The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 108 The King of Nanyang

The tent was brightly lit, illuminating Li Ye's handsome face.

Even in death, his eyes held a triumphant look, as if he were confident of turning the tide.

Empress Dowager Li stood dignified, looking down at the corpse on the stretcher.

"Is this your method of protecting the Li family?"

"It was indeed an accidental killing."

"Well, this is the best outcome. Let it be as fate dictates."

"Please accept my deepest condolences, Your Majesty."

"How can we find solace in our grief?!"

Empress Dowager Li suddenly flew into a rage, turned around, shoved Xiao Yi hard, and questioned, "You're the one who brought back the bodies of my two closest relatives, and you're telling me to grieve? Are you trying to break me down?"

Xiao Yi's lower body remained as still as a mountain, but his body swayed slightly to prevent her from being pushed away by the reaction force.

Empress Dowager Li's eyes were red, but she did not cry. Her eyes held a hostile intent, yet she remained stubborn.

"Do you know why I haven't been defeated yet? Because I still have a child—this great Han dynasty. You want to help Guo Wei take it away? Don't even think about it!"

Xiao Yi knew that she was enduring one after another immense pain. He understood her occasional loss of composure, and was surprised that she hadn't broken down yet.

He didn't speak, but expressed his understanding with his eyes, until Empress Dowager Li also calmed down.

"The nation is not anyone's child. Emperors, generals, ministers, and commoners are all dust in history. The people are the nation. Therefore, whoever holds the hearts of the people is the ruler of the nation."

"Ha, if I were a man, would Guo Que'er dare to take charge of the state?"

"The Empress Dowager is no less capable than any man."

Empress Dowager Li turned around, sat upright on the low couch, regaining her dignity and authority as the Empress Dowager, and said calmly, "I will not pursue the matter of you killing Li Ye. Fourth Brother was confused for a moment..."

"I will plead for Li Hongjian."

"Summon the eunuch in."

A short while later, Xiao Yi summoned Wang Yan and several eunuchs.

"Draft an imperial edict." Empress Dowager Li said calmly, "I, being of little virtue, have suffered misfortune in my family. My brother Li Ye harbored treacherous intentions and plotted an assassination within the palace. I have proclaimed this to the world, clearly stating his crime. Such treasonous acts are intolerable to Heaven and Earth. Xiao Yi, the Palace Attendant, bravely protected me, and his loyalty and courage are commendable. I hereby award him thirty hectares of royal estate near the outskirts of Tokyo. In addition, I bestow upon him a pair of celadon lotus bowls, a brocade saddle, and ten bolts of string-bead Shu brocade, all tributes from Jiangnan."

Xiao Yi understood the meaning behind these rewards.

Everyone wanted the estates and fields around the capital, and Empress Dowager Li knew she couldn't keep them sooner or later, so she decided to give them to him generously. However, he was inexperienced and wanted to hold onto them, which inevitably led to conflicts with other members of Guo Wei's forces.

The other rewards were ostensibly a sign of prestige: tribute items were reserved for relatives and high-ranking officials, the brocade saddle was visible whenever he rode out, and the brocade robes were only worn by officials of the third rank or above in official settings. With these, Xiao Yi could display his nobility in every way, making him appear like a confidant of the Empress Dowager.

The imperial decree to reward Li Ye would also mitigate the consequences of his death; the matter was settled.

"Xiao Yi, aren't you going to thank me?"

"This humble general thanks the Empress Dowager for her grace."

"I am exhausted."

"I will retire at the end."

They followed the eunuchs as they carried Li Ye's body out of the Empress Dowager's tent.

Wang Yan said with a smile, "This old servant will deliver the imperial edict to the Secretariat and the Chancellery tomorrow, and General Xiao can then receive his reward."

"Thank you."

Xiao Yi glanced back at Empress Dowager Li's tent.

In fact, once she said that the nation was her child, he could foresee the choice she would ultimately make...

He wrote a letter overnight and sent someone back to the capital to deliver the events and the "Strategy of Uniting Various Garrisons to Pacify the Rebellion" to Guo Wei.

The funeral procession returned home at dawn the following day.

If you can ride a horse or a carriage, it will be much faster; in less than an hour, you have already traveled ten miles.

During a rest stop, Xiao Yi went to relieve himself in the woods. When he returned to the group, he saw a palace maid waving to him from beside Empress An.

Approaching, the palace maid dared not dismount from her white carriage and whispered, "General Xiao, come closer."

Seeing her mysterious expression, Xiao Yi leaned closer.

But then she said something nervously.

"The Empress has private needs."

Xiao Yi was taken aback, not understanding, but then he looked at their expressions and understood: people have to use the restroom.

This is a perfectly normal little thing, but before the ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple to announce the sacrifice and to remove the mourning period, the two palaces cannot be seen with their feet touching the ground.

He said in a low voice, "This matter is under the jurisdiction of the palace staff."

"It is under my jurisdiction, but I have never left the palace. I don't know how to use this carriage tent; it's too heavy."

"Give me."

"General Xie, please put it there. Also, please have your men lead the way. Also, could you dig a pit? And one more thing, you must not tell anyone else."

Xiao Yi glanced at An Yuanzhen and saw that she was sitting upright, playing the role of a vase queen again, as if nothing had happened last night.

He had stayed up late last night because of her, and seeing her like this, he deliberately asked her a question.

"Does the Empress want a large pit? Or a small pit?"

"you……"

An Yuanzhen was furious. She glared at Xiao Yi and turned away.

Xiao Yi didn't make things difficult for her, and ordered the perimeter to be expanded by thirty paces, so that the members of the imperial clan could temporarily set up a sheltered tent to rest.

He went to the back and set up a makeshift tent, then dug a large pit with a ceremonial knife.

The palace maids quickly led the plain palanquin over, spreading carpets, hanging curtains, and burning incense—a flurry of activity.

Finally, they solved their private needs, but Xiao Yi didn't get off well. When the palace maid passed by him, she gave him a deep bow, her eyes filled with apology, and spat out a curse on behalf of the Empress.

Why dig such a big hole?

After another hour's journey, they entered the city, offered sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and lifted the mourning period.

After escorting the imperial carriages of the two palaces through the main gate, this unfortunate task was finally completed.

The soldiers screamed in unison.

"It's even more tiring than fighting a war!"

My feet are blistered...

"No complaining! Eat, rest, and continue training after the end of the day!" Xiao Yi went to see Guo Wei without stopping.

He carried Li Ye's body and two prisoners, and the brothers Li Hongyi and Li Hongjian also went to plead guilty.

The Guo residence was bustling with activity. He intended to announce his arrival, but the gatekeeper gestured for him to go directly to the main hall.

Upon entering, Wang Pu hurriedly came out to greet them.

"Xiao Lang has achieved another great feat."

"I dare not claim credit; I almost made a mistake."

"Last night's events had a significant impact. Your Excellency has already summoned everyone in the shogunate for a meeting. Now that you're here, just go in. Let's go."

Wang Pu was a generous man. He put his arm around Xiao Yi and pulled him into the main hall.

In the hall, Guo Wei sat in the center with his imposing figure, while Wei Renpu, Wang Jun, Wang Yin, He Fujin, Li Rong, Li Chongjin, and others were also present, sitting in separate rows.

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

Guo Wei laughed and said, "No wonder everyone says this kid is a lucky general, he makes a name for himself wherever he goes."

"Showing off isn't a good thing." Wang Jun turned to look at him, his eyes filled with displeasure, and said, "Didn't you know Li Ye's whereabouts all along and deliberately let him go?"

Xiao Yi said, "No, it was Li Hongyi who reported it."

He explained what happened, and emphasized Li Hongyi's act of sacrificing his own family for the greater good, and that Empress Dowager Li did not agree to give Li Ye the secret edict.

Wang Jun was holding the "Strategy of Uniting Various Towns to Pacify the Rebellion" in his hand. After listening, he coldly said, "Li Hongjian should be executed as a warning to others."

Xiao Yi said, "If we execute them, who will dare to betray their own family for the greater good in the future?"

"The principle of putting righteousness before family lies in the word 'extermination'."

"With Li Ye dead, his body was extinguished and his lamp went out."

"Could it be that you have been rewarded by Empress Dowager Li and are speaking on behalf of the Li family?"

"If Minister Wang has such thoughts, then he has fallen into Empress Dowager Li's trap, and his wisdom and strategy are inferior to those of a woman."

"enough."

Guo Wei pointed at Xiao Yi and scolded, "You brat, your words are unpleasant to hear."

When he turned to Wang Jun, he had a different attitude.

"Brother Xiufeng, don't worry about this little thing. Let's continue reading the strategy to quell the chaos. Li Ye is all talk and no action, but he does have some insight."

Wang Jun said calmly, "His policy essays are presentable, but he can't execute them."

"Li Ye may not be able to do it, but Liu Yun might."

As he spoke, Guo Wei walked to the map.

The crowd gathered around.

Xiao Yi looked at the map, and the situation became clear.

To the east, Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and Yunzhou form a small triangle, each bearing a small flag bearing the names of "Liu Yun, Military Governor of Wuning Army," "Murong Yanchao, Military Governor of Taining Army," and "Gao Xingzhou, Military Governor of Tianping Army."

To the south, Xuzhou, Shenzhou, and Xiangzhou form a large triangle, respectively bearing the titles "Liu Xin, Military Governor of Yicheng Army," "Ma Duo, Prefect of Shenzhou," and "An Shenqi, Military Governor of Shannan East Circuit."

Using the two triangles as points, a larger triangle is formed with the east bank of the river, encircling Kaifeng.

Li Ye's strategy was to construct a triangular offensive.

Therefore, Guo Wei's response should have been to break the alliances among the various vassal states.

"This strategy to quell the rebellion, Li Ye could think of it, and so could Liu Yun. Tell me, how should we respond?"

Wang Pu spoke first, saying, "The key to the enemy's strategy lies in 'uniting the various towns,' and the way to deal with it is to divide and conquer the various towns."

"I think we should strike first and defeat them one by one," Li Rong said. "An Shenqi dared to send people to the capital to abduct women; he must have ulterior motives. Why not send a general with 5,000 elite troops to garrison Dengzhou and see if he dares to act recklessly again!"

“No,” Wang Pu said. “Our forces are scattered across Yedu, Kaifeng, and Chanzhou. If we divide our troops further into pointless places, we will only invite defeat.”

"In your scholarly opinion, what should be done?"

"Your Excellency should write to An Shenqi, promising that if the great undertaking is accomplished, he will be made the Prince of Nanyang."

"My humble opinion."

It was Wang Jun who spoke, his tone resolute: "An Shenqi has built up Shannan East Road like an iron barrel. If we grant him the title of Prince of Nanyang today, he will become too powerful to control tomorrow and seize Jingzhou. Should we attack him or not?"

Wang Pu was not intimidated by him and said, "Prime Minister Wang only sees An Shenqi's strength, but not his weaknesses. First, he is already fifty-six years old, and his son has not yet come of age. If Your Excellency grants him a stable title, for the long-term benefit of his children, he will surely accept it gladly. Second, although Xiangzhou is rich, it borders the puppet state of Nanping. If he were to establish a separatist regime, he would be fighting alone. How could he possibly establish a separatist regime?"

"Scholarly views," Wang Jun rebuked. "An Shenqi may be willing to comply, but his generals may not. If arrogant and fierce soldiers support him to establish himself, how can he be allowed to make his own decisions?"

"There are priorities in matters. The Liu family is the most pressing enemy at present. Once the overall situation is settled, Your Excellency will be able to calmly strip them of their military power."

Wang Jun took a firm stance, shouting, "If he gets the title of Prince of Nanyang, he will be even more difficult to control in the future!"

There was silence in the hall.

Xiao Yi thought for a moment, stepped forward, and spoke for the first time during the meeting.

“My lord, I believe that what Brother Wenbo said makes sense.”

"What insights does this brat have?"

"No problem, tell me about it."

Xiao Yi pondered and said, "According to what I learned from Empress An and the prisoners, An Shenqi is a man of loyalty but no ambition, a man of promises but no strategy. Granting him a princely title will satisfy him and prevent him from becoming a separatist regime."

“How come you see?”

"He planted his personal guards in the Crane Control Guard. If they had any ulterior motives, he could have made them do many things. But he only ordered his daughter to be brought back to Xiangzhou, and the arrangement was not very clever."

Wang Jun said, "Your reason is even more ridiculous than Wang Wenbo's."

Wei Renpu said, "My lord, since An Shenqi cares about his daughter, he will not act rashly. Why not offer him a generous reward to prevent him from siding with Liu Xin?"

Seeing that he could not win the argument, Wang Jun said, "We can first grant him the title of Grand Tutor and Chancellor, and make it clear that if he helps to suppress Liu Xin, he will be promoted to Prince of Nanyang after the new emperor ascends the throne. This will give him hope and get his help. If he does not send troops, we can launch another attack later, which will also be justified."

Wang Pu bluntly asked, "Why is Prime Minister Wang so stingy?"

Xiao Yi immediately echoed, saying, "This humble general also believes that Your Majesty... if you are going to offer a reward, you should make him sincerely and sincerely submit, so that he may know that Your Majesty's magnanimity is far superior to that of the Liu family."

Guo Wei scolded, "Wang Wenbo, you speak without restraint."

"I spoke carelessly for a moment, and I apologize to Minister Wang."

Xiao Yi almost agreed with Wang Jun's stinginess, but fortunately, he changed his mind in time.

Guo Wei pondered for a moment and said, "What if we grant An Shenqi the title of Prince of Nanyang? We should also tell him that once the war in the capital region is over, I will send someone to escort his daughter home. The daughter of a hero should not be buried with a foolish and incompetent ruler who has brought about the downfall of his country."

(End of this chapter)