Chapter 762: Succession from Brother to Brother (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
In the southeast of the mainland, there is the Qu Kingdom, also known as Qu Dian.
The predecessor of the so-called "Qu State" was the "Shen State".
The fallen state of Shen was ruled by a tyrannical and dissolute ruler who favored treacherous officials, persecuted loyal ministers, and oppressed the people, causing widespread resentment. Meanwhile, Zhai Huan, the ruler of Qu, after years of seclusion, assassinated the tyrannical ruler and established a new state, named "Qu." Although his reign was short, he diligently governed, promoting both civil and military affairs, and fostering virtue and moral development among the people. He revitalized the nation, improving its internal well-being and defending against external enemies, thus giving the declining state a new lease on life.
Although Zhai Huan usurped the throne by murdering his master and his accession was illegitimate, the common people didn't care about such things. All they knew was that after the new ruler took the throne, their families' lives visibly improved, and the security situation was no longer as chaotic as before. That was enough for them!
The king also led his troops to destroy the neighboring country that had repeatedly harassed them!
When the news reached them, the whole country cheered.
However, the situation in southeastern China was not something a new nation like Qu could control. Faced with the rapidly growing power of Qu, several neighboring countries felt a sense of crisis and united to resist the pressure. King Zhai Huan was forced to reorganize his troops and launch another campaign.
This battle lasted for more than half a year.
The common people of Qu were unaware of the situation at the front, but judging from the fact that Qu had held out for more than half a year, Qu should not be destroyed.
The common people within the territory can continue with their lives as usual.
More than a month later, the two sides ceased hostilities and agreed not to invade each other.
King Zhai Huan led his troops in triumph.
However, even a three-year-old knows that this false peace is only temporary, and before long, another new country will be established, and another old country will be destroyed. Countries change, regimes rise and fall, the only constant is the land beneath their feet.
Da da da da—
A low-profile team sped past on the official road.
Leading the group was a young man dressed in a loose-fitting, deep purple, round-necked robe. This young man had delicate and handsome features, a straight nose, and lips as white as rouge. The most striking feature of his face was his pair of amorous, half-smiling peach blossom eyes, and his lips naturally carried a hint of a smile.
However, the young man kept his lips tightly pursed.
For some reason, those peach blossom eyes turned slightly red.
"drive--"
The young man steers the reins with one hand.
They galloped all the way into the capital of the Qu Kingdom.
As the young man entered the city, he raised the tiger tally in his free hand. The guards recognized him immediately and opened the gate for him without a word. However, some of the guards were new recruits who were unhappy with the young man's actions.
He muttered to himself, "Master, who is this person?"
Although the young man was dressed in fine clothes, he still seemed to fall short of the truly wealthy. Furthermore, this was the capital city, and the emperor kept a close watch on the sons of noble families; everyone had to dismount and cross the city walls. He had never seen anyone ride into the city on horseback like this before.
The veteran patted the new recruit on the back of the head.
Lowering his voice, he cautioned, "You clueless fool, who do you think he is? That man is the king's most trusted and valued brother. The king bestowed a title upon him as soon as he ascended the throne—even his own brothers don't receive such treatment. If you don't keep your eyes open when you encounter such a powerful figure, you might not even know how you died!"
The new recruits were frightened by the serious warning in the veteran's words.
If Shen Tang were here, she would recognize that the young man from earlier was none other than her friend who had ridden pigs with her—Zhai Le, Zhai Xiaofang. At this moment, Zhai Le had completely shed his youthful naiveté, his face mature, and his eyes resolute.
He was in such a hurry to return to the capital because of an imperial edict.
[Xiaofang, return quickly—your brother left this message.]
When Zhai Le saw these six words, his hands and feet almost went cold.
Ignoring everything else, he led twenty or thirty guards back from the training ground. A flood of fearful thoughts rushed through his mind. Little did he expect that he would see his wife's maidservant constantly peering out from the crossroads as soon as he entered the city.
The maid, with her sharp eyes, spotted Zhai Le: "Master!"
Zhai Le quickly tightened the reins and brought the warhorse to a stop.
He said in a deep voice, "What are you doing here?"
The maid said, "Madam instructed me to wait for you here!"
"Go back and tell the lady that I have other matters to attend to and that I will be back in the palace in less than an hour."
Upon hearing this, the maid exclaimed nervously, "Master, you mustn't!"
Zhai Le frowned and pressed for an answer: "Why is that?"
But the maid hesitated to speak.
Zhai Le looked up at the sun on the horizon, estimated the time in his mind, and said to the maid, "Let's go back to the manor first."
He found the letter from his brother somewhat strange.
Although Zhai Le returned in a high-profile manner, he didn't go to the palace to see the king first, but went straight home. He never expected to see his beloved family in his own home. He stared in astonishment at the man holding and playing with a large, chubby daughter.
