The failure of the southern three-way allied forces’ northern expedition caused no small tremor in the Central Plains heartland.
At the same time, news also came from the northern border of Wei Qishan’s military defeat—no one had anticipated that the barbarians from beyond the passes would launch their attack on the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun early this year. At that time, Wei Qishan was locked in struggle with the great army Pei Song had left in the northern border, when his back was suddenly stabbed. Naturally, he had not anticipated this at all.
When news spread that his troops in the southern border had been massacred by the Chen army, people throughout the realm were furious. Beyond denouncing Southern Chen, they inevitably also directed their anger at Wen Yu.
A children’s rhyme even began circulating in the streets: “Marry off the Princess, invite the jackals and wolves, through the family door, to steal the autumn grain.”
Randomly ask any three-year-old child about matters concerning Princess Hanyang, and the answer would be: The Princess married off to the southern barbarians, and the southern barbarians sent troops to Liang territory claiming to help the Princess seek revenge, but actually they came to seize our territory and surplus grain!
In less than half a fortnight, the Liang army had already become accomplices helping Southern Chen in the common people’s hearts. The public’s curses toward the Liang camp even surpassed those directed at Dou Jianliang who had betrayed and joined Pei Song. Even local ruffians and hooligans passing by recruitment offices set up by the Liang camp would self-righteously spit at them.
Even worse, the scholars who had originally unanimously denounced Pei Song and supported the Liang camp, after the Wei army was massacred, also angrily began denouncing the Liang camp. They even declared that after the Liang-Chen alliance brought Chen troops into Liang territory, it was no different from inviting northern barbarian tribes into the Central Plains—this was stealing the nation!
Some who were still observing, wanting to wait until the wind direction was clear before choosing one faction to pledge allegiance to, naturally followed the wind’s direction and hurried to join in attacking Wen Yu and the Liang camp, vigorously promoting Wei Qishan.
A carriage with curtains embroidered in thick brocade with complex floral patterns stopped in a corner of the bustling market. The curtain was pulled aside slightly by a hand with distinct knuckles. Through that gap could be seen the storytelling stand diagonally ahead surrounded by a crowd of people. The storytelling master with a small mustache spoke with flying spittle: “Back when Liang and Chen formed their alliance, I already said it was empty talk! Since that Princess Hanyang is not of male form, how can she seek revenge and revive Great Liang?”
Someone in the crowd rebutted: “You can’t say it like that. If the Chen army’s campaign against Pei Song succeeds, in the future when Princess Hanyang’s descendants inherit the throne, won’t this realm still be in the hands of the Wen clan’s descendants?”
The storytelling master smiled contemptuously and asked in return: “Since they are Wen clan descendants, I ask you—will Princess Hanyang’s descendants bear the surname Wen or the surname Chen?”
This question left the person who had rebutted earlier momentarily speechless.
The storytelling master struck his gavel and surveyed all the listeners, putting on an appearance of heartbreak as he continued to question: “After his Southern Chen takes control of the Central Plains, will they use his Chen Kingdom’s dynastic title, or our Great Liang’s dynastic title?”
The watching common people discussed among themselves in confusion.
That storytelling master then made another outrageous statement: “If you ask me, it’s also that group of ministers in the Liang camp who’ve grown muddled with age. Even though Pei Song has massacred all the Wen clan, just like when they established King Changlian as heir, if they took out the Wen clan genealogy and traced upward, they could always find a male from a branch line or distant relative to inherit Great Liang’s throne. Why must they pledge loyalty to an outmarried woman?”
Some agreed, some shook their heads and argued: “If they produced a male to inherit the throne, I’m afraid when Princess Hanyang married off to Southern Chen, Southern Chen would also be unwilling to send troops to campaign against Pei Song, right? This is obviously helping a brother-in-law ascend to power—who would do such a thankless task?”
That storytelling master just smiled: “It seems this brother also agrees with what I said about Hanyang helping Southern Chen steal the nation?”
He shook his sleeve at his wrist and said with no lack of sarcasm: “When taking a wife, one should marry Wen Hanyang—she’s both the renowned number one beauty of Great Liang and brings rivers and mountains as her dowry!”
These words caused the watching crowd to burst into roaring laughter.
The hand that had been half-holding the curtain withdrew, and the curtain fell, blocking the scene inside the carriage completely.
