The battle unfolded exactly as Deng Cui had predicted. The retreating Xiongnu were eager to return to the steppes and had no guard against ambushes. When the Xiongnu forces at the front heard that fighting had broken out at the rear, they did not turn back to provide support but instead fled even faster.

The Chu army thus achieved a great victory.

After Han Ruzi read the “victory report,” he was both amused and exasperated. He asked the people in the tent, “What do you all think of the General’s battle?”

The accompanying officials glanced at each other. Minister of Rites Yuan Jiuding held the highest position, so he had to speak first. “The Xiongnu launched a surprise attack on Great Chu, killing and plundering countless people, and used force to sign a treaty under the city walls. They deserved this defeat. However, the General of Chariots and Cavalry commanded over a hundred thousand troops and acted on his own beyond the frontier without receiving an imperial edict. If this precedent is set, I fear it will shake the very foundations of Great Chu.”

He had opened the discussion, and all the officials now knew what to say. The only difference was whether they leaned toward emphasizing merit or emphasizing fault.

After the siege of Jincheng City, Han Ruzi’s impression of his ministers had improved considerably. However, the court’s habits of many years were deeply entrenched and would not change completely because of one war. Everyone still chose to remain detached, saying everything on the surface while actually remaining noncommittal, still leaving the Emperor to make decisions alone.

Han Ruzi’s patience was much better than before. He listened to each person’s words, and after the ministers dispersed, he began handling the day’s official documents. His leisure time with Jin Chuiduo was merely stolen moments from his busy schedule; Han Ruzi still spent more than half of each day reviewing endless memorials.

Drafter Zhao Ruosu entered. He now had permission to deliver documents directly to the Emperor without needing eunuchs to pass them along. This way, he could legitimately offer advice to the Emperor rather than approaching him without reason like a favored courtier.

“Deng Cui has presented everyone with a difficult problem,” Han Ruzi said without looking up.

“But Your Majesty already has a solution.” 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Han Ruzi looked up at Zhao Ruosu. He appreciated this man but could never trust him the way he trusted Yang Feng. The relationship between them remained that of ruler and minister, just with fewer “conventions.” “Because We already have a solution, the ministers are unwilling to express their individual opinions and only respond with empty words?”

Zhao Ruosu bowed and said, “I hope Your Majesty will understand. At times like this, offering random opinions risks both appearing to oppose the imperial will and offending the General of Chariots and Cavalry. The gains would not be worth the losses.”

Han Ruzi laughed, then asked in puzzlement, “How do the ministers see that We have already made a decision? We clearly said nothing, and Our expression… We feel We revealed nothing either.”

Zhao Ruosu glanced left and right. Han Ruzi nodded, and Zhang Youcai and several other eunuchs tactfully withdrew.

“Your Majesty has been on the throne for only a few years, while the court ministers have served as officials for at least five or six years and some for as long as several decades. Many have served through three emperors, and the experiences of numerous ministers have been passed down through generations. Judging Your Majesty’s thoughts is effortless for them. I cannot say they are correct every time, but they are quite confident nine times out of ten.”

Han Ruzi was speechless. He had thought he concealed things well, but apparently the ministers saw through him completely. After a while, he asked, “Where did We go wrong?”

“Your Majesty made no error.”

“Then how could the ministers guess Our thoughts?”

“There are no fixed rules for such things, nor any ready methods. The ministers do not directly communicate with each other about this either. Everyone simply knows what the others know.”

Han Ruzi became even more curious and laughed, “Lord Zhao, telling Us these things won’t violate any rules, will it?”

“Your Majesty is intelligent and would eventually figure these things out sooner or later. This humble subject is merely revealing them earlier. As for rules, there were never any written rules to begin with, so there is nothing to violate.”

“Good. Then tell Us what methods the ministers use to guess Our thoughts.”

Zhao Ruosu bowed again. “I was not in the tent earlier, but I can guess what happened. Please see if I am right or wrong, Your Majesty.”

“Very well.”

“The frontier victory report was delivered to your desk by me. After Your Majesty entered the tent and took your seat, you must have immediately picked it up.”

