies; most would be provided by the commanderies and counties they passed through. The Imperial Court and the Celestial Treasure Pavilion were also making preparations and would soon follow with provisions.
The common people crowded the sides of the road, their expressions complex.
Some shouted for revenge, while others worried about another war. But most watched in silence, their eyes filled with numbness and weariness, their faces blank.
For the past several decades, the war between Great Xia and the Northern Desert had never truly stopped, merely varying in scale. This was especially true of the one decades ago, which had claimed countless lives, many of them young, able-bodied men from the Capital City.
Atop a corner tower of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Xia watched the departing army. He felt not a shred of heroic spirit, only a heavy sense of anxiety. This declaration of war had been rather hasty.
If not for the pressing from Prince Zhenxi’s Mansion, Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion, the Celestial Treasure Pavilion, and others, Emperor Xia would not have dispatched his troops so quickly. It was so rushed that they hadn’t even properly prepared the baggage train and supplies.
"Zheng Zhicang." Emperor Xia’s brow was tightly furrowed.
"I am here," Zheng Zhicang responded.
Emperor Xia’s voice was low. "Assign more men. Keep a close watch on the movements of Prince Zhenxi’s Mansion, Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion, the Celestial Treasure Pavilion, and the others. Also... continue the investigation within the palace. I have a feeling the culprit is very, very close to us and will make another move."
"I understand." Zheng Zhicang bowed, a complicated look flashing in his eyes. ’The culprit is right beside you. How could he not be close?’
「Meanwhile, in Wenhua Hall.」
Xia Wuyang was leaning back on a soft couch, listening to the discussions of the Palace Attendants outside.
"Grand General Tantai has already dispatched two hundred thousand Imperial Guards! They’re the elite of the elite of our Great Xia Dynasty. Under normal circumstances, they could take on over a million regular soldiers. With them on the move, the Northern Desert will definitely pay the price this time."
"The Northern Desert Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races have gone too far! There haven’t been any major incidents for decades, and now they suddenly pull a stunt like this. They’ve harmed so many Princes and Princesses, and even the Inner Treasury, the National Treasury, and Qianqing Palace were ransacked. The Empress is suffering a fate worse than death. It’s simply outrageous!"
"The Da Kuo Royal Court is full of savage ambition, and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races keep pushing their luck. It’s high time we fought a proper war, or else I’m afraid they’ll end up destroying this Imperial Palace!"
"But they’ve only prepared for a few days before recklessly sending out the troops. Even if the Imperial Guard is the finest in the world, dealing with the Northern Desert Royal Court won’t be easy."
"Because of Da Kuo and the Southern Barbarians, our Great Xia can’t even select a suitable heir apparent now. Princess Jinping is capable, but she is a woman, after all. Though she’s qualified to be the Crown Prince, she’s still considered a bit lacking compared to a man. I wonder if His Majesty will make Princess Jinping the Crown Prince. Otherwise, there’s really no one else suitable."
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