The Child Emperor-Chapter 344: The Only Path of Escape

Deng Cui was not the only general who thought of first recapturing lost territory, but before him, no one dared propose it, and even fewer dared persist with such a plan. The Chu army in Mayi City was numerous and relatively close to Jincheng City, so it was viewed as the most important force for rescuing the Emperor. Heading to Yan and Liaodong meant moving farther and farther away from the Emperor.

Zhang Yin’s grandson had once participated in opposition against the Emperor, so he dared not make such a proposal, and even if he had, no one would have listened.

The Southern Army generals had once fought against the Emperor, so they dared even less to make such a decision.

Other generals held relatively low positions and dared not speak up casually.

The officials sent by the court were influenced by Maiden Wang and remained indecisive about whether to fight or negotiate, only repeating phrases like “we must deliberate carefully” and “we must rescue His Majesty,” yet they could produce no concrete plans.

Only Deng Cui was bold and reckless enough to act under the banner of General of Chariots and Cavalry, making everyone believe he was a trusted general favored by the Emperor, appointed in this crisis, and that all his decisions came from the Emperor’s own instructions. In reality, these were all plans he had devised on the road.

The generals were not yet completely convinced, and Deng Cui, unwilling to waste time, let out a great yawn and said, “Prepare yourselves. We depart before dawn tomorrow. Within one day, the entire army must leave Mayi City. I’m going to sleep now.”

The generals would not let him leave and surrounded him, asking questions all at once. Deng Cui once again raised his official seal and declared loudly, “I came to the frontier by imperial edict to command the Chu army, not to discuss matters with you. Who among you will take responsibility for delaying military affairs?”

No one responded, for it was precisely because no one could or dared take responsibility that they had remained in Mayi City without moving.

“Grand General Cui Hong and Chai Yue have already led troops toward Yan. Chai Yue is a general personally promoted by the Emperor—could his choice be wrong? If you don’t trust me, surely you trust Chai Yue? Don’t you trust the Emperor?” Deng Cui changed his approach.

To outsiders, Chai Yue’s rise seemed quite sudden, as dramatic as the Emperor’s restoration, and as a trusted general of the Emperor, he too had not gone directly to Jincheng City to rescue the Emperor. This aligned remarkably well with Deng Cui’s plan, as if it had all been arranged by the Emperor.

When Deng Cui left Jincheng City, the Emperor had no knowledge of Chai Yue’s movements, but Deng Cui would not clarify this point.

Even fewer people spoke up now. Deng Cui lowered his arm and nodded. “I’ve been traveling for days and nights—I have the right to sleep. You go prepare. Marching order, provisions, route planning, attack strategies—these are all your responsibilities. When I wake up, I must see a complete plan. The vanguard must depart before dawn tomorrow. Before tomorrow evening, Mayi City should retain only its original garrison; everyone else must be on the road. This concerns the great matter of rescuing His Majesty—don’t blame me for strict military discipline. If you’re dissatisfied, settle accounts with me after the Emperor safely returns to the Capital.”

Even those generals who knew Deng Cui now believed he had truly received full appointment and trust from the Emperor. They no longer doubted and departed to carry out orders. Deng Cui was equally unceremonious, finding a place to sleep and ordering the soldiers who came to serve him, “For the next four hours, even if the Xiongnu come, don’t wake me. Even if you do wake me, there’s nothing I can do.”

Deng Cui slept peacefully, regardless of whether the sky fell or the Emperor lived or died.

At the same moment, the Right Wise King’s concubine he had abducted alternated between crying and making a scene, tormenting her four attendants until they wished they were dead. Yet they dared not stop, traveling swiftly and successfully shaking off the Xiongnu who had nearly caught up to them.

The most uneasy person was the Emperor. Jincheng City had indeed gained a few days of safety, but the situation had not improved in the slightest. Han Ruzi didn’t even know whether Deng Cui was alive or dead and could only wait silently.

Minister of Personnel Feng Ju was delivered by the Xiongnu to participate in negotiations. Before his departure, he was summoned by the Empress Dowager and Maiden Wang. Kneeling on the ground, he swore to heaven that he would spare no effort to persuade the Xiongnu to lift the siege and safely bring the Emperor back to the Capital. After leaving the palace, he was called aside by a group of ministers who made him guarantee with his official position and reputation that he would never bring shame to the nation or surrender sovereignty to the Xiongnu.

