VBNWDW - Chapter 120
Chapter 120
Before long, news spread from the outside that the second prince of Chu had been assassinated.
The matter caused a huge uproar. Zhong Tuming and Zhong Jueren had no time to block the news; it spread throughout the capital in a single afternoon. Even the pilgrims who came to Xuanmiao Temple to offer incense were discussing it.
Many people clapped their hands and cheered. The sense of humiliation from the peace treaty was finally vented, giving them a satisfying release.
Rumors in the streets claimed that His Majesty and the Crown Prince had acted on behalf of Princess Dening. Ceding land and paying reparations was one thing, but coveting Great Liang's princess was another. For a time, the populace was ecstatic, feeling that the men on the throne had finally shown some backbone.
Even in the morning court, the furious displays of Zhong Tuming and Zhong Jueren, who roared about finding the culprit, were seen as nothing more than an act for Chu's benefit.
Only a few insiders understood the truth, such as Zhong Jueyu…
"Ruan He and Shigui have been sent away from the capital by me. The others are all from military backgrounds; they wouldn't think of such fine details."
Zhong Jueyu placed her brush on the brush rest, picked up the Xuan paper with both hands, and carefully examined the calligraphy on it.
Thinking of her subordinates gave her a massive headache.
Great Liang had originally prioritized its military officials. There were six men who had been ennobled as marquises for their military achievements, and countless other large and small military families. This was also why aristocratic families like the Luos looked down on Great Liang.
But during the previous emperor's reign, his two sons had vied for the throne, and all the military officials had chosen a side. This led to the Battle of the Suburbs—a private war where the two princes led their troops against each other. In the end, both perished, and many military marquises and their heirs fell with them.
Enraged by this, the late emperor stripped the existing marquises of their titles, executed several hundred people, and began a two-reign policy of suppressing the military and elevating the civil. Zhong Tuming, who had personally witnessed the chaos caused by the generals, took this suppression to the extreme. This eventually led to a situation where no one was available to lead, forcing the princess herself to take command of the army.
After the military families were suppressed, their descendants either switched to literary studies, became profligate dandies wasting their family fortunes, or were simple-minded brutes who knew nothing but fighting.
When Zhong Jueyu had led these men on expeditions, she had expended an incredible amount of effort, which was why this group of people followed her with such unwavering loyalty.
So, even if they had the intention, it would have been difficult for them to achieve such a perfect result in such a short time.
Behind her, Luo Yueqing sat on the couch and asked quizzically, "Then who was it?"
Zhong Jueyu glanced at her but said nothing.
There were only a few families capable of creating such a stir. Hadn't the head of the Luo Family been summoned to the palace by His Majesty a few days ago?
Luo Yueqing herself, however, was completely lost. Her clear eyes stared at Zhong Jueyu, a picture of utter incomprehension.
"What do you think of my calligraphy?" Zhong Jueyu handed her the paper.
Luo Yueqing's gaze fell upon it, and she instinctively read it aloud: "Blunt its sharpness, untangle its knots, soften its glare, merge with its dust. This is called profound identity."
Only then did she realize and complain, "I'm asking you a question. Why are you showing me calligraphy?"
Zhong Jueyu smiled and said, "First, tell me what you think."
"It's alright," Luo Yueqing said, looking at her tentatively.
"Then that's how it is," Zhong Jueyu said, putting the paper down. "This is how it will be for the next few days."
Luo Yueqing was completely baffled. She could only take the other's hand and say pitifully, "Zhong Jinyan, what riddle are you playing at?"
Zhong Jueyu just smiled and kissed the corner of her lips.
Two days later, news of the prince's death reached Chu. The Chu emperor flew into a rage, fainted in the middle of court, and was only revived after the imperial physicians performed acupuncture. The previous treaty was declared void, and he dispatched troops to continue the assault on Great Liang.
