Chapter 85 of 100
Chapter 85
13 min read3,354 words
Chapter 84
The next noon, Emperor Wei sat on the dragon throne in the Chui Gong Hall, intently examining a piece of calligraphy he had written himself.
The words on the calligraphy were exactly what his son had said to persuade the 25,000 soldiers of the Junshui Camp the previous day, a phrase that still made his blood boil when he thought about it.
No indemnity, no tribute, no cession of territory, no marriage alliance; the prince guards the national gate, the emperor dies for the state!
"Child Xian, am I really getting old?" After a long while, Emperor Wei asked with a sigh.
From the side, the grand eunuch Tong Xian bowed, seemingly ignoring the emperor's gradually graying temples, and said with a smile, "But this old servant feels that Your Majesty is in high spirits today..."
"Ha ha ha." Emperor Wei smiled and nodded, saying with a sigh, "It really is quite magical... When I look at these words, I suddenly feel much younger..."
Tong Xian smiled but remained silent.
"Frame it and hang it in this Chui Gong Hall. No one is allowed to take it down, not in ten years, not in twenty years!" Emperor Wei said solemnly.
...
Tong Xian was slightly taken aback. The Chui Gong Hall was where emperors of all generations handled state affairs. By ordering the calligraphy to be framed and hung in the hall, Emperor Wei clearly intended to pass down these words as a family precept.
"Yes." Tong Xian respectfully rolled up the paper on the dragon desk and handed it to a young eunuch behind him, saying softly, "Send it to the Ministry of Works and have the craftsmen frame it carefully, then present it here."
"Yes." The young eunuch bowed his head and took the scroll, then left.
At this moment, another young eunuch walked out of the Chui Gong Hall, bowed his head, and reported, "Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince... no, Prince Su, requests an audience, saying he wishes to have a man-to-man conversation with Your Majesty."
"Oh?" Emperor Wei found the novel phrasing amusing and laughed, scolding, "A fourteen-year-old child, talking about a man-to-man conversation..." After a moment of thought, he nodded and said, "Very well, let him in."
Shortly after, the Eighth Prince, Zhao Hongrun, stepped into the hall.
Or rather, Prince Su.
Upon entering the hall, Zhao Hongrun bowed deeply to the emperor.
At this moment, apart from the Chancellor He Xiangxu, who was on sick leave, the grand eunuch Tong Xian and the two chancellors of the Secretariat, Lin Yuyang and Yu Ziqi, were still present. Although they did not fully understand what a man-to-man conversation meant, they tactfully rose and left the Chui Gong Hall, giving the emperor and Prince Su a private space to talk.
...
...
Father and son stared at each other for a long time, neither speaking.
After a while, Zhao Hongrun said, "Father, did I win this time?"
"No, you haven't won yet," Emperor Wei smiled and shook his head.
Although he had already admitted his defeat in his heart the previous day, how could he admit it to his son's face?
However, Zhao Hongrun was not surprised and said calmly, "Father, do you think I can't defeat the Chu army in Ying River County?"
If it were in the past, Emperor Wei would have found it hard to imagine a fourteen-year-old child boasting about defeating the Chu army, which the entire Great Wei feared. But after yesterday's events at the Junshui Camp, Emperor Wei was now full of confidence in this son.
But even so, he would not admit defeat outright: "You haven't fought yet, how can you be sure you will win?"
"Eh? I thought Father would be on my side... After all, this battle might determine the rise and fall of our Great Wei." Zhao Hongrun blinked and teased.
"..." Emperor Wei was momentarily speechless.
After that, the Chui Gong Hall fell silent again.
After an unknown amount of time, Emperor Wei finally sighed deeply and, for the first time, spoke in a tone that did not match his imperial dignity, "Hongrun, do you really have to go yourself?"
Zhao Hongrun's heart trembled slightly, and he looked at Emperor Wei in surprise, for he had never seen his father speak to him in such a "weak" tone. In the past, it was always a commanding tone from a position of authority.
After some thought, Zhao Hongrun said solemnly, "Since I proposed that the prince guards the national gate, I cannot go back on my word... I believe that my personal presence on the battlefield will greatly boost the morale of the soldiers. Moreover, this matter concerns Empress Yu Long and the entire Great Wei... I cannot fully trust anyone or a group of people, so I must go. I need to see the battlefield with my own eyes to ensure that our army does not make a mistake that could endanger the state."
Emperor Wei pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you want me to give you command of the front-line troops?"
"No, a small position as a military supervisor is enough."
"A small position as a military supervisor?" Emperor Wei looked at Zhao Hongrun with a mix of amusement and exasperation, saying, "You know I can't give you that. The battlefield is not a game, and wars between countries are matters of life and death for the state..."
"So, I will settle for one thing from Father."
"What is it?"
"Unconditional obedience from the front-line commanders to my orders, just three times!"
"Hmm..." Emperor Wei fell into deep thought upon hearing this.