A man in tight-fitting clothing passed through the bustling market and returned to the carriage. As he sat on the driver’s seat to drive the carriage, he said to the person inside: “Master, according to your instructions, I’ve spread all the unfavorable talk about the Liang camp. However, judging from the current situation, the Wei camp also seems to be adding fuel to the fire.”
From inside the carriage came only an extremely faint “Mm.”
Pei Fifteen turned his head slightly to look back and said: “Though this scheme suppresses the Liang camp, allowing Wei Qishan to use this to build momentum and gain popular support may also be disadvantageous to us.”
As the carriage wheels rolled forward, the lowered curtain also swayed lightly. The light leaking through the gap fell on the thin, closed eyelids of the person in the carriage, like a snake dwelling deep in a cave disturbed by sunlight. Pei Song opened his eyes, his tone full of mockery: “Wei Qishan is severely wounded, and his forces have lost tens of thousands. Throughout this entire harsh winter, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun will be continuously harassed by barbarians from beyond the passes. He’s already at the end of his rope—what harm is there in letting him seize some reputation?”
Pei Fifteen said: “This subordinate has also received news that the Liang camp is investigating whether the barbarians from beyond the northern border passes attacking the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun early this year has any connection with you.”
The mocking curve at the corners of Pei Song’s mouth deepened: “Let them investigate.”
Pei Fifteen seemed somewhat hesitant: “Master, though we acted covertly in this matter, the grain transport army dispatched to Jinzhou was changed from ten thousand to thirty thousand. This advance withdrawal of twenty thousand troops from the northern battlefield cannot be faked and will inevitably give the Liang camp much to make a fuss about.”
Pei Song sneered coldly: “The biting accusations of a rat crossing the street—who will believe them?”
As the carriage passed through a market area, even through the curtain they could hear the clamor of people cursing the Liang camp. Pei Song reached out to pull the curtain aside slightly and saw that the wine house facing the street was packed with people. The storytelling master holding court inside told content not much different from what the storyteller in the bustling market earlier had said.
But the watching crowd was clearly filled with righteous indignation. Some even went further, cursing Wen Yu as a hen crowing at dawn, saying that since ancient times there had never been a precedent of a princess restoring a fallen dynasty. If she truly had integrity, she should commit suicide—then she could leave a chaste and virtuous name in the history books. Marrying off to Southern Chen to borrow troops to campaign against Pei Song sounded good, but in reality it was to seek wealth and honor for herself while making the common people at the bottom endure the flames of war.
Pei Song quietly listened to all this, the corners of his mouth curling in mockery as he lowered the curtain again.
—
Pingzhou.
Li Xun looked at the memorial concerning public opinion delivered to his hands, completely overwhelmed. After pacing back and forth several times behind his long desk with hands clasped behind his back in fury, he still couldn’t contain his anger and denounced: “Their intentions deserve death! Their intentions deserve death! Clearly it was Pei Song and Dou Jianliang colluding treacherously to harm Wei Qishan and our Great Liang, yet how is it that in the end all the blame has been shifted entirely to our Liang camp?”
Chen Wei said: “Duke Ling and General Yuchi righteously sacrificed themselves to block Pei Song’s momentum of marching south, and at Wayao Fort with two thousand troops severely wounded Pei Song, making him lose over ten thousand soldiers. How could Pei Song swallow this anger? He cannot seize the three prefectures and one commandery again in a short time, so he uses these despicable means to continue disrupting our Liang camp’s morale, that’s all.”
Li Xun said: “How could I not know what you’re saying?”
He heavily struck his left chest: “It’s here that feels stifled! Duke Ling and Old General Yuchi fell at Wayao Fort. Their remains are still in Pei Song’s hands at this moment. Though the poison in Marshal Fan’s body has been completely extracted, he also cannot personally visit the front lines again in a short time. And speaking of the Princess…”
When Li Xun spoke of his heartache, his eyes couldn’t help but redden again: “What was the Princess’s purpose in going to Chen territory for a marriage alliance? Those things whose consciences have been eaten by dogs—how dare they slander the Princess like this…”
Though Great Liang had preserved its military strength this time and successfully disrupted Pei Song’s plan to take the southern border in one move, losing the two pillar ministers Li Yao and Yuchi Ba, the blow they suffered was no better than the northern border’s Wei army.
