The Liao Emperor passed away, and the emperor swiftly summoned his trusted aides to Chuigong Hall to discuss state affairs.

The Liao Emperor had long passed the prime of life. Due to his years of battle in his youth, his body bore numerous injuries, and he had been bedridden in recent years. Yet, no one expected him to suddenly die at this critical moment.

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If the Song and Liao were still at war, the sudden death of the Liao Emperor would plunge the Liao State into chaos—an opportune moment for the Song to strike.

Zhao Fu anxiously asked, “My loyal subjects, do you have any good strategies?”

The Left Prime Minister, Xu Bi, stepped forward and saluted. “With the two nations already at war, our Great Song has not been at a disadvantage. I believe that our Song is no longer the same weak nation it was twenty-six years ago. Even in a direct battle against Liao, we need not fear. Now that Liao is in turmoil, it is the perfect time to press our advantage. Reclaiming our lost lands is within reach.”

Zhao Fu understood this well—it was indeed a golden opportunity to attack the Liao. Xu Bi had merely voiced his own thoughts with certainty. Pleased, the emperor exclaimed “Good!” three times, laughing heartily. He stood up, walked among his ministers, and declared excitedly, “How our Great Song asserts dominance in the Central Plains will be determined by this battle!”

That very night, the emperor issued an urgent decree, mobilizing the entire nation for a swift war against Liao.

After returning from Chuigong Hall, Yu Chaosheng sat in his office in the Ministry of Justice, lost in thought for a long time.

As the sun set and dusk fell, a government worker quietly entered and asked if he should light the lamps. Yu Chaosheng snapped back to reality. Looking up at the gray-haired government worker he remained silent for a long time. When the man asked again, Yu Chaosheng suddenly stood up and said, “No need.”

The old government worker was puzzled as he watched Yu Chaosheng hastily leave, as if fleeing from some unseen calamity.

The war against Liao was imminent.

Yu Chaosheng never expected that when he brought Wang Xiao and the others back from Youzhou, he would face such a situation.

At that time, Yu Chaosheng had secretly investigated Youzhou’s Silver Pull Division and discovered that Wang Zifeng had extended his influence into the Northwest army, using the bureau to meddle with the military. It was a golden opportunity. Without giving Wang Zifeng any chance to react, Yu Chaosheng captured his men and returned to the capital, ensuring that even if Wang Zifeng realized it, it would be too late.

Yu Chaosheng had long suspected Wang Zifeng of colluding with Li Jingde and others to dominate the court. However, he had not known that Wang Xiao and the other three were secretly infiltrating Liao to gather intelligence for the Northwest army.

Now, Wang Xiao and his team were imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. They had already confessed everything.

As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, Yu Chaosheng finally saw the full picture of this grand scheme.

Three years ago, the emperor had sent Su Wenyun and Tang Shen to Youzhou, all for the purpose of plotting against Liao. They had used the Silver Pull Division to plant spies within Liao. This scheme was deeply entangled with the Silver Pull Division, and even the emperor himself must have known that Wang Zifeng would not be easily kept in the dark. But Wang Zifeng knowing was one thing—his excessive interference was another.

This was an excellent opportunity.

Yu Chaosheng could report Wang Zifeng to the emperor, feigning ignorance of the plot against Liao while accusing Wang Zifeng of abusing his power and overstepping his authority.

A sharp call from the night watch suddenly rang out, piercing through the thick courtyard walls and into Yu Chaosheng’s ears. He jolted awake, looking down at his palm, which was damp with cold sweat.

It was already the third watch. Dawn was near.

Yu Chaosheng had not slept the entire night. His eyes were bloodshot as he walked to his desk, picked up his brush, and prepared to draft an impeachment memorial against Wang Zifeng. But just as his brush was about to touch the paper, he hesitated.

The next day, as Tang Shen left the Qinzheng Hall, he ran into Yu Chaosheng at the entrance.

Tang Shen startled slightly, then saluted, “This lower official greets the Minister of Justice.”

Yu Chaosheng seemed slightly startled as well. He waved his hand and said, “No need for formalities.”

Tang Shen observed him carefully. “Daren, your complexion looks unwell. Are you feeling ill?”

Yu Chaosheng replied, “I have been busy with official duties lately. Thank you for your concern, Tang daren.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they parted ways.

As Tang Shen turned back, he saw Yu Chaosheng enter Qinzheng Hall, heading toward the Left Prime Minister’s office.

He was probably going to see Xu Bi.

Tang Shen’s gaze darkened as he turned away.

Yu Chaosheng entered Xu Bi’s office. Xu Bi was reading a military report from the Northwest. Seeing Yu Chaosheng, he smiled and said, “Xian Zhi, what brings you here? Have a seat. It’s been a busy day. With the Liao Emperor’s death and the war intensifying, every military report is crucial.”

Yu Chaosheng sat down. “How is the Northwest front?”

Xu Bi chuckled. “The Liao Second Prince, Yelü Shege, is leading the Black Wolf Army in Datong. But now that the Liao Emperor has died, what do you think will happen? He has to fight a war and compete with his brother for the throne. We don’t know the exact situation yet, but it won’t be long before Liao falls into civil strife.”

Yu Chaosheng remained silent, struggling internally.

Seeing this, Xu Bi immediately understood that his student had come with a heavy burden. Instead of pressing him, he said gently, “Xian Zhi, how long have we been teacher and student?”

Yu Chaosheng replied, “After ranking second in the imperial examination, I was fortunate to earn Sir’s favor. It has been eighteen years since then.”

“Whenever you are troubled, you become taciturn.”

Yu Chaosheng was stunned.

“Just like now. What is troubling you?”

After a moment of hesitation, Yu Chaosheng finally said, “Sir, I came for an important matter. Before I went to Youzhou, you told me that only I could save myself. Last month, I brought some people back, and you know about this. But what you do not know is that these men were imperial spies embedded in Liao!”

Xu Bi paused, setting his teacup down with a sigh. “So, it’s true. I had my suspicions, but I was never certain. Now, it seems my guess was correct. So, do you fear that capturing these men will affect the war?”

Yu Chaosheng said nothing.

Xu Bi frowned. “Nonsense! If those four were truly indispensable, would Li Jingde have let you take them? Would Grand Preceptor Zhou have allowed it? Even His Majesty wouldn’t have permitted it! They may be important, but they are not crucial. Without them, the war may be affected, but it will not fail.”

Yu Chaosheng sighed. “I understand now. But if I accuse Wang Zifeng, the court will undoubtedly suspect His Majesty’s operations in the Northwest.”

Xu Bi suddenly understood his student’s true dilemma. He gazed at Yu Chaosheng and said, “Xian Zhi, sometimes, one must choose what not to do in order to achieve what must be done.”

Yu Chaosheng stood in silence for a long time.

That day, an urgent military report arrived from Youzhou, galloping to the capital.

That same day, Wang Zifeng formally requested an audience with the emperor, requesting the release of the four men detained by the Ministry of Justice.

The emperor, sensing the undercurrents at play, smiled and asked Wang Zifeng, “Zi Feng, are these four men truly that important?”

Wang Zifeng replied respectfully, “Your Majesty, as the commander of the Silver Pull Division, nothing in the bureau escapes my notice. I believe these four men are, indeed, quite important—especially now.”

The emperor chuckled and issued a casual decree for Yu Chaosheng to investigate thoroughly, then release them promptly.

This is the emperor.

Zhao Fu knew that Wang Zhen was aware of his deployments in the Northwest, but what he wanted was for Wang Zhen to know, not to intervene. If he had truly wanted Wang Zhen to handle the matter, he would not have needed to send Su Wenyun and Tang Shen in the first place. Sending Tang Shen was an opportunity for Wang Zhen to gain favor, but sending him alone without informing Wang Zhen was also a strong warning.

That night, as he cultivated immortality, Zhao Fu was in high spirits, feeling particularly pleased with himself.

Feeling inspired, he climbed the Xuji Tower in the middle of the night, gazing upon the grand scenery of Shengjing. He turned to his close eunuch, Ji Fu, and said, “Though I dwell in but one corner of the world, the entire realm is in my grasp!”

Ji Fu flattered him, “The nine provinces of this divine land all belong to Your Majesty.”

Zhao Fu shook his head. “Not just the land—the people on it are mine as well.”

Xu Bi? Wang Quan? Chen Linghai? Geng Shaoyun?

Wang Zhen, Su Wenyun, Yu Chaosheng, Tang Shen…

Even Ji Wengji, who considered himself the one who understood Zhao Fu the most—who among them was not being played in the palm of his hand!

Ji Fu, of course, did not understand the emperor’s deeper meaning, but having lived for sixty years, he had once heard an older eunuch say: when people grow old, they become arrogant. No one is perfect; no one can always be the smartest person in the room. Perhaps being a fool forever is the only way to truly be wise.

Zhao Fu firmly believed he had complete control over Wang Zhen and Yu Chaosheng.

If Wang Zhen truly interfered in the Liao matter, Yu Chaosheng would certainly impeach him. Otherwise, Wang Zhen would never spare Yu Chaosheng—he would use the Xingzhou case to ruin him completely.

However, the most unpredictable thing in the world was the human heart.

On the 27th of August, just as Yu Chaosheng entered the Ministry of Justice, a government worker delivered an invitation.

Yu Chaosheng opened it and remained silent for a long time.

That evening, after court, he arrived at Qianli Tower. A private room on the fourth floor had already been reserved. Led by a servant, Yu Chaosheng entered the room and saw Wang Zhen standing by the window, gazing into the distance.

Yu Chaosheng saluted, “This lower official, Yu Chaosheng, greets the Left Senior Grand Secretary.”

Wang Zhen turned, his eyes lighting up with joy. “Yu daren” He strode forward with a smile. “No need for formalities, please, have a seat.”

Yu Chaosheng sat down, and the two began their meal.

Qianli Tower was owned by the Jing Prince’s estate, often frequented by court officials. The private rooms on the fourth floor were all secluded and had discreet exits, ensuring privacy.

After finishing their meal, they engaged in small talk—mostly about court affairs. With the war in the Northwest intensifying, the conversation naturally drifted toward Youzhou.

Then, Wang Zhen suddenly changed the subject. “Yu daren, do you know where I was looking when you entered?”

Indeed, when Yu Chaosheng walked in, Wang Zhen had been gazing out over the city, but at what exactly, he did not know.

Yu Chaosheng replied, “I do not know.”

Wang Zhen smiled. “Come with me.”

The two walked to the window. Wang Zhen pushed it open and pointed. “Yu daren, does anything look familiar?”

Yu Chaosheng, now past forty, found it difficult to see clearly in the dim light of dusk. He squinted for a moment before realizing, “That is the Qionglin Park?”

Wang Zhen nodded. “Yes, Qionglin Park. Every three years, the palace examination is held, and His Majesty personally selects the top three scholars. After the triumphant parade, all successful candidates attend a banquet at Qionglin Park—a once-in-a-lifetime event. Thinking back, that night was eighteen years ago, wasn’t it?”

Yu Chaosheng couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. “They say one of life’s greatest joys is passing the imperial exam.”

Wang Zhen said, “I remember something you said at that banquet, Yu daren.”

Yu Chaosheng looked at him, puzzled. He no longer remembered what he had said eighteen years ago, but something in his mind told him exactly what Wang Zhen was about to say—how these words would lead him to the point of no return.

Wang Zhen gazed at him sincerely, his voice warm and steady, smiling as he said, “His Majesty asked the top three scholars why they had endured ten years of hardship to take the exam. Yu daren, you were too honest, and your answer left a lasting impression on me, as if it were just yesterday. You said you had not studied for ten years but twenty. And as for why you took the exam…”

Yu Chaosheng finished his sentence for him. “A scholar’s pursuit of knowledge is, in part, a search for the reason behind that very pursuit.”

Wang Zhen smiled faintly. “Yes. Now, eighteen years later, have you found that reason, Yu daren?”

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Yu Chaosheng looked deeply into Wang Zhen’s eyes, then saluted. “Compared to Wang daren, Xian Zhi is lacking.”

Wang Zhen’s expression shifted—he, too, returned the salute. When he spoke again, every word was sincere, from the depths of his heart.

“Yu daren, you are a man of integrity and virtue. Today, Wang Zhen yields to you with utmost admiration.”

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Mei Shengze, courtesy name Ling Fu.

A few days ago, Mei Shengze and Wang Xiao were captured by Yu Chaosheng and escorted back to the capital.

Although the matter was not widely publicized, it was also not concealed, and naturally, the news quickly reached the Mei family in Northern Zhili. The Mei family was not an influential aristocratic clan but rather a wealthy gentry family. Their ancestors had produced a single successful imperial examination candidate at the jinshi level, followed by two or three juren (provincial examination passers). Mei Shengze was the second jinshi in the Mei family, but now that he had fallen into misfortune, the Mei family was helpless. Mei Shengze’s father had no choice but to seek out Tang Shen for help.

