Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 46

A thousand troops are easy to find, but a single general is hard to come by.

Any ruler with ambition is one who cherishes talent. Furthermore, with the rift between Wei Xiu’s father and the Wei clan, she must harbor resentment toward them. Not only would she refuse to get entangled with the great clans, but she might even harbor intentions of revenge.

Such a worthy talent was precisely what the Emperor needed. His expression grew even more gentle, his eyes shining with a brilliant light as he said, “Pray, speak your mind, my dear minister.”

Wei Xiu sneered inwardly but maintained a respectful tone. “If the Qiang and Rong are not eliminated, they will be an endless source of trouble. I imagine Your Majesty is in favor of expelling them?”

Sooner or later, the Great Wei would have to cross the river and sweep across the nine provinces. This rebellion of the Qiang and Rong had become a thorn in the court’s side. The Emperor would never tolerate this thorn, lest it suddenly stab him in the back when he marched south in the future.

The Emperor’s eyes brightened further, though his face remained calm and gentle. “Indeed. A bunch of ‘outsiders.’ They had a good life but chose to stir up trouble. I shall expel them all in one fell swoop!”

“Can Your Majesty attack Qi and Song within ten years?” Wei Xiu asked.

The Emperor hesitated. It would be impossible to attack within ten years. He had not yet found capable generals. The current high-ranking officers in the army were all sons of the great clans. If they went to war and earned more military merits, the great clans, which he had spent years suppressing, would once again rise above the imperial family. If the new emperor were even slightly weak, the imperial house would, over time, become a mere puppet.

The previous dynasty had fallen in just this way. With such a recent lesson, how could the Emperor not be worried?

Wei Xiu observed his expression and sneered inwardly again. “What about fifteen years?” she asked.

The Emperor’s face grew even darker. In fifteen years, he might no longer be alive. By then, it would be up to the new emperor to command respect. But looking at his sons, they either lacked ambition or possessed courage without strategy. It was truly disheartening.

The Emperor sighed inwardly and said with a faint smile, “You might as well speak plainly, my dear minister.”

With that, he waved his hand for someone to refill their tea.

Wei Xiu then explained, “In fifteen years, Wei may still not be able to attack Qi and Song. But fifteen years is more than enough for the Qiang and Rong to recover. The kings of the desert and grasslands are different from those of the Central Plains. They do not speak of benevolence, righteousness, or morality; they only compete to see who is more decisive in slaughter and more formidable in strength. Once the Qiang and Rong are driven beyond the passes, a new king will emerge in no time. With a king, the tribes will have a figure to rally around. Your Majesty, just think: they were living comfortable lives within the passes, and then suddenly they are exposed to the sun and rain, eating in the wind and sleeping in the dew, with not enough food to fill their stomachs or clothes to cover their bodies. Will these barbarians not harbor resentment in their hearts?”

They would certainly be resentful! And having enjoyed the prosperity within the passes, they would yearn for it all the more. The Emperor could almost see the constant raids on the border, the burning, pillaging, and slaughter, the utter devastation of life. The Emperor grunted softly, feigning disdain, but his expression clearly showed that he had taken Wei Xiu’s words to heart.

“The Qiang and Rong are naturally warlike. When the time comes, a new, ambitious king will rise, and his people, nostalgic for their past, will knock at our gates day after day. Will that not be a cause for concern?” Wei Xiu’s tone was calm and steady. At this point, she lowered her head to look at the floor, a cryptic smile flitting across her lips. She suddenly brought up the battle in Liangzhou. “The recent battle in Liangzhou reveals the corruption within the army. Thirty thousand Wei troops were routed. Qian Wu was at fault, but is the imperial court entirely blameless?”

Ultimately, those thirty thousand men died because of factional strife. Was this strife merely between the Prince of Zhao and the other princes? No, it was a struggle between the great clans behind them. How could the Emperor not know this? His refusal to replace Qian Wu was, on one hand, a genuine underestimation of the military situation in Liangzhou, but on the other, it was an unwillingness to confront the great clans too sharply. He had considered the old General Jiang Tong as his fallback, but who would have known that in the past decade, Old General Jiang had already been pushed out of the military command.

