Book 10 Chapter 2 - Complicated Situation
Inside the carriage, Zhao Ya curled up inside Xiang Shaolong’s embrace, extremely sorrowful over her loss.
Xiang Shaolong rubbed her shoulder and softly whispered, “Keep up your spirit! A dead person can’t return back to life. We can only use our grief as strength to embrace all the upcoming dangers.”
Zhao Ya twitched, “They all died tragically. We couldn’t even recognize their faces. Who would actually dare to collaborate with these murderers? How did they even know the secret path to the palace?”
Xiang Shaolong’s heart trembled in fear. If this problem was investigated properly, even Empress Jing would be implicated in it, but if he didn’t explain everything to Zhao Ya clearly, with her wisdom, who knows one day she might realize that he had been lying to her all along. So, he explained Han Chuang’s role in this incident.
Zhao Ya was filled with hatred, dissatisfied, “How could you let go of Han Chuang?”
Looking at her filled with hatred and fury, Xiang Shaolong started to have a headache, sighed, “I also have no alternative. This incident must surely involve Empress Jing. In our current circumstances, there can only be danger and no advantage towards Zhao. If the relation between Han and Zhao worsen, it would only provide advantages to Tian Dan and Li Yuan. Ya’er, can you understand my difficulties? Don’t forget that I promised you to help your brother to tide over this crisis!”
After this reasoning, it’s hard for Zhao Ya to pursue it further, lying back down onto his embrace, she whispered, “Shaolong, I hate my Brother. Besides himself and his personal interest, he doesn’t care about anybody else.”
Xiang Shaolong secretly sighed. At the end of it, everyone who becomes the Emperor will become like this.
Absolute power will corrupt anyone.
When he thought about this, he couldn’t help but consider Xiao Pan, the future Qin Shi Huang. Just thinking about it brought about intense feeling of dread.
Handan had just passed a quiet but not so quiet morning.
Lord Xinling’s underlings had all been executed. Everyone in the city was shaken. This has brought Xiang Shaolong’s prestige as the new City Commander to a whole new level of height.
The following few days, Xiang Shaolong and the rest were busy. They have put in place several new preventive measures, but in actual fact, they were secretly preparing a way to capture Zhao Mu back to Xianyang in order to complete this mission.
With Guo Kai persuasion, Cheng Xu was released and allowed to resume his original post. Both were now even more envious of him. At the same time, they were confused why Zhao Mu hadn’t done anything even after knowing of Xiang Shaolong’s plot.
Because of Lord Xinling’s incident, both Tian Dan and Li Yuan tried to keep a low profile, not allowing anyone to guess what they are doing.
Han Chuang tried even harder to avoid suspicions, rarely went out for anything. Even more, he wouldn’t dare to request Shaolong to allow Tian Zhen and Tian Feng to accompany him, relieving Xiang Shaolong of this headache.
Lord Longyang decided to return to Daliang. Xiao Cheng decided on a day inside the palace to organize a banquet in order to send off Lord Longyang.
On the morning of three days before the farewell banquet, Zhao Mu sent someone looking for Xiang Shaolong.
Xiang Shaolong knew what it is all about, left whatever he’s doing and went to Marquis resident to see Zhao Mu.
This traitor invited him in to the secret room, excitedly said, “Your idea of loyalty letter is amazing. I can immediately test who is loyal towards me and who is sitting in neutral ground undecided.”
Xiang Shaolong replied, “Quickly give me the names of these undecided people so that I may present them to Xiao Cheng to get rid off.”
Zhao Mu pulled out a letter from his chest, spread it out on the table, gleefully smiled, “We both are thinking along the same line. Look! I have prepared it already.”
Xiang Shaolong looked at it closely and only saw more than ten names written on it. Cheng Xu surprisingly was written amongst them. The rest are all prominent ministers and generals inside the city.
Xiang Shaolong was astonished, “Isn’t Cheng Xu Guo Kai’s underling? How could he appear on this list? Could it be…?”
Zhao Mu’s eyes glinted with wildness briefly, “If it wasn’t for me, this ungrateful bastard wouldn’t even have the right to be Palace Commander? You better used this time when Xiao Cheng is unhappy with him to get rid off him.”
With these words, Xiang Shaolong instantly understood that Cheng Xu is definitely not his underling. He only wants to borrow someone else’s hand to kill him so that he can get his underling onto Cheng Xu’s current position.
From this conclusion, who would have the biggest opportunity to be the next Palace Commander would probably be Zhao Mu’s man.
Zhao Mu smiled, “Even if we couldn’t harm him, we have nothing to lose!”
Then he went silent, “Xiao Cheng truly summoned Li Mu to return to the city. The 20,000 thousands elite soldiers under his command are on the way here. They will arrive in Handan in 7 days. Hmph! But his return will only bring about his death because Xiao Cheng doesn’t have that many days to live.”
Xiang Shaolong secretly rejoiced. He knew that Zhao Mu had decided on a plan to usurp the throne. Pretending to be excited, “I have also prepared everything. Marquis, when have you decided to act?”
Zhao Mu was shivering in excitement. The poisonous snake-like ugly scar on his face and both his eyes were flashing in excitement. He frostily replied, “Three days later during Lord Longyang’s farewell banquet. Every ministers and generals will all be inside the palace. That would be the perfect time to act.”
This time, even Xiang Shaolong was confused, “But that would be when the security inside the palace would be most tight and the alertness would be most high, where is the opportunity in there?”
Zhao Mu smiled sinisterly, “As long as you can get organise those Generals whom are loyal towards Xiao Cheng to move into the palace and replaced them with our people, then the city will fall under my hands. Under those circumstances, would Handan then be like a meat on top of the anvil allowing me free reign to oppress and exploit.”
Xiang Shaolong replied in a heavy voice, “Could Marquis explain it better for me?”
Xiao Shaolong replied, “As long as we haven’t obtained that Loyalty Letters, I couldn’t be sure who is in that traitor’s pocket. Zhao Mu’s men could even be one of Minister Guo’s underlings. In this important moment, one mistake would cause everything to fall apart. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Xiao Cheng contemplated his words for a while then nodded in agreement. After discussing the details of the operation, Xiang Shaolong left the palace and return to his command center. He sent for Teng Yi and told him of the current situations.
Xiang Shaolong was surprised and looked at Lord Longyang. He only saw him tenderly gazing at him, sincerely said, “Please leave Handan! Otherwise you will die without burial ground. It doesn’t matter who ascend the Zhao’s throne, at the end of it, they both will want to eliminate you.”
Xiang Shaolong endured his almost acceptable hand on his hand, resolutely shook his head, “I never cared about life and death before, especially when we are at the juncture of my country’s demise, even more, I wouldn’t avoid and not care about this, otherwise I will regret it for the rest of my life and I would be ashamed to face my father in the afterlife.”
Lord Longyang saw that he is determined, retracted his jade hand, took a long sigh in a depressed state, gently said, “Brother Dong truly is a real hero. I won’t force you anymore but if one day Brother Dong can’t endure this anymore, please remember that I will be waiting for you in Daliang.” Paused for awhile before continuing, “Although Empress Jing and Guo Kai have different opinion on the City Commander post, but both of them, because of gains and losses issues, will collaborate with each other. You have to be careful of them!”
Xiang Shaolong was astounded. An idea flashed quickly through his mind. At the same time, he berated himself for his oversight for not realizing earlier Empress Jing’s machinations everywhere.
Lord Longyang had nothing left to say and took his leave.
Xiang Shaolong was touched. Full of gratitude, he saw him to the stable outside the command center and sent him off.
He knew in that instant that he needs to start his strategy afresh. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to leave Handan alive. Furthermore, he wouldn’t be able to capture Zhao Mu alive.