Seeing Xuanci's breakdown, Murong Bo felt immensely gratified.
Serves you right, you bald donkey, scheming against me for a lifetime, only to be played by a woman in the end—and not even the boy's real father!
Yet before long, the smile vanished from his face, for he could not be certain whether Murong Fu was his own biological son either...
At the thought, he roared in fury, "Xuanci, you haven't told me yet—is Murong Fu my son or not?!"
Crushed and despondent, Xuanci retorted, "How would I know? Whether Murong Fu is your own flesh and blood, go home and ask his mother!"
Murong Bo choked on his words, carefully turning over the meaning of Xuanci's reply in his mind.
What did that mean? Even Xuanci didn't know, which meant he had never swapped Murong Fu in the first place!
Then Fu'er was indeed his own flesh and blood!
With the knot in his heart unraveled, Murong Bo broke into hearty laughter. "Fu'er is my son! My own biological son!"
Seeing Murong Bo so pleased with himself, Qin Zheng drawled, "Some people might seem to have a son, but that son refuses to acknowledge them. Where is the justice in that?"
Murong Bo's laughter cut off abruptly.
He was right. Over this past year, Fu'er had seemed to avoid him at every turn, and he didn't even know where the boy was right now!
In a fluster, he spotted Bao Butong in the crowd and demanded, "Bao Butong, what has Fu'er been up to this past year?"
With mixed feelings, Bao Butong replied, "Reporting to Old Master... the Young Master... he has already revived Great Yan and established a nation overseas!"
Murong Bo shuddered, overwhelmed with ecstasy. "Fu'er succeeded! He truly did it! I knew Fu'er was destined by Heaven—he was bound to become emperor! Where is he? I must go help him govern the realm!"
Bao Butong fell silent.
It was not that he did not want to tell Murong Bo the truth, but that he simply found it too mortifying to speak aloud.
Murong Fu had led a band of Western Xia warriors to defeat a den of pirates on an islet, subsequently absorbing them into his ranks.
Upon hearing that Western Xia had fallen, he immediately spurred those Western Xia warriors into proclaiming him emperor and founding a nation with the dynastic title Yan.
At present, Murong Fu commanded four civil officials and twenty military officers, presiding over a grand populace of forty former pirates...
To utter such a thing in front of this vast assembly was simply too humiliating!
After a wave of helplessness, Bao Butong gritted his teeth and said, "The Young Master's current situation is somewhat awkward. Old Master, you had better not ask!"
Sensing that Murong Fu's circumstances might be difficult, Murong Bo's expression turned grave, and he said solemnly, "In the founding days of a grand enterprise, a shortage of soldiers and generals is only to be expected. Return and tell Fu'er not to be discouraged by temporary setbacks. All beginnings are hard. As long as he endures this trying period, the day will come when we seize the territory of Great Song and restore the ancestral glory of our Great Yan!"
Sensing the thundering rumble of hooves a few li away, Qin Zheng remarked with amusement, "Murong Fu probably won't have much chance of invading Great Song..."
Seeing Qin Zheng hold Murong Fu in such contempt, Murong Bo's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "Emperor of Chu, do not underestimate the world's heroes! Fu'er is protected by Heaven's mandate; he is destined for great things! As for you, an emperor who neglects court affairs to roam recklessly through the jianghu every day—the moment an accident befalls you, your Chu will crumble to pieces in the blink of an eye!"
Even as he spoke, he was already formulating a plan to assassinate Qin Zheng and incite war between Chu and Song.
Qin Zheng immediately wore a mocking smirk. "You dare lecture me? Who is the one that hollers restoration slogans every day, only to stir up petty jianghu feuds? It certainly isn't me—after all, I actually became an emperor!"
Murong Bo was instantly rendered speechless. "..."
He had been careless. How had he talked himself into a corner?
Qin Zheng gave him no quarter, continuing, "If I say Murong Fu cannot invade Great Song, then he cannot. When it comes to rebellion, no one has more authority than me! He will never attack Great Song in his entire life—mark my words!"
Murong Bo flew into a rage, yet could find no words to refute him. Just as he was gnashing his teeth, a grand contingent of soldiers and horses marched onto Leigu Mountain.
The entire assembly turned to look, and seeing a host of armored Song soldiers arrive, an uproar instantly swept the crowd.
"It's soldiers from Great Song! What are they doing here?"
"Could the court be here to arrest Murong Bo?"