Great Liang was thrown into a panic. The peace they had expected was shattered in an instant. Zhong Tuming could only urgently conscript soldiers and order the Crown Prince to serve as commander. As for the other generals…
Inside the magnificent, resplendent hall, officials stood in orderly rows, their purple, crimson, and green robes descending in rank. Only the two men on the dragon throne and kneeling at the center, Zhong Tuming and Zhong Jueren, wore yellow robes of different shades, their noble status obvious.
At this moment, however, their faces were ashen, as if they had been isolated by all the civil and military officials.
Zhong Tuming shot up from his dragon throne, pointed furiously at the crowd, and roared, "Is there not a single man in my great Liang who dares to meet the enemy in battle?!"
He suddenly turned his head to the other side and shouted, "Old General Xu!"
A white-haired old man stepped out from the crowd, knelt, and cried out, "Your Majesty, it is not that this subject is unwilling, but I am truly too old. I can no longer even ride a horse or draw a bow. How could I possibly accompany His Highness the Crown Prince on an expedition?!"
Old General Xu was a veteran official promoted during the late emperor's reign. He had remained neutral back when everyone else was choosing sides, which was how he had luckily kept his position and remained in court.
Now, in his old age, he rarely even spoke up on his own initiative and generally stayed out of court affairs. He certainly looked as if he lacked the strength to go on a campaign.
He prostrated himself on the glass floor tiles, his oversized court robes making his figure appear old and gaunt, almost skeletal.
The old general standing next to him lowered his head, forcefully suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. This old fellow's hair hadn't been nearly this white two days ago. Who knows what method he used to make it turn completely white overnight. He was even feigning an unsteady gait. Who was it that had challenged him to a horse race just the other day?
"Then your grandson…" Zhong Tuming took a deep breath. Of course, he hadn't expected the old man himself to ride into battle.
Old General Xu immediately kowtowed heavily, his voice choked with sobs as he wailed, "My poor Kai'er! He was feeling troubled a couple of days ago, so he went to the polo field to vent, and someone smashed his head open! There was blood everywhere."
As expected of a veteran official who had served two emperors, he actually managed to squeeze out tears. Paired with his frail appearance, it was a sight to make the listener grieve and the viewer weep.
"That damn scoundrel! He put such a big hole in my Kai'er's head! Even if he recovers, he'll have a scar for life. His face is ruined before he's even married. What young lady will have him now?!"
The old man pounded the floor and howled in anger.
Zhong Tuming's mouth opened and closed. He could only shift his gaze to the other side and ask, "Old General Zhang, what about your grandson?"
This time, he didn't even bother asking about the general himself, skipping a step in the inevitable refusal.
The old man who had just been silently complaining immediately knelt and shouted, "Your Majesty, forgive me! Your Majesty, forgive me! My grandson didn't do it on purpose. It's just that the other boy's attitude was atrocious, so arrogant with every word. My grandson was provoked."
Zhong Tuming grew more and more confused. "We are asking if your grandson can accompany the Crown Prince. Why are you saying all this, Old General?"
Old General Zhang looked up blankly, let out an "ah," and then said, "Isn't Your Majesty going to punish him? He… he's the one who broke Xu Kai's head…"
He immediately adopted a serious expression and added, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. To give the Xu family an explanation, this old subject personally administered his punishment—thirty strokes with the military rod. That rebellious grandson won't be able to get out of bed for at least a year, let alone go out and cause trouble."
Hearing this, the crowd gasped in unison.
What did thirty strokes with the military rod mean?
Even for a strong man, ten strokes would split the skin and flesh. Twenty strokes could knock a man unconscious and then wake him again from the pain, even breaking the bones in his thighs. Thirty strokes… that was a punishment delivered with the intent to kill!
The hall fell silent, with only the two old men in the center speaking.
"So what if it was thirty strokes! My Kai'er's face is ruined!"
"My grandson might end up a cripple! I've already gone this far, Xu, you old coot, are you still not going to let it go?!"
These two men, with a combined age of nearly one hundred and fifty, were still kneeling, but their hands were already grabbing at each other's clothes. If not for the man on the throne, they probably would have started fighting already.
