ITF Chapter108

After the Chief Military Engineer finished reporting the progress of the city defense construction, the imperial council fell into silence once again.

Compared to the defeat at the Battle of Lake Urdan, the palace faced a far more burning dilemma. Several great nobles, led by Zhong Maoru, had assembled their private armies under the pretext of “assisting the royal family to suppress the rebellion” and were marching toward the capital in a grand and formidable manner.

Everyone presents at the imperial council knew exactly what intentions these great nobles harbored.

The construction of the capital’s defense fortifications had been urgently launched two days prior. The entire city was shrouded in an atmosphere of panic, and the royal army that had gone to reinforce Urdan was also temporarily recalled by Shao Cheng. Yet, unlike his state when he first learned that Zhong Maoru had defied royal orders, Bai Jiashu did not throw a public tantrum this time. In fact, he could be considered the most relaxed person in the entire council hall.

This made the atmosphere in the council hall grow increasingly grotesque.

“Why the long faces, everyone? Isn’t this amusing?” Sitting firmly upon the high throne, Bai Jiashu alone savored the red wine his attendant had just served. “These great nobles intend to replay their old tricks and let history repeat itself. It truly fits that old saying.” He chuckled softly, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

When the civil strife broke out in Ximo back then, these were the very people who had been the first to follow Bai Yi. However, this remark did not receive an echo from anyone. The dozen or so people seated there were the nation’s core decision-makers, yet at the very moment they were expected to contribute plans and counsel, they all stayed completely silent.

Bai Jiashu knew exactly what thoughts they harbored.

“Forget it.” Lacking interest, he swirled the wine in his glass and brought this solemn yet chaotic imperial council to an early end. “Go attend to your own businesses.”

A sudden wave of regret welled up in the young king’s heart.

At a time like this, it would have been wonderful if Shao Yixiao could be here to share a few drinks with him.

He watched the crowd rise and departed with cold eyes, throwing out a flat sentence, “General Shao, please stay behind.”

*

Shao Yixiao had not disclosed any information regarding Bai Heting to anyone before setting out. It wasn’t until the battle reports from Bania Valley reached the palace that Shao Cheng learned Bai Heting was still alive and had become the commander of the rebel army’s main force.

Evidently, without Bai Jiashu’s explicit approval, it would have been impossible for Shao Yixiao to keep his own biological father in the dark.

But had he known beforehand, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to allow Shao Yixiao to personally lead troops to the front line.

Shao Yixiao was simply no match for Bai Heting.

His loyalty was worthless; Shao Cheng had reminded him of this more than once. But looking at it now, that naive young man had probably never taken this advice to heart.

Bai Jiashu downed another glass. Shao Cheng reminded him in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, one should drink in moderation.”

It was that disciplinary tone again. Bai Jiashu curled the corners of his mouth and handed the wine glass back to the attendant waiting beside him.

“I didn’t expect you to retreat your troops so decisively.” He straightened his posture on the throne and said to Shao Cheng, “Shao Yixiao has been captured, and that bunch of rebels hasn’t shown any intention of negotiating with us so far. Is General Shao not worried about his safety?”

Shao Cheng replied calmly, “He lost the battle; he must take responsibility for his own erroneous decisions.”

Bai Jiashu nodded. “General Shao is truly selfless and just. I admire you.”

In the Battle of Urdan, the royal army originally possessed a considerable numerical advantage, and the vast plains were highly suitable for cavalry warfare. Judging by these two points alone, Shao Yixiao had had a fairly high chance of winning.

But he had made two fatal mistakes.

Being drawn to Lake Urdan was only the first issue. The second was that he had failed to account for several fortresses the rebel army had seized in the early stages. Over the past few days, Shao Cheng had carefully scrutinized all the battle reports, discovering that those oddly positioned fortresses happened to open up a supply line that, while winding in route, managed to run completely from east to west.

Shao Cheng suppressed his fury, but his tone cooled down nonetheless, “If Your Majesty had informed me of the actual situation earlier, perhaps things wouldn’t have reached this point.”