“Mm.”

“Your Majesty read the victory report carefully, possibly more than once.”

“Mm.”

“Your Majesty remained impassive and asked not what crime the Cavalry General should be charged with, nor how he should be rewarded, but directly inquired about the ministers’ opinions, correct?”

“Mm…” The more Han Ruzi listened, the more amazed he became. Zhao Ruosu was as if he had been present at the scene—his guesses were completely accurate. Had he just communicated with the other ministers?

Zhao Ruosu said, “The ministers may have other methods, but for me, these are sufficient: Your Majesty had already learned of the great victory beyond the frontier before entering the tent. Whether pleased or angered, you should have already reached a conclusion. Yet after entering the tent, you still needed to read the documents carefully—this shows disbelief at good news. Since it is good news, meritorious officials should be rewarded, but you’re unsure how to reward them in a way that will silence wagging tongues.”

Han Ruzi laughed heartily. “Since the ministers have guessed Our thoughts, why won’t they offer clear suggestions?”

“The way of being a minister for a long time is to prioritize prudence. Your Majesty’s hesitation is justified. The Cavalry General mobilized troops without authorization, committing a great taboo, and his actions are often unexpected. Therefore, the ministers are unwilling to speak for the Cavalry General. If he causes trouble in the future, Your Majesty bears no fault, but ministers who praised him would inevitably face charges of negligent oversight.”

After laughing, Han Ruzi sighed again, suddenly feeling somewhat nostalgic for the days when he was besieged in Jincheng City. At least the ministers then dared to act and take responsibility.

“We understand. We shall decide this matter Ourselves. Please draft an edict summoning General Deng Cui to see Us immediately, along with Marquis Zhang Yin. The frontier forces should not be dispersed for now—send scouts far out to monitor Xiongnu movements. Draft another edict transferring Chai Yue and Fang Daye to the frontier to take command of the Chu army.”

Zhao Ruosu accepted the orders and withdrew. He needed to find officials from the Ministry of War to draft the edicts together.

The Qi rebellion had been quelled. Though Cui Hong lacked the talent of a great general, he was sufficient to handle the aftermath. Han Ruzi also needed to show some trust in his father-in-law, so he transferred Chai Yue and Fang Daye to focus specifically on the powerful enemies beyond the frontier.

“We are truly alone in this world.” The more Han Ruzi contemplated these words, the more he felt there were deeper truths within them that he had yet to comprehend.

The Martial Emperor’s image had become ghost-like, shifting unpredictably in his grandson’s memory.

In the sleeping tent, Jin Chuiduo had prepared fine wine and delicacies, waiting to dine together with the Emperor.

Han Ruzi stood across from the table. Even after spending many days together, he still marveled silently at the perfect flawlessness of that face, yet its owner paid no attention to this perfection.

Jin Chuiduo gazed back coldly.

Nearby, Qingting giggled, drawing both their gazes to her.

“What are you laughing at?” Jin Chuiduo asked.

“You two—whenever you show that kind of look, I know…”

“Know what?” Jin Chuiduo appeared even sterner.

But Qingting wasn’t afraid of her mistress and laughed, “I know you’re both having wicked thoughts again.”

Jin Chuiduo’s face flushed red at once, then grew even redder—a sign she was about to become angry. Qingting stuck out her tongue and ran out of the tent without being dismissed.

Han Ruzi smiled.

“What are you smiling at?” Jin Chuiduo asked, embarrassed and angry.

“Nothing, just finding that girl quite amusing.” Han Ruzi was actually smiling at how he had been seen through repeatedly in one day. He had thought he had mastered the art of rulership, but he was still far from it.

However, he didn’t want to waste time explaining this to Jin Chuiduo. He walked around the table to her side and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. Jin Chuiduo looked up at him once, her gaze growing tender. Sitting in the chair, her face rested perfectly against his chest.

They remained silent for a while before Han Ruzi said, “The Xiongnu were indeed severely defeated.”

“Mm.”

“You’re not angry?”

