123
After the Daliang dynasty moved south, the emperor took up residence in the temporary palace in Yu’an. This palace had been built during the previous dynasty and later renovated by several Daliang emperors who enjoyed southern tours, but that was many years ago.
By careful count, the temporary palace had been uninhabited for several decades already.
Mu Peixuan walked on the stone steps of the temporary palace, various scenes he had witnessed since entering Yu’an flashing through his mind. The temporary palace was now another imperial city. Guarding it were the Imperial Guards and the Jinyiwei. Mu Peixuan, following Qin Qiong into the palace, underwent several security checks, demonstrating the palace’s stringent defenses.
Mu Peixuan was thoughtful. He recalled the young Emperor Fengqi, Xiao Xun, who was now only ten years old but already in his third year on the throne. Although Mu Peixuan disliked the Daliang imperial family, perhaps because of Xiao Xun’s youth, he held no particular like or dislike for him. The Mu clan had been loyal and faithful subjects for generations, defending the southern border for over two hundred years without a moment’s slack. Mu Peixuan was born later; ever since he came of age, Liangdu had been increasingly suspicious of the border army, intentionally establishing garrisons to divide the two hundred thousand border troops and further constrain the Marquis Mansion. Moreover, whenever there was a battle, Liangdu would send envoys to act as supervising generals.
Mu Peixuan disliked it, and he was even more unwilling to accept it.
The Mu family had been loyal for generations, so why did Liangdu suspect them so deeply just because of the rebellious Yun family? In the end, it even cost his father’s life. Even though he knew the emperor’s heart was unpredictable, he still felt indignant. Perhaps it was because of this that both his father and eldest brother worried about him.
Mu Peixuan harbored hatred for Liangdu and resentment towards the imperial family. But whether it was resentment or hatred, Mu Peixuan also couldn’t bring himself to inflict it upon a child.
Mu Peixuan thought that it had been many years since he’d seen this little crown prince, almost to the point where he couldn’t remember his appearance. Yet, when Mu Peixuan knelt before the throne, and the young emperor descended from his dragon chair to personally help him up, meeting the child’s gaze, Mu Peixuan was momentarily stunned. It was simply that the child before him was pale and so thin that he didn’t resemble a revered emperor at all. His slender frame, wrapped in the bright yellow dragon robe, looked as if it might break under the weight.
“Xuan Gege, rise quickly,” Xiao Xun said, gripping his arm. Their eyes met, and the child smiled. Mu Peixuan lowered his eyes and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Zhao Xi, grant a seat.” Xiao Xun commanded.
The attendant beside him was a pale-faced eunuch, about thirty years old. He acknowledged the command and went to fetch a chair for Mu Peixuan. Xiao Xun said, “Xuan Gege, sit,” and then added, “Sit and talk with Zhen[mfn]Me or I, used by the emperor.[/mfn].”
Mu Peixuan replied, “Yes.”
Xiao Xun and Mu Peixuan originally had no real connection. Back when Mu Peixuan came to the capital as a hostage, he adopted the facade of a spoiled scion. Besides his exceptional martial skills, his reckless and impulsive nature caused no small amount of trouble in Liangdu. However, he knew how to gauge the situation well. Cockfighting and brawling were common occurrences for him, and even when he ambushed people at night, he would never kill them. The emperor had kept him close specifically to probe and control Marquis Annan Mansion.
At that time, Xiao Xun was still the crown prince, young and residing in the Eastern Palace. He had only met Mu Peixuan a few times at palace banquets.
On one occasion, the emperor held court at the imperial hunting grounds, and Mu Peixuan was among those summoned, as was Xiao Xun. For some unknown reason, a ferocious tiger trained in the animal garden suddenly went mad and escaped, nearly pouncing on Xiao Xun. Mu Peixuan was present at the time and, in a moment of crisis, saved Xiao Xun. The crown prince nearly lost his life to a tiger at the hunting grounds, and the emperor was furious. He ordered the three judicial bureaus and the Jinyiwei to thoroughly investigate and even had Mu Peixuan oversee the case. Mu Peixuan, of course, couldn’t take the lead. He coldly observed the messy affairs in Liangdu, becoming increasingly disheartened.
