The Child Emperor

Lin Kunshan turned the piece of paper over and over, unable to decipher its “secret.”

“It depicts the Founding Emperor’s sword,” Prince Donghai explained. It was late at night, but he felt no trace of sleepiness. “Han Ruzi wants to recreate the miracle from the palace coup.”

Lin Kunshan put down the paper. “How can you tell that it’s the Founding Emperor’s sword?”

Prince Donghai hesitated slightly, picked up the paper again, and took another look. The sword drawn on it was simple, without any textual markings— it could be any sword. “Of course it is. Why else would he draw a random sword?”

“This sword is not random. I suspect it carries a deeper meaning that the Northern Protection General won’t reveal to you.”

Prince Donghai stared at the drawn sword for a while. “No matter what, he trusts me. He handed over his personal troops to me… What should I do? Follow his plan or continue with ours?”

Lin Kunshan remained silent.

“Mr. Lin, I’m asking you. This is no time for cryptic silence.”

Lin Kunshan smiled. “I was wondering how many of these sword orders the Northern Protection General has issued.”

“There must be quite a few; otherwise, he wouldn’t have handed the personal troops to me so readily. He must have other preparations.”

Lin Kunshan shook his head. “In the pugilist world, there’s an alchemy trick. Have you heard of it, Prince Donghai?”

“Alchemy is a scam.”

“Of course. Do you know how it’s a scam?”

“What are you getting at?”

Lin Kunshan laughed. “The key to a scam is making the other person believe you have endless gold. Only then does alchemy appear real. So, alchemists must be generous, spending gold lavishly to make the other person willingly hand over thousands of gold pieces. All scams are like this, Prince Donghai. People who are overly generous are usually suspicious.”

Prince Donghai prided himself on his intelligence and disliked Lin Kunshan’s lecturing tone. “First, Han Ruzi is not an alchemist. He’s a descendant of the Han imperial clan, raised in a deep courtyard, rarely interacting with people like you. Second, you haven’t seen his abilities. In the palace, he was a known puppet but he could still make a batch of the lowest ranks loyal to him. The so-called ‘personal troops’ are just starving men. In Shattered Iron City, there are plenty of such people.”

Lin Kunshan thought for a moment. “Perhaps you’re right. After all, this isn’t about money. The Northern Protection General is betting his life.”

“Stop overthinking it. What should we do? Our original plan dictates that we act now: kidnap Han Ruzi and hide him, then pretend to handover the Northern Protection General to the Xiongnu. By morning, the Chu army and the Xiongnu will be engaged in battle, and we can escape.”

Lin Kunshan pondered a bit more. “So, Prince Donghai means…”

“I’m asking you; you’re the strategist.”

Lin Kunshan chuckled. The pugilist world had its tricks, and so did officialdom. The so-called humility was just a facade. If his advice differed from Prince Donghai’s plans, it would be rejected. If it aligned, it would be accepted, but any failure would be his responsibility.

“Well… If we follow the Northern Protection General’s plan, he will have the entire Northern Army afterward, greatly increasing his power…”

“Do you think I’ll let him have that?” Prince Donghai said coldly. He had felt touched before but was now calm. “We’ll use his men to take the Northern Army. Once I have the Grand Marshal’s seal, I won’t give it to Chai Yue but keep it myself. When Han Ruzi returns, if he does, I’ll immediately announce that there are officers in the army plotting to assassinate the Northern Protection General. This will give us a reason to detain him for his protection, and the Northern Army will be mine, not his. Later, I will join forces with my uncle and return to the Capital. The Champion Marquis will be no match.”

“Good idea, much better than mine. Let’s prepare accordingly.”

Prince Donghai silently cursed “sly fox” and said, “Mr. Lin’s concerns are valid. We can’t fully trust Han Ruzi. Who knows what he told Chao Hua? If Chai Zhi and others are caught, Chao Hua might immediately capture me. You must ensure my safety. Where are your men? How many have you found? Where are they?”

“Coincidentally, all my men are in the personal army…”

“What’s coincidental about it? The personal army camp was the most chaotic part of Shattered Iron City. It was established with the help of fate seers. It’s normal for you to have people there. When you said you were recruiting, I knew it had to be in the personal army camp.”

“Prince Donghai is wise. I have installed a few people in the personal army camp. They have recruited some more, making a total of twenty-eight. Don’t underestimate these twenty-eight; they are all brave and capable men, worth using.”

“Good, tomorrow they will follow me to the central command tent.”

“No problem.”

They talked for a while longer before Lin Kunshan left to cancel the original plan to kidnap Han Ruzi that night.

A servant quietly entered, and Prince Donghai asked, “What’s the situation?”

“Half an hour ago, Chai Zhi went to visit the imprisoned members of the Chai family. Xiao Bi will convey Your Highness’s intentions to him.”

“Hmm, whether Chai Zhi believes it or not is irrelevant. The key is to make him feel at ease and unguarded against me… You must protect me well. There must be no repeat of the Riverside Village incident when I was abandoned alone!”

“From now on, I will stay by Your Highness’s side.”

