The Child Emperor-Chapter 198: The Northern Army’s Fury

CH 198: The Northern Army’s Fury

When Han Ruzi was still on the road, Divine Hero Pass was in chaos.

Left Chief Censor Xiao Sheng had meticulously planned everything, but his opponent had fled early. He had nowhere to vent his rage. If this had been the Capital, and if his opponent had been a seasoned old minister, he might have been able to endure it, at least on the surface. But here, in the remote Divine Hero Pass, his opponent was a teenager, surrounded by mere soldiers.

Everything made Xiao Sheng seethe with anger. Even those officers he had managed to win over now seemed detestable. The fact that the Northern Protection General had fled back to the Capital without anyone noticing, let alone informing him, was infuriating.

Xiao Sheng spun around, his gaze landing on Chai Yue. He had spent the most effort on this “Chai clan member.” Of course, the so-called “most effort” was relative to the tens of thousands of soldiers at Divine Hero Pass – just an hour-long banquet and half an hour of persuasion. For a minor, obscure commander, this was certainly a high regard. Yet, Chai Yue had deceived him.

“Rebellious son of the Chai clan,” Xiao Sheng said through gritted teeth.

Chai Yue gave a slight bow. Despite everything that had happened, Xiao Sheng still thought he could use the Chai family to coerce and entice him. It was truly baffling. Chai Yue knew his family’s nature well and understood that from the moment he had been unwilling to fully commit to assassinating the Northern Protection General, he was destined never to earn the Chai family’s forgiveness.

“Since the Northern Protection General is not here, it should be up to Lord Xiao to supervise the border military affairs of Divine Hero Pass,” Chai Yue said politely.

Liu Kunsheng’s responsibilities were limited to the Northern Army, not the over ten thousand troops from other units or the coordination of supplies from surrounding counties. Han Ruzi, appointed by Grand General Han Xing, had left, and the highest-ranking official was to take over.

Xiao Sheng laughed in his rage. He suddenly noticed a few Xiongnu envoys in the crowd and pointed at them. “You! What are you doing here?”

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The Xiongnu looked at each other before one stepped forward and cupped his hands. “We were invited to continue peace talks with Great Chu.”

Someone beside Xiao Sheng whispered, “This is Jin Chunzhong, the second son of Marquis Guiyi.”

“Another rebellious son and traitor,” Xiao Sheng said coldly, not bothering to lower his voice. “You were invited? By whom?”

Jin Chunzong’s face reddened but he stood firm. “By the Northern Protection General of Great Chu.”

“The Northern Protection General is the biggest traitor!” Xiao Sheng could no longer contain himself. “The peace talks are over. No, there were never any peace talks. The Northern Protection General negotiated privately, committing the crime of colluding with the enemy. And all of you who fled in front of the Xiongnu are guilty of treason. If you want to redeem yourselves, kill these Xiongnu envoys now, march out of the pass, defeat the Xiongnu, kill them, capture them, and make Great Chu’s might known so that the Xiongnu cavalry will never dare approach our border again!”

If this had been before winter, such impassioned words might have sparked considerable morale. Now, they only caused the gathered officers and soldiers to look at each other in confusion.

Chai Yue stepped forward. “The Xiongnu have already moved north to the valleys for the winter. The Chu army is short on supplies…”

“Supplies are just an excuse. You have all been deceived by the Northern Protection General. The Xiongnu have moved north, so pursue them now. If supplies are lacking, requisition them immediately.”

Chai Yue was stunned. “It’s winter now, and there isn’t enough stored grain. The nearby counties have already been requisitioned several times, leaving the people destitute. How can we requisition more on short notice?”

“Chai Yue, you are no longer a general. Guards, seize him and send him to the Capital in a prison cart to be judged by the Ministry of War.”

Several officers stepped toward Chai Yue but stopped after a few steps, as there were too many soldiers behind him.

