Taiheiki

Chapter 259 Imperial Edict
"Thank you for your trouble, young master!" Wei Cong quickly bowed and thanked him.

"Never mind!" Dong Zhong waved his hand dismissively. "By the way, Marquis Wei, where is your adopted son? Where is he?"

All eyes immediately turned to Feng Kun. Dong Zhong asked, puzzled, "Lord Wei, where is your adopted son? Isn't he here today?"

"That's a question for Feng Cheqi!" Wei Cong said with a half-smile.

"Why ask about General Feng?" Dong Zhong asked, somewhat puzzled. "Didn't we already release them? General Feng, isn't that right?"

Only then did Feng Kun realize that he had fallen into Wei Cong's trap. At this moment, he no longer cared that Ying Feng was still in Wei Cong's hands, and could only cough and say, "Please wait a moment, I will invite Young Master Nie up immediately!"

A moment later, Nie Sheng was brought up. Before he could even bow, he heard Wei Cong's voice: "Sheng'er, why don't you thank Young Master Dong? If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be able to get away today!"

"I pay my respects to Young Master Dong and thank you for saving my life!" Nie Sheng bowed to Dong Chong, stood up, walked behind Wei Cong, and stood with his hands at his sides.

"A life-saving grace?" Dong Zhong also sensed something was amiss. He glanced at Feng Kun and asked, "Chancellor Feng, what's going on? Have you clashed with Marquis Wei again?"

"Absolutely not!" Feng Kun hurriedly denied, "I only exchanged hostages with Marquis Wei. Young Master Nie is in my hands, and Military Advisor Ying is in Marquis Wei's hands!"

"I see!" Dong Zhong nodded in confusion. "Very well, you are all high-ranking generals of the imperial court, how can there be any conflict between you? Don't you agree?"

"This brat!" Feng Kun cursed inwardly, but he knew that Dong Zhong was representing the Emperor, and if he were disrespectful, he might be caught in a compromising situation. He could only lower his head and say, "What you say is true, sir!"

"Hmm!" Dong Chong was quite pleased to see Feng Kun back down, and said with a smile, "Since that's the case, let's not bring up the past anymore. Why don't the two of you have a drink together to reminisce about our camaraderie!"

"Yes!" Wei Cong replied with a smile, picking up his wine cup. Feng Kun snorted coldly, also picking up his wine cup. He stepped forward, his back to Dong Zhong, and lowered his voice, saying, "Wei Cong, I've already released your adopted son. Now release Uncle Ying!"

Wei Cong smiled and said, "Chancellor Feng, if we were in each other's shoes, would you release him?"

"You—" Feng Kun was furious upon hearing this, but dared not retaliate: "If you harm even a hair on his head, I, Feng, swear I will never let you off the hook!"

Wei Cong ignored Feng Kun's blustering threat, instead clinking glasses with Feng Kun's and downing his drink in one gulp. Seeing this, Feng Kun had no choice but to finish his drink as well, glaring fiercely at Wei Cong.

Seeing Wei and Feng drinking together in reconciliation, Dong Zhong felt quite pleased with himself. He recalled the secret edict the emperor had given him and secretly considered showing it to Wei Cong in private, so that Wei would obey his orders, eliminate the Dou clan, and allow the emperor to rule personally. Thinking this, he suddenly found the matter rather tedious and coughed, saying, "Grand Minister of Agriculture, now that the rift has been resolved, is there anything else to discuss?"

"These two have hardly resolved their differences; their resentment has only deepened!" Zhang Huan thought to himself, but said aloud, "The rebel leader, the Great Teacher of Virtue, and the false General of Chariots and Cavalry are still missing!"

"Yes, Lord Wei, do you have any trace of these two men?"

"Reporting to your lord, I have ordered a thorough search of the corpses and a strict manhunt, but as you can see, there are many lakes and marshes around here, providing ample hiding places. I'm afraid it will be difficult to achieve any results in the short term!"

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"In my humble opinion, the only option is to order all counties to apprehend him rigorously and offer a hefty reward for his capture!"

"Hmm!" Dong Zhong nodded, turning his gaze to Zhang Huan and Feng Kun: "What do you two think?"

Feng Kun, not having Ying Feng by his side, had no interest in arguing with Wei Cong about this matter; Zhang Huan was even less interested. Seeing that neither of them objected, Dong Zhong nodded happily: "Then let's do as Marquis Wei says!"

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"Wei Cong is really extravagant!" Dong Zhong examined the invitation card in his hand. It was the first time he had ever seen such an ornately decorated card—the outer cover was made entirely of extremely thin gold, with beautiful patterns and Wei Cong's name on it, and the thin silk inside contained an invitation written in Wei Cong's own handwriting. He briefly calculated the price of the card—finding it was enough for him and Wan'er to spend the night together. Thinking of this, Dong Zhong was surprised to find that he had almost forgotten the girl who had once captivated him.

