Chapter 235

Chapter 235

In the fourth year of the Xingping era, Luoyang.

A gentle spring breeze blew past Wei Qi as he followed the young imperial attendant to the entrance of the imperial study. Standing under the corridor, he flicked off the willow fluff that had landed on his shoulder when he suddenly heard a cough from inside.

Wei Qi’s movements paused, and a look of sorrow appeared on his face.

Since the Emperor's narrow victory at Jianmen Pass last year and his return to the capital, his health had deteriorated like an old pine tree battered by wind and frost, slowly withering away.

The imperial physicians had examined him, and the famous doctors of Luoyang had all consulted, but they all said the Emperor's condition was due to internal grief, which had damaged his spirit and, over time, harmed his body.

Wei Qi still remembered when they were in Jizhou; the Emperor had been vigorous and robust, rarely catching even a cold. But after the Empress's death, the Emperor's heart had turned to ashes, and the marks of time began to show on him. He would sometimes be restless and unable to sleep, and at other times, he would be invaded by wind-borne illnesses.

This time, what weighed on the Emperor's heart was the fate of hundreds of thousands of troops, the seventy thousand troops who had perished in the fire on Jianmen Mountain, and Elder Xiao who had died saving the Emperor and had been unable to enjoy his old age in peace. It was a deep sea of regret and self-reproach.

The Emperor, who had been a General, loved his soldiers more than his people. It was acceptable for the army to die in open battle, but to die in the rolling mountain fire and smoke...

Every time Wei Qi thought of it, his heart ached like a knife twisting, and how much more so for the Emperor?

Only when the coughing sound had faded did Wei Qi step inside.

The Xingping Emperor had just finished drinking warm water and was resting, leaning on a long couch by the window. His hand rested on his leg, and beside him was an official document.

At this moment, the Xingping Emperor, with hair as white as frost and a slender figure, no longer bore the appearance of Han Zongping, the former general of Jizhou.

Liu Gonggong respectfully stepped aside.

Wei Qi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, your subject has arrived."

The Xingping Emperor looked at him and asked, "How is the Crown Prince recently?"

The Crown Prince was still in mourning, but from the first month of this year, the Xingping Emperor had arranged for him to observe politics at the Council of State, mentored by the Second Chancellor.

Wei Qi replied, "The Crown Prince is very diligent. He often arrives at the Council of State before us and frequently has insightful opinions on military and government affairs."

The Xingping Emperor nodded. "I fear I won’t live to see the unification of the realm. I only hope the Crown Prince can become a wise ruler who knows how to appoint capable people and cares for the people."

Wei Qi’s throat tightened. "I beg Your Majesty not to say such things. It pains your subjects to hear them. Your Majesty is still in your prime; with proper care, when the time is right, you will be able to personally lead the troops again and achieve the great feat of unifying the realm."

The Xingping Emperor smiled and picked up the document beside him. "Look, Xiao Zhen is at it again, trying to upset me."

Wei Qi received the document with both hands and unfolded it to find a memorial from Xiao Zhen, requesting that he and his nephews be allowed to resign and observe mourning.

The Great Yu Dynasty largely followed the laws of the previous dynasty, where civil officials were required to resign and observe mourning for the death of parents or grandparents, while military officers were given a hundred days of mourning leave but retained their positions.

Last year, after the elder’s funeral, Xiao Zhen had already submitted a memorial requesting that he and his nephews be allowed to resign and mourn for the elder, but the Emperor had not approved it, only granting them a hundred days of mourning leave according to the law.

Now, with the hundred days almost over, Wei Qi hadn’t expected Xiao Zhen to submit another memorial about this matter. It was written with genuine emotion, describing how the elder had been both their grandfather and mentor, and seeing the Emperor's reddened eyes, it was clear he had been crying.

Xiao Zhen also wrote that since there was no war in the country, they wished to make an exception to resign and mourn for the elder at home, but if war were to occur, should the Emperor command them, they would risk life and limb to serve him.

After reading the lengthy document, Wei Qi sighed. "Your Majesty, since Xiao Hou is so filial, why not grant their request?"

The Xingping Emperor turned to the side, and with that turn, tears fell from his eyes.

To avoid being noticed, the Xingping Emperor didn’t wipe away his tears and instead gazed out the window, his vision blurred. "Elder Xiao sacrificed his life to save me. How can I exempt his descendants from their posts?"

Wei Qi said, "Your Majesty has already granted Xiao Shouyi the title of Duke of Wei, with the title to be inherited indefinitely. Both branches of the Xiao family have been ennobled, an honor that would surely bring him peace in the afterlife."