As King Changlian’s confidant, Chen Wei was the most distressed one when Wen Yu was saddled with such infamy. For a time he didn’t respond to this, and naturally all the ministers below also bowed their heads in silent agreement.
After quite a while, Li Xun himself calmed his emotions before saying: “The current plan is to think of ways to restore the Princess’s reputation and not let those wolf-hearted dog-lunged things continue to slander and defame the Princess like this.”
After a round of low discussion among the ministers below, one censorial official said hesitantly: “Right now, except for these three prefectures and one commandery under our own jurisdiction, common people everywhere else are loudly denouncing the Princess. Should we trace up along the Wen clan genealogy to see if we can find a descendant of a Wen clan distant relative, or select a suitable boy from elsewhere—as long as we claim outwardly that he carries Wen clan blood and can preserve Great Liang’s dynastic succession, won’t those outside rumors collapse on their own…”
Before he finished speaking, Li Xun had already grabbed a bamboo scroll and thrown it at him, summoning the guards outside the door: “Someone! Drag this thing who eats from within and steals for outsiders out of here!”
Chen Wei stared at that censorial official, his face also iron-colored.
That censorial official was frightened and hurriedly knelt on the ground, shouting “My lord, spare my life!” while defending himself: “This humble official’s loyalty to the Princess and Great Liang is unwavering. It’s just that now the outside world is all spreading rumors that the Princess is helping Southern Chen steal the nation. This humble official only thought of using this delaying tactic to break the siege. This humble official’s original intention was also for Great Liang!”
Li Xun pointed at that censorial official, seeming to be angered to the extreme, unable to speak for a moment. After catching his breath, he could no longer maintain half a shred of dignified minister’s bearing and directly cursed: “You pig-brained thing! Others dig a pit there and you really jump in? Right now, exactly what is the situation with Dou Jianliang’s betrayal—Southern Chen’s side has not yet given a conclusion. This is precisely when the Princess is seeking an explanation from Southern Chen. At this time you produce a Wen clan son—where does that put the Princess? Or do you want to rush forward to hand evidence to Southern Chen?”
That censorial official still wanted to continue defending himself, but Li Xun gave him no opportunity, continuing to scold: “Produce a boy to preserve Great Liang’s dynastic succession?”
Li Xun truly was furious to the extreme and asked with a laugh: “With the Princess’s talent and courage, does inheriting the dynastic succession require finding some boy from your mouth? Has your brain been fed to dogs—don’t you remember why the Princess married far away to Southern Chen in the first place? If our Great Liang had sufficient military strength to battle Pei Song, would we still need to make a marriage alliance with Southern Chen? If Southern Chen wasn’t lured by the pie of returning to the Central Plains, would they have made such concessions during the alliance?”
That censorial official gritted his teeth: “What the lord says is all reasonable, but what the streets say has one point that’s not wrong—even if the Princess relies on Chen Kingdom’s troops to eliminate Pei Song, in the future the one who succeeds to the throne and unifies the two kingdoms will be the Princess’s heir, but will that dynastic succession be Great Chen or Great Liang? Will that emperor bear the surname Chen or the surname Wen?”
This time without Li Xun speaking, Chen Wei directly questioned: “Then according to your view, if the Princess doesn’t go to Southern Chen for a marriage alliance and we all die under Pei Song’s blade, after he and Wei Qishan decide superiority, will the dynastic succession be called Liang? Or will the emperor bear the surname Wen?”
The censorial official was stumped by the question, his face flushing red without speaking. After hemming and hawing for a long time, he continued through gritted teeth: “That would be Great Liang’s defeat—naturally everything cannot be mentioned in the same breath. But now we carry the title of Liang ministers, yet in reality we’re scheming to win the realm for that Chen ruler. Being mocked by that Pei bandit as helping Southern Chen steal the nation, we have no words to refute. These Liang ministers… truly might as well not be!”
After speaking, he stiffened his neck, putting on an appearance of facing death without regret: “This humble official has said everything today. To kill or to cut—do as you please!”
Li Xun directly shouted outward: “Someone!”
Zhou Sui, who had been standing below together with the ministers all along, stepped forward in time and bowed: “My lord, calm your anger. Please allow this humble official to debate a few sentences with Lord Gou.”
Li Xun made no sound, only snorted angrily and forcefully flung his sleeve—this counted as permission.
