The Child Emperor

Chapter 105: Xiongnu

Han Ruzi had wanted to capture Lin Kunshan to get his questions answered, but in the end, he was the one who was captured. He had no choice. Marquis Guiyi’s family had no way out, and the plan of his daughter, Jin Chuiduo, was too simple. Both father and brothers disagreed with her, especially Marquis Guiyi, who still hoped to find a risk-free plan.

Prince Du was dead, and they needed help now more than ever.

As dawn approached, the Jin family hid Chai Yun’s body in an empty room. Marquis Guiyi went out to make inquiries, and his two sons took Zhang Yanghao to find Lin Kunshan, leaving his daughter and maidservant to guard the other captives.

The three captives, including Qilang, had their hands and feet bound, sitting in a corner, not daring to make a sound. Only Han Ruzi was not bound, sitting on a chair. Behind him stood a maidservant with a sword. A few steps in front, Jin Chuiduo paced back and forth. Every time she turned, she glanced at Weary Marquis.

Han Ruzi couldn’t help it any longer and spoke, “What do you want to say?”

Jin Chuiduo stopped, still holding a longbow in her hand but without an arrow nocked. “They say you’re a imbecilic ruler. Doesn’t seem like it.”

“They say you’re… But you seem like it either,” Han Ruzi regretted his words as soon as he spoke. He couldn’t afford to offend this girl who could kill without hesitation.

As expected, Jin Chuiduo’s face turned cold. She drew an arrow, nocked it, and shot it incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, the arrow grazed Han Ruzi’s ear and hit the wall behind him, startling the sword-wielding maidservant guarding him. “Miss, your archery is as accurate as ever.”

The three people sitting in the corner were even more frightened.

Han Ruzi, on the other hand, was unafraid. He only moved his eyes slightly. “All you’ve done is waste one arrow.”

“I have enough arrows to kill you all five times over.”

“There are four of us, and you only have fourteen arrows. There’s not enough to kill us five times,” Han Ruzi corrected.

Jin Chuiduo looked down at the arrow quiver at her waist. Indeed, there were only fourteen arrows left. She originally had twenty arrows, but she had a habit of shooting arrows for no reason at all. That’s how she practiced archery, and some arrows were never retrieved, naturally reducing the quantity.

“I’m not keeping you here to get through the border passes.” Jin Chuiduo had to find a way to scare this supposed tyrant. “A deposed emperor without any power, I know the imperial court wouldn’t take you seriously.”

“Mm.”

“I’m going to offer you to the Chanyu[1] of the Xiongnu.”

“A deposed emperor that the Chu empire ignores, why would I be valued by the Xiongnu?”

Jin Chuiduo smiled faintly, even more alluring, and anyone who saw this smiling face would be irresistibly moved. It was hard to believe that she was a daring little troublemaker. “In Chu, you’re a deposed emperor, but in Xiongnu, you’ll be the ‘former emperor’ of the Chu empire. I believe the Chanyu will definitely want you. With a former emperor in hand, when the Xiongnu launches a major invasion to the south, it will be even more justified.”

Han Ruzi had to admit that this girl had some insight. So, he said earnestly, “You claim to be a Xiongnu, but how much do you really know about the Xiongnu?”

“More than you do.”

“The Xiongnu is currently divided into two parts, east and west, each with its own Chanyu. Which one do you plan to seek refuge with?”

Jin Chuiduo remained silent, her expression becoming stern.

Han Ruzi continued, “The Western Chanyu suffered repeated defeats during the reign of the Martial Emperor and fled a thousand li. They have not dared to advance south for over a decade. I presume they’re not whom you intend to seek refuge with. The Eastern Chanyu had previously submitted to Chu, but they caused trouble on the border during the rebellion of Prince Qi. Unfortunately, Prince Qi was defeated. The Eastern Chanyu, caught unprepared, lost his insider and ended up in an awkward position. So he has stationed troops in the north, unwilling to engage in a decisive battle with the Chu empire.”

Jin Chuiduo still didn’t speak.

Han Ruzi could only rely on court bulletins to learn about major court events. Without Yang Feng’s help in interpreting them, he relied on his own imagination to decipher those tedious documents and memorials. He spoke whatever came to his mind, regardless of accuracy.

