activa-t Chapter 521 Xiang Yan Returns to Chu 3
Chapter 521 Xiang Yan Returns to Chu 3
The palace of Yingdu still stood majestically, its white marble railings gleaming coldly in the gloomy sky. The bronze bells on the eaves jingled in the wind, yet could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere within. King Fuchu of Chu sat high on his throne, his dark dragon-patterned robes making his face appear even more somber. His usually gentle eyes were now like icy blades, fixed intently on the prostrate figure below—General Xiang Yan, who had just returned humiliated from Qin.
Xiang Yan had just returned from the Qin state, still bearing the dust of his journey and the lingering humiliation. His dusty armor remained, the frost on the plates long since melted, leaving mottled water stains, mirroring his current state of mind. His once upright and sturdy frame now lay prostrate on the cold gold bricks, his spine still bearing the fortitude of a soldier, yet within that fortitude lay an unspeakable weariness.
"Killing a ten-year-old girl is so troublesome?" Fu Chu's voice was not loud, but it was like a steel needle tempered with ice, piercing the silence of the hall and echoing back and forth in the empty hall, carrying a bone-chilling cold.
He slammed his hand on the armrest of the throne, the clinking of jade ornaments sending a chill down the spines of everyone in the hall. "Xiang Yan! You are the Supreme General of our Great Chu, commanding hundreds of thousands of soldiers, your bravery unmatched in the army. Which son of Chu doesn't respectfully call you 'General Xiang'? Yet what have you done? Not only did you fail to take Ying Wuyou's life, but you have also been imprisoned and become a prisoner of the Qin!"
Fu Chu's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed rage: "To ransom you, I had no choice but to cede three important border towns! Those three cities were the shield of Chu against the eastward expansion of the powerful Qin, the territory defended by the blood of countless Chu soldiers! And those ten million taels of gold almost emptied Chu's treasury for a year, forcing me to even reduce the funds for disaster relief! Do you know that this price is nothing short of a heart-wrenching pain for Chu!"
With each word he spoke, Fu Chu's chest heaved violently, his eyes burning with rage that seemed to consume Xiang Yan. He knew all too well Xiang Yan's importance. The Xiang family had served as generals of Chu for generations, their prestige in the army unmatched. Without Xiang Yan, the morale of the Chu army would likely crumble instantly. Otherwise, he would never have so easily agreed to Qin's harsh ransom terms.
But this rationality could not overcome the humiliation in his heart—a great power that had dominated the south for hundreds of years had to bow down and compromise with its old enemy in order to redeem a general. How could he, the King of Chu, be willing to do this?
The thought of the disdainful looks from the Qin rulers and ministers when they accepted the ceded territory, and the rumors brought back by the envoy that "the King of Chu is a woman of weak-willed compassion, abandoning his country for a defeated general," gnawed at his reason like a venomous snake, making him almost unable to control his anger.
A fleeting, absurd suspicion crossed his mind: Had Xiang Yan already betrayed the state and surrendered to Qin? Otherwise, why couldn't he even handle a ten-year-old girl? But he forcibly suppressed this thought as soon as it arose. The Xiang family's reputation for loyalty to Chu was already etched into the blood of the Chu people. From their ancestors to the present day, countless Xiang family sons had died on the battlefield for Chu, their loyalty shining as brightly as the sun and moon.
But it was precisely because of this that he found it increasingly difficult to understand and became increasingly furious. Could that Princess Jiayang of Qin, named Ying Wuyou, truly possess supernatural abilities? She was merely a ten-year-old child, barely out of her teens, yet how could she have such power to cause the battle-hardened Xiang Yan to stumble?
The mere thought of Ying Wuyou ignited an uncontrollable murderous intent within Fu Chu, like a volcanic eruption, his fingertips turning white from the force of his grip. This little girl, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, had, since first showing her talent a few years ago, caused Qin to transform at an unbelievable pace. Cement roads, paper, printing, heated brick beds, curved plows… each and every one of these things was constantly solidifying the foundation of Qin.
What troubled him most was the recent chaos within the Chu Kingdom—the Qin people were using sweet sugarcane to lure the people, causing countless farmers to abandon grain and plant sugarcane. Now, signs of a food shortage were beginning to appear, grain prices were quietly rising, and public grievances were growing. In some remote counties, small groups of refugees had even emerged.
"If this woman isn't eliminated, the State of Chu is in imminent danger!" Fu Chu roared inwardly. It was this intense sense of crisis that prompted him to secretly plant assassins within the delegation of Xiang Yan during Xiang Yan's mission to Qin to discuss expanding the "economic zone," intending to eliminate the threat forever through the most covert means of poisoning. But despite his meticulous planning, he never anticipated that his plan would fail so completely.
Xiang Yan knelt on the ground, his head bowed low, clearly feeling the gazes directed at him from behind. There were gloating scrutiny from ministers of the Zhao and Jing clans, indifferent indifference from neutral officials, and subtle sympathy from a few who were on good terms with the Xiang family. He knew perfectly well that the court was not a monolithic entity; the powerful clans of Zhao and Jing had always been engaged in open and covert struggles with the Xiang family. His defeat was a golden opportunity for them to attack the Xiang family and seize military power.
"Your Majesty, I have failed in your trust and deserve to die!" Xiang Yan's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, each word filled with deep weariness and humiliation. He had struggled; using such despicable means against a young girl was not the act of a hero. But Ying Wuyou's threat to the Chu Kingdom was like a thorn in his side, and that reluctance was ultimately swallowed up by worries for his country. He chose to acquiesce, only to end up like this.
Fu Chu looked at Xiang Yan lying prostrate on the ground, his anger surging so fiercely it threatened to consume him. He desperately wanted to order this useless general dragged out and executed, but reason reminded him: Chu still needed Xiang Yan, needed him to lead the army, resist the powerful Qin, and stabilize this precarious kingdom. Finally, he suppressed the furious rebuke that was about to escape his lips, waved his hand, and said in a chillingly cold voice, "Enough! This matter… will be discussed later. You must be tired from your journey; go back to your residence and rest."
After the words were spoken, the hall fell silent. Everyone knew that the King of Chu's "we'll discuss it later" was merely a temporary act of forbearance. The thorn of "humiliation" and "suspicion" had already deeply embedded itself in Fu Chu's heart. Moreover, the pressure of domestic food shortages was increasing daily, and reports from all over the country were pouring into the palace like snowflakes, each one reminding him of the severity of the situation, making him increasingly irritable and easily angered lately.
Xiang Yan kowtowed in gratitude, then slowly rose to his feet, dragging his heavy steps as he silently withdrew from the suffocating hall. The hall doors closed slowly behind him, isolating him from the oppressive atmosphere, but failing to dispel the gloom in his heart.
Walking the streets of Yingdu, the cold wind, carrying snowflakes, stung his face. Though he had returned to his homeland, and the ground beneath his feet was familiar, his heart felt heavier than ever before. During his imprisonment in Qin, Zhou Xun, the commander of Ying Wuyou's guards—a seemingly frail man with unusually bright eyes and sharp words—had once had a deep conversation with him. Those words now swirled in his mind like a curse, refusing to leave.