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Choking with emotion, Mei’s father pleaded, “Tang daren, this humble commoner dares not disturb you, but I have nowhere else to turn. Ling Fu has been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice’s dungeon. My Mei family may not be a grand household, but we have never let my son suffer from lack of food or clothing. Please, for the sake of your shared schooldays, save Ling Fu! I beg you!”

Before he could finish speaking, Mei Shengze’s father made to kneel again.

The government worker beside Tang Shen was a seasoned bureaucrat, well-versed in official etiquette. Some things were inconvenient for Tang Shen to say outright, but the government worker, catching Tang Shen’s glance, immediately understood. He quickly grabbed Mei Shengze’s father’s arm and said, “Elder, what are you doing? This is the Ministry of Works’ office. If you kneel here before the Right Vice Minister, are you trying to get him impeached by the censors at tomorrow’s court assembly?”

Mei Shengze’s father hesitated, “I…”

The government worker continued, “Please, come this way first.”

Tang Shen said slowly, “Uncle, let us first return to my residence.”

Temporarily removing him from the Ministry of Works’ premises, Tang Shen took Mei Shengze’s father to the Right Vice Minister’s residence. He immediately ordered his page boy Feng Bi to serve tea and water.

Tang Shen asked with concern, “Ling Fu was just brought back to the capital four days ago, and yet you’ve already arrived. Have you had any rest on the journey?”

Mei Shengze’s father’s eyes were red with exhaustion. “I wouldn’t dare deceive you, daren. How could I possibly have slept?”

Tang Shen sighed.

Mei Shengze’s current predicament, while not entirely his fault, was not completely unrelated to him either.

Yu Chaosheng’s real target this time was Wang Zhen. Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze were merely pawns in his scheme against Wang Zhen. This dynasty did not execute civil officials, so Mei Shengze’s likely fate was banishment to a remote, impoverished county as a minor magistrate, living out his days in obscurity. At worst, he would be dismissed from office and sent home, never to re-enter officialdom.

Tang Shen solemnly assured, “Uncle, rest easy. With me here, Ling Fu will not come to harm.”

Hearing these words, Mei Shengze’s father finally relaxed. But then he remembered something, and his anxiety surged again, twisting his heart with fear. “Daren! Ling Fu is still in the Ministry of Justice’s prison. How could an ordinary person survive such a place? Please, I beg you, save him! He cannot endure such suffering!”

Tang Shen patted the back of Mei Shengze’s father’s hand. “Uncle, rest assured. I have made arrangements and will not stand idly by.”

Now completely relieved, Mei Shengze’s father, without giving Tang Shen a chance to react, fell to his knees with a loud thud and knocked his head against the ground twice. Just as he was about to bow a third time, Tang Shen hurriedly stepped forward to lift him up.

“Daren, you are the great benefactor of my Mei family! Our family’s savior! In my next life, I will serve you as an ox or a horse to repay this debt!”

Tang Shen responded, “Uncle, you will shorten my life if you say such things. Ling Fu and I have been classmates for many years. How could I turn a blind eye to his plight? It’s not ideal for you to stay in the capital for now. Return to Northern Zhili first. Once everything is settled, I will notify you.”

After sending Mei Shengze’s father away, Tang Shen’s expression darkened.

He summoned Feng Bi. “Take my personal order to the Ministry of Justice and do as follows…”

Feng Bi accepted the command and was about to leave with Tang Shen’s token, but before he could step out, Tang Shen stopped him.

“Forget it. You would likely return empty-handed. The Ministry of Justice is Yu Chaosheng’s domain. If he wants something done, the officials there will listen to him. No one will grant me this favor.”

After a moment of thought, Tang Shen reached a decision. He changed into casual robes and, just before sunset, hurried to the Minister Residence.

Wang Zhen was having dinner at home when he saw Tang Shen arrive. Delighted, he stood up and greeted him.

“What brings you here?”

Tang Shen, having rushed over quickly, had a fine sheen of sweat coating his forehead. He said nothing but fixed Wang Zhen with a steady gaze.

Understanding his meaning, Wang Zhen dismissed the servants.

“Leave us.”

The steward complied, and soon, only Wang Zhen and Tang Shen remained in the hall. Without wasting time, Tang Shen spoke directly.

“The Song Dynasty does not execute civil officials, but there is no law against torturing them. I know that the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review have many brutal methods that leave no visible marks. Senior Brother, before, Yu Chaosheng dared not act rashly. He first submitted a memorial to test your reaction. Now that he has gauged your stance, his next move will be to strike at Brother Dai Yue and Brother Sheng Ze.”

Wang Zhen regarded Tang Shen quietly for a moment before looking away. He picked up a piece of shrimp with his chopsticks and placed it in Tang Shen’s bowl.

“Little Junior Brother, eat some shrimp.”

Tang Shen was stunned for a long moment, not moving his chopsticks, still staring at Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen added another piece of meat and a crab to his bowl.

This unexpected response forced Tang Shen to calm down. His mind raced, analyzing Yu Chaosheng’s schemes, the precarious positions of Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze, and Wang Zhen’s reaction.

Finally, he sighed deeply.

“Senior Brother, you are not a heartless man. If you could act, you would have done so already. The fact that you haven’t means there are only two possibilities.”

Wang Zhen asked, “Oh? What two possibilities?”

Tang Shen replied, “First, you cannot act now. You are already under great scrutiny. Any move you make could turn you into a public target. Second… perhaps Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze must suffer first, in order for you to free yourself. I don’t yet understand your exact plan, but I trust you have one.”

Wang Zhen smiled faintly, pointing at the dishes with his chopsticks. “Little Junior Brother, do you still want to eat?”

Tang Shen sighed. “How can I have an appetite now?”

Wang Zhen put down his chopsticks. “Very well, come to the study with me and help me grind the ink.”

Tang Shen’s eyes lit up. Was Wang Zhen finally about to act?

He eagerly followed Wang Zhen into the study and carefully ground the ink for him. Wang Zhen took a blank memorial from the shelf, placed it on the desk, and lifted his brush. But just before he wrote, he hesitated, scrutinized the paper, and then put it back, selecting a thicker one instead.

“Jing Ze, grind the ink for me.”

Tang Shen craned his neck.

With quick strokes, elegant characters filled the page. Tang Shen watched attentively, but as he read, his expression changed.

“A self-reproach memorial?!”

Wang Zhen let out a light chuckle, his hand continuing to move quickly as he wrote.

He wrote fast, but he wrote so much—enough that an hour had passed—that even Tang Shen felt exhausted just watching, his own hand aching in sympathy. And yet, Wang Zhen was still not finished!

Before seeing it with his own eyes, Tang Shen never would have imagined that Wang Zifeng could write such a heartfelt, painstakingly sincere self-reproach—at least ten thousand words long!

Most memorials of such length were filled with flowery phrases and meaningless laments. But Wang Zifeng was different. Every single word was clear and well-structured, every sentence convincing. Reading the first half of this self-reproach, one would believe he was truly a thoroughly incompetent minister and a treacherous official. But upon reaching the latter half, one could see his profound regret, his awareness of his unforgivable sins, and his acceptance that he did not seek mercy—only resignation and a return to his hometown, in hopes that the emperor’s anger would be appeased.

When Wang Zhen dipped his brush in ink to continue writing, Tang Shen spoke with concern, “You’re still not finished?”

Wang Zhen paused, looking up. “I have yet to conclude. Are you getting tired, little Junior Brother?”

Tang Shen replied, “Not tired. But, Senior Brother, do you really think this will work? Will His Majesty truly spare you just because of this… deeply sincere self-reproach?”

Wang Zhen smiled. “Of course not. Yu Chaoseng’s accusations against me touch upon His Majesty’s fundamental principles for his ministers. Even if I submit this self-reproach, at best, I will receive a lighter punishment.”

Tang Shen frowned. “That’s all?”

Wang Zhen nodded solemnly. “That’s all.”

Wang Zifeng was exceptionally skilled at reading the emperor’s mind. If even he had no confidence, then who could be certain?

Tang Shen felt both anxious and relieved. Since that was the case, the false testimonies he had secretly arranged were not in vain. If it truly came to that, with his connections to Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze, he could step forward and take the blame to help his senior brother escape danger.

As Wang Zhen finished the thick self-reproach and let the ink dry, he turned back to see Tang Shen looking deeply troubled.

Wang Zhen approached him and said, “No need to worry.”

Tang Shen thought, How could I not worry? But he merely replied, “Of course, I trust Senior Brother.”

Wang Zhen chuckled. “Looking at your expression, could it be you’re thinking of sacrificing yourself to save me again?”

Tang Shen was shocked—he hadn’t expected Wang Zhen to see right through him, let alone bring it up so cheerfully.

“You can still laugh about this?” Tang Shen pressed his lips together, saying nothing more.

“You think I cannot sway the emperor’s will, and that I am surely doomed this time. But have you considered—while I may not be able to sway the emperor, there is someone who can? Have you also considered that even if I cannot influence His Majesty, I can still influence others?”

Tang Shen hesitated. “Others?”

Wang Zhen’s gaze sharpened as he smiled, calm and composed. “Compared to me, Yu Xianzhi is truly a good official!”

Kaiping, 36th Year, August 21st.

News arrived from the Northwest—the Emperor of Liao had suddenly passed away, throwing the Liao State into chaos.

Liao had four princes. The eldest and the fourth had long been exiled or imprisoned, stripped of any claim to the throne. The third prince, Yelü Han, was in Shangjing, standing vigil by the emperor’s bedside. With the emperor’s death, he was now the regent.

But the second prince, Yelü Shege, was still in Datong when he heard the devastating news. His eyes burned red with fury, and in a fit of rage, he slashed his sword down, shattering the table before him.

“How dare he?! How dare Yelü Han do this!!!”

Gripping his sword, Yelü Shege stormed out of the military tent, only to be stopped by Yelü Qin.

Yelü Shege was on the verge of tears. They said there was no true kinship among royalty, yet the emperor had always treated him well. Though he had long harbored ambitions for the throne, the moment he heard the news, grief still overwhelmed him. “Yelü Qin daren, my imperial father was unconscious, but his condition had stabilized! How could he have suddenly died? How?! How could Yelü Han dare to commit patricide?! Regicide! I swear, I will kill that bastard myself—he won’t die a peaceful death!”

Yelü Qin shouted, “Your Highness! You must not be rash! Please, calm yourself!”

Yelü Shege’s face was drenched in tears. “That beast!”

“Your Highness!”

After a long silence, Yelü Shege finally stopped, sheathing his sword. His whole body trembled, his face flushed red, but he closed his eyes, letting tears stream down unchecked.

A while later, he opened his eyes again, wiped his face, and regained his usual composure—cold, ruthless, and calculating.

“I…I was too impulsive.”

Yelü Qin sighed in relief. “Your Highness, His Majesty’s death is irreversible. But we are in Datong. The most urgent matter is returning to Shangjing. Of the ten thousand Black Wolf Army soldiers, six thousand remain. If we return, Yelü Ding could recall them at any time. But, Your Highness, six thousand… is still too many.”

Yelü Shege’s eyes flashed, his voice turning indifferent. “Indeed. Too many.”

Yelü Qin asked, “How many do you think would be appropriate?”

“My imperial father left me thirty thousand Tiger Guards and twenty thousand Golden Armor Troops. The Black Wolf Army is Liao’s elite cavalry, each soldier worth ten ordinary men in battle… One thousand. No more than one thousand.”

Outside Youzhou City, Northwestern Camp.

Su Wenyun was furious, his face flushed red. “You just let Yu Chaosheng arrest people? Isn’t Youzhou your territory?! He arrests people, and you just let him?!”

General Li Jingde replied sheepishly, “He targeted the civil officials of the Silver Pull Division. What can I do about that?”

Su Wenyun cursed, “What do you mean, ‘what can you do about that?! You idiot! If he sends men to arrest people, you send troops to block them! We’re at war! It doesn’t matter if they’re civil or military officials—this is wartime, and we’re far from the emperor’s watchful eyes! Do you understand?!”

Li Jingde protested, “Hey, why are you yelling at me?!”

Su Wenyun spat, “Because you’re an idiot! Who could have predicted the sudden death of the Liao Emperor? Seizing Jiaozhou’s three territories was easy, but how long we can hold them depends on how well this battle goes! If the Black Wolf Army isn’t wiped out, once Liao stabilizes and their new emperor takes the throne, they can always come back for revenge! Do you want to fight Liao for another ten years and see the borderlands reduced to ruins?!”

Great Song, Shengjing.

