Sueño de Jiangshan

Capítulo 88

Could it be that Prime Minister Leng has heard about the Empress's suffering three years ago? The entire Jinghe Kingdom is now in his hands. If he finds out how the Emperor treated his daughter, things could get very bad. Thinking this, Eunuch Fu felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly regained his composure and replied confidently:

"This old servant is certain, because those servants were all replaced by Qingfeng at the Emperor's order." To prevent Prime Minister Leng from pursuing the matter of the palace servants, Eunuch Fu explained in more detail:

"Because Consort Shui, who had just entered the palace, went to the East Palace to cause trouble for the Empress. A young palace maid named Qing'er, who was by the Empress's side, pushed Consort Shui to the ground in order to protect her mistress. Consort Shui then had the young maid tied up. This incident happened to be witnessed by the nameless young master who had just entered the palace. He rescued Qing'er from Consort Shui and let her stay in Qingfeng."

It just so happened that the Emperor had been seriously injured outside the palace that day and was recuperating at Qingfeng Pharmacy. It was then that the Emperor learned from Qing'er and the nameless young master about Consort Shui's disturbance at the Eastern Palace. This led to the imperial edict forbidding anyone from forcibly entering the Eastern Palace! Afterwards, the Emperor ordered Qingfeng, who was then acting as regent, to personally find several capable protectors for the Empress to go to the Eastern Palace. That's how the story unfolded.”

After hearing Eunuch Fu's words, a barely perceptible glint of confidence flashed in Prime Minister Leng's eyes. He bowed to Eunuch Fu in farewell and said:

"Thank you for your kind words, Eunuch Fu! We just entered the palace after Her Majesty the Empress fell asleep, and she should be waking up soon. We cannot leave her alone at home for too long, so we will take our leave now."

After saying this, he took Madam Leng's hand and turned to leave. Eunuch Fu was left watching the Leng family's retreating figures, bewildered. He wondered: This Prime Minister Leng rushed into the palace with his family to see him, only to ask such trivial questions, and then hurriedly left. What was going on? Was there some hidden meaning he couldn't see through? ...

Upon returning to the Prime Minister's residence, Madam Leng immediately grabbed Prime Minister Leng's arm and asked:

"Husband, what's wrong with you just now? Weren't you going to ask about Rui'er? Why did you bring up Xiao Jie? Although I am indeed worried about Xiao Jie, isn't it more worrying that Rui'er's life or death is unknown?"

“Yeah! Father, what are you doing?” Yang Tian complained as well.

Leng Xiang glanced at them and said solemnly:

"Go to the study, I have something to say to you."

He then led the way to the study. The other three followed closely behind.

At this moment, the steward received a report:

"Your Excellency, Your Majesty, the Empress's entourage has been arranged. As you instructed, this old servant has already had the West Courtyard isolated."

"Hmm, well done. But make sure the food, clothing, and other necessities for the West Courtyard are prepared according to our standards," Leng Xiang nodded and instructed. He then added:

"Furthermore, starting today, we are closing to all visitors. No matter who comes to visit, we will refuse to see them!"

"Yes, sir, I'll go and inform the gatekeeper right away." The steward replied respectfully and hurried toward the gate.

The family went into the study. Yang Tian, who was at the back, closed the door behind them and hurriedly urged them on:

"Father, please tell me quickly!"

After Leng Xiang sat down in the main seat, he slowly began to speak:

“I know you’re worried about Rui’er. I was worried too. But when I heard that Xiao Jie looks a lot like your mother, I suddenly had a bold guess. I think Xiao Jie might be our Rui’er.”

Leng Xiang's words struck like a bolt from the blue, creating a triple salvo in one fell swoop:

With a loud "bang!", Madam Leng, who was about to sit down in a chair, was so startled by Prime Minister Leng's words that she sat down on the ground.

With a loud "crack!", the teapot in Xingyue's hands, which was brewing tea, fell directly to the ground.

With a cry of "Ah!", Yang Tian reached out to catch his mother, who had fallen to the ground, and also to catch the kettle his wife had spilled, but he caught neither and his hand was scalded by the spilled boiling water.

Yang Tian, trembling with the burning sensation from the scalding heat, called out to Leng Xiang:

"Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? How could you possibly compare Rui'er and Xiao Jie? Do you really think our Rui'er has Xiao Jie's abilities? Let's not even talk about the fact that Xiao Jie and Rui'er are completely different people. Even if our little Rui'er suddenly becomes normal and as smart as my mother, if Xiao Jie is Rui'er, then why doesn't she acknowledge us?"

