“Your Highness’s letter was written nearly a month ago. Why have you only delivered it now?”
The Minister of War looked at the messengers and asked angrily.
“We encountered bandits on the road. They were numerous and powerful. They blocked us in a mountain hollow for over half a month…”
The messengers had prepared their excuse long ago.
Bandits were as common as cow hair along the route from Chuanshu to the capital. Encountering them was perfectly normal.
They had indeed stayed in a mountain hollow for over half a month, only not because bandits blocked them, but because they deliberately delayed there.
“You are all from the imperial guards. When bandits blocked you, did you not think of ways to escape?”
If not for being in the palace, and it not being his place to order, he would have wanted to execute the three messengers.
“Enough, Minister Zhou. Have you not realised? This is Her Highness deliberately having them delay.”
The Captain Regent said, “If my guess is correct, Her Highness and Qing Xinyao have probably already engaged the Tubo people in battle.”
“Her Highness has been spoiled by Your Majesty. She fundamentally does not know how fearsome the Tubo people are!”
The Minister of War said in exasperation, “The Tubo are more ferocious than the Dangxiang. Her Highness is playing with fire. This will implicate the entire Great Kang!”
“Yes, Her Highness acts on whims. She has no idea how much money it costs to fight a war!”
The Minister of Revenue also chimed in, “Troops and horses move only after grain and fodder are prepared. The Tubo are powerful. Once fighting starts, it will inevitably drag on. How can the national treasury bear it?”
…
Several people spoke one after another, all complaining about the Ninth Princess.
Chen Ji’s expression grew increasingly grim.
The Minister of Revenue had always been at odds with Duke Qing. Noticing that Duke Qing stood aside without speaking, he turned, knelt before Chen Ji, and said, “Your Majesty, Qing Xinyao has long been hostile towards Tubo. This matter must have been planned by Duke Qing and Qing Xinyao to deceive Her Highness. I beg Your Majesty to execute this traitor and execute Qing Xinyao!”
“Duke Qing, did you know of this in advance?”
Chen Ji also frowned and looked at Duke Qing.
Duke Qing certainly had known of the Ninth Princess and Qing Xinyao’s plan long ago, but how could he admit it now?
He quickly knelt and cried injustice, “Your Majesty, discern clearly. This old minister only just learned of it!”
“Duke Qing, you still dare lie before His Majesty. This is deceiving the sovereign, utterly audacious!” the Minister of Revenue shouted.
“Your Majesty, Feng Shiwei harbours sinister intentions. I beg Your Majesty to investigate clearly!” Duke Qing refused to show weakness.
Chen Ji, irritated by the noise, slammed the table and shouted, “I summoned you here not to quarrel, but to offer ideas!”
“Your Majesty, the Tubo are ferocious. Even the Dangxiang dare not provoke them. Our Great Kang has no cavalry. We absolutely cannot lightly start a war!”
The Minister of Revenue said, “I suggest immediately sending an envoy to Tubo, bringing some gifts and beauties, to explain properly to Ga Da and strive to resolve this dispute peacefully!”
“I second this!”
“I second this!”
The other peace faction ministers quickly agreed.
“Your Majesty, absolutely not!”
Duke Qing hurriedly said, “Nowadays, the court subsidises the Dangxiang and Khitan with ever-increasing amounts. The people are already overburdened. We truly cannot subsidise Tubo further!”
So-called subsidies were just another way of saying paying annual tribute.
It was a fig leaf the emperor and ministers found for themselves.
“Your Majesty, Duke Qing speaks reason! Ga Da is contentious and ruthless. He fears might but not virtue. Subsidising them will only make his arrogance worse, causing escalation!”
Another war faction minister stepped forward to support Duke Qing, “Great Kang is a vast nation. How can we fear a group of barbaric savages?”
“You speak lightly. War costs money. Will you pay for it?”
The Minister of Revenue said, “If we win, fine. If we lose, subsidies double at least. Moreover, Ga Da might truly send troops to take Xichuan City. What then?”
Both sides began another round of fierce debate.
But after quarrelling for ages, no conclusion emerged.
Chen Ji was already irritated. Their noise made his head nearly explode. He simply drove them all out.
The next day’s morning court saw the quarrel continue.
The peace faction demanded the emperor send envoys for peace.
The war faction requested to fight.
Chen Ji could not decide.
The palace was vast yet small.
Chen Ji had grown up in the palace and long grown tired of it.
So when idle, he liked to go out incognito, wandering the streets.
During such visits, he had more than once overheard common people secretly cursing him, saying Jin Feng had clearly defeated the Dangxiang at Qingshui Valley, yet the court increased tribute to the Dangxiang.
Chen Ji was furious at first. Hearing it often later, he began to reflect.
He even specially sent people to conduct a public opinion survey.
The results naturally went without saying, all cursing the court.
In truth, Chen Ji knew the people certainly cursed him too, but the officials reporting dared not say so.
No emperor wished to admit being a fatuous ruler. Chen Ji was the same.
He too hoped to leave a good name in posterity.
The Ninth Princess knew this well, so in her letter she strongly appealed to his posthumous reputation.
She also analysed the drawbacks of seeking peace from various angles.
Chen Ji was not foolish. He naturally knew paying tribute to Tubo again was like drinking poison to quench thirst. In his heart, he leaned towards war.
But he worried truly angering Ga Da, who might send a great army to capture Xichuan City.
If so, Ga Da could use Xichuan as a springboard to nibble away at other parts of Chuanshu.
The consequences were too grave.
Thus Chen Ji could not resolve to decide.
With the emperor undecided, the ministers could only continue quarrelling.
The Ninth Princess had long anticipated this, so when the messengers returned, she instructed them to secretly spread the news.
Pushed by the messengers, the matter soon spread wildly throughout the city.
Students from the Imperial Academy even went to the palace gates to present a petition from ten thousand people, requesting the court no longer pay tribute to Tubo.
Chen Ji had lost sleep for several nights over this.
When the Ninth Princess sent the messengers with the letter, Danzhu had not yet reached Xichuan, only releasing some rumours.
No one knew that the war had actually already ended.
Their debates had no meaning at all.
Only on the fourth night after the messengers returned did Chen Ji receive a secret report.
The secret report also came from the Ninth Princess, but this time via carrier pigeon.
It was simple, roughly describing the battle process, then telling Chen Ji that the enemy had been utterly annihilated, Danzhu slain, and several thousand war horses captured!
Chen Ji had already gone to bed when he received it. After reading, he leapt excitedly from the bed.
This was the best news he had heard in days.
Chen Ji could not wait to share it with someone.
But it was midnight, only two hours until morning court. He could not summon ministers, so he sent for Consort Qing.
Consort Qing thought the emperor summoned her for bedtime favours. She specially dressed up. Entering the emperor’s bedchamber, she prepared to undress, only to be heavily patted on the shoulder by Chen Ji. “Beloved consort, you have borne me a fine daughter!”
