Chapter 1: Blood Oath
Heavy, labored breathing came rapid and panicked, filling the listener with dread. An elderly man gritted his teeth, appearing to be in unbearable pain, as he spoke hoarsely: “You… you say… Emperor Wu Ying is truly in that cave?”
A square-faced man sitting to one side replied: “Indeed. This subordinate once saw a stone coffin and dragon robes in the cave. It seems the Emperor truly stayed in that cave.”
The old man swallowed his saliva, drew in a sharp breath of cold air, and said in a trembling voice: “What about the Late Emperor? Did you see him with your own eyes?”
The square-faced man shook his head: “This subordinate did not see him. However, the scene in the cave was too bizarre. In this subordinate’s view, the Emperor could not possibly have survived alone – eight or nine out of ten, he has already died a violent death. His bones were likely corroded by the severe poison or gnawed apart by some wild beast, which is why they cannot be found.”
Just as the square-faced man was describing the situation, a choked sob was suddenly heard, followed by tears falling. The old man was actually covering his face and weeping bitterly.
“My Lord, what’s wrong with you?” The square-faced man was extremely surprised and hurriedly stood up.
In the dim chamber, Liu Angtian hung his head and wept. He stared blankly at the sheepskin in his hands and choked out: “Wrong… all wrong… I was wrong from beginning to end… Duke Baxian, I have failed you…” As he spoke, he clutched his head and gnashed his teeth, appearing to be filled with extreme regret.
Two other people sat in the chamber. These two wore court robes and were in the prime of their youth. One had a handsome face – it was Yang Suguan. Though his usual appearance was refined and elegant, his face was now pale and bloodless, apparently frightened by the conversation between the two men. The other appeared even more nervous. This man was tall and sturdy with a square, scholarly face, but now he sat motionless with cold sweat continuously dripping from his forehead, even soaking his robes. This was Wu Dingyuan.
Hearing their superior weeping, Wu and Yang exchanged glances, deeply worried.
After a long while, Liu Angtian slowly wiped away his tears. He looked out the window – it was afternoon, and the sky outside was overcast, as if a torrential downpour was about to fall. He put down the sheepskin in his hands and sighed softly: “Things have come to this point – everything is fate.” He glanced at Yang Suguan and asked: “How many people know about this matter?” As he spoke, he had already regained his dignified bearing.
Yang Suguan replied: “Only Dingyuan and I know about this matter. No one else is aware of it.”
Liu Angtian nodded slightly and turned to look at Wu Dingyuan. Wu Dingyuan’s heart trembled as he hurriedly replied: “Since leaving Tianshan, this subordinate has kept his mouth sealed. This was the first time I mentioned this matter. Neither General Qin nor Guard Wei knows the inside story.”
Liu Angtian breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s good, that’s good.” He nodded and drew a dagger from the desk, then with a flick of his wrist, the blade actually slashed toward Wu Dingyuan!
Wu Dingyuan was greatly shocked. His left palm swept out and blocked the dagger. He said in a trembling voice: “My… my… Lord, you… you… want to…” In his terror, he couldn’t even speak clearly. Yang Suguan at his side was also horrified, his whole body trembling. He wanted to speak up and persuade him, but didn’t know what to say.
When the dagger was blocked, Liu Angtian only shook his head. He suddenly pulled the blade back and stabbed it toward his own arm!
Amid everyone’s cries of alarm, Liu Angtian had already cut his own arm. Fresh blood gushed out, and Liu Angtian took a tea bowl, letting the bright red blood drip into the bowl. Then he placed the dagger on the desk.
Only then did Wu Dingyuan realize that Liu Angtian hadn’t intended to kill him, but only wanted blood from his arm, though he didn’t know what it was for.
Full of worry, he saw Liu Angtian bend down and take out a jar of strong wine from under the table. He broke open the clay seal, and a rich wine fragrance wafted out – it appeared to be a jar of aged wine that was difficult to obtain even in a hundred years. Liu Angtian said nothing more, just lifted the wine jar and poured the rich amber liquid into the bowl. The three men were heavy-hearted, and even if the fragrance were ten times stronger, it would be difficult to make them smile.