Feng Ju was also one of the Trusted Officials appointed by the Martial Emperor. Short in stature and cautious by nature, he had maintained balance among various court factions for years, navigating with ease. Now, however, he was cornered with no room to maneuver.

Therefore, when he saw the Emperor, it was hardly surprising that the elderly minister in his sixties knelt on the ground and wept aloud.

No matter how urgent and anxious he felt inside, Han Ruzi would only bear it himself and would never reveal it to anyone again. He believed this was the proper price of being an emperor: since he had gained everything, he must take responsibility for everything.

Therefore, he showed a smile, personally helped the Minister of Personnel to his feet, ordered someone to provide a seat, and had tea brought, giving Feng Ju all the proper courtesies due to him.

Feng Ju was too embarrassed to cry anymore and kept blaming himself and begging for forgiveness, feeling that the Emperor being trapped was entirely his responsibility.

Han Ruzi’s impression of his ministers was no longer as extreme as before, so he patiently listened to the end and solemnly pardoned all his subjects’ offenses. “Being trapped in Jincheng City is entirely my responsibility alone and has nothing to do with the ministers. On the contrary, I am grateful for all your efforts. Minister Feng even risked great danger by personally going to the Xiongnu camp. I shall remember this in my heart.”

Feng Ju was surprised by the Emperor’s composure and was left with an extremely deep impression. He finally put aside the usual bureaucratic conventions and said seriously, “The Great Chanyu has issued an ultimatum. Including today, if Your Majesty still refuses to issue an edict to cease hostilities within three days, it shows no sincerity for peace talks, and he will…”

“He will have the Right Wise King attack the city.” Han Ruzi had seen that the siege engines outside had never been dismantled, with soldiers guarding them day and night. Yesterday it had rained, and the Xiongnu had even sent craftsmen to inspect them and make some repairs.

Feng Ju nodded. “Exactly. When this subject left the city, I had seen the Empress Dowager and…”

Han Ruzi interrupted him. “Tell me about the situation outside. How is the Grand General’s progress?”

Feng Ju sighed deeply. “Grand General Cui Hong and Chai Yue fought the Xiongnu the day before yesterday and retreated a dozen miles. They are now defending the southern border of Yan and cannot advance. It’s said that the rebel army in Linzi City has also left the city, gathering large numbers of sea pirates and heading north to join forces with the Xiongnu to attack the Chu army from both sides.”

Cui Hong and Chai Yue’s armies had been hastily assembled, lacking elite troops and never having numerical superiority, so their defeat was expected.

However, as someone who was trapped, hearing such news would inevitably bring some disappointment. Han Ruzi smiled. “Victory and defeat are common in warfare. When the Xiongnu first entered the pass, their momentum was like a rainbow, charging all the way from Liaodong to Jincheng City. Now they can only push back the Chu army by a dozen miles, which already shows their declining momentum.”

Being able to interpret a defeat as a harbinger of victory left Feng Ju even more speechless. After a long while, he said, “Your Majesty’s far-sighted vision is beyond this subject’s reach, but… but…”

“Minister Feng, please speak freely.”

“The current situation is chaotic and unfavorable to Great Chu. Although the Xiongnu’s momentum has been checked, they have many troops and generals and should not be underestimated. Even if the Grand General turns defeat into victory, he cannot eliminate the Xiongnu in one stroke, much less lift the siege of Jincheng City. Once the Xiongnu Right Wise King receives orders to attack the city…”

Han Ruzi pondered for a moment. “What about the Chu army beyond the frontier?”

Feng Ju shook his head. “They are still defending Mayi City with no news yet. The court’s position is that this Chu army should not easily enter the pass to avoid falling into the Xiongnu trap. The Empress Dowager also believes we should not rashly provoke the Xiongnu.”

When Feng Ju referred to “the Empress Dowager,” he meant Maiden Wang. The Emperor’s birth mother’s status was too low to address properly, so he had to speak vaguely, though both sides understood each other tacitly.