The crowd stood on the street in front of the Divine Hero Pass government office, Chai Yue facing north with a large number of soldiers behind him, densely packed, extending out of sight. Even on the steps of the office, there were soldiers standing with Chai Yue.

Xiao Sheng turned to look. He had gathered many people, roughly equal in number to those on the other side. However, his side lacked morale. The soldiers opposite had already drawn their swords while his own men looked panicked and seemed ready to retreat.

Xiao Sheng was certainly not willing to give up. If victory were determined solely by numbers, what would be the point of the Great Chu court? Why would he have struggled so hard to climb up?

“I am Xiao Sheng, the Chief Censor of the Left! Appointed by the Grand General’s Office and the Ministry of War to take command of all Chu troops here. I have a letter from the Northern Army Grand Marshal ordering the Northern Army leaders to obey my commands.” Xiao Sheng did indeed have such a letter. He took it from his bosom and held it high.

Liu Kunsheng, standing beside Chai Yue, said, “What does the Northern Army Grand Marshal’s letter say? Lord Xiao, please read it to us.”

Xiao Sheng had intended to do just that. He opened the letter and read aloud, “To all officers and soldiers of the Northern Army: The Northern Army Grand Marshal, the Champion Marquis, orders you to advance against the Xiongnu and bravely kill the enemy…”

The letter was long, essentially commanding the Northern Army to defeat the Xiongnu, not to retreat, and not to be swayed by outsiders. The Grand Marshal’s seal was to be held by Provost Marshal Chai Zhi, and the Chief Censor of the Left, a trusted officer of the Champion Marquis, was to be obeyed by Chai Zhi and others.

The news of Chai Zhi’s death had not yet reached the Capital, and the Champion Marquis had placed high hopes on him in the letter.

After finishing the letter, Xiao Sheng addressed the gathered officers. “The Northern Protection General has returned to the Capital, walking to his own demise. If you don’t turn back now, you will share his fate. Let me be clear, the current Emperor is gravely ill, and the Champion Marquis will soon ascend to the throne. His orders are as good as imperial decrees…”

Chai Yue asked, “Are you certain the Champion Marquis will ascend to the throne?”

Xiao Sheng hated this man the most and sneered. “Of course. Why else would I come all this way? The situation in the Capital is settled. The Champion Marquis may have already ascended to the throne, and the imperial decree on its way.”

The street was not a court hall, and soldiers were not civil officials. Xiao Sheng quickly realized he needed to use straightforward language to sway these men and secure victory. He had already let the deposed Emperor escape. If the Champion Marquis heard this news, he would be furious. Xiao Sheng needed to make a significant contribution quickly to protect himself.

In recent days, news about a new Emperor had been circulating among the troops. Xiao Sheng was the first to speak of it openly, so the others were not particularly surprised.

Chai Yue stepped up two more steps to stand higher and said loudly, “Lord Xiao claims the Champion Marquis will ascend the throne. I, a simple man, have a question: As the Northern Army’s Grand Marshal, the Champion Marquis has the Northern Army as his supporters. Why hasn’t he ordered the Northern Army to assist in the Capital but instead commands us to attack the Xiongnu in a difficult battle? Why?”

Xiao Sheng was about to explain when Chai Yue continued, “Lord Xiao, didn’t you personally tell me that the Southern Army has already returned to the Capital to support Prince Donghai in becoming Emperor?”

Xiao Sheng realized Chai Yue’s intention and was momentarily speechless, regretting having revealed this information earlier.

Chai Yue had voiced the doubts of everyone, especially the news of the Southern Army’s return, which angered the Northern Army officers and soldiers. The Southern and Northern Armies had always been at odds. If the Southern Army supported the new Emperor, life would be difficult for the Northern Army. Yet, at this crucial moment, the Champion Marquis had supposedly ordered them to attack the Xiongnu, moving them further away from the Capital.

