Chapter 114 Chapter 114 "Today's Cut..."
"Today we surrender five cities, tomorrow we surrender ten, and then we can sleep peacefully for the night. [1] Your Majesty did this twenty years ago, and I'm afraid it's still the same now." Jiang Wan said in a deep voice, "But whether it's against the Great Zhou or the Crown Prince, we must win this battle. Are you sure you can convince those old men in Lin'an?"
Emperor Chengde consistently implemented a policy of prioritizing civil officials over military power, fearing the threat posed to the throne by military commanders. This was because, after he was crowned crown prince, the previous emperor's eldest son had leveraged the influence of his mother's family to raise an army and usurp the throne. Therefore, Emperor Chengde was particularly wary of foreign relatives controlling the military. Wen Shen, being the crown prince's uncle, would have a difficult time gaining control of the military.
But he just lowered his eyes calmly: "I have to convince them."
Jiang Wan nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "Then please ask for an imperial decree for me as well. I want to go to Wusun and rescue Brother Fang and Brother Qi, and then try to break the alliance between Wusun and the Xiongnu."
"No!" Wen Shen clenched her hand, his face tense. "The Wusun have broken their alliance with the Great Zhou and re-aligned themselves with the Xiongnu. Even Lord Fang and his men have been arrested. It's clear they're showing no mercy. The Xiongnu have sent people to hunt you down several times, which shows how much they fear you. If you go alone, what if they want to sacrifice you?"
Jiang Wan stared at him. "The Wusun are the most powerful nation in the Western Regions besides the Xiongnu. If the Wusun and the Huns join forces, what chances do the soldiers of the Great Zhou have of winning?"
Wen Shen lowered his head: "Twenty percent."
Jiang Wan took a half step forward. "I've been traveling in the Western Regions for a whole year and have the best understanding of the situation there. If you want to choose someone to lobby, is there anyone in the Great Zhou who is more suitable than me?"
Wen Shen pursed his lips into a line and said nothing.
"It is also my wish to repel the Xiongnu and restore Qingjiangju to the Western Regions." Jiang Wan gently stroked Wen Shen's cheek and said softly, "Zi Yan, although I don't understand military tactics, I want to pave the way for you and help you return victorious."
On August 15th, the Zhou army heading to attack the Xiongnu arrived at Yumen Pass.
After returning to the capital, Wen Shen quickly dealt with the pro-peace faction in the court and arrested the Grand Tutor. He temporarily assumed the position of Grand Marshal and led 100,000 troops to Yumen Pass, bringing with him an imperial edict ordering Jiang Wan to serve as an envoy to Wusun.
Jiang Wan was still confused when she received the imperial edict. She thought it would take Wen Shen at least ten days or half a month to get the military order, but she didn't expect it only took him three days.
That day, he drew his sword and dismounted outside the palace, then dressed in military uniform and went to the palace. He spoke these words before the emperor:
"For the past two decades, our Great Zhou has engaged in constant warfare, both large and small, with few victories. This has weakened morale and eroded national prestige. Now that the Huns are at our gates, if we cede territory in exchange for peace, wouldn't we be handing over our national destiny to treacherous ministers and surrendering the very lands our ancestors conquered? If so, where will the morale of our soldiers and the confidence of our people be? Your Majesty, this battle is a battle of prestige and national prestige. If we simply avoid it and rely solely on trade routes and marriage alliances with foreign nations, how can we ever command the submission of the four barbarians?"
These words made all the officials in the court bow their heads and remain silent.
The autumn wind in Xiaofangpan City was bleak, stirring up a mist of dust and sand. After Wen Shen finished reading the imperial edict conferring the title of envoy, he lifted Jiang Wan up with both hands.
Because of his temporary position as Grand Marshal of the Army, the county magistrate had prepared a quiet courtyard for him. After the imperial edict was read, the accompanying officials dispersed in groups of three or four, leaving only a pair of figures standing in the corridor. Wen Shen, hands clasped behind his back, gazed into the distance and suddenly said, "This place is only seven or eight miles away from Duolun Lake."
Jiang Wan followed his gaze and saw a lush green grassland. In autumn, the emerald green took on a hue of desolate green. Clear Lake Duolun lay quietly where the grass met the sky, like a jewel stitching together heaven and earth.
That was where she and he first met.
Tomorrow she would depart for Wusun. Wartime was unusual, and she wasn't sure she'd return safely. Normally, she wouldn't risk anything without being fully prepared. But with a formidable enemy at hand, she had little time to prepare.
For the people he cares about, for Qingjiangju's business, and for the Great Zhou, Jiang Wan had to make this journey, even if it meant being buried in a foreign land.
Looking at the people around her, the reluctance in her heart was just as great as when she was outside Lin'an City last year.
"Come in and have a drink, just as a farewell party for you." Wen Shen took her hand, rarely revealing a bit of greed.
The wine was Yangzhou Zui, a specialty of Jiangnan, not as strong as the wines from the Western Regions. The long-lost delicate aroma of wine reached his nose, and Jiang Wan picked up the glass, drank it all, and poured another.
The Yangzhou wine tasted sweet, and the clear wine in the cup was illuminated by the sunset, casting a golden red. After three cups, Wen Shen snatched the pot from her hand and said sternly, "If you drink any more, you'll be drunk. Be careful not to come tomorrow."
Jiang Wan pouted in dissatisfaction and reached out to grab the wine jug back: "What's wrong with drinking more? There's no such good wine in Wusun."