“You want to hand me over to the Eastern Chanyu, but all signs indicate that the Eastern Chanyu has no grand ambitions. He just wants to take advantage of the situation for some benefits. Barring any accidents, he is likely to submit to Chu again before the end of this autumn.”

Han Ruzi drew this conclusion entirely on his own, without reliable evidence. Yet, he stated it with great certainty, as if it were the consensus of the court ministers. “A deposed emperor would only be hot potato[2] to the Eastern Chanyu. Not only will he not appreciate the Jin family, but he’ll also be very annoyed. You would do better gifting yourself than gifting me…”

Jin Chuiduo’s speed in drawing her bow was extremely fast. In an instant, the arrow was on the string, and she said sharply, “What do you mean?”

Han Ruzi involuntarily raised his hands and then slowly lowered them. He was still afraid of this girl’s archery. “It’s a tradition of the Xiongnu. Usually, a valued vassal would choose a daughter to marry the Chanyu as a concubine. When the Jin family returns to the Xiongnu, you would have to adhere to this tradition. The Eastern Chanyu will also choose a daughter to marry the Marquis Guiyi. Although this would make a mess of the generational order,[3] that’s how they do it.”

Jin Chuiduo lowered her bow and arrow. “How do you know so much detail?”

“I read it in books. It’s recorded that way in the historical accounts of the Xiongnu from various dynasties. I don’t think it would change now. The Eastern Chanyu is already… over sixty, right?”

Before Jin Chuiduo could say anything, the sword-wielding maidservant behind Han Ruzi became anxious. “Miss, you can’t marry an old man. Your husband should be a young prince. Prince Du would have been a good choice, but unfortunately, he was killed.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Jin Chuiduo’s face blushed slightly, then she said proudly, “I won’t marry anyone. I want to lead my own army. I don’t know about Xiongnu traditions, but I know that there are female generals on the steppes.”

“True, but they are usually wives and concubines of the Chanyu. After the death of the old Chanyu, they might be reluctant to marry the new Chanyu. Occasionally, they might be granted permission and receive a military force or a tribe.”

Jin Chuiduo fell silent again. She hadn’t read many books and only had some romantic fantasies about the steppes and the Xiongnu. She couldn’t distinguish whether Weary Marquis’s words were true or false, and she couldn’t refute them.

After pondering for a while, she finally spoke, “According to what you’re saying, keeping you is completely useless. It might be better to just kill you.”

“It’s not useless. How could it be useless?” Han Ruzi hurriedly argued, afraid of getting an arrow if he was too slow. “My usefulness lies with that Lin Kunshan.”

“He’s just a sorcerer…”

“He’s not a simple sorcerer. He was able to persuade the son of Marquis Piyuan to do his bidding and even wants to instigate war between Chu and the Xiongnu to gain benefits. There must be powerful forces in the imperial court supporting Lin Kunshan. Lady Jin, consider this carefully. Who might be the hidden force behind him?”

Influenced by Yang Feng, Han Ruzi unintentionally posed a question. Jin Chuiduo didn’t react immediately and genuinely pondered for a while. Then, not very confidently, she said, “Grand Tutor Cui Hong?”

“Why do you think so?”

“The Empress Dowager and the Emperor don’t need an excuse to go to war with the Xiongnu. Grand Tutor Cui Hong, as the Grand Marshal of the Southern Army, would naturally hope for conflicts on the border. But that’s not right. Grand Tutor Cui Hong only needs to kill Prince Du; why would he want to frame you?”

“Because Cui Hong’s nephew, Prince Donghai, has a personal grudge against me,” Han Ruzi immediately replied, though actually feeling that this answer was not watertight. Prince Donghai didn’t need such a complicated method to seek revenge against him.

Jin Chuiduo didn’t detect the flaw in his argument. She stared at Weary Marquis for a while, then turned her gaze to the three people in the corner. “Is what the deposed emperor said true?”

Two nodded, one shook their head. The one who shook his head immediately turned it into a nod, and the one who had nodded started shaking his head. The remaining person seemed unsure.

Jin Chuiduo angrily said, “Are you all mocking me?”