When Dong Zhong saw the messenger sent by Wei Cong to greet him, he realized it was Nie Sheng, who had thanked him earlier that day: "So it was you!"

"Excellent!" Nie Sheng bowed to Dong Zhong. "Although the Moth Bandits have been defeated, there are still sporadic bandits appearing nearby, so my godfather sent me to escort you there!"

"There are still bandits lurking nearby!" Dong Zhong was startled. He then noticed that the young man in front of him was dressed in full armor, with a sword and a bow quiver at his waist. "Is it safe?"

"Please rest assured, young master!" Nie Sheng said with a smile, "There are guards outside, so there's nothing to worry about!"

Dong Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped out of the tent and saw two rows of guards outside, each fully armored. He boarded the carriage and looked out the window. He saw the armored guards marching on both sides of the road and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: "Young Master Nie, how old are you this year!"

"I am seventeen years old!" Nie Sheng said, "I am unworthy of the title 'Young Master,' you can just call me Asheng!"

"You're only seventeen?" Dong Zhong looked at Nie Sheng's imposing figure in surprise. "Then, how many warriors like these do Marquis Wei have under his command?"

"Countless!"

"Countless?" Dong Zhong licked his lips. "How is that possible? Those who can serve as guards around Marquis Wei must be carefully selected warriors."

“Of course, there are only so many guards around my godfather, but there are countless people who can fill those positions!” Nie Sheng said, “If one person dies, another will take his place; how can the number be countless!”

"Hmm!" Dong nodded. He realized that he probably wouldn't get what he wanted from the other party. Just as he was thinking about how to change the subject, the carriage swayed and stopped.

"Please get out of the car, we've arrived!" Nie Sheng said.

As Dong Zhong stepped down from the carriage, Wei Cong personally descended the steps to greet him: "Young Master, it is truly a pleasure to have you here in person! Welcome, welcome!"

"Dong Chong pays his respects to Marquis Wei!" Dong Chong lifted the front of his robe, attempting to kneel in greeting. He was no longer the emperor's envoy, but merely a mere advisor; naturally, he had to bow to Wei Cong, who had already been ennobled as a marquis and appointed Left General of the Household. "Young master, there's no need for such formality!" Wei Cong stepped forward and helped him up. "You have helped me greatly today, young master; I will remember it forever! It's cold outside; let's talk inside!"

The fire crackled in the brazier, and the incense burner beside the table emitted a pleasant fragrance. Several gold and silver vessels, filled with various nuts and dried fruits, were placed on the table. A beautiful female Taoist priest stood beside the table, smiling at Dong Zhong.

Wei Cong smiled and pointed at Dong Zhong, then said to the Taoist nun, "In a few years, this young master will be a Grand General in the court. You must not be negligent towards him!"

"What are you saying, Lord Wei!" Dong Zhong was taken aback and was about to deny it outright. But Wei Cong held his arm down: "Young master, don't be hasty. This Taoist priest is skilled in physiognomy. If you don't believe me, you can have her read your face!"

"Face reading?"

"Not bad!" Wei Cong smiled. "Master Lu, thank you for your trouble!"

"Wei Hou gave the order, how could I dare to say it's troublesome!" Lu Ping walked to Dong Zhong's side, looked him up and down, and suddenly asked, "Do you have two willow trees in your backyard that are over a hundred years old? One of them was struck by lightning and died most of its branches, but later it sprouted new branches?"

"How did you know?" Dong Zhong was taken aback. Those two willow trees were where he had played since he was a child, yet the other party had guessed them at a glance. How could he not be surprised?
Lu Ping didn't answer, but instead smiled and said, "Your grandfather's grave is located behind a lacquer garden. There are two poplar trees next to the grave. The one on the left had too many roots, so it was cut down once to avoid disturbing the deceased, right?"

In this way, Lu Ping recounted seven or eight matters, all concerning Dong Zhong's family when he was young, and every single one of them was accurate. Dong Zhong was only a teenager of thirteen or fourteen, and had only stayed in Luoyang for less than a year. He had never heard such words before, and was immediately filled with admiration. He bowed to Lu Ping and said, "Daoist Master is truly a living deity. Could you please tell my fortune and misfortune?"

“Young master, you are a noble person. Please do not bow down, lest you diminish my good fortune!” Lu Ping reached out to help Dong Zhong up and invited him to sit in the seat of honor. She first carefully examined his appearance, then looked at the bone structure of his hands. After pondering for a long time with her eyes closed, she said, “Young master, you will face a great calamity in the next two years. If you can overcome it, you will become a high-ranking official and extremely wealthy. Otherwise, you will face death!”

After hearing Lu Ping's words, Dong Zhong believed her even more. Although he was of mediocre experience, he knew that what he was doing was extremely dangerous. Success was a given, but if he lost, the emperor might be able to live out his days as a leisurely marquis, but he and his entire Dong family would certainly be wiped out—his own death would be the least of his worries.

