Chapter 981 Meeting the Mother-in-Law

Gou Moli had once said that the reason the Chu Kingdom had risked the disapproval of all the Xia nations to ally with him, a barbarian king, was because there was concrete information that the Dachang Emperor, Situ Lei, had intended to lower his country's status and submit to the Great Yan.

In fact, there was no need for Gou Moli, the person involved, to personally recount it. Too many clues had already indicated that the late Emperor of Great Yan and Situ Lei had reached a tacit understanding at that time.

After the Helian and Wenren families had proactively invaded Yan territory, only to be crushed by the Great Yan's iron cavalry, the Situ family, who had no grudges against Great Yan and hadn't participated in the invasion, and should have been trembling in fear, suddenly chose to proclaim themselves emperors and establish a kingdom at that time.

After establishing his kingdom, Situ Lei led the elite forces of the Dachang Kingdom to the snowy plains to conquer the wild men who had become a threat to Xuehai Pass, completely exposing his back to the Yan people.

The Yan army not only didn't take the opportunity to invade the Dachang Kingdom and attempt to unify the Three Jins, but the then-General of Sheng Le, Zheng Fan, even followed Prince Jingnan through the Heavenly Fracture Mountain Range into the snowy plains to help relieve the pressure on the Dachang Kingdom from the side battlefield.

If Gou Moli hadn't truly been blessed by the stars at that time, and the elite wild men around him hadn't fought with all their might, coupled with the Chu people stabbing him in the back and traitors appearing within the Situ family itself, leading to the failure of the Situ family's military campaign against the snowy plains,

Then perhaps Jinsdong wouldn't be the Wangfu's (Prince's Mansion) Jinsdong now, but would still be the Situ family's Jinsdong.

Situ Lei's premature proclamation as emperor was somewhat similar to setting a high price before a deal to give you room to haggle.

If he had surrendered directly, given the Great Yan's stinginess with granting titles to those with different surnames at the time, Situ Lei might not have even gotten the title of "King." He might have just been given a newly created title like "Eastern Marquis," similar to Marquis Zhenbei or Marquis Jingnan, and granted a hereditary title.

But by first proclaiming himself emperor, coupled with the act of driving out the wild men, which aligned with the righteousness of the Xia nations, the Yan people, no matter how stingy, would have to grant him the title of King, and most likely skip the King title altogether and directly enfeoff the Situ family as "Lord of the Nation."

The Great Yan's peerage system was very complex, not only complex at the bottom but also complex at the top. It was hard to say whether the Lord of the Nation or a King with a different surname was more honorable, but the Lord of the Nation had greater independence. Within their own fiefdom, they could appoint officials and train troops.

More or less, what Zheng Fan was doing in Jinsdong now was the situation that Situ Lei had wanted back then. Moreover, the Situ family's Jinsdong was even larger than Zheng Fan's Jinsdong. Yingdu was the Situ family's capital.

Therefore,

Zheng Fan ordered his soldiers to shout to the Chu Emperor, addressing him as the Lord of the Nation.

The meaning was very simple:

If you surrender now, I, the son-in-law of the Great Chu, can guarantee you the treatment of a Lord of the Nation.

If the conditions were sufficient, Zheng Fan would certainly be willing to "pursue the tottering foe," continuing to fight, swallowing Shanggu County, breaking through the Jingji area, and visiting Yingdu for the second time.

But what about after that?

The Chu Kingdom's Yingdu had always had a habit: the capital wasn't built in a place called Ying, but wherever the capital was built, that place was called Ying.

Continuing to fight blindly and pushing his brother-in-law further south would mean that the Yan army would face... the damned waterways, swamps, and mountain gullies of Chu Nan.

The Great Yan's iron cavalry would have to dismount, carry their swords, and fight and chase the Chu army and the Shanyue people in the forests and mountain gullies.

The Chu people had spent eight hundred years barely managing to tame the Shanyue. The most obvious progress had been made in the hands of this brother-in-law. How many more resources would the Yan people have to continue investing to stabilize Chu Nan?

If the only opponent left was the Chu Kingdom, then naturally there was nothing to say. They would exert all their strength and do whatever it took to kill them.

