Eternal Night - Chapter 50
Princess Yuxiu of Chen Kingdom went to Prince You's mansion. If Li Tianyou were to propose to her, with the support of Chen Kingdom, how long could he remain as the crown prince? Tianrui was so angry that he smashed the white jade cup in his hand to vent his frustration.
"My son." Empress Luo, dressed in brocade and finery, stood at the palace entrance and spoke reproachfully.
Li Tianrui snorted, a sinister glint appearing in his handsome features. He waved his hand, dismissing the female attendant.
Empress Luo walked gracefully to his side, glanced at the extravagance of the Eastern Palace, sighed softly, bent down to pick up the broken cup and said, "This jade cup is a specialty of the small kingdom of Xiliang. Only one set was presented as tribute. The Emperor bestowed it upon you, and you do not cherish it? If your father finds out, he will ignore you for three months."
Li Tianrui was filled with rage. He slapped the broken cup out of the Empress's hand and roared, "If he doesn't like me, why did he make me the Crown Prince in the first place?! He ignored me for three months, and hasn't entered Feng Wan Palace for three whole years!"
Empress Luo was furious, her face turning pale with anger after he struck at her heart. Having fallen out of favor, Emperor Yujia only ever visited Fengwan Palace once a month for a perfunctory meal, never staying overnight. She, the Empress, had lost all face. She had hoped her son would prove himself, but Li Tianrui, after being made Crown Prince, had become increasingly tyrannical. How could she not be angry?
Seeing his impatience, the Empress sneered, "With such a lack of progress, I don't think you'll be able to hold onto your position as Crown Prince for much longer!"
Li Tianrui regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Hearing the Empress's reprimand, he stood up, helped her sit down, and gently massaged her shoulders, saying, "I misspoke, Mother, please don't mind. I was worried that Li Tianyou, having obtained the Princess of Chen, would be like a tiger with wings. These past years, Li Tianyou has seemingly stayed in the Prince's mansion, studying diligently, and spending his days associating with those pedantic people. Who doesn't know that he's trying to win people over! Hasn't he secretly cultivated relationships with officials and formed cliques for personal gain? Not to mention, the change in the attitude of Minister of War Guo Qiran was too obvious. Li Tianyou is the most hypocritical person, using his appearance to deceive people into thinking he is gentle and harmless."
Empress Luo sighed, her fingers twirling the tassels on the soft couch, and suddenly said, "Princess Yuxiu is to marry into Anguo. However, none of you three brothers can marry her."
Li Tianrui paused, then turned and stood on Empress Luo, looking puzzled.
Empress Luo gently stroked the exquisite embroidery on the couch and smiled. This embroidery took a year of labor to complete, and only those of the highest status could enjoy it. Without striving, one could not become the mistress of this magnificent hall.
"Does my son know of a Valley of Wandering?"
“I know. Every capital city in dozens of countries has a Peony Pavilion. It's said that as long as you can afford the fee at the Peony Pavilion, you can get the Youli Valley to take on a job. It's a powerful assassin organization that operates across the land, only seeking money and not concerned with politics. Therefore, all countries tacitly approve of its existence.” Li Tianrui finished speaking, his eyes showing surprise. Could it be that his mother, who lived deep within the palace, had entrusted a mission to the Youli Valley?
Empress Luo walked silently down the soft carpet toward the palace entrance. Her long skirt accentuated her pride. "Ten years ago, the Valley Master of Youli Valley personally accepted my mother's commission to place you on the throne of Crown Prince. That commission has been completed," she turned around, the setting sun casting a glow on her, and a smile appeared on the Empress's sharply defined face. "The reward that Youli Valley demanded was the head of Prince Duan."
Li Tianrui's mouth dropped open in disbelief. This...kill Prince Duan? How could that be? If things went wrong, not only would his position as crown prince be in jeopardy, but his life would be in danger. Prince Duan was deeply trusted by the emperor, wielded immense power in Anguo, and had a multitude of experts in his palace. Prince Duan himself was also a master of martial arts. How could anyone possibly take Prince Duan's head?
Empress Luo looked out of the palace. The sky was ablaze with colorful clouds, and the palace shone brilliantly in the sunset—what a beautiful place! But the sunlight would eventually fade, and darkness would engulf everything. She knew very well what the consequences would be for failing to pay the fee. "Mother is not a fool. She made it clear long ago that she would never kill Prince Duan. Youli Valley is fair in its business dealings; they only made one condition: that they send the right person at the appropriate time. And now that person has arrived."
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A day later, a servant from the manor entered the Wanyu Courtyard to report: "Young Master, the imperial decree has arrived."
Yongye was still recuperating when he heard this, and asked in surprise, "An imperial edict?"
"Yes! His Highness instructed the young master to go immediately."
Yongye responded, changed his robes, and went to the main hall. His father, the king, didn't use illness as an excuse; what could it be?
After the imperial decree was announced, Yongye was dumbfounded. He was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies and was to be the chief envoy to negotiate with the State of Chen. What was he supposed to negotiate?
Prince Duan kept him in the study, frowning as he said, "This is a request from the State of Chen, who says they were defeated by me and are willing to negotiate with you."
Yongye suddenly realized, remembering Princess Yuxiu. How could she have guessed that he was the one who took the jade pendant? And what was her purpose in having him lead the conversation? Yongye shook his head slightly and said, "Father, don't you know? Princess Yuxiu of Chen Kingdom has come to the capital. Yesterday, she had a quarrel with Qiangwei at Prince You's residence." He then recounted in detail the incident that had occurred the previous day at Prince You's residence, where the two had argued over a poem.
Prince Duan snorted and pointed at him, saying, "You... brat! If it weren't for you, how could Rose have written such verses?! You're clearly just looking for trouble!"
Yongye chuckled, "I was curious about why the Princess of Chen was at Prince You's residence after seeing the jade pendant on her waist. It would be good to probe her situation. Chen wants me to be their chief negotiator. Father, what conditions do you want? Yongye will definitely help you get them!"
Prince Duan was both angry and amused. He pointed at him for a long time, but the words that came out of his mouth were a soft "Just don't embarrass me."
"Father, what do you think is the purpose of Chen bringing Princess Yuxiu to the peace negotiations? I don't believe she's just here to sightsee in the capital. She's skilled in martial arts." Yongye stopped joking and asked seriously.
Prince Duan thought for a moment and said, "Regardless of the purpose, the State of Chen must cede a hundred li of land south of Sanyu Pass. The rest is up to you."
For a hundred miles south of Sanyu Pass, there were still towering mountains and steep ridges. An State held Sanyu Pass to block Chen State, while Chen State also relied on these hundred miles of mountains to resist the enemy. The two countries engaged in a tug-of-war within this hundred-mile stretch of land.
Chen Jun constantly coveted the strategically important Sanyu Pass, hoping to open the southern gateway to Anguo. Meanwhile, Anguo also longed to break through the hundred-mile barrier at Sanyu Pass and advance into Chen. This time, when Chen Jun invaded Sanyu Pass, Prince Duan pursued the retreating enemy and occupied fifty miles of mountain ridges. However, Chen had been building its defenses for a long time, and Anguo's prolonged presence was not a viable strategy.
Yongye sighed and asked again, "What if they refuse?"
Prince Duan smiled and said, "Compensate me with 100,000 taels of gold, 500,000 taels of silver, 100,000 catties of pig iron, and 1,000 dan of silk..."
With each sentence he spoke, Yongye would take a breath. After the Prince of Duan finished reading, he murmured, "Father, I'm afraid I can't handle this. I'm not going." With that, he threw the imperial edict on the desk, turned around, and left.
Prince Duan did not stop him, but sighed and said, "Disobeying the imperial decree will result in the extermination of nine generations of your family. Father and the Emperor are brothers, so exterminating your family would be pointless. Go to the palace to apologize. Even if you have to be punished, make the Emperor rescind the decree."
Yongye cursed inwardly, thinking, "If I wanted to say something, I should have said it sooner. Why wait until the imperial edict is issued?" He wondered what his father and the emperor were up to, agreeing to let him be the instigator. He grinned and went back, picking up the imperial edict and putting it in his pocket: "What rank is the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices? What is his monthly salary? How much?"
Prince Duan was stunned, then laughed and scolded, "A fifth-rank official, with a monthly salary of fourteen shi!"
Yongye laughed, "If I eat sparingly for a year, I can still save the manor a lot." After saying that, he left triumphantly.
His eyes revealed tenderness; this child, though stubborn, was soft-hearted and always warmed his heart. He gazed at Yongye's retreating figure and said softly, "Northwest of Sanyu Pass lies... Youli Valley."
Yongye was startled, glanced back at Prince Duan, and nodded. Could it be that his father suspected Youli Valley was connected to the Chen Kingdom, which was why he agreed to let him investigate? If Youli Valley was indeed involved with the Chen Kingdom, and he was the chief negotiator, Youli Valley would take action. Who was more cunning? Yongye felt he was still inferior to Prince Duan and Emperor Yujia.
Cannot go back to the past
Yongye did not rush to take office, but remained recuperating in a bamboo chair. He was waiting, waiting for the answer he envisioned.
As soon as the imperial decree was issued, Li Yannian, accompanied by Lan Cui, hurriedly arrived at Wanyu Courtyard with the dishes he had prepared for Yongye.
Yongye's face was even more haggard than flower petals covered in mud. He lay on a bamboo chair, covered with a blanket. Li Yannian could tell at a glance that he was truly pale; he hadn't used the skin-changing medicine given to him by Yuepo. Li Yannian frowned, his question not touching upon Yongye's role as the chief negotiator with Chen. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he said softly, "This is the first time you've failed a mission! Minister Guo's injuries aren't serious!"
"I thought that if my master had at least asked me if I was injured, it would have moved me as his disciple even more," Yongye said with a faint sarcasm. His voice, however, was weak and feeble.
"Injured?" Li Yannian frowned.
"Twenty experts, plus Feng Yangxi, Master, Xinghun is not a god."
Li Yannian pondered for a moment and said, "Could someone have leaked the news? How did Prince You and Feng Yangxi know that you were going to assassinate him? Prince You came to the Prince's residence that night to see the Prince. Could it be that he came to tell the Prince about this matter..."
Li Yannian didn't continue, but Yongye thought bitterly to himself, this is the price of being a traitor. It was he who told his father this news, allowing Prince You to make preparations in advance, not only sending experts from the Prince's mansion but also inviting Feng Yangxi. It's a pity that after setting up such a trap, Prince You actually rushed back to the mansion to prepare an ambush. And he even poisoned himself.
He said lazily, "Does Prince You have spies in the valley? Master, I have a one-way communication with you, but I think I saw Yuepo at the teahouse that day. Yuepo is here, but what about Hongyi Yingyu Riguang? Have they also left the valley? I remember there were fifteen children back then."