Zhong Tuming's eyelids twitched. He waved a hand dismissively. "Enough, enough. Settle your affairs in private. Don't cause a scene here."
Only then did the two let go, huffing indignantly before retreating to their original positions.
Zhong Tuming looked further down the hall. "General of Loyalty and Valor…"
No one stepped out from below the dais.
A eunuch beside him whispered, "Your Majesty, General Yang has fallen ill. He requested sick leave two days ago. It is said he is coughing up blood, and medicine cannot stop it."
Zhong Tuming's expression grew colder. How could he not understand what these people were doing? He named another: "What about the Liang family?"
This time, a civil official stepped forward. "Your Majesty, the two Liang brothers have already been dispatched by you to guard the city gates."
Zhong Tuming's mouth twitched. He asked again, "Ruan He and Li Shigui?"
"The two Generals of Guerrilla Cavalry have been on sick leave ever since their return. They claim to have suffered grievous injuries and can only remain at home, bedridden, to recuperate."
Kneeling below the steps, Zhong Jueren shot to his feet, spun around, and roared, "Are you all trying to rebel?! Every single one of you has an excuse! Every single one of you refuses to follow me to the battlefield, is that it?!"
His face was flushed with rage, his eyes wide as he bellowed, "Chu advances with menacing force, yet for your own selfish desires, you cower like turtles in your shells! Are you not ashamed before Great Liang? Are you not ashamed before His Majesty?!"
Zhong Tuming was also furious. He pointed at the assembly and cursed, "Fine, fine! Not a single one of you can go, is that it?!"
"Then none of you will go! You're useless in this court anyway. Those who should resign, resign! Don't stand here with your old, weak, sick, and crippled bodies! It will save you the trouble of suffering with Us when Great Chu arrives!"
All the officials immediately fell to their knees, shouting in unison, "Your Majesty, be careful with your words!"
They kowtowed heavily, repeatedly crying, "Your Majesty, calm your anger!"
But still, no one stepped forward to volunteer for battle.
On that sweltering summer morning, the father and son, Zhong Tuming and Zhong Jueren, were angered to the point of collapse, yet they had no outlet for their fury. Even after court was dismissed, they were still in the study, smashing things.
The study was a complete mess, littered with shattered porcelain, scattered books, and discarded brushes.
The eunuchs outside trembled with fear, not daring to enter and get caught in the crossfire. The palace maids were already kneeling on the ground, the tea they held long gone cold.
Half an hour later, Zhong Tuming finally calmed down. He leaned back in his chair and uttered coldly, "What has Zhong Jueyu been doing recently?"
Only then did Zhong Jueren stop. He took several deep breaths and, trying to keep his voice steady, said, "She is studying the Daoist arts."
"Hmm?"
"Yesterday, she even sent someone to deliver two Daoist scriptures and a mounted piece of calligraphy. She said the Daoist arts are profound and mysterious, and that she has decided to devote herself to their study. She hopes that Father Emperor and I can also find time to learn a thing or two."
Zhong Tuming's expression twisted as he squeezed out the words, "Where are they?"
Zhong Jueren went to the door, had someone bring the items, and placed them on the desk.
Zhong Tuming looked down. The books were the Scripture of Constant Purity and Tranquility and the Scripture of Salvation. The calligraphy read: Blunt its sharpness, untangle its knots, soften its glare, merge with its dust. This is called profound identity.
She might as well have written, "I am devoted to the Dao and have no interest in worldly affairs."
Zhong Tuming laughed out of sheer anger, repeating "Good" three times. Then he said, "Devoting yourself to the Daoist arts, is it?! Then you can stay at Xuanmiao Temple for the rest of your life!"
He shouted, "Jueren! Draft an edict! Have Zhong Jueyu become a disciple of the master of Xuanmiao Temple. Henceforth, she is forbidden to descend the mountain without an imperial summons!"
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