Chapter 17 (2/2)
“Relocation?” Unknowingly, I grip hter “If we do, we’d lose the people’s faith and consequently, the control over the country! Are the royal faonna run away and leave the defenseless commoners here to be tyrannized by the Yan army?”
Pei Yuan takes a deep breath “It’s common sense but that’s not how those selfish, but powerful, officials think It’s enough to save their own asses”
Dis’s eyes as he recites Lao-Tzu “‘The heavens lack cos as dirt; the saints lack co all commoners as dirt’”
“And what does the eh clenched teeth
Song Ruo glow “The eht She hasn’t yet rees in part with Minister Xie’s proposal”
I turn away to the scene outside There’s only dead silence
“The wang family are all scholars but are also very proud and have always advocated a fight to the death with Yan Then ten days ago, however, the whole faer for some ridiculous crime My father felt it was unfair and said just one word of support for the Ruoh “I’m just an assistant auditor I can talk all I want but I can’t actually get anything done”
I lower my head and pat his back in comfort
Pei Yuan suddenly asks, “Ruoonna let the eer interfere with state affairs?”
Song Ruo walks back to the table and pours another cup for himself “His Majesty stays in the confines of the palace And you know about how doer is Plus there’s Minister Han” He glances sideways at me “One way to put it is that His Majesty is just her puppet He couldn’t do anything even if he wanted”
I don’t kno the Han clan raised such a relentless worandfather aided the For the throne, she from the palace and he from the court, and proceeded to plant their people in the court and replace the other parties’ control The Han clan enjoyed such prestige, power and wealth at that tio, she killed the rebellion by Duke Zhao Rui and used the opportunity to lessen the power of the lords and strengthen that of the Han’s After Grandfather passed away, Uncle took over his position, the authority of the Han clan becoher than ever before
I shake ain There’s a whole s but it also seems like there are none
“Relocation, huh” Pei Yuan scoffs “We don’t needa get ahead of ourselves here It’s not like our fah the walls We ht even be the first ones outta here”
Song Ruohtly pale “Even the lowest commoner has responsibilities towards his country, let alone the elites!”
Pei Yuan tosses his cup and scoffs, “What good are they? Heng Ziyu, who everyone calls a saviour, is the exact same We all knohat he’s really after!”
I stay by the s, quietly watching the pedestrians
I’ for, but ‘treating co that an elite does
“And what’s my uncle’s standpoint?”
Pei Yuan takes a“Minister Han isn’t exactly thrilled ‘bout relocating—he’s ht now The civil and martial officials are both suspicious of one another, not tohasn’t been particularly enthusiastic about fighting back for some reason, so…”
“And the ones for relocation are so cooperative if they write a few erit”
“Who knows,” I let out a deep sigh and sit back inbut talk It’s not like we could say no if they decided to relocate to the south If it happens, the only thing we can do is run with our tails between our legs”
Pei Yuan grinds his teeth together “It’s this submissive nature that has Great Rui looked down upon and stao all out Even if we lose it’d be better than being laughed at”
Thetihts of many of them
Song Ruoh and the conversation dies
Seeing the ti wine and leave down the stairs Pei Yuan puts an arm on my shoulders and says, “Han Xin, since you’veShu sometime soon”
I look at him with surprise “What?”
Song Ruo looks back at me with a soodbye to her She asks us about you every single ti on the yacht”
Pei Yuan claps ood-naturedly “I feel so sorry for her when I see her like that She’s the class act that has all sorts of guys after her but she only got eyes for you out of all people Don’t ya think you should go just ‘cause of that?”
I quickly shake my head “I ain’t her man I’ve never touched her”
Pei Yuan shakes his head in disapproval and interrupts ot to lose?” He slaps o when you get time to”
I rub o our separate ways I me Uncle certainly is one sly bastard He kneould sneak out so hetrack of me
I ju wind bloay the alcohol buzz and my mind clears from the chill that hits me
No, it’s not that simple There must be some other reason for him to keep an eye on me
By the tiain so I rush through the garden to get to ure standing in the ht, his clothes swaying in the breeze
“Who’s there?”
