novelSusiti Chapter 46 Yan Envoy
Chapter 46 Yan Envoy
After receiving the order, Lord Pingyang did not linger. He bowed to King Zhao and then turned and strode away.
Zhao Yan, on the other hand, looked as if he had suffered a great injustice but was forcing himself to endure it. He sat in his seat, looking restless.
King Zhao then looked at Zhao Heng again.
"Heng'er, you just examined the wound and analyzed the suspicious points with solid evidence. Where did you learn these skills? Did Mr. Wei teach you? I had no idea he possessed such expertise in examining wounds in criminal cases."
Zhao Heng had already prepared his answer, and immediately replied:
"These things were indeed not taught by a teacher. I... have simply enjoyed browsing the books in the manor since I was a child. Before my father went to Qin, he left behind many classics and notes, including a lot of miscellaneous books, such as travelogues of the ancients, medical essays, and even some fragments of legal texts. When I had nothing to do, I would casually flip through them and occasionally jot down some superficial insights. Today, in the urgency of the court, I recalled some descriptions of the forms of injuries in the books and spoke boldly, fortunately without straying far from the truth."
King Zhao nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but simply said, "You are indeed diligent and eager to learn. However, are you aware that Mr. Wei is not in Handan at the moment?"
Zhao Heng was taken aback: "Teacher went out to visit a friend and hasn't returned for several days. I thought he would be back soon, could it be... there's another reason?"
King Zhao then looked at Li Lingcheng, who was standing to his side, and gestured for him to explain to Zhao Heng.
Li Lingcheng then understood and stepped forward, saying to Zhao Heng:
"My lord, you are unaware of this. A month ago, the Prime Minister of Yan, Li Fu, was sent by the King of Yan with a thousand pieces of gold to Handan. Ostensibly, he was there to offer his birthday greetings to the King in advance, but in reality, he intended to make peace and ease the border friction between Yan and Zhao in recent years. Therefore, Lord Jianxin advised that the Yan envoy should be accompanied and guided by someone skilled in rhetoric and knowledgeable about the affairs of various states, so as to demonstrate the courtesy and sincerity of our Zhao state."
"Mr. Wei Jia is a learned man who has traveled to many states in the past and is renowned far and wide. He is an excellent candidate. Therefore, the King approved the suggestion of Lord Jianxin and appointed Mr. Wei as the deputy envoy to accompany the Yan envoy to the Yan State. This is both to fulfill the proper etiquette and to allow him to investigate the movements of the Yan State firsthand."
At this point, Li Lingcheng glanced at the King of Zhao's expression, and seeing nothing amiss, turned back to Zhao Heng, a slightly wistful smile on his face:
"Before leaving, Mr. Wei praised the young master highly before the King, saying that the young master was exceptionally intelligent and would surely become a great man in time. I'm not afraid to tell the King that I thought it was just Mr. Wei's excessive praise because he loved his student so much. But seeing the young master's demeanor in the palace today, I realize that I was too naive and that Mr. Wei's words were true."
Gao Qu, standing to the side, merely twitched the corner of his mouth upon hearing this, before quickly regaining his expressionless demeanor. Inwardly, however, he was unconvinced and even couldn't help but sneer.
As Zhao Heng listened, his mind suddenly cleared, and many clues instantly connected.
Based on the timeline, Wei Jia's transfer from Handan occurred before his conflict with Jianxin Jun at Zuiyuelou.
It seems that, after the Gao Qu incident, Zhao Yan and Jianxin Jun's faction clearly believed that Wei Jia was their strategist, so they took the initiative to send him away under the guise of an envoy, keeping him far away from Handan. In this way, they felt they had lost their support and could then launch their attack with peace of mind.
What a brilliant move to undermine his cause! If I weren't not a real child, I would have suffered a terrible defeat in this scheme. Even if I survived, I would have been despised by the King of Zhao.
However, Zhao Heng only said with a look of realization, "I see. Since it concerns diplomatic relations, it is indeed an important matter. No wonder you didn't tell me this before you left."
Inside the hall, Zhao Yan, who had been feeling extremely uneasy, saw the atmosphere between the grandfather and grandson on the imperial steps ease, and they were talking back and forth as if they were ordinary people having a conversation. The anger and resentment that had been suppressed in his heart began to resurface.
That old bastard!
Before this, he had always been lukewarm towards Zhao Heng, and even seemed to harbor a sense of alienation and disdain.
Why is she acting like she's taken the wrong medicine today, with such a drastic change in attitude?
Could it be... that the old man has been acting all along? He's been on guard against me the whole time?
This thought made Zhao Yan feel somewhat uncertain and uneasy.
On the steps, King Zhao pondered for a moment, then spoke again:
"Mr. Wei's journey will take at least a month and a half, including his stay in Yan. Considering that your studies should not be neglected for too long, Lord Jianxin once advised that Guo Kai, the steward of your uncle's household, is also eloquent and can temporarily take over as your teacher for half a year, until Mr. Wei returns and the position is handed over to him."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan's spirits lifted, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, and he immediately prepared to stand up and recommend Guo Kai to solidify the suggestion.
But King Zhao didn't even look at him, and just spoke indifferently.
"However, judging from the abilities of your uncle's disciples, who can handle even a murder case so poorly, it's questionable whether Guo Kai truly possesses the necessary skills. Let's leave this matter aside for now. I will reconsider your studies."
Zhao Heng felt a slight sinking feeling in his heart, but then secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The other party is quite cunning.
If I fail to overcome this hurdle of the murder case today and am confirmed to have "incurred the hatred of the people," then I fear I will rightfully fall into Guo Kai's hands.
Only then will we truly be subject to control at every turn.
However, he first thanked Zhao Yan, and then bowed to King Zhao, saying, "Your grandson will leave everything to your grandfather."
Zhao Yan's face twitched, but he dared not retaliate and could only sit down again dejectedly.
King Zhao pondered for a moment, seemingly considering how to arrange Zhao Heng's studies. He first glanced subconsciously at Gao Qu, who was standing by, but then his brows furrowed slightly as he turned to Li Lingcheng beside him, as if he intended to instruct the latter to find a suitable candidate from the palace or elsewhere.
But at that moment, Zhao Heng, who had been lost in thought, suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Prime Minister Li Fu of the Yan Kingdom came to offer birthday greetings...
Zhao Heng suddenly looked up, disregarding etiquette, and asked urgently, "Grandfather, may I ask when Master left Handan?"
King Zhao was carefully considering his choice when he was suddenly and somewhat rudely interrupted, which startled him and caused him to raise his eyebrows slightly.
Fortunately, Li Lingcheng reacted quickly, smiling as he explained, "Mr. Wei, accompanying the Yan envoy's entourage, left Handan five days ago and headed north. Young master, have you suddenly remembered something important that you need to inform Mr. Wei?"
Zhao Heng quickly calculated the five-day journey in his mind, then pressed on, "Do you know where they are now? Have they entered the territory of Yan?"
Li Lingcheng was taken aback, then looked troubled and said with a wry smile, "My lord, this... the journey north takes time by post. The Yan envoy's caravan is large and their journey is slow. They should still be within Zhao territory at this moment, or just approaching the border. But I really can't know for sure which city they have reached or whether they have crossed the Yi River. Your question is indeed difficult for me."
King Zhao frowned and waved his hand to interrupt Li Lingcheng.
"Heng'er, why are you so anxious to ask about Mr. Wei's itinerary? Did he perhaps give you some important instructions before leaving the capital?"
Zhao Heng was about to respond, but he stopped himself from speaking.
He quickly glanced at Zhao Yan, who was still sitting silently with his head down, and Gao Qu, who was standing on the other side, as if he had already pricked up his ears.
His face then showed an expression of extreme hesitation and struggle, as if what he was about to say was extremely important and should not be known to a third party.
Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he stepped forward, approached the Prince of Zhao behind the imperial desk, covered his mouth with his hand, lowered his voice, and quickly whispered something in his ear.
The voice was so soft that even Li Lingcheng, who was standing right next to him, could not hear the specific content.
The moment King Zhao heard Zhao Heng's whisper, his brows furrowed and a look of surprise and doubt appeared on his face.
He gave Zhao Heng a deep look, and the latter nodded solemnly to him. Then, King Zhao pondered for a moment, but looked expressionlessly at Zhao Yan on the lower seat.
"Zhao Yan, this is no longer your business. You may leave and return to your own residence. Until the case is resolved, you are not to leave your residence without being summoned. Keep your subordinates in check and reflect on their actions."
Then, he instructed Gao Qu: "You escort Prince Yan out of the palace. Nothing about what happened in the palace today must be revealed to outsiders. If even the slightest leak occurs, you will be held responsible."
Zhao Yan was completely taken aback when the old man suddenly changed his attitude and let him leave, especially after Zhao Heng whispered something in his ear.
He was momentarily surprised and uncertain, but dared not ask any further questions. He quickly stood up, bowed, and replied, "Your subject obeys."
He suppressed his doubts and exchanged a glance with Gao Qu. Gao Qu's eyes were also full of confusion, but he quickly composed himself, bowed, and led the former away from the main hall.
At this moment, King Zhao looked at Zhao Heng again and leaned forward slightly.
"Alright, your uncle has left. Now, speak. What exactly were you trying to say? Why did you ask about Mr. Wei's itinerary? And what did you mean by that sentence you whispered in my ear?"
Without hesitation, Zhao Heng took a step back and bowed down to King Zhao once more.
"Your grandson humbly begs your grandfather, wherever your teacher is currently traveling, please immediately send a messenger on horseback to catch up with the delegation and, by royal decree, order your teacher to turn back immediately and return to Handan."
A glint flashed in the King of Zhao's eyes, but he merely glanced at Li Lingcheng with amusement and pressed on:
"Why recall the envoy so urgently? Do you know that recalling the envoy without cause is tantamount to mocking the State of Yan, and could immediately trigger a diplomatic dispute?"
Li Lingcheng, who was standing to the side, was also puzzled and had no idea what Zhao Heng's sudden request was about. He could only hold his breath and wait and see.
Then Zhao Heng looked directly at King Zhao and said:
"I believe that Yan's sending of envoys to offer birthday greetings is not a genuine attempt to improve relations. The fact that their prime minister, Li Fu, personally came is merely a smokescreen to lull Zhao into a false sense of security. In reality, they are using this as a pretext to probe Zhao's strength and weaknesses. I dare to predict that within one or two months, or at most three or four months, Yan will take advantage of Zhao's weakened state and the loosening of its borders to launch a large-scale invasion."
He looked serious and simply bowed with his hands clasped.
"At that time, my teacher, as the deputy envoy of Zhao, will be in the capital of an enemy state. Even with his status as an envoy, he will be like a lamb entering a tiger's den, in grave danger. Please, Father, save my teacher quickly, or else great calamity may ensue."