Although he gradually realized that this son likely possessed extraordinary talent, which had repeatedly surprised him, the problem was that wars between countries were matters of life and death for the state. Could he entrust such a critical task to a fourteen-year-old child? What if he acted rashly and led the entire Great Wei to ruin?
Therefore, whether it was a military supervisor or command authority, Emperor Wei could not give them to this son. In his view, no matter how talented Zhao Hongrun was, he could not possibly be more experienced in military affairs than the seasoned generals on the front lines.
However, if he gave no authority at all, Zhao Hongrun would have no say on the front lines. The generals might respect him for his title as Prince Su, but they would not follow his orders. In that case, his son's intelligence and talent would be wasted.
Thinking about it, giving this son three unconditional commands to the front-line commanders might be the best solution.
If Zhao Hongrun truly had military talent, three opportunities would be enough to convince the front-line commanders of his abilities. Conversely, if he lacked military talent, three failures would not be unbearable for the Great Wei.
After all, the Great Wei had suffered repeated defeats in Ying River County, losing several cities, and three more defeats would not make much of a difference.
"Fine! I will give you three unconditional commands to the front-line commanders!... Remember, only three times!"
Looking deeply at Zhao Hongrun, the emperor wrote these words on the paper on the dragon desk and solemnly stamped it with his personal seal and the imperial seal.
With this document, Zhao Hongrun could freely mobilize the front-line troops or the soldiers of the Junshui Camp sent to support the front lines.
"Take it and keep it close."
"Thank you, Father." Zhao Hongrun bowed.
Emperor Wei's meaning was clear: he was giving him three opportunities to win over the front-line commanders. If he performed well, the commanders would naturally continue to follow his orders. If he performed poorly, he would be dismissed and lose the right to interfere in the front-line affairs.
After issuing this imperial edict, Emperor Wei felt much lighter, knowing that he had grasped his son's weakness. He smiled and said, "Is this what you call a man-to-man conversation?"
"Oh, I haven't even started yet." Zhao Hongrun slowly reined in his smile and said seriously, "Father, if I fulfill my mission and successfully repel the invading Chu army, I beg you not to force Empress Yu Long to marry... If she doesn't want to, Father must not force her!"
"..." Emperor Wei squinted his eyes and frowned at Zhao Hongrun.
At this moment, if Emperor Wei nodded, Empress Yu Long would enjoy unprecedented treatment, a freedom of marriage that no Great Wei princess had ever had.
Suddenly, Emperor Wei's face showed a smile that Zhao Hongrun could not understand: "Fine! I will agree to your request!"
He really agreed?
Zhao Hongrun felt an indescribable joy and, for the first time, praised his father, calling him wise and valiant, which made Emperor Wei laugh heartily.
However, after Zhao Hongrun left, the smile on Emperor Wei's face gradually faded, replaced by a faint, enigmatic smile.
A Miss Su, an Empress Yu Long... It seems I don't have to worry about this rogue son disobeying me in the future...
Emperor Wei's smile was now deeply inscrutable.
At this moment, the grand eunuch Tong Xian, seeing Zhao Hongrun leave the hall, entered and reported in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Prince Yan has entered the palace and is heading to the Chui Gong Hall."
"Hongjiang?" Emperor Wei, who was still basking in the joy of having grasped his eighth son's weakness, was taken aback.
A married prince would not usually come to the Chui Gong Hall unless there was something important, as not all of his sons were as fearless of his father's displeasure as Zhao Hongrun.
Shortly after, Zhao Hongrun's fourth brother, Prince Yan Hongjiang, appeared before the Chui Gong Hall.
"Father, I request to be transferred to Southern Yan."
Before the emperor could ask the reason for his visit, Prince Yan Hongjiang stated his purpose.
"Southern Yan?" Emperor Wei's expression changed slightly, looking genuinely surprised.
To be transferred to Southern Yan now... Wasn't this equivalent to giving up the throne?
The grand eunuch Tong Xian also looked at Prince Yan in surprise.
"Are you going to Southern Yan?" The emperor looked at Prince Yan Hongjiang in shock. "Why?"
Prince Yan Hongjiang performed a military salute and said solemnly, "Because Southern Yan is also a gate of our Great Wei, and as Prince Yan, it is my duty!"
"Do you plan to help Hongrun?" Emperor Wei was surprised, as he knew that Prince Yan Hongjiang had always been biased against Prince Su Hongrun. After all, when Zhao Hongrun was still a prince, he had harassed the harem to force the emperor to let him leave the palace, and among the harassed concubines was Prince Yan Hongjiang's birth mother.
It was no wonder Prince Yan Hongjiang harbored a bias against Zhao Hongrun, but he never expected Hongjiang to offer to help his brother now.
Just as Emperor Wei was about to ask, another young eunuch rushed in and reported, "Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince requests an audience."
Hongzhao?... What's going on today?
The consecutive requests for audience from three of his sons made Emperor Wei feel a strange sense of unease.
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