The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 096 The Grand Marshal Of The Military Forces Of The Empire
Tang Shen stretched out his hands to take the exquisite white jade from Wang Zhen.
Gold and silver have prices, but jade is priceless. Four years ago, Tang Shen had gifted Wang Zhen a rare and exquisite piece of jade, one he had spent considerable effort to find. However, compared to the piece Wang Zhen was now giving him, it paled in comparison.
In his hands, the white jade felt warm to the touch, smooth and delicate. When tilted, a lustrous glow danced on its surface, reminiscent of a tiny white dragon. Although Tang Shen was no jade expert, he could tell this was a superior piece, masterfully crafted. The design depicted "Flowing Clouds of Fortune," with layers of clouds resembling ruyi, symbolizing longevity and auspiciousness. (TN: ruyi is a Chinese curved decorative object that serves as either a ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism or a talisman symbolizing power and good fortune in Chinese folklore)
"Senior Brother, this gift is too precious—I hardly dare accept it," Tang Shen said, feigning hesitation out of politeness.
Wang Zhen replied, "I don’t gift you something this good for every birthday."
Tang Shen was taken aback. "Ah?"
Wait a moment, this isn’t how it’s supposed to go.
Normally, wasn’t the expected response, ‘Junior Brother, don’t worry, just accept it’? Why was Wang Zhen changing the script now?
Wang Zhen concealed a smile. "This year is your coming-of-age ceremony."
The implication was clear: while his previous birthday gifts were good, they weren’t this good. This year was special because it marked his adulthood. Next year, the gifts would return to their usual standard.
Tang Shen: “...”
Tang Shen sighed in mock frustration. "Senior Brother, coming from the wealthy Wang clan of Langya, you’re still so stingy."
Wang Zhen snapped open his folding fan with a crisp sound and retorted naturally, "I haven’t yet inherited the Wang family estate. Besides, even if I do, Junior Brother, are you hoping to claim a share of the inheritance?"
Tang Shen: "???"
How did we end up talking about this?
Admitting defeat, Tang Shen knew he couldn’t outtalk Wang Zhen. Only occasionally could he play dumb or act childish to brush over things. Resigned, he quickly accepted the jade, lest Wang Zhen find an excuse to take it back and tease him further.
Seeing Tang Shen’s swift action, Wang Zhen found it amusing and endearing, lingering on his Junior Brother with a gentle gaze.
Noticing the stare, Tang Shen asked, "Senior Brother, why are you looking at me like that?"
Wang Zhen replied, "Is Junior Brother in such a hurry to keep the jade because you’re afraid I’ll take it back?"
Tang Shen thought, You already know the answer, so why ask?
With a mock sigh, Wang Zhen added, "To think that’s how you view me. It’s late; I won’t bother you further. I’ll take my leave." He feigned a hurt expression and turned to leave.
Caught off guard, Tang Shen wasn’t sure if Wang Zhen was genuinely upset or just teasing him again. He couldn’t risk creating a rift, so he quickly grabbed Wang Zhen’s sleeve. Wang Zhen paused, looking at the hand tugging his robe.
Tang Shen said earnestly, "Senior Brother is like a deity to me. You know how much I revere you—please don’t say such things!"
Flattery never failed, and it was the safest move.
As expected, Wang Zhen’s expression softened. He responded meaningfully, "Revere me?"
Tang Shen blurted,"My reverence for you is as endless as the flowing river, as unstoppable as a flood in the Yellow River."
Wang Zhen froze for a moment, seemingly stunned by the barrage of exaggerated rainbow fart.
After a moment, he chuckled, folding his fan and lightly tapping Tang Shen on the head. The gesture was gentle, like an elder admonishing a child. "Too much is as bad as too little."
Tang Shen immediately understood—this was a warning to tone down the flattery next time. Overdoing it was not effective.
He nodded. "...Understood."
Wang Zhen added with a faint smile, "But in the future, you could revere me a bit more—or perhaps not just revere me."
Tang Shen lifted his head. "Ah?"
Wang Zhen glanced at him, smiled enigmatically, and left without further explanation.
After seeing Wang Zhen off, Tang Shen returned to his study, mulling over those cryptic words.
"Revere you more? Not just revere?" Tang Shen frowned, racking his brain. After a long while, he sighed. "Wang Zifeng, you’re so shameless. What do you mean, ‘not just revere? Do you want me to worship you like a deity?"
On second thought, if he really had a father figure like Wang Zhen, life might indeed be much easier.
Shaking his head to dismiss the thought, Tang Shen’s expression turned serious as he gazed at a corner of his bookshelf. Picking up the oil lamp from his desk, he walked over, straightening the disarrayed books. Behind them, he ran his fingers over the wall, revealing a hidden compartment.
This secret compartment had been custom-made on Tang Shen’s orders. Its mechanism was intricate, taking even Tang Shen several minutes to open.
Inside were stacks of documents and books.
Sitting at his desk, Tang Shen calmly spread out the papers and began reading.
These were intelligence files he had painstakingly collected over the past four years. From the Daily Records of Emperor Kaiping Zhao Fu to less classified dossiers from the Court of Judicial Review, Tang Shen had leveraged his position as a fourth-rank official to access these materials. Over four years, he had pieced together fragments of information related to the crown prince’s coup thirty-one years ago.
Some truths were undeniable—for instance, the crown prince could not have staged the coup. If the crown prince had truly rebelled, only to be killed by Emperor Zhao Fu, his loyal supporters, like Liang Song, would never have willingly sacrificed themselves. The mass suicides of prominent scholars five years ago were a clear message: the coup had a deeper conspiracy!
