Chapter 1 The Beginning

"Come on, cheers!"

"Come on, drink up!"

Old Guang and Old He decided to get thoroughly drunk today.

Bi He, on the other hand, urged He Chu to hurry back and rewrite the sign; pork prices were going up!

Good news had arrived. Although the nation was still in mourning and lavish celebrations were not allowed, for ordinary people, especially those living in the capital, it was perfectly acceptable to buy some meat and enjoy themselves. If not now, when was the right time to raise prices?

Zheng Fan also stood up. Now that the victory report had arrived, the detailed military situation must have arrived as well. He had to go to the palace to take a look.

Sword Saint didn't go with him, because he didn't want to drink tea with Wei Zhonghe, that castrated thing, again.

Fan Li escorted Zheng Fan into the imperial city. Nowadays, for the Marquis of Pingxi of Great Yan, entering the palace was as easy as going home, whenever he wanted.

The Emperor had long granted him all sorts of privileges, such as being allowed to ride a horse inside the palace and not having to kneel before the Emperor.

There was even talk that His Majesty was planning to have all three of his children recognize the Marquis of Pingxi as their Zhongfu (second father).

This meant that in the future, the Marquis of Pingxi could freely enter even the inner palace.

Of course, this was somewhat inappropriate, but considering that His Majesty only had two consorts, it didn't seem like a big deal.

Of course, Marquis Zheng wasn't interested in becoming anyone's "godfather" these days. In his eyes, the only true adopted son was "Tian Tian"; the rest were just freebies.

Right now, what he wanted to see was the military report.

"Your Excellency, His Majesty is waiting for you in the imperial study."

Eunuch Qu seemed to have been waiting for him early on.

In fact, when a new emperor ascended the throne, what he received first was not the government, but the eunuchs of the inner palace.

If Wei Zhonghe was kept around because of his special position, for the sake of stability during the transition of imperial power, then red-robed grand eunuchs like Eunuch Qu were kept entirely out of consideration for past relationships.

This showed that the new Emperor had been secretly colluding with the eunuchs of the inner palace since he was a prince, which was almost an open secret.

But now, no one dared to impeach him or punish him.

This also showed that Ji Lao Liu (Sixth Master Ji) knew everything that went on in the palace when he was in the royal residence, which was not surprising at all.

Eunuchs loved money, but they also valued relationships. Their survival depended on their relationship with their master. To a certain extent, they were actually more loyal than the so-called "Crown Prince Party" and "Sixth Master Party" of the outer court.

Of course, Zheng Fan believed that Ji Chengjue didn't need to be reminded that eunuchs shouldn't interfere in politics. The seed of the old Yan Emperor, at certain times, could be frighteningly ruthless when someone overstepped their boundaries.

"The Marquis of Pingxi requests an audience."

Just as the little eunuch outside began to announce his arrival, three loud laughs came from inside the imperial study.

"Ha, ha, ha!"

Marquis Zheng walked in and saw Ji Chengjue sitting in the imperial study chair with the memorial in his hands, the other hand held up in front of his chest.

He was deliberately acting, as if he was performing in a play on stage.

Zheng Fan just stood there, staring at him.

Throughout history, many people had been granted the honor of not having to kowtow before the Emperor, but Zheng Fan was probably the only one who did it so directly.

Ji Chengjue struck his pose, but Zheng Fan didn't cooperate.

He had no choice but to lower his hand himself, threw the memorial on the table, and said, "Victory, Zheng Fan, a great victory!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

Zheng Fan stepped forward and picked it up to read without waiting for Wei Zhonghe to hand it to him.

This was a military memorial, which would describe the entire process, development, and outcome of the battle, so there were many words, and it couldn't be shortened using classical Chinese.

Marquis Zheng pulled up a chair and sat down.

Then he said to Wei Gonggong (Eunuch Wei) beside him, "Tea."

"This servant understands."

Eunuch Wei immediately served hot tea and pastries.

Ji Chengjue walked down and said to Zheng Fan, "With such a great victory, Zheng, how many years do you think the west will be safe?"

Zheng Fan put a piece of walnut cake in his mouth, chewed as he continued to read, and nodded to signal the Emperor to be patient.

The Emperor was very impatient. He was capable of governing the country, playing political tricks, and doing business, but he had never fought a war.