Madam Leng also came to her senses. She leaped to her feet, darted over the desk, and rushed to Prime Minister Leng's side. Grabbing his collar, she asked urgently:

"You're saying Xiaojie is Ruier? Why? You must have a reason, right?"

“Yes! Dad, please tell me why you think that way. You can’t just say that Xiaojie is Rui’er because she looks like my mother, can you?” Yang Tian urged as well.

Only Xingyue remained relatively calm. Seeing that Leng Xiang was almost suffocating from the tightness of his collar, she quickly said to Madam Leng:

"Mother, you must let go of Father before he can speak!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Leng immediately released her grip, then used her hand to pat Prime Minister Leng's chest to help him catch his breath. After taking a long breath, Prime Minister Leng said:

"Madam, do you remember when Rui'er was three years old and had a serious illness? At that time, all the doctors said that Rui'er was beyond saving. You were so anxious that you were almost going crazy, just then a wandering sorcerer happened to pass by the door..."

“I remember! It was that old sorcerer who brought Rui’er back to life. How could I forget that? But what does this have to do with you, Miss?” Madam Leng interrupted.

"Do you remember what that old man said? He said that our Rui'er is a person of destiny, and it's a good thing that she suffers some hardships in her childhood. When she grows up, things will be different. At the time, we just thought he was comforting us. But now, thinking about it carefully, we feel that what he said makes a lot of sense!" Leng Xiang said with a smile.

"What do you mean by 'not without reason'? I don't understand what you're talking about!" Madam Leng asked angrily, "Why don't you explain it more clearly!"

The two younger generation members were even less able to understand what Leng Xiang was saying.

Seeing that they were all staring at him with wide eyes, Leng Xiang carefully replied:

"You're not connecting Rui'er and Xiao Jie's intelligence issues together. Think about it from other perspectives: why was Rui'er, the Empress, switched for three years without anyone knowing? We initially thought it was Consort Shui. But didn't Eunuch Fu just say that Consort Shui's attempts to cause trouble for Rui'er didn't succeed? And Xiao Jie happened to appear at that time, disguised as a man. Even the Emperor didn't know. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bestowed upon him the title of Prince. Then the Eastern Palace changed its servants, and it was Qingfeng Gongzi who personally arranged it. As far as I know, Qingfeng Gongzi isn't the type to get involved in such matters."

If Young Master Qingfeng wanted to switch the Empress, who was not favored by the Emperor, with another woman for three years without anyone noticing, it would not be difficult at all.

Leng Xiang paused for a moment, seeing that they were all considering it. He then continued:

"There's something else I've never dared to tell you. The reason the late emperor insisted on making Rui'er empress was because he had received guidance from a wise man who said that our Rui'er was the reincarnation of a phoenix. If Jinghe wanted to continue to prosper, it needed a dragon, a phoenix, and a zither. Otherwise, Jinghe would surely perish. This is also the main reason why I didn't fight against the emperor three years ago."

But things haven't gone as the late emperor predicted, have they? Haven't things gotten better these past few years?

“If that’s the case, I really think Xiao Jie is the reincarnation of the phoenix. She’s contributed a lot to Jinghe’s development over the past few years,” Yang Tian interjected, offering insightful advice.

"But that doesn't mean Xiaojie is Ruier, does it?" she murmured.

"We're all just guessing what really happened. Perhaps only Xiao Jie can answer our questions. The key is that the Emperor told me he's fallen in love with Xiao Jie. And only Xiao Jie will bear him an heir. If Xiao Jie really is Rui'er, I'm afraid Miss left the palace because of the Emperor's previous indifference towards her. In that case, the Emperor might not get what he wants." The Prime Minister had clearly already decided that Miss was his Rui'er.

Upon hearing this, Madam Leng immediately retorted in a cold voice:

"Hmph! Whether Xiao Jie is Rui'er or not, I will definitely demand a daughter from the young emperor. He still wants to marry Miss? He's delusional!" She then pointed at the cold prime minister and threatened him hatefully.

"My lord, if you dare to help the young emperor plot against my daughter, I will take her and run away from home. You will never find her again."

One Hundred and Eighteen Wars Begin

On the evening of September 21, Shi Yu's main force had arrived at Qin Town, which borders Xiping. Instead of immediately engaging in battle, they set up camp and encamped there.

Shi Yu arrived in Qin Town two days before the main force. Upon arrival, he immediately ordered the troops originally stationed at the border to seal off the border. He also ordered the people of Qin Town to be evacuated overnight to Dagu Town, twenty miles away. That night, he personally infiltrated Hengcheng to investigate the current military situation in Xiping.

