The Child Emperor

At dawn, snowflakes began to fall from the sky, fine and sparse, as if blown down from the rooftops by the wind. Chai Yue, however, did not dare to be careless. The negotiation site was about five miles from the Chu army. If a heavy snowstorm occurred, it would obscure visibility, making it difficult to relay messages to the rear in a timely manner.

Chai Yue immediately adjusted the Chu army on the north bank. Initially, there was a sentry every mile, but now it was reduced to one every half-mile, extending up to less than two miles from the Xiongnu camp. Messages were to be sent regularly, without interruption. The Xiongnu naturally had to make similar adjustments, causing some delay.

By around noon, Han Ruzi finally crossed the river on horseback, accompanied by only ten guards. The generals escorted him to the riverbank, and Chai Yue walked him a bit further until a Xiongnu sentry objected. Only then did he stop, watching the Northern Protection General ride away.

The snow had stopped, but the sky remained overcast. Chai Yue had previously inspected the area several times and was fairly confident in identifying the tent’s location under the gray sky.

The sentries of both armies were grouped in threes, riding horses, spaced about ten steps apart, and not allowed to carry any weapons. There were two lines of sentries, running north-south and east-west, intersecting right at the negotiation tent. Any anomaly from any direction would quickly be relayed to their respective camps.

When Chai Yue returned to the south bank, it began to snow again, this time more steadily. By the time he reached the central command tent, it was snowing moderately, and he could only see three or four miles ahead when looking towards the north bank.

The central command tent was set up on the former site of Flowing Sand City. Chai Yue turned towards the south, where tens of thousands of Chu soldiers stood ready, with over a dozen simple wooden bridges arranged in a row. With a single command, the bridges could be placed on the frozen riverbed, creating multiple crossing points.

The riverbed opposite Flowing Sand City was naturally flat, and a large amount of sawdust had been spread the previous day, allowing cavalry to charge across without slowing down.

In short, if necessary, more than eighty thousand Chu soldiers could cross the river at the fastest speed to engage the Xiongnu.

“All clear!” The sentry’s call echoed from afar, reaching the front of the central command tent. A soldier beside Chai Yue suddenly shouted as well, startling him slightly. His first reaction was to turn and look at one of his guards.

This guard was specially assigned to him by the Northern Protection General, with instructions to stay close to him until the General returned safely.

Chai Yue nodded to the guard and stepped into the tent.

Meng E followed closely behind. As long as she did not speak much, no one could recognize her true identity. Her task today was simple: to ensure Chai Yue’s safety.

Inside the central command tent, the others had already gathered.

Captain Liu Kunsheng of the Northern Army sat in the main seat, his back straight and his expression stern, warning everyone not to speak to him unless necessary. He himself did not want to speak either.

General of the Left Han Tong and General of the Right Feng Shili sat on either side, heads bowed, as if they had been forcibly invited. From the moment they sat down, they were pondering what excuse to use to leave later.

Chai Zhi sat beside Han Tong, appearing alert and observant despite his lower rank.

Each person had a guard standing behind them.

Chai Yue’s seat was next to General Feng Shili. After nodding in greeting to Liu Kunsheng and the others, Chai Yue sat down, positioning himself to watch the snow outside while avoiding eye contact with Chai Zhi.

Over a dozen military officers stood on either side.

The tent was unusually quiet, allowing the sentries’ calls from the other side to be heard clearly.

“The Northern Protection General has entered the tent, all clear!” The voice from the other side was repeated by soldiers outside the tent.

At this moment, Prince Donghai arrived with dozens of guards, all of whom were stopped outside. He entered the tent alone, nodding and smiling at the five seated generals. “Such a cold day, and the snow is heavy. Why not postpone the negotiations?”

Prince Donghai had a unique status. He held a princely title and was the brother of the Northern Protection General, but held no military position. After making a mistake defending Shattered Iron City, he had lost his command authority but neither was he under anyone’s control.

The others remained silent, so Chai Yue spoke up, “Every step of the negotiation is difficult. The Northern Protection General hopes the talks continue as scheduled, and the Xiongnu have raised no objections.”

Prince Donghai nodded in agreement and turned to look across the river. “Why are there no hostages for this negotiation?”

Chai Yue patiently replied, “Initially, there was talk of exchanging hostages, but the Northern Protection General later decided it was unnecessary.”

“He is quite bold.”

Chai Yue coughed, “The Xiongnu wanted you as a hostage, which is why the Northern Protection General refused.”

Prince Donghai fell silent.

No one had prepared a folding stool for him, mainly because they did not know where it would be appropriate to place it.

The sentries’ calls of “All clear” continued to be heard, indicating that the negotiations had not made any progress.

Chai Zhi slowly stood up, causing a subtle shift in the tent’s atmosphere. Liu Kunsheng, usually stern, lowered his gaze, while the Left and Right Generals simultaneously looked up. Prince Donghai quickly stepped aside with a smile.

A military officer, signaled by Chai Zhi, walked to the entrance and lowered the thick curtain, blocking the sentries’ calls from across the river. Only the voices of the soldiers outside could still be heard.

Chai Zhi moved to the center, nodded at Liu Kunsheng, and then loudly declared, “It is past noon. If the Chu army wants to defeat the Xiongnu before nightfall, we must deploy now.”

