At the same time, the Chu state's imperial court was also experiencing a major earthquake.
The post station clerk arrived at the Chu royal palace before Cao Zhen. In front of King Kaolie of Chu, Xiong Yuan, and all the officials, he said in great fear, "Your Majesty, the Qin envoy has arrived...it is...it is..."
His panicked and stammering appearance displeased King Xiong Yuan of Chu, who raised an eyebrow and scolded, "What do you mean by 'what ...'? What kind of behavior is this?'"
"Could it be that brat Ying Zheng himself has come?"
The clerk shuddered and quickly shook his head, saying somewhat rudely, "If it were Ying Zheng, that would be fine, but it's that wicked husband! It's that wicked husband who has personally brought people here."
"Furthermore, judging from the troops he leads... they are his elite direct forces, the Black Dragon Armored Army!"
As soon as he finished speaking, gasps of surprise erupted throughout the hall.
"What? How come it's him and the Black Dragon Armor Army?"
What does the Qin state want to do?
"Why send this murderous bastard to fetch the bride?"
"Your Majesty, we must be on guard..."
"......"
The hall was filled with noise, and everyone looked extremely flustered.
King Xiong Yuan of Chu's face darkened, and he stood up angrily, causing the hall to fall silent.
His gaze swept over the assembled officials with lightning speed, his voice deep and powerful: "Qin's actions are of unclear intent! The Black Dragon Armored Army is Qin's elite force; their arrival must have a purpose. My esteemed ministers, what countermeasures do you have?"
In the imperial court, there was much discussion. Some advocated for immediate preparations for war, while others suggested first probing the situation. In any case, no suitable plan could be put forward, which made Xiong Yuan even more irritable and angry.
Just then, an old minister slowly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Qin's move may simply be to show its importance, after all, E'fu is now of noble status and at the height of his power."
"I suggest that we first send an envoy to inquire and treat them with courtesy. We can't afford to cause trouble on such a joyous occasion, can we? What would become of Qin's reputation if we did that?"
After a moment's thought, Xiong Yuan nodded in agreement, deciding to heed the old minister's advice.
He immediately issued an order, instructing Cao Zhen to bring generous gifts upon his return and visit the wicked man at Juyang Post Station, while also seeking to ascertain his true purpose.
Meanwhile, the capital city also began to quietly prepare for war, just in case.
After all, the words "wicked husband" are like a thunderclap, with tremendous power, and this person has always been unconventional, his behavior is unpredictable, and he acts entirely according to his personal preferences.
In case he suddenly turns against you, we'll have enough power to subdue him and prevent him from running rampant in the capital. Wouldn't that be like inviting a wolf into the house?
Just as everyone was discussing, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, like a sudden storm, and at the same time the guards shouted, "Cao Zhen, the Director of Ceremonies, has arrived!"
Before the words had even finished, Cao Zhen had already rushed into the main hall like a whirlwind, his face showing the same panicked expression as the junior official before him.
This situation truly made Xiong Yuan and his ministers feel a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts.
"Cao Qing, why are you like this? Is it because of that wicked husband..." Xiong Yuan asked softly, as if he had lost all his strength.
Cao Zhen wiped the cold sweat from her brow and, seeing the worried look on Xiong Yuan's face, slowly recounted everything her wicked husband had said.
A deathly silence fell over the hall, and everyone wore expressions of anger and helplessness.
Their anger stemmed from the husband's words, which were utterly disrespectful and even contemptuous of the State of Chu, making it seem as if they were eagerly seeking a marriage alliance with Qin without any regard for etiquette.
On the other hand, it was they who proposed this marriage alliance in order to curry favor with and maintain relations with the Qin state, so as to avoid being trampled under their iron hooves.
"The strong prey on the weak... I only hate that my Chu Kingdom is declining." Xiong Yuan slumped to the ground, his brows furrowed with desolation.
King Huai of Chu was tricked by Qin and in his later years was lured to Qin, where he died in Xianyang.
During the reign of King Xiang of Chu, the government was corrupt and the country was in decline. He appointed sycophantic ministers and sidelined virtuous and loyal officials. The city walls had been in disrepair for many years and were weak in defense.
Qin general Bai Qi led his army to attack Chu. He fought alone on Chu territory, hoping to survive in a desperate situation. Taking advantage of the Chu king's neglected city defenses and lax border defenses, he adopted a heart-piercing tactic to invade Chu.
They then used the tactic of flooding the city to capture Yan, the secondary capital of Chu, and then went east along the Yangtze River into Chu territory, capturing Ying, the capital of Chu, and burning down Chu's ancestral temples and Yiling.
From then on, the State of Chu began its decline. When he first ascended the throne, the State of Chu was in a state of turmoil. He worked day and night, leading his ministers to stabilize the country.
He also submitted to Qin, ceding Xiazhou to Qin, enduring humiliation and hardship, all for the sake of making Chu strong.
He also enjoyed great honors, including the Battle of Handan where he rescued Zhao and defeated the Qin army, conquering the State of Lu and expanding the territory, and was full of pride and glory.
Now that he is old, his former rivals are gone, and he is the only one left to navigate among the successor monarchs of the various states. The glory of the Chu state seems to be fading with the passage of time.
Xiong Yuan understood that the decline of the Chu state was not a sudden event, but rather the result of the accumulated shortsightedness and incompetence of successive rulers.
Even though he tried his best to turn the tide, the future of Chu was still fraught with difficulties in the face of Qin's covetous gaze.
As his thoughts drifted to this point, a sense of regret welled up in his heart. If he had known this would happen, why hadn't he agreed to Zhao Yan's request to join forces with Qin?
He agreed to Lady Huayang's request for a marriage alliance to strengthen the relationship between the two countries and avoid the Qin's aggressive advance. Now it seems... Qin probably had the intention to destroy Chu all along. He truly regrets his past actions.
"The successor... what should be done?"
This thought kept lingering in his mind. He was old and frail, and he knew his own affairs were his own business. He didn't have many years left to live, but he didn't want the country that he had devoted his whole life to to perish with him a few years after his death.
"Your Majesty, what should we do?" Cao Zhen asked when he saw Xiong Yuan deep in thought.
Xiong Yuan snapped out of his reverie, his somewhat vacant gaze falling on Cao Zhen. He sighed and said, "I just gave the order that you take some generous gifts... and deliver them to that wicked husband, lest he cause trouble..."
The saying goes, "When the ruler is in distress, the minister is disgraced; when the ruler is disgraced, the minister dies." Cao Zhen felt a pang of sorrow, his eyes reddened, and he said fiercely, "Your Majesty, let's just go all the way and surround and kill this scoundrel."
"A mere three thousand men, even if they are elites capable of taking on ten men each, fifty thousand would be enough. If all else fails, one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand would be enough to exhaust them to death."
"Without the wicked husband, the Qin state is like a tiger without claws. How much power can it retain? If it allies with the Zhao state, it will be enough to make the Qin state unable to breathe."
Cao Zhen was also determined. He was a veteran minister who had been promoted by Xiong Yuan, and he was naturally loyal to the State of Chu and Xiong Yuan.
Today, he felt the contempt in his husband's words to his face. Although it was not directed at him, it made him, as a subject, feel extremely humiliated. He felt as if the King of Chu was being publicly insulted.
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