Although the fact that Zheng didn't treat him like an outsider made this emperor feel somewhat embarrassed, he truly trusted Zheng's vision and judgment.

However, thinking about it from another perspective, if Zheng were to suddenly become respectful and deferential to him, Ji Chengjue probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

After eating the third piece of walnut cake, Marquis Zheng finally finished reading.

He didn't rush to answer Ji Chengjue's question, but instead said, "No, what's this at the bottom about the Prince of Jingnan leading eight hundred riders to pursue the fleeing Little Prince?"

"It's just a pursuit." Ji Chengjue was a little puzzled. "I estimate that this memorial has reached us now, but right now in Beifeng County, the Prince of Jingnan should have already captured the Little Prince or returned with his head."

Regardless of whether you knew about military affairs or not, you had to acknowledge the Prince of Jingnan's abilities.

"Leading eight hundred riders to pursue westward, and the Prince personally went to pursue?"

Zheng Fan suddenly had a bad feeling.

This feeling wasn't about something bad happening to Old Tian, but rather, he felt in his heart that he wouldn't see Old Tian for a very, very long time.

"What exactly do you mean?" The Emperor asked.

Zheng Fan wiped his fingers, which had been holding the walnut cake, on Eunuch Wei's clothes, then touched his forehead, bit his lip, and said, "I feel that the Prince may have deliberately gone to pursue. No, he's not going to pursue, he's choosing a kind of self-imposed exile."

Liang Cheng was Zheng Fan's introduction to military tactics.

Old Tian, on the other hand, was a further improvement and sublimation.

It wasn't that Liang Cheng's ability to lead troops was much worse than Old Tian's, but rather that their platforms were different.

Once upon a time, Old Tian had allowed him to handle the military affairs of hundreds of thousands of troops for a period of time. Honestly, what teacher in this world could provide their students with this level of "internship"?

Therefore, Zheng Fan understood Old Tian very well.

He also knew that at that time, at that moment, it would take a lot of impulsiveness, being blinded by victory, for a commander to personally lead troops to pursue a fleeing target.

Was Old Tian an impulsive person?

There was only one explanation left: he did it on purpose.

Compared to Zheng Fan's disappointment and sorrow, Emperor Ji Chengjue seemed to be truly lost.

He staggered back a few steps, fortunately Eunuch Wei was quick to move a chair over, which prevented the Emperor from falling to the ground.

Ji Chengjue stretched out his hands and rubbed his face vigorously, asking in disbelief, "Zheng, are you saying that the Prince of Jingnan of Great Yan has just abandoned Great Yan and abandoned me like this?"

This wasn't an act, it was genuine emotion.

To a certain extent, Ji Chengjue didn't want Tian Wujing to leave even more than Zheng Fan did.

Zheng Fan could still lament that this was perhaps the best way. Old Tian was going west, pursuing the enemy, and at the same time exiling himself, because returning meant facing endless pain.

Changing places and changing moods, although this sounded a bit flippant when used on Old Tian, it was undeniable that it was actually useful.

But Ji Chengjue, this emperor, had lost Great Yan's true military god!

His father had passed away, and the Prince of Zhenbei was also in poor health. The memorial also mentioned the intention to request an imperial title for his son, which was actually a kind of entrusting of orphans.

*Your Majesty, I'm dying soon. Give my son some face and take care of him. Be a little gentler.*

But Tian Wujing was in his prime, at the peak of his strength. His soldiers' morale would immediately be boosted when he led the army, and the enemy countries' morale would immediately drop by two or three levels once they learned that the Prince of Jingnan of Great Yan was in command.

Most importantly, everyone thought that the Prince of Jingnan's merits were too great and overshadowed his lord, that there was no reward that was worthy of him, no title that could be bestowed upon him, and that he would become a great destabilizing factor for the country and the imperial power. But only Emperor Ji Chengjue knew that the Prince of Jingnan would never rebel!

And…

The Emperor raised his head, took a deep breath, and looked at Zheng Fan, who was also sitting opposite him and feeling down.

And…

As long as Tian Wujing was around, Zheng would never dare to act rashly.

He was an Emperor, and from the moment he plunged the dagger into his father's chest, he had already crowned himself Emperor with his father's blood.

His harmonious relationship with Zheng Fan, even his "brotherly love," wasn't an act, but he truly wouldn't refuse to have a Prince of Jingnan to keep him in check, so that he could completely relax.

