Stealing The Heavens

Lord Bowang stayed with Liu Bang for only half a quarter of an hour. Without informing Emperor Haozun, the crown prince boarded his chariot and, escorted by his heavenly soldiers, flew up into the sky, leaving Pangu Continent for the Heaven. Liu Bang breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Lord Bowang’s departure, while his clothes became wet and sticky from the cold sweat that suddenly broke out.

Wu Qi and Princess Zhang Le also left Changle Palace. Lord Bowang and Liu Bang did not reveal much valuable information. The crown prince had only asked the ambassador if the plan could be completed on time, and the latter only showed the string of red jade beads and swore there would be no delay. Then the former promised the latter that once it was done, he would enjoy all the glory and fame and hold a high position in the Heaven, while the latter expressed his loyalty once more with trepidation.

It was not until Liu Bang presented Lord Bowang with a hundred boxes of rare materials and spirit herbs from You Xiong Plain that the crown prince ended his trip to Pangu Continent with satisfaction. Before he left, he had told Liu Bang that the so-called ‘great event’ was going to happen soon, in two or three years at the most, and warned Liu Bang not to delay it, or he and the few Celestial Emperors of the Heaven would not spare him.

As Wu Qi and Princess Zhang Le exercised an escape art and sneaked past Liu Bang, he was wiping his wet forehead and talking through clench teeth to Han Xin and others who stood behind him. “It’s the chance of make or break! If we succeed, you and I, the subjects and the monarch, will share the wealth and glory together! If we failed, I’ll have no choice but ask that few fellas accompany me to the mortal world!”

Han Xin, Zhang Liang, Xiao He, Fan Kuai, and several other Liu Bang’s hardcore confidants all answered with a loud cry. The murderous aura emanating from them made Wu Qi, who had walked to the main gate of the palace, looked back in astonishment. He saw the light of conviction in their eyes, and the madness of make-or-break.

“They are determined to do it!” Wu Qi frowned and asked Princess Zhang Le, “But what do they want to do? Provoke civil strife in Great Yu? Have the imperial princes rise in rebellion? But with Xuanyuan the Yellow Emperor and Shennong the Yan Emperor guarding the dynasty, what good would it do them even if those of the royal blood do revolt?”

Princess Zhang Le shook her head. She was not interested in these overly complicated questions. For her, if the loyalty of these imperial princes went wrong, the simplest solution was just killed them all or put them under house arrest. Why all the fuss?

Wu Qi mused all the way back to the imperial palace, where he was immediately brought in front of Emperor Haozun and several imperial ministers who had proved to be absolutely reliable. He also saw a few revered elders from the Secret Palace, who stood squinting in the corner of the hall whispering to each other, their faces embarrassed.

Without hesitation, Wu Qi told Emperor Haozun everything he had seen and heard. He even mimicked the tone and facial expressions of Liu Bang and Lord Bowang. Liu Bang’s trepidation, Lord Bowang’s condescension and reserve, and the discretion and seriousness with which the two spoke of the so-called ‘great event’, Wu Qi brought it all to life.

The faces of Emperor Haozun, King Yang Shan, Ji Ao, and several other imperial ministers all became extremely unsightly, especially the emperor, whose face was overcast as if a thunderstorm were about to burst from it. After slaughtering so many powerful clans who betrayed Great Yu and purging so many rebels, Liu Bang still had agents in his hands!

“What exactly do they want to do?” Emperor Haozun twisted his beard and shook his head with a wry smile. He was now so exhausted that he had no energy left to be angry. It was obvious that the string of red jade beads Liu Bang wore on his wrist represented people of similar status to King Bai Shan and King Wei Shan. With such people lurking in the dark, ready to strike a fatal blow to Great Yu, what could the emperor do but smile wryly?

Kill all the imperial princes? He would be thrown off the throne immediately.

Carry out another massive identification and purge on the powerful clans in Liangzhu? Great Yu could not afford another turmoil.