The chamber was completely quiet except for the sound of wine pouring into the bowl and Liu Angtian’s heavy breathing. After a long while, Liu Angtian set down the wine jar, then picked up the wine bowl and raised it high above his head with a solemn and grave expression.
Seeing Liu Angtian’s strange behavior, Wu Dingyuan was quite frightened and quickly glanced at Yang Suguan, only to see Yang Suguan with his head lowered and motionless, his long eyebrows furrowed, his face grave as if he too was pondering something.
In the complete silence, Liu Angtian slowly knelt down, holding the wine bowl with both hands and bowing several times toward the north, saying solemnly: “I, Liu Angtian, Governor-General of the Northern Expedition, today use this wine to swear to Heaven – Liu Angtian swears that as long as he lives, he will serve the current Son of Heaven unto death and will never harbor treasonous thoughts.” He paused and looked back at Wu and Yang, shouting loudly: “If Liu Angtian violates today’s oath, let the entire Liu clan be executed and the whole family die without burial!” His voice was passionate and stern. Hearing such a vicious oath, Wu Dingyuan was shocked beyond words.
Liu Angtian drank the wine, stood up, and looked at Wu and Yang indifferently: “You two come over together and swear an oath like I did.”
Wu Dingyuan suddenly understood, thinking: “My Lord fears I might get involved in court disputes, so he wants me to swear loyalty to the Emperor.” In his confusion, he remembered a passage from “The Purple Qi披罗” – according to that book, he possessed the body of a true dragon and should support the Late Emperor’s return to orthodoxy. But as long as he drank this bowl of wine, everything would be finished.
Liu Angtian turned to look at Wu Dingyuan and handed him the dagger, seeming to wait for his action. Wu Dingyuan hesitated in surprise and dared not take it for a long time. Yang Suguan at his side suddenly stood up. He walked over and took the knife himself, looking intently at Liu Angtian.
Yang Suguan’s eyes flashed with strange light, and in an instant he had cut his finger. Blood gushed out and dripped directly into the bowl.
Liu Angtian nodded with great approval: “Nephew Yang, for the peace of the court, swear an oath now.”
Yang Suguan raised his eyebrows, took the wine, and knelt down: “I, Yang Suguan, today use this wine to swear to Heaven – I will be loyal to my Emperor, do what I should do, and never hesitate. If I violate this oath, may Yang Suguan be rejected by Heaven and Earth and die at the hands of my closest loved ones.” Having spoken, he drank a mouthful of the blood wine and knelt to bow several times.
Yang Suguan stood up and joined Liu Angtian in staring at Wu Dingyuan, as if urging him to swear quickly. Wu Dingyuan swallowed his saliva and thought: “There’s nothing for it now. Since Emperor Wu Ying is already dead, how can I be loyal to him? Even if I wanted to fulfill that predecessor’s wish, there’s no way to do it.” Seeing Liu Angtian’s face showing hints of anxiety, he thought again: “My Lord saved my life. If I don’t act according to his wishes, I would be ungrateful to him.”
With this thought, he hesitated no more and finally took the dagger and cut his left palm. Blood dripped into the wine and slowly spread. Under the candlelight, it looked particularly desolate.
Liu Angtian said softly: “Dingyuan, for the court and for yourself, forget what happened in Shenji Cave and don’t concern yourself with the rights and wrongs of this story. From now on, let’s wholeheartedly serve the current Son of Heaven. Do you understand?” As he spoke, his tone was melancholy, as if there was some sad matter that he was helpless about.