Now, the pillar of stability was gone.

The Emperor began to have a headache.

Eunuch Wei stood silently to the side, watching the two in the imperial study, helpless and sad for the departure of one person.

After a long time, Zheng Fan took a deep breath, reached out, and wiped away non-existent tears, saying, "It's good too. He was very tired. This is also good."

"I'm not good." Ji Chengjue gently beat his chest with his hand. "I'm very uncomfortable."

"He will come back," Zheng Fan said.

"Did he tell you in advance?" Ji Chengjue asked.

Zheng Fan shook his head and said, "But he said that he would commit suicide in front of the Tian family's ancestral tomb."

"........." Ji Chengjue.

"Now that he's gone west, send more merchant caravans to inquire about news. Our Prince of Jingnan of Great Yan, taking eight hundred knights with him, can't disappear without a trace after going west."

"Xiao Liuzi."

"Hmm?"

"Let's hurry up."

"What do you mean?"

"You, this emperor, should restore the country's strength as soon as possible. We should also destroy those guys from Chu and Qian as soon as possible. After unifying, I want to go to the West."

"What are you going to do in the West? An expedition?"

"Can't I?"

"It's not that you can't, but you need to tell your brother-in-law and the official of the Qian Kingdom to submit next month. You can probably start the western expedition before the end of the year."

"Xiao Liuzi, I'm talking to you seriously."

"I am too, Zheng Fan. I know how you feel, but I actually feel several times more depressed than you. But we, people in this position, can't be chaotic, can't be impatient. Haste makes waste. Let's take our time, do it slowly, and steadily, and we can actually be faster, okay?"

Zheng Fan smiled, noncommittally.

"Wei Zhonghe."

"This servant is here."

"Give the Marquis of Pingxi a bowl of the ginseng soup that I drank earlier."

"No need."

"You have to take good care of your body. My brother isn't here, so I can tell you the truth, Old Zheng. The Prince of Jingnan is gone, and judging from the memorial of the Prince of Zhenbei, I think he's about to run off to chase after our father. Great Yan has suddenly lost two pillars of the country. As Emperor, I feel like I'm sitting under a golden palace that's lost two main beams. I'm panicking. You have to take care, you have to be stable. People used to say that you were the future military god of Great Yan. Now, the word 'future' can be removed."

"There's nothing going on in the west, Qian Kingdom in the south, and there's nothing wrong with my place, aren't the Qian and Chu Kingdoms still fighting?"

"Just received news that the Qian and Chu Kingdoms have made peace," the Emperor said.

"Oh?"

"The Chu Kingdom occupied many cities, and then the Qian Kingdom plans to pay some tribute to the Chu Kingdom. They won't fight anymore, they'll make peace. Once they make peace, their spearhead will definitely point at our Great Yan."

"Can't the Qian Kingdom have some backbone?"

"So, we can't be in chaos now. I plan to stabilize the two countries first. The important one is the Chu Kingdom. The Qian Kingdom alone doesn't dare to start a war with our Great Yan on its own. Zheng Fan, after you return to Jindong, you have to restrain your brother-in-law well, whether it's acting or something else. You understand this better than I do. Even if we don't want to fight now, we have to put on a posture that we want to fight, forcing the Chu Kingdom to not dare to actually attack."

"I understand."

"Two years. Two years of recuperation, and we'll start slowly taking care of them."

The ginseng soup was brought up, and Wei Zhonghe sent it to Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan waved his hand and said, "I won't drink it."

"It's quite delicious, not bitter, good taste," Ji Chengjue said.

"I just ate half a bowl of lard rice at your brother-in-law's shop. My throat is still greasy."

"Oh, hehe, is it delicious?"

"You probably can't eat it."

"Mm, I used to eat it. Back then, there wasn't much oil in my stomach, and I was tormented by cornmeal every day. Lard was so fragrant."

"Let's not dig up the past, okay? Since the Prince of Jingnan won't return to the capital, I should also go back to my Marquis's residence as soon as possible. Staying in the capital for too long will also delay things."

Actually, it wouldn't delay things.

Because whether the Marquis of Pingxi was there or not, it wouldn't affect the healthy and benign operation of the Marquis of Pingxi's residence.

