DLWAV CH137

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

Dr. Li and Jiang Zimo simultaneously fell silent.

Shortly after, a voice spoke from outside: “Boss, a letter has arrived from the palace.”

Dr. Li frowned. He opened the door and took the letter. But after opening it, he took only a single glance before handing it straight to Jiang Zimo.

“The Emperor orders you to infiltrate Prince Wu’s manor, monitor his every move, and if possible, take the opportunity to assassinate him—”

Dr. Li’s frown instantly deepened. “You were poisoned taking a blade for the Crown Prince; the Emperor should know your health is failing. …Perhaps you should just decline this assignment.”

After all, they were not merely death knights bound to the royal family. Setting aside the fact that Jiang Zimo only had a few months left to live, they had risked their lives for the imperial family for years. It shouldn’t be too much to ask to live out their remaining days as ordinary people. Most importantly, if Jiang Zimo’s poison flared up during the mission, he would likely be unable to escape the fate of nine out of ten hidden guards: dying without an intact corpse.

Jiang Zimo finished reading the letter. “How could you or I possibly refuse the Emperor’s handwritten decree?”

What Dr. Li could think of, Emperor Jianzhao could certainly think of as well. Therefore, if the Emperor wasn’t severely short on manpower, he likely wouldn’t have thought to deploy a wounded man like him. It was a pity; Jiang Zimo had originally wanted to take advantage of his last few months to truly let loose for once. Thinking of Ao Ruize’s face and his physique, he couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

To his surprise, however, that very night Jiang Zimo learned from the intelligence files Dr. Li brought him that the man who had escorted him to the clinic that morning was none other than Prince Wu, Wu Ruize. Furthermore, the man had sought him out seemingly to ask him to tutor his sister, Wu Chuyao.

Jiang Zimo raised an eyebrow.

For a moment, he didn’t know whether to say it was purely coincidental—since this meant he could effortlessly infiltrate Prince Wu’s manor—or to say that Wu Ruize just had terrible luck, helping him out of the goodness of his heart only to eventually die by his hands. After a moment of thought, he ultimately attributed it all to his own excellent luck. Otherwise, how could Wu Ruize deliver himself right to his doorstep just moments after he was feeling disappointed about his desires falling through?

At this thought, his mood suddenly improved.

Meanwhile, after finishing the official business at hand, the Little Milk Dumpling finally remembered Jiang Zimo.

So, were they going to invite Jiang Zimo to be Wu Chuyao’s teacher or not?

It no longer doubted Jiang Zimo’s talents—after all, he was so good-looking that the talent search system had to be genuine software. But it couldn’t help being a little worried. If they invited Jiang Zimo to teach Wu Chuyao, he would inevitably frequent Prince Wu’s manor—wasn’t that just delivering him straight into Ao Ruize’s jaws? Yet if they looked for someone else, what if they couldn’t teach as well as Jiang Zimo?

However, it soon stopped agonizing over the matter. It suddenly realized something: even if they extended the invitation, Jiang Zimo might not necessarily accept it.

Sure enough, when Ao Ruize approached Jiang Zimo again and offered to hire him as Wu Chuyao’s teacher, Jiang Zimo covered his lips and coughed for quite a while before saying with a strange expression, “Your Highness, forgive my bluntness, but I have never participated in the imperial examinations. Why would you think I have the ability to instruct the Princess?”

Although the Little Milk Dumpling was a bit disappointed, it couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Ao Ruize had his excuse prepared well in advance: “I had the privilege of reading a few of your essays, sir, and I believe you are a man of profound talent.”

Jiang Zimo: “…”

Those essays he casually scribbled down back in the day just to fabricate an identity, where he didn’t even remember what nonsense he had written?

…He had to admit, Ao Ruize certainly had a unique eye. But Jiang Zimo didn’t show any of this on his face.

“Your Highness overpraises me. I am well aware of my own limitations.” He added tactfully, “Furthermore, the Princess and I are of a similar age. If I were to tutor her, I fear it might negatively impact her reputation.”

Although Wu Chuyao was also quite doubtful of Jiang Zimo’s skill level, she trusted Ao Ruize’s judgment. Most importantly, Jiang Zimo didn’t say he was worried she would drag down his reputation, but rather that he might drag down hers. Moreover, when he said this, there wasn’t the slightest trace of contempt in his eyes, which moved her a little.

She suddenly felt that having Jiang Zimo as a teacher might not be a bad idea. “Mr. Jiang, I hardly have any reputation left to speak of now anyway, so you can rest completely assured.”

