Chapter 304 - Metamorphosis

Tianjing, the Imperial City.

The Grain Rain[1] season had arrived, and the weather was beginning to warm, though the early mornings still carried a slight chill.

In the Hall of Deliberation, Su Yi and the young Emperor Chen Xun sat facing each other. Eunuch Yue stood quietly behind Chen Xun. The vast hall felt somewhat empty with just the three of them present.

Su Yi rubbed his eyes vigorously. His bloodshot eyes were proof that he had not slept the previous night. Turning to look at the faintly lit window, he exhaled deeply and said, "Dawn is here... What time is it?"

"Ahem..." Eunuch Yue lowered his eyes and cleared his throat. "Just past the Hour of the Tiger."[2]

Su Yi massaged his temples. "Your Majesty, it’s about time for court. The matters we discussed last night..."

"I’ve got it under control," Chen Xun said calmly, his voice hoarse with fatigue. He lifted his head to look at Su Yi with a piercing gaze. "Teacher..."

"

Hmm

?" Su Yi looked at Chen Xun and suddenly realized that the youthful naivety of this young man had quietly faded away. In its place was the budding authority of an Emperor.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Su Yi couldn’t help but smile, a trace of unconcealed fulfillment in his expression. "Please speak, Your Majesty."

Chen Xun’s lips moved slightly before he slowly asked, "Can the Ruen Dynasty survive this crisis?"

Su Yi froze for a moment, not expecting such a question. The question betrayed how little confidence the youthful Emperor had..

After a moment of deliberation, Su Yi's gaze turned stern. "Your Majesty... What kind of question is that? The late Emperor safeguarded the Ruen Dynasty for decades, ensuring peace and prosperity. Why does Your Majesty lack the same resolve?"

Chen Xun lowered his head, staring at the sand table before him, as if afraid of Su Yi’s gaze. "Peace and prosperity... What peace and prosperity? Northern Qiang grows ever stronger, the border defenses suffer defeat after defeat, and rebellions rise across the Central Plains. The very foundation of our Ruen Dynasty has been threatened. In my eyes, the dynasty is riddled with holes. Where is this peace and prosperity you speak of?"

Su Yi’s brow furrowed deeply. The expression on Chen Xun’s face clearly showed that he was on the verge of losing his resolve. "The rebels are of no real concern. Merely a rabble of bandits and scoundrels causing chaos. They can’t stir up real trouble. As for the Northern Qiang’s incursions, it’s only a temporary issue. Once the border defenses stabilize—"

"How will they stabilize?" Chen Xun raised his head to look at Su Yi. "Most of Ningye and northern Hebei have already fallen. How much longer will it take? Will we wait for the Northern Qiang to reach the capital before it stabilizes?"

Bang!

Su Yi slammed the table, causing the sand table in the center to shake.

Eunuch Yue’s eyelids twitched. He cast a subtle glance at Su Yi but said nothing.

"Whether it stabilizes or not isn’t something you can decide with a word!" Su Yi pointed at Chen Xun, glaring at him. "Your soldiers are still fighting on the border! They’re still dying! Have they said they can’t hold the line?

Huh

?! Rather than worrying about whether they can hold the line, I'm worried that it’s you, the Emperor, who can’t hold it together!"

Chen Xun stared at Su Yi, his expression shifting several times. He looked as though he wanted to get angry but didn't dare to at the same time, making him appear somewhat comical.

Su Yi picked up the bamboo stick used to manipulate the sand table.

Chen Xun instinctively started to retreat, worried that his Teacher was going to hit him.

However, Su Yi ignored him, gripping the bamboo stick and gesturing over the sand table.

"They’ve only reached Liangzhou Prefecture, and you’re already afraid of the Northern Qiang marching on the capital? If they take two more cities, will you start considering where to move the capital?!"

"Ahem, Lord Su, please don’t be so agitated," Eunuch Yue finally said. Despite standing all night and attending to Chen Xun, he seemed the most energetic among the three of them, showing no signs of weariness.

Eunuch Yue stepped forward to stand beside Chen Xun, bringing the Emperor a sense of security. He said, "His Majesty’s concerns are not entirely unfounded. Didn’t we discuss last night? Lord Qi’s defeat forced the front line to retreat, and Liangzhou Prefecture is indeed difficult to defend..."

It was clear that Su Yi was truly agitated. His face was flushed red as he waved his hand emphatically. "Then forget about it! If we can’t hold it, we won’t! Pull the troops back and preserve our strength!"

Eunuch Yue froze for a moment and gave a wry smile. "Lord Su, what nonsense is this? You can’t just say such things."

"I’m not talking nonsense!" Su Yi panted heavily, regaining some of his composure. He sat back down and pointed at the sand table with the bamboo stick. "Look here."

Chen Xun and Eunuch Yue craned their necks to look.

Su Yi continued, "Previously, Lord Qi stretched his front line too thin, which allowed the Northern Qiang to concentrate their forces on one point and breakthrough. Under those circumstances, defeat was inevitable.

"However, this forced Lord Qi to regroup his army, which is now stationed at the crucial pass of Tuofeng Mountain. This position is so strategically important and defensible that the Northern Qiang would be dreaming if they wanted to try a direct assault. Their commanders aren’t fools; they won’t take that approach. It’s easy to predict that their next move will be to capture Liangzhou Prefecture.

"If Ningye and northern Hebei were still standing, they could support Liangzhou. But with those areas already lost, Liangzhou Prefecture is now in an awkward position. All Northern Qiang needs to do is pull their troops back from Ningye and Hebei to encircle Liangzhou and cut off retreat entirely.

"Instead of letting Liangzhou’s forces be slowly consumed, we’d be better off abandoning it proactively. Our troops will still have a slim chance of survival in doing so."

The hall fell silent for a long time before Chen Xun finally nodded heavily and said in a deep voice, "We’ll follow your suggestion, teacher."

Su Yi took a deep breath. "This matter must be handled quickly. An imperial decree should be issued during today’s morning court... General Qi Yanzhu is an excellent strategist. I’m sure he has thought of everything I’ve said. However, he is under orders and he cannot retreat without authorization. He’s probably been waiting for Your Majesty’s decree."

Chen Xun nodded. "I’ll issue the decree during morning court. This cannot be delayed... And what about the rebels rising across the regions?"

"That’s not urgent," Su Yi said with a wave of his hand. "The Northern Qiang are the priority right now. The rebels are still scattered and weak. The local militias can handle them for the time being. You needn’t worry, Your Majesty. The Imperial Guardians and Eastern Depot have their eyes on them. If anything changes, we’ll know immediately."

Eunuch Yue smiled as well. "Lord Su is right. The cooperation between the Depot and the Imperial Guardians is seamless these days. Their mutual reliance and cooperation makes their work twice as efficient as before."

Chen Xun glanced at Su Yi and praised, "The Depot and Imperial Guardians should have been like this long ago... This is all thanks to you, teacher."

"Your Majesty flatters me," Su Yi replied with a respectful gesture. "The credit should go to Commander Lin for his unwavering loyalty."

Eunuch Yue smiled, his face wrinkling with delight. "Lord Su, you’re being too modest. Everyone knows that Qi Zongbi filled the Imperial Guardians with his own people, nearly turning it into his private army. It was only thanks to your firm measures and decisive actions that we could purge Qi Zongbi's plants from the Imperial Guardians."

1. The 6th solar term in the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, that marks an important period in the agricultural calendar. ☜

2. One of the 12 two-hour periods that was used in ancient China to divide the day. It corresponds to 3:00 am to 5:00 am in the modern 24-hour time system. ☜