The man turns around I shake my head to clear my mind only to discover that it’s Uncle
shi+t He hates drunk people This realization thoroughly wakes me up
Uncle co towards ot invited for a drink and I didn’t want to say no so…”
He walks past me and orders flatly “Follow me”
I do so blankly and sneakily peer at his expression Once in a while, when he glances over at me, I would immediately look away and act oblivious
Co with Uncle is just impossible
Not , curious eyes, I step into the two-part roo fro I see is a subdued ink painting of pines and ba are a pair of brown chairs and a long table Beside theh stands decorated by orna for me to enter, and I obey
The e military map
“This—is it the Ily, I step forward and reach out for the vast, alluring territories painted on the surface
Uncle nods and takes a seat behind the desk, stroking his beard “You kno to read a military map?”
I nod and reply quietly “I picked it up when I was in the army”
He set so but fun and games”
I’ injustice in my mind I could have died a hundred times over out on the frontiers if I weren’t hardy or lucky
With the hazy candlelight, I can see Uncle’s spotty white sideburns and the weariness written on his face,him appear older than ever He picks up the tea and starts in a raspy voice “Master Liao has taught you the arts of war I shall test you today Study the s”
My heart almost skips a beat but I mumble my obedience and turn to the map
“The Yan army has arrived at South Hill Pass with numbers said to be in the two hundred thousands If you were to lay siege, ould you do?”
I take aat South Hill Pass “Split into three bands, one to the north, one to the south and the stronger forces in the middle” I explain as I draw arcs to the north and south “These tould block the critical passageways and cut off all possible reinforce the capital”
Uncle keeps his gaze on htest “Continue”
“We’ve run South Hill Pass for many years but the overall hly likely we’ll abandon it and do a full retreat back into the capital”
“Hoe secure the capital?” He asks after a pause
I press my lips as I look at him “In front of the capital lies six hundred li of flat plains with nothing to aid in defense In the arts of war, this piece of land is equivalent to an exclave It would be pointless even if we have three hundred thousand, let alone one hundred thousand On the other hand, the Yan arhhis cup, his face hidden in the candlelight’s shadow, so I continue “While we… The civil andof each other and uncooperative, not tothe throne With all this in play, there’s no way of knoill take home the chips”
Uncle suddenly opens his eyes and casts his cup aside, staring holes into aze is cold and his expression peculiar
“Excellent” He stands up and paces towards the limpse “Tellto defend the capital?”
I jerkily back away and come into contact with the icy wall I shake my head as cold sweat breaks out
I have no idea
An eerie sht You don’t know I don’t know Even the e An Palace does not know”
“Some people say it would be better to relocate to the south than fighting to the death, and use the natural barricades of the Qihe River to combat the Yan” His face contorts into a weird half-smile “Relocation this, relocation that They al on board”
I grab his sleeve out of pure shock “Uncle, you wouldn’t!”
He slowly turns to me with a smile I can’t coone, would you?”
I watch as he seeure is stiff and tense, shoulders slightly bent inwards and white hair swaying in the air He turns and sits back in his seat after heaving a long, h
“Come” He beckons to me I obediently follow after a moment’s hesitation
He keeps his eyes onon my face I don’t make a sound and let him scrutinize me A deathly silence looms in the study
Finally, he looks away and opens his balled up fist, pushi+ng a dark green thing towards ain”
I study it steadily before reaching out for it and clasping it It’s shaped like a ring, its colour a jade green like water The relief carving depicts two intertwining panlong with their jade bodies twisted, looking back at each other
It’s my old pendant I raise an eyebrow Why did Uncle have it?
It seeht hand while he waves at me with his left Too scared to ask any h the curtains
I observe the jade carefully under theof light, the tisted panlong see wildly
Slipping the pendant underof sorrow I stare fixedly at the distant, hazy lunar rays and let out a soft sigh
I’ve recovered my pendant, but his is still with me
Before going to sleep, I realize a very serious problem Everyone who should be around is around and I’ve seen the people I used to see, but there is just one personwho should be in the mansion
And that person is Master Liao