In just a few years, the man's hair had turned completely white.
Only her face remains as young as ever, showing no signs of aging.
"Brother, what are you doing here?" Zhai Le strode into the main hall, then asked in confusion, "That letter..."
Zhai Huan sat on the mat, letting the chubby baby girl in her arms sit on her lap. In her other hand, she shook a jade-handled rattle, making a rhythmic "dong dong dong" sound that captivated the little girl's attention. She slightly opened her mouth, raising her chubby right hand to stuff it into her bare mouth, and glistening drool dripped out. Zhai Huan patiently wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief, her smile gentle.
This baby girl is Zhai Le's daughter, born at the end of last year.
She was robust and looked very fortunate.
Zhai Huan adored his niece, always wanting to hold and play with her whenever he saw her. Hearing Zhai Le's voice, he finally looked up and put down the rattle drum: "Le, come hold your big, chubby daughter... she's only five months old and already so heavy..."
Zhai Le's daughter recognizes people even at a young age.
They only recognize people with pretty faces.
Seeing Zhai Le reach out to her, she grinned, revealing her bare pink gums. Leaning against Zhai Le, she unceremoniously smeared her drool on his shoulder. Zhai Le bounced her up and remarked, "Second Girl has indeed gotten a bit heavier."
He sat down to the left and brought up the question again.
"Why did you suddenly send such a secret letter, brother?"
As he spoke, Zhai Le's expression darkened.
"Could that letter be fake?"
To everyone's surprise, Zhai Huan smiled and said, "The letter is indeed true, but it's not as urgent as you imagine."
Zhai Le breathed a sigh of relief: "What a scare! I thought it was my brother's old injury that had flared up again. It scared me to death."
Zhai Huan said, "The old injury has indeed recurred."
Zhai Le: "..."
"I brought you back just in case. If my sister-in-law hadn't secretly gone to the palace to request an audience, I'm afraid I would still be kept in the dark."
For a moment, Zhai Le's thoughts were in turmoil.
"Who would dare to keep this from my brother?"
Zhai Huan chuckled and said, "Power really does corrupt people's hearts. Ah Le, as you know, since your sister-in-law passed away, I have abused my literary skills, which has caused my health to deteriorate. I can't even remember how much lifespan I have wasted over the years. A while ago, I caught a cold and was sick for several days, and someone... hehe, kept this news from you and me."
Zhai Le's daughter, nestled in his arms, secretly tugged at his sleeve, her tiny fingers digging into the fleshy back of his hand. The pain was nothing compared to a mosquito bite, so he felt nothing; his entire mind was completely taken aback by Zhai Huan's words. His peach blossom eyes were filled with bewilderment.
"Who...who is it?"
Why keep the news of his brother's illness a secret from him?
Zhai Huan smiled bitterly: "Looking at the court, who else would dare to do this? Of course, it's your good cousin and my good brothers. Since your sister-in-law left, the position of empress has been vacant, and there are no concubines in the inner court... Ah Le, don't you understand? As your brother, I have no children and have sworn never to have another one. If anything happens to me... I can only choose to establish a brother or adopt a nephew."
Zhai Huan wasn't an only child; he had a half-brother, a full brother, and several half-sisters, but he wasn't close to any of them. Compared to his brothers, Zhai Le was more like his biological brother. Zhai Huan found this strange and could only attribute it to fate.
The court had already tacitly accepted that Zhai Huan was destined for a short life.
In other words, Zhai Huan didn't have many candidates to choose from.
These individuals unanimously regarded Zhai Le as a major enemy.
Zhai Le was speechless for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Could it be that my cousins... suspect that my brother will make me his successor? Anyone with a brain knows that's impossible. Madam damaged her health giving birth to Er Ya, and even the best doctors say she will have difficulty conceiving in the future. Even if she can conceive, she will need to carefully recuperate for five or six years..."
Zhai Le only has two chubby daughters.
After the fall of the Shen Kingdom, in order to help his elder brother stabilize the new dynasty, he married Zhao San Niang. Although Zhai Le did not have much affection for his wife before marriage, after spending time together, they got to know each other better and their feelings for each other deepened.
With Zhai Huan as an example, Zhai Le also wanted to stay with one person. Given that he clearly wouldn't take a concubine and only had two daughters, he posed no threat to his cousins. Why were they so wary of him? They had previously gotten along very well.
The Zhai brothers, of the same generation, helped each other and stood united against external threats.
Why have things changed so much in just a few years?
Unexpectedly, Zhai Huan's words left Zhai Le completely dumbfounded: "It's not a doubt, I truly favor you."
Zhai Le, whose hands were covered in his eldest daughter's drool: "..."
His head was buzzing, and his brain almost went on strike.
Zhai Huan said firmly, "I choose you, brother!"
Zhai Le said awkwardly, "But...this is not appropriate..."
