Chapter 134

Chapter 134

On the Youzhou battlefield, the Lu family army immediately identified favorable terrain upon entering the plains. The flat landscape offered ideal conditions for them to seize the initiative. By first abandoning supplies to lure part of the Prince of Qin’s forces deep inside, the Lu family army secured a resounding victory right from the outset. The Brocade Guard and the Light Garment Guard secretly mobilized to clear supply routes, utilizing pre-established covert paths across Western Shu to gradually relocate scattered military provisions and grain—stockpiled at Ministry of War relay stations—to Youzhou.

“We’ve already secured the allegiance of prefectures and counties along Western Shu’s northern border—they stand with the court,” Ye Xuanjiu said, staying close to Qi Hanzhou. “If we later descend into a war of attrition with him, their support will significantly ease our burden.”

Qi Hanzhou asked, “What about Youzhou Prefecture?”

“A wise man knows when to yield. We seized control of the prefecture immediately—the prefect won’t cause trouble.” Knowing his Junior General rarely trusted others, Ye Xuanjiu opted for decisive action whenever possible. “Regarding Youzhou’s defense, so long as we keep the supply route between Youzhou and the capital open, reinforcements from the Lu family army will suffice.”

“Have the elite Jiangnan troops arrived yet?” Qi Hanzhou asked.

“They’re arriving today. We’ve already coordinated with General Lu,” Ye Xuanjiu replied.

Qi Hanzhou and Ying Fusheng’s plan was to contain the Prince of Qin’s forces using minimal troops. Now that disaster relief in Western Shu’s four prefectures had concluded—and popular support secured—civilian conscripts had been drafted to guard grain stores, freeing up several thousand elite troops originally deployed in Jiangnan to protect grain shipments. These forces could now be redeployed to the Youzhou battlefield in Western Shu. A pincer maneuver would then encircle the Prince of Qin and cripple his rebellion.

Qi Hanzhou rode his horse to a distant cliff and gazed downward. From this vantage point, he had a clear view of the mountain road leading south. Yet as he scanned the scene, the forest below lay utterly still—not a single sign of movement. Qi Hanzhou sensed something amiss. He’d coordinated closely with Ying Fusheng; fearing last-minute changes, they’d accelerated all timelines. If troops were scheduled to arrive today, advance word should have reached them a day earlier.

“Something’s wrong,” Qi Hanzhou murmured, a chill creeping up his spine.

Ye Xuanjiu instantly grasped the gravity. “I’ll dispatch someone to investigate.”

“Junior General Qi—something’s wrong!” A Lu family soldier burst in, breathless. “A breach has opened on Youzhou’s western flank—and the Prince of Qin’s forces are pouring through!”

The moment those words left his lips, both men turned pale. The Youzhou battlefield could not possibly have unraveled so catastrophically.

If someone had deliberately torn open that gap, the Prince of Qin could strike straight at their core! Ye Xuanjiu whirled toward the messenger. “How was the western breach breached?”

The messenger gasped for air. “It’s… it’s the Youzhou Army!”

They had taken control of Youzhou Prefecture—but never anticipated the Youzhou Army turning against them!

Qi Hanzhou glanced back at the silent eastern mountains. “The elite Jiangnan troops may not arrive after all.”

If the Youzhou battlefield failed to halt the Prince of Qin’s momentum decisively, the Lu family army and the Prince of Qin’s forces would become locked in a grinding war of attrition.

They had been outmaneuvered. Someone was manipulating both the Lu family army and the Prince of Qin’s forces.

“Inform General Lu—we may have to fight with our backs to the river.”

Deep within Western Shu’s forests, several corpses lay scattered across the ground. Soldiers clad in uniforms bearing the insignia of the “Prince of Qin’s Rebel Army” stepped over the bodies, gazing out across the vast expanse of Western Shu. Not far away, in Liangzhou City, screams of slaughter and crackling flames echoed through the air. The Prince of Qin’s garrison left to defend the city now lay dead.

Three days earlier, veterans of the Liangzhou Army learned the Prince of Qin and Western Shu’s prefectural authorities had colluded to oppress the people. Without hesitation, they rose in rebellion.

“General—is what we’re doing right?” a young soldier asked. “In Jiangnan, they say the court is delivering disaster relief.”

The man addressed bore a face scarred with age. Though still called “General,” he had long since relinquished the title upon retiring from service. “Right? Has either the court or the Prince of Qin ever cared about us in Western Shu? The court speaks of relief—but when, in all these years, has it ever truly delivered?”

The Prince of Qin oppressed the people and plotted rebellion; the court mouthed promises of relief while mistreating Western Shu’s soldiers. They claimed aid was forthcoming—yet in reality, the people remained on the brink of starvation.

The Prince of Qin colluded with Western Shu’s prefectures to exploit and deceive the populace—but was the court any better? For years, it had ignored Western Shu, glossing over repeated droughts. Local officials cared only for squeezing every last drop from the people… Even imperial envoys sent by the court proved corrupt—greedy for bribes alone. Land taxes grew heavier; the state’s appetite for wealth insatiable.

Had it not been for the王府of the Prince of Pingnan’s decades-long charity, many of them would not have survived.

Disaster relief was merely a tool to placate their rage.

Once it ended, Western Shu would again be abandoned—as before. They were old now, but countless others remained in Western Shu. How much of that relief silver ever reached them? In the end, it all vanished into the pockets of corrupt officials. Dayuan was no longer the Dayuan of old. Rather than serve as another’s blade, it was better to unite Western Shu—and drive both the court and the Prince of Qin out entirely…

The old general stared toward Jiangnan, his clouded eyes burning with desperate resolve.

“Don’t worry—the court won’t have time for us.”

In Jiangnan, Marquis Cen’an rebelled.

The moment Zhang Wuyong learned of Marquis Cen’an’s uprising, he immediately dispatched the Jiangnan garrison to respond. They had long monitored Marquis Cen’an closely. As expected, the moment he rebelled, the marquises who had backed him followed suit. It was winter in Jiangnan—the worst possible season for rebellion.

“Why now?” Zhang Wuyong rushed to Prince Jin’s mansion. “Isn’t the Lu family army suppressing the Prince of Qin’s forces on the Youzhou battlefield in Western Shu? Are they mad to stir trouble now? Don’t they fear the court will crush them all at once?”

Prince Jin’s expression darkened as he received the urgent report. “The Prince of Qin can’t even manage himself.”

“Look at this—it arrived just half an incense stick ago.”

Zhang Wuyong’s face paled as he scanned its contents. “This… wasn’t the Liangzhou Army rebelling alongside the Prince of Qin?”

An urgent report from Western Shu: While the Prince of Qin’s forces battled the Youzhou army, the Liangzhou Army had risen in southern Western Shu—in the very heart of the drought-stricken region. This development was entirely unforeseen. Hadn’t Liangzhou risen due to drought? Why had it suddenly turned against the Prince of Qin?

“It’s not just that. Beyond the Liangzhou Army… the garrisons of four prefectures in southern Western Shu have also rebelled!” Prince Jin’s expression hardened as he read further. This was no longer a popular uprising—it was a full-scale military revolt! Four southern prefectures, together with the Liangzhou Army, had risen en masse!

No prior intelligence had reached Jiangnan—and likely none had reached the capital either… This situation echoed the late emperor’s era, when tyranny under the previous dynasty had sparked widespread military revolts. The late emperor had led those very people and generals to forge Dayuan’s golden age.

Now, history was repeating itself.

“Marquis Cen’an wasn’t waiting for the Prince of Qin at all—he was waiting for the Western Shu garrisons to rise.” Prince Jin shot upright. “This is grave.” They could pacify refugees fleeing to the Jiangnan–Western Shu border—but if Western Shu’s garrisons rebelled, the local populace would follow. That was an entirely different matter from the Prince of Qin’s rebellion. “Send someone to Old General Chen. I fear there are still hidden traitors within Jiangnan!”

“Something’s wrong!”

Before Zhang Wuyong could dispatch anyone to Old General Chen, another urgent report arrived from outside. “Xuzhou has fallen! The Jiangnan garrison lost a city!”

Prince Jin froze. The mantis stalks the cicada—unaware of the oriole behind…

The massive embezzlement funds siphoned from Jiangnan’s Fei family had flowed into Western Shu. If the Prince of Qin had orchestrated this, Western Shu’s garrisons wouldn’t have rebelled. But if someone else was pulling the strings, those stolen funds now rested firmly in their hands.

He snapped, “Quickly—find a way to inform Old General Chen! And send word to the capital: the Crown Prince must know Jiangnan has changed!”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Too late. Even an eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch would take days to reach the capital. By the time the court formulated a response—how long could Jiangnan hold?

Prince Jin paced back and forth, his gaze fixed on the capital. Had the person in the capital noticed this crisis yet…

“No news from Youzhou!”

“Marquis Cen’an has advanced to the Xuzhou border! The Chen Family Army is engaging!”

Urgent reports flooded the capital—and the Eastern Palace—from all directions. Ying Fusheng studied these dispatches, aware that given the distances involved, all were days old. The capital could not afford to wait for newer intelligence before acting—that would leave them utterly passive. To counter another’s scheme, speed was essential.

Ying Fusheng prepared for the worst-case scenarios in both Xuzhou and Youzhou.

When the Jiangnan garrison was mentioned, the two ministers suddenly grasped the problem. Though currently commanded by Old General Chen, most of its troops originated from the Southern Frontier Army—once under the Prince of Pingnan’s王府.

“With Jiangnan’s situation unclear, we cannot confirm the Prince of Pingnan is compromised,” Meng Jinyuan frowned. He had once served alongside the Prince of Pingnan at court. The prince was renowned for his straightforwardness—a genial figure among the era’s hot-tempered generals—loyal, good-natured, and uniquely charismatic. Consequently, many at court held him in high regard.

At Dayuan’s founding, his extraordinary military achievements earned him a princely title from the late emperor—and responsibility for guarding the southern frontier. He held that post for years, until advancing age and waning strength prompted repeated offers to return military authority to the court. Out of respect for his contributions, the emperor had yet to accept—instead appointing Old General Chen to assume command of the Jiangnan garrison’s key posts.

Yes—Ying Fusheng and Qi Hanzhou had once reasoned the same: If the Prince of Pingnan wished to rebel, why devise such a convoluted plan? Had he rebelled during the late emperor’s reign, both the Southern Frontier and Jiangnan would have fallen to him effortlessly. Why take such a circuitous path?

“Your Excellencies—when did the Prince of Pingnan first report illness to the court?” Ying Fusheng asked.

Hu Buyu looked at Meng Jinyuan. He understood why Ying Fusheng had summoned Meng Jinyuan now. If the Prince of Pingnan’s王府was linked to the Secret Faction, many court records were unreliable. Documents could be falsified—but veteran ministers’ memories could not. Some things could be altered in files—but not in the recollections of seasoned officials.

Meng Jinyuan, as the Minister of Personnel, oversees court officials, just like the Censorate. Many newly appointed court officials have little impression of the Prince of Pingnan's residence, but Meng Jinyuan is different—he's a two-dynasty veteran.

Indeed, after a moment of thought, Meng Jinyuan said, "Back when the late emperor was alive, the Prince of Pingnan suffered from old battle wounds. The late emperor granted him special permission to remain in the southern border. His last trip to the capital was a few years after His Majesty took the throne, at a big court celebration. His Majesty summoned all the Princes and Marquises. Since then, he's frequently pleaded illness. His Majesty, considering his advanced age, let him retire down south and stop making him travel."

"That must've been Taiyuan year eight."

Now it's almost Taiyuan year twenty-four—fifteen or sixteen years ago!

Fifteen, sixteen years ago, his health was already failing, and the Secret Faction he and Qi Hanzhou figured out had been plotting for about twenty years. If his illness was meant to avoid raising suspicion from the emperor and the court, it must have shown signs even earlier.

"The Emperor even sent imperial doctors down south once. The Prince of Pingnan really wasn't in good shape."

Meng Jinyuan carefully recalled past events related to the Prince of Pingnan. "The Imperial Medical Office should have records on that."

Hu Buyu pondered for a moment and said, "If the Prince of Pingnan is connected to the Secret Faction, certain things don't add up."

An illness even the imperial doctors couldn't diagnose... Ying Fusheng understood well, because Suihongzi had once evaded the Imperial Medical Office's scrutiny—it was a secret drug the previous dynasty specialized in. Wu Lao was different; when he felt his pulse in Jiangling, he could clearly detect signs of poison. If such a person had personally treated the Prince of Pingnan, how could the secret drug have fooled him?

So Wu Lao had to die—and perhaps not just Wu Lao...

Ying Fusheng's expression darkened. "I'm not suspecting the Prince of Pingnan himself—I suspect his household."

Hu Buyu and Meng Jinyuan realized the gravity of Ying Fusheng's words, and then heard him say—

"The Prince of Pingnan's household may have been hollowed out long ago."

At that moment, Shen Changcun rushed in with some military files from the Ministry of War about the Prince of Pingnan's estate, mainly regarding troop deployments. "These are all the records the Ministry of War could find. Since the Prince of Pingnan went south, the court hasn't heard much from him. These are records of his subordinate generals."

Hearing this, the ministers realized the crown prince was investigating the Prince of Pingnan's former generals.

"General Xu, General Liu..."

One by one, names appeared before them. Every record in the court files showed either retirement or death.

Meng Jinyuan was deeply alarmed. The generals who fought alongside the late emperor were getting old, and it was natural for them to retire or pass away at their age—just like the Prince of Pingnan. The court would not pay too much attention, as birth, aging, sickness, and death are inevitable.

The Prince of Pingnan's trusted men—some dead, some retired.

At a glance, five people were left with only one outcome in the court's records. The idea of hollowing out the Prince of Pingnan's household is just mind-blowing. After all, it had been the most formidable army in the southern border. In its prime, the Prince of Pingnan's army rivaled the current Qi Family Army. Hollowing out his household means taking away his military power, and that would've had to get past those old generals and trusted men.

But at a glance, almost all the people the Prince of Pingnan once trusted were gone.

If his trusted men are gone, can the old prince still hold onto his troops?

"The court still has troops that can go south to assist Old General Chen," Meng Jinyuan said.

Hu Buyu shook his head. "Marquis Cen'an chose to rebel right now. The Secret Faction must have prepared. I'm worried the whole south will rebel."

Ying Fusheng's gaze trembled as he looked at the southern sand table. "It's not a worry—it's a certainty."

"If I were the mastermind, I'd let the Prince of Qin's army and the imperial army weaken each other, then swoop in and take over the Prince of Qin's army."

The mastermind is inside the Prince of Pingnan's household. He's using the Prince of Qin as a cover to build up his own rebel forces. But those troops have to come out into the open eventually. The best way, like the Prince of Qin did, is to use a rebellion to give them a cover story. But this mastermind is more skillful than the Prince of Qin, capable of collaborating with him. He must've infiltrated the Prince of Qin's household to work with him.

Were the rebel troops of the Prince of Qin truly his, or were they actually raised by the mastermind? Ying Fusheng recalled Wu Lao mentioning the old soldiers of Western Shu. Back then, the Prince of Qin exploited the court's decree to break up local military power. Same way, the veterans who once served under the Prince of Pingnan got scattered across Western Shu... If the current mastermind uses those veterans, that's over a decade of pent-up resentment.

They trust neither the Prince of Qin nor the court.

These people are scattered across Western Shu, acting as the mastermind's hidden pawns.

The one they trust most is their old commander, the Prince of Pingnan... or rather, his household.

The entire Eastern Palace fell into dead silence. Meng Jinyuan had always had a doubt: why would the Prince of Qin, whose interests conflicted with the Second Prince, cooperate with him? But if the Secret Faction is someone else, everything would make sense.

The Prince of Qin was a pawn used by the hidden Secret Faction. The true mastermind behind the scenes aims to support Concubine Xian and the Second Prince. In the existing evidence, there is no clear indication that the Prince of Pingnan's residence is the Secret Faction. But if it were confirmed, the decade-spanning conspiracy would not only involve Western Shu but also Jiangnan.

That's an entire southern border!

The entire southern region on the sand table became an unknown variable.

If the Prince of Pingnan's household is the Secret Faction, then their planning over so many years—from the Xu family of the Ministry of Works in the capital to the Fei family in Jiangnan, and then to the Prince of Qin in Western Shu—this grand scheme has unfolded over fifteen to twenty years, like a massive web spanning the entire Dayuan Dynasty. It almost guarantees that the southern border will rebel.

No, the southern border has already rebelled.

The internal chaos of Dayuan has already begun.

"The people of Jiangnan and Western Shu will suffer," Shen Changcun murmured.

"If hollowing out the Prince of Pingnan's household is possible, then how was it achieved?" Meng Jinyuan needed to understand the full picture quickly. "Although the Prince of Pingnan's trusted men are dead, the household still has..."

At this point, everyone present thought of one person.

Ying Fusheng shifted his gaze from the sand table. He had to confirm who had hollowed out the Prince of Pingnan's household.

The hidden Secret Faction had evaded detection time and again. He could no longer remain reactive.

If the Prince of Pingnan's trusted men were dead, only one person remained.

Ying Fusheng's eyes grew colder and colder. "He has repeatedly entered the court on behalf of his father, frequently proposed relinquishing military command, and all news from the Prince of Pingnan's household comes through him. He is also the one most easily trusted by the generals under the Prince of Pingnan."

The Prince of Pingnan's Heir.