Jiang Zimo fell silent again, then said, “It is not that I am unwilling to teach the Princess, but as you saw earlier, my health is quite poor…”

Wu Chuyao immediately offered, “That’s perfect. The resident physician at Prince Wu’s manor has excellent medical skills. Perhaps he can cure your illness. If you find the commute inconvenient, we can also arrange accommodations for you within the manor.”

What else could Jiang Zimo say? He sighed and replied, “Since the Princess has put it this way, I have no choice but to comply.”

Though his words sounded reluctant, the fingers resting by his side traced a delighted arc in the air.

It was done.

Wu Chuyao also couldn’t help but smile.

It was done.

A faint smile appeared on Ao Ruize’s face as well.

It was done.

Only the Little Milk Dumpling thought: “…”

I’m numb.

And so, that very afternoon, Jiang Zimo moved into Prince Wu’s manor. The next day, he formally began his lessons with Wu Chuyao.

Although Ao Ruize and the Little Milk Dumpling had acknowledged Jiang Zimo, some of Wu Chuyao’s subordinates could not accept this arrangement. Jiang Zimo was simply too young, and they had never even heard of him before. Worst of all, he was a sickly invalid. They couldn’t openly question the decision, of course, so they opted to audit Jiang Zimo’s lesson with Wu Chuyao.

Jiang Zimo wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. Once Wu Chuyao had paid her respects, he dove straight into the lecture.

“Since the Princess and His Highness specifically requested to study the Zizhi Tongjian and the Zhenguan Zhengyao, we will begin today with the opening of the first volume of the Zizhi Tongjian.”

“In the twenty-third year, Wuyin (403 BC), the King initially decreed the Jin ministers Wei Si, Zhao Ji, and Han Qian as feudal lords. Your servant, Sima Guang, remarks: I have heard that the Son of Heaven’s greatest duty is to uphold the rites… Therefore, the Son of Heaven commands the Three Excellencies, the Three Excellencies lead the feudal lords, the feudal lords govern the high ministers, and the high ministers rule the commoners…”

This passage discussed the twenty-third year of King Weilie of Zhou, when he enfeoffed the Han, Zhao, and Wei clans as feudal lords—an event famously known in history as the Partition of Jin. Sima Guang believed that the first thing one must do to become a qualified emperor is to strictly abide by the rites.

During King Weilie’s reign, the Han, Zhao, and Wei clans—originally aristocratic ministers of the Jin state—rebelled against their superiors and assassinated the ruler of Jin. This was a heinous crime violating the rites. As the Son of Heaven, King Weilie of Zhou should have dispatched troops to crusade against them as a warning to the world. Instead, he chose to make them feudal lords, implicitly endorsing the notion that a vassal could murder their sovereign. This caused the other feudal states, which had strictly observed the rites, to no longer obey the Zhou royal court. This event became the spark that ignited the fall of the Zhou Dynasty.

Having said this, Jiang Zimo turned to look at Wu Chuyao: “Princess, do you think Lord Sima Wenzheng was correct?”

Wu Chuyao did not answer immediately, but asked instead, “May I ask, sir, under what circumstances did King Weilie of Zhou enfeoff the Zhao, Wei, and Han clans?”

Jiang Zimo answered, “At the time, the State of Qi was experiencing internal strife. Under the banner of the Jin state, the three clans allied with other feudal states to crusade against the tyrannical Qi. Qi suffered a crushing defeat. The three clans gathered the rulers of the various states to pay homage to King Weilie. Duke Kang of Qi, fearing the three clans and wishing to curry favor with them, petitioned King Weilie to enfeoff them as feudal lords in recognition of their merits.”

“At that point, the three clans had completely usurped control of the Jin state and possessed immense power. Furthermore, Jin bordered the Zhou royal domain, with the Rong and Di barbarians directly to the north. The Zhou royal court lacked the strength to resist the Rong and Di. If the three clans harbored resentment against King Weilie over this matter and ceased to help guard against the barbarians—or worse, deliberately incited a barbarian invasion following the example of the Marquis of Shen at the end of the Western Zhou—the entire Zhou royal court would face the danger of annihilation.”

Wu Chuyao frowned, and the others began pondering as well. After a good while, Wu Chuyao reached a verdict: “Lord Sima Wenzheng is correct.”

Jiang Zimo raised an eyebrow: “Why do you say that?”

