Chapter 83
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In the court, many people had spent decades navigating the treacherous waters of politics, they were all seasoned, cunning individuals who knew how to adapt to the changing tides. They could sense which way the wind was blowing.
Now that the Emperor had made up his mind and issued the decree to dispatch the Imperial Guards to rescue Duan Wang, who was, after all, a member of the Imperial family, it wasn’t worth causing further turmoil by opposing it. In the grand scheme of things, protecting a prince who was far away on the border and posed no significant threat to anyone’s interests was not worth risking their positions and influence.
As for the argument about tradition, the Emperor had already broken with tradition in the past to maintain stability on the border. He had allowed the practice of sending princesses to marry foreign rulers to continue, even though it undermined the prestige of the Great Yan Empire. So, challenging the Emperor’s decision on this matter was unlikely to bear fruit.
Regarding other minor matters, nobody had dared to engage in foreign trade outside the established norms of the traditional system. But now, Duan Wang had personally sought permission to lead a trading caravan. This venture was intended to connect the Great Yan with various Western Regions, fostering trade and relations.
Initially, there were voices of dissent, claiming that a prince competing for profit with commoners and engaging in trade with barbarian tribes in the west was detrimental to the Empire’s dignity. However, those who spoke up found themselves either silenced or sent into exile to remote posts. This was a clear message from the Emperor: dissenting voices would not be tolerated, and if you didn’t like it, you could go away for a few years to think it over.
After using this as a warning to deter opposition, the voices of dissent indeed diminished significantly. Although there were murmurs of discontent, most either kept their feelings to themselves or vented their frustrations privately.
Following that incident, both within the imperial court and throughout the nation, it became clear that Duan Wang was not someone they could easily influence or manipulate. Since Duan Wang was granted the title of Duan Wang of Liangzhou, there had been ongoing conflicts and turmoil in the borderlands. As the years went by, doubts persisted about whether Duan Wang could ensure his own safety in such a tumultuous region.
However, this Duan Wang had indeed brought some excitement to the table. The exotic goods from the Western Regions transported by the last trade caravan into the capital had become incredibly sought after. The Crown Prince, who managed the trade, made a fortune, who could help but envy him? Now, if you were to inquire among the noble families in the capital, which one of them didn’t possess at least one or two items from the Western Regions? Displaying these treasures during social gatherings was a matter of prestige, anyone who saw them couldn’t help but feel envious. These items had become symbols of status, and no amount of silver could buy them for ordinary people.
The majority of these influential individuals didn’t want Duan Wang to face any trouble. If he did encounter misfortune, how would they ever lay their hands on those precious goods again? Some who had substantial family assets were secretly considering whether to send their sons or nephews on a similar trading venture. Perhaps they too could achieve something significant. However, they knew that careful planning was essential, and they needed to hitch their wagon to the Crown Prince’s boat.
As a result, everyone harbored their own hidden agendas stopped openly opposing the Emperor’s decision. This matter, which seemed to contradict the established system, was settled quite easily.
When the current state of affairs reached Imperial Concubine Hui Palace, Imperial Concubine Hui was so infuriated that she smashed a set of blue and white porcelain on the spot.
Initially, when the news about Ming Yu had come out, Imperial Concubine Hui was thrilled. She had always maintained that barbarians couldn’t be trusted. She regretted that he was not killed on the spot. Surely, he couldn’t escape once he entered the territory of Suixi Kingdom, right? This was the happiest news she had received in months.
This young brat, who had helped the Crown Prince acquire all those exotic items from the Western Regions, had attracted widespread attention. He had earned the Crown Prince fame and fortune. Even the Emperor himself praised the Crown Prince for this achievement. Imperial Concubine Hui had even wanted her own son, Ming Tao, to get involved in this business, but the Emperor had outright rejected her proposal. This had been a humiliating blow, and even that wretched Concubine Zhen had come to taunt her about it. She was both infuriated and resentful.
All these princes were the Emperor’s sons, so why was there such a vast difference between them? The Emperor was favoring the Crown Prince excessively, her son was undoubtedly the most outstanding among all the princes, both in terms of talent and ability. Why should he be overshadowed by that despicable Crown Prince? Why was he always made to feel inferior? She had already lost to the Empress in the past, and she couldn’t bear to see her son, Ming Tao, suffer a similar fate.
Therefore, she viewed the Crown Prince and Ming Yu as thorns in her side. She wished nothing more than for Ming Yu to be killed by the barbarians. She had been overjoyed when she heard that Ming Yu was in trouble, but then she learned that the Emperor was sending his personal guards to rescue Ming Yu. This was an unprecedented treatment for any prince, it left her seething with anger and resentment.
In the palace, there were always those who rejoiced and those who worried. The palace was never a place of tranquility, even the slightest disturbance could be heard from afar.
As it happened, Imperial Concubine Hui had smashed a set of blue and white porcelain at noon, then in the afternoon, Concubine Zhen came to visit, openly and secretly relishing in Imperial Concubine Hui’s misfortune.
“I heard that Sister Hui accidentally broke a beloved set of blue and white porcelain. Oh my, what a pity! If it were me, I’d be heartbroken,” Concubine Zhen said with a smirk, raising her slender fingers and covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she laughed.
The two of them had never been on good terms. Imperial Concubine Hui knew that Concubine Zhen viewed Ming Yu as an eyesore, she could see right through Concubine Zhen’s intentions. Concubine Zhen was only trying to provoke her, hoping to make her angry and upset.