Han Ruzi could not place all his hopes on Deng Cui alone, so he said, “Does Minister Feng believe We should accept the peace talks?”

Feng Ju had weighed this matter repeatedly over the past few days, and now before the Emperor he had to present a clear position. “For Your Majesty’s sake, we can only pursue peace talks. For Great Chu’s sake—peace talks are also the best choice.”

“The Great Chanyu wants more than just a ceasefire and alliance; he also wants Great Chu’s territory.”

“Yes, the Great Chanyu has said that all lands occupied by the Xiongnu at the time of ceasefire will belong to the Xiongnu, and additionally the former Qi state must be restored, with the current Qi and Donghai territories returned to the Chen clan.”

“Hah.”

“Even so, Great Chu would still retain more than half its territory…”

“More than half of unstable territory. Without the Great Wall, the Xiongnu could unite with rebel forces to advance westward at any time. From then on, Great Chu would only be able to bow in submission to foreigners.”

Feng Ju fell silent for a moment, then said, “In this humble minister’s foolish opinion, perhaps we should do this: negotiate with the Xiongnu on one hand, while on the other hand transfer the Grand General and the Chu army at Mayi City to the Luoyang area. As long as Your Majesty can leave Jincheng, as long as the main Chu forces remain intact, we can fight the Xiongnu to the death and reclaim the lost territories.”

Han Ruzi pondered in silence. Feng Ju added, “Your Majesty need not worry about breaking faith. This minister is willing to remain with the Xiongnu as a hostage, and when the time comes, all responsibility can be placed on this minister. If the Great Chanyu is still not reassured, we can send additional imperial clan members. In any case, Your Majesty’s safety must be preserved for Great Chu to have hope.”

Han Ruzi was somewhat surprised. He still remembered his helpless state when he first served as a puppet emperor, yet now he was receiving full support from a minister. Prince Donghai had been right—when an emperor was in the greatest danger, the imperial position was also most secure.

Because Great Chu no longer needed a puppet, but an emperor who could turn the tide.

Han Ruzi said, “Minister Feng’s strategy is feasible, except for one point. The Great Chanyu will not simply accept peace talks like this. He will be the first to violate any agreement. Only after eliminating both the southern and northern Chu armies will he feel secure enough to lift the siege of Jincheng.”

Feng Ju was struck speechless. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Han Ruzi suddenly found it laughable. “The Great Chanyu keeps saying he needs a powerful ally, yet everything he does is aimed at making Great Chu weak and helpless. If that’s the case, why doesn’t he simply occupy all of Great Chu? Ah, he lacks the confidence. He wants slaves, but hopes the slaves will manage themselves.”

Feng Ju left his stool and knelt beside the Emperor’s feet. “Your Majesty, please reconsider. If Great Chu loses Your Majesty, the successor might not even qualify to be a slave.”

The court ministers had already chosen two potential successors. Prince Ying was merely being used to sow discord between the rebels and Xiongnu, with no real possibility of ascending the throne. The other imperial clan member was Han Ruzi’s nephew by blood, flawless in lineage, but Feng Ju knew this person and believed he would never be a qualified ruler in troubled times.

Han Ruzi reached out, initially intending to help Feng Ju to his feet, but finally placed his palm on the Minister of Personnel’s shoulder, saying, “You are right. We can only pursue peace talks, but not according to the Great Chanyu’s terms. Over the next three days, We want you to use every means possible to notify the Chu army beyond the frontier, commanding them to attack Yan and Liaodong. You must also find every way to make the Great Chanyu believe that the Capital will truly enthrone a new emperor.”

Feng Ju looked up, staring at the Emperor in shock.

Han Ruzi withdrew his arm and sat upright in his chair. “Let us gamble on this—gamble that the Great Chanyu will be afraid, afraid that the Xiongnu cannot return to the steppes, afraid that the Capital will truly establish a new ruler. Minister Feng, you must convey Our imperial edict. Even if the Chu army beyond the frontier merely makes a show of advancing eastward, it will help the peace negotiations.”

“If we lose the gamble…”

“We will never submit to foreigners.” Han Ruzi said calmly.

Feng Ju prostrated himself on the ground and did not rise for a long while.

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