Qin Town is a small town bordering Xiping, less than fifty li (approximately 25 kilometers) from Hengcheng in Xiping. It has always been under the control of Shi Yu's secret forces. This year, it also suffered from drought. However, thanks to a free well-drilling team specially sent by Shi Yu, the local people were able to dig many wells and thus overcome the difficulties.

Shi Yu chose to station his troops here not because it was his territory, but because Hengcheng was the most vulnerable in terms of defense. He had already learned about the situation of the general garrisoning Xiping. The Xiping garrison, which was under the command of Jing He, consisted of four forces, each with approximately 25,000 men. Three of these forces were commanded by renowned military generals with distinguished military achievements in Xiping. Only the garrison commander of Hengcheng was a nobody with only the title but no real power. This man was none other than Batan, the third prince of Xiping.

This man was a drunkard and womanizer, neglecting his duties. He was greatly disliked by the King of Xiping. But no matter how incompetent he was, he was still his son, wasn't he? What father doesn't hope his son will succeed? Therefore, he exiled him to this border city, hoping he could achieve great merit in the upcoming war with Jinghe. This also shows that in the eyes of the King of Xiping, the current king of Jinghe was not respected either. Otherwise, he wouldn't have placed his most capable fifth prince on the border with Beifeng, while sending this fool to the Jinghe border.

After Batnan arrived in Hengcheng, freed from the emperor's control and surrounded by sycophants, his petty vices from the capital quickly escalated into unbridled debauchery. He delegated all military and political affairs to his subordinates, never intervening himself. Political matters were handled by the city officials, while military affairs were entirely entrusted to the adjutant, Duotu. Duotu, in turn, was a greedy and abusive individual.

Relying on the prince's backing, he not only embezzled military pay year after year, but he also repeatedly cut back on the soldiers' rations. In previous years, the soldiers could at least beg from the local people to avoid hardship. But this year, due to a severe drought in Xiping, the people themselves had to leave their homes to beg for food. Where would the soldiers find anything to rob? Therefore, they frequently sneaked into Jinghe territory to steal.

Furthermore, Hengcheng's geographical location is quite advantageous. If Hengcheng is captured first, the various armies of Xiping can be separated and defeated one by one. Then, by circling back from Hengcheng to attack Jincheng, they can coordinate with Xuanyuan's army, which will arrive later, to launch a pincer attack, trapping them like turtles in a jar. This strategic plan was devised by Shi Yu and Xuanyuan long ago.

However, they are now waiting for an opportunity. To put it bluntly, they are looking for a trigger to start this war. The other three famous generals of Xiping have much stricter military discipline. Even if they were to do something petty or underhanded, they would know to clean up the mess beforehand and not give anyone any ammunition against them.

So no matter how you look at it, Hengcheng is the best piece of the pie.

And the third prince of Xiping did not disappoint Shi Yu. Two days after Shi Yu's army arrived, they created an opportunity for Jing He to start a war.

On the evening of September 23rd, a troop of about a thousand men set out from Hengcheng in Xiping, stealthily infiltrating Jinghe territory. They intended to raid Qinzhen under cover of night, hoping to secure enough food for ten to fifteen days. Little did they know, what awaited them this time was not food and women, but rather Jinghe's formidable army of tens of thousands. These thousand or so Xiping soldiers naturally became a clear flashpoint for the ensuing great battle.

At midnight on September 23, Shi Yu led a vanguard of 50,000 men, along with the 12,000 men already stationed at the Xiping border, totaling 62,000 men, and officially marched towards Hengcheng in Xiping in three columns.

Just before dawn on the 24th, Shi Yu's three armies had already surrounded Hengcheng, which was still immersed in its sleep.

As the first rays of sunlight appeared in the east, three deafening explosions rang out from the three gates of Hengcheng. They pierced the morning sky and soared into the heavens, waking the entire city's soldiers and civilians from their slumber. Before the people in the city could recover from the shock of the thunderous explosions, the bugle calls for Jinghe's army to attack sounded simultaneously.

By the time the guards on the city walls realized someone was attacking, Jinghe's army had already flooded into the city like a tidal wave. Jinghe's army immediately launched a fierce attack on the city's key military points and government offices with overwhelming force. The more than 60,000 well-prepared Jinghe troops faced more than 20,000 unsuspecting Xiping soldiers. The outcome was self-evident; victory was only a matter of minutes.