“The Champion Marquis will not mistreat the Northern Army!” Xiao Sheng shouted, waving the letter. “As long as you defeat the Xiongnu, the Champion Marquis will heavily reward everyone…”

Chai Yue stepped onto the highest step and pointed at Xiao Sheng. “Lord Xiao, on your way to Divine Hero Pass, from whom did you receive the Marshal’s seal?”

“I don’t need to answer…” Xiao Sheng glanced around and realized he had to answer. Chai Yue’s words were too persuasive, even causing Xiao Sheng’s followers to start whispering among themselves. “I received the seal from Prince Donghai.”

This was not new information; many already knew. Chai Yue just wanted to bring it up publicly. “The Southern Army returned to support Prince Donghai. Lord Xiao claims to follow the Champion Marquis’s orders, yet has close ties with his rival. Lord Xiao, the word in the imperial court is that you only follow Grand Tutor Cui’s orders, is that true?”

Xiao Sheng was both shocked and furious. Three days ago, he had been defeated by a young deposed Emperor. Now he was falling into the trap of a young general. He had met Chai Yue before. Why hadn’t he realized that this seemingly submissive Chai clan son was a wolf?

“I have the Champion Marquis’s letter…” Xiao Sheng clung to his last lifeline.

Chai Yue was ready to deliver the final blow. “The facts are clear. The Champion Marquis is under house arrest or even dead in the Capital. Lord Xiao is not following his orders but those of Grand Tutor Cui and Prince Donghai! Their only goal is to send the Northern Army to battle, using the Xiongnu to destroy us, clearing the way for Prince Donghai to ascend the throne!”

“Rubbish! Slander!” Xiao Sheng’s voice trembled with anger. “I have the Champion Marquis’s letter, you fools. The Champion Marquis can persuade the Southern Army…”

Anything further was pointless. Chai Yue had already convinced the soldiers on the street.

“The Northern Army will not be sent to die!”

“Revenge for the Champion Marquis!”

“Return to the Capital! Return to the Capital!” The shouts grew louder.

Xiao Sheng’s rebuttals were drowned out. He angrily tried to grab a few people to force them to listen, but they pushed him away.

Liu Kunsheng and others were astonished at Chai Yue. They knew he had prepared but hadn’t expected him to defeat the Left Chief Censor so thoroughly. They also hadn’t expected him to persuade the Northern Army using the Champion Marquis rather than the Northern Protection General.

Chai Yue descended the steps and said to Liu Kunsheng, “Captain Liu, shall we return to the Capital?”

“Of course,” Liu Kunsheng, who held the seal, said, “But on what justification… and what about Divine Hero Pass?”

“The Northern Army will return to the Capital. The remaining forces will guard Divine Hero Pass. There’s not enough grain here to sustain the Northern Army for long. There are several granaries on the way back to the Capital, which we can use for supplies. As for the reason,” Chai Yue looked at Jin Chunzong, “the Xiongnu have sent envoys to negotiate peace with Great Chu. The Northern Army will escort the envoys to the Capital.”

Liu Kunsheng was greatly relieved. For him, following the army’s will was the best choice. He had only one question left. “What about the Northern Protection General?”

Chai Yue smiled. “This is precisely the Northern Protection General’s plan.”

Liu Kunsheng suddenly understood: the Northern Protection General didn’t want to take the lead at this moment. The Champion Marquis and Prince Donghai, the Northern Army and the Southern Army. They should be the main contenders. By recalling the Northern Army in the name of the Champion Marquis, they would anger the distant Grand Marshal, giving the Northern Protection General a chance to fully control the army. In this process, Chai Yue played the “liar,” not affecting the Northern Protection General’s prestige.

Outside the abandoned temple near Baiqiao town, Han Ruzi and Meng E observed the cavalry on the official road. This was his most vulnerable moment. The force that allowed him to influence events “a thousand li away,” the Northern Army, was still on the move. Within “ten steps,” he had only Meng E.