Zhou Sui bowed again to that censorial official, his etiquette complete, yet that censorial official still stiffened his neck, his bearing quite lofty.
Zhou Sui said: “Dare I ask my lord, when the Princess first went to Chen territory, why did the people not have so many criticisms of the Princess?”
That censorial official snorted coldly: “At that time who knew his Chen Kingdom would have such wolfish ambitions to stab the Wei army in the back?”
“Since my lord knows the crux of this matter lies in the Chen army’s betrayal, why would you still fall into Pei Song’s trap?” Zhou Sui’s words were earnest: “Wei Qishan was simultaneously harmed by treacherous people and defeated on battlefields in both the southern and northern borders—this is naturally heartbreaking. But those who stabbed the Wei army in the back were the Chen army, not our Liang army. Currently what all sides are denouncing is our Liang camp. Pei Song and Dou Jianliang have instead been picked out—how could there not be someone adding fuel to the fire behind this?”
“As Lord Chen said, Pei Song merely suffered a great loss in the battle at Wayao Fort. Having Duke Ling and General Yuchi lead two thousand troops to shatter his morale, he uses such poisonous schemes to disturb our Liang camp’s morale. This is precisely the time to unite against external threats and weather the difficulties together. How can there be internal strife?”
That censorial official didn’t engage with Zhou Sui’s reasoning, only insisting: “You just say—do my earlier words have merit or not? We ministers of Liang helping Chen Kingdom fight for the realm—what kind of Liang ministers are we?”
Zhou Sui said: “The First Emperor swept across the six kingdoms and called it Qin. Emperor Gaozu ended the Chu-Han conflict and established Han. Sui dare ask my lord, if someone now says my lord is a descendant of Qin people, a descendant of Han people, should my lord acknowledge it or not?”
That censorial official said proudly: “My ancestors are the Gou clan of Zhuojun. During the Qin period they were also a prominent clan. Through the Han period they did not decline. Even now there are still ancestral halls and genealogies that can be verified. Why would I not dare acknowledge it?”
Zhou Sui continued: “Before Southern Chen fled beyond the passes to avoid turmoil during internal chaos, the Chen dynasty they established also governed in the Central Plains for over a hundred years. Reasoning it out, even if my lord’s clan never produced Chen Kingdom ministers, you were also Chen Kingdom subjects, were you not?”
The censorial official’s expression changed as he shouted: “What do you mean?”
Then he sneered coldly: “I know your intention now. You’re merely trying to force me to follow you all in being that two-surname house slave!”
Hearing these words, both Li Xun and Chen Wei’s expressions became exceptionally ugly. They wanted to flare up but were stopped by Zhou Sui raising his hand.
He had always been a good-tempered person. The only two times he lost composure were once when Lady Zhou passed away and once when Pei Song schemed to massacre his entire Zhou family. At this moment, facing the censorial official’s impervious attitude, his expression remained unchanged, only his tone became much colder and harder: “What Sui wants to tell my lord is that Southern Chen and our Great Liang share the same roots and origin, no different from the northern border’s Wei Qishan. That Pei bandit calling the Princess’s marriage alliance with Southern Chen collusion with foreign tribes to steal the nation—his intentions deserve death! Common people being fooled by them is our failure to clarify reason for the people. If a minister of Great Liang also thinks this way, then it is one’s own fault.”
The censorial official still wanted to argue: “His Southern Chen…”
Zhou Sui solemnly interrupted: “Right now the three-way forces in Liang territory are divided, plus one Southern Chen, yet there is no tribal conflict, only power struggles. We follow the Princess—what we’re loyal to is not the name of Great Liang, but a wise ruler of one line who can shore up the collapsing great edifice and save ten thousand people from fire and flood. Sui will ask my lord, if today the one supporting Great Liang were the late Emperor Shaojing, would my lord still be so devoted?”
The censorial official blurted out: “Naturally! Receiving the ruler’s stipend, sharing the ruler’s worries…”
Zhou Sui interrupted him again: “My lord also knows that as a minister, receiving the ruler’s stipend means serving the ruler with loyalty. Dynasties change—ministers may die for loyalty and integrity, but cannot demand the common people do the same. An ancient saying goes ‘The people are precious, the state and land next, the ruler least important.’ The Princess puts the common people first in all matters. Before going to Southern Chen, she painstakingly schemed to secure the three prefectures and one commandery of the southern border, and single-handedly promoted the alliance of Liang, Chen, and Wei three-way forces to jointly attack Pei Song—all to minimize warfare and casualties as much as possible, so that people within the borders would not be displaced. Since implementing benevolent governance, the three prefectures and one commandery have taken in countless refugees. Today my lord, for your own selfish desires, engages in court struggles here and reproaches the Princess—are you not ashamed?”