Yu Chaosheng had just left the Ministry of Justice’s prison, his robes soaked in sweat from the lingering summer heat. As he entered the hall, a government runner came rushing toward him, face flushed with urgency.

For some reason, seeing the man’s breathless, red-faced panic sent a deep sense of unease through Yu Chaosheng.

The messenger spoke hurriedly, “Minister Yu daren, His Majesty has summoned you to the palace—immediately!”

Yu Chaosheng frowned. “What is the matter? Is there an official decree? Why such sudden urgency?”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

The runner replied, “You are not the only one summoned—His Majesty has also called for all the ministers of Qinzheng Hall.”

Yu Chaosheng froze. “What has happened?”

The runner took a deep breath. “The Liao Emperor is dead!”

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On the sixth day of the eighth month, the emperor personally visited the Ministry of Works.

Yuan Mu, the Minister of Works, along with Vice Ministers Li Yude and Tang Shen, welcomed the emperor.

The group arrived at the backyard of the Ministry of Works, where a large, tall pavilion made of bright yellow brocade had already been erected. Beneath the pavilion stood a massive, pitch-black object, occupying two-thirds of the courtyard. 

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

The object had a ventilation chimney on top, with supervising officials and working craftsmen standing on either side.

“Is this the so-called ‘cage box’?” Zhao Fu pointed at the cage box and asked Tang Shen.

Tang Shen replied, “Your Majesty, indeed it is. Please look here.”

Everyone followed Tang Shen as they approached the enormous, dark cage box. Tang Shen explained, “This is where coal is added to the cage box, and this is the ventilation port. Since the internal temperature of the cage box is extremely high, a cooling device has also been installed.” Tang Shen spoke at length, and although Zhao Fu didn’t fully understand, he found it intriguing. Following Tang Shen’s explanation, they reached the end.

Yuan Mu said, “This is a blacksmith’s forge.”

Ji Mengwen, standing nearby, added, “Minister Yuan daren is correct. This is indeed a common blacksmith’s forge, and this is the anvil used for forging. The function of the cage box is not visible to the naked eye, so we need to use other tools to demonstrate its purpose.”

Left Vice Minister Li Yude remarked, “I notice this forge is different from the usual ones. Look at the hammer—it seems to be connected to the cage box. If this is for forging, have we arranged for a blacksmith today? I don’t see the Director of the Metal Department.”

Tang Shen replied, “Once the cage box is activated, Left Vice Minister Li daren will understand.”

The emperor grew even more curious about the cage box.

Seeing this, Tang Shen wasted no time. He signaled to Ji Mengwen, who immediately gathered the craftsmen to start the cage box.

Several craftsmen received the order and quickly opened the coal compartment, shoveling large chunks of coal into the furnace. The temperature inside the cage box rose rapidly, and the air visibly distorted. Tang Shen led Zhao Fu to step back to the courtyard entrance, observing from a distance.

The craftsmen wiped sweat from their brows, carefully monitoring the temperature and steam inside the cage box while also controlling heat dissipation and gas containment.

Indeed, the cage box was the Song Dynasty’s version of a steam engine.

Two years ago, Tang Shen had Yao San locate large coal mines in the Liao State and bring back significant amounts of coal. The Liao State, vast and expansive, contained several famous coal mines that would later become well-known. With some raw materials secured, Tang Shen had long since begun experimenting with steam engines in the Tang Family Workshop.

In later generations, any middle school student would know that the first industrial revolution began with the invention of the Watt steam engine.

Every industrial revolution is a revolution in productivity.

The principle of the steam engine is not complicated—it uses steam to power machinery, replacing traditional human labor and even natural forces like water power. However, while it sounds simple, achieving it was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

In his previous life, Tang Shen was a proper engineering student, but that didn’t mean he could directly create a steam engine given the current level of technology and productivity. Not to mention a steam engine, he couldn’t even produce a simple steam-powered device! Therefore, before he took charge of the Ministry of Works and established the Ministry of Construction and Reform, the steam engine project in the Tang Family Workshop had already hit a bottleneck.

It wasn’t until Tang Shen was promoted to Right Vice Minister of Works, with the support of Zhao Fu and the entire Song Dynasty, and collaborating with the finest craftsmen in the land, that the current cage box was created.

Tang Shen understood the emperor well. Zhao Fu didn’t need grandiose, empty explanations. He needed a tangible example that he could see and that would make him feel this achievement would immortalize his name.

Thus, Tang Shen and Ji Mengwen went to great lengths to connect the blacksmith’s forge to the cage box.

Tang Shen’s expression was solemn as he gazed earnestly at the massive, dark machine under the sunlight.

A sharp whistling sound was heard, followed by a thunderous clanging of metal. The noise, like thunder, echoed through the courtyard, startling everyone. The chief eunuch, Ji Fu, immediately spread his arms to shield Zhao Fu: “Protect His Majesty! Protect His Majesty!”

Yuan Mu and Li Yude were also frightened.

Tang Shen bowed and said, “Your Majesty, the noise when the cage box starts is indeed loud, but the craftsmen and I have tested it many times. Its safety is guaranteed.”

Zhao Fu was no ordinary emperor. Initially startled, he now pushed aside Ji Fu, who was blocking him, and said calmly, “I see. Jing Ze, your cage box has truly surprised me.”

The cage box continued to rumble, but since Zhao Fu didn’t seem concerned, the others had no choice but to brace themselves and watch.

Five craftsmen continuously inspected each part of the cage box, occasionally adding coal. To dissipate heat, the chimney at the top released large amounts of hot air. Tang Shen sighed inwardly. These were all energy losses, but given the current circumstances, this was the best the craftsmen could do.

After about fifteen minutes, accompanied by the deafening noise of the cage box, the hammer connected to the cage box suddenly moved.

Zhao Fu had been quietly observing, but upon seeing this, he was stunned.

Yuan Mu, Li Yude, and the others also widened their eyes in shock.

The hammer moved slightly at first, then suddenly swung in a semicircular arc, striking the anvil with force and beginning to forge.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The hammer struck the anvil repeatedly, flattening the red-hot iron prepared by the craftsmen into long strips. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the hammer’s initial strikes varied in force, but gradually, it began to strike with consistent angle and strength.

The red-hot iron grew flatter and flatter. At Tang Shen’s command, the craftsmen stopped adding fuel to the cage box.

Ji Mengwen brought the flattened iron sheet to present to the emperor.

The iron sheet had already cooled, revealing a dark color. Zhao Fu reached out and touched the small piece of iron. Suddenly, he looked up, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s, and stared at Tang Shen. “This is like the legendary devices of Gongshu Ban, where pressing a single button can set off a chain reaction.”

Legend has it that Gongshu Ban, also known as Lu Ban, the ancestor of carpenters, created wooden devices where activating a single mechanism could trigger the entire system.

The Song Dynasty also had masters of mechanics, and the Ministry of Works had a few. But both they and Tang Shen knew that energy is conserved. There is no mechanism in the world that can forge iron with just a light touch.

Tang Shen said, “Gongshu Ban’s wooden devices exist only in legends, but the cage box stands before Your Majesty.”

Zhao Fu: “This cage box can forge iron, as I have seen. But it seems quite labor-intensive. What two people can do, this cage box requires five craftsmen.”

Tang Shen replied calmly, “Using the cage box to forge iron is merely to demonstrate its function to Your Majesty. The cage box is like a tireless craftsman. Forging iron is just a small application. The power of steam in the cage box can do far more than just forge iron.”

“What else can it do?” Zhao Fu’s voice suddenly became urgent.

Tang Shen looked up at him, his gaze serious. “This, even I dare not predict.”

That day, Zhao Fu summoned the four prime ministers of Qinzheng Hall and all high-ranking officials second rank and above to the Ministry of Works to inspect the cage box.

The emperor was uncertain. He vaguely sensed that this “small” cage box was not simple, like the tip of an iceberg, hiding unpredictable power. But he couldn’t see it now, and perhaps in the few years he had left, he would never see it.

Xu Bi, Wang Quan, Chen Linghai, Geng Shaoyun… all the high-ranking officials of the Song Dynasty saw the cage box.

As Tang Shen had said the previous night, Wang Zifeng would also see the cage box.

When Wang Zifeng saw the cage box, he was instantly awestruck by this massive, cumbersome iron contraption. Seeing his stunned expression, Right Prime Minister Wang Quan teased, “Zi Feng, do you understand the function of this cage box?”

Wang Zifeng’s lips moved, and after a moment, he said, “Not really.” His tone was hesitant.

Wang Quan: “Then why do you look like that?”

Wang Zifeng: “I understand Jing Ze’s intentions at this moment.”

That night, the high-ranking officials submitted memorials to Chuigong Hall, expressing their opinions on the cage box.

Xu Bi, Chen Linghai, Meng Lang, and others remained silent about the cage box. They truly didn’t understand its purpose. Wang Quan, Wang Zifeng, and others unconditionally supported Tang Shen, submitting memorials requesting the emperor’s approval for the Ministry of Construction and Reform to build more cage boxes.

Among them, Yuan Mu, the Minister of Works, wrote a ten-thousand-word memorial, which he presented at the next morning’s court session.

He had stayed up all night.

Yuan Mu was the second-place scholar in the imperial examinations during the previous emperor’s reign. In the twenty-first year of Kaiping, Zhao Fu appointed him Minister of Works.

Zhao Fu never appointed officials based on their talents. Like Tang Shen, he became Right Vice Minister of Works not because Zhao Fu recognized his aptitude for the role, but because Su Wenyun happened to be promoted to Qinzheng Hall, vacating the position of Right Vice Minister of Works. The Ministry of Works was a relatively idle department, with limited power and constrained by multiple ministries. For Tang Shen to be promoted to a third-rank official, becoming Right Vice Minister of Works was a suitable, albeit nominal, transitional position.

Yuan Mu was not a scholar of engineering, but after becoming Minister of Works, he began to study engineering texts extensively.

Thus, he remained Minister of Works for fifteen years. While other officials in the Ministry of Works came and went, Yuan Mu stayed. He was a conservative official, never proposing bold policies, and devoted himself to the Ministry of Works. But he truly became an official of the Ministry of Works.

Yuan Mu submitted a memorial requesting the emperor to build more cage boxes.

Perhaps the ten-thousand-word memorial moved the emperor, or perhaps Zhao Fu believed in the fate hinted at within it. He immediately issued an edict, ordering the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites to assist the Ministry of Works in vigorously developing the cage box.

In the Immortal Ascension Platform, Zhao Fu, dressed in Taoist robes, sat cross-legged in the center of the hall.

Before him were nine eternal lamps. The evening breeze blew into the hall, causing the white curtains to float like a fairyland.

Tang Shen, led by Ji Fu, entered the Immortal Ascension Platform.

Zhao Fu’s eyes were closed, still immersed in his cultivation. Tang Shen remained silent, waiting quietly. After about fifteen minutes, Zhao Fu opened his eyes. He slowly exhaled a turbid breath and looked up at Tang Shen. His aged, weary eyes gazed at Tang Shen for a long time. Suddenly, Zhao Fu raised his hand. Tang Shen was startled, but before he could react, Zhao Fu’s hand moved forward and then stopped.

Zhao Fu sighed leisurely, “Jing Ze, look at me. I have practiced Taoism for over twenty years, yet I cannot extinguish a lamp with a wave of my hand. But your cage box can forge iron out of thin air. After all these years of practicing Taoism, I am still inferior to you. What is the purpose of seeking immortality and the Tao? What am I truly seeking?”

Since Tang Shen became Right Vice Minister of Works, it had been a long time since Zhao Fu asked him such a life-or-death question. He lowered his head to hide his expression, pondered for a moment, and said, “Ordinary people practice Taoism to live for ten thousand years. I dare to ask Your Majesty for forgiveness before I speak freely.”

“Haha, when did you become so cautious? Speak freely!”

“Yes. I believe that Your Majesty’s practice of Taoism is not like that of ordinary people, focused solely on life and death. Your Majesty cultivates the sincerity in your heart, the fearlessness in your heart, and the reverence and solemnity toward heaven, earth, and the gods. Common people often speak of the grace of incense, offering sacrifices to gods and Buddhas, but if we speak of their true faith, when is it the untraceable gods and Buddhas instead of Your Majesty, who bestows grace upon the people and brings peace to the world!”

Zhao Fu was slightly stunned.

Tang Shen continued smoothly. “Your Majesty practices Taoism for the sake of the people, as the faith and reverence of all people. Your Majesty just said you wanted to extinguish a lamp with a wave of your hand. Extinguishing a lamp with a wave of your hand is merely a superficial representation of what Your Majesty truly desires.” Tang Shen looked up, his gaze fervent and sincere, suddenly burning Zhao Fu’s hypocritical heart.