Wu Dingyuan took a deep breath. He took the wine bowl from Yang Suguan’s hands and, imitating Liu Angtian, raised the wine high above his shoulders, then knelt on both knees and declared loudly: “With Heaven above and Earth below, I, Wu Dingyuan, swear to Heaven that in this life and this world, I will forever be loyal to the current Son of Heaven without any treasonous thoughts. If I violate this oath, if I violate this oath…” At this point, his heart suddenly trembled with fear. He paused, seeing Liu Angtian staring at him intently, suddenly gritted his teeth and shouted: “If I violate this oath, let me, Wu Dingyuan, be struck by thunder and lightning, let my whole family become thieves and prostitutes, and die violent deaths!”
Liu Angtian was greatly comforted and helped Wu Dingyuan to his feet, saying warmly: “With your words, the realm will surely be at peace.”
Wu Dingyuan wiped the cold sweat from his face and was about to reply when he suddenly saw lightning flash outside the window, thunder rumbling in the distance – a pattering spring rain had actually begun to fall…
“Report to Lord Jiang, everyone has arrived.”
A man dressed in tight clothing, soaked through, was kneeling at the door making his report. In the study, a middle-aged man was reviewing memorials with his head down. Hearing the words, he didn’t even look up and said directly: “Please invite them in quickly.”
The man hastily acknowledged and hurried out.
The Grand Tutor’s residence in the capital, the place that wielded the highest power in the current court. In the deep night with heavy rain and mist, there was an even more murderous atmosphere. Today, for some unknown reason, all the servants had been dismissed early, and a large number of Embroidered Uniform Guard experts had moved in, as if some great event was about to occur.
The study was spacious, with tiger skins on the floor and dragons and phoenixes painted on the beams. Jiang Chong sat behind his desk in light robes and loose belt, holding a vermillion brush. Two bodyguards flanked him – Luo Moshi on the left and An’dao Jing on the right. Seven empty chairs were arranged in the hall, but it was unknown who they were for, making the scene appear extremely mysterious. Jiang Chong put down his brush and looked back at Luo Moshi with a smile: “Master Luo Mo, tonight is a grand meeting of our Jiang faction – it’s rare to see such an occasion. You’ll be my advisor in the future, so you must observe carefully.”
Luo Moshi was startled and quickly lowered his hands: “This subordinate understands.” After the Fourth Prince’s failed rebellion, Luo Moshi had come to China to serve under Jiang Chong. This secret conference was his first time being involved in major politics. Seeing the tense atmosphere, he dared not say another word.
Soon, a black-clothed man entered first, followed by six others in two columns, each wearing black hoods and all soaked by the heavy rain. Luo Moshi understood that these were the seven allies that Jiang Chong had worked hard to win over. If these seven men proved difficult at the crucial moment, they could not only easily topple the Liu and Liu factions but also seize control of the capital region in one stroke. For this reason, the identities of these seven men naturally had to be kept absolutely secret. If the hoods of these seven were removed, it would surely trigger an earth-shaking struggle.
Luo Moshi secretly speculated that Jiang Chong’s summoning of these seven men was related to the Tianshan affair. Although Luo Moshi had not glimpsed the full picture of Shenji, judging by Jiang Chong’s caution, this secret was certainly extraordinary and truly capable of shaking Heaven and Earth.
The seven men entered the room without ceremony and sat down directly. An’dao Jing brought over a basin of glowing charcoal and placed it in the hall for everyone to dry their clothes, but the men ignored the water droplets falling from them and their clinging wet garments.
Everyone in the room was quietly silent, with only the sound of heavy rain and splashing water in the courtyard. Jiang Chong smiled slightly: “The weather is poor, and I’ve troubled you all to come here. Jiang truly feels bad about it.”
One black-clothed man patted the water droplets on his clothes and snorted: “It’s good that Lord Jiang understands. Everyone works secretly for you – who isn’t risking life and death? You rashly summoned us all – what great matter has occurred?” His tone was stern, with a hint of displeasure.
Jiang Chong was not offended and smiled: “I called you here because something significant has indeed happened. Please rest assured, everyone – in making friends with you distinguished gentlemen, Jiang will definitely not shortchange anyone.”
