Wish You All the Best - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
An Cangzhu glared ahead, watching Yisang dismount and stroll over with a swagger, laughing loudly, "I rushed and hurried all the way from Mayuan, yet I didn't expect to still be late. I am truly ashamed to have kept you all waiting so long!" He strode to the front and, as if no one else were there, sat down brazenly. Only then did he seem to notice Pei You'an; he turned, bowed to him, and said, "Lord Pei, forgive me for keeping you waiting."
Pei You'an offered a smile, neither confirming nor denying anything. Opposite him, An Jilong said coldly, "It would be one thing if you only kept the rest of us waiting, but what is the meaning of bringing all these troops? Do you think you are the only one who has men at your command?"
Yisang snorted through his nose, "You are the Great Tusi now, so what if I have more men? I apologize, but I do not trust you people. If it were not for the fact that Lord Pei once cured the plague in my Mengding manor, would I have even come here today to waste my breath with you?"
An Jilong held back his anger and retorted, "You and I had already sworn an oath to cease hostilities. That Lord Ma was clearly trying to sow discord, so why did you fall for it and come to cause trouble? Do you really think I am afraid of you?"
Yisang sneered, "Fine words sound pleasant! You’ve reaped all the benefits, even having my ancestral lands deeded to you. Do you truly take me for a dead man?"
An Jilong slammed his hand on the table and stood up, "Preposterous! You are clearly looking for an excuse to stir up trouble! That decree from Lord Ma to grant Anlong Pass to my Mengmu manor was nothing but empty words! Since he left, have you ever seen anyone from my Mengmu manor cross the border by even half a step? It is your men who crossed the border a few days ago, causing trouble and wounding several of my people! I see you have no sincerity for peace talks at all! I, An Jilong, never stir up trouble, but I am not afraid of it either! If you want to fight, then let’s fight!"
Yisang stood up abruptly, "You all heard that—the Great Tusi said it himself. Since that is the case, what is there left to talk about? I shall take my leave; you may all fare as you will!" Having said this, he turned and walked away. The hundreds of warriors he had brought with him erupted into a thunderous roar of support. An Jilong’s face turned livid, and the gathered Tusi exchanged glances.
"Yisang, you once drank blood to swear an oath, promising to cease the fighting. You clearly know that the Mengmu manor has committed no actual breach of contract, yet you stubbornly insist on causing trouble. What is the logic in this?"
A voice came from behind, unhurried and full of vitality, seemingly drowning out the clamor of the hundreds of warriors behind Yisang.
Yisang stopped, turned his head, and saw Pei You'an stand up and walk toward him.
He hesitated for a moment, then smiled, "Lord Pei, do not misunderstand, and do not listen to one-sided words. I have absolutely no intention of setting myself against you. I came here today solely for your sake. Since the conversation with him was fruitless, what else is there to say? It shall be as it shall be!"
He looked around the circle, seeing everyone watching him, and said loudly, "Besides, this is a grudge between myself and An Jilong; no outsider needs to interfere. Lord Pei, I have always been a man who speaks his mind. If I may be so bold, you are Han, and being of a different race, how can we be of one heart? Your trip is called mediation, but I have heard you entered the Mengmu manor long ago. Where is the neutrality in that? You came here likely either because An Jilong promised you benefits, or you have your own unspeakable selfish motives, don't you?"
An Jilong was furious; he slammed the table and rebuked, "Yisang! It is one thing for you to splash filth on me, but how dare you slander Lord Pei? Back when the plague broke out in Mayuan City, if Lord Pei had not reached out to help, would you even be standing here today spewing wild words?"
Pei You'an gestured for An Jilong to be calm. He turned to Yisang, who wore a look of disdain, and smiled, "Tusi Yisang has hit the nail on the head. I, Pei You'an, truly did have some selfish motives in coming here."
The surrounding Tusi whispered among themselves, and Yisang looked smug.
