Chapter 96: The Broken Oath, and the Fall of Licheng

Hearing that low, angry rebuke from Meng Yuanheng, Shen Qianmo froze for a moment.

What was wrong with him now? Had he not been sleeping peacefully just a moment ago?

She hurried forward and pushed the door open, but the scene before her startled her.

Meng Yuanheng was leaning against the bedhead, looking as though he had only just awakened. Over his white undergarment, he had carelessly thrown on an outer robe, and he was glaring at a woman kneeling on the floor.

The woman was small in stature, her head bowed as she lay prostrate on the ground. It was none other than Qingluo.

At the sound of footsteps, Qingluo lifted her head. Seeing Shen Qianmo, a trace of panic flickered across her delicate face, but it was quickly replaced by a tearful expression. She rose and ran to Shen Qianmo’s side, her bright, almond-shaped eyes looking at her anxiously, as if she wanted to explain something.

When Meng Yuanheng saw Shen Qianmo enter, the fire in his eyes subsided somewhat, and his tone softened.

"Mo'er, come help me dress, and send this maid out."

From the way he said it, Shen Qianmo could roughly guess what had just happened.

Qingluo must have wanted to serve him as he rose and dressed, and he had refused to let her.

Really, he was so peculiar. It was only a little maid, not some fearsome beast. Was there any need to lose his temper like that?

Still, Qingluo was rather strange today. Usually it was Luzhu who attended her when she got up, so why had it suddenly become Qingluo instead? And just now in the outer room, Luzhu had not mentioned anything about it.

Shen Qianmo gave Qingluo a faint glance. Tearful and lovely, she had a pair of large eyes that seemed almost to speak, and there was indeed a certain charm to her. A pitiful, tender young girl—one that invited sympathy.

Could it be that this maid had feelings for Meng Yuanheng...

Though Shen Qianmo was puzzled, she showed nothing on her face. In her usual calm tone, she said, "Qingluo, there is nothing more for you to do here. Go down first."

At that, Qingluo quickly bowed and withdrew, hurrying out of the bedroom.

Shen Qianmo stepped forward, took the clothes, and dressed Meng Yuanheng piece by piece. Then, with a slight curl of her lips, she said leisurely, "Your temper is getting more and more peculiar. Having such a pretty maid attend you while you dress ought to be pleasing to the eye. Why get so furious?"

Meng Yuanheng gave a soft snort, then drew Shen Qianmo into his arms and bent to kiss her lips. He lingered over her mouth and tongue until Shen Qianmo could barely breathe and kept pounding his back in protest, before he finally stopped, reluctant to let go.

"This is punishment for Mo'er sneaking out of bed this morning and leaving me alone," Meng Yuanheng said, resting his forehead against hers, his voice full of seductive intimacy.

Shen Qianmo glared at him and said irritably, "Get up already, Your Highness. The sun is high in the sky."

Looking at her half-scolding, half-coquettish expression, Meng Yuanheng’s handsome face softened into a tender smile, and his heart was filled with joy.

These past days, he had never slept as soundly as he had last night, and so his mood was naturally excellent.

Only that maid just now...

Thinking of how she had seemed to throw herself at him on purpose, his sword-like brows drew together. He asked Shen Qianmo, "Mo'er, how long has that maid been with you?"

"Qingluo was a maid I chose myself after coming here. When I first saw her, I thought she had some backbone, so I kept her. She isn’t very talkative, but she’s clever and quite meticulous in her work—more steady than Luzhu, actually."

Shen Qianmo glanced at him and teased, "Why? Taken a liking to her?"

Meng Yuanheng frowned, clearly disliking the way she put it. A trace of disgust appeared on his striking face. "Mo'er, you know I have never liked being close to people."

"That was why you were angry just now?" Shen Qianmo asked.

"Mm." Since the maid had been chosen by Mo'er herself, there should be no problem. Perhaps he had simply been too sensitive. Meng Yuanheng decided not to say more.

As he was thinking, he instinctively drew Shen Qianmo into his arms once again.

But Shen Qianmo slipped free and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Weren’t you just saying you don’t like being close to people?"

"I only like being close to you, Mo'er. What of it?" Meng Yuanheng said with complete certainty.

"Rogue." Shen Qianmo lightly pinched his gaunt cheek, only to realize just how thin he really was—there was almost no flesh there at all.

It seemed she would have to fatten him up a little.

At that thought, she patted the back of his hand and said, "All right, go and have breakfast."

They were only halfway through the meal when Changdong reported from outside, "My lord, the palace has sent an urgent decree summoning you at once."

Another urgent summons to the palace. Shen Qianmo frowned. Being summoned so early could not be for anything good. Had something happened in the palace again?

What Shen Qianmo had not expected was that this urgent summons for Meng Yuanheng concerned war.

An emergency report from the frontier stated that the Northern Di army had launched a surprise attack on Li City in the night. Li City had fallen at dawn today, and Jinyang Pass was now in peril.

Jinyang Pass was one of the Great Sheng Dynasty’s vital fortresses on the northeastern border. Together with Zhengyang Pass in the northwest, it formed one of the great defensive barriers standing against the Northern Di along the empire’s northern frontier. If Jinyang Pass were lost, it would mean the northern barrier had been torn open. The Northern Di army would then be able to advance unhindered, and Shengjing City would be in grave danger.

Thus, Jinyang Pass held the same importance in the northern borderlands as Zhengyang Pass.

Seven years ago, three hundred thousand Northern Di troops had invaded Zhengyang Pass and were repelled by the Meng family army of the Xuan Prince’s Manor. In that battle, the former Xuan Prince died in combat, Meng Yuanheng was severely wounded, and the Northern Di general Helan was also slain by arrow fire. Both nations had suffered heavy losses, neither gaining the upper hand. As a result, after the war, the two countries signed a ten-year peace treaty, agreeing not to go to war with one another for a decade and to recover their strength in peace.