Wu Chuyao explained, “Although the Zhou royal court was already in decline, it’s evident that the various feudal states still held deep respect for the Zhou Emperor. Otherwise, the three clans could have simply established themselves independently; why bother seeking the Zhou Emperor’s enfeoffment? And this respect existed precisely because the rites and laws of the time had not yet completely collapsed.”

She’s rather clever. What a pity she’s a daughter of the Wu family, Jiang Zimo thought.

“If you were King Weilie of Zhou, what would you do?”

Wu Chuyao’s frown instantly tightened. “It seems I wouldn’t have had a choice at all.”

The others exchanged glances and couldn’t help but shake their heads. Clearly, in that position, they would have made the same choice as King Weilie.

Wu Chuyao continued, “But since you ask this question, sir, you must have a better solution in mind?”

Hearing this, all the auditors in the room uniformly sat up straighter.

Jiang Zimo smiled. “If it were me, I would directly reject Duke Kang of Qi’s petition. Instead, I would elevate the Marquis of Jin to Duke of Jin, and then have the Duke of Jin reward them. After all, they are the Duke of Jin’s subjects; rewarding them is naturally the Duke of Jin’s prerogative.”

Before Wu Chuyao could speak, Jiang Zimo continued, “Of course, enfeoffment as lords is a power reserved solely for the Son of Heaven. By having the Duke of Jin reward them, knowing full well that the entire state of Jin is already in their hands, it’s essentially asking them to reward themselves. The three clans would certainly not let the matter drop, but they wouldn’t dare push me too far, either. So this is merely my first move.”

“My second move would be to draft them in the name of the Emperor to serve as officials within the Zhou royal domain. This way, they become my direct subjects. If I then enfeoff them as feudal lords, it would be entirely legitimate. But naturally, I wouldn’t just enfeoff them so easily. I would set a target for them—for instance, annihilating a specific number of Rong and Di troops would earn them an immediate promotion to Duke. Their original goal was simply to seek the rank of Marquis. By raising the stakes and giving them a chance to elevate themselves above the vast majority of other feudal lords, barring any surprises, they would undoubtedly take the bait. However, I wouldn’t give them a single soldier; I’d make them lead their own family’s troops to fight the barbarians.”

“If the three clans lost, what would you do?” Jiang Zimo suddenly asked.

A flash of inspiration hit Wu Chuyao. “Dispatch someone to Qi to lobby the Qi monarch and his ministers. They were just defeated by the three clans and would be harboring deep grudges. If we told them to launch a sneak attack against the three clans at this vulnerable moment, I imagine they would be quite willing…”

To deal with treacherous ministers, one should be swift and decisive, ending the battle quickly.

But Jiang Zimo replied, “No. In the eyes of an emperor, there should be no distinction between loyal and treacherous ministers. Think about it: would you consider an upright minister who contradicts you at every turn to be loyal? Would you consider a greedy minister who follows your every command to be treacherous? To an emperor, people are only ever divided into the useful and the useless.”

“And the three clans, to a certain extent, are useful. Setting aside the fact that they at least defeated the tyrannical state of Qi, let’s just say that if, at this moment, I rewarded them heavily with gold…”

Wu Chuyao seamlessly picked up his train of thought: “The justification would be that, although they ultimately failed, I witnessed their loyalty, so I should reward them handsomely. When the other feudal states, especially those ambitious individuals, hear of this, they will surely flood into the Zhou royal domain. After all, who wouldn’t want to become a feudal lord? In this way, not only would the rites remain unbroken, they would actually be reinforced.”

“Exactly.” Jiang Zimo finally concluded, “But it is no easy task to make the three clans lose…”

Listening to Jiang Zimo’s intricately linked plans, Wu Chuyao and the others found themselves entirely engrossed. It wasn’t until the sun had set and Jiang Zimo closed the book in his hands that they snapped out of it.

The way they looked at Jiang Zimo had completely changed. They had to admit, Jiang Zimo really did know his stuff.

Jiang Zimo was also very satisfied. As it stood, his successful infiltration into the inner circle of Prince Wu’s manor was practically a done deal. This meant he could proceed to the next step immediately.

Dr. Li’s proposal was to directly poison Wu Ruize and frame Prince Qinghe for his death. The narrative would be that Prince Qinghe assassinated Wu Ruize to frame the imperial court, ruining Emperor Jianzhao’s reputation so he could use it as a pretext to raise his army.

He felt this was an excellent plan, but as for what poison to use first—that was entirely up to him to decide.