Pei You'an scanned the various Tusi, large and small, and said, "You all know that the Third Prince holds the former Emperor’s scepter to govern this frontier; pacifying the borders and settling the people is the Third Prince’s primary duty. If the Mengmu and Mengding manors start a war again due to a misunderstanding, I fear the Third Prince will not escape a charge of negligence from the imperial Censorate. I came here under the orders of the Third Prince. If you all would do me the honor of granting me, Pei You'an, some face, I will have an account to give to the Third Prince when I return."
The Tusi burst into laughter, and one of them shouted, "Lord Pei, we have always admired you! Let today’s proceedings be presided over by you!"
Pei You'an bowed to all sides, "In terms of seniority, I, Pei You'an, am far inferior to the Tusi here. I thank you all for your kindness. To everyone here, I have only this to say: there is no fortune in war, and no peace to be found in chaos. Commissioner Ma’s trip may seem unrelated to you, but in reality, not one person here is free from being implicated. The Mengmu and Mengding manors hold critical weight in the Southwest. If war breaks out again, how can any of you remain aloof? Whether through coercion or for self-preservation, when one part moves, the whole body suffers. Plus, with foreign enemies watching like tigers, the stability of the Southwest will be gone forever!"
The smiles on the Tusi's faces faded, and their expressions grew grave.
Pei You'an turned to Yisang, "Tusi Yisang, if you and the Mengmu Tusi truly go to war again, search your own heart: what are your chances of winning?"
Yisang sneered, "Even if it means being smashed to pieces, I will not let an outsider take even half an inch of my ancestral land!"
Pei You'an smiled faintly, "Well said! But I would like to ask you, Tusi: Commissioner Ma only mentioned in passing that Anlong Pass should be assigned to the Mengmu manor, and you were so indignant that you disregarded the facts and recklessly broke your oath. Then, while so many Tusi are gathered here today, what is the logic in secretly sending men to occupy Mubang?"
Once these words were out, Yisang’s face changed, and the entire venue was in an uproar.
Mubang was An Jilong’s ancestral land. An Jilong was shocked; he lunged forward, shouting sternly, "Yisang! You actually did such a shameless thing! Do you really think I, An Jilong, am afraid of you?"
An Cangzhu had already drawn his waist blade and led twenty guards from behind to rush forward, shouting in rage, "You despicable villain, I will kill you right now!"
Yisang let out a shout, and the hundreds of warriors behind him immediately swarmed forward, surrounding the venue tightly. Swords were drawn and bows were taut; it was ready to erupt at any moment.
The Tusi all turned pale, standing up one after another and shouting, "Yisang, what do you think you are doing?"
Yisang looked around and sneered, "You people, you all breathe through the same nose as An Jilong. Lord Pei, since you have found out, I have nothing to hide. I have already dispatched a large force to Mubang; there is no chance Mubang will survive. I will lay it out plainly: Anlong Pass has belonged to my Mengding manor for generations. If An Jilong does not agree to hand over Anlong Pass in its entirety today, not only will Mubang be lost, but none of you will be able to leave here either!"
Curses rose from all sides, but Yisang’s expression did not change. Protected by a squad of trusted aides, he looked incredibly arrogant.
Pei You'an watched him, his expression gradually turning cold. Suddenly, he clapped his hands. A guard standing behind him released a fire signal. The signal shot into the sky and cracked open with a bang. A moment later, a troop of men arrived from the distance. In the blink of an eye, they sped to the front. Yisang turned his head to look, his face changing drastically.
Yang Yun rode over on horseback, pointing his blade at a man tied hand and foot who was slung across the side of the horse, shouting sharply, "Yisang, look at who this is! If you do not beg for forgiveness from Lord Pei, the blade in my hand will not recognize your son!"
The bound man was none other than Yisang’s most beloved eldest son, Inu. Always a capable fighter, he was Yisang’s right-hand man and the one he viewed as his successor.
For this secret operation, he had sent Inu to lead two thousand elite troops to launch a surprise attack on the undefended Mubang. He had assumed it would be an easy victory, but he never expected such a turn of events. Steadying himself, he immediately turned to Pei You'an, "What do you intend? If you dare to harm my son by even a fraction, I swear I will never let this end today!"