The black-clothed man who had spoken earlier snorted and lowered his head, saying nothing more.
Jiang Chong picked up his tea bowl and took a sip: “First, let me ask about the Eastern Depot. How are things with Liu Jing? Any movements?”
Standing to one side, Luo Moshi was startled when he heard this, knowing that Jiang Chong had already placed a confidant spy by Liu Jing’s side, though he didn’t know who it was.
A black-clothed man on the left shifted slightly and said in a shrill voice: “According to messages from the Eastern Depot, Director Liu will soon submit a memorial impeaching you for unauthorized deployment of troops outside the pass.”
This person’s voice was sharp and grating, like steel knives scraping together, extremely unpleasant to hear. However, since all Eastern Depot personnel were originally eunuchs, it was difficult to identify who the voice belonged to from the sound alone.
Jiang Chong nodded and laughed coldly: “Liu Jing wants to deal with me? It won’t be that easy. The case of the Eastern Depot privately transporting official silver out of the capital hasn’t been resolved yet. I’ll give orders immediately – tomorrow I’ll have the Ministry of Justice return the favor with a memorial against him. Let’s see how that goes.” He snorted twice: “What about the palace? Any unusual activities these past few days?”
A black-clothed man coughed. This person was tall and broad-shouldered, and even sitting in his chair, he was a head taller than an ordinary person standing. Seeing this person’s imposing physique, he was likely one of the “Great Han Generals” – one of the Emperor’s personal bodyguards. He said: “According to news from the palace, Consort Qiong left the palace without reason last month, and it’s unknown what she went to do.”
Jiang Chong frowned: “This woman has always been restless and has many lovers. Could her leaving the palace be related to Ning Bufan’s retirement?”
The black-clothed man shook his head: “This matter is still unclear. If you want to investigate thoroughly, it will require some effort.”
How could Jiang Chong not understand the underlying meaning? This person obviously wanted some money to make him work. He smiled slightly and looked back at An’dao Jing: “Later, take my token and withdraw one hundred thousand taels of silver from the treasury. Use the name of Great Wall repairs to account for it at the Ministry of Revenue.”
Hearing about the gleaming silver coming his way, the black-clothed man was overjoyed and cupped his hands: “Thank you, Lord Jiang.”
Luo Moshi, hearing their conversation, was even more amazed. Seeing how terrifying Jiang Chong’s power was – the national treasury was like his private vault, easily accessible with a simple gesture – it was no wonder so many upright ministers viewed him as a thorn in their eyes.
Jiang Chong took another sip of tea and asked: “What about Liu Angtian’s side? Has that Wu Dingyuan revealed the secret?”
Hearing this, Luo Moshi was even more amazed: “Even Liu Angtian’s side has spies – Lord Jiang’s abilities are truly remarkable.” In his astonishment, his awe of Jiang Chong increased even more.
A black-clothed man slowly stood up. This person was tall and slender, not appearing to be a martial artist. He replied: “In response to Lord Jiang – reportedly, that Commander Wu has already revealed the matter, and Liu Angtian has learned the secret.”
Luo Moshi heard this voice was refined and aged, at least sixty years old. However, with his face covered by the black hood, he couldn’t recognize who it was. Luo Moshi became suspicious: “People in Liu’s faction are either young men or tall generals – how could there be such a person?” He secretly guessed at the man’s identity but couldn’t figure it out.
Jiang Chong laughed coldly: “Wu Dingyuan spoke up? Hehe, this boy comes from a constable background and is naturally timid. I think with this secret weighing on his heart, he must be unable to eat or sleep peacefully and definitely needs to find a patron to feel secure.”
The other black-clothed men all chuckled coldly at these words, and one stretched out his hand to make a slashing gesture across his throat. Luo Moshi, being ruthless himself, immediately understood from the gesture that this person wanted to kill Wu Dingyuan to silence him. It seemed this Commander’s life was in danger.