"Is there a good solution?"

Lu Ping smiled, glanced at Wei Cong beside her, but remained silent. Dong Zhong, understanding perfectly well, turned to Wei Cong and asked, "Lord Wei, are you loyal to the Emperor?"

"Of course!" Wei Cong said proudly, "All land under heaven belongs to the emperor, and all people within the four seas are his subjects. Although Jiaozhou is remote, it is still Han territory. How could I, Wei, have any intention of being disloyal to the emperor?"

"That's good!" Dong Zhong stood up, took out a scroll from his sleeve, and said in a deep voice, "There is an imperial edict!"

Wei Cong hurriedly bowed and said, "Your humble servant is here!" Lu Ping, who was standing to the side, also hurriedly bowed.

"General Wei Cong, the Left General of the Household, has rendered meritorious service in pacifying Jiaozhou, subduing the barbarians, and defeating the E'zhai in the north, and is loyal to the court. Now, General Dou Wu wields absolute power, his authority extends both inside and outside the court, all officials look on with disdain, none dare disobey orders, and even the Emperor is helpless. Therefore, Wei Cong is hereby ordered to lead troops north to eliminate the Dou clan and restore order to the court! This is the imperial decree!"

"Your subject obeys the imperial edict!" Wei Cong stretched out both hands, took the scroll, and handed it to Lu Ping beside him. He stood up and said, "Young master, is this the only edict you have?"

"What does Marquis Wei mean by this?" Dong Zhong asked, puzzled. "Of course, there is only one copy of the imperial edict?"

"What I mean is, what about General Feng and the Grand Minister of Agriculture? Has His Majesty issued any decrees?" Wei Cong asked.

"No, not at all!" Dong Zhong shook his head.

"Does the Emperor think that these two have been in the court for decades and have a deep relationship with the Dou family, so he dares not issue an edict to eliminate the Dou family for them, lest the news leak out?" Wei Cong asked.

"Maybe?"

“My lord, please forgive my bluntness!” Wei Cong said, “If the emperor only issues an edict to me, this matter will be difficult to accomplish!”

"Are you afraid that these two will also obstruct this matter?" Dong Zhong asked.

"Indeed! Their qualifications far surpass mine, and they would never submit to anyone. The Emperor has not issued an edict for them; if they were to join, wouldn't they be subject to my orders? How could they possibly agree to that? Since they are unwilling to join, they can only stand on the side of the Dou family. With my current strength, it is already insufficient, let alone with two more powerful enemies added. How can I not be defeated!"

"That's true!" Dong Zhong nodded. "But the emperor has already issued an edict, and it's impossible to change it now?"

"When the Emperor issued the edict, he did not know that the Mohe rebels would be quelled so quickly. He probably wanted to wait until the Mohe rebels were quelled before I entered the court to carry out my duties. But the problem is that things are unpredictable. Putting aside everything else, no one knows what Dou Wu might do in Luoyang after the Mohe rebels are quelled!"

"What have you done?" Dong Zhong asked, puzzled. "What is Marquis Wei referring to?"

“For example, the important matter of abolishing or establishing emperors!” Wei Cong laughed.

"This...that can't be possible, can it?" Dong Zhong exclaimed in surprise. "The emperor has committed no major offense; how can he be deposed and installed arbitrarily?"

"Hehe!" Wei Cong chuckled, pointing to the imperial edict in Lu Ping's hand: "In Dou Wu's eyes, isn't this a grave mistake?"

Dong Zhong was speechless for a moment, and then said, "The General should not know about this, right?"

“Whether there is an imperial edict or not, he may not know, but he certainly knows that you have left the capital as an envoy!” Wei Cong laughed. “If Dou Wu is not a fool, he will know that the emperor is trying to contact foreign troops. He may have turned a blind eye when the Eren rebels were not yet quelled, but now that the Eren rebels have been quelled, will he continue to pretend to be confused?”

Wei Cong's last words struck a nerve with Dong Zhong, who fell silent. Wei Cong didn't urge him, patiently waiting for a long time. Finally, Dong Zhong asked, "So, what does Marquis Wei mean?"

“My meaning is very simple!” Wei Cong said in a deep voice, “As a Han official, I am of course loyal to the Emperor. But the problem is that the Emperor is the one on the throne, and today’s Emperor may not be tomorrow’s Emperor. Taking risks is acceptable, but there must be a possibility of success. Even if I am willing to do something hopeless, what about my soldiers? Without them, I can do nothing!”

"I understand!" Dong Zhong sighed. "Lord Wei, you want to win over both Feng Kun and Zhang Huan before you'll act! But today I see that your relationship with Feng Kun isn't very good! Is he willing to act with you?"

"Hehe!" Wei Cong laughed, "Young master, you are overthinking it. It was the Emperor who gave them the orders, not me, Wei Cong. Feng Kun can tell the difference!"

(End of this chapter)