But, Old Tian was gone, and Zheng Fan missed his adopted son even more.

His heart ached.

What a lovely and delightful child, now he was truly without a father or mother.

"Don't rush, we're not short of these few days. At the court meeting tomorrow, I want to take advantage of the prestige established by this great victory to properly reorganize the court. It's going to be hard on you to help me suppress the situation again. The Prince of Jingnan is gone, and you are now the representative of the entire Jingnan Army. Also, my father's coffin will be entering the mausoleum in three days. You accompany me to see him off."

"What, are you afraid?" Zheng Fan asked.

If someone else dared to ask the current Emperor of Great Yan this question, they would definitely die miserably, and might even have their nine generations exterminated.

But he, the Marquis of Pingxi, was an exception.

"Afraid? Not really, aren't we good brothers?"

"Mmm?"

"When there's a funeral in a brother's family, wouldn't you definitely come over to help? Also, there's another matter, I need to choose a site for my mausoleum as well."

When a new emperor ascends the throne, they often face two things that are linked together.

First, to send the late emperor into the mausoleum, and second, to start building their own mausoleum.

"So anxious?"

"Just choosing a site, I don't plan to build it in the near future. It's a waste of money and food."

"Tsk, Your Majesty, I think this can't be delayed either. What if you need it and there's no place to lie down? Wouldn't that be very urgent?"

"Heh." Ji Chengjue sneered, "What I mean is, I want to choose a site, and then, next to it, leave a place for you, Marquis of Pingxi. We can create a beautiful story between a ruler and his subject. In the future, when we die, we can be buried next to each other. In the words of the history books, it's being buried in the imperial mausoleum, a great honor."

"Are you sick? If we two are buried together, in a few thousand years, who knows how dramas will portray us? Damn, it's disgusting just thinking about it."

"What is a drama?"

"It's like opera, a script."

"This is naturally a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject."

"It's not good to watch. I'm telling you, either I coveted your beauty, so I didn't rebel, or you coveted my beauty, so you kept delegating power."

"Whatever you want, but no matter what, I will definitely leave a space for you on one side of my mausoleum. If you leave early, then go live there first. If I leave early, then I'll warm up the bed for you underground."

"Go to hell."

Marquis Zheng cursed at the Emperor of Great Yan in annoyance.

Ji Chengjue really wasn't angry at all. He stood up and opened his arms. Wei Zhonghe immediately stepped forward to help him tidy up his clothes.

"Zheng Fan, I'm going to summon some important officials to discuss matters in the Hall of Mental Cultivation later. Join us."

"I'm tired, I want to go back and rest, take care of your body."

"No, you have to accompany me."

"I don't know what you're thinking? Isn't it just that after a great victory, you, who were tormented by Zhao Jiulang's death, finally felt proud and wanted to show off your imperial authority to the ministers?"

"Oh, I thought you forgot who killed Zhao Jiulang."

"I'm not going."

Marquis Zheng crossed his legs and continued to sit there.

"Zheng!"

"What?"

"Accompany me. If you do more of these things now, you can do less of them in the future. I'll take care of all the court affairs, so that in the future, I can support you in fighting wars like my father supported the Prince of Jingnan. You fight your wars in front, and I'll be responsible for sending you food, supplies, laborers, and new soldiers in the back."

"Okay."

Marquis Zheng stood up.

Ji Chengjue walked out of the imperial study first.

Outside, the sun was just right.

Marquis Zheng followed behind.

Ji Chengjue reached out and grabbed Zheng Fan's wrist.

Zheng Fan opened it.

The Emperor reached out again and grabbed his wrist.

Marquis Zheng opened it again.

"Cooperate a little, think about how I used to cooperate with you, or as you said to me, life needs a sense of ritual."

"........." Zheng Fan.

The Emperor of Great Yan, raised the hand of the Marquis of Pingxi of Great Yan.

The two of them bathed in the sunlight together.

Wei Gonggong on the side tactfully took a few steps back, hiding himself in the shadow under the eaves, so as not to spoil the scene in front of him.

"Zheng Fan, their era has finally ended."

Pause, pause, pause,

For a long time, Marquis Zheng finally sighed helplessly, and had to cooperate with the Emperor's sudden fit of adolescent sentimentality.

He immediately grabbed Ji Lao Liu's wrist in return, and continued, "Our era has finally begun."