Zhou Sui’s words were like knives, incomparably sharp, stabbing until that censorial official’s face flushed red and ears burned. He still wanted to argue: “But now the streets all say…”
“Street talk can be manipulated by those with intentions. Unless one is a scholar, who knows how this realm’s situation truly is? That Pei bandit uses such poisonous schemes to incite the common people and defame the Princess. As a Liang minister, instead of thinking of clearing the Princess’s name, you grasp at accusations here. I observe that you are not fit to be a Liang minister!”
Once these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.
Zhou Sui’s refined eyebrows and eyes contained anger. That censorial official opened his mouth but could not utter another word.
Zhou Sui’s gaze swept over everyone present, his words resounding: “That the realm’s scholars were so easily incited this time is nothing more than because Wei Qishan’s two defeats were too tragic. But wasn’t Duke Ling and Old General Yuchi’s battle at Wayao Fort also tragic? Yet who grieved for them, who wept for them?”
Speaking to the point of being moved, his eyes reddened. He bowed to Chen Wei and Li Xun: “That Pei bandit uses this poisonous scheme to ruin our lord’s pure reputation. Sui humbly requests to go to the southern border’s thirty-six academies to engage in scholarly debate to rectify our lord’s reputation!”
Of Great Liang’s academies worthy of note, there were a total of fifty-two, and the southern border alone monopolized thirty-six of them.
Zhou Sui had studied at the southern border’s most prestigious White Deer Hollow Academy.
Chen Wei and Li Xun exchanged a glance. Both knew the current situation was unfavorable to them, and Zhou Sui’s journey would certainly be difficult. But before news came back from the Chen Royal Court, there was no better method. They finally nodded in permission.
—
Chen Royal Court.
The embezzlement case implicated by the killing of the palace eunuch had not yet been completely resolved when the intelligence report transmitted back from Liang territory once again stirred the entire Chen Kingdom court into upheaval.
Dou Jianliang had betrayed and joined Pei Song, and he had originally been part of the Jiang faction.
The ministers in charge directly didn’t return to their residences for a whole night, gathering in the royal hall to discuss procedures for handling this matter.
But according to private discussions among palace attendants who entered the hall to serve tea, the ministers of the Prince faction and the ministers of the Jiang faction had nearly come to blows in the great hall.
It wasn’t until dawn, with half a shichen left until the new day’s court session, that the ministers were arranged to go have some morning food and rest temporarily.
The leading minister of the Prince faction was Imperial Censor Qi Simiao. Having argued heatedly with the Jiang faction people all night, his heart was now churning and he had little appetite for food. In the side hall specially designated for his temporary rest, he had just wrung out a cloth to wipe his face when the attendant guarding the door came to report that an honored guest had arrived.
At this juncture, Qi Simiao was unwilling to see anyone who came calling. But this time he could not refuse. Not long after the attendant’s report, he saw someone cloaked in a deep-colored cape walking into the hall, stepping through the thin morning light and candle shadows.
Recognizing the person, Qi Simiao dared not be presumptuous. He stood up formally and bowed: “This old minister pays respects to the Princess Consort.”
Wen Yu removed her cloak hood, her raven hair like clouds, her complexion like frost. Aside from the bloodshot veins and faint redness in her eyes that revealed some of the master’s earlier emotions, it was hard to see any other clues from her. When she spoke, her tone was peaceful as always, yet cold like wind passing through the courtyard during the chilly early spring: “That great gift from before—was Lord Qi satisfied with it?”
Qi Simiao maintained his bowing posture and said: “That Your Highness visits at this time should not be for the matter of the criminal eunuch.”
Wen Yu raised her eyes. In a trance, her face carried a smile, yet those eyes were like blades condensed from ice and snow, making those who saw them feel cold: “Naturally.”
“I came here to have my lord support me as ruler, with the Prince of Chen as my Great Liang’s Prince Consort.”