Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Liangzhou, Wuwei City, General’s Residence.

July 15th, the Ghost Festival. Though a day for ancestral worship, the Marquis of Pingliang, Yuan Zhaoxiong, found his thoughts drifting to his three sons and two daughters far away in the capital, especially his legitimate second son, Yuan Chongli, and his only legitimate daughter, Yuan Jie. As for his neglected wife, Gao Shi, long past her prime, she had been utterly forgotten by Yuan Zhaoxiong, who kept seven or eight beautiful concubines in his inner courtyard.

A house steward entered from outside and saw his master listlessly reclining in a wicker chair under the shade of a tree, a few letters pressed under his hand resting on his abdomen. The steward, guessing his master’s thoughts, approached and asked, "Is the Marquis thinking about the Second Young Master again?"

Yuan Zhaoxiong looked at him, sighing, "How can I not? First, the Emperor sent an Investigating Censor to scrutinize me this year, and now he’s stripped Chongli of his study companion position, publicly shaming our Yuan family. I suspect the Emperor already knows everything I’ve done here in Liangzhou and is determined to punish me."

He had truly enjoyed accumulating wealth, but whenever he thought about the day his deeds would be exposed and he would face the Emperor’s judgment, Yuan Zhaoxiong grew greatly troubled.

The steward, who had assisted his master in these corrupt and unlawful activities, had long prepared for the future. It was simply a matter of adapting to circumstances.

He reassured him, "Marquis, there’s no need to worry. Even if the Emperor suspects you, he must have concrete evidence to convict. The Investigating Censor Song Zixiao has already been intimidated by us, and you’ve sent silver to his hometown, firmly tying him to our side. As such, Song Zixiao can only act according to your wishes."

Yuan Zhaoxiong patted the letters in his lap. "But what about Chongli losing his position as study companion?"

The steward smiled. "Marquis, have you forgotten? The Emperor’s father was a gambler, so the Emperor despises gambling above all else. The Second Young Master was unlucky this time and happened to offend the Emperor’s strongest aversion. Losing his study companion position is only to be expected."

Yuan Zhaoxiong remained frowning, feeling that things were not so simple.

The steward leaned in and lowered his voice. "Even if the Marquis’s worries are justified, you’ve long prepared for this. Of the hundred thousand Liangzhou border troops, more than half of the twenty Wei Commander positions were promoted by you, and the remaining minority have been indebted to you for years. If it comes to that, with just one order from you, the hundred thousand Liangzhou troops will support your uprising."

"You’ve long anticipated the three possible outcomes of an uprising: the best being your swift southward advance to capture the capital and ascend the throne; the next being your occupation of Liangzhou, declaring independence to rival the court; and the worst being your defeat by the court, loss of Liangzhou, and surrender to the Western Hu. No matter which outcome, you can emerge unscathed. Why worry so much? You’ve burned your bridges. Instead of constant anxiety, it’s better to seize the time to accumulate military provisions before the Emperor strikes."

Yuan Zhaoxiong closed his eyes in anguish. "I may be able to escape unharmed with my family here, but what about those in the capital? The moment I rebel, the Emperor will immediately behead Chongli, Jie’er, and the others. They are my own flesh and blood!"

The steward sighed. "At this point, Marquis, you must make the painful choice to sacrifice them."

Yuan Zhaoxiong did not want to abandon them, but he feared that sending someone to the capital to fetch his children would immediately expose his ambitions. What if Emperor Xingwu had no evidence after all?

Yuan Zhaoxiong hoped Emperor Xingwu would never find evidence of his crimes in his lifetime. After Emperor Xingwu passed away, he would incite frontier generals across the country to rebel against the inexperienced new emperor. As long as one or two were willing to rise up, he could take advantage of the chaos to retrieve his wife and children, occupy Liangzhou, and establish his own rule.

Though he worried at times, once he decided to set the matter aside, Yuan Zhaoxiong’s life became comfortable again. By day, he trained troops at the military camp; by night, he returned to the General’s Residence, calling a few concubines to his side, left and right, and enjoying the lively company of his eldest son Yuan Chongguang and about ten other children of various ages. Amid the noise and bustle, he rarely thought of his children in the capital.

On the morning of July 23rd, while Yuan Zhaoxiong was handling official duties at the military camp, a soldier suddenly ran in from the camp gate, looking uneasy. "Marquis, a group of imperial guards has arrived outside. They say they have an imperial decree to announce and demand you go out immediately to receive it."

Yuan Zhaoxiong’s face changed. He stood up and asked, "How many imperial guards are there?"

The soldier replied, "Twenty, all with stern, intimidating expressions."

