Han Qian stood at the threshold holding the blood letter his father had left behind, looking at Zhao Kuo’s body lying across the courtyard, blood still gushing from his shattered skull. He stood there stunned for a long while before finally turning back into the mourning hall with a heart full of melancholy, continuing to kneel before the coffin.
Zhao Ting’er also entered the mourning hall to stay by Han Qian’s side.
Xi Ren said to Xi Fa’er: “Select a fine coffin and bury Zhao Kuo at Longya City as well.”
Xi Fa’er hesitated somewhat. Although Wang Wenqian had secretly lifted the lid on the chaos in Jinling, if Zhao Kuo hadn’t interfered, Feng Liao and Zhao Wuji would have long ago followed secret orders to forcibly bring the old lord out of Jinling. He would never have suffered the tragic punishment of being torn apart by five chariots.
Moreover, now it was confirmed that Zhao Kuo was a secret agent Liang had planted beside the old lord for many years. Not grinding his bones to dust and scattering them was already being polite—why give him an elaborate burial?
“Before the old lord followed the forged edict to see Wen Muqiao, he left a letter for Zhao Wuji to bring to the Shu capital. Although most of the writing in the letter was blurred by water and couldn’t be distinguished clearly, it mentioned that you should treat Zhao Kuo well,” Xi Ren said.
Everyone was slightly startled, not knowing whether before following the forged edict Han Daoxun had guessed Zhao Kuo’s identity was suspicious and decided to spare him, or was purely worried Han Qian would vent his anger on Zhao Kuo and thus said this.
Han Daoxun’s soul had already ascended to the nine heavens. Some questions would perhaps never have a so-called truth.
Xi Fa’er looked into the mourning hall and saw Han Qian had already knelt down facing the coffin to keep vigil. He still led people to carry Zhao Kuo’s body out of the courtyard to find another coffin for burial.
At this time, Chief Administrator Xue Ruogu, Li Tang, Qin Wen, Zheng Tong, as well as Yang Zaili, Xiang Jianlong, Xi Xunqiao and others, learning that Han Qian had rushed back to Xuzhou from Shu, all hurried from Linjiang County to Longya City.
After arriving, they first went to the mourning hall to offer incense to Han Daoxun. Seeing Han Qian had no intention of acknowledging them, they could only stare at each other wide-eyed, sitting in the eastern courtyard waiting.
When Xi Ren supported the pregnant and easily exhausted Zhao Ting’er through the eastern courtyard toward the inner residence to rest, everyone intercepted them again.
Jiang Huo said: “Great Chu is in turmoil, mountains and rivers shattered, billions of common people plunged into fire and water. His Highness is also waiting bitterly in Yueyang for Lord Han to return and offer counsel—now that Lord Han has returned to Xuzhou, he cannot truly ignore worldly affairs!”
“My lord only just returned to Xuzhou today with a grieving heart. Perhaps Elder Jiang should first escort the princess to Yueyang to see His Highness. After my husband has properly buried father and his grieving heart has eased somewhat, it won’t be too late to discuss other matters,” Zhao Ting’er said.
Jiang Huo looked toward Xue Ruogu, Tian Cheng, Gao Shao and others.
Now not only were Liang and Chu both turned upside down—with the slightest carelessness bringing eternal damnation—the situation within Xuzhou was also quite complex.
Even though after Emperor Tianyou was murdered, Crown Prince Yang Yuanwo usurped the throne in Jinling, the eight prefectures under the Hunan Executive Bureau’s jurisdiction would not follow the false edict. Moreover, because the Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu and Wang Wenqian deliberately avoided the question of precedence when issuing the denunciation proclamation at Qiuhu Mountain, this meant the court temporarily ceased to exist.
With Han Daoxun brutally executed and the position of Xuzhou Prefect vacant, theoretically Chief Administrator Xue Ruogu and Marshal Tian Cheng should divide executive and military affairs. This was also how things were arranged when Han Daoxun took up his post in Jinling.