Qilang, gathering his courage, said, “We… we really don’t know anything.”

Jin Chuiduo snorted lightly and asked Weary Marquis, “Fine, even if what you say is true, what use are you?”

“Instead of handing me over to Lin Kunshan, why not hand Lin Kunshan over to me? If the Jin family can assist me in thwarting the Cui family’s conspiracy, you will certainly receive the Empress Dowager’s generous reward. It’s more advantageous than going to the Eastern Chanyu with no support.”

Jin Chuiduo laughed so much that her branches shook, and it took her a while to say, “I almost believed you. So, you want the Jin family to sacrifice itself for you. You’re a deposed emperor; why should we help you? And why would the Empress Dowager reward us? We killed Chai Yun; how could we turn back?”

Han Ruzi was about to speak when the sword-wielding maidservant behind him suddenly spoke harshly, “Ignorant fools, wipe your saliva clean. If you dare to look at the young lady a moment longer, I’ll gouge out your eyes.”

It turned out that when Jin Chuiduo laughed, the other three captives were mesmerized, completely forgetting the danger they were in. Only when the maidservant spoke did they snap out of it, hastily lowering their heads and wiping their mouths on their knees.

Suppressing her anger, Jin Chuiduo said to the maidservant, “I’ll take a rest. Watch them. Don’t listen to the deposed emperor’s nonsense. Remember that?”

“Yes, Miss.”

As soon as Jin Chuiduo left, the maidservant chuckled softly, “The young lady must be checking on Xiongnu customs in her books. It’s your fault for being so talkative. The young lady reads slowly. It might take her a whole day to find it.”

“I’ll tell you which book it is, and you can…”

Han Ruzi had good intentions, but the maidservant placed the sword on his shoulder. “The young lady told you not to talk nonsense. You’re not allowed to talk nonsense.”

“I’m not talking nonsense. Can I speak normally?”

After thinking for a while, the maidservant said, “You can.”

“Are you not a Xiongnu?”

“No.”

“Then why do you want to go to the steppes?”

The maidservant turned to Weary Marquis, looking at him. “You’re really persistent, even trying to persuade me. Why do I want to go to the steppes? Because the young lady wants to go. I shall follow her through thick and thin, whether it’s with the Xiongnu or with the Chu empire. It doesn’t matter; I’m the young lady’s maidservant.”

As Han Ruzi was about to speak again, the maidservant pointed her sword at him. “I may be foolish, but I’m not stupid. You’re talking nonsense again. I might as well put my sword through your mouth.”

Han Ruzi shut his mouth and shook his head, indicating he wouldn’t speak anymore.

Without power or connections, he couldn’t figure out how to persuade the Jin family.

In the afternoon, the father and sons of the Jin family returned one after the other. The Weary Marquis was extremely anxious. “The disappearance of Chai Yun and the Weary Marquis has spread. Many people are looking for them. Our family needs to leave the city as soon as possible.”

Han Ruzi thought Zhang Yanghao might take the opportunity to escape, but he returned obediently, with a hint of conspiratorial satisfaction on his face. He didn’t even look at the three captives sitting in the corner. After Marquis Guiyi finished speaking, Zhang Yanghao said, “Lin Kunshan invites the Marquis Guiyi’s family to meet outside the city. He can safely escort you to the northern border.”

Marquis Guiyi looked at his two sons. “Have you met that sorcerer?”

Both nodded.

“Is he trustworthy?”

The two exchanged glances. The elder son said, “Lin Kunshan is an extraordinary person. He surely has a way to send our family away safely. We believe in him.”

Marquis Guiyi nodded thoughtfully. Han Ruzi asked, “Where outside the city are we going?”

“The Subtle Fragrance Garden in the Little Southern Hill,” Zhang Yanghao replied without hesitation.

[1]Chanyu was the title used by the rulers of the steppe nomads north of China until it was superseded by the title of Khan/Khagan.

[2] The potatoes we know today came from the Americas, so the potato being referred to here is not the same potato we know today, but a native plant which is similar to the potato.  

[3] There would be a mess in the generational order because the Chanyu would be Marquis Guiyi’s son-in-law and father-in-law at the same time. According to traditional Confucian ethics, this would be a clear indication of barbarism.

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