Chapter 386: Won’t Kill, Will Imprison
"They’re not just ordinary bandits. They’re the remnants of the former Prince’s faction, who have been gathering support in the southern region. An urgent report came in saying they show signs of planning a rebellion."
"Is the evidence conclusive?"
Dean Chen shook his head. "The guard who delivered the urgent report said that a large number of death warriors and weapons were discovered in the mountains of the southern region. Their clothing and blades all bear the crest of the former Prince’s household."
Ye Qianning only knew that the Beili Emperor had also gone through a succession struggle among six princes. Back then, two of the Princes had conspired together and nearly seized the throne.
She wasn’t entirely sure how he had managed to turn the tables. She had done a lot of research on the current generation at court, but she was less clear on the affairs of the previous one.
’But for an urgent report to arrive just as her father was trying to resign... something isn’t right.’
"Why would Father agree to go to the south?"
"The guard who made the report said the leader of the death warriors is a man named Chen Fu. Chen Fu and your father were very close. Years ago, when an enemy nation launched a surprise attack on the border, Chen Fu stepped forward to take a sword blow for your father. He was captured, dragged behind a horse until he died, and his body was thrown into a mass grave. Your father has never been able to let it go. Hearing suddenly that Chen Fu might still be alive, how could he possibly sit still?" Dean Chen knew a great deal about Xiang Minghou’s past.
No matter how she looked at it, the whole thing felt bizarre. "Are they sure?"
"His build and appearance are reportedly a very close match. Your father wants to confirm it for himself, which is why he agreed to go south as the Vice Commander."
"Vice Commander? Who is the Commander?"
Ye Qianning was already stunned by what she had heard, but learning he was only the Vice Commander was even more shocking. ’No wonder people were pressuring him to go.’
"The son of Grand Tutor Zhang. He’s a military commander who was promoted just last year. Don’t worry, he’s a man of decent character."
Ye Qianning knew a bit about Grand Tutor Zhang; he was a man of good standing. Her heart relaxed slightly knowing his son was the Commander. She had been afraid it would be some petty man who, once given an inch, would take a mile and abuse his minor authority.
"Your father is a veteran of many campaigns and incredibly capable. You don’t need to worry so much." Dean Chen could see the girl was worried.
"Yes... Master, if my father really does resign, do you think the Emperor will have him killed?"
’She wasn’t afraid of anything else, only that the Beili Emperor might secretly be harboring malicious intentions.’
Dean Chen thought for a moment, then shook his head. "The Emperor greatly values talent. There aren’t many men who are both young and a master of warfare. As long as it isn’t an act of rebellion, the Emperor won’t kill him for defying the imperial will. However, he will be punished severely."
The knot in Ye Qianning’s chest loosened a little. Her master understood the Beili Emperor better than she did. ’The Emperor might be using this opportunity to crush my father’s idea of resigning.’
"Even if your father resigns, the Emperor won’t kill him, but he will imprison him." Even if he resigned, he would never be able to leave the Capital City.
’If he truly left the Capital City, the Emperor’s intentions might change entirely.’
Ye Qianning finally understood. It was far easier said than done to want to live the life of a commoner. After all, as a General, her father knew Beili’s affairs like the back of his hand. If he were to reveal them to another nation, the consequences would be unthinkable.
’Resigning wasn’t impossible, but he would have to remain under the Emperor’s watchful eye.’
"The situation is always changing. It’s not something a young girl like you can control. At your age, you should be playing without a care in the world." Dean Chen was genuinely worried the child would make herself sick with worry.
"Shouldn’t Master be telling me to read more books?"
"Do you even need to?"
"Of course. Master, you’ve almost mastered simplified characters, while I haven’t even gotten started on the traditional ones." Although Ye Qianning had a photographic memory and could recognize the characters, she was hopeless when it came to writing them herself.
"The Eighth Prince, Qian Zhuye, even Gao Qi—their calligraphy has shown great improvement. Yet yours is still a complete mess. As your master, I can see you don’t have the talent to become a master calligrapher. As long as your writing is passable, it’ll have to do." Dean Chen didn’t press the issue any further.