The Third Prince of Xiping, who was enjoying himself with beautiful women in his magnificent palace and hadn't slept a wink, was also stunned by the loud explosions. He was about to ask what had happened when a panicked and sweaty Admiral, Duotu, scrambled into his bedchamber. He was about to erupt in anger, making a move to smash his wine cup, when Duotu knelt down and reported in a trembling voice:

"Report to the Third Prince! Jinghe's army has stormed in! You must flee!"

"Crack!" Batnam shuddered, and the cup in his hand fell to the ground.

At the same time, the group of delicate beauties were so frightened that they covered their mouths and shrank back to the wall, trembling inwardly.

"Third Prince, come with me quickly! As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback!" With that, Dotu got up and headed for Rabatnam.

Although Batnan was a frivolous man, his pride and dignity as the Prince of Xiping would not allow him to commit the shameful act of fleeing without a fight. He kicked Dotu hard and roared:

"Retreat? The battle hasn't even started yet! And you're already thinking about deserting? Don't you know when our Xiping Kingdom has ever had a deserter in its history? Aren't you a military commander? Isn't it your responsibility to fight this battle? I now order you to immediately come up with a strategy to deal with the enemy."

"But, but, Your Highness, the enemy has already invaded the city!" Dotu stammered.

Batnan grabbed Dotu by the collar and lifted him up, demanding angrily, "What did you say? They've broken in? Are all the defenders dead? What about the more than 20,000 soldiers? How did you defend the city?"

"Cough, cough..." Duotu was choked and could not breathe. He struggled desperately and said, "Prince, calm down, calm down. I will go and think of a way to deal with the enemy."

Battnam tossed aside Dotu, whose face had turned ashen, and was about to launch into a tirade when a voice even more arrogant than his suddenly came from behind him:

"There's no need for you, Grand Advisor, to devise a solution! I've already thought of one for His Highness the Third Prince!"

He was clearly facing the door, but the voice came from behind him. He didn't remember any man other than himself and Duotu across the hall having entered the room. And the voice clearly belonged to Jing He. Batnan was startled, then turned around in surprise and asked:

"Who are you? When did you come in?"

"I am your opponent, Xuan Yuan Xiuyu, the commander-in-chief of Jinghe's army! I entered just as your teacup hit the ground," Shi Yu replied with a smile, arms crossed. He acted as if greeting a long-lost friend, showing none of the air of someone facing the enemy commander!

"You are the King of Jinghe? I've heard of you. But what right do you have to start a war without cause? And why haven't you submitted a declaration of war?" A prince is a prince after all. Although he was terrified inside, he still managed to ask the question without changing his expression.

Shi Yuyou raised her eyebrows and stared wide-eyed. She asked in surprise:

"Your Highness, it seems that this question should be asked by me and answered by you! I was just about to ask why your country marched into Jinghe without submitting a declaration of war?"

Batnan was completely bewildered by Shi Yu's words. He looked questioningly at Duotu, only to find Duotu trembling. He immediately understood and asked sharply:

"Duotu, what's going on here? When did I order you to send troops to Jinghe?"

With a thud, Duotu's legs buckled, and he knelt down. Trembling, he replied:

"Reporting to the Third Prince! No, it's not about sending troops. It's that last night a certain Gan family led a group of men to Jinghe to seize grain and provisions."

Before Batnam could speak, Shi Yu preemptively snorted:

"Hmph! You have repeatedly sent troops into my Jinghe territory, burning, killing, looting and committing all sorts of atrocities. Isn't this an open declaration of war against my Jinghe? Since you provoked me first, how can my Jinghe not respond? Didn't your crown prince say something in Jinghe not long ago, 'It is impolite not to reciprocate'? My Jinghe is a land of etiquette, and naturally we will not lose our proper manners."

Batnam already understood the situation. He just needed to shift his gaze. He calmly said:

"War between the two countries is a major event. This incident of looting grain is my fault for not disciplining my troops properly. I am willing to take full responsibility for the soldiers' looting of civilian grain. However, I request that the King of England's army withdraw from Hengcheng as soon as possible. Otherwise, when news of Jinghe's attack on Hengcheng reaches the ears of my other generals in Xiping, my 100,000-strong army in Xiping may simultaneously attack multiple border fortifications of Jinghe."

The first part of his words sounded somewhat submissive, but the last sentence clearly carried an arrogant and threatening tone.

Shi Yu suddenly looked up and laughed loudly:

"Haha...hahaha..."

After his laughter subsided, his face suddenly darkened. His icy gaze pierced Bartnam like a sharp sword. A mocking smile played on his lips as he coldly said: