Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Shang Liao could not accept such an arrangement. Leaving Xiaoyao Lake would destabilize its uncertain foundations. Recovering a country as large as Shu-lik would take a long time. Moreover, fighting directly against the cavalry of Norland would not be an easy task.
“Dragon King, you are killing people with someone else. Do you want to get rid of me and the Golden Roc Fort? You don’t have to go through the trouble. I will stand here. The army and soldiers on the north shore are not complete. They are all fish in your net and ready to be killed at anytime,” he said.
Anger and courage rose in his heart. Shang Liao did not care anymore. He held his head high. He had abandoned his scruples.
Dugu Xian and the Crown Prince of Shu-lik seemed slightly embarrassed. They shifted their gaze to one side. Prime Minister Zhong Heng stared at Shang Liao with interest. They thought that the Dragon King was right. He was someone who would spare no expense at achieving his own interests. He saw Xiaoyao Lake as his own possession and was vehement towards anyone who wanted to compete with him for it.
Gu Shenwei raised his head, too. He would not be threatened in front of the others. “You and your army are not fit to be targets of mine. Return to your north shore. I will give you two weeks to get ready. We will meet on the battlefield. If you don’t want to be fish meat, then show me your capability. Norland, the Golden Roc Fort and the Central Plains are all behind you. Whoever you want to rely upon, that’s up to you,” he said.
The two men glowered at each other. Dugu Xian was even more embarrassed. He had never seen the Dragon King express his anger, so he was not used to this.
The Crown Prince of Shu-lik was a guest. The quarrels started with him. He felt inevitably ill at ease. He cleared his throat lightly and wanted to say something to ease the tension. Looking at Zhong Heng, who winked at him from the opposite side of the room, he kept his mouth shut.
Shang Liao was submissive. He was clear that as long as he declared himself to be an enemy of the Dragon King, his newly formed army would be divided. Without the army, which country would hold him in regard?
Falling out with the Dragon King was foolish. He was careless and was not able to control his emotions. To this, he had to salvage things. After a short hesitation, Shang Liao got down on one knee uneasily and said, as he lowered his head, “Forgive me, Dragon King. I have repaid your kindness with evil. I am the Left General of the Dragon King. The army of the north shore will always be a part of the Dragon Army. Please give your order. I will lead the army towards Shu-lik immediately.”
“Rise,” Gu Shenwei nodded. Zhong Heng and the rest understood his meaning and excused themselves together.
The Crown Prince Shu-lik would need to rely on Shang Liao’s army to return to the country. When he passed Shang Liao with a kind smile, Shang Liao’s face was cold and he pretended not to see him.
These two generals were already hostile towards each other, even before cooperating.
Shang Liao stood motionless. He did not know what else the Dragon King had to say to him in private.
Gu Shenwei went to study the map again. After a while, he said: “Your mission is not only to capture Shu-lik.”
“Your Majesty, please,” said Shang Liao.
“Firstly, training the army. Your army…” began Gu Shenwei.
“Your troops,” Shang Liao interjected, not daring to think that the north shore army was his own.
“Well, the troops that you have accepted are in panic and confusion. They are also not loyal to you. Staying in Xiaoyao Lake could be a tragedy. You will bring them to Shu-lik, showing them your trust. That way, you would have a chance of gaining their loyalty in the war,” explained Gu Shenwei.
“Your Majesty is right,” Shang Liao replied courteously. But he was indifferent. These words were just meant to save money. Anyone could have thought of them.
“Secondly, Xiaoyao Lake is sparse in population and cannot afford so many soldiers. Going to Shu-lik now would place all responsibility on the Crown Prince. This will resolve a burdensome issue,” continued Gu Shenwei.
“Actually the north shore army has not reached ten thousand people. It is still possible to keep these soldiers,” Shang Liao suggested, struggling a little.“These soldiers might be beyond your means, but I can afford them. Even if the costs were twice as much, the influence of the Royal Family on Xiaoyao Lake is unmatched by any outsider. Those blinded old men sitting on the Jinshan are oblivious to this, however, and have blindly wasted the King’s status and title. I will not repeat this mistake,” he mused.
“Not ten thousand, but thirty thousand,” said Gu Shenwei. He did not think to simply ask Shang Liao to fork over Xiaoyao Lake. “There are over thirty thousand troops on the south bank. Very soon, they will be incorporated into the Dragon King’s army. I will allocate 20,000 to you,” he continued.
Shang Liao was shocked. The Dragon King had just shown his utmost cruelty, but now he gave him 20,000 soldiers. This was akin to cutting his own flesh and giving it to other people. Even if the soldiers were problematic, there were many ways of resolving that. Sending them to the Land of Fragrance to reclaim the land was certainly more beneficial than simply giving them away.
“Dragon King…” Shang Liao was wavering between trust and suspicion. He was speechless for some time.
“I need not only the Right General but also an ally. You have this ability,” said Gu Shenwei.
Shang Liao got down on one knee again, his heart pounding. As someone from the Royal Family, he knew that the king’s praises usually had hidden agendas and did not bode well. “Shang Liao is a shallow man with small ambitions. I cannot afford to be an ally. I only want to serve the Dragon King wholeheartedly,” he pleaded.
“The arrogant and lackadaisical Shang Liao whom I first met is gone. He was penniless and had nothing then and would have wanted to use flattery to attract my attention. Since he mastered a big, but unstable power, he has started to weigh his costs and benefits,” Gu Shenwei reflected.
“Being an ally of the Dragon King, or being my henchman- just say what you want,” Gu Shenwei said, wanting to let Shang Liao recoup Shu-lik with his energy and enthusiasm. He could not force him, but must bait him.
“Except supplementing the necessary weapons and armor, I don’t have any other requirements,” Shang Liao answered carefully as he rose.
“You only have one chance. Once you walk out of this tent, you will not be able to ask me for anything else,” said Gu Shenwei.
Shang Liao grit his teeth. “After recovering Shu-lik, I hope Your Majesty will allow me to return to Xiaoyao Lake and implement the agreement we first reached, which is to let the Kang Kingdom expand its territory to the West,” he added.
“You will get your wish. But before this, you have to send troops from the West and join us in conquering the Golden Roc Fort,” answered Gu Shenwei.
Shang Liao had no contempt for the Dragon King. He had become cautious. “You have a deal. I hope that this agreement will not be an empty promise,” said Shang Liao carefully.
Feeling that this sentence was amiss, Shang Liao quickly added, “I’m not asking for a witness to sign a public agreement. I just need a piece of paper with a few lines of words written by the Dragon King. I will keep it a secret. It will not be known.”
Half an hour later, Shang Liao left the Dragon King’s tent with satisfaction, feeling that he had gained more than he had lost. About recovering Shu-lik, he started becoming impatient.
The Dragon King gave him a secret agreement. Even though it was deliberately worded ambiguously, two things were clear. First, that Shang Liao could possess and mobilize the troops. Secondly, that he owned the Kang Kingdom and if the kingdom was “threatened” and wanted to fight back, the Dragon King would support his actions.
Shang Liao’s only regret was that he was unable to return to the capital of the Kang Kingdom right away. Only after he recovered Shu-lik would the army of thousands leave. However, the gates would be open from then on, and he could inspect the city in his capacity as the King of the Kang Nation and live in his Royal Palace.
Shang Liao finally asked if the Dragon King had any more orders. Gu Shenwei gave him a death order, “Never give a single soldier to the Crown Prince of Shu-lik.”
Gu Shenwei allowed a capable general to retake the land, and would not need to take control of the army on the north shore anymore. He already had a rough idea and would improvise on it.
Night had descended. Gu Shenwei had to meet a series of guests. The Dragon King was about to set off to Xiaoyao Lake. In the name of honoring the fallen troops, various soldiers had gathered together on a rare occasion. Many did not require special arrangements. They only wanted to see the Dragon King one last time before leaving, as a form of showing their respect.
This was especially so for the swordsmen of the Great Snowmountain. After the reorganization carried out by Dugu Xian, they were no longer an independent army, but scattered amongst thousands of troops. They each carried a certain responsibility and became the skeleton of the Dragon King’s army. The Dragon King trusted and highly regarded them. However, this also led many people to feel sad, as the chances of the Great Snowmountain swordsmen fighting side-by-side had decreased.
Gu Shenwei spent two hours meeting the representatives of the Great Snowmountain in turns, congratulating them for their performance in the war, and mourning the unfortunate dead. He remembered their names.
After this, Gu Shenwei summoned the last person of the day — his queen.
Since going south, he had not been alone with the Queen. Things between them were usually conveyed through Xu Yanwei.
The late-night meeting was the Queen’s request. She wanted to protect her reputation and wished everyone to see that she was still the wife of the Dragon King.
The Queen’s exploits during the war, including her preparations for the escape route in advance, was known to Gu Shenwei. He did not chastise her for it, but only warned her sternly not to enter the military camp or interfere in the Right General’s affairs from now on.
When they looked at each other in the eyes, both of them were actually speechless. The passions of the first few days after their wedding had disappeared completely. The Queen, to Gu Shenwei, was just like Shang Liao, a force that needed to be used carefully. To the Queen, the Dragon King was, however, her source of strength.
“I am ready to bring the King back to the Stone Kingdom the day after tomorrow,” she said.
“Well, take good care of him so that he can be a qualified king when he grows up,” replied Gu Shenwei.
After these perfunctory remarks, the Queen added, “We still don’t have a child, after all. Don’t you… want to have your own heir?”
“Now is not the time to think about that,” Gu Shenwei spoke calmly. The map on the table was the only thing he could see.
The Queen had guessed this answer. She bit her lips. Her hint could only go so far. “If we can’t have any children, I hope that the Dragon King would give me some assurance,” she said.
“Guarantee about what?” asked Gu Shenwei.
“To guarantee that I will not become obsolete in the Stone Kingdom,” she replied.
“You are the Princess of the Stone Kingdom…” said Gu Shenwei.
“That means nothing,” the Queen interjected. “When the King of the Stone Kingdom is several years older, his birth mother will disown me, and he will also see me as a hindrance. I’m thinking you’ll not stay at Xiaoyao Lake for long. I am here, alone and helpless,” she continued.
“Tell me, what guarantees do you want?” asked Gu Shenwei again.
“Bequeath to me the title of Queen of the Stone Kingdom. After all, I don’t have any children. In the future, the throne will still be passed onto my nephew,” she requested.
Gu Shenwei was a little shocked and said, “The people of the Stone Kingdom will not accept a queen.”
“But as long as it’s your decision, everyone in the Western Region would approve,” she argued.
“Nonsense. No country in the Western Region would have a queen. After all, you are not doomed to be childless. Now is just not the time,” he went on.
“Haven’t you set up a queen in the Land of Fragrance?” The Queen asked, knowing that she had almost no favor from her husband. She knew she was not entitled to be pampered, either, but some words must still be said.
“She is not a queen,” Gu Shenwei replied coldly. “You may leave,” he ordered.
The Queen turned red as she noticed that the Dragon King had used “she” instead of “Shangguan Ru”. She turned to leave the tent and at the door, she turned around again and said, “I recite those verses every day, only for you.”
The Queen’s mind was now the only carrier of the Eighth and Ninth chapters of the “Wayless Book”. She believed that the Dragon King would be touched by this.
“I will remember this,” he said.
That was the Dragon King’s only reply.
As soon as she left, she saw a woman and a young man enter the king’s tent without needing to seek permission from the guards.
“Who are those two people?” she asked Xu Yanwei, waiting outside the tent.
Xu Yanwei did not wish to speak the truth, but could not think of a lie either, so he said, “Chu Nanping, the Dragon King’s guard. That woman… is Maid Lotus. She is the guard of the Dragon King.”
That was Maid Lotus. The Queen had heard rumors about her — that she was as cruel a killer as the Dragon King. It turned out that she was also a beautiful woman.
Women were jealous. She wondered if Maid Lotus was also as secretly unhappy with the “queen” of the Land of Fragrance as she was.