Imperial Concubine Hui couldn’t tolerate this. After all, she was an established figure in the palace. How could she allow a little schemer like Concubine Zhen to act so arrogantly in front of her? She snorted coldly and said with a mocking smile, “Sister doesn’t need to feel sorry for me. There are plenty of blue and white porcelains in my palace. I don’t care about them, and I certainly won’t trouble Sister to feel sorry for me. It’s just that Sister Zhen has never seen much of the world, which is why you’re making such a fuss over nothing.”
Concubine Zhen adjusted her hair, pretending not to understand the underlying meaning of Imperial Concubine Hui’s words. She giggled and said, “You’re right, sister. Blue and white porcelain isn’t worth fussing over. What the Crown Prince sent to the palace last time was truly exceptional. Sister might not know, but that thing called a mirror is quite fragile. I accidentally broke one, it left me heartbroken for a long time. But His Majesty, in his boundless generosity, replaced one for me. My heart was finally at ease.”
She looked at Imperial Concubine Hui’s grimacing face with immense satisfaction. Seeing the usually haughty Imperial Concubine Hui lose face brought her great joy. She had heard that Imperial Concubine Hui had once asked His Majesty for a mirror and was refused. She intentionally brought up this topic to hit Imperial Concubine Hui where it hurt.
“Oh dear! Look at me, I almost forgot that sister wasn’t given a mirror in the first place. But the Third Prince has always been filial, I’m sure he prepared one for sister. In the future, sister must be careful not to break it, or it might be difficult to obtain another!” With that, she left, swaying her hips.
Hmph! Just you wait. When my son gains power, I’ll make all of you suffer.
In the central army tent on the border, Great General Wei’s expression relaxed considerably as he read the confidential message in his hands. It was a report about the whereabouts of Wang Ye and Xie Yixiu, sent by Han Da, one of Wang Ye’s aides. Currently, they had escaped their pursuers and were heading north towards the Great Yan via the Xiqi Mountains.
Great General Wei immediately approached the hanging map and carefully examined their position on the map to estimate their approximate location.
Just then, another commotion outside the tent caught his attention. Great General Wei furrowed his brow, knowing it was Commander Mo coming to see him again.
They had been sent by Ming Yu to chase down the barbarian invaders to train their combat skills. It was well-known that this was a rare opportunity for the army training, they all wanted to do their best to give an account to Wang Ye. However, once they left, Ming Yu was unexpectedly captured by the enemy, a clear example of the enemy’s strategy to lure the tiger down from the mountain.
Upon hearing this news, they couldn’t afford to continue stalling with the barbarians; they had to defeat them immediately. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, they annihilated most of the barbarians but allowed a few to escape.
There was no choice. With Wang Ye’s safety at stake, they quickly prepared their equipment and headed for the Shi Chongguan on the border, seeking for Great General Wei.
A soldier came in and reported that Commander Mo was outside, Great General Wei sighed as he let someone to let Mo Jiang enter.
Mo Jiang, looking anxious, had been holding in his frustration for days. When he saw Great General Wei, he immediately spoke, “General, I’m here to inform you that our guard battalion is fully assembled and ready to leave the pass to rescue His Highness.”
Since their arrival, they had wanted to head straight to the Suixi Kingdom in the west. Unexpectedly, Great General Wei had stopped them, insisting that they wait for his orders.
At first, Mo Jiang believed Great General Wei would give them their mission immediately, but they had waited for two days with no action. Mo Jiang had visited General Wei several times, and each time, Great General Wei always had some excuse to delay them, and Mo Jiang couldn’t figure out what he was up to.
Mo Jiang could no longer wait, as Wang Ye was in a precarious situation with only General Xie by his side. How could he not be anxious? He had to go and support the Wang Ye. Waiting even a moment longer meant more danger.
He understood that they were Wang Ye’s personal guards, and their primary concern was the Wang Ye’s safety. Unlike Great General Wei, who had to consider various factors, they couldn’t afford to wait any longer. So, today, he had already assembled the troops from the Guard Battalion and was planning to inform Great General Wei before leaving.
“Wait!” Just as Mo Jiang was about to turn and leave, Great General Wei stopped him.
Mo Jiang’s eyes were red as he stared at Great General Wei like a wolf. “General, our Guard Battalion doesn’t belong to your border garrison.”
His meaning was clear: Great General Wei had no authority over them. They had come here to inform him as a courtesy.
Great General Wei shook his head. This Guard Battalion was personally trained by the Wang Ye. Naturally, he couldn’t give them orders or stop them.
“So, where do you plan to go to rescue Wang Ye?” Great General Wei asked.
This question stumped Mo Jiang. They had arrived too late and didn’t know Wang Ye’s current location. They could only infiltrate Suixi Kingdom and gather information slowly.
“Alright, I have just received a message about Duan Wang. Let’s discuss it together and decide where and how we should rendezvous with Wang Ye,” Great General Wei suggested.
Mo Jiang was overjoyed. Great General Wei had accurate information about Wang Ye. This was excellent news. That mean Wang Ye was safe and sound.
“As soon as Wang Ye encountered trouble, I reported it to His Majesty. There’s also news that His Majesty is sending a thousand elite Imperial Guards to rescue Wang Ye. They might already be on their way.”
Hearing this, Mo Jiang was nearly speechless. Had he heard correctly? The Emperor was sending the Jingwei Imperial Guards? These were the Emperor’s personal guards, not to be compared with their ordinary Imperial Guards. Mo Jiang had never heard of such a move before. With the elite Imperial Guards involved, Wang Ye’s safety was no longer a concern.
“According to the secret report Wang Ye sent, they are temporarily safe and will head north to Xiqi Mountain then return south to the Great Yan. I believe we can send a detachment of troops to Xiqi Mountain to rendezvous with them. This way, we shouldn’t miss them,” Great General Wei said, pointing at the map and outlining a route based on the information from the secret report. This was roughly the route Ming Yu and the others had planned.
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