"They got what they deserved," said the Xingping Emperor.

Wei Qi gave Liu Gonggong a subtle glance.

Liu Gonggong then requested, "Your Majesty, the tea is cold. Let this old servant replace it with a fresh pot."

The Xingping Emperor waved his hand.

After Liu Gonggong left, Wei Qi stepped forward, moving closer to the side of the couch, and whispered, "Has Your Majesty considered that new recruits are still being enlisted? Now, the capital city only has 20,000 Imperial Guard troops and 40,000 infantry. Besides them, there are the nearly 50,000 cavalry from the Southern Camp, trained by the Xiao family. If the Xiao family harbors rebellious intentions..."

"Impossible!"

The Xingping Emperor sat up abruptly, tears still on his face, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Wei Qi. "After all we've been through together, how can you even suggest such a thing? Have you lost your mind?"

Wei Qi fell to his knees, his gaze resolute. "Your Majesty, I know the Xiao family is loyal and righteous, but I am your subject. You trust my abilities and appointed me as Chancellor, so I must consider everything for you and for the stability of the Great Yu Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty, you left the 50,000 infantry of Qi Heng in Chang'an and only had the Southern Camp cavalry escort you back to the capital. Do you know how frightened I was when I accompanied the Crown Prince to welcome you? Besides Qi Heng, Luo Xiao, and Zhao Jin, all the generals and over 40,000 cavalry were from the Xiao family. Have you not considered that, over the 800 li (approximately 400 miles) from Chang'an to Luoyang, if the Xiao family had rebellious intentions, they could have acted at any time?"

The Xingping Emperor said, "I have never doubted the Xiao family, and they have never betrayed my trust!"

Wei Qi replied, "You are a wise ruler, and the Xiao family are loyal and good generals. But a wise man does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. As the Emperor, your priority should be the stability of the dynasty. While you value capable ministers and good generals, you should never allow them power that could overshadow yours. The Xiao family, being generals, should adhere to the duties of subjects and not cause you concern over imperial power."

"Even if you trust the Xiao family, what about the loyal officials who serve you? If they doubt, those loyal to you might become wary of the Xiao family, and those disloyal might try to support them. Even if the Xiao family refuses, with so many rumors spreading outside, how can they prove their innocence?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Xiao was the most reverent and loyal subject. Xiao Zhen has inherited Lord Xiao's teachings. His request to be relieved of duty is twofold: because the Xiao family is loyal and wishes to prove that by surrendering military power; and Xiao Zhen wants to dispel any suspicions or factional thoughts from those with ulterior motives and alleviate any worries you might have, to protect the stability of the Xiao family!"

The Xingping Emperor sat in silence for a long moment, then spoke dejectedly, "So, if I do not grant them relief from duty, I would actually be harming them."

Wei Qi said, "Your Majesty need not worry. Besides the Duke of Wei, Xiao Zhen and his four brothers only need to continue mourning for another nine months. If you entrust the Southern Camp to other generals now, by the time the new recruits for the Eastern and Western Camps are enlisted in nine months, you can reassign Xiao Zhen to important duties. The Xiao family's prestige will remain, trust between monarch and subjects will be maintained, and the court will be stable. Why worry about not achieving a prosperous era?"

In Wei Qi's eyes, the Xingping Emperor saw a familiar light, the same light he had seen when Wei Qi strongly advised him in Jizhou to march south to suppress traitors, and again when he ascended the throne and appointed them as Chancellors. Selfless, dedicated to helping him establish a prosperous era.

The Xingping Emperor appreciated that light and passion, but unfortunately, he had lost his own ambition.

"Get up. You are thinking of me, and I misspoke just now," said the Xingping Emperor, leaning back again.

Wei Qi stood up and said indifferently, "I wish Your Majesty would scold me like that every day, as if we were back in the days when you commanded troops on the battlefield," with the same vigor and authority.

The Xingping Emperor asked, "Then who do you suggest to take the position of Commander of the Southern Camp?"

Wei Qi replied, "Lu Gong. Our Jizhou army consists of cavalry, and Lu Gong is skilled at managing cavalry. His military achievements and reputation are sufficient to command the respect of the Southern Camp."

The Xingping Emperor said, "The troops value loyalty the most. The soldiers of the Southern Camp might not be happy with a change in command."

Wei Qi said, "That's exactly why we need to make the change. Whether a general or a soldier, their ultimate loyalty should be to the Emperor. I believe that if Xiao Zhen truly wishes to surrender military power, he will help Lu Gong take over the Southern Camp smoothly."

