“Let me try!” Bai Qingyan grasped Lu Ning’e’s hand and spoke softly. “Let me try to persuade her.”
After all, Ji Langhua was someone Bai Qingming had protected, so… Bai Qingyan also had different feelings toward Ji Langhua and didn’t want her to throw away her life for nothing.
“Thank you, eldest miss…” Lu Ning’e expressed her gratitude, though she held little hope in her heart.
The bamboo curtain was lifted as Chun Tao entered from outside, curtsying as she said, “Eldest miss, the Crown Prince’s mansion has sent someone to request your presence, saying military reports from Chun Mushan have arrived.”
Bai Qingyan’s palm tightened. The Crown Prince had sent someone to find her… was Great Liang about to make their move?
“Have horses prepared,” Bai Qingyan ordered.
·
The Crown Prince placed the military report from Chun Mushan on the table before him, his brow deeply furrowed, unable to fathom what his father meant by sending the military report to him.
“Eunuch Gao from father’s side said that father has been reading through ancient texts, seemingly searching for records from years past about cases of rejuvenation that appeared among the common people of Western Liang,” the Crown Prince said, his fingers rubbing the armrest of his chair. “Could it be that father has lost all interest in state affairs?”
Old Fang stroked his goatee and turned to bow toward the Crown Prince. “This old one believes that His Majesty is testing Your Highness’s ability to handle affairs, to see whether Your Highness can properly manage this minor friction between Great Liang and our Jin Kingdom’s elite soldiers, preventing such a small matter from escalating into major warfare.”
Qin Shangzhi, sitting opposite Old Fang, resisted the urge to roll his eyes and cupped his hands toward the Crown Prince. “Your Highness, if we say His Majesty is testing Your Highness, that’s reasonable enough, but Your Highness must first understand why Great Liang chose this moment to provoke us. When dealing with this matter… You cannot merely think about minimizing the issue, but must also consider how to act without damaging our national prestige. What do you think, Teacher Ren?”
Ren Shijie, who was sitting beside Old Fang quietly drinking tea, was suddenly called upon by Qin Shangzhi. His hand trembled, and he nearly spilled his tea. He hurriedly set down his cup and said, “Teacher Qin speaks truly.”
Old Fang glanced at Qin Shangzhi, then at Ren Shijie behind him, suppressing his displeasure as he said, “Your Highness, consider this: although we ultimately won the Southern Border campaign, our Kingdom suffered severe losses with insufficient troops remaining. Would His Majesty hope for our two countries to go to war now? If Western Liang conspires with Great Liang, does our Jin Kingdom have the military strength to fight both countries simultaneously, one in the south and one in the north?”
The Crown Prince nodded, seeming to agree with Old Fang’s words.
“Your Highness, the Duke has arrived…” Quan Yu whispered in the Crown Prince’s ear.
“Quickly invite the Duke!” Upon hearing that Bai Qingyan had arrived, the Crown Prince’s mood immediately lightened considerably.
When it came to military strategy and warfare, who could be more skilled than Bai Qingyan?
Seeing Bai Qingyan enter in neat, plain clothing and bow to him, the Crown Prince quickly said, “Duke, no need for excessive courtesy. Serve tea for the Duke!”
After Qin Shangzhi bowed to Bai Qingyan, he vacated the seat to the Crown Prince’s right, inviting Bai Qingyan to sit.
As soon as Bai Qingyan sat down, she asked, “Something has happened at Chun Mushan?”
Quan Yu personally took the military report and respectfully handed it to Bai Qingyan.
She thanked him and carefully reviewed the military report.
Night patrol cavalry from both the Great Liang and the Great Jin had clashed north of Chun Mushan. After both sides came to blows, a Jin cavalryman was stabbed to death by Liang soldiers. The Jin night patrol cavalry then captured all the Liang soldiers and brought them back to their military camp. General Zhang Duanrui met with Great Liang’s commanding general Xun Tianzhang. General Zhang felt strongly that a killer should pay with their life, but Xun Tianzhang insisted on taking his men back unharmed, claiming that Great Liang would handle their people themselves.
