Chapter Thirty-Six: The Time Is Ripe

“Let’s talk, let’s talk—quick, put the knife down.”
Gao Wanqing’s face had turned a sickly green from fright. If Chen Ying truly killed Marquis Li Xiaoguang of Changguang, not only would Chen Ying be doomed, but Gao himself, as county constable, and the magistrate of Wannian County, would at the very least be stripped of their positions. Worse yet, their families might be confiscated, their wives and children sent to the music bureau as playthings for other men.
Chen Ying, eyes bloodshot, stared at Gao Wanqing as he slowly dragged his blood-stained broadsword, pressing it against Li Xiaoguang’s neck. A crimson line welled up and trickled down the blade’s edge.
“Spare me… please, don’t kill me!” Li Xiaoguang wailed in terror. Suddenly spotting Gao, he cried out desperately, “It’s not my fault—this dog here set me up!”
Li Xiaoguang didn’t need to say it; Chen Ying had already guessed as much. He had never met Li Xiaoguang before, so there was no reason for any grudge. Clearly, Gao Wanqing, acting under Su Hu’s orders, had tried to frame him; when that failed, he concocted a new scheme, luring the Marquis into action. Against a noble of imperial blood, Chen Ying was meant to bear the brunt of the loss.
Naturally, Chen Ying wasn’t about to let Gao Wanqing and Su Hu off so easily; he halted the blade’s cut. He moved the sword away from Li Xiaoguang’s neck, but the cold blade remained less than three inches from his throat.
“Do you want to live, or do you want to die?” Chen Ying pressed the icy blade against Li Xiaoguang’s cheek.
“I want to live! I want to live!”
“If that’s the case, let’s see how much weight a founding marquis carries in our great Constable Gao’s heart,” Chen Ying said coldly. “Order him to kneel to me.”
Li Xiaoguang was dumbfounded, unable to react for a long moment. The cold blade hadn’t yet bit into his neck, but with a sob, he stammered, “Gao… Gao… Constable Gao… you… kneel… kneel down, quickly…”
Gao Wanqing hesitated briefly.
Chen Ying added, “My lord Marquis, this isn’t my doing. It’s Constable Gao who wants you dead. If you find yourself before the King of the Underworld, remember who was truly behind your demise.”
With that, Chen Ying raised the sword as if to strike off his head.
Li Xiaoguang shrieked hysterically, “Gao, you bastard, kneel to me now!”
“You’re shameless!” Gao Wanqing cursed through clenched teeth, almost spitting blood in fury. Now that Chen Ying had turned the knife against him, if Li Xiaoguang died at his feet, mere dismissal would be the least of his worries; he might even face execution of his entire clan.
To kneel to Chen Ying would be a humiliation.
But compared to his own safety and his family’s lives, pride meant little.
“You win!” Gao Wanqing finally relented, slowly sinking to his knees before Chen Ying.
Yet even kneeling, he glared at Chen Ying with such venom that, had looks been daggers, Chen Ying would have been hacked to pieces.
Seeing Gao Wanqing’s tormented expression—twisted as if suffering from constipation—Chen Ying’s smile only widened.

“What’s wrong, Constable Gao? Unconvinced?”
Gao Wanqing growled, “If you know what’s good for you, release the Marquis at once…”
“You’re just asking for trouble!” Chen Ying tapped Li Xiaoguang’s face lightly with the flat of his sword. “Seems your life isn’t so precious in the eyes of your prestigious constable. He even dares threaten me—and threats are the thing I despise most!”
“What do you want, Chen?” Gao Wanqing’s eyes were nearly ablaze with fury.
“It’s simple.”
Chen Ying grinned. “You’ve got a foul mouth, Gao. Slap it yourself until I’m satisfied, and I’ll let the Marquis go. Otherwise, prepare to collect his corpse.”
Once a man compromises, it becomes a habit. The moment Gao Wanqing knelt to Chen Ying, his fate was sealed. Countless eyes were upon him; if Chen Ying killed Li Xiaoguang now, not only would he pay with his life, but Gao Wanqing’s own ruin was assured.
Seeing Gao Wanqing stand motionless, Li Xiaoguang grew frantic. “Gao, you dog, hurry up and do as Master Chen says—slap yourself!”
Gao Wanqing cursed his own foolishness—why had he gotten involved? Had he stayed out of it, there might have been room for maneuver, but now, bowing his head was his only option.
Li Xiaoguang, seeing ten or so of his own guards nearby, ordered, “If Gao won’t act, then you do it.”
At the Marquis’s command, his guards moved without hesitation. Though Chen Ying and Liang Zan had terrified them earlier, they felt no such fear for Gao Wanqing.
A dozen or so guards surged forward, raising their palms and surrounding Gao Wanqing.
Smack! Smack!
Two burly guards, hands as broad as fans, rained blows on Gao Wanqing’s face.
In just a dozen slaps, blood oozed from Gao’s lips. His wails grew so mournful, they could move even the hardest heart.
While the guards beat Gao Wanqing, Chen Ying’s mind raced.
He had gradually regained his composure, pondering how to resolve the mess.
Things had escalated beyond control; Ma Sanbao could no longer contain it. Chen Ying couldn’t predict Princess Pingyang’s stance—if she didn’t help him, there would be no way out.
With no other options, he would have to gamble.
Chen Ying shot a glance at Liang Zan.

Liang Zan understood and hurried over. Chen Ying whispered, “Slip out and fetch Princess Pingyang.”
Liang Zan nodded. Since he wasn’t the main focus, no one paid him much heed, and he quietly slipped away.
Smack! Smack!
The slaps continued, Gao Wanqing’s screams fading to a whimper.
Suddenly, after a series of blows, one guard noticed Gao Wanqing was no longer moving. He stepped back in alarm.
“Could he be dead?”
“Good men die young—scoundrels live a thousand years!” Chen Ying sneered. “He won’t die so easily. Wake him up—then keep going!”
…
In the Ganlu Hall of the imperial palace at Chang’an, Emperor Li Yuan of the Tang dynasty received news from Western Qin. Upon reading the secret missive, he was overjoyed.
“Splendid, this is wonderful—Xue Ju is finally dead!” Li Yuan, elated, handed the letter to Pei Ji.
Pei Ji glanced over the message, then bowed deeply.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Heaven’s mandate is yours, and the gods shield you.”
Li Yuan stroked his beard and smiled in contentment.
The truth was, he had been under great pressure—Wang Shichong’s army threatened from the east at Tong Pass, while Western Qin besieged his lands from the west. All of Guanzhong was in turmoil. As a scion of the Li clan of Chengji, he knew the great clans of the region well: should Wang Shichong or Xue Ju reach the gates of Chang’an, these families would not fight, but instead seize him and his sons to present as gifts to the new overlord.
Now, however, the overlord of Western Qin, Xue Ju, was dead. His son, Xue Renguo, had taken the throne, and, angered by his Captain of the Guards Hao Yuan, stripped Hao of all rank and banished him.
Xue Renguo, seeking to consolidate power, began purging rivals and filling prisons, leaving Western Qin in chaos and its people in fear. Most crucially, eleven of Xue Ju’s top generals, including Liang Hu-lang and Zhai Changsun, swore a blood oath and defected to Li Tang.
The time to strike back at Western Qin and avenge past wrongs had finally arrived!