Chapter 5.2
As far as becoming enemies, it was better than to be killed. But if you let him compromise and hug Beizhou’s thigh, then it’s better to hold a grudge against each other..
After all, where was the final end of the Third Prince in “Would You Like to Have a Drink”, Do you still expect Zong Luo to give him face?
After ten years of hard training, Zong Luo directly returned to Great Yuan and officially became the Third Prince.
The “outclassed by the opponent Yu Beizhou”, used other means to deal with the Yu clan of the Wei Country, gave up his plan to travel around the world, turned his head to the Great Yuan military camp, and began to earn military merit step by step. With the halo of the son of heaven, he climbed to the rank of general in just one year.
It just so happened that Zong Luo saw the war raging in the Great Wilderness and the people in dire straits. He had already learned and studied at the Ghost Valley, and did not want to divorce himself from the masses and from reality and act blindly, so he turned to Emperor Yuan to ask for military power and began his military career, hoping to follow the main line and complete the unification of the Central Plains as soon as possible.
So the two, who should have had little interaction, faced each other again, and the venue of the game changed from the Ghost Valley to the battlefield. Although it was unlikely that people from the same camp would use weapons to beat their own people, there had never been less secret rivalry behind their backs.
One goes to the next city first, and the other goes directly to the capital. One defeated the Huns, and the other offered the letter of surrender of another country. They don’t see each other once a year, but the two each made enough effort to try to trip each other up.
This situation continued until the battle at Hangu Pass.
In the battle of Hangu Pass, 500,000 troops fought against 3,000 elite soldiers. It was a textbook case of a desperate overturning of the situation using few to defeat the enemy, and it directly sent Zong Luo’s reputation to its peak in the Great Wilderness.
As the New Year approached, Emperor Yuan informed the kingdom that the coronation of the Crown Prince, which had been delayed for two years, would take place a year later. In general, the ceremony should be put on the agenda following the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony
However, it was only the other princes who competed for the title of Crown Prince of the Great Yuan.
As a transgmigrator, Zong Luo did not have the arrogance of ordinary princes and aristocrats who hold their own identities, but was extremely sympathetic to the common people.
In troubled times, such a noble character naturally makes people look up to the lofty mountains. Coupled with Zong Luo’s illustrious military exploits, he had a considerable degree of prestige among the common people, and what was rare and valuable was that these were convincing achievements. The other princes were either young or old enough, and they didn’t have such strength, so they were forced to look bleak when compared to him.
(t/n look up to the lofty mountains- a Chinese idiom, pinyin is gāo shān yǎng zhǐ, which means a metaphor for noble morality. A metaphor for admiration for noble character. From “Book of Songs Xiaoya Che Jurisdiction)
Moreover, he was the highest in rank among the current princes. But If one really wanted to be the Crown Prince, one must not do what Zong Lou was doing……
Zong Luo had a stable personality, had no ambition, and only had a casual attitude towards the position of the Crown Prince.
His parents died earlier before he transmigrated inside the book, and he was particularly eager for family affection. After passing through, his biological mother died in childbirth, and he became even more fond of several imperial younger brothers and admired and respected his father, Emperor Yuan.
However, after his coming-of-age ceremony, the Great Witch, who had been out of the country, kept the contents of the divination of the destiny of the nation a secret. The next day, Zong Luo’s military power was suddenly withdrawn, not only was he placed under house arrest in the Imperial City, but also the talk of being crowned as the Crown Prince became distant and impossible.
Such a development was no different from a thunderbolt out of the blue for Zong Luo. Impulsively, he confronts Emperor Yuan in the palace just to get an explanation.
But when he came, he did not see him behind closed doors, and instead directly sent Zong Lou to the frontier with an Imperial edict of indefinite date of return.
Not only that, even his close friend, the Prime Minister Pei Qianxue, didn’t say anything about it.
Zong Luo was finally disheartened. He kowtowed to say goodbye, and left the Imperial City without looking back, and had been stationed at the border ever since.
Two years later, Emperor Yuan suddenly fell ill and the Imperial City changed.
