The Seventh Prince awoke with a start and said, "Yes, yes, I misspoke."
But the Breaking Army simply thought to himself.
’No, your praise was quite good, go on and praise some more!’
The young strategist’s lips curled slightly, his back straight as an arrow, his left hand held behind him; his ink-colored eyes swept over the faces of all under heaven, thrilling inwardly, yet dismissing everyone before him as nothing more than mediocrities. Hmph, look at you lot, having never seen the world.
Has my lord ever seen such?
Shaking Light, oh Shaking Light.
I can ensure my lord’s name shakes the world, withdrawing wholly and unscathed, all the trailing troubles, neatly resolved.
What do you have to compare with me?
Is it by virtue of that white hair of yours?
Or by virtue of your hand that can burn anything to a crisp save for Formations?
The vision of the Breaking Army slowly lowered, landing on the lifeless body of Tantai Xianming, the ink-colored pupils reflecting a purple light. The young strategist’s lips twisted, "Plotting with death as your field, using my lord as your chess piece, you old dog, you’ve got quite the nerve."
"But, do you think of me as a fool?"
"As for the gains, we shall take them."
"But that black pot, heh..."
The young strategist stood behind the Turkic Seventh Prince, his gaze leisurely sweeping over the assembly. Here were princes of the Dangxiang people from the Western Regions, the suddenly appeared Regent King Chen Wenmian, the Crown Prince and Prince Jiang Guang of Ying Country.
Such ample scapegoats; if I can’t handle your death play,
To you I’ll burn my name, the Breaking Army!
The young strategist remained haughty and proud, his eyes alighting with anticipation, as if to soar past the resplendent Chen Imperial Palace and eagerly set flight over the entire world. The Regent King approached Tantai Xianming and read the line of text.
The aged Wolf King almost immediately surmised most of the key points.
He looked down, glancing sideways at the nearby rack that once held the spiritual tablets for sacrificing to Chen’s many ancestors. Listed there were the married couple Li Wanli and Su Changqing, along with the tablets for the twenty-four generals who had died in battle, and atop them all, the largest tablet bore the names of all who had fought and died for the peace of the world.
The Regent King began to smile.
In his heart, he said:
"Li Wanli, back in our youth, we fought and slaughtered side by side."
"Now you are gone, and I still live on. I must still fight and strive with your son, racing across this world—truly, this is..."
He limped forward to the array of ritual objects and the spirit tablets, voluntarily picking up three sticks of incense.
An eunuch and officials from the Ministry of Rites had come rushing over, intending to dismantle the spiritual tablets of Taiping Duke and others, but they stiffened under the sweep of the Regent King’s eyes. One Ministry official stammered, "Your Majesty, this is against protocol."
The Regent King suddenly burst into hearty laughter, "The peace was defined by these warriors who died in battle!"
"I pay my respects to them!"
"That is in keeping with protocol!"
Under his gaze, the officials of the Ministry of Rites stepped back, pale-faced. In full view of the public, the Regent King looked at the tablets, lighting the three sticks of incense, the smoke curling upward as if through it, one could glimpse the outlines of those figures.
We have shared life and death, pledged loyalty unto death, and crossed swords.
But now, only I remain.
He grimaced, inserting the incense into the Ritual Vessel.
Then, flinging open his cloak, he bowed heartily three times, as the Regent King’s hearty voice rang in every ear.
"I pay respects to Taiping Duke Li Wanli, to Su Changqing!"
"To these many valiant soldiers!"
"I pay respects to every warrior who sacrificed themselves on the battlefield for the peace of our Great Chen!!!"
Thereupon, Chen’s warriors could no longer remain standing.
They pressed their weapons against the ground, kneeling in unison, their palms striking their hearts.
Recalling the humiliations of past years, having just been whipped by eunuchs into dumping their comrades’ bodies into trenches, their blood boiled, their chests filled with unspeakable valor and fiery pride, and so they solemnly said:
"I pay respects to Taiping Duke Li Wanli, to Su Changqing!"
"To these many valiant soldiers!"
"I pay respects to every warrior who sacrificed themselves on the battlefield for the peace of our Great Chen!!!"
Their voices were as thunderous roars.
The Regent King rose, his cloak billowing like ink-colored clouds.
And so, the other warriors also rose.
The clashing of weapons and armor sounded gravely, echoing as if from the battlefield. The leaves stirred by the wind, the return of the Wolf King, one characterized by pride, self-will, fierce confidence, and yet profound benevolence towards his soldiers, willing to share life and death with his battle generals.
Such a man seemed to be born to seize the attention of all.
Chen Dingye was ashen-faced.
Yuwen Lie gripped his weapon, sighing softly, "Do you see clearly, Your Highnesses? This is the enemy you will inevitably face; the greatest enemy. A man like him will not die in his bed."
"In the breath before his death, if not pierced through the heart by a sword, he will surely be mounted on his charge, still charging forward—an insatiable, cunning, and ferocious Wolf King..."
The Breaking Army watched the aged Wolf King.
The smile finally began to fade from his face, and if his guess was correct...
The Breaking Army thought, my lord, you might well have to do battle with such a formidable opponent.
Under the silent scrutiny of all, the Regent King helped Chen Wenmian onto his horse, with arms as strong as iron, fully capable of supporting his son. Then, mounting his own warhorse, his eyes fixed on Chen Dingye, donned in the imperial robe and crown, he said: