Mu Wuxia hesitated, unsure if he could trust him. After a moment’s consideration, he asked reluctantly, “Can you first tell me your plan?”
Shen Zaiye pursed his lips, propping himself up and gesturing for Mu to come closer.
Meanwhile, Jiang Taohua was wondering where Shen Zaiye had gone, as he hadn’t returned all day. Just then, Qing Tai entered and reported, “The Prime Minister has left the city.”
Taohua was stunned. After a moment’s calculation, she sighed, “If he’s gone, so be it.”
These few days of peace were already more than she could have hoped for. She couldn’t expect Shen Zaiye to abandon his plans to attack Zhao.
This war was inevitable.
The sound of drums echoed from outside the city. Jiang Changxie stood before Jiang Taohua, his face solemn as he held his helmet. “The Wei army is launching a full-scale attack. This battle will determine our fate. If I fail, please take care of yourself, Royal Sister.”
Taohua’s heart tightened. She squeezed his hand and looked at him earnestly. “Regardless of victory or defeat, you must protect your own life.”
Changxie nodded with a smile, but his promise held little weight. On the battlefield, blades and swords were blind – who could guarantee their survival?
The sky turned a dusky yellow as Taohua watched from the palace tower. She could hear the deafening battle cries and the clanging of horse hooves and armor. This time, Shen Zaiye was truly serious. His army besieged the city, attacking with full force. Within days, they had breached the capital’s gates.
Once the gates fell, the capital was essentially lost. Most would have retreated westward, but Jiang Changxie, stubborn as he was, led his men in street fighting. He held out for two days, waiting for reinforcements to arrive. When they finally did, they managed to close the city gates once more.
The battle was devastating for both sides. Reopening the gates had been difficult, but closing them proved even more challenging. Once they were shut again, the morale of the Wei army inevitably faltered.
The entire capital was shrouded in the stench of blood and the cries of the bereaved. Taohua shook her head worriedly, “If only this world could be without war.”
Qing Tai, standing behind her, replied, “Without war, how would we defend our country?”
“Country?” Taohua sighed. “In the end, aren’t they just defending their royal power?”
The people of these three kingdoms shared the same ancestry, only divided by their forebears. The so-called national honor was merely a struggle between the three monarchs. She had once been determined to protect Zhao, but now, witnessing the ruthless carnage, she began to question if she had been too selfish.
Yet, the thought of surrendering Zhao to become a vassal state was equally difficult to swallow.
Was there no way to achieve both?
After half a month of fighting, both sides finally called a truce. Jiang Changxie, though covered in wounds, was in high spirits. Lying in bed, he said to Taohua, “Royal Sister, Wei is sending envoys to negotiate terms.”
He had proven that Zhao was not to be trifled with. Despite their inferior numbers, he had held the enemy at bay outside the capital. Wei’s willingness to negotiate showed a measure of caution.
Taohua nodded, her heart aching at the sight of his injuries. “You’ve done remarkably well.”
“What terms do you think they’ll propose, Royal Sister?” Changxie’s brow furrowed after a moment of joy. “They’ll likely demand land or silver.”
He had only bought them time. If the fighting continued, neither side would benefit. Zhao would eventually fall, and Wei would be severely weakened. But if negotiations failed, Zhao would suffer more. The terms would undoubtedly be harsh.
“A truce is good news,” Taohua smiled. “As for money, it can be earned back. And land… they’ve just absorbed Wu’s territory, so they might not seek expansion. But if they insist, you could offer them the land from the alliance with Wu.”
“Alright.” Changxie nodded, closing his eyes as he lay in bed, his heart still uneasy.
To their surprise, the Wei envoys arrived with a remarkably favorable attitude. Their main conditions were that Zhao cede the lands from the previous alliance and gift 100,000 taels of silver. In return, Wei would cease hostilities and guarantee peace for five years.
These terms were exceptionally generous, almost too good to be true. Jiang Changxie, skeptical, asked the envoy, “Is there nothing else?”
“There is,” the envoy glanced at Jiang Taohua and lowered his voice. “The Prime Minister of Wei requests that, as a gesture of goodwill between our newly reconciled nations, the princess given in marriage be returned to him.”
Taohua was stunned, her mind racing as she suddenly realized something. After staring at the envoy for a moment, she rose and walked to the palace doors to survey the scene.
Outside, all was quiet. The imperial guards were at their posts, and the court officials waited in the side hall. The entire kingdom of Zhao truly seemed to belong to Changxie now. The Lü faction’s influence had vanished, and though the ravages of war remained, there was a sense that a golden age was dawning.
Was this Shen Zaiye’s goal? To install her brother on the throne, purge the court of dissidents, and use external pressure to unite Zhao under Changxie’s banner, earning him respect and prestige.
She had never realized this was his plan. She had thought he truly meant to help Mu Wuxia unify the realm and seize her homeland.
“Royal Sister,” Changxie approached her worriedly. “If you don’t want to return, I can–“
“Prepare a carriage for me,” Taohua smiled, turning to him. “It’s time I went to see your brother-in-law.”
Jiang Changxie was bewildered, scratching his head. He couldn’t understand the relationship between his royal sister and Shen Zaiye – one moment enemies, the next together without grudges, and perhaps adversaries again in the future.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, concerned. “If it’s just for Zhao’s sake, there’s no need.”
“It’s not,” Taohua looked at him earnestly. “This time, it’s for myself. That man is too stubborn with his words and too soft in his heart. Your royal sister owes him a great deal and must repay it.”
Changxie didn’t fully comprehend her words, but seeing the sincerity in her eyes, he ordered a carriage prepared to take her to Shen Zaiye.
The city gates opened halfway. Shen Zaiye waited on horseback outside. Seeing the carriage approach, he showed no reaction, simply dismounting and walking forward to lift her out.
“My lord,” Taohua smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Did you miss me so much that you’d trade this great realm for me?”
Shen Zaiye snorted lightly, keeping a stern face. “Be serious in front of the army. Right now, you’re just a bond of friendship between our two nations.”
(End of Chapter)