Yuan Zhaoxiong similarly selected twenty of his personal guards and hurried to the camp gate.

Seeing him emerge, the twenty imperial guards dismounted. The leader of the guards unrolled the imperial decree and loudly read out several charges of corruption against Yuan Zhaoxiong. When he finished, seeing Yuan Zhaoxiong kneeling motionless on the spot, his face filled with terror, the guard captain waved his hand behind him and ordered, "Restrain him!"

Two imperial guards immediately stepped forward with ropes.

Yuan Zhaoxiong’s personal guards drew their swords in unison, forming a protective barrier around him.

The guard captain glared at Yuan Zhaoxiong. "Marquis of Pingliang, are you resisting the imperial edict?"

After kneeling for a long time, Yuan Zhaoxiong slowly rose. Peering through the circle of guards protecting him, he looked at the decree in the captain’s hand as if finally accepting the reality before him. He looked up to heaven and cried out in grief and indignation, "I don’t believe it! It was the Emperor himself who sent me to guard the border back then. Over the past nine years, I’ve driven back Western Hu invasions fourteen times. My loyalty to the Emperor and the court is as clear as the sun and moon! Last year, when I was too ill to return to the capital to report, the Emperor even specially sent imperial physicians to treat me. I have been utterly loyal to the Emperor, and the Emperor has shown me immense kindness. There must be villains slandering me before the Emperor!"

The guard captain said, "The Emperor’s decree has been issued. If the Marquis has grievances, you may return to the capital and plead your case directly to the Emperor. The Emperor is wise and will surely give you justice."

Yuan Zhaoxiong smiled bitterly. "Don’t try to fool me with such words. If those treacherous villains have already deceived the Emperor, how would the Emperor believe my defense? If the border were secure, I would not fear dying wronged. But the Western Hu cavalry constantly threatens our frontier. If I leave, they will surely seize the opportunity to attack... No, I cannot go. Return and report to the Emperor that I, Yuan Zhaoxiong, am innocent and have never betrayed my lord. The Emperor should thoroughly investigate the treacherous ministers around him. As for today’s crime of defying the decree, once I have defeated the 300,000-strong Western Hu army, I will return to the capital with the head of the Western Hu king to accept punishment!"

"Furthermore, I ask the Emperor to treat my family kindly and not fall for the villains’ scheme to drive a wedge between the Emperor and his loyal generals."

"You—"

"Return to camp!"

.

The twenty imperial guards tasked with arresting Yuan Zhaoxiong did not return to the capital. Instead, they sent word of Yuan Zhaoxiong’s defiance of the decree to the capital via the fastest courier service.

Emperor Xingwu had He Yuanjing read out this report during the imperial court session.

Yan Xizheng angrily said, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Pingliang is cunning with words. He is clearly resisting the decree out of fear of guilt and already harbors rebellious intentions!"

Deng Chong immediately stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I request to lead troops to subdue the rebel Yuan Zhaoxiong!"

Prince Yong and other military officials also requested to suppress Yuan Zhaoxiong.

Emperor Xingwu raised his hand, waiting for the ministers to quiet down. He then said, "In truth, I too find it hard to believe that the Marquis of Pingliang could embezzle millions in silver taels in just nine years. However, the evidence from the Censorate is irrefutable, leaving me no choice but to believe."

"The Marquis of Pingliang is one of my founding meritorious officials. I originally intended that, as long as he returned the embezzled funds, in recognition of his twenty years of military service and illustrious achievements, I would spare his life, strip him of his title, and allow him to take his family back to his hometown to live out his remaining years peacefully..."

The hot-tempered Deng Chong was the first to shout, "That Yuan fellow is about to rebel! Why should he be allowed to live out his days in peace? Your Majesty, I know you aspire to be a Wise Emperor, but even a Wise Emperor cannot let others trample all over him! Think about it—if today you easily forgive Yuan Zhaoxiong’s corruption and rebellion, then which officials or generals across the land will still fear you? They will all dare to embezzle and rebel. Wouldn’t the empire you worked so hard to build fall into chaos again?"

Prince Yong added, "Exactly! Yuan Zhaoxiong must be executed!"

The civil officials also advised the Emperor to send troops to suppress Yuan Zhaoxiong, though their wording was more refined.

Emperor Xingwu pondered for a moment and said, "Yuan Zhaoxiong is guilty, but his concern for border security and reluctance to return to the capital for trial may be genuine. As ruler and subject, since he dares not come to see me, I will personally go to Liangzhou to try him. As long as he surrenders willingly, I will still spare his life. If Yuan Zhaoxiong remains obstinate and raises troops in rebellion, I will personally lead 100,000 troops to suppress him!"