But the problem was,

There was also the Qian Kingdom, preserved extremely well, sitting there.

Since the time of the late Emperor, the target that the Yan people had been most willing to attack was actually the Qian Kingdom, because it was soft, tender, and easy to bully.

But precisely because it was so adorable, it forced the Yan people to repeatedly set it aside and let it continue hopping around,

Turning instead to first fight the Jin and Chu Kingdoms, gnawing on the tough bones first, and finally, leisurely enjoying the true delicacy.

This great war, Jinsdong and the entire Great Yan, had spent more than five years preparing for. The composure on the battlefield and the leisurely attitude that ultimately forced the Chu people to take the risk were also created through these years of accumulation.

Although the entire Great Yan hadn't reached the point of "selling pots and pans" and "exhausting military force" as it had been during the late Emperor's reign, it seemed that this great war had also consumed the accumulated sense of ease from the past.

If the war continued to drag on, the people of Yan would have to rediscover the memories of tightening their belts and living frugally.

After all, the troops dispatched by the imperial court this time were secondary. The real cost was the large amount of grain and military supplies that the imperial court, through Xu Wenzu in Yingdu, had channeled into Jinsdong.

Troops could be drafted, and if you really set your mind to it, you could gather them. But grain and military supplies had to be grown and manufactured, and neither could be replenished overnight.

In fact, the current situation had been discussed by Zheng Fan and Ji Lao Liu (Sixth Prince) as early as five years ago. The solution they had reached was to first defeat the Chu Kingdom and then turn the spearhead to slaughter the Qian Kingdom.

Attacking the Qian Kingdom... that was the perfect place to sustain the war with plunder. The Regent had led troops into Qian several times and had never worried about his supplies.

Therefore,

Zheng Fan was serious about this "Lord of the Nation." Ji Lao Liu, the Emperor of Yan, and the Yan court, for the sake of unifying the Xia nations, would also recognize it.

However, Zheng Fan didn't expect his brother-in-law to really nod in agreement and come out wearing white clothes and leading a sheep.

In most cases, the Chu Kingdom would not surrender and would continue to fight to the last moment.

However, Zheng Fan wouldn't feel disappointed either. The situation had already been established, and the strategic initiative was already in his hands. Next, whether to continue fighting or stop and withdraw half a fist to face other directions was up to the Yan people to decide.

The Chu people no longer had the strength to throw a punch.

He had taken his horse for a stroll, said his pretty words, and Zheng Fan planned to ride back to camp. There were still a lot of things in the army that he needed to deal with and oversee.

Moreover, those pigs in Shanggu County hadn't been completely caught yet.

However,

Just as Zheng Fan was about to give the order, a eunuch from Yingdu came out on a white horse, holding a bright yellow imperial decree in his hand.

Among the Yan army, there were knights who were about to step forward to stop him, but Zheng Fan raised his hand to stop them.

The eunuch also reined in his horse at a suitable distance and opened the imperial decree:

"Empress Dowager's edict..."

He was a little nervous, and his voice was trembling, but after these four words were uttered, he still habitually looked at his "decree recipient."

A moment later,

He saw a tall figure wearing royal robes, riding his horse forward by half a body length. Although he didn't dismount and kneel down, this posture made the eunuch feel quite "grateful and moved to tears."

"The consort has arrived. I must see him. Please wait a moment, Consort."

...

The Empress Dowager's retinue left the capital with only a few guards, about two hundred, and stopped far away after leaving the city.

After that, a group of eunuchs set up a simple platform on the open space, with screens.

In the early years, Chu nobles liked to picnic, composing poems and singing passionately in the wild. This kind of platform was very popular.

After the platform was set up, the Yan army knights flanked it from both sides.

Immediately afterward,

The eunuchs and palace maids all bowed and retreated from the small platform. On the platform, only the Empress Dowager was sitting there.

The Blind Man led the brocade-clad guards to come over and re-inspect, and after confirming that everything was correct, he signaled to the rear.

Soon after,

Zheng Fan stepped onto the small platform.

The Empress Dowager's hair was already half white, and she didn't apply much powder, so she looked a little old, but she could give people a kind feeling.