Tang Shen spoke each word with true sincerity. “What Your Majesty desires is beyond your physical capabilities, but your heart wishes to act, to accomplish great deeds for the people and for future generations. Your desire is what we, your subjects, should strive to achieve. What you practice is not Taoism, but the great merit of eternity!”

After finishing, Tang Shen bowed deeply to the ground.

Zhao Fu stared at him blankly. After a long while, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he said calmly, “I have taken your words to heart.”

Tang Shen’s eyes flickered, but he remained bowed, saying nothing.

After leaving the Immortal Ascension Platform, Tang Shen wiped the sweat from his palms and finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, though he relaxed, his expression grew more serious.

What he had said to Zhao Fu was seventy percent false and thirty percent true.

Why did Zhao Fu practice Taoism?

Of course, it was to seek immortality.

But Zhao Fu also knew that immortality did not exist. If he truly believed in it, he wouldn’t have summoned the monk Shanting to the palace two years ago and then executed him on a whim.

Zhao Fu possessed the false facade common to all emperors, but he also had something many emperors lacked: the great determination and resolve to accomplish real deeds, driven by vanity, and he had indeed achieved real accomplishments.

After Tang Shen left, Zhao Fu did not continue his Taoist practices in the Immortal Ascension Platform. He sat cross-legged in the hall, meditating while staring blankly at the Bagua diagram on the floor.

“Is my heart truly for the people and for future generations?”

“Even I believe it now.”

In the empty hall, the emperor’s self-mocking words were as cold as the night breeze, but he fell silent again. After a long while, he smiled and said, “In the court, perhaps only this one sincere and passionate heart remains.”

The edict to expand the Ministry of Construction and Reform soon reached the Ministry of Works, and with it came news of the return of Yu Chaosheng, the Minister of Justice and Vice Commander of the Silver Pull Division.

When Yu Chaosheng left the capital, he accompanied an army of one hundred thousand, and what a grand spectacle it was. When he returned, the one hundred thousand troops remained in the Northwest, but he still attracted the attention of the entire court because he brought back four guilty officials.

Yu Chaosheng: “Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze of the Silver Pull Division, Liang Jiao and Qian Xu of the Youzhou Flying Cavalry. First, imprison these four in the Ministry of Justice’s prison. After I report to His Majesty, further arrangements will be made.”

“Yes.”

The news that Yu Chaosheng had brought back four guilty officials spread throughout the capital overnight.

That night, Yu Chaosheng visited his mentor, Xu Bi. The teacher and student talked late into the night, staying up until dawn.

The next day, Yu Chaosheng submitted a memorial. All officials’ memorials had to pass through Qinzheng Hall before reaching the emperor. Currently, the person responsible for reviewing memorials from second-rank officials was Right Vice Prime Minister Geng Shaoyun. Geng Shaoyun was not affiliated with the Xu faction or the Wang faction; he was the emperor’s confidant.

Holding Yu Chaosheng’s memorial, Vice Prime Minister Geng felt troubled and hesitated.

In the end, he still submitted the memorial to the emperor’s desk.

Zhao Fu was a diligent emperor. Every important memorial submitted by Qinzheng Hall would be reviewed by him as soon as possible. When he opened this memorial, his eyebrows twitched, and his expression became unreadable.

Yu Chaosheng’s memorial stated that Wang Xiao, Mei Shengze, and two other Youzhou officials had been acting suspiciously, suggesting covert activities.

Of course, the emperor knew what these four officials’ suspicious activities and covert actions were. These four were the spies that Su Wenyun and Tang Shen had personally planted in the Liao State and Youzhou to carry out their plans against the Liao!

Zhao Fu placed the memorial on the table, neither summoning Yu Chaosheng to explain the truth nor issuing an edict to release the four. The emperor pondered for a long time. He felt that Yu Xianzhi was not the type to make a fuss over such a small matter, arresting four court officials and imprisoning them in the Ministry of Justice’s prison.

“Is there some follow-up plan?”

Yu Chaosheng, like his mentor Xu Bi, was always meticulous in his actions, not seeking swift results but ensuring no loose ends.

He did not directly submit a memorial to the emperor stating that these four officials had close ties with Wang Zifeng, the Left Senior Grand Secretary and Commander of the Silver Pull Division, because he still needed to observe how much the emperor knew about this.

After Zhao Fu read his memorial, he did not mention a single word about it during the morning court session, as if he had never seen the memorial.

Yu Chaosheng immediately understood: The emperor was aware of this matter!

But how much did the emperor know? Could it be that Wang Zifeng’s interactions with these four officials, and his deployments in the northwest and the Liao State, were all under the emperor’s orders?

In the Left Prime Minister’s residence, Yu Chaosheng pondered deeply and said, “I believe Wang Zifeng should not be involved in this matter. His Majesty trusts Wang Zifeng greatly, but His Majesty is inherently suspicious and dislikes ministers who monopolize power. Sir, you need not say it—you have never liked to involve yourself in such matters. You have always taught me that as an official, one must act with measure. The former Left Prime Minister, Ji Wengji, held great power, but he never reached the level of Wang Zifeng’s current methods. I believe that Ji Wengji’s actions were the limit of what His Majesty could tolerate, and Wang Zifeng has now crossed that line.”

Xu Bi smiled slightly, took a sip of tea, and said, “Indeed. In that case, what do you plan to do?”

Yu Chaosheng thought for a moment. “Since we are to oppose Wang Zifeng, we must act more decisively. If we do not strike a fatal blow, when Wang Zifeng makes a comeback, it will be an endless trouble. I plan to first interrogate those four officials, ensuring that I thoroughly impeach Wang Zifeng before the emperor, leaving him no chance of recovery.”

Yu Chaosheng’s actions could deceive many, but they could not deceive Right Prime Minister Wang Quan.

After the court session, Wang Quan immediately sought out his nephew and said, “How can you still smile? Do you know that Yu Chaosheng has already submitted a memorial to Chuigong Hall for His Majesty to see! Aren’t you afraid he might fabricate something about you in the memorial?”

Wang Zifeng, fanning himself with a white silk folding fan, smiled and said, “Uncle, have you seen the memorial?”

Wang Quan, momentarily blinded by the fan, replied with slight irritation, “Of course not. Reviewing memorials is Vice Prime Minister Geng’s duty. I am not particularly close with Vice Prime Minister Geng, so how could I know what is written in the memorial?”

“Then why worry?”

“You…!”

Wang Quan was thoroughly exasperated by his nephew, but Wang Zifeng spread his fan and said, “Uncle, there is no need to worry so much. If you are already this anxious now, how will you cope in the future? His Majesty saw the memorial yesterday, but he did not reprimand me during today’s morning court session. Therefore, the memorial must not have mentioned me.”

Wang Quan thought for a moment. “What you say makes sense, but how do you know that Yu Chaosheng did not mention you yesterday and will not directly impeach you in tomorrow’s morning court session?”

Wang Zifeng laughed outright, his handsome face radiant, his eyes sparkling like stars. “Uncle, I have always believed that to succeed in any endeavor, one must know both oneself and one’s opponent. Yu Xianzhi and I passed the imperial examinations in the same year. Since we are of the same cohort, how could I not pay attention to him? Perhaps even he is unaware that I have long taken notice of him. Naturally, I have paid attention to all the jinshi who passed the examinations in the eighteenth year of Kaiping, not just Yu Xianzhi.”

Wang Quan was surprised. “You have time for such things?”

Wang Zifeng: “It’s just a pastime during my leisure hours. Uncle, have you forgotten? I have an eidetic memory.”

Wang Quan was noncommittal. Even if he had an eidetic memory, he would not spend his leisure time on such matters. His nephew was truly an eccentric.

Wang Zifeng sighed, “I have never considered Yu Xianzhi a rival.”

Wang Quan was astonished, “I did not know you held him in such high regard!”

“High regard?” Wang Zifeng seemed to have heard a great joke. His eyes widened, and he laughed for a while before saying, “Yu Xianzhi is weak, indecisive, kind, and simple-minded! If he had studied under Prime Minister Ji, I might have been wary of him. But he studied under Prime Minister Xu. Prime Minister Xu is even more hesitant and indecisive. Why should I consider such a person my rival?”

The implication: Yu Chaosheng could never defeat me in this lifetime.

Wang Quan understood his meaning. Although he did not fully grasp where his nephew’s confidence came from, he sighed. “I have never seen a villain criticize a good person for being too kind and therefore incompetent. Impressive, truly impressive. The Wang clan of Langya has prospered for hundreds of years, accumulating pearls and jade, scholarly blessings. It must have taken a century of accumulation to produce such a corrupt official like you, Wang Zifeng.”

Wang Zifeng bowed sincerely. “Uncle, you flatter me.”

Wang Quan: “…”

While Wang Zifeng had his own plans, Tang Shen encountered someone who should not have been there.

Mei Shengze’s father traveled from Northern Zhili and waited at the entrance of the Ministry of Works for an entire day before finally meeting Tang Shen.

As soon as Mei Shengze’s father saw Tang Shen, he knelt down, but Tang Shen quickly stopped him.

The elderly man, tears streaming down his face, pleaded. “Tang daren, please, I beg you to save Ling Fu, save Ling Fu!”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

AN: In truth, Old Zhao was not wrong in saying that in the entire court, our Little Tang Lang is the only one who can be considered a good person in any sense. The so-called thick-skinned and black-hearted—Little Tang Lang’s face is thick enough, but his heart is not yet black enough.

Wang Zifeng: With me being black-hearted, it is enough. My little junior brother should be as pure as possible, every part of him~ pure (white), that would be best.

Tang Shen: …@#$@#%@#%!#!!!

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

On the sixteenth day of the seventh month of the thirty-sixth year of the Kaiping era, Tang Shen, the Right Vice Minister of Works, submitted a memorial to Chuigong Hall, requesting imperial approval to construct a “cage box” through the Department of Construction and Reform.

The cage box was a peculiar iron container, resembling a carriage in shape but of immense size, large enough to hold three rooms. Emperor Zhao Fu did not fully understand what this cage box was. Tang Shen spent four hours explaining it in Chuigong Hall, but the emperor still could not grasp the concept of this novel device.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

That day, the emperor summoned Yuan Mu, the Minister of Works, Li Yude, the Left Vice Minister of Works, and Ji Mengwen, the Director of the Department of Construction and Reform. It was not until dusk that Zhao Fu finally waved his hand and said, “Since that’s the case, go ahead and complete the cage box. Bring it to me so I can see it.”

Tang Shen bowed and replied, “As Your Majesty commands.”

When they left Chuigong Hall, apart from Tang Shen and Ji Mengwen, the chief designer of the cage box, no one else understood the principles or purpose of the device.

Yuan Mu, the Minister of Works, frowned and said, “Tang daren, I have never interfered with the affairs of the Department of Construction and Reform, but this cage box has caught His Majesty’s attention. How long will it take to complete the construction? Do you have an estimate?”

Tang Shen replied, “Minister, the cage box has already been built and tested. I never go into battle unprepared.”

Yuan Mu had already guessed this answer. “If that’s the case, why didn’t you mention it in Chuigong Hall earlier? We could have gone to see the cage box today.”

Tang Shen explained, “Although the cage box is functional, it has not yet reached its full potential. What I envision is to create a better machine to complement the cage box. Once that is done, His Majesty will immediately understand its brilliance.”

The four men parted ways temporarily.

Yuan Mu sighed to his confidant Li Yude, “They say the waves of the Yangtze River push the waves ahead.”

Li Yude responded, “That cage box may not be as useful as Tang Jingze claims.”

Yuan Mu said, “But have you heard the news of the great victory in the Northwest that has reached the capital? Tang Jingze has arrived at an opportune time. Even if the cage box is not of great use, His Majesty will likely reward him anyway!”

Meanwhile, Ji Mengwen was still trembling, his spirit unsettled.

When they returned to the Department of Construction and Reform, Ji Mengwen suddenly knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Tang Shen. Tang Shen’s expression tightened, and an official nearby immediately helped Ji Mengwen up. Tang Shen said, “Ji daren, officials of the Great Song do not perform kneeling rituals. Why are you acting this way?”

Ji Mengwen’s voice was hoarse, “This lower official is merely a small craftsman. I never imagined that one day I would have the fortune to enter the palace and meet His Majesty. Thank you, Tang daren, for elevating me. You have given me a new lease on life!”

Tang Shen said, “Have you forgotten the new regulations of the Ministry of Works?”

“Ah?”

“Whether you are an official or a craftsman, your duty is to build what needs to be built, not to kneel to others everywhere.”

Ji Mengwen was momentarily speechless. As he looked at Tang Shen’s calm and composed face, he suddenly realized that he truly was an official now.

Tang Shen asked, “How is the progress on the cage box?”

Ji Mengwen no longer had time to dwell on his earlier emotions. He immediately led Tang Shen to the Department of Construction and Reform to inspect the cage box.