Prince Donghai’s thoughts shifted to others. “Zhang Yanghao, Xie Ying, Ding Hui, don’t think I’ve forgotten your betrayal.”

Next to the General’s Residence, the prison remained even though the noble camp had been disbanded. Over twenty “Chai family members” were held there, each with their own cell.

Although their lives were not in danger, the prisoners were still in great distress, especially Xiao Bi, the leader. The failure had severely damaged his reputation and future. Upon seeing Chai Zhi enter, he immediately knelt and called out, “Third Brother.”

The Xiao and Chai families were closely connected through marriage. Xiao Bi’s brother had married a Chai daughter, and his own fiancée was also a close relative of the Chai family.

Chai Zhi nodded and motioned for the guards and jailers to leave. He wanted to speak with Xiao Bi alone.

“Third Brother, set me free.”

Chai Zhi shook his head. “Don’t rush. By tomorrow, you’ll be out in glory.”

Xiao Bi was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, I’m not in a hurry. Also, I’ve brought Prince Donghai over to our side.” Xiao Bi eagerly sought to prove his worth.

“Heh, is Prince Donghai scared?”

“Sending over a hundred noble sons to their deaths, he’s offended nearly every family. How could he not be scared? Luckily, we were in prison at the time and escaped disaster.”

Xiao Bi recounted Prince Donghai’s plea for peace between them. After listening, Chai Zhi pondered for a moment. “Prince Donghai is cunning. He clearly wants to use us to kill the deposed emperor and reap the rewards himself.”

Xiao Bi felt uneasy. “Killing the deposed emperor… won’t that cause trouble? The Empress Dowager seems quite lenient towards him.”

“The situation has changed. The Empress Dowager’s regency is ending. The Champion Marquis is the future, and he has no compassion or leniency for the deposed emperor. Prince Donghai likely sensed something and humbled himself to seek peace.”

“I see. In that case, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“But we can’t be careless. The Champion Marquis may want to eliminate the two sons of the Graceful Emperor, but our Chai family can’t bear the stigma of regicide, even if it’s a deposed emperor. Tomorrow, I will use the Xiongnu to get rid of the deposed emperor. As for Prince Donghai, even if he submits, he cannot return to the pass. But who should do the deed…”

“I have a recommendation,” Xiao Bi quickly said, forgetting his promise to Prince Donghai’s servant.

“Who?”

“Zhang Yanghao. He seems to have betrayed Prince Donghai once and has been mistreated ever since. He both fears and hates Prince Donghai. If given the chance…”

“Zhang Yanghao?” With so many noble sons, Chai Zhi couldn’t remember each one.

“The grandson of Marquis, orphaned early, loves gambling and scheming— that Zhang Yanghao.”

“Oh, I see. He’s suitable. Marquis Piyuan is reclusive, and his family line is thin. If Zhang Yanghao causes trouble, it won’t implicate other families. Can you persuade him?”

“I can, but I can’t leave.”

“Then have him come here. If he dares to come, the matter is already half done.”

“Yes, yes, Third Brother is right.”

“I’ll have your servant fetch Zhang Yanghao. Tomorrow, I’ll invite Prince Donghai to the central command tent. There will be a moment of chaos, and Zhang Yanghao will seize the opportunity. Tell him that both I and the Champion Marquis will ensure his safety.”

An hour later, Zhang Yanghao indeed arrived. The soldiers guarding the prison had been bribed and dared not offend the Northern Army’s military justice. They let the late-night visitor in without question.

Zhang Yanghao’s confidence grew.

Facing Zhang Yanghao, Xiao Bi’s attitude was completely different. Sitting on a mudbrick bed, he calmly accepted Zhang Yanghao’s bow, merely nodding. “The Northern Protection General disbanded your noble camp. Where were you assigned?”

Zhang Yanghao blushed. “The twenty-seventh camp of the right army.”

“The right army has only twenty camps. Where’s the twenty-seventh?”

“It’s the reinforcements from Divine Hero Pass, recently integrated into the right army…”

“Heh, the Northern Protection General has guts, integrating a random few hundred men into the right army. Are you just going to accept this?”

“Everyone is in the same boat. What can I do?”

“Have you heard about what’s happening in the Capital?”

Zhang Yanghao hesitated and shook his head. He had heard rumors but didn’t know the full truth.

“The Champion Marquis has returned to the Capital. There will be major changes in the court. This is the time for revenge. Do you have enemies?”

“I don’t have enemies, but someone hates me…” Zhang Yanghao’s eyes lit up, and he stepped forward. “Master Xiao!”

“The Chai family has extensive connections at court. Some things we want to do but can’t. If someone is willing to help, the Chai family will remember their merit, and the Champion Marquis will too.”

“Prince Donghai killed so many people. He should pay the price,” Zhang Yanghao blurted out.

Plots abounded inside and outside Shattered Iron City. Northern Army Captain Liu Kunsheng held a piece of paper, finally falling asleep late at night. Old General Fang Daye pulled his bowstring dozens of times before resting. Chai Yue, pacing in his tent outside the city, couldn’t sleep at all. Countless unknown figures moved in the darkness, spreading rumors and promises, stirring hearts and minds.

Han Ruzi slept soundly.

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