Pei You'an said coldly, "Yisang, your son is being held at blade-point, yet has not lost a single hair, and you are already this anxious, swearing you would rather die with me than see him harmed. If I had failed to stop your scheme in time, would you have shown even half a shred of mercy to those defenseless people in Mubang? Your son is flesh of your flesh, but do others not feel the pain of blood relations?"
Yisang looked at his son, who was gagged and struggling incessantly, his face turning incredibly ugly.
"Are you still not going to call your men to retreat?"
Pei You'an shouted sternly.
Yisang’s whole body trembled; he involuntarily took a step back, his face flushing and paling by turns, and signaled for his subordinates to withdraw.
Soon, the hundreds of warriors retreated like a tide, vanishing into the distance.
The tense atmosphere finally eased. The many Tusi let out a breath and glared at Yisang, their eyes full of rage.
Pei You'an ordered Yang Yun to bring Inu forward. Yang Yun pushed Inu ahead, but seeing him struggling to avoid kneeling, he kicked the back of Inu’s knees. Inu collapsed to the ground, glaring at Pei You'an with rage, making muffled sounds through his gag.
Yisang barely steadied his heart and said, "Lord Pei, I have fallen into your hands today, and I concede! How do you intend to dispose of my son?"
"Yisang, although your Yi family has been Tusi for many generations, you were originally just a small Tusi manor, unknown to anyone. It was not until your great-grandfather’s time that the Yi family was able to rise. I have heard that when the old Tusi was alive, the Menglian came to attack your Mayuan City. The city was in jeopardy, and the old Tusi was in dire straits. It was only because the people of Mayuan City helped with all their might that he was able to turn defeat into victory. From then on, the old Tusi viewed Mayuan City as a place of good fortune and moved the Tusi manor there. It was only after that that your Yi family began to gain power. Why did the people of Mayuan City help the old Tusi back then? I heard it was because he was kind, loved his people, and kept his promises—a great hero. Why did the Menglian lose the hearts of the people? Because they were obsessed with war, and the people suffered beyond measure. Now, your Yi family is powerful, but where is the Menglian? They have long since turned to dust."
"Without trust, a person cannot stand. I know you long for the imperial court to title you as the Great Tusi, but like this—simply because you failed to get the benefits you expected, you become resentful, your vision limited to what is in front of your eyes, treating oaths like nothing, breaking promises, and failing to keep your word. Even if you gained the title of Great Tusi, how would you stand? And how would you win the submission of the people?"
As Pei You'an’s voice faded, the surroundings fell into a dead silence.
Yisang turned red with shame. Seeing Pei You'an standing with his hands behind his back, looking like a deep pool or a mountain peak, commanding respect without anger, he dared not speak. He watched helplessly as Pei You'an turned to An Cangzhu to request his waist blade.
An Cangzhu immediately pulled out the blade and offered it with both hands.
Pei You'an took it, his finger lightly touching the cold edge. The blade’s light was like frost, reflecting a severe and cold killing intent in his pupils.
He stepped toward Inu on the ground. When he reached him, he stooped down and pulled the wooden gag from Inu’s mouth.
Inu immediately shouted, "Father, don't worry about me! If he wants to kill, let him kill! This Han is full of tricks; do not let him deceive you!"
Pei You'an pressed the back of the blade against one side of his face. With a downward weight of his wrist, Inu’s head was immediately pinned, his eyes bulging as he glared at Pei You'an.
The atmosphere grew suddenly tense, and everyone held their breath. Yisang was ashen-faced, gritting his teeth, "If you kill him, I will surely stand against you to the end!"
Pei You'an’s expression remained as still as water. He raised his hand and brought the blade down, the edge slicing across Inu’s arm.
Yisang was stunned. Before he could react, he saw Pei You'an use the same method to slice his own arm. A streak of bright red blood immediately ran down his sleeve, soaking the fabric.
The entire scene was dumbstruck, and also confused. Inu on the ground was also shocked; he looked at Pei You'an and stopped struggling.