Ji Mengwen said, “The cage box is ready for use at any time. However, I do not understand the meaning behind the conversation you had with the Minister earlier.”

Tang Shen said, “I recall that your ancestors were blacksmiths.”

“That is correct.”

“In that case, let us create a blacksmithing tool for the cage box!”

Throughout the seventh month, the court and the entire nation celebrated the great victory in the Northwest.

The Great Song had not achieved such a significant victory over the Liao before, let alone annihilated thirty thousand of the Black Wolf Army—the true elite force of the Liao. Emperor Zhao Fu was overjoyed and immediately rewarded the three armies. He promoted Li Jingde, the Marshal of the Western Expedition, to the first-ranked Duke Protector of the State, a hereditary title for three generations.

This battle greatly boosted the morale of the Song soldiers, while the Liao army was left in disarray.

The deputy general of the Black Wolf Army, Gunzha’er, was struck by a stray arrow and died in Zhanghu Peak. The military advisor Yelu Qin, however, managed to survive. He was shot in the right leg and, upon returning to Datong, had his entire leg amputated to save his life.

After this battle, the Song people rejoiced, while the Liao people were filled with fear.

In the capital of the Liao, Datong, the third prince Yelu Han said in disbelief, “Grand Preceptor, that was the Black Wolf Army! How could thirty thousand of our elite troops fall into a Song ambush and be annihilated? This is impossible! It must be Yelu Shege plotting behind the scenes!”

The Grand Preceptor Yelu Ding’s expression was dark and uncertain.

Yelu Han cursed Yelu Shege, who was thousands of miles away, but Yelu Ding suddenly coldly shouted, “Enough, silence!”

Yelu Han immediately closed his mouth, though his eyes still showed dissatisfaction.

Yelu Ding said, “You may leave now.”

Yelu Han gritted his teeth, bowed, and left the emperor’s bedchamber.

On the dragon bed, the Liao Emperor lay pale and emaciated, having been unconscious for many days. The emperor’s injury during a hunt was not caused by Yelu Ding or Yelu Han, but his prolonged unconsciousness was indeed Yelu Ding’s doing.

The towering and majestic Grand Preceptor stood by the emperor’s bed, looking down at the dying monarch. After a long while, he extended his hand and said, “Bring the medicine bowl.”

A palace maid carefully handed a bowl of brown medicinal soup to Yelu Ding.

Yelu Ding looked at the dark brown liquid, sat by the bed, and ordered the palace maids and eunuchs in the room, “All of you, leave now.”

Though he was only the Grand Preceptor, his command was obeyed without question, and all the palace maids left the bedchamber.

In the vast bedchamber of the Liao Emperor, only Yelu Ding and the unconscious emperor remained.

Yelu Ding spooned the medicine slowly, his voice deep and calm. “Your Majesty, how you were injured, I still do not know. That day, apart from the second prince’s men, only my people had the opportunity to harm you. In this world, the person who most desires your death is me. But this time… it was not me. Which could only mean it was Yelu Shege.”

“Your Majesty, you have been mighty and heroic all your life, but who would have thought that your most beloved son would want you dead?”

“Yelu Shege is cunning and treacherous. I cannot understand why he would do such a thing, but he did it nonetheless. Thirty thousand of the Black Wolf Army were also annihilated by him. I have never thought of usurping the throne or killing the monarch. I have never thought of poisoning you. This medicine only keeps you unconscious, but I truly never intended for you to die!”

His voice suddenly stopped, and the emperor’s bedchamber fell into dead silence.

“Back then, you galloped across the battlefield, leading the expedition yourself. We, your subjects, were united, and the iron cavalry of the Liao swept across the grasslands.”

“You were the eagle of the grasslands, the roaring wolf of the Liao.”

“I have never forgotten!”

His voice, like a scream torn from his throat, echoed through the bedchamber.

Then, there was another long silence.

Suddenly, with a “clink,” the white porcelain bowl was placed on the table beside the bed. The aged but still powerful Grand Preceptor walked back to the emperor’s bed, looked down at the monarch, and calmly reached out to cover the emperor’s mouth and nose. His movements were natural, as simple as breathing.

Half an hour later, the Grand Preceptor left the emperor’s bedchamber and went to the third prince’s palace.

Yelu Han hurried over and said, “Greetings, Grand Preceptor.”

Yelu Ding dismissed the attendants and looked at Yelu Han, saying indifferently, “His Majesty has passed away.”

Yelu Han was thunderstruck. He staggered back a step, and even though he was not the brightest, he instantly understood Yelu Ding’s meaning. He looked up at the Grand Preceptor in disbelief.

Yelu Ding coldly said, “Do not announce this for now. Since the second prince wishes to accompany the Black Wolf Army to Datong, let him go. Naturally, there is no need for him to return.”

At this moment, only the palace maids and eunuchs in the emperor’s bedchamber knew of the emperor’s death. Apart from them, only the Grand Preceptor Yelu Ding and the third prince Yelu Han were aware.

In the Great Song, the entire nation was celebrating the great victory in the northwest.

Grand Preceptor Zhou and Li Jingde were stationed in Youzhou and could not leave, so the emperor summoned Cavalry General Wei Lü and Imperial Inspector Yu Chaosheng back to the capital.

Though the winter in Youzhou in the Northwest was harsh, with heavy snow sealing the city and unbearable cold, by the eighth month, it was scorching heat with sandstorms raging. When Yu Chaosheng left his residence, he wore a headscarf to shield himself from the sand. He had received the imperial decree to return to the capital and was now on his way to the Northwest camp to report.

After meeting with Grand Preceptor Zhou, Yu Chaosheng returned to Youzhou city at night.

The night was silent, but a group of officials quickly rushed into various parts of the city and arrested several officials who were still asleep.

This operation was carried out swiftly and secretly, and almost no one reacted that night. The next day, Yu Chaosheng brought the arrested officials back to the capital in a grand procession.

Cavalry General Wei Lü was surprised to see that Yu Chaosheng had also arrested people. He asked, “Inspector Yu, who are these people?”

Yu Chaosheng replied, “General, they are all guilty officials.”

Wei Lü, a military man who had risen through the ranks via the military exams, could not fathom the half-spoken, half-concealed thoughts of civil officials.

If they were in chains, they couldn’t be meritorious officials, could they?

Wei Lü scratched his head and said bluntly, “Well, I know they’re guilty officials, but what crimes have they committed? We’ve been in Youzhou for so long, and nothing has happened. Why did you arrest so many people without a word before leaving?”

Yu Chaosheng smiled and said, “Most of them are officials from the Silver Pull Division.”

Wei Lü was stunned. He didn’t quite understand. Yu Chaosheng was one of the leaders of the Silver Pull Division, so why was he so happy when his own people were arrested?

Yu Chaosheng’s sudden arrest of a group of guilty officials was not reported to the court by special messengers. According to his plan, he intended to personally report the matter to the emperor after returning to the capital. However, in Youzhou city, Su Wenyun learned of the incident and investigated the identities of the arrested officials. His expression changed immediately.

Su Wenyun wrote a secret letter overnight and sent it to the capital by fast horse.

“You, Wang Zifeng, are not to be pitied if you die, but you must not ruin my plans!”

Yu Chaosheng’s carriage moved slowly, and by the fourth day, Su Wenyun’s secret letter had already reached the capital, while they were only halfway there.

The letter was delivered to Right Prime  Minister Wang Quan. After reading it, Wang Quan’s eyes showed sorrow. He pondered in his study for an afternoon, then summoned his confidant. The next day, Sun Shangde, a key figure in the Xingzhou case, committed suicide in his cell, unable to endure the torture and taking his own life.

This incident was reported to the emperor by the Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review during the morning court session the following day.

Due to the great victory in the Northwest, Zhao Fu had not been paying much attention to the Xingzhou case recently. Upon hearing this news, he paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the officials in the hall, as if trying to discern their true intentions.

The person who most desired Sun Shangde’s death was undoubtedly the officials involved in the Xingzhou case.

Zhao Fu remained silent for a long time before softly asking, “What does the Left Prime Minister think?”

Left Prime Minister Xu Bi stepped forward and bowed, “The guilty official Sun Shangde committed suicide out of fear. I believe that although the mastermind has been executed, the case must continue to be investigated.”

Zhao Fu stared at him for a moment, then asked, “What does the Right Prime Minister think?”

Right Prime Minister Wang Quan stepped forward and said, “This case is being jointly investigated by the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice. I believe the two ministries will have their own conclusions.”

Zhao Fu said nothing more.

After the court session, Xu Bi and Wang Quan walked together. The two most powerful officials of the court, each holding their jade tablets, walked slowly and steadily toward the Xuanwu Gate.

Xu Bi sighed, “The torture in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison is indeed unbearable for ordinary people. Who would have thought that Sun Shangde, after enduring three months, could not hold on any longer?”

Wang Quan also sighed with him, “Although I have never been to the Court of Judicial Review’s prison, I have heard that anyone who enters there will be stripped of a layer of skin before coming out. More often than not, they never see the light of day again.”

Xu Bi smiled slightly and saluted.

Wang Quan immediately returned the salute.

Xu Bi asked, “Where is the Right Prime Minister headed?”

“To Qinzheng Hall.”

“Then we are not going the same way. Farewell here.”

“Left Prime Minister, take care.”

“Right Prime Minister, stay well.”

After exchanging pleasantries, the two went their separate ways.

When Wang Quan arrived at Qinzheng Hall, he had just entered the courtyard of his Right Prime Minister’s office when he saw a tall, straight figure standing in the yard, bending over to admire a rose in bloom. The deep red official robe, which looked ordinary on other officials, appeared particularly elegant and dignified on Wang Zifeng.

However, his nephew was naturally handsome, and no matter what he wore, he always looked refined.

Wang Quan asked, “Why are you here?”

Wang Zifeng turned and saluted, “This lower official greets the Right Prime Minister.”

Wang Quan laughed, “What are you doing? You and I are both first-rank officials. If you bow to me today, should I return the bow?”

Wang Zifeng said seriously, “Today, it is the Minister of Revenue Wang Zifeng bowing to the Right Prime Minister.”

Wang Quan raised an eyebrow, “Oh? What matter does the Minister of Revenue have to discuss with me?”

Wang Zifeng frowned, genuinely puzzled, “This lower official does have a matter that I cannot understand, no matter how much I think about it. I have no choice but to seek the Right Prime Minister’s guidance.”

“What is it?”

“Why did Sun Shangde die?”

Wang Quan’s footsteps halted. He looked up at his nephew, “The person who most desires his disappearance in this world is Left Prime Minister Xu.”

Wang Zifeng smiled, “The Right Prime Minister has not yet answered my question. Why did Sun Shangde die?”

Wang Quan looked at him quietly and said, “Could it not be Prime Minister Xu silencing him?”

Wang Zifeng sighed deeply, “Why would Uncle want Sun Shangde’s life?”

Wang Quan knew he could no longer hide the truth from his shrewd and perceptive nephew. He sighed helplessly, “Let’s go inside and talk.”

Once inside, Wang Quan handed Su Wenyun’s secret letter to Wang Zifeng. After reading it, Wang Zifeng was also stunned for a moment. He sighed, “So this is what happened. I understand Uncle’s actions, but Uncle must realize that even so, it is of no use. Even if Sun Shangde is dead, what does it matter? If the Court of Judicial Review loses an important witness and wants to close the case, there are only two outcomes: either the case is hastily concluded due to lack of evidence, or the case remains unresolved due to lack of evidence!”

Wang Quan said, “Sun Shangde is dead. Isn’t that enough?”

Wang Zifeng replied, “For ordinary people, that would be enough. It would show our sincerity. But for Prime Minister Xu, it is far from enough! How can Prime Minister Xu believe that Sun Shangde’s death will lead to a hasty conclusion or an unresolved case?”

Wang Quan was well aware of this, but he had no other choice. He could only use this method to save Wang Zifeng.

But Wang Zifeng said, “Moreover, I never intended to hastily conclude the case.” He smiled elegantly, “His death is actually a good thing. From now on, there will be no way to justify themselves, and no evidence to prove otherwise. The dead can’t testify after all.”

Wang Quan was stunned, “You…”

Meanwhile, Tang Shen had just finished testing the new use of the cage box. After a busy day, he hurried back to his residence from the Ministry of Works. As soon as he arrived at the Vice Minister Residence, Feng Bi handed him a letter. “It arrived this afternoon, from Youzhou.”

Tang Shen was surprised, “Youzhou?”

Immediately, Tang Shen thought of Wang Xiao.

Since Tang Shen had stepped down as the Right Vice Censor of the Silver Pull Division, Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze occasionally sent him secret letters about the movements of the Liao. Tang Shen opened the letter and was shocked—

The letter was actually from Li Jingde!

