Chapter 291 - 81: Hard to Escape (Part 3)

Chapter 291: Chapter 81: Hard to Escape (Part 3)

What did he mean by that? Qi Leyun was baffled.

....

....

"This letter—"

In the Grand Tutor Hall, Xie Yanfang set down a letter.

Deng Yi saw the seal of the King of Zhongshan and the name Xiao Xun on the envelope.

"This is a letter from the Heir of Zhongshan King to the Aristocratic Families," Xie Yanfang said with a smile.

Deng Yi didn’t pick up the letter to read it. He simply asked, "Is he trying to persuade them to help him seize the throne?"

Xie Yanfang opened the letter and shook his head. "Not exactly. Heir Xiao is just being candid about his intention to seize the throne."

He looked down at the letter’s contents.

"The Princely Heir says this is his own affair, and he alone will bear the blame and infamy. He guarantees the safety of the Aristocratic Families and promises that once fighting breaks out, he will not take out his frustrations on them."

Deng Yi scoffed. "So he can take out his frustrations on the common people instead? Does he have any idea how many cities will be ravaged and how many lives will be lost in the fires of war? And he has the gall to say he’ll bear the infamy, as if he’s the one being wronged."

"Oh, he knows, of course," Xie Yanfang said. "That’s why he’s going to let the court share the blame."

"They’ve already reached the defensive perimeter of the Capital Camp," Deng Yi said gravely. "If they advance any further, it’s considered mobilizing troops without a decree—an act of rebellion, punishable by summary execution."

"He’s captured the three officials who were sent to deliver the decree and has declared them the main generals," Xie Yanfang said. "If all goes as planned, he’ll kill them shortly, claim they were tyrants who threw the army into chaos, and then march to the Capital City to ’apologize’ and demand a personal audience with Your Majesty—"

He looked at Deng Yi.

"By then, the common people won’t be able to tell who’s right and who’s wrong."

Deng Yi said flatly, "The people aren’t that foolish. You think they don’t know what’s really happening? They’re just—"

"—deluding themselves, avoiding reality, seeking comfort, and papering over the cracks to maintain a semblance of peace," Xie Yanfang finished for him. "But to avoid danger, the people will call black white. And then there are these Aristocratic Families—"

Xie Yanfang placed the letter on the table and tapped it with his finger.

"This letter doesn’t seem to be about persuasion. Xiao Xun isn’t asking them to do anything. But at this moment, for the Aristocratic Families to simply do nothing is tantamount to siding with the King of Zhongshan!"

Deng Yi lowered his gaze to the letter on the table. "Are you suggesting, Mr. Xie, that we should officially brand the King of Zhongshan a traitor?"

"It’s the only way to make the world understand that there is no retreat, no escape," Xie Yanfang said. "They can’t delude themselves. As for these Aristocratic Families, if they receive Xiao Xun’s letter and do nothing—if they don’t expose it, don’t report it, don’t even express outrage—then they are equally guilty. Only by doing this can our cause be just when the war starts. Only then can we fight without looking over our shoulders. And only then will the world submit, and no one will ever dare to question Yu’s right to the throne."

Deng Yi looked up. "Then how do we brand the King of Zhongshan a traitor?"

Xie Yanfang stared at him. "What did Xiao Xun’s letter to the Grand Tutor say?"

...

...

"After all that talk, it turns out Mr. Xie wants *me* to be the one to brand the King of Zhongshan a traitor." Deng Yi chuckled and leaned back in his chair, looking at Xie Yanfang. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a letter. "I suspect, Mr. Xie, that you’re not actually asking about the letter Heir Xiao just sent me. You’re asking about the one I received before—during the coup in the Capital City, isn’t that right? No, perhaps you want to see even older letters. For instance, the ones detailing my collusion with the King of Zhongshan?"

Deng Yi was no fool. Of course, the biggest problem now was who would expose the rapacious ambition of the King of Zhongshan and his son.

’And he, Deng Yi, was supposed to be the one to do it?’

’The King of Zhongshan and his son had been colluding with him for a long time. If the King of Zhongshan harbored treasonous ambitions, then what did that say about Deng Yi’s own motives?’

"Third Young Master, whether our forces can be called an Army of Justice, whether we have a legitimate cause for war—the Emperor may care, but I do not," Deng Yi said. "In fact, I, Deng Yi, could not care less whether this war is won or lost."

Such words were utterly unbecoming. For the Grand Tutor of the court to claim he didn’t care if they won or lost this war was outrageous.

"That’s right. I, Deng Yi, am just that sort of scoundrel," Deng Yi said coldly. "Propriety, justice, integrity, honor—I care for none of it. Now that I’m in this position, don’t think you can use my reputation to bind or manipulate me."

He gave Xie Yanfang another smile.

"Third Young Master, you’re not doing this to give the court a legitimate cause, either. You’re just using this as an opportunity to blackmail me."

"If you truly wanted a legitimate cause, you should be talking to your niece-in-law."

"You know I have a past with the King of Zhongshan. Do you not also know why Empress Chu took the young prince and left the Chu Family?"

Back then, Chu Zhao had protected Xiao Yu as they fought their way into the Imperial City to see the Emperor. Afterward, Xiao Yu was named Crown Prince by the late Emperor and eventually ascended the throne. Everyone knew Xiao Yu had been entrusted to the Chu Family because Chu Ling was deeply trusted by the Emperor and commanded a private army. No one ever scrutinized the other details.

For example, if the Chu Family, with its private army, was so reliable, why did Chu Zhao have to leave the Chu Family home with Xiao Yu?

She had to fight her way out.

Why has Chu Lan been confined to his home with an "illness" ever since? And why is Chu Tang, a young girl, the only member of the Chu Family—the Empress Clan—to appear in public?

That girl had never spoken of it to him, and he had never asked. But that didn’t mean he didn’t know.

Xie Yanfang certainly knew.

Xie Yanfang’s expression remained mild. "Because," he said, "if we want to keep the Chu Family’s business from implicating the Empress, we must drag you, the Grand Tutor, into the muck with us."