For a time, dark tide was surging, the momentum of the several princes seizing the throne heightened, and the fifth prince took the lead in forcing the emperor to abdicate. When the urgent news arrived at the frontier, several days had already passed. Zong Luo’s spy in the capital, sent a flying pigeon and a letter to him, stating how the matter progressed due to Yu Beizhou’s participation and becoming the fourth prince’s biggest reliance.
After all, everyone knows that the force represented by Yu Beizhou was the biggest force in the capital. After that, not only the prime minister’s lineage, but also the remaining Third Princes’ party after he was transferred to the frontier, was attracted by him. Most people admire him and follow him. His power and influence was at its zenith.
It can be said that whoever You Beizhou supported, would surely be the next emperor.
Seeing this, Zong Luo almost laughed out of anger.
He had been hostile to the other party for many years, and he knew the general direction of the story. How could he not know the character of Yu Beizhou? Him, who had a wolf’s ambition and who does not submit to others, helped the fourth prince to make the wedding dress? Push the fourth prince onto the dragon chair?
(t/n wolf’s ambition-a person that is greedy and cruel and full of wild ambitions)
(t/n making wedding dress for others- chinese saying, A deeper meaning is to say that you are busy and busy, and you do not get any benefits, but instead contribute to the good things of others)
I’m afraid it’s a joke. After the rebellion, it would almost be the same as stabbing the fourth prince in the back.
The Huns were casting a covetous look on its prey, and Zong Luo didn’t have the half of the tiger talisman to mobilize troops. To say the least, even if he had to press his own prestige and forcibly mobilize the troops, he would never give up the lives of the people in the border areas.
(t/n The tiger talisman is a military talisman used by the ancient emperors to dispatch troops. It is made from bronze or gold in the shape of a tiger , and it is split into two halves. The left half is given to the general and the right half is kept by the emperor. As long as two tiger talismans are used together, the bearer of the talisman will have the right to dispatch troops.)
Therefore, after getting the news, Zong Luo could only bring his 3,000 personal soldiers to return and fight back, but he was unexpectedly intercepted in the middle.
After a long journey along the way, when they were the most exhausted, at the dead of the night, a surprise attack came. This elite army, cultivated by Zong Luo himself, suffered the most serious damage ever in history. When the Imperial city was near, Xuan Cavalry was near to non-existent, and he hadn’t received any news from the capital for three days.
Whether Yu Beizhou’s rebellion was a success, whether the old dynasty was replaced with a new one, or whether Emperor Yuan’s condition improved and the court was reorganized, there was no final conclusion.
In the end, Zong Luo eventually arrived at the foot of the Imperial City wall after going through untold hardships. Black clouds overwhelmed the city and cold winds howled.
The dark brown city gate was tightly closed, filled with grimness that did not open up to the Third Prince of the Yuan Dynasty. He waited for a little longer, only to know from the secret letter handed by Imperial Censor Xue that Emperor Yuan had woken up from a coma. Although his condition was still not optimistic, the entire Imperial City was already in a state of turmoil and began to enter the mode of reckoning after the autumn.
(t/n reckoning after autumn-The Chinese idiom, qiū hòu suàn zhàng, means to settle accounts after the autumn, which means to wait until things develop to the final stage before judging who is right and wrong, and also to wait for the opportunity to take revenge afterwards. From Mo Yingfeng’s “General’s Song”.)
At nightfall, a eunuch came in a hurry and recited an imperial edict on the tower.
“Listen to the mandate of heaven with a thousands of years of prosper; first offense, he was sent to the border but was unable to move forward to defend the border that was without merit, this was seen as cowardice; second offense, as a minister, he discussed the government affairs in an orderly manner and refused to change his mind after repeated remonstrations. It was unrighteous; third offense, because he cannot be relinquished as a prince, he resents day and night, which was unfilial; fourth offense, under the edict of the indefinite date of return, he privately brought troops back to the capital, intending to rebel, this was disloyalty. “
A long sword was thrown from the city wall along with the Imperial edict, and Zong Luo’s pupils shrank. He remembered this sword, it was the famous sword Zhanlu that his father Emperor Yuan had treasured. It was usually shelved and was even hard to look at.