However, Jiang Chong shook his head and smiled: “No need to kill him. Wu Dingyuan has a moderate personality and isn’t a ruthless character. Even if his martial arts are accomplished, he can’t achieve much. Keep his life – he’ll be useful later.” He raised his teacup and took a sip: “How things develop in the future depends on that old fox Liu Angtian. If he wants to investigate deeply into the Tianshan secret, that would be difficult to handle.”
The elderly voice chuckled softly: “My Lord can rest assured about this matter. Liu Angtian has burned the sheepskin.” Burning the sheepskin meant abandoning the cause. Hearing this, several black-clothed men all made sounds of surprise, clearly quite astonished.
The cunning old Jiang Chong burst into hearty laughter upon hearing this. He laughed: “Clever, clever. With several hundred people in Liu Angtian’s household, facing such a momentous change in Heaven and Earth, it’s still best to protect oneself wisely. He indeed dare not act rashly.” He clapped his hands and smiled: “From this perspective, Liu Angtian’s side is nothing to worry about, and we needn’t provoke him further. Otherwise, if we push him too hard, we might drive him to Liu Jing’s side.”
At the mention of “Liu Jing,” all the black-clothed men shuddered, appearing quite fearful. Jiang Chong chuckled coldly: “We must be very careful about the Eastern Depot side. Keep your people watching closely these next few days. If there’s any disturbance, report back immediately.”
Though his tone was calm, those few casual words concealed countless murderous intentions that couldn’t help but chill one’s heart.
Everyone acknowledged and was about to take their leave when one person said: “There’s another matter to ask my Lord about.”
Jiang Chong made a sound of acknowledgment and waved his hand: “Go ahead and speak.”
The person said: “This time, in escorting the marriage alliance, several of Liu Angtian’s subordinates made great contributions. Now they’ve submitted a memorial requesting rewards. What does Lord Jiang say?”
Jiang Chong laughed heartily. Such trivial matters he never personally handled and was about to agree when his thoughts suddenly shifted: “That Liu has never given me face, and this time he specially sent people to investigate the case in the Western Regions. If I don’t give him a setback to swallow, what will happen in the future?” He immediately smiled: “Look over the memorial carefully. As long as you can make things difficult for them, go ahead and do it.”
The black-clothed man repeatedly agreed and left. Watching this, Luo Moshi knew that someone else in the capital was about to have bad luck. He sighed inwardly, thinking: “The ups and downs of countless common people often depend on the single thoughts of these great figures. Pity that this world will see many more injustices.” Thinking of how people were like ants, he felt he should be even more ruthless, or else he would never get ahead in this lifetime.
With no other major business, all the black-clothed men took their leave. An’dao Jing hurried forward to open the door and see them out. Seeing his humble manner, those men’s identities were clearly extraordinary – they must be court officials of fourth rank or above to make An’dao Jing behave so respectfully.
As everyone filed out, the study emptied again, leaving only Luo Moshi and Jiang Chong. Luo Moshi breathed a sigh of relief and was about to relax when he suddenly heard Jiang Chong sigh heavily.
Luo Moshi’s heart jumped. Looking sideways, he saw Jiang Chong with his head lowered toward the ground, his lips trembling slightly as if praying about something.
Luo Moshi was secretly alarmed. Earlier, Jiang Chong had been so confident and relaxed – why had he suddenly become so fearful? Seeing Jiang Chong’s iron-gray face muttering to himself, he knew the situation was extremely serious. He quickly channeled his internal energy to listen and figure out the whole story.
Intermittently, he could only hear the current powerful minister praying in a low voice, his words unclear and indistinct: “May Heaven protect us, let ‘him’ die, let ‘him’ die. Only if ‘he’ dies can the court have peace. Die… die… don’t come back to haunt us…” Listening carefully, there was a faint crying sound in that voice, like an exhausted wild beast howling mournfully, truly making one’s hair stand on end.
Luo Moshi’s face turned ashen. He quickly controlled his mind and lowered his head with hands at his sides, not daring to move a muscle.