A personal expedition?

The civil ministers immediately grew uneasy, urging the Emperor to reconsider. However, the Emperor’s mind was made up. Not only would Emperor Xingwu personally command the campaign, he would also bring the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, his nephew Qin Liang, Imperial Son-in-law Fu Kui, and more than a dozen scions of noble families. Prince Yong and the Two Chancellors would remain in the capital to manage state affairs. Among the military officials, Prince Yong and Duke of Cheng Lü Guangzu would lead the Northern and Eastern Camps to guard the capital, while Duke of Ding Deng Chong and Marquis of Weiyuan Meng Ji would lead 100,000 troops from the Western and Southern Camps to accompany the Emperor on his expedition.

The Emperor’s arrangements were made in one breath, leaving no room for any minister to question or oppose.

After the court assembly, Emperor Xingwu asked the Two Chancellors and other important ministers to meet him later in the imperial study for discussions. He then left the dragon throne and headed toward the western palace corridor.

The little princess, who had been hiding there and heard every word of the exchange between the Emperor and his ministers, saw her father approaching. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she threw herself into his arms.

Emperor Xingwu, afraid his daughter would cry out, quickly picked her up and strode away. Only when they reached the imperial study in the central palace did he sit down with her in his arms, using a handkerchief to wipe her tears. "Liner (Qingyang's pet name), are you crying because you heard the court is going to war and are scared, or because you can’t bear to part with me?"

Qingyang had been holding her father’s neck earlier, but now that she was lower, she could only wrap her arms around his waist. She said sadly, "I can’t bear to part with you."

The more she understood how far Liangzhou was from the capital, the more reluctant she felt, including toward her three elder brothers who would accompany the Emperor.

Emperor Xingwu stroked her head and whispered in her ear, "If you can’t bear to part, would you like to come with me to deal with the Marquis of Pingliang?"

The little princess was stunned. She looked up in disbelief, tears still pooling in her eyes. "I can go too?"

Because she often went to the main court, Yan Xizheng had already submitted a memorial criticizing her, and the Emperor had promised the ministers that her golden pass token could only be used for one more year. Accompanying the army was an even more serious matter than going to the main court. Wasn’t the Emperor afraid that Yan Xizheng or even Nie Ao would step forward to vehemently oppose it?

Emperor Xingwu smiled. "This time, when we go to Liangzhou, I will bring the Marchioness of Pingliang and the Yuan family’s sons and daughters. I will deliver them unharmed to Yuan Zhaoxiong, so that he and the soldiers know I never intended to use the Yuan family members to pressure him. On the journey, you can help me comfort the Marchioness and her daughter. If they can persuade Yuan Zhaoxiong to surrender peacefully, then you, Liner, will be the most valuable contributor to this expedition."

Qingyang asked, "...Others could do this task. Why must I be the one to comfort them?"

Emperor Xingwu tapped her forehead. "You’re usually so clever; why are you being foolish now? If you serve no purpose at all, how can I justify bringing you along on the campaign? Do you think only you are afraid of being criticized by Chancellor Yan and Lord Nie? I fear them too—I fear they will cite various grand principles to accuse me of disrupting court regulations."

Qingyang understood. Her father knew she wanted to accompany the army and had actively found a pretext for her.

The Emperor feared the civil officials’ remonstrance, but he feared disappointing her even more.

"Ah, why are you shedding golden droplets again?" Emperor Xingwu, who had been waiting for his daughter to praise him, asked in a fluster.

The little princess clung to her father's shoulder, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Father, you are the best father in the world."

Emperor Xingwu smiled; among his five children, he probably only heard such words from his youngest daughter.

.

On the first day of the eighth month, after Emperor Xingwu personally led a hundred thousand troops dozens of miles out from the capital, a little princess suddenly appeared in the Third Prince Qin Ren's carriage.

The little princess ran to Emperor Xingwu's imperial carriage, crying over and over about how much she’d miss her father. Her cries could be heard outside the carriage window, moving even Imperial Guard Commander Fan Zhong, who was guarding the imperial carriage, to choke up. With such deep affection between father and daughter, it made sense when Emperor Xingwu finally let the little princess accompany the army.

At the same time, Consort Li in the palace also read the letter her daughter had left behind. Consort Li was crying even harder than the little princess in the carriage, hoping the emperor would send someone to bring her little princess back.

Unfortunately, that evening, Consort Li only received a message from Emperor Xingwu telling her not to worry.

For the first time, the scared and timid Consort Li cursed Emperor Xingwu fiercely in her heart.