It may have been just a suspicion before, but Zhanlu and the Imperial edict were obviously from the hands of Emperor Yuan. Once the vigorous and powerful handwriting was seen, all doubts became reality.
The voice of the eunuch continued. “Today, the sword is specially given for self-determination, and it must be implemented immediately!”
(t/n self determination-commit suicide, take one’s life)
What a disloyal and unjust person, not brave and unfilial.
Zhanlu, also known as the sword of benevolence, was the sword forge at the pinnacle of the casting master Ou Yezi sword-forging life.
It was ironic that Emperor Yuan gave it to Zong Luo to commit suicide.
It was known in the seven kingdoms that the Third prince of the Yuan Dynasty had taken benevolence as his own foundation.
Now, this personally written imperial decree trampled Zong Luo’s pride and was ridiculed by the world.
Zong Luo’s throat was filled with a hint of bloody sweetness, and the corners of his eyes were dry and astringent.
He didn’t know what he had done wrong, but what could he do? Whether he wanted to set up troops, whether he wanted power or not, he had already been driven to a dead end. Even the last bit of decency was deprived from him.
Zong Luo bent down to pick up Zhanlu on the ground and laughed loudly in the rain.
“What joy is life, what fear in death!”
(t/n pinyin is shēng yǒu hé huān-It means: don’t be happy to be alive, and don’t be afraid of death. Calmly looking down on life and death. It is the same as “What joy in life, what fear in death”, “What joy in life, what pain in death.)
Do you think he would really perish after?
This life was only this and nothing more, where he had not truly lived.
Zong Luo raised his hand and swiped the sword on his neck, however he didn’t expect to wake up again in a cold sweat, and what caught his eyes was the roof of the military camp.
His neck was still intact, yet the pain was still vivid in his mind, like he had fallen into a Huangliang dream.
He repeatedly asked the deputy general Mu Yuanlong, and finally confirmed it. He had returned three years ago, to the critical moment of the battle at Hangu Pass.
Zong Luo suddenly remembered that there was indeed such a predicted phenomenon in his previous life. The Great Witch foretold that there would be a vision of nine stars linked like a string of beads on such a day. In addition, many soldiers in the army also said that many of them dreamed of him walking under the Imperial City walls which they deemed to be a vision of Heaven and Earth that made Zong Luo even more suspicious.
Only Zong Luo knew that he had really died once.
As for why he was still alive now, perhaps God does not allow him to die, and Lord Yama dared not to also accept it. Letting him to pass through and be reborn again, and letting him undergo a wonderful experience.
At this point, Zong Luo was still the Third Prince of the Yuan Dynasty who held military power, the number one seed contender for the position of Crown Prince, and the high-spirited general of Great Yuan. He had still not returned to the Capital to be placed under house arrest, nor had the great shaman predicted the destiny of the nation, nor was he rejected by Emperor Yuan.
In other words, he had every opportunity to change his fate and re-plan for the future.
After all… Up to now, he still hasn’t figured out what was the reason for him to be rejected by Emperor Yuan, so much so to the point of giving him a sword to take his own life..
Was it Yu Beizhou who stirred up discord behind the scenes? Was it the emperor’s younger brother who once treated each other with sincerity, but behind his back was a black hand? Or the male supporting characters who surround the protagonist in the book…or…. Who was it exactly?
(t/n The black hand in the general sense is an abbreviation for “behind the scenes”, which means someone who secretly instructs, manipulates other people or events, and usually has a derogatory meaning. It can also be used to “play a black hand”, that is, to attack in the dark and behind the back. It often means that the person is sinister and vicious.)
Death was death, but he can’t let his previous death be in vain without knowing what really happened.
After the agitation, Zong Luo calmed down. He instructed his subordinates to bring the sand table and woodcut prints, staring at the situation of the Yuan Dynasty and the other three countries in the Great Wilderness, and recalculated for a whole night.