The Xingping Emperor nodded. "Let Lu Gong take over the Southern Camp and Sun Dian temporarily serve as Deputy Commander of the Southern Camp. Qi Heng will take over the Western Camp, with Zhao Jin as his Deputy. The Eastern Camp is currently vacant, so let Luo Xiao serve as Deputy Commander for now and focus on recruiting soldiers for the next year. Once the new recruits are trained and Xiao Zhen's mourning period ends, he will be appointed as Commander of the Eastern Camp, with Luo Xiao as his Deputy."

Wei Qi smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

The new military appointments were quickly announced in court.

After court was dismissed, Fan Zhao caught up with Lu Gong and congratulated him, "Uncle Lu, although your official position hasn't changed, transferring you to the Southern Camp is still a promotion. The Western Camp only has 40,000 infantry, after all."

Lu Gong gave a wry smile. "I'm afraid it will be difficult to manage."

Fan Zhao snorted. "They're all under the Emperor's command. What could be so difficult about managing them? If anyone dares to disobey, come to me, and I'll make sure they fall in line."

Lu Gong: "You're always thinking about fighting. Since they're all the Emperor's soldiers, we should prioritize peace. The Marquis of Yong'an doesn't seem like a petty man."

Fan Zhao: "That's true. The Xiao elder saved the Emperor's life, and I remember that favor. Xiao Er has skills too. As long as he doesn't cause trouble over the South Camp issue, I'll respect him from now on."

——

On the ninth of March, at dusk, Sun Dian and Zhang Wengong finished their duties, changed into casual clothes, and went together to the Yong'an Marquis's residence in Qinghua Fang to pick up their children for home leave.

Although the Xiao family was in mourning, unable to hold weddings or banquets, they still hired tutors to teach the children as usual.

They were there to pick up the kids, but there were things that needed to be said.

But before Sun Dian could say anything, Xiao Yan and Xiao She ran over from the Duke's residence. As soon as they entered the hall, Xiao Yan gave Sun Dian a fake smile and sized him up. "Congratulations, Deputy Commander Sun."

Sun Dian: "Go to hell, stop being sarcastic here!"

Xiao Yan and Xiao She rushed forward to fight, and Sun Dian stood up without hesitation.

Xiao Ye and Zhang Wengong quickly stepped in between them.

Xiao Zhen put down his teacup and pointed outside. "If you want to fight, go outside. Just remember, don't hit the face."

Tong Sui looked at Xiao She. "Fifth Younger Brother, sit down and don't get involved."

Xiao She pointed at Sun Dian. "He cursed at my mom first!"

Sun Dian: "...I was talking about Xiao Er, alright, I'll say he was farting instead. It has nothing to do with Aunt He."

Xiao She then sat back down, leaving Xiao Yan to confront Sun Dian and the two peacemakers.

Zhang Wengong persuaded Xiao Yan again. "The position changes were decided by the Emperor. It's not like Brother Dian went and asked for it. Third Younger Brother shouldn't have said that."

Xiao Yan: "He didn't ask for it, so why did he get promoted instead of you, Qi Yun, or Tong Gui?"

Xiao Ye: "Isn't it simple? Sun Dian is the oldest. He used to be a constable, and everyone's military merits are about the same, so they chose based on age and seniority."

Xiao Yan: "Alright, I accept that."

Once Xiao Yan and the others sat down, Sun Dian turned to Xiao Zhen. "You can rest assured, even if the elder is no longer here, I, Sun Dian, will remember him for the rest of my life. Unless you push me away first, we're still brothers. I will never do anything treacherous."

Xiao Zhen: "If we're brothers, we don't need to say this stuff."

Sun Dian glared at Xiao Yan. "He's always the one who starts it."

Xiao Yan jumped up again.

Tong Sui: "If Third Younger Brother can't speak while sitting, then go back and help your sister-in-law take care of the kids."

Xiao Yan: "..."

A four-month-old baby cries as soon as you hold it; he's not interested at all.

Once everyone calmed down, Xiao Zhen said to Sun Dian and Zhang Wengong, "If you are truly willing to listen to me, then remember this. When the elder was leading troops in Wei County, it was for the people. When he led troops in the capital city, it was for the Emperor. It was never about fighting for power."

"The South Camp belongs to the Emperor, not the Xiao family. You should obey General Feng just as you obeyed the elder. This is the only way to live up to the elder's loyalty to the Emperor and prevent people from speaking ill of him even after he's gone."

Sun Dian and Zhang Wengong looked at each other and responded in unison, as if receiving a military order.