“That is true.” Bai Jiashu admitted readily. “I have conducted a profound self-reflection over the past few days.”

He paused briefly, then sighed again. “It’s all my fault for being too rash, causing your wife and Yiyun to be so anxious and distressed.”

Shao Cheng couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

At first hearing, those words did not seem amiss, but on closer inspection, they carried a subtle sense of strangeness. After Bai Heting appeared in the Bania Valley, he had immediately made arrangements, ordering people to send Shen Yao and their youngest daughter together to his estate on the eastern coast for a vacation. The moment Bai Jiashu said this, it suddenly struck him—he hadn’t received a letter from Shen Yao for three whole days already.

“Why does General Shao look so surprised?” Yet Bai Jiashu’s own expression was, in fact, even more astonished than his. His eyes widened as he let out a sudden, realization filled ‘Ah’, saying, “Did I forget to tell you? I was worried that Yiqing would miss his family after coming out of the delivery room, so I invited the two of them back.”

He put a heavy emphasis on the word “invited,” and his wording was no longer polite. Shao Cheng understood everything instantly.

Once a choice had to be made, he would undoubtedly choose his biological son without the slightest hesitation. Bai Jiashu had realized this long ago.

He had kept a backup card for himself.

It was just that no matter what, Shao Cheng could never have expected that Bai Jiashu would actually take his wife and daughter hostage while he still held military power.

“Your Majesty,” Shao Cheng reminded him meticulously, “They are your family too.”

Those words sounded incredibly familiar. Bai Jiashu took another glass of wine from his attendant before tilting his face up to reflect for a moment. “My elder brother once said something similar.”

It was a foolish remark, as Shao Cheng had already realized. Bai Yi and Bai Heting were Bai Jiashu’s true family yet look how the two of them had ended up.

Without waiting for him to speak, Bai Jiashu continued, “Precisely because we are family that I must hide them in the safest place.” He downed the wine in his glass in one gulp and met Shao Cheng’s gaze. His pace was slow, but his tone was absolute. “You won’t be able to find them.”

“There is no benefit in you doing this—”

“I’m afraid General Shao will have to make a personal trip to Urdan.”

Shao Cheng froze. “What did you say?”

“They said,” Bai Jiashu explained to him expressionlessly, “that as long as we hand over the culprit who framed Marshal Pei back then, they will immediately release Shao Yixiao.”

Marshal Pei. His choice of title for Pei Ming represented his stance. Yet, compared to his easy betrayal, what surprised Shao Cheng even more was that the Urdan people had actually proposed ransom conditions to both him and Bai Jiashu at the same time.

There was no longer any direct evidence to prove that the framing of Pei Ming had anything to do with him. He had originally intended to use Bai Jiashu to trade back Shao Yixiao first and then make further plans. But looking at it now, he had made the exact same mistake as Shao Yixiao.

He had underestimated his opponents.

Whether it was the Urdan people or Bai Jiashu, he had underestimated every single one of them.

“They won’t keep their word.” Shao Cheng said coldly.

“I think so too.” Bai Jiashu agreed with a nod.

“It’s just that…” He suddenly leaned forward, staring straight at Shao Cheng as he asked with an earnest face, “If I don’t hand you over, you would hand me over instead, wouldn’t you?”

Shao Cheng didn’t answer. Scanning Shao Cheng’s increasingly grim expression, Bai Jiashu went on, “General Shao, I’m quite curious; was that reinforcement army recalled halfway back here to protect me, or to control me?”

Since things had reached this point, Shao Cheng would not utter a single word more.

For the first time, he had such a vivid realization—Bai Jiashu was truly Bai Yi’s biological flesh and blood.

He was the exact spitting image of his cold-hearted royal father. In their eyes, there was only themselves; everything in the world was merely a tool to serve them. No person or object could ever linger in their hearts, and no person or object would ever be genuinely cherished by them.

Such a person was the most terrifying, and the most pitiful.

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