Zheng Fan didn't let the brocade-clad guards follow him in. They stood outside.

However, the Blind Man and Ah Ming accompanied Zheng Fan in.

There was a small table in front of the Empress Dowager, with pastries and tea, all exquisite Chu delicacies.

Zheng Fan stepped forward and looked at the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager also looked at Zheng Fan, with a smile on her face.

She said;

"When a son-in-law returns to his wife's family, even ordinary people know to prepare some wine and meat to treat him well. There's no reason for my Xiong family to be short on these courtesies.

Frankly speaking,

The wife's family treats the son-in-law well, not to flatter him, but aside from those with shallow eyes, mostly hoping to treat the son-in-law well, so that the son-in-law will treat their daughter better."

Zheng Fan smiled,

Bowed slightly,

And said:

"Greetings, Empress Dowager."

"Sit, then."

"Alright."

Zheng Fan sat down opposite the old Empress Dowager.

"Try it. I didn't make it myself, but these are a few of my favorite flavors."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager."

After Zheng Fan thanked her,

He looked at Ah Ming.

Ah Ming picked up chopsticks and a plate, took a piece of each pastry, ate it, then picked up the teapot, poured a cup, and drank it all.

The Empress Dowager didn't show any anger;

After Ah Ming finished testing the food,

Zheng Fan didn't touch the pastries in front of him. Instead, he took the cup that Ah Ming had drunk from earlier, poured tea into it, and then took a sip,

Praising:

"Good tea."

"Hehehe."

The Empress Dowager covered her mouth and laughed.

"I've made you laugh, Your Majesty."

"No, no. Men must be careful when working outside. I'm very happy for Liqing that you're so cautious and down-to-earth.

Men are the sky for women at home. The saying 'Regretting teaching my husband to seek a noble title' isn't just said casually.

Cherish yourself, pay attention, and be careful, so that you can always hold up the girl's sky."

"Yes."

The Empress Dowager folded her hands in front of her and said:

"Tingshan was raised by me."

"I've made you sad."

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, "Life and death on the battlefield often require a more open mind. I don't blame you. After all, the palm and the back of the hand are both flesh. If he lived, wouldn't you be gone?"

"Yes."

"I'm not here to be a lobbyist, because I know that neither you nor the Emperor are people who can be persuaded, and you won't be swayed by a few words from me.

I just don't want to be short on courtesy.

Although, to be precise, I don't have the face to talk about courtesy. If I had been the one to betroth Liqing to you back then, I would be standing straight in front of you now, saying a few words to you.

This relative,

This son-in-law,

To put it bluntly, it's because you have the ability, the skill, to come here and snatch Liqing away.

I've heard many stories of snatching a bride, like the daughter of a wealthy family eloping with a poor boy. Years later, the poor boy becomes successful and returns to his wife's family with his wife, a triumphant return.

Unfortunately, this story doesn't apply to you.

You are getting stronger and stronger, while the Chu Kingdom is getting weaker and weaker.

I don't know the specific results of this battle, but looking at their anxious faces, I can guess that the Great Chu is unlikely to recover.

It's said that the wife's family must be strong so that the daughter won't be bullied in her husband's family, but this Great Chu is getting weaker and weaker. Now, we have to rely on Liqing's face and ask for a little bit of favor."

"Please speak."

"I don't dare to make any other requests. Just one, can you consider it?"

"You're too kind."

"Our Emperor is stubborn, as you know."

"Yes."

"You've met and interacted with the Emperor before. I heard the Emperor say that he appreciates you very much."

"That was a long time ago."

"Zheng Fan."

"Mm."

"Tell me, if you were defeated, would the Emperor kill you?" the Empress Dowager asked.

"Most likely, I would be placed under house arrest," Zheng Fan replied.

Just like he had treated Gou Moli, the Wild Man King, back then.

"What about your family? You don't only have Liqing as a woman, and you don't only have Da Niu as a child. What do you think the Emperor would do? Would he... exterminate them all?"

Zheng Fan hesitated for a moment, shook his head, and said:

"Probably... not."