As Tang Shen read the letter, his heart grew heavier.

After finishing the letter, he sat in his room for a long time, then held a corner of the letter to a candle, watching it turn to ash.

Tang Shen quickly changed into casual clothes and went to the Minister Residence.

Wang Zifeng had not yet returned.

It was not until past mao shi (7-9pm) that Wang Zifeng returned from outside. The steward informed him that Tang Shen had come, and he was slightly surprised. He smiled and entered the flower hall, asking, “Why had he come so suddenly? Didn’t he say the Ministry of Works was busy recently and he wouldn’t be coming for a while? Has he eaten dinner?”

The steward replied, “Gongzi arrived two hours ago.”

Wang Zifeng frowned, “Then he hasn’t eaten. How have you been serving him? Why haven’t you served the food?”

The steward: “This humble servant is at fault.”

Wang Zifeng: “Add a West Lake vinegar fish and vegetarian meatballs.” Both were Tang Shen’s favorite dishes.

Wang Zifeng took Tang Shen’s hand, and the two sat together at the table.

Tang Shen looked at him, his mind in turmoil. He didn’t know if Wang Zifeng was aware of what had happened. If he knew, Tang Shen would have to explain himself. If he didn’t know, Tang Shen would have to explain differently.

After some thought, Tang Shen asked, “Where did you go, Senior Brother? Why are you only returning now?”

Wang Zifeng glanced at him and poured him tea, “I returned from Uncle’s residence. How is the Ministry of Works these days?”

Tang Shen replied casually, “The cage box is ready. It can be presented to His Majesty tomorrow. You’ll see it too.”

Soon, a table of dishes was served.

Wang Zifeng picked up some fish meat for Tang Shen. “You’ve lost weight these past few days.”

Tang Shen ate the fish, then propped his chin on his hand, waiting for Wang Zifeng to serve him. At first, Wang Zifeng didn’t notice anything unusual, but after serving him several times, he put down his chopsticks and turned to Tang Shen. His eyes were smiling, his elegant and serene face appearing even more graceful and gentle in the candlelight.

“Are you waiting for me to serve you?”

Tang Shen said matter-of-factly, “A guest should be taken care of, shouldn’t they?”

Wang Zifeng laughed, “Of course, absolutely.” He turned to the steward and ordered, “Tang gongzi is a guest. Since he doesn’t want to use his chopsticks, it must be because the kitchen’s dishes are not good enough. Who cooked today? Fire them. The Right Prime Minister’s chef is from the imperial kitchen. Go and invite him to prepare another table of dishes for Tang gongzi.”

The steward wiped the sweat from his forehead but before he could speak, Tang Shen said, “You won’t even serve some food for me?”

Wang Zifeng: “For my wife… ahem, for my husband, I would be happy to serve. But for a guest, I, Wang Zifeng, cannot do that.”

Tang Shen retracted his cold gaze and said, “Then keep serving.”

Wang Zifeng answered gently, “En, serving you for the rest of my life is of no consequence.”

Tang Shen said casually, “It’s hard enough to meet, let alone a lifetime.”

Wang Zifeng’s expression suddenly changed. He was silent for a moment, then said seriously, “I promise you my lifetime.”

Tang Shen knew he had misspoken. His emotional intelligence had mostly been honed by Wang Zifeng and Zhao Fu, but it was still not as good as theirs. Occasionally, he would say the wrong thing unintentionally, especially with Wang Zifeng, because he was too relaxed and more easily blurted things out.

Tang Shen pulled at Wang Zifeng’s sleeve. “Don’t be angry, senior brother.”

Wang Zifeng calmly ate a bite of food, “I’m not angry, just heartbroken. My old heartache is acting up again.”

Tang Shen: “…”

You sound like I always make you angry!

Tang Shen hardened his heart and decided to be shameless. He rested his chin on Wang Zifeng’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “You’re always heartbroken, and it hurts me too. Don’t be angry. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Wang Zifeng’s eyes flickered, but his expression remained indifferent. He casually said, “Don’t say such things in the future. Little Junior Brother and I have a long life ahead of us. How do you know we won’t meet often?”

Tang Shen’s expression changed. After a moment, he didn’t respond, but he quickly reacted, “Alright, I’ll think twice before speaking from now on.”

Wang Zifeng was momentarily surprised, noticing Tang Shen’s brief shock.

The two looked at each other for a moment, then Wang Zifeng asked, “You know?”

Tang Shen: “…”

Wang Zifeng: “Since when are you so close with Su Wenyun?”

Tang Shen was surprised. “Su Wenyun? What does he have to do with this?”

“Then who told you?”

Tang Shen knew he couldn’t hide it from Wang Zifeng, so he honestly replied. “Li Jingde sent someone to tell me. Li Jingde said that although I am no longer the Right Vice Censor of the Silver Pull Division and have stepped down from these duties, he knows I contributed greatly and nearly lost my life. So he feels he owes me a favor.”

Wang Zifeng said self-deprecatingly, “Su Wenyun wrote to Uncle, and Li Jingde wrote to you. Why didn’t anyone write to me, the person involved? It seems my connections in the court are really that poor.”

Tang Shen replied speechlessly, “We’re talking about serious matters. Ai, what do you plan to do, Senior Brother? Did you have something to do with Sun Shangde’s death?”

Wang Zifeng spoke righteously, “In your heart, am I such a treacherous official?”

Tang Shen nodded vigorously. “Yes.”

Wang Zifeng laughed and hugged him. “In this world, only you can scold me, and I will still say, ‘You’re right, well said.'”

Tang Shen had no mind for other topics. He asked again, “What do you plan to do, Senior Brother?”

“Things may not be as bad as you and Uncle think.”

“En?”

“If I didn’t know about this before you came today, what would you have done?”

Tang Shen didn’t expect him to ask this. He was silent for a moment, then said, “Nothing.”

Wang Zifeng: “Now that I think about it, every time I lie, I have to kiss you first. But when you lie, you don’t have to do anything. It seems you always benefit, and I always lose out. From now on, if Jing Ze plans to deceive me, you should kiss me first, alright?”

Tang Shen rolled his eyes internally: Do I even need to kiss you? You, Wang Zifeng, are so perceptive. I only said three words, and you knew I was lying. Do I really need to kiss you?!

Wang Zifeng explained, “If you truly intended to do nothing, you wouldn’t have probed me so much today. Instead, you would have told me from the start and worked with me to find a solution. But you didn’t say anything and probed whether I knew, because if I didn’t know, you planned to handle it yourself. How would you handle it?” Wang Zifeng paused, then suddenly widened his eyes and looked down at Tang Shen in surprise. “You were going to take the blame for me and accept the punishment?”

Tang Shen muttered, “The cage box is ready, and the Department of Construction  and  Reform is on track. What I can do is limited. Whether I stay in the Ministry of Works or not doesn’t really matter. But you, Senior Brother, are different. The Silver Pull Division’s work has just begun. The Silver Pull Division cannot do without you.”

Wang Zifeng’s heart trembled. He was speechless for a long time. Finally, he hugged Tang Shen tightly and said, “But I cannot do without you either!”

Tang Shen looked up at him.

Wang Zifeng smiled bitterly, “This happened because I was too greedy for power, overreaching and meddling in matters I shouldn’t have. His Majesty is overly suspicious, unlike ordinary emperors. When Yu Chaosheng brings those people back to the capital, I don’t know what will happen.” As he spoke, Wang Zifeng kissed Tang Shen’s brow. “These are troubled times, and I haven’t found a solution yet. But with your heart, I, Wang Zifeng, have no regrets in this life.”

“Jing Ze, I promise you my lifetime. Even if it’s through thorns and knives, I don’t need you to stand in front of me.”

“Remember, do not act rashly.”

Under the candlelight and moonlight, Wang Zifeng’s expression was unusually solemn. He rarely showed such seriousness, and his words came from the heart. Tang Shen was deeply moved, but he also calculated that if it came to that, he would definitely take the blame for Wang Zifeng. The Ministry of Works’ affairs did not necessarily require him, and besides, he had already set things in motion. How things developed depended not just on him, but on the countless craftsmen of this era.

Yu Chaosheng wanted to accuse Wang Zifeng of meddling in the Liao affair, placing his own people within the Liao.

This matter could be big or small, because the Liao affair was originally ordered by Zhao Fu, who sent Tang Shen and Su Wenyun to carry it out, with Zhao Fu’s approval. But now, Zhao Fu was getting older and more suspicious. This emperor loved to balance the court and could not tolerate one faction dominating. Wang Zifeng’s involvement, on the surface, was because he was the commander of the Silver Pull Division. Tang Shen and Su Wenyun had used the Silver Pull Division’s personnel and operated under its name, making it difficult to hide from Wang Zifeng.

But if the emperor didn’t order you to get involved, you shouldn’t have.

This was ultimately a sign of Wang Zifeng’s grasp on power.

He not only got involved in matters he shouldn’t have, but also did so much.

How Zhao Fu would react was unknown. But without a doubt, this would have a significant impact on Wang Zifeng.

Tang Shen thought of taking the blame himself. Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze had been arrested by Yu Chaosheng and sent to the capital. Why couldn’t it be that after Tang Shen stepped down, he secretly sent his confidants to stir the pot?

This might not result in severe punishment, but who would take the blame was a significant matter.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

At this moment, Tang Shen was preoccupied and didn’t notice that Wang Zifeng had kissed him halfway through his speech. The action was so natural, as if driven by emotion, but later Tang Shen would realize—

You really can’t believe even a single punctuation mark from Wang Zifeng’s mouth!

AN: Tang Shen: Back then, I believed Wang Zifeng’s words, and then I… Don’t ask, just regret, regret so much that my intestines are green.

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

The hundred thousand strong Black Wolf Army marched day and night, reaching Datong Prefecture in just three days. For an ordinary army, not only would a surprise attack be out of the question, but they would also have to guard against Song army offensives. However, the Black Wolf Army not only did not rest and recuperate but instead took the initiative to attack. The Song army, having received intelligence in advance, retreated immediately, leaving the Black Wolf Army aiming at nothing. But in the military tent, the military officers were embroiled in heated debate.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“The arrival of the Black Wolf Army has greatly boosted the morale of the Liao soldiers! I told you earlier, we should have taken Jiaozhou before the Black Wolf Army arrived. Now that reinforcements are here, how are we supposed to fight?”

“That was the Grand Marshal’s order. If you have any objections, go and tell him yourself.”

“Hey, you pig-eyed, rat-nosed…”

Most of the generals in the Northwest Army came from humble backgrounds, having earned their positions through sheer combat prowess. In the military tent, as long as Grand Preceptor Zhou was not present, whoever spoke the loudest was listened to. Among them, Li Jingde, being the youngest, had the loudest voice. “What are you all arguing about? Are you trying to make us a laughing stock? The Grand Marshal naturally has his reasons, which you all can’t possibly understand.”

“Then do you understand?”

Li Jingde glared  “I do, of course I do!”

“If you understand, then speak up.”

Li Jingde rolled up his sleeves and said, “I may not understand, but my fists do.”

As the two sides were about to come to blows, Yu Chaosheng, the imperial military inspector, immediately interjected, “The Black Wolf Army is indeed a formidable force. From Shangjing to Datong Prefecture, it normally takes six days of marching, and even with fast horses, it would take two days. The Black Wolf Army arrived in two days and still had the strength to launch a surprise attack. They are truly not to be underestimated.”

As the only civil official in the tent spoke, the military officers all turned to look at him, making Yu Chaosheng’s scalp tingle.

Li Jingde, who had been dealing with civil officials frequently in recent years, asked, “What is the Inspector’s insight?”

Yu Chaosheng: “Previously, when the Liao reinforcements had not yet arrived, it was the perfect opportunity for us to attack Datong Prefecture, but the Grand Preceptor held back. In my humble opinion, perhaps the Grand Preceptor was waiting for the Liao reinforcements to arrive. Since the 27th year of Kaiping, our Great Song has been building official roads and establishing the Silver Pull Division, all in preparation for this great war. If our goal was merely to capture Datong Prefecture, the gains would be too small. What the Grand Preceptor aims for is the three states lost by our Great Song a hundred years ago, and to instill fear in the Liao so they dare not invade for another hundred years!”

Hearing his words, the previously loud and crude military officers suddenly fell silent, finally understanding the Grand Preceptor’s intentions.

Li Jingde, however, thought to himself that Yu Chaosheng had just spouted a bunch of nonsense. He already knew all this; why did Yu Chaosheng need to say it? But then he realized that although Yu Chaosheng was ostensibly one of the leaders of the Silver Pull Division, he had not actually been involved in the department’s plans against the Liao. He had deduced all this purely based on his own understanding of the situation.

For a moment, Li Jingde felt a bit of admiration for him.