Chief Administrator Xue Ruogu was not a private retainer of the Han family, nor did he have any desire to pledge loyalty to the Han family. Initially he had suspected the Han father and son had ambitions to partition Xuzhou and was even willing to break with them over this.
Even though Han Daoxun died brutally under extreme punishment and Xue Ruogu felt extraordinarily grieved, it was grief and indignation over the injustice Han Daoxun suffered. Based on this, he only felt that Anning Palace’s actions were against the Way.
Emperor Tianyou had died and Jinling had fallen into enemy hands, but the Hunan Executive Bureau and the Third Prince, Prince Tan, remained. At this time he hoped the Hunan Executive Bureau could lead Dragon Sparrow Army and the eight prefectures’ forces to quell the rebellion and calm Great Chu’s turmoil.
Qin Wen, Li Tang, Zheng Tong and others had the same attitude.
However, Zhao Qi, Chen Jitang, Ji Xiyao, Feng Liao, Feng Yi, Kong Xirong, as well as Lin Zongjing, Zhao Wuji, Guo Nu’er, Guo Que, He Liufeng and others were originally Han family soldiers and retainers. They would only follow Han Qian’s lead—this went without saying. Meanwhile Tian Cheng, Gao Shao, Yang Qin, Xi Chang, and even Feng Zhang, Gao Bao and other officers serving in the provincial battalion and provincial office—at this moment all wore mourning clothes for Han Daoxun, also expressing their position and attitude as Han clan retainers who honored Han Daoxun as family head and Han Qian as young master.
Additionally, Yang Zaili, Xiang Jianlong, Xi Xunqiao and others represented the remaining local prominent clan forces.
What state Xuzhou was currently in hadn’t actually been clarified yet, let alone how Xuzhou would subsequently participate in the rebellion-quelling operations the Hunan Executive Bureau dominated on the western front. But all of this required Han Qian to go to Yueyang to discuss with Prince Tan and Shen Yang and others.
However, after Han Qian returned to Longya City, he kept vigil silently before the coffin, saying little. Forget discussing matters—even when everyone introduced the Liang-Chu situation he had no heart to listen carefully. Jiang Huo didn’t know what words he could use to report to Prince Tan His Highness’s eager expectations after escorting Princess Qingyang to Yueyang. Should he really say Han Qian was grief-stricken over his father’s death and had no heart for worldly affairs?
“Perhaps Elder Jiang should first go comfort the princess,” Xi Ren said, seeing Jiang Huo’s dilemma.
“Comfort the princess?” Since Princess Qingyang had already entered Chu territory, she naturally fell under Jiang Huo’s responsibility. But Jiang Huo didn’t know what urgent matter on Princess Qingyang’s side required him to comfort her immediately.
Only then did Xi Ren have time to tell everyone about their abduction of Princess Qingyang and escape from Shu under the pursuit net of thousands of Shu reconnaissance cavalry.
Everyone broke out in cold sweat, not expecting Princess Qingyang had actually been abducted back to Great Chu by Han Qian.
And to cover Han Qian’s tracks, Guo Rong, Zhou Chu and a large number of men and horses were still detained in Shu—truly a tangled mess.
However, thinking about it, everyone agreed that Princess Qingyang’s side did indeed need to be comforted first. Besides Princess Qingyang being the link between Dragon Sparrow Army and Shu, and with the Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong, she was also Prince Tan’s prospective secondary consort. They couldn’t really wait to escort her to Yueyang only to watch her cry, make a fuss, and threaten suicide.
Jiang Huo hesitated somewhat. He was an old eunuch serving under Han Qian—would Princess Qingyang really listen to him?
“Please have Administrator Xue accompany Elder Jiang to see the princess,” Xi Ren bowed respectfully to Xue Ruogu.
The Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong and Princess Qingyang were successors of the Divine Mausoleum Bureau in Shu. They had been paying attention to the Han father and son all along and presumably should know that Xue Ruogu, Li Tang, Qin Wen and others were loyal to the Great Chu court, not Han Qian’s direct confidants. They believed Princess Qingyang would be more willing to interact with them and listen to their counsel.