Later, the person who took the fall was a junior official who fed the tigers in the animal garden. However, the official committed suicide out of fear of punishment, and the investigation of the case yielded no results, instead implicating many others. Even the emperor could only let the matter drop.
Although the case yielded no results, Mu Peixuan was nonetheless granted the title of junwang due to his merit in saving the crown prince. The young crown prince also grew somewhat closer to Mu Peixuan, privately calling him “Xuan Gege.”
Xiao Xun repeatedly called him “Xuan Gege,” to which Mu Peixuan said, “Your Majesty, you are now the Emperor. This minister cannot accept such a title from you.”
Xiao Xun was stunned for a moment, then whispered, “Xuan Gege, are you going to become estranged from Zhen too?”
“After Emperor Father passed away, Empress Mother died, and the Grand Tutor was demoted,” Xiao Xun said. “Imperial Uncle also died. Xuan Gege, are you very disappointed in Xuan’er?”
“Xuan’er is not a good emperor; now I’ve even lost half of Daliang’s territory. Xuan’er is a sinner.”
Mu Peixuan paused slightly, looking at the child before him. After a long moment, he sighed and gently said, “Your Majesty, at such a young age, you’ve already executed a treacherous prime minister. How could you be a sinner?”
“In ancient times, Goujian, even when desperate, endured hardship to achieve his goals. Your Majesty’s current situation is merely a temporary measure. There will surely be a day when Daliang is restored to its former glory.”
Xiao Xun asked, “Really?”
“Xuan Gege, will you help Zhen?”
Mu Peixuan raised his eyes. Xiao Xun also looked at him, his eyes wide with a hint of fear, as if grasping for a glimmer of hope. Mu Peixuan slowly said, “This minister is a minister of Daliang and will naturally assist Your Majesty.”
The monarch and his subject gazed at each other, and Xiao Xun softly said, “Zhen knew it, Xuan Gege would never betray Zhen.”
Mu Peixuan did not stay at the temporary imperial residence long. After he left, Qin Qiong, who had been waiting in the side hall, entered.
“Your Majesty.” Qin Qiong bowed respectfully.
Xiao Xun said, “Master, what do you think Jingnan Junwang truly came to Yu’an for this time?”
“Imperial Uncle once said that among the high-ranking border officials of Daliang, if there was one who would never be disloyal, it would definitely be the southern border. The Mu family is fiercely loyal and would never betray Daliang.”
Qin Qiong said, “Your Majesty, His Highness Junwang’s arrival in Yu’an at this moment might be for a request, perhaps from Your Majesty or from King Xin. But no matter what he seeks, we cannot allow the Southern Border and Yu’an to form an alliance.”
Xiao Xun softly said, “Zhen understand.”
“Originally, Imperial Uncle trusted Qin Fengyuan too much, which led to today’s trouble in the Northwest.” The late emperor had once intended to weaken Marquis Yongping’s military power, but it was King Duan who strongly defended Marquis Yongping Mansion. Who would have thought that it would be Qin Fengyuan who seized Liangdu today?
Qin Qiong didn’t say much concerning the imperial prince. He comforted the emperor, “Moving south was a last resort. Your Majesty is still young. Although Qin Fengyuan now occupies Liangdu, he has placed himself in a situation where he is vulnerable from both front and rear. As long as we establish a firm foothold in Yu’an, there will certainly be a day when we reclaim our lost territories.”
Xiao Xun nodded silently, the young emperor’s face was pale, his eyes revealing a gloom ill-suited for his age. He said, “Have the Jinyiwei secretly keep an eye on Mu Peixuan.”
“Why isn’t Mu Peixuan staying in Southern Border? What exactly does he want by coming to Yu’an?”