They had once ridden in the same carriage, and later, as opponents, they had played chess many times. Although they were opponents, Zheng Fan couldn't deny that his brother-in-law was actually very similar to the late Emperor of Yan in many ways;

At the very least, he had magnanimity.

"So, what I'm asking is, one day, when you completely win the game, those who don't listen, you can deal with them however you want. As for those who obey, if there's grain to spare, give them a breath to live, alright?"

"Alright."

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "You agreed so readily."

"How can I not be diligent about what my mother-in-law tells me to do?"

The most acute Yan-Chu confrontation, the life-and-death period, had actually passed. During the late Emperor's time, Great Yan couldn't afford to lose. One loss would lead to collapse, so from the court to the army, their actions were full of ruthlessness and decisiveness.

Now, it was different.

This time, not ordering the killing of prisoners and using military merits, the most direct method, to prevent the lower levels from killing prisoners was a clear expression of political direction.

If he really took the Chu Kingdom in the future, Zheng Fan wouldn't carry out a great extermination policy. Division and appeasement would be the main strategy, with suppression as a supplement.

The Yan Kingdom already had a very mature model of experience in governing the Jin region.

The Empress Dowager was satisfied and gestured that she wanted to get up.

Zheng Fan didn't move.

Ah Ming stepped forward to support her back.

The Empress Dowager supported herself on Ah Ming's hand and stood up. After all, she wasn't the kind of old woman who couldn't even move her legs and feet.

The Empress Dowager walked in front, Zheng Fan followed beside her, and Ah Ming blocked in the middle.

Walking to the edge of the small platform, the wind blew, and it was a little cold.

"I miss Liqing."

"Liqing has always missed you very much too."

"Can she come back to see me?" the Empress Dowager asked.

Zheng Fan nodded without hesitation and said, "Yes, she can."

"What about Da Niu?"

"We will bring Da Niu back to see you together."

There was no problem with a married princess returning to her parents' home alone.

From a cold perspective, the role of the Chu Princess had actually been used up when Zheng Fan, who was still the Earl of Pingye at the time, led her into Yanjing to accept the late Emperor's conferment.

Although she could still continue to influence the implementation of a policy of appeasement towards Chu territory more conveniently with the status of the Chu Princess and the Chu Consort, that was based on the absolute strength of the military. It was impossible to put the cart before the horse.

Whether there would be any problems with the princess returning, whether the remaining forces of the pseudo-Chu would cause any accidents to the princess...

First, there was no value in it, and second, it didn't really matter.

So, Xiong Liqing could go home to see her mother very safely.

As for Da Niu,

Zheng Fan was a daughter slave and didn't want his daughter to go in. That was impossible.

Unless he went with her, and the prerequisite for him going with her was that the Yan army had already entered Yingdu and the Chu imperial city.

The Empress Dowager obviously understood this,

And said;

"Liqing often says in her letters how much you, as a father, dote on your daughter. She is blessed, and Da Niu is also blessed. Real men only vent their temper outside. Men who like to lose their temper at home are often not presentable."

"You've praised me many times today."

"There's a saying among the people that the more a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the more she likes him, isn't it?

Moreover, Da Niu also writes letters and sends gifts to me. This child is very clever, but unfortunately, I haven't met this granddaughter of mine."

"You can come back to Jinsdong Wangfu (Prince's Mansion) with me."

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager smiled and scolded, "Then the Chu Kingdom's face would be completely lost. No, no."

Speaking of this,

The Empress Dowager's gaze suddenly became a little deep,

And said:

"To put it bluntly, a married daughter is like spilled water. Her son is still here. Where's the logic of going to trouble her daughter and son-in-law?"

"We're family. I don't care about that."

"That's heartwarming to hear."

At this time, the gates of Yingdu opened once again.

A forbidden army marched out of the city.

The Yan army that Zheng Fan had brought immediately formed ranks.

Immediately afterward,

A figure wearing a dragon robe rode out on horseback, and then gradually slowed down.

"My son is here to pick me up," the Empress Dowager said.

"Mm," Zheng Fan nodded.

The armies of both sides began to deploy far away.

In the central position was this small platform.