General Zhang Duanrui felt this matter was of great importance, so he had someone ride swiftly back with the military report, requesting His Majesty’s imperial decision.
After reading the military report, Bai Qingyan folded it and placed it to one side, asking seriously, “I wonder what doubts General Zhang Duanrui has about this matter that would require His Majesty’s imperial decision? Since the friction occurred north of Chun Mushan, the Liang soldiers trespassed into our Great Jin territory and deserve death! If Xun Tianzhang wants his men… just send him their heads.”
The Crown Prince’s fingers twitched.
Old Fang couldn’t help but recall Bai Qingyan’s burning and killing of Western Liang prisoners in Weng Mountain Canyon, feeling lingering fear. “The Duke speaks too lightly. If we send over the heads, the two countries will likely go to war. After the losses in the Southern Border campaign, our Kingdom’s elite forces were all buried in the Southern Border. Can Jin Kingdom afford to fight now? Even if we barely manage one battle with our entire national strength, what if Western Liang sees the opportunity and makes a comeback? Fighting two countries at once… Jin’s Kingdom has no chance of victory! The Duke is truly accustomed to killing, always wanting to chop off heads at the slightest provocation!”
“Father has entrusted this matter to me to handle, with much intention of testing me. I cannot act rashly!” the Crown Prince said at the appropriate moment.
“Exactly!” Old Fang nodded to the Crown Prince. “Whether to fight or not depends entirely on His Majesty’s intentions. Your Highness must not be rash. If you misinterpret His Majesty’s thoughts and rashly start a war… His Majesty will surely blame Your Highness. So in handling this matter, this old one’s opinion is to seek no merit, but avoid fault. Otherwise, if we give Great Liang a pretext for war, this battle will become unavoidable.”
Bai Qingyan’s sharp, cold gaze turned toward Old Fang. What fine words: “seek no merit, but avoid fault.”
She never knew that when it came to matters of war and peace that concerned the survival of border people, the consideration was not based on the overall situation, nor on the survival of border people, nor national dignity, but on the sovereign’s intentions first!
“In Old Fang’s opinion, how should this be handled?” the Crown Prince asked.
“Release the Liang soldiers and warn Great Liang that if they offend again… Jin Kingdom will not be polite to Great Liang,” Old Fang said with an air of superiority.
Bai Qingyan didn’t want to engage in direct conflict with such a petty person. She only looked at the Crown Prince and said, “If General Zhang Duanrui had made a decisive decision when this incident occurred and sent the heads of the Liang soldiers to the Liang military camp, this war might still have been avoidable! But if we follow Old Fang’s suggestion… releasing the Liang soldiers with merely a warning, this war will become unavoidable.”
Having experienced the Southern Border campaign, the Crown Prince could be said to trust Bai Qingyan completely in military matters. Hearing her say this, he urgently asked with gravity, “Duke, why do you say this?”
“That night patrol team of Liang soldiers trespassed into our Jin territory, most likely sent deliberately by Xun Tianzhang to test us, to see whether Great Jin still has the capability and confidence to confront Great Liang after the Southern Border campaign. If Jin Kingdom’s reaction is lukewarm or even yielding, Great Liang will have no fear of Jin Kingdom… and will confidently start a war,” Bai Qingyan said in an even voice. “Take General Zhang Duanrui, for example. If Jin Kingdom’s military strength were as prosperous as when my grandfather and father were alive, would he have sent this military report back? He probably would have sent Xun Tianzhang the heads of those Liang soldiers immediately.”
The Crown Prince thought carefully, his heart rising to his throat, and nodded. “That makes sense…”
“Jin Kingdom sent General Zhang Duanrui to lead troops to Chun Mushan. Xun Tianzhang hasn’t moved for many days, not because he couldn’t find a reason for war, but because he’s been investigating the background and details of Jin Kingdom’s commanding officer, even his habits in dealing with people and situations. After all… in these chaotic times, where might makes right, attacking and destroying a Kingdom no longer requires grand pretexts. Knowing oneself and the enemy leads to victory in every battle.”