The Emperor had been completely unaware of such a critical matter, which showed just how brazenly the Liangzhou command had been deceiving their superiors and concealing the truth.

The great clans had flourished for centuries. They appeared glorious, but in reality, they acted only for their own private interests. They were capable of selling out their own sovereign and still enjoying high office, noble rank, and a life of luxury in a new dynasty. How could they be subdued in a mere decade or so? They had only chosen to lie dormant under the Emperor’s methods.

Looking at the Liangzhou affair, even with the Emperor using both kindness and authority, balancing leniency and severity to make the great clans yield, there were still matters beyond his control. How much more so for a future new emperor?

Wei Xiu had not uttered a single word about the princes’ faults, yet she had painted them as utterly useless, magnifying their incompetence in the Emperor’s mind. From now on, whenever the Emperor saw his sons, he would inevitably recall her words today—princes who might not even be able to hold onto the situation their father had created…

Wei Xiu looked at the Emperor, a gentle and scholarly smile on her lips. She did not resemble a sinister strategist plotting against others, but rather a refined hermit picking chrysanthemums by an eastern fence.

The Emperor took in all of Wei Xiu’s words. Although this person was not in the court, she saw its affairs with crystal clarity. She had even pointed out his hidden worries, hitting the nail on the head without the slightest deviation. There might not even be two ministers in the entire court who attended the morning session every day with such insight!

The Emperor was overjoyed. He laughed heartily and said, “Sir is my confidant! All that you have said are the great troubles that weigh on my heart.”

Wei Xiu smiled and shook her head, as if to say she was unworthy of the praise, but she offered no words of modesty.

The Emperor raised his cup. “Upon finding a confidant, one ought to drain a large cup of wine. As there is no wine, let us use tea instead!”

With that, he drained his cup first as a sign of respect.

Wei Xiu drank as well.

Setting down his teacup, the Emperor asked with concern, “As you say, Sir, if we expel the Qiang and Rong, the future troubles will be endless. But if we are to integrate them with the Han people, how should we proceed?”

Wei Xiu replied, “Have them undo their braids and wear caps, cast off their felt and furs for Han clothing, have them live intermingled with the Han, permit intermarriage between Hu and Han, and allow Hu people to enter official careers. Treat them as Han people. When the heart finds a place to belong, a foreign land becomes a homeland.”

With each short phrase she spoke, the Emperor’s expression grew more focused. When she finished, he struck the table and declared, “Well said!”

If they acted according to Wei Xiu’s words, the Hu people would become Han, neutralizing the crisis before it could form. Not only that, but the barbarians were skilled warriors. In the future, they could be recruited to serve as elite troops.

But as he considered the difficulties involved, the Emperor’s brow gradually furrowed. The court would not agree, the great clans would surely obstruct it, and implementation would not be easy.

This matter required long-term planning.

Wei Xiu lowered her head, holding her teacup and gently brushing away the tender leaves floating on the surface.

The Emperor looked at her and smiled. “Sir, since you have this brilliant plan, why not help the court bring it to fruition? That would be seeing it through from a good beginning to a good end.” He calculated correctly that if she could devise this plan, she must have a way to implement it. Otherwise, it would be empty words, and she would not have spoken so candidly.

The Emperor’s calculation was accurate; Wei Xiu did have a method. But she would not undertake this task by herself.

She placed her teacup on the small table and said with a smile, “I am but a scholar, skilled only in discussing strategy on paper. To entrust such a great matter to me, Your Majesty will likely be disappointed.”

The Emperor smiled and shook his head. “Why so modest, Sir? With your abilities, given time, you will surely become a renowned minister of your generation.”

Wei Xiu lowered her head and smiled slightly, carefully concealing the bone-deep hatred in her eyes. She said, “Renowned ministers can be divided into three types: first, ministers of governance; second, ministers of salvation; and third, ministers of chaos. In Your Majesty’s opinion, if I were to become a renowned minister, to which category would I belong?”