The Chu Emperor was getting closer and closer. He was alone on a horse.

"Want to meet him?" The Empress Dowager looked at Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan smiled slightly.

He remembered that his brother-in-law was already a third-rank expert back then, because he had forcibly fused with the Fire Phoenix Spirit, which was a bit similar to himself borrowing the magic pill to possess himself.

Although Ah Ming and the Blind Man were also by his side,

Zheng Fan still didn't want to gamble.

He was not only wearing shoes now, but also standing on stilts. On the other hand, his brother-in-law was almost barefoot;

Heaven knew what would happen if his brother-in-law really went crazy.

Judging others by himself, this world felt particularly dangerous.

Therefore,

Zheng Fan said to the Empress Dowager:

"No, let's leave some face for my brother-in-law."

"You have a kind heart," the Empress Dowager said with great relief. "Taking care of each other's face is how family should be."

"Yes."

Zheng Fan stepped off the small platform and mounted his horse.

Ah Ming and the Blind Man followed closely behind, leaving the Empress Dowager alone, continuing to stand there.

Just as Zheng Fan was about to ride back to his army, he suddenly asked:

"Tell me, if you two combined your attacks, would there be a chance to get rid of him once and for all?"

The Blind Man affirmed: "It's worth a try."

Zheng Fan hesitated for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Forget it. Why fight for a moment's bravery?"

Then, as if to explain to himself:

"If the late Emperor had the guaranteed victory we have now, he wouldn't have gambled either."

"What you say is true, Master," the Blind Man quickly agreed.

"But I'm still a little unwilling."

As he said these words, Zheng Fan silently took out a fire letter from his sleeve. As long as he pulled out the cork, his own troops in the distance would launch a charge directly.

"Master..."

The Blind Man suddenly spoke to remind him.

"What's wrong?"

"There's more than one person."

Behind the Chu Emperor, a white cloak suddenly appeared. Within the cloak, the figure of a barefooted old man was revealed, with a very wide forehead and a protruding brow bone, with a bit of the old God of Longevity's immortal demeanor;

On the other side, there was also a figure in a black brocade robe holding a sword, but he was closing his eyes, but his steps were not slow at all.

The Chu Emperor reined in his horse,

And stopped moving.

"I didn't tell you to come."

The old man smiled and said, "We are also worried about Your Majesty's safety. Your brother-in-law is famous for not having martial virtue."

As soon as he finished speaking,

The old man's eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked in the direction of the royal robes in the distance. He didn't look at the world-famous prince, but at another figure beside the royal robes, a blind man.

In an unknowable area, the consciousness of both sides had collided three times in a row. Earlier, he had wanted to hide his figure, but after the distance was shortened, he found that he could no longer hide. The reason was precisely because of that blind man.

"Interesting, like a Qi Refiner, but not quite like a Qi Refiner," the old man said with a look of doubt.

On the opposite side,

The Blind Man also said, "Master, the person who possessed the Youge troupe last time has appeared."

From three against one, it suddenly became three against three. Zheng Fan's thoughts instantly became extremely clear. He took back the fire letter, turned his horse's head,

And said:

"The big battle is over. These small battles are hard on you. Let's go!"

The Prince and the two gentlemen rode back.

The Chu Emperor also walked onto the small platform at this time, standing beside his mother.

The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor, a little sadly, and said:

"Do you regret it?"

"No."

"Send a hostage over," the Empress Dowager said.

"Alright," the Chu Emperor agreed.

"I didn't have much concern for your father. Now I regret not following him earlier. At least I could have been at peace."

"May Your Majesty live a long life."

"It's enough for you to live ten thousand years."

The Emperor helped the Empress Dowager off the small platform,

Saw the old man and the swordsman standing not far away,

And said;

"Where did you scavenge these people from?"

The Chu Emperor introduced;

"Two frogs in a well."

The Empress Dowager reached out and patted the back of the Emperor's hand,

Smiling and scolding:

"Still making fun of people."

The Emperor responded with a smile:

"I lost, but they, who clearly didn't even have the chance to get to the table, have been winning in their dreams."

———

The next chapter will be around one o'clock.