Zhai Huan said, "I will handle the aftermath. You just need to take your position and protect this land. As for them... they are only interested in power struggles and don't deserve it!"
Zhai Le frowned, his peach blossom eyes filled with hesitation.
He didn't like being in charge; he always saw himself as his brother's right-hand man, helping him conquer all sides and protecting what he valued. His brother was the anchor in his heart; with his brother around, he didn't need to think.
Zhai Le still politely declined: "Brother, you are in the prime of your life. If you are not satisfied with your cousins, you can adopt a good son from their family and raise him well. There should be no war in the next few years. Once he is well-trained, I will assist him as I have assisted my brother!"
Zhai Huan sighed and touched her eldest niece's prickly short hair.
When the child was born, his hair was thick and unlike that of a newborn. His first hair was shaved off at 100 days old, and only now has a short patch grown back, making him look like a spirited little boy. He couldn't help but lament, "If only he were a boy..."
If it were a man, there would be no objection to directly appointing him as crown prince.
Zhai Le poked his daughter's soft cheek: "If she were a boy, perhaps she could cultivate to protect Madam and Daya..."
Women and children who lack the ability to protect themselves are still too dangerous. Zhai Le loves going to the battlefield, but generals who love the battlefield don't live long. He doesn't even know if he'll live to see his daughter grow up.
Then, he received a slap from his older brother: "You've been a father for the second time, and you still don't know that you can't move a child's cheeks? Er Ya drools even more than Daya, it must be your fault."
Zhai Le pouted, looking aggrieved, and touched the back of his hand.
Seeing his brother looking at his chubby daughter, he mistakenly thought the other wanted to hold the child again, so he shamelessly offered his daughter up.
But Zhai Huan showed no intention of taking it.
He simply asked, "Ah Le, are you really not planning to take a concubine?"
Zhai Le said softly, "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. Besides, when I married my wife, I used her family's influence to promise her a relationship. How can I break my promise for the sake of a woman?"
Zhai Huan said, "In that case, there's nothing we can do."
Zhai Le thought he had completely given up the idea of establishing himself.
"It is fate; I am truly not cut out for this."
Zhai Huan fiddled with her little niece's hand and suddenly said, "The eldest girl has no natural talent, but the second girl's is surprisingly good. Her meridians are clear and bright; she's a good seedling for cultivation..."
Zhai Le lowered his brows and said, "No matter how talented you are, but..."
Looking into his daughter's pure eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say anything hurtful, even though she didn't understand anything yet.
"I cast a divination for Er Ya earlier."
Zhai Le smiled and asked, "What does the divination say?"
Zhai Huan looked up at her younger brother and said, each word gentle yet firm, "Like father, like daughter. She can carry on your legacy."
Zhai Le was dumbfounded: "Inherit my mantle?"
Zhai Huan's words startled him: "If a scholar with literary talent obtains the Imperial Seal, any rank of literary talent can be promoted to the highest rank of the first grade, although this rank is useless. If a martial artist with martial prowess obtains the Imperial Seal, they can also gain access to the ways of a feudal lord... What about ordinary people? What about women with potential? I have read through countless records from previous dynasties, and no one has ever tried this, but this question should have an answer..."
The two brothers looked at the bewildered baby girl.
At this moment, the eunuch beside Zhai Huan whispered to the two brothers that it was getting late and Zhai Huan should return to the inner palace.
Zhai Le looked at him and said calmly, "They have some spies in the inner court, but we didn't want to alert them, so we didn't eliminate them. If we could have done it without bloodshed, I wouldn't want to spill blood in the royal court again. I only managed to see you this time because I asked my sister-in-law for help and sneaked out."
Zhai Lexin was anxious: "Brother!"
Zhai Huan waved his hand: "As long as they're not terminally ill, they won't dare to make any big moves, after all—I really will kill them."
Even if he didn't want it to come to this.
He told Zhai Le to stay in the capital for a while and not go anywhere. After giving him a few simple instructions, he disguised himself again and quietly returned.
Zhai Le was holding his daughter, lost in thought.
The panic and anxiety that had been barely suppressed resurfaced.
Before he knew it, his wife came to his side, draped an outer robe over his shoulders, and said softly, "My uncle vomited blood earlier."
Zhai Le shuddered violently: "Vomiting blood?"
Madam Zhao said, "I can vaguely see a basin of blood."
Considering her husband's relationship with her child's uncle, there were some things she couldn't say. She feared the king might not make it through the month.
On the third night after Zhai Le returned home, he was summoned to the palace by secret edict. Looking at the palace, which resembled a gaping beast in the darkness, his heart sank to rock bottom. A voice within him resisted, but his body, led by his brother's trusted aide, stepped through the palace gates.
(σ)σ:*☆
Next, one piece at a time, another piece at a time.
P.S.: These brothers' names are really easy to confuse.
(End of this chapter)
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