"When you come back, you can drink as much as you want. I promise I won't stop you." Wen Shen held down her restless hands and said in a low voice, "Wanwan, come back alive. Do you hear me?"
Perhaps it was because he drank some wine, Jiang Wan's chest felt hot and his mind went blank for a moment.
When she came to her senses, she was already sitting on Wen Shen's legs, half hugging his neck, and giving him a hot and wet kiss on his ear.
Wen Shen's body trembled, and he placed a big hand on her back. With a sudden force, Jiang Wan crashed straight into his hard chest.
Hot and hard, she could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest.
Jiang Wan couldn't help but lift his shirt, wanting to feel the strong heartbeat more closely. Just as her fingers were about to touch his chest, Wen Shen held them tightly.
The latter lowered his head, licked her fingertips lightly with the tip of his tongue, and said in a hoarse voice: "No..."
"Why not?" Jiang Wan whispered, "Zi Yan, I want it."
Wen Shen's brain buzzed, and he forgot what he wanted to say or ask. He just instinctively picked up the girl and walked towards the bedroom.
A lotus is blooming in front of the window. The evening breeze blows, rippling the water. The delicate petals sway and tremble in the wind, revealing the light-colored stamens.
-
On August 16, Jiang Wan said goodbye to his two disciples at the city gate. Because it was before the war, the delegation kept a low profile to avoid being ambushed by the Xiongnu alliance.
It was called a diplomatic mission, but in reality, there were only two people. Jiang Wan, his guard and aide-de-camp, two people and two horses in total, and they left Yumen Pass.
When passing Duolun Lake, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind: "Master Jiang, wait a minute!"
Bai Yanyun came galloping over on a brown horse, panting, "Master, please take me with you. With one more person to share the burden, your pressure will be less. Besides, although you have learned the Wusun language, you are not yet proficient in the Xiongnu language. I can follow you and translate for you."
Jiang Wan remained noncommittal: "This journey is life-threatening, why are you taking the risk with me?"
Bai Yanyun: "Master Jiang, in fact, on the night we were attacked on the Loulan Ancient Road, you guessed that I was the traitor, and you also knew that I deliberately blocked the knife to gain your trust."
"But the Lord still spared my life and took good care of me."
It turned out to be a way to repay her for letting him go. Jiang Wan waved his hand casually: "You helped me deal with your family's head, so this favor is repaid. Go back."
Bai Yanyun came up to him with a smile and said, "Master Jiang, if you fail, Zhu Yongding will lead the Xiongnu cavalry to Lin'an, and I, a traitor who betrayed the First Lord, will not be able to escape. Besides, I just spent fifty taels of silver on this horse. If you drive me away, the money will be wasted."
Jiang Wan couldn't persuade him, so he had to let him follow behind and enter the Wusun Ancient Road.
Time was of the essence, so the three of them galloped through the scorching sun, resting only at the Rose Post Station at nightfall. After three days of continuous travel, Bai Yanyun would rise from the post station in the morning with a look of reluctance, mount his horse with a pale face, and then, at night, roll off his horse, foaming at the mouth. His aide, Fan Shixing, carried him to the post station, where he lay dead in bed all night.
...As a thin civil servant, it is really difficult for him.
Jiang Wan's body was actually weaker than Bai Yanyun's, but she had been walking in the desert for a long time and her temperament was tougher than that of ordinary people, so her condition was slightly better than Bai Yanyun's. However, she still felt weak after running for three days.
The one in the best condition was the adjutant Fan Shixing, the former commander of the Imperial Guards and Wen Shen's master when he was young. He had extremely strong internal strength and could run faster than a horse when he used light skills. He was responsible for exploring the way along the way.
Late at night on August 18th, the three finally approached Chigu City.
They barely managed to lie down at the post station for two and a half hours. Thinking of the danger they were about to face, none of the three felt sleepy. At dawn, each of them drank a bottle of vitality potion, covered their dark circles with makeup, and headed for Chigu City.
Outside the city, on the grasslands, Wusun and Xiongnu soldiers were conducting joint drills, their bugles blaring. Jiang Wan and his companions reached the south gate. The guarding Wusun soldier glanced at their faces, then drew his sword and shouted, "Who are these Central Plains people from? Capture them!"
The Wusun soldiers, who had been extremely enthusiastic about the merchants from the Great Zhou Dynasty just a few months ago, now had a complete about-face. This made Bai Yanyun hard to adapt to for a moment, and he subconsciously asked, "Why?"
Jiang Wan was also shocked for a moment, but she quickly realized that things were different now and the alliance between Da Zhou and Wusun had been broken.
The situation in Wusun was even more serious than she had imagined.
She quickly pulled out the talisman and said, "Engagements are not executed when two armies are at war, let alone now when the battle has not yet begun. I have already sent the letter to Kunmi in advance. Doesn't the general know about this?"
The soldier said with disdain: "I don't know. Even if we knew, we Kunmi won't see you. The people of Central Plains will soon be our slaves. What qualifications do you have to talk to me about whether you are here to serve as an envoy or not?"
Jiang Wan clenched her fists. In the past, she would have had Fan Shixing beat this man up. But now, every move she made represented the Great Zhou, and she had to show her sincerity in the peace talks.
She stopped Fan Shixing's actions with her eyes.
The shackles clicked onto Jiang Wan's wrists, and she looked up at the sky.
The wind was howling, dark clouds covered the sun, a storm was about to come, and the whole scene was bleak.
[1] From On the Six Kingdoms
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