Now, with three years still remaining before the treaty’s expiration, the Northern Di had unilaterally torn it up and sent a hundred thousand troops to attack Jinyang Pass. The Great Sheng defenders were caught off guard, Li City was breached overnight, and the Northern Di forces swept forward like a crashing tide. Jinyang Pass was in urgent need of reinforcements from the court.

The news shocked the entire court. In his rage and alarm, Emperor Mingde actually fell gravely ill and was unable to attend court. He could only issue a weak decree from his sickbed, entrusting the temporary administration of state affairs to the Third Prince, Meng Tianxu, with the Grand Chancellor, Lord Lu Hengshan, assisting him.

Why Emperor Mingde had set aside the Eldest Prince, Meng Tianluo, and chosen instead to let the Third Prince govern temporarily was naturally related to the matter of Prince Rong.

Prince Rong had plotted rebellion and was condemned to lifelong confinement in the Imperial Clan Prison. Meng Tianluo had always been close to him and was naturally implicated as well.

Although Meng Tianluo had repeatedly wept before Emperor Mingde, claiming that he had simply judged men poorly and been used by his royal uncle Rong, a thorn had nevertheless lodged in the emperor’s heart. Thus, ever since Prince Rong was imprisoned, the Eldest Prince, Meng Tianluo, had not had an easy life.

At the morning court, the solemn Golden Throne Hall blazed with splendor and brilliance.

Meng Tianxu sat high upon the dragon throne. His complexion was fair, his features somewhat delicate, and his narrow phoenix eyes held depths impossible to read. He quietly swept his gaze over the civil and military officials standing in two ranks below, bearing himself with unmistakable authority.

When his eyes fell on Meng Yuanheng below, seated calmly in his wheelchair, cool and expressionless, a flicker of inscrutable light passed through his gaze.

"The Emperor is still ill. By imperial decree, while His Majesty recovers, state affairs will be temporarily overseen by this prince. Jinyang Pass is now in danger. What strategies do you all propose?" Meng Tianxu’s deliberately lowered, resonant voice echoed through the silent Golden Throne Hall.

"Replying to Prince Xu: compared with Zhengyang Pass, Jinyang Pass has long been lightly defended and short on troops. The Northern Di must have already discovered this, which is why they chose to strike there. But if Jinyang Pass falls, the consequences would be equally disastrous. Therefore, I believe troops must be dispatched at once to provide reinforcements and relieve the border crisis." The first to respond was Grand Tutor Wen, old and white-haired, with beard and brows like snow.

But plainly, those words were no more than obvious talk. Everyone knew the immediate priority was to send troops to reinforce the commander at Jinyang Pass. The real question was: who should lead them?

Meng Tianxu nodded. "Grand Tutor Wen speaks reasonably. As for the one to lead the reinforcements, whom do you gentlemen think would be suitable?"

The civil and military officials whispered among themselves for a while. After a short time, Yao Chong, the Minister of Revenue standing in the left row, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said loudly, "I believe Prince Xuan is the best choice."

As soon as those words were spoken, every gaze in the hall turned to Meng Yuanheng, seated alone in his wheelchair, aloof and cold.

If Prince Xuan’s legs were not crippled, he would of course be the most fitting choice without question. Everyone knew that in warfare against the Northern Di, if the Xuan Prince’s Manor dared claim second place, no one else would dare claim first.

But now Prince Xuan’s legs were disabled, and he could only move with the aid of a wheelchair. How could he lead troops into battle and kill enemies on the field?

"Lord Yao, have you gone senile? Prince Xuan is now unable to walk and can only rely on a wheelchair. How could he still be considered a suitable candidate?" Minister Fan had always spoken bluntly, without the slightest politeness.

"Leading troops into battle does not necessarily mean personally fighting the enemy. Even if he cannot walk, for Prince Xuan to sit in the central command tent would still allow him to direct the situation and win from a thousand li away." Minister Yao’s face turned red and his neck thick as he shot back at Minister Fan’s sarcastic ridicule.

As the two argued, the rest of the civil and military officials also began to murmur. Before long, the Golden Throne Hall was filled with a buzzing uproar, noisy and unbearable.

"Quiet," Meng Tianxu said loudly.

Seeing that this squabbling would not lead anywhere, he directly asked the Grand Chancellor, Lu Hengshan, for his opinion. "What does Lord Lu think?"

Lu Hengshan stroked the black beard beneath his chin, pondered for a moment, then bowed to Meng Tianxu and said, "I believe Lord Yao’s words do have some merit. At present there are not many military commanders in the capital. Marquis Ning is advanced in years, General Feng is indisposed, and the other generals are all stationed at the border. Aside from Prince Xuan, there truly is no other more suitable choice. It is only that Prince Xuan’s leg injury..."

Lu Hengshan glanced at Meng Yuanheng, who sat in his wheelchair observing coldly from the sidelines, and let out a sigh.

As Grand Chancellor, Lu Hengshan had always been diligent and tireless, working selflessly in the public interest. What he said was indeed the truth. There were truly very few military men in the capital now. General Feng Ze of Martial Might had originally been a good candidate, but unfortunately it had been said some days ago that he had offended the Emperor and been given a severe hundred-stroke beating. To this day, he still could not get out of bed.

Since even the Grand Chancellor had said as much, the others no longer engaged in useless argument.

Seeing this, Meng Tianxu turned to Meng Yuanheng, who had remained silent all this time, and asked, "What is Prince Xuan’s opinion?"

Meng Yuanheng’s cool eyes slowly swept over everyone present, and he gave a cold snort. "What if I refuse?"