“What do I have to be angry about? If agreements were so useful, the Great Chanyu wouldn’t have invaded Chu territory in the first place. But when I return beyond the frontier, I’ll definitely need to be extremely careful.”

Han Ruzi held her tighter, originally wanting to say that no Chu soldiers would dare harm the Noble Consort Jin, but he held back. Such words were better left unsaid.

“Will the Great Chanyu still accept you?”

Jin Chuiduo gently pushed the Emperor away and had him sit down as well. “The Great Chanyu sent me… here precisely because I am determined to return to the steppes.”

“Hm?” Han Ruzi was slightly startled. Though they spent every day together, they rarely discussed such matters.

“The Great Chanyu will give me an army and territory between Great Chu and the Xiongnu.”

Han Ruzi suddenly understood. The Great Chanyu had originally intended to use Jin Chuiduo to establish a buffer zone, but Deng Cui had acted first, catching the Xiongnu off guard.

“So you won’t be too far away,” Han Ruzi said. He didn’t feel that he had been used, because he could sense the more genuine reason from Jin Chuiduo.

Jin Chuiduo forced a smile. Once she left the frontier passes, the distance between her and the Emperor could not be measured by mountains and rivers – the obstacles lying between them would be even more formidable and harder to overcome.

“Please let my second brother stay by Your Majesty’s side. He doesn’t want to be a Xiongnu.”

“Very well.” Han Ruzi’s test of Jin Chunzhong had already ended, and he felt the man could stay.

The two fell silent again. Jin Chuiduo glanced at the fine wine and delicacies that were growing cold, then looked at the Emperor, her face slightly flushed. “Does Your Majesty think the same as I do?”

Han Ruzi nodded and lifted Jin Chuiduo into his arms.

Eating was truly a waste of time.

With Deng Cui stationed beyond the frontier, Han Ruzi was reluctant to let Jin Chuiduo leave immediately and asked her to wait a few more days. Unexpectedly, the day after the victory report arrived from beyond the passes, before the imperial edict transferring generals that Zhao Ruosu had drafted could be sent out, Deng Cui himself had arrived, only one day behind the messenger.

This was yet another act of taking matters into his own hands. Even if Han Ruzi wanted to make excuses for Deng Cui, he could no longer do so and had to impose formal punishment.

But Deng Cui didn’t care, because he had come specifically to confess his crimes. Kneeling before the Emperor, he showed no regret for ambushing the Xiongnu. “I beg Your Majesty to punish me. Beyond the passes, I privately released several Xiongnu prisoners.”

The Xiongnu force that Deng Cui had ambushed happened to be led by the husband of Princess Pingjin, Cui Zhao. Both had been captured, then released by Deng Cui.

The General of Chariots and Cavalry had previously led troops to besiege the wife of the then-Champion Marquis when he was in Jincheng City. Now he had captured and released them again. From the Emperor to the ministers, everyone was confused.

Deng Cui explained: “I spoke with Princess Pingjin. She told me what happened in the Capital, so I know that someone else was responsible for poisoning the Champion Marquis.”

Prince Donghai shifted uneasily twice. The poisoning of the Champion Marquis was connected to the Tan family and himself.

However, Deng Cui was too bold, daring to bring up the Champion Marquis’s death in the Emperor’s presence.

Han Ruzi had nothing to do with the Champion Marquis’s death, but he could not tolerate Deng Cui’s loyalty to others. So he said: “It’s good that you know you’re guilty. When Marquis Zhang Yin arrives, you two can go to the Western Regions together to build cities.”

This was the Emperor’s punishment. To outsiders, this appeared to be an extremely severe banishment – Deng Cui would be forever distant from the court and could hardly hope to regain the Emperor’s favor. But to Han Ruzi, this was a move he had decided on long ago. Zhang Yin had plans but lacked courage, which perfectly complemented Deng Cui.

Deng Cui kowtowed in gratitude. Prince Donghai, standing to the side, felt uneasy and somewhat afraid of this General of Chariots and Cavalry who acted outside conventional norms. At the same time, he was deeply puzzled – why was Deng Cui so concerned about the Champion Marquis’s death?

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