Not knowing why she asked this, the Emperor was puzzled, but he answered sincerely, “Sir would be a minister of governance.” The state of Wei was already established. She could not be a minister who saved a nation from turmoil, nor could she be a minister of chaos who schemed to bring about a country’s downfall. Naturally, that only left being a minister of governance.

But Wei Xiu shook her head. “Your Majesty is mistaken. My talent lies in throwing a state into chaos.”

Hearing this, the Emperor’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. He stared at Wei Xiu, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, as if trying to pierce the unruffled mask on her face and see her true self. His smile became dangerous as he asked, “And why do you say that, Sir?”

The atmosphere suddenly became as taut as a fully drawn bowstring, making one’s heart pound with suspense.

Wei Xiu watched the Emperor’s instinctive defensiveness at the mere mention of chaos. He had gone to such lengths to gain his throne, and now he went to such lengths to worry about losing it, like a bird startled by the twang of a bow. How truly pitiful.

Like a hunter toying with its prey, like a soldier carefully licking bl00d from the edge of a blade, she knew that one misstep could lead to being savaged by the prey, that a moment of carelessness could result in her tongue being cut by the sharp blade. Yet she couldn’t resist the malicious urge to see the panic in the Emperor’s heart.

When Wei Xiu had seen enough, she said with unhurried composure, “I know some arts of governing a state, but I am better versed in the ways of throwing a state into chaos. When the day comes to march south, I am willing to sow chaos in Qi and Song for the Great Wei. Before that, I would prefer to close my doors and read.”

So that was what she meant. So her ambitions lay on the battlefield. The Emperor suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, as if a great stone had been lifted from his heart. He leaned back, and the soaring dragon embroidered with gold thread on his robe moved with him, as if coming to life. He looked at Wei Xiu, his smile relaxed. “There will come a day for you to display your grand ambitions, Sir.”

Wei Xiu bowed slightly. “I hope it is as Your Majesty says.”

“All this talk is about the future. The urgent matter at hand is how to settle those hundreds of thousands of Qiang and Rong. Do you have a good plan, Sir?” the Emperor asked, leaning forward.

“Turn their resistance into a driving force,” Wei Xiu said.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor was first puzzled, then suddenly enlightened. He couldn’t help but laugh, again and again. “Sir is truly a brilliant person. Ah, if you were on the battlefield, you would surely be full of ingenious strategies.”

A eunuch entered from outside. He first paid his respects, then announced, “Her Highness, Princess Puyang, requests an audience with Your Majesty.”

The Emperor was in a good mood and said with a smile, “She comes in such a hurry. I haven’t even had a chance to speak more than a few words with Minister Wei.” Despite saying this, his next words were, “Quickly, let Seventh Lady in.”

The eunuch also smiled and acknowledged the order, then quickly withdrew.

Wei Xiu turned to glance at the hall entrance. When she looked back, she saw the Emperor gazing at the entrance with a gentle and loving expression. He then instructed the grand eunuch beside him, “Go brew a cup of hot tea.”

Puyang entered shortly after. Her clothes were dotted with a fine layer of raindrops, and her dark, cloud-like hair was also damp.

It was raining again. The spring rain carried a damp chill, and a cup of hot tea was just the thing to ward it off. Wei Xiu bowed slightly to Puyang. Seeing that she was perfectly fine and that the Emperor’s expression was quite pleased, Puyang breathed a sigh of relief. She sat down beside the Emperor and said, “Did I interrupt Father’s conversation?”

“Not at all,” the Emperor laughed, his half-white beard trembling slightly. He then asked with concern, “Where have you just been?”

Puyang answered him. Just then, a palace attendant served the hot tea. Puyang accepted it, seemingly already aware that the Emperor had specially prepared it for her, and thanked him with a smile.

Wei Xiu watched from the side. The princess was showing a rare, girlish coyness, even complaining that the tea was too strong and a bit bitter. It was very different from her usual self, yet just as endearing.

Seeing this father and daughter in such harmony, she felt a sharp pang in her heart, a piercing pain.

The princess is innocent, Wei Xiu thought. But when the great tide of events turns, it is often the innocent who perish.