It wasn’t just Xiao Xun who was pondering Mu Peixuan’s intentions. In King Xin’s study, the lights were bright. The king sat in a grand armchair, with his strategists lined up on either side.
One of them said, “Could it be that he also wants a piece of the pie?”
“Mu Peixuan commands a 200,000-strong army on the southern border; how could he not be ambitious?” another strategist said. “If he weren’t ambitious, why did Longzhou and Liangzhou request imperial decrees to allow the Southern Army to garrison within their states? Do you really think that was the provincial governors’ idea? Of Daliang’s nineteen states, Ruizhou, Yunzhou, Longzhou, Liangzhou, and Wanzhou are now all under Mu Peixuan’s control. Just look, the entire Southwest might soon bear the surname Mu.”
“Even if he gets Southwest, what then? The Southwest is barren. If Mu Peixuan wants to control the Southern Border, he’ll have to conscript soldiers. Where will he get the silver?”
“Longzhou and Liangzhou in the Southwest are indeed poor. While Ruizhou and Yunzhou aren’t as prosperous as Cangzhou, they’re not exactly destitute either. Besides, don’t forget who Mu Peixuan married last year. As soon as Duan Linzhou dies, the entire Duan family will belong to the Mu family.”
“Our major concern now isn’t the Southwest, but Yu’an,” said a Tianqian, who was about fifty years old, sitting at the upper left. When he spoke, the strategists in the study fell silent, looking at him. The elder spoke in a low voice, “It’s the aristocratic families who came from Liangdu and those in the North.”
After the young emperor relocated the capital, many aristocratic families and powerful clans from Liangdu moved to Yu’an. They had been officials for generations, with deep roots, and even being new to Yu’an, they were not to be trifled with. For them to establish roots in Yu’an, they would inevitably clash with Yu’an’s local gentry, and these past few days had seen fierce struggles. This was a conflict between Yu’an’s local gentry and Liangdu’s aristocratic families, and it was also an unavoidable struggle between the young emperor and King Xin. Qin Fengyuan was mad; although he occupied Liangdu, he showed no intention of declaring himself emperor and ruling independently by dividing the land with them either. It seemed he intended to attack again once the new year passed and the weather warmed.
Although King Xin welcomed the young emperor, his intention was to control the emperor and command the other feudal lords. He didn’t want to fight Qin Fengyuan. Qin Fengyuan was a mad dog; even the Northern Border couldn’t stop his cavalry. If King Xin’s naval force encountered Qin Fengyuan’s cavalry on land, even if they could put up a fight, they would inevitably suffer losses. This was a chaotic situation, and any losses he incurred might result in him paving the way for others.
Not to mention the distant past, the Mu family, who had taken control of the five southwestern prefectures, was enough to inspire dread.
Candlelight flickered, illuminating King Xin, Xiao Shao’s stern face, making the wrinkles on it appear sharp as knives. He listened to his strategists argue incessantly. Hearing the old man’s words, his expression shifted slightly, and he said, “This snowstorm must have frozen to death many cattle and sheep in the twenty-six tribes of the Northern Frontier too, right?”
The old man replied, “Reporting to Your Highness, the wind and snow are devastating. The snow disaster in the Northern Frontier is severe and rare.”
“It’s snowing heavily… the wind and snow are heavy,” Xiao Shao sneered. “The barbarians’ cattle and sheep won’t be enough to sustain their young men, so they will naturally raid south. Qin Fengyuan has occupied Liangdu in a short time, his men and horses must exhausted. Tu Yan is ambitious and might just want to take a bite out of him.”
The strategists in the study all looked at Xiao Shao upon hearing this. Xiao Shao said, “Find a few people to keep an eye on them.”
“He’s just a young man. Yu’an isn’t Ruizhou. What kind of trouble can Mu Peixuan stir up here?”
“Yes, Your Highness.” The strategists all responded.