These civil officials’ brains were indeed not just for show.

Both the Cavalry General Wei Lü and Imperial Inspector Yu Chaosheng had arrived in Youzhou, and naturally, the Fourth Prince Zhao Jing and the Fifth Prince Zhao Ji had also arrived.

The two princes had just arrived in Youzhou and immediately rushed to the Northwest Camp to meet Grand Preceptor Zhou.

Zhao Jing, three years older than Zhao Ji, was somewhat portly in his middle age. As soon as he saw Grand Preceptor Zhou, his eyes reddened, and he said, “Upon hearing of the battle between the two armies, I was filled with anxiety, regretting that I was in Shengjing and unable to participate in the war. Today, with the grace of my Imperial Father, I have come to Youzhou to join the battle, and I will not disappoint my Imperial Father or the Grand Preceptor.”

Zhao Ji, not wanting to be outdone, immediately said, “Zhao Ji also requests to join the battle. Imperial Father is getting old and can no longer personally lead the campaign as he did twenty-seven years ago. As his son and a prince, I will lead by example and shed the blood of our enemies.”

In the military tent, the candlelight flickered, and Grand Preceptor Zhou looked at the two princes without any change in expression. He said, “With the three princes united, I believe this battle will surely be victorious.”

Zhao Jing and Zhao Ji, hearing this, both slightly twisted their expressions in displeasure but quickly said, “This battle will surely be victorious!”

On the fifth day of the fifth month, the Black Wolf Army and the Song army clashed fiercely more than twenty miles outside Datong Prefecture, fighting until the heavens and earth turned dark.

Two days earlier, the Fourth and Fifth Princes had just arrived in Youzhou and immediately requested to join the battle from the Grand Preceptor. After they left, the Second Prince Zhao Shang also arrived, wanting to personally join the fight, using similar words to the previous two princes. “Imperial Father is getting old, and as his son, I will fight in his stead to boost the morale of our army.”

However, when the real battle was imminent, all three princes showed signs of fear.

They paced back and forth in their military tents, terrified. They knew that this battle in the Northwest could very well determine the future struggle for the throne. But on the battlefield, swords and arrows have no eyes; even brave and skilled generals could die on the battlefield, let alone princes like them!

However, Grand Preceptor Zhou did not let these princes join the battle at all, nor did he even allow them to participate in the military meetings, directly sending them back to Youzhou City.

On the fifth day of the fifth month, the two armies engaged in a tentative skirmish, which ended in a draw, allowing both sides to gain a preliminary understanding of each other’s strength. After this battle, Yu Chaosheng, as the Imperial Inspector, returned to Youzhou. As soon as he arrived at his residence, he received an invitation from the Second Prince Zhao Shang. Shortly after, invitations from the Fourth and Fifth Princes also arrived one after another.

If Wang Zhen and Su Wenyun were here, they probably would not have accepted these invitations, finding excuses to decline.

But Yu Chaosheng looked at the three invitations and remembered what his mentor had told him before he left.

“Xian Zhi, this is your only chance to save yourself!”

Yes, in the face of the difficulties of the Xingzhou case, no one else could save him. The only thing he could do was to save himself!

Yu Chaosheng ordered, “Tomorrow, we will host a banquet to entertain the three princes.”

“Yes.”

Fifteen miles outside Datong Prefecture, there was a steep and rugged hill called Zhanghu Peak.

Legend has it that during the previous dynasty, a fierce tiger often roamed the Northwest, feeding on human flesh. A merchant caravan passing through Youzhou encountered the tiger in the wilderness at night. The tiger was ferocious, devouring three caravan guards before the caravan retreated to Zhanghu Peak. The tiger was blocked by the mountain and never appeared again.

On the 19th day of the sixth month of the 36th year of Kaiping, the Liao’s Black Wolf Army, known for their bravery and skill in battle, possessed the best iron cavalry in the world. They advanced swiftly, their iron hooves trampling the chests of countless Song soldiers, crushing them into pulp.

Li Jingde led the Flying Dragon Army in retreat to Zhanghu Peak.

The Liao general leading the troops was named Gunzha’er, a deputy general who had not yet been granted a surname. Gunzha’er had already routed the Flying Dragon Army and naturally sought to press the advantage.

Unexpectedly, Yelü Qin, a close aide of the Second Prince Yelü Shege, urgently rode to the front of the army and anxiously said, “General, we must not advance. This mountain is called Zhanghu Peak by the Song people. It is steep, and every morning and evening, mountain fog rolls in. We should not press the advantage but should retreat!”

Hearing this, Gunzha’er also began to consider retreating. “Are you sure about this?”

Yelü Qin: “Of course I am. If we fall into a Song ambush, it will be a disaster.”

Gunzha’er: “Retreat!”

Li Jingde, hiding in Zhanghu Peak, saw the Liao troops retreating and breathed a sigh of relief. But he remembered this incident.

That night, the Liao general Xiao Han heard about Gunzha’er’s retreat and was furious. “Zhanghu Peak is indeed a dangerous place, but it was noon, with no mountain fog to block us. Our Black Wolf Army was in high spirits, why didn’t you press the advantage? The scouts reported that Li Jingde had no ambush prepared. If you had pursued, his twenty thousand Flying Dragon Army would have been our prisoners by tonight! You fool, take three military canes!”

Gunzha’er, holding back his anger, was punished with three military canes.

The next day, Gunzha’er secretly had someone replace the milk sent to Yelü Qin with unprocessed goat milk. The strong smell of the goat milk made Yelü Qin vomit on the spot. He knew it was Gunzha’er’s revenge and that he should apologize with gifts to resolve the enmity. But Yelü Qin did not do so; instead, he poured out the bowl of goat milk.

When Gunzha’er learned of this, he was even more furious.

Yelü Qin went to see the Second Prince Yelü Shege, who had already heard about the incident. He asked with concern, “I heard that Yelü daren vomited. Are you feeling better now?”

Yelü Qin bowed and said, “I am fine. But from now on, Gunzha’er will surely hold even more resentment towards me.”

Yelü Shege sighed, “If we want to annihilate the hundred thousand strong Black Wolf Army, relying on those incompetent Song people is useless. It’s been a month, and the Black Wolf Army has only suffered six thousand casualties. That’s far from enough.”

Yelü Qin: “That’s why I deliberately provoked Gunzha’er, to set a trap for the hundred thousand Black Wolf Army.”

“Indeed, Yelü daren never does anything without reason, and you never disappoint me. How do you plan to proceed?”

“Zhanghu Peak will be the grave I have prepared for Gunzha’er and forty thousand Black Wolf Army! Moreover, I will accompany the army in this ambush. Even if the Grand Preceptor suspects something later, Your Highness need not worry.”

Yelü Shege was shocked. “Yelü daren, are you willing to risk your life?”

Yelü Qin gritted his teeth, knelt, and bowed, his voice sincere, “Your Highness is the true wise ruler of our Great Liao, the only true master of the Southern officials! Even if I die in Zhanghu Peak, I will die without regret.”

Yelü Shege immediately stepped forward and helped him up. “Shege will not let you down.”

At the same time, in the Northwest Camp, Li Jingde also immediately requested an audience with the Grand Marshal and reported everything that had happened that day.

“That Gunzha’er is just a brute with strength but no understanding of military strategy. Today, I truly retreated to Zhanghu Peak, but he withdrew, wasting a perfect opportunity. When this news spreads in the Liao army, the Liao generals will surely punish Gunzha’er. In that case, I will do it a few more times! Next time, I will retreat to Zhanghu Peak again. After a few times, Gunzha’er will surely lose his patience and charge into Zhanghu Peak with his troops. Then, his thirty thousand Black Wolf Army will be completely annihilated.”

Grand Preceptor Zhou pondered for a moment. “It is indeed a clever plan. But how do you know that next time Gunzha’er won’t just press the advantage instead of waiting for you to prepare an ambush?”

Li Jingde was momentarily speechless, but then he laughed heartily. “The Black Wolf Army is the most formidable force in the world. To defeat them, we must be willing to sacrifice! If I, Li Jingde, am wrong, I will only lose my life and a few defeated soldiers. But if we win, our Great Song will truly no longer fear this greedy tiger lurking in the Northwest!”

Li Jingde did not yet know that his thoughts coincided with Yelü Qin’s.

Three days later, Qiao Jiu managed to send the news to the Northwest camp. Grand Preceptor Zhou was overjoyed and called for Li Jingde. He looked him up and down and, for once, showed a smile, “If there is a way to both save your Flying Dragon Army and truly annihilate Gunzha’er and his thirty thousand Black Wolf Army, would you like to hear it?”

Li Jingde’s eyes lit up, “Grand Marshal, please speak!”

Grand Preceptor Zhou: “This matter is related to the Silver Pull Division.”

Li Jingde was no fool and immediately thought, “Could it be that the spies within the Liao also want to target Gunzha’er?”

“I can tell you, but you must first agree to one thing.”

“What is it? I, Li Jingde, am not afraid of anything, even if it means climbing mountains of swords or descending into seas of fire!”

“Shave off your beard.”

“…What?!”

Grand Preceptor Zhou said calmly, “Shave off your beard.”

Li Jingde: “…”

“Grand Marshal, what does this have to do with my beard?”

Grand Preceptor Zhou stroked his own elegant beard and smiled, “I heard that a few years ago, you ambushed someone in the camp and put a sack over their head?”

“…”

“I told you before, don’t offend those civil officials for no reason. Even I, back in the day, wouldn’t quarrel with people like Zhong Taisheng. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and today, someone has come to seek revenge with merit. If you want the information, you, Li Jingde, must shave off your beard.”

Li Jingde was utterly humiliated. “Grand Marshal, how can you let such petty people turn matters of state into a joke?!”

Grand Preceptor Zhou’s voice was majestic, “Of course not. But I also want to see what you look like without your beard.”

“…”

On the fourth day of the seventh month of the 36th year of Kaiping, Tang Shen left the Ministry of Works in a hurry, holding a memorial, and anxiously went to the palace to see the emperor.

Outside Chuigong Hall, the chief eunuch Ji Fu saw that it was Tang Shen and quickly walked over, his wrinkled face breaking into a smile, “Tang daren, what brings you here today?”

Tang Shen could not hide his joy and took a deep breath, “Please inform His Majesty that lower official Tang Shen requests an audience.”

Ji Fu’s eyes flickered, “Is there good news?”

Tang Shen smiled.

Ji Fu immediately went in to report, and soon came out to escort Tang Shen into the hall.

Tang Shen entered Chuigong Hall and saw Zhao Fu sitting on a luohan bed, eating melon. Two eunuchs carefully picked out the melon flesh and seeds, leaving only the crystal-clear fruit.

Zhao Fu saw Tang Shen and said kindly, “Jing Ze, I heard you have good news to tell me?”

Tang Shen held up the memorial in his hands and was about to speak when a young eunuch hurriedly ran in.

Ji Fu scolded, “You ignorant thing, who let you in?”

The young eunuch immediately whispered something into Ji Fu’s ear. Ji Fu’s expression changed, and he quickly said, “Your Majesty, it’s a military report from the Northwest.”

Zhao Fu put down the slice of melon. “Summon him in!”

The scout officer strode into Chuigong Hall, and Ji Fu quickly took the wooden tube from his hands, presenting it to Zhao Fu with both hands. Zhao Fu opened the tube and read the military report. Suddenly, his gaze paused. The next moment, he burst into laughter, walked up to Tang Shen, and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

Seeing Zhao Fu’s expression, Tang Shen already guessed that there must have been a great victory in the Northwest.

Zhao Fu said, “Jing Ze, you are truly my lucky star. As soon as you entered the palace, the Grand Preceptor’s military report arrived. Li Jingde annihilated thirty thousand Black Wolf Army at Zhanghu Peak, and the Liao army was defeated! You and Jing De have not disappointed me. This is double happiness!”

Annihilating thirty thousand Black Wolf Army!

Hearing this short sentence, Tang Shen felt his heart race and his blood boil.

Tang Shen respectfully said, “I congratulate Your Majesty, and I congratulate our Great Song!”

Zhao Fu was overjoyed, his laughter echoing throughout Chuigong Hall.

Ji Fu, standing to the side, quietly observed Tang Shen, thinking to himself: This Tang Jingze is really lucky. Look, he hasn’t even said a word, and the emperor has already called it “double happiness.” Even if he came to report some trivial matter today, his future merits would not be small. It seems that Tang daren‘s promotion is not far off!

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AN: Ji Fu: Tsk, so lucky, I’m envious!

Tang Shen: ??? Who said I’m lucky? What I have to say is a big deal, a huge deal, but Li Jingde had to butt in!

Li Jingde: My chin feels so cold…

Su Wenyun: Trying to ship me with someone? The person worthy of me, Su Feiran, hasn’t even been born yet!