According to the development from the previous life, Zong Luo still holds the tiger talisman of the entire Southeast Army in his hand, but thinking that the Xuan Cavalry should be enough, he led the small army to return to the Capital. As a result, he did not expect to catch up with the multinational alliance by accident. He destroyed a large number of enemy troops at Hangu Pass, drove away half a million troops with 3,000 mysterious cavalry, and turned the tide against the wind and was regarded as a legend in history.
The battle of Hangu Pass was exceptionally beautiful, enough to go down in history.
However, high prestige, high merit, and self-respect were always fatal to the ruler.
Not to mention that the Emperor Yuan was not only an absolute tyrant, but also monopolized power during his reign, implemented strict laws and tyranny, and achieved a highly centralized model centered on imperial power. The court could only remain silent.
Although he was cruel and inhumane, Zong Luo thinks that it was not about merits and demerits. He thinks that his deeds outweigh his faults. The visible power of Great Yuan after he ascended the throne was the best explanation.
Zong Luo never guessed it right what he was thinking, and emotionally, he was mostly left in awe, and it was even difficult to talk about family ties. The truth in the emperor’s heart is difficult to guess and understand.
In the past two years, Zong Luo thoroughly thought about the reason why Emperor Yuan suddenly turned his face around in the previous life. In the final analysis, he thought that maybe he was too thirsty for family affection, that he was in the middle of the game without even knowing the game, ignoring the difference between monarchs and ministers, and the simple truth that the emperor was merciless.
Furthermore, the general trend of seizing the position was there, even if Zong Luo had no superfluous ideas about it, it was impossible for the other princes to not have any. Since he was in this position and had such prestige, it was no wonder that he was in the way of others.
After living in the modern age for a long time, being a proton after wearing a book, and learning the six arts in Ghost Valley for so many years, it was very funny that he had not realized his situation and lived in vain for so many years.
After thinking about it for a night, Zong Luo decided to go against the trend and take a risky move.
He decided to run away.
When many countries cooperated to attack the Great Yuan, Zong Luo couldn’t stand idly by and watched as how the country survived from the turmoil.
But he could only rush back with three thousand light cavalry at most. If he could manage it, they would again win more with less, make a beautiful comeback, and repeat the path of what occurred in his previous life.
After weighing the pros and cons, Zong Luo could only lead troops for support, and finally pretended to die in battle.
Only in this way can he not return to the situation of the previous life and avoid the subsequent series.
So he deliberately sent his deputy general Mu Yuanlong to lure the enemy to go into the deep, escaped from the entanglement, and finally disguised his identity and entered the Bo country. Although Bo country was a small country and was not much bigger than the gravel in the multi-nation hegemony, it was the residence of Confucianism.
Few people knew that the Confucian leader was his master’s senior martial brother and Zong Luo’s senior martial uncle. Therefore, he used this relationship to successfully achieve his plan.
But then again, he could hide for a while, but not forever. Death escape was just an expedient measure, not a long-term plan. His foundation was in the Great Yuan, where else can he go?
So Zong Luo came back with Ziyuan.
Before returning, in order to avoid being suspected by Emperor Yuan, he prepared excuses for amnesia and blindness. Both were a cover up but the latter was the ultimate disguise.
After returning, Zong Luo wanted to restore his identity as soon as possible, and then make another plan. But after being interrupted by Yu Beizhou at the city gate, he changed his mind again.
It’s better to avoid the limelight first than to recover his identity upon his return. In addition, he wanted to find out the reason why he had to die in his last life. It’s better to watch the fire from the other side than to fight in person.
Because once his identity was restored, he was bound to get involved in the seizing of the position. In his last life, Zong Luo didn’t care about that position, but after his rebirth, he rarely got aroused and wanted to compete.
Next, he only needed to plan slowly, not act too hastily.
As for the restoration of his identity, he was such a famed person that he would undoubtedly be discovered while walking in the Imperial City one day, it only depends on who the fuse was.