As for the others, going to see Princess Qingyang would only add fuel to the fire.
……
……
Han Daoxun died brutally by being torn apart by five chariots?!
Qingyang still moved into the separate residence at Longya City. Learning the specific details of Han Daoxun’s death in Jinling from the servants and maids assigned to attend her, her heart couldn’t calm for a long time.
At this moment, Qingyang’s heart was filled with even more questions and confusion:
How could Han Daoxun with his godlike schemes, following an edict to see Wen Muqiao, possibly not recognize it was a forged edict? And how could he possibly not arrange an escape route for himself?
Knowing Han Daoxun was detained by Anning Palace, how could the Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu and others issue the denunciation proclamation at Qiuhu Mountain? Didn’t this force Anning Palace to act ruthlessly against Han Daoxun?
As the most core strategist behind Yang Yuanpu, was Han Daoxun’s control over Qiuhu Mountain really that weak?
When the Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu conspired with Wang Wenqian, was there really no other powerful figure at Qiuhu Mountain to stop them from issuing the proclamation?
Hearing footsteps, Qingyang put away her confused expression and sat coldly by the window.
“Jiang Huo and Xue Ruogu request an audience with the princess!”
Jiang Huo and Xue Ruogu stood in the courtyard and called out.
Was this dog thief Han Qian truly ignoring worldly affairs? Qingyang hadn’t expected only Jiang Huo and Xue Ruogu to come. Her heart jumped.
Although Jiang Huo was one of Jinyun Tower’s administrators serving under Han Qian, he was a direct confidant of the Third Prince—this had been clear when they were in Tanzhou. And Xue Ruogu served as registrar and chief administrator in Xuzhou with considerable integrity, not kowtowing to the powerful. He wasn’t a dog that Han Daoxun and Han Qian could call and dismiss at will—Qingyang was clear about this.
Qingyang wished she could stab this dog thief Han Qian twice with scissors to vent her anger, but considering her current situation, she naturally had to treat Jiang Huo and Xue Ruogu differently from Han Qian and his direct faction.
Qingyang hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the door to stand in the corridor. Her beautiful eyes cold as frost, she stared at Jiang Huo and Xue Ruogu and said: “I was originally to depart on the Lantern Festival to go to Chu, legitimately marrying into Great Chu. But just three days short, Han Qian arbitrarily abducted me, causing me to enter Chu territory without name or status, while my homeland believes I was harmed by treacherous people. I have no face to see His Highness, nor any face to return to my homeland. Please ask the two lords to return to Yueyang and tell His Highness that Qingyang will choose a humble nunnery this life, spending her remaining years with oil lamps and wooden fish. I hope His Highness will not dwell on this.”
Jiang Huo and Xue Ruogu looked at each other. Han Qian was ignoring worldly affairs, wanting to remain here observing mourning for three years, while this mistress before them was making a fuss about spending her remaining years accompanied by oil lamps and wooden fish. Did they really have to forcibly bind this mistress and escort her to Yueyang?
“Lord Han was somewhat rash, but he was grief-stricken over losing his father and eager to return home. We earnestly ask the princess to be understanding. If the Shu ruler and the Marquis of Changxiang have doubts about this matter, after we see His Highness we will certainly ask His Highness to send ministers to Yuzhou and the Shu capital to see the Shu ruler and the Marquis of Changxiang and explain this matter in person,” Jiang Huo said. “The situation is urgent at present. We cannot linger in Xuzhou too long. We still ask the princess to wash and prepare, then accompany us to Yueyang first. His Highness also deeply misses the princess and cannot eat or rest thinking of you.”
How could Qingyang easily forgive Han Qian? Her face cold as frost, she asked: “Since you want me to go to Yueyang, why doesn’t Han Qian have the courage to see me? Don’t tell me he can hide and avoid seeing me?”
“Lord Han must remain here to observe mourning for his father. He may not be able to accompany us to Yueyang to see His Highness,” Jiang Huo said bitterly.
Qingyang was slightly startled. This dog thief who fled Shu in panic was truly going to remain in Xuzhou observing mourning?