Yisang’s heart, which had been hanging in his throat, settled slightly. He hesitated, "Lord Pei... what is the meaning of this?"
Pei You'an watched him and said, "Yisang, you just said that being of a different race, how can we be of one heart? You see? Although you and my eldest son are not of the same race and have different appearances, beneath the skin, the blood is the same color. If we cast aside our prejudices, why can we not be of one heart and mind? You and An Jilong can be called the twin tigers of the Southwest, with countless people watching, waiting to replace you. Have you heard this saying? When two tigers fight, they do not both live, and the clever dog gains the profit. Before I left on this trip, the Third Prince once remarked that you are a good man, but unfortunately, your character is a bit narrow, which is why you were easily provoked into a trap, used by others without even knowing it, leading to the current conflict. Tusi An never intended to be hostile toward you, and the Third Prince hopes even more that you will pull back from the brink. Whether we fight or make peace today, I will say no more—it is all up to you!"
Yisang stood dazed for a long while before suddenly rushing forward and bowing deeply to Pei You'an, "Lord Pei, I, Yisang, have never admitted defeat in my life, but today I am convinced! I was wrong! Whether you kill me or butcher me, it is all up to you, Lord Pei!"
Pei You'an said, "People are not sages; who can be without faults? Tusi Yisang’s willingness to turn swords into plowshares is a great virtue. Get up." He stepped forward to help him up, then turned to An Jilong, "Tusi An, Yisang sent men to attack your Mubang. How do you intend to resolve this?"
An Jilong had initially been furious and filled with lingering fear. Fortunately, Inu had been captured by Pei You'an halfway, which averted a disaster. Having finally breathed a sigh of relief, and seeing Yisang admit his error, he felt he could only let it go for Pei You'an’s sake. "Yisang, regarding today’s events, fortunately, no evil outcome was wrought. For Lord Pei’s sake, I will not hold it against you. But I must say this in advance: if you ever invade my Mengmu manor again, I will absolutely not let it go so easily!"
Yisang showed a look of shame, "Lord Pei spared my son’s life, so I owe him a life. I will keep this life for now, and in the future, it shall be at Lord Pei’s disposal. As for you, we shall restore our original alliance and everything shall be as it was. I will set out wine and offer sacrifices, and according to the customary rules, I will apologize to you publicly, with everyone here as a witness!"
An Jilong had originally expected that, out of shame, Yisang would say he would cede all of Anlong Pass to him. He did not expect him to be so calculating, unwilling to suffer any loss at all, and cursed him as an "old fox" in his heart. Being a naturally magnanimous man, he decided to let it slide for Pei You'an’s sake. He turned to the crowd and laughed, "I will drink Yisang’s wine another day. Today, everyone has worked hard; come all to my manor. I will set a feast and invite Lord Pei to take the seat of honor. Let us all go together, and not stop until we are drunk!"
...
Jiafu knew today’s matter was of great importance. She waited in the Tusi manor with a nervous heart. When it grew dark, she suddenly heard the faint sound of banquet drums and music from the front. She guessed that Pei You'an had likely returned safely. Not long after, a guard came, saying the Master had sent him to pass word that everything was fine and that she should not worry.
Jiafu felt completely relieved and began craning her neck, waiting for his return. She waited until the (Hai) hour (late evening), having peered out an unknown number of times, when she finally heard footsteps outside. She rushed out and saw Pei You'an being supported by a guard, his steps actually slightly unsteady.
She had been by his side for some time, and even here, where there were frequent banquets, she had never seen him drink. Tonight was an exception. She hurried to meet him and caught him by the arm.
Pei You'an told the guard to go and rest, then withdrew the arm Jiafu was holding and headed inside himself.
Jiafu chased after him and took his arm again, saying, "You are drunk, you aren't even walking steadily. Let me support you."
He stopped his steps and looked down at her. Seeing her worried expression, he hesitated, but in the end, he did not pull his hand away, allowing her to support him as they entered the room.