Chapter 13: Your Emperor Is Still Dreaming?

As noon approached, the peace delegation finally set out, led by Prince Shuizong of Beijing County and Military Affairs Counselor Zhuang Jin, accompanied by several officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue, along with a few attendants like Jia Lian, totaling more than twenty people. They departed the city gates by carriage and horseback.

With a heavy clatter, the city gates slammed shut behind them shortly after their departure. Jia Lian swallowed nervously and looked ahead. A few miles away stretched the encampments of Prince Qian’s army, extending over ten miles. Their party found themselves wedged between the capital and the military camp, a shiver of dread running through them.

Jia Lian was flustered, his mouth dry and his heart pounding, overwhelmed by an impulse to turn and flee. He glanced at the other members of the delegation and saw that the officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue were sweating profusely; the closer they approached Prince Qian’s camp, the paler their faces became.

Finally, they arrived at the camp’s gate. Jia Lian scanned the surroundings and noticed that outside the camp, facing the capital, Prince Qian’s troops had constructed a clay wall, likely to shield the camp from cannon fire launched from the city walls. Beyond the wall lay trenches and chevaux-de-frise, all meticulously arranged. The entire camp was orderly and disciplined.

A watchtower stood before the gate. Upon their arrival, the sentry atop it called out, ordering them to halt and then sent word inside to report to the general. Jia Lian, Prince Zitong, Shuizong, and the others waited patiently for nearly fifteen minutes before several men emerged from the camp to escort them inside.

Within Prince Qian’s camp, Jia Lian dared not look around openly. Yet, from the corner of his eye, he observed the army’s strict discipline and imposing formation. The camp exuded a fierce and deadly aura, far beyond anything he had ever seen among the servants in the Grand View Garden.

Though Jia Lian had once seen the city’s imperial guards, none of their generals seemed capable of training a battle-hardened force like this one.

“We have arrived,” said their guide, stopping before a large tent. “Please wait here. I will go inside to report to Prince Qian.”

He entered the command tent and soon returned, signaling that they could proceed. Jia Lian initially hesitated to follow, but Prince Zitong tugged at his sleeve. Reluctantly, Jia Lian accompanied his uncle inside.

The interior resembled a grand hall. Jia Lian dared not look at the man in charge but glanced toward the seats on the right, where seven or eight men sat. Four of them wore armor, aged from their thirties to early fifties, all with sharp, intimidating gazes that unsettled him.

“Welcome, esteemed envoys from the imperial court, to my military camp,” spoke the man at the head of the room. His voice was youthful, carrying a gentle smile, lacking any oppressive aura.

At last, Jia Lian raised his eyes to see Prince Qian himself. He was taken aback: this prince was younger than he had imagined, barely twenty-three or twenty-four, about Jia Lian’s own age. It was almost unbelievable that someone so young had conquered half of the Shun Dynasty’s realm.

Prince Qian was tall—over eight feet—with broad shoulders and long arms. His handsome features and commanding presence filled the command tent like a mountain or a great peak.

“Prince Shuizong, greetings to the great general!” Prince Beijing stepped forward and bowed.

“What prince are you?” demanded a general clad in armor seated to the right, his tone harsh, causing the Shun Dynasty delegation to flinch, fearing to offend this fierce warrior.

“I am the Prince of Beijing, conferred by the imperial court,” Shuizong replied with neither arrogance nor submission, bowing in return.

“So, you are the Prince of Beijing,” Prince Qian, seated at the head, glanced at him and smiled faintly.

Having read the classic "Dream of the Red Chamber" in his previous life, Chu Yan recognized this non-imperial prince of the Great Shun Dynasty. The book described him as handsome and humble, and seeing him now, Chu Yan found the portrayal accurate. This only deepened his curiosity about the Jia family and the beautiful, varied-tempered young women of the Grand View Garden.

Chu Yan had always assumed this was a fictional or alternate world. After receiving his system, he had felt like playing a conquest game, gradually building an army under his command to one day become a founding emperor. Instead, it turned out this was the world of "Dream of the Red Chamber" itself.

Shuizong humbly said, “My princely title is inherited from my ancestors, and compared to Your Highness Prince Qian’s personally forged foundations, I feel truly ashamed.”

Several men from Prince Qian’s right-side seats chuckled.

Hearing the meaning behind Shuizong’s words, Chu Yan smiled and said, “So, the court is prepared to recognize my self-declared title?”

“If Prince Qian is willing to withdraw his troops, His Majesty the Emperor is ready to share the realm with Prince Qian, making our two nations brother kingdoms,” said Military Affairs Counselor Zhuang Jin, stepping forward to present the Great Shun court’s terms.

“Bullshit!” roared a seven-foot-tall, broad-shouldered general, drawing all eyes. He sneered coldly, “How many troops does your Shun court even have? You dare tell us to retreat? We will capture the capital and support Prince Qian’s ascension. Why would we share half the empire with your emperor?!”

A heavy silence fell over the command tent.

After a moment, an official from the Ministry of Rites bowed and began, “Our Great Shun Dynasty, a hundred years ago…”

He launched into a lengthy discourse. Chu Yan paid little attention, sipping his tea slowly as he studied the documents before him. When the official finished, Chu Yan asked Chu Ming, seated beside him, “What did he say?”

The delegation’s hearts sank; it seemed Prince Qian hadn’t absorbed a word!

“Your Highness,” Chu Ming smiled, “This Shun official said we were originally rebels and that the court is now willing to divide the realm with us. We should be grateful and withdraw sooner rather than later.”

“I see,” Chu Yan nodded, casting a glance at the official from the Ministry of Rites. “So your emperor still dreams? I rose up from the commoners’ grievances with equitable land tax policies. The northern campaign is only halfway done, and you expect us to retreat now?”

He surveyed the room and continued, “With two hundred thousand troops besieging the capital, you won’t hold. I agreed to negotiate merely to spare the lives of my soldiers, not because I lack options.”

No one dared speak. Prince Qian’s overwhelming presence confirmed the rumors that he was the reincarnation of the Chu Overlord.

“Listen well!” Chu Yan set the negotiation terms firmly. “The Yongning Emperor inside the palace must open the gates and surrender. Only then will the Shun Dynasty be extinguished without continuation. This is the foundation of negotiations. If you refuse, nothing else is open for discussion!”

With that, he rose and moved to leave, instructing Chu Ming and the others to continue talks. He would return after their disputes concluded, as he intended to inspect the camp.

“Your Highness!” Chu Ming quickly rose, smiling. “I have brought someone who has close ties to you.”

“Who?” Chu Yan was puzzled. Did he know someone in the capital?

“Is there anyone from the Jia family among the delegation?” Chu Ming asked the Shun envoys.

“Yes!” Prince Zitong promptly introduced Jia Lian to Prince Qian. Jia Lian, under the intense gaze of the reputedly ruthless Prince Qian, was overwhelmed with nervousness.

“So it is the Jia family,” Chu Yan understood the situation. Turning to Chu Ming, he said with a smile, “You acted on your own again. Very well. Jia Lian, come with me. I have some questions for you.”

He was indeed curious about the Jia family. Chu Ming had sensed this last time and deliberately invited a member of the Jia family to be present.