Tang Shen strongly suspected that the mastermind behind it all was Emperor Kaiping Zhao Fu himself.
But beyond that?
How had Zhao Fu, merely the second prince at the time, orchestrated such a grand scheme to topple the powerful crown prince and the influential Songqing Party?
"Wang Zifeng… did he discover anything?"
Meanwhile, back at the Minister Residence, Wang Zhen set down the books he had brought from Tang Shen’s home. He sat silently, gazing at the stack of books, his thoughts drifting far away.
After a long while, he picked up the miscellaneous book. These books he had already read back in the Tanhua Residence. At a young age, he had always had an eidetic memory, so looking at the contents now, he could recall every single word.
However, he still slowly turned the pages again. Although his gaze remained on the book, his thoughts had flown far away.
After an unknown amount of time, a sigh sounded in the study.
An hour later, Wang Zhen handed a sealed letter to his page boy. "Deliver this to the Wang family in Jinling."
The page boy hesitated. "Gongzi, it’s late, and the city is under curfew. Should we send it tomorrow?"
"Take the Ministry of Revenue’s clearance letter. Deliver it tonight."
"Understood."
On March 14th, Tang Shen departed Shengjing.
This journey to Youzhou was accompanied only by his page boy, Feng Bi. The carriage clattered out of the city gates, heading northwest.
The journey from Shengjing to Youzhou took one and a half days on horseback, but traveling by carriage required five to six days. The carriage was incomparable to modern vehicles and the bumpy dirt roads were nothing like modern paved ones either, leaving Tang Shen sore and exhausted.
That evening, as he wrote a letter home, he added a postscript:
"...The task entrusted to Yao San is of utmost importance. Treat it as a top priority."
After sealing the letter, Tang Shen stretched, muttering, "This road is not fit for travel!"
It is often said that when officials are exiled to desolate regions, they frequently die far from home, unable to return to their roots. This saying isn't without merit. Exile itself is already a deeply depressing affair; for many, the emotional burden alone leads to despair, illness, and death. Even those with broad minds and optimistic spirits might not succumb to the idea of exile but could still fall victim to the arduous journey—one akin to facing eighty-one tribulations. It's not unheard of for weaker individuals to perish before even reaching their posts.
The page boy Feng Bi respectfully remarked, "Gongzi, now that the new official road has been completed, the journey to Youzhou is much smoother."
Tang Shen let out a sigh.
Indeed, if Zhao Fu hadn’t ordered the construction of this road, the journey to Youzhou would have been even more treacherous.
Six days later, Tang Shen arrived in Youzhou.
It was already March, and Shengjing was full of budding willows and vibrant spring colors. However, in Youzhou City, far in the northwest of the Song Dynasty, the scene remained bleak and cold. The wind carried sand and felt like a scraping knife, stinging the skin sharply. Due to the harsh chill Tang Shen was clad in a thick winter robe as he entered the city quietly.
Tang Shen’s arrival stirred no immediate commotion among the officials, but the news of his presence swiftly reached the Youzhou Prefecture office.
The governor of Youzhou, Ji Zhaosi, was a jinshi from the sixth year of the Kaiping era. The governor of Youzhou was a fourth-rank civil official, but he wasn’t the highest-ranking figure in the city. That distinction belonged to the one and only Grand Marshal of All Military Forces, Grand Preceptor Zhou!
The Song Dynasty had abolished the Three Departments system of the previous era and no longer officially appointed Grand Preceptors. Since the founding of the dynasty, only three individuals had been posthumously honored with the title, granted as a posthumous accolade. However, the Grand Marshal of All Military Forces was different—he was the only living person in over a hundred years to bear the unofficial title of Grand Preceptor.
In the tenth year of the Kaiping era, the Grand Marshal led the army to a decisive victory against the Liao forces, securing a peace treaty between the two nations.
Zhao Fu was overjoyed and personally went out of the capital to greet the Grand Marshal upon his triumphant return. He even vowed that the Grand Marshal would be posthumously conferred the title of Grand Preceptor. Although the Grand Marshal was not yet officially titled as such, it was essentially a foregone conclusion.
While most civil officials in Youzhou held low ranks, its military officials boasted ranks of considerable prestige. However, the Grand Marshal rarely stopped into Youzhou City, as he spent most of his time in the military camp.
Tang Shen arrived at the Youzhou posthouse, where officials had already been waiting to receive him. Just as he settled in, a posthouse officer reported that someone had come to visit him.
Tang Shen was taken aback. When he met the visitor, he quickly stepped forward and offered a salute.
"This lower official greets the General of the Western Expedition."
Li Jingde, dressed in military attire with a hawk-feathered cap, long boots, and a white cape draped over his shoulders, exuded a valiant air. The only thing slightly distracting was his full beard. Seeing Tang Shen, Li Jingde laughed heartily and said, "Why is Tang daren still so formal with me? No need for such courtesy. I heard the news of your arrival in Youzhou and came straight from the camp to see you. How have you been?"
Tang Shen replied, "Thank you for your concern, General. All is well."
Li Jingde laughed. "Back in Shengjing, that wasn’t my territory, so I could only trouble you to look after me. Now that you're in Youzhou, this is my domain. If anything arises, just mention my name. You have nothing to worry about."
Tang Shen’s lips twitched slightly. I’m here to oversee the Silver Pull Division, not to commit crimes or wreak havoc—what kind of trouble could I possibly get into?
Though he thought this, he politely responded, "Thank you, General, for your kindness!"
Li Jingde waved his hand in a carefree manner. "Ah, there's no need for such formality!"