Chai Yue immediately stood up, cupping his fists in salute to Liu Kunsheng. “The negotiations are ongoing, and the Xiongnu have shown no unusual movements. The Chu army should not attack.”

“On the contrary, it is clear the Xiongnu intend to use the negotiations to launch a surprise attack. The Chu army must preemptively strike.”

“If the Chu army attacks preemptively, what will happen to the Northern Protection General?”

Chai Zhi finally turned, looking at his half-brother. “If the Xiongnu attack first, what will the Chu army do?”

“According to the plan, there are ten thousand Chu soldiers across the river, closer to the negotiation site than the Xiongnu. If the Xiongnu show any signs of aggression, they will split into five groups, four to counter the Xiongnu and one to rescue the Northern Protection General.”

“Good, then let us consider the Xiongnu already attacking.”

“No, that is the last resort and too risky. We must…”

Chai Zhi interrupted Chai Yue, “How can we defeat the Xiongnu without taking risks? Should ten thousand Chu soldiers just stand by and watch? Captain Liu, you are the commanding general, say something.”

“Well… this puts me in a difficult position…”

Chai Zhi chuckled, “It’s simple. We have five generals here. Let’s vote on whether to attack or wait.”

Liu Kunsheng hesitated, and Prince Donghai stepped forward, smiling. “That’s a good idea. Provost Marshal Chai Zhi advocates for an attack, while General Chai Yue suggests waiting. Left and Right Generals, what are your thoughts?”

Han Tong and Feng Shili deferred to each other. Prince Donghai pointed to Feng Shili, “Right General, you hold higher rank. You go first.”

Feng Shili stood up, thought carefully, and finally spoke. “I suggest waiting. The Xiongnu seem sincere about this negotiation and are well-prepared. The Chu army has not yet surrounded the Xiongnu, and a hasty attack might win the battle but not annihilate the enemy, leading to greater trouble later.”

Chai Zhi’s face remained stern. Prince Donghai turned to Han Tong, “Now it’s the Left General’s turn.”

Han Tong stood, nodding to everyone in the tent. “Negotiations are good, but without imperial approval, can they succeed? With ten thousand Chu soldiers already gathered at Shattered Iron City, by Chu’s tradition, we should boldly attack, but…”

Han Tong was about to temper his stance when Chai Zhi interrupted, “The Left General has spoken. Two support an attack, two support waiting. Captain Liu, it’s up to you.”

Liu Kunsheng had no choice but to stand, contemplating for a long time. “The imperial court has delayed issuing a decree. In such cases, the border Chu army falls under the command of the Grand General.” He paused for a long time. “The Northern Protection General was appointed by the Grand General to oversee the military affairs of Divine Hero Pass and Shattered Iron City. He is the commander of the ten thousand Chu soldiers here.” Another long pause. “The Northern Protection General’s plan should not be changed without extraordinary circumstances.”

Although he did not explicitly state it, Liu Kunsheng’s opinion was clear: he advocated waiting unless the Xiongnu made any suspicious moves, the Chu army should not cross the river.

Prince Donghai spread his arms. “Since Captain Liu has spoken, let’s wait.”

During the generals’ discussion, the sentries outside continued their regular calls of “All clear.”

Chai Zhi was not surprised by the outcome. He lowered his head, chuckling, and turned to the dozen or so military officers. “See, I told you, the safety and glory of ten thousand Chu soldiers are less important than a young and inexperienced Northern Protection General. The prestige of Great Chu has been utterly lost by incompetents!”

Such a public provocation caused everyone’s faces to change. Liu Kunsheng’s face turned livid. “Provost Marshal Chai, as an officer of martial law, watch your words.”

Chai Zhi sneered, pulling a piece of paper from his sleeve and holding it up. “This is a secret order from the Champion Marquis, given to me before his departure, authorizing me to act at my discretion and reclaim the Grand Marshal’s seal from Captain Liu!”

Everyone was shocked, especially Chai Yue and Prince Donghai, who had not expected Chai Zhi to have such a move.

Liu Kunsheng angrily demanded, “A secret order? From where?”

Chai Zhi signaled to a military officer, “Show the Champion Marquis’s secret order to the generals and Captain Liu. Verify the handwriting and seal.”

The officer quickly stepped forward, took the paper, read it, and nodded. He first handed it to Left General Han Tong, who glanced at it and immediately said, “This is indeed the Champion Marquis’s secret order. Captain Liu, you should hand over the Grand Marshal’s seal.”

Liu Kunsheng reached for the secret order, but the officer, loyal to Chai Zhi, showed it to the others first before finally giving it to the Northern Army Captain.

Chai Yue and Prince Donghai also examined it but found no flaws. After reading it, Liu Kunsheng was silent for a long time, his gaze sweeping over the others, searching for anyone who might stand up.

Right General Feng Shili spoke, but no longer in support of the Northern Protection General. “The secret order is genuine. From now on, Provost Marshal Chai is the commander of the Northern Army. I retract my previous statement and follow Provost Marshal Chai’s lead.”

Chai Zhi turned, ignoring his half-brother Chai Yue, and looked at Prince Donghai. “What do you have to say?”

Prince Donghai chuckled and stepped back. “The Champion Marquis has long abandoned his post. His orders are invalid.”

Prince Donghai turned to leave the tent, intending to call for help. As he lifted the curtain, someone crashed in from outside.

Zhang Yanghao entered, leading several men with drawn swords.

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