"Arrest Murong Bo? They must be here for Qin Zheng! Keep your wits sharp so you don't get caught in the crossfire!"
Amid the chatter of the crowd, a man dressed as a military officer approached Qin Zheng, dropping to one knee. "Your Majesty! In accordance with Your Majesty's command, the army launched a surprise attack from Mount Shaoshi yesterday at dawn and breached the capital of Song! Empress Dowager Gao, the young emperor, and the imperial family have all been captured, without a single soul escaping, and the court officials in the capital have been placed under control! News has also arrived from the Western Capital, Luoyang. Deeply oppressed by harsh policies, the local people actively helped our army raise siege ladders and open the city gates, taking the city without the slightest effort! Wherever our army marches, the common folk welcome the royal forces with baskets of food and vessels of wine! In three months at most, Your Majesty will surely pacify the realm!"
Upon hearing this, Murong Bo's pupils constricted violently. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could a realm as vast as Song be gone just like that? It's fake! This has to be fake!"
Qin Zheng glanced at him and said, "Song had long been afflicted by chronic ailments, and in years past, Wang Anshi's reforms administered too harsh a cure. His New Policies seemed well-intentioned, but they were unsuited to the people's realities, and their execution went completely astray. Though the reforms enriched the court, they left the people destitute, scattering corpses over hundreds of li and sparking dozens of uprisings and rebellions. The over one hundred thousand disciples in the Beggar Gang, the tens of thousands of bandits in the Qinchuan mountain strongholds, the outlaws of Mount Liang, the Manichaeans of Chun'an—most of them are ordinary people pushed past the brink of survival by court extortion. Though Wang Anshi was later dismissed, many of the rapacious tax policies were retained. Even if I hadn't mobilized my armies, the people would have reached their breaking point before long. Within thirty years at most, Song was doomed to decline—yet Murong Fu will have no chance to profit from it."
Finishing his explanation, Qin Zheng called out to an accompanying eunuch, "Read it!"
The eunuch withdrew an imperial edict and proclaimed aloud, "'Since the An Lushan Rebellion of Great Tang, regional commanders have divided the land, bringing centuries of ceaseless warfare and driving the people from their homes. Having received Heaven's mandate, We raised troops to pacify the rival lords, and the realm has finally attained unity. It is hereby decreed that all levies and taxes of the former dynasty are abolished. Displaced persons are encouraged to return to their lands to farm, that all people may share in peace. Let this be proclaimed throughout the four seas, known to all beneath Heaven!'"
As the words fell, the soldiers dropped to their knees one after another, roaring, "Ten thousand years to Your Majesty!"
The martial artists present stood as stiff as wooden chickens, completely silenced.
Shock and dread widened Xuanci's eyes. It was over. Given Qin Zheng's stance toward Shaolin, the Shaolin Sect was utterly finished!
Duan Yu stared blankly at Qin Zheng, muttering under his breath, "I finally understand why you chose Chu as your dynastic title. In the morning, you were Qin Zheng, the Great Hero of Guanzhong; by the afternoon, you transformed into the Emperor of Chu, unifier of the realm. Such a shift really catches a man unprepared... though that's hardly what 'serving Qin at dawn and Chu at dusk' is supposed to mean..."
Recovering his senses, Murong Bo broke down into frantic shouts. "Impossible! This is impossible! Great Song cannot be gone! My son Murong Fu holds the Heirloom Seal of the Realm! He is the one mandated by Heaven, the true Son of Heaven!"
Jolted by his screams, Duan Yu looked at Murong Bo with pity. "The imperial seal your son holds is fake. Hero Qin intentionally buried it at Yanziwu."
Murong Bo's true qi surged out of control, throwing his hair into wild disarray. Clasping his head, he wailed in madness, "Fake! Everything is fake! Great Song hasn't fallen! I, Murong Bo, am the scion of the Murong house! My son Murong Fu is the one chosen by Heaven! I will kill Qin Zheng and incite war between Chu and Song! My son Murong Fu is the Emperor of Great Yan, destined by Heaven!!"
Tianshan Tonglao wore a look of utter bewilderment as she turned to Wuyazi. "What in the devil's name is happening today? Why has another one gone mad?"
Taking a deep breath, Wuyazi said with profound complication, "Let the matter of the bride-seeking contest drop. Whatever you do, never cross Qin Zheng in the future—or you will go mad too..."
Chapter 59