Next-door old Wang: … [Those who didn’t appear today have no right to speak!]

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Outside Youzhou City, Northwestern Military Camp.

Zhao Shang was not exceptionally intelligent, but he was not entirely foolish either. When he received the imperial decree from Grand Preceptor Zhou, he immediately understood that this was orchestrated by Zhao Fu. As his advisor had analyzed, his father intended to make him the crown prince—only such an important task would be entrusted to him!

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

But then, his advisor suddenly gasped in horror, “Disaster! That secret letter!”

Zhao Shang was momentarily confused. “Secret letter?”

The next moment, his face turned ashen. “The secret letter! What should we do? We must retrieve it immediately!”

His advisor dared not delay and rushed to Youzhou City to intercept the letter that had been secretly sent out. However, by nightfall, the Grand Preceptor ordered that no one was to leave the military camp without permission. Zhao Shang and his advisor were in a panic, but no one dared to openly state that they needed to leave the camp to retrieve the letter. By the time the Second Prince’s advisor finally returned to Youzhou City the next day, they discovered that the scout carrying the letter had already left overnight!

Grand Preceptor Zhou had sealed the city but had never restricted Zhao Shang’s movements. After all, he was a prince—no one would dare to stop him from doing as he pleased.

The advisor set out again to chase after the letter, but it was already too late. That plea for help, written in Zhao Shang’s own hand, had made its way to Shengjing. At this point, there was no turning back. Zhao Shang and his advisor had no countermeasures left and could only pray that the emperor would not take that foolish letter to heart.

But seven days later, news arrived from Shengjing—Fourth Prince Zhao Jing and Fifth Prince Zhao Ji had both left for Youzhou.

Zhao Shang collapsed onto his chair in bewilderment and turned to his advisor. “Mister, what… what is happening?”

The advisor already understood that the crown prince position, which had seemed within reach, was now completely lost. But he gritted his teeth and said, “Your Highness, we may still have a chance. It seems that the letter did indeed reach His Majesty, but he has not issued a decree to punish you. The arrival of the fourth and fifth princes in Youzhou does not necessarily mean your defeat. As long as Your Highness can achieve great military merit in this war, everything may yet turn around.”

Meanwhile, the deployment of both Fourth Prince Zhao Jing and Fifth Prince Zhao Ji to Youzhou stirred controversy within the court.

The emperor had only three sons, and now all of them had been sent to Youzhou. What exactly was he planning?

Tang Shen was baffled. Even officials like Wang Zhen and Xu Bi could not decipher the emperor’s intentions. It was only when Ji Fu mentioned that Second Prince Zhao Shang had written a letter home from Youzhou that Wang Zhen sighed heavily, “Fate plays cruel tricks.”

There was no doubt—Zhao Shang must have done something to disappoint the emperor, leading to this outcome.

For a full month, the war between Song and Liao had been deadlocked outside Jiaozhou City.

In Shengjing, military reports arrived every five days. Most contained neither good news nor catastrophic losses. The Liao people were fierce warriors, and Jiaozhou was a naturally defensible position. Even a legendary war god could not conquer it in a short time. The emperor placed great trust in Grand Preceptor Zhou, ensuring a continuous supply of provisions and pay from Youzhou along the official roads.

Yet, despite this, criticism in court increased.

Every day that Jiaozhou remained untaken was another day of enormous financial strain!

Moreover, internal strife had erupted within Liao, and reinforcements from Dading Prefecture had yet to arrive. The Liao forces inside Jiaozhou were virtually unsupported. They were like cornered beasts, yet Grand Preceptor Zhou still hesitated to attack. If they continued to delay and Dading’s reinforcements finally arrived, the tide of war could turn against them.

But Zhao Fu still did not waver in his trust. During a morning court session, he harshly reprimanded an official who questioned Grand Preceptor Zhou’s decisions. The official was dragged out by guards, crying out in protest.

In truth, he was indeed innocent—he had not even been impeaching Grand Preceptor Zhou, merely urging a swift offensive to capture Jiaozhou.

Tang Shen sighed inwardly.

This was a clear example of using one person as an example to silence the others. After this incident, no one in court dared to voice objections against the Grand Preceptor again.

Meanwhile, in Liao territory, Datong Prefecture was under siege by Song forces, causing further internal discord. Though the second and third Liao princes were fiercely competing for the throne, they dared not entirely neglect their defenses.

Half a month later, Liao reinforcements were dispatched to aid Datong.

Inside the Liao imperial tent, Prince Yelü Shege furiously rebuked Grand Preceptor Yelü Ding for his inaction. Under normal circumstances, he would never have dared to challenge Yelü Ding. But now, with the Song army at their gates and Datong nearly falling overnight, even the tribal chieftains were beginning to question Yelü Ding’s leadership.

Yelü Shege cried out, “Datong Prefecture is under Grand Preceptor’s command, and its governor, Xiao Han, is one of your former subordinates. Everyone knows Datong is our northern stronghold! How did the Song manage to cut off our supply lines and suddenly launch an attack? There must be a traitor within Datong!”

His face was pale from exhaustion—he had been attending to the comatose Liao Emperor daily.

With a heavy heart, he turned to Yelü Ding, his voice choked with emotion. “Grand Preceptor, the Song army is no longer the same as it was thirty years ago! We must not underestimate them! I beg you, dispatch reinforcements to Datong immediately and root out the traitor before the Song forces grow even more arrogant!”

Saying this, Yelü Shege moved as if to kneel.

The tribal chieftains were stunned and hurriedly stopped him. “Your Highness, you mustn’t!”

Determination flashed across Yelü Shege’s delicate yet resolute features. “I am only a prince, unable to fight on the battlefield. I only wish for the Grand Preceptor to act swiftly! I will do anything required of me!”

The chieftains were moved. “What are mere Song soldiers? If no one else sends troops, I will!”

“I will send troops as well!”

“As will I!”

Yelü Ding’s gaze darkened as he observed the tearful Yelü Shege and the impassioned chieftains.

After a long silence, he finally spoke. “The Song have dared to invade our Liao lands—I will not stand idly by. However, the commanders of the Black Wolf Army are stationed across the empire. Though I hold their military seal, I lack capable generals, which is why I have delayed sending reinforcements.”

Yelü Shege’s heart sank.

Yelü Ding then knelt slightly and saluted him. “Your Highness’s dedication moves me. Therefore, I will entrust the entire Black Wolf Army—100,000 strong—to Your Highness. Lead them south and annihilate the Song forces!”

Yelü Shege opened his mouth, but Yelü Ding interrupted, “The duty of caring for the Emperor will now fall to the Third Prince. He is dull-witted, whereas Your Highness is the general we need!”

Thus, Yelü Shege led the Black Wolf Army south toward Datong.

On the march, Yelü Qin voiced concern. “We intended to use the Song threat to lure Yelü Ding’s Black Wolf Army away. Who would have thought he would send you along with them?”

Yelü Shege smirked. “That may not be a bad thing. In the end, isn’t his most trusted army now under my command?”

Yelü Qin: “Your Highness means…?”

“A lone wolf without a pack is nothing more than prey waiting to be slaughtered. The Grand Preceptor believes he is playing along, but am I not also going with the flow?”

Yelü Shege, clad in armor and gripping his sword, declared loudly, “In this battle, I will make Datong Prefecture the graveyard of the Black Wolf Army!”

Yelü Qin looked at Yelü Shege approvingly, while Xiao Zhen, standing beside them, was sweating profusely.

Xiao Zhen had originally been just a minor adjutant in Xijin Prefecture, never expecting to rise to become one of Yelü Shege’s trusted aides due to a twist of fate. He was a greedy fool, and Yelü Shege saw through his every ambition, which was why he used him with complete confidence.

Leaving the command tent, Xiao Zhen was still shaken when Qiao Jiu approached him.

Xiao Zhen trusted Qiao Jiu completely and relayed everything he had heard in the tent.

Qiao Jiu said, “His Highness the Second Prince wants to use this opportunity to wipe out the Black Wolf Army. Why not lend him a hand? If things go well, when he ascends to the throne, your future will be boundless.”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhen suddenly realized something. He lifted his head and stared at Qiao Jiu intensely, as if trying to see through him.

“I always thought you were one of the Third Prince’s men, that your Song identity was just a disguise. But now… Have I been wrong all along? Could it be that you really are a Song spy?!”

Qiao Jiu was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected this fool, Xiao Zhen, to have always thought he was working for Yelü Ding. But his suspicion wasn’t entirely unreasonable—after all, Xijin Prefecture was deep within Liao territory. How could he have guessed that Tang Shen and Su Wenyun had managed to reach so far, stirring up chaos even here?

Even after his identity was exposed, Qiao Jiu remained unfazed. He smiled and said, “Since you haven’t called for anyone to seize me, it seems you don’t plan to expose this. There’s no need to look at me like that, daren. I’m merely a businessman. Have our years of cooperation not been profitable for you? You know well enough that the Song army may take Datong Prefecture, but conquering all of Liao? Impossible. The Song people have only ever wanted the three prefectures lost a hundred years ago. As for the Second Prince, all he wants is to eliminate the Black Wolf Army.”

Xiao Zhen: “You mean…?”

“How does one eradicate the Black Wolf Army? Have them die by the blades of the Song soldiers—it only takes a few words from you, daren. How effortless. If you accomplish this for the Second Prince, you will truly become his confidant. Why hesitate?”

Xiao Zhen tried to feign righteousness. “I am a Liao official, and you are a Song spy. How can I send Liao’s soldiers to their deaths?!”

Qiao Jiu gave him an easy way out. “You are not the one who wants to destroy the Black Wolf Army—His Highness the Second Prince does!”

Xiao Zhen was never a man of principles; otherwise, he wouldn’t have secretly worked with Qiao Jiu for so many years. After hearing this, he saw a clear path to success stretching before him.

Xiao Zhen was about to rise to prominence!

On the second day of the fifth month in the thirty-sixth year of Kaiping, the renowned Black Wolf Army arrived at Datong Prefecture in great numbers. They had come swiftly, led by their commander Yelü Qi, a trusted confidant of Yelü Ding. Though Yelü Ding had verbally agreed to let Yelü Shege lead the Black Wolf Army, he would never truly hand over his elite troops to him.

Yelü Qi acted decisively. Upon reaching Datong Prefecture, he immediately led his forces outside the city to counterattack the Song army.

“The Song army will assume that we need time to rest after just arriving. We shall catch them off guard and wipe them out in one strike!”

However, when the Black Wolf Army charged towards the Song camp outside Jiaozhou, they found that the Song forces had already retreated at an alarming speed, leaving them striking at nothing but air.

That night, a lean young man in a black cloak entered the grand marshal’s tent. As he lifted his hood, a handsome face with rosy lips and white teeth was revealed.

Grand Preceptor Zhou was sitting upright. Looking up at him, he greeted with a voice as deep as a bell. “Su daren.”

Su Wenyun smiled slightly, saluted, and greeted, “This lower official, Su Wenyun, pays respects to the Grand Marshal.”

Grand Preceptor Zhou, “You have been in Youzhou for two years, yet this is my first time meeting you. I must thank you for today’s early retreat.”

“I am merely serving His Majesty, just as you are, Grand Marshal.”

Grand Preceptor Zhou nodded in appreciation. “Jing De told me you received intelligence that the Liao Second Prince plans to trap and massacre the Black Wolf Army in Datong Prefecture?”

“It is true.”

“Can this be confirmed?”

Su Wenyun narrowed his eyes slightly. “Tonight, the Black Wolf Army launched a surprise attack, yet our Song forces suffered no losses. That is proof enough.”

In the command tent, Su Wenyun and Grand Preceptor Zhou continued their discussion for a while. When Su Wenyun finally donned his cloak again and left, he had barely walked into a dimly lit, secluded area when he suddenly sensed something amiss.

He quickly said, “Li Jingde, if you dare to sack me with a burlap bag again, I swear I will kill you for revenge!”

General Li stood frozen in place.

Su Wenyun turned around, only to see that Li Jingde was empty-handed—no burlap bag in sight.

Li Jingde rubbed his nose. “You scholars are always slandering loyal men. Fine, fine, I won’t argue with you.”

Su Wenyun scoffed and turned to leave, uninterested in continuing the exchange.

“Hey, I came to thank you.”

Su Wenyun paused and glanced sideways at him.

General Li swaggered out from the shadows and nonchalantly tossed out a few words. “For the early retreat—thanks.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

By all rights, Su Wenyun should have seized this opportunity to mock him. But when his gaze fell upon the black cloth tied around Li Jingde’s left arm, the sharp words he had intended to say were swallowed back.

“Slandering loyal men? Tch, only a treacherous villain like Wang Zifeng would do such a thing.” With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked away.

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