A deathly silence fell on the great hall. No one spoke. Everyone bowed their heads in contemplation. It was a quarter of an hour before King Yang Shan said in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, with things as such, we can only counter changes with constancy. We must keep a close watch on all movements in Liangzhu, You Xiong Plain, and both inside and outside of Great Yu. When anyone makes an unusual move, we must react as quickly as possible.”

Emperor Haozun nodded slowly. Since it was impossible to carry out another great purge, King Yang Shan’s method was the only way to do it. Fortunately, most of the Great Yu’s senior ministers were still loyal, as the recent purge had shown. With fifteen percent of the powerful clans now wiped out, it was not a big deal if another fifteen percent of them had sinister motives. With Great Yu’s strength, these little villains could be easily dealt with.

When he had calmed down, Emperor Haozun straightened up and shouted at Ji Ao, “King Wei Shan!”

Ji Ao stepped forward, leaned slightly, and answered respectfully, “Your Majesty!”

After a moment’s consideration, Emperor Haozun issued a decree to Ji Ao and asked him to double as King Wei Shan and the chief commander of You Xiong Army, lead the now cleansed troops out of You Xiong Plain to his fiefdom, Zhang Province, and station there. Located west of You Xiong Plain, it took half a month to travel from Zhang Province to You Xiong Plain at the speed of a large standard troop flying ship. Emperor Haozun asked Ji Ao to reorganize the army there, restore its morale and combat effectiveness, and bring back the troops to the rescue if anything happened to Liangzhu.

Since the establishment of Great Yu, no one had ever been able to command the whole You Xiong Army alone. The huge army was divided into five divisions, and had always been under the command of five commanders. But now for the first time, Ji Ao alone was put to the charge of the entire army, which showed Emperor Haozun’s trust in King Bai Shan and him.

A eunuch brought over the five dragon seals of You Xiong Army and handed them to Ji Ao, while Emperor Haozun wrote the imperial authorization for troop movement himself and gave it to him.

Ji Ao, who had suddenly taken control of arguably the most powerful army of Great Yu, fell to his knees and accepted the dragon seals and the imperial authorization with the utmost respect.

After giving Ji Ao a solemn admonition, Emperor Haozun turned to look at King Yang Shan.

He also gave King Yang Shan an important task, that was, to identify and purge the local Prefecture Overseers and Marquises of Province, and to conduct a strict investigation on any suspects. There was something that the emperor had left unsaid, but everyone, including Princess Zhang Le, understood what he meant by the strict investigation—it was better to kill thirty thousand innocent people than to let one wrongdoer escape!

After King Yang Shan received the decree, Emperor Haozun made several appointments to a few other imperial ministers, including ordering his three princes, who had the titles of King of Hai (Sea), to select strong and reliable sons from the imperial clan and powerful clans and train them into a new army, which he named the ‘Flying Bear Army’. He would personally oversee the training and armaments of the army, and this army would be the main garrison in Liangzhu for some time to come.

Unlike You Xiong Army, a large number of imperial descendants would be planted in this new army, including some from other branches of the imperial clan whose bloodline was so thin that they virtually had no connection to the branch of the Human Emperor. King Yang Shan’s three other sons would also be transferred to the new army as deputy commanders.

Everyone in the great hall knew Emperor Haozun’s intention in doing this—the Flying Bear Army would be a reliable force completely under his control. Giving a little time, with Great Yu’s mighty strength and the unique resource advantages of You Xiong Plain, the army would be larger, better armed and equipped than You Xiong Army.

After issuing a dozen decrees in a row, Emperor Haozun finally turned to Wu Qi. There was an approving smile on his face.

“King of Dong Hai, not only have you been diligently serving the dynasty, but you have even recognized by the Sacred Emperor, our Patriarch. Good, no… excellent!”

Holding Princess Zhang Le’s hand, Wu Qi stepped forward and bowed slightly. “This is my duty,” he said.

Emperor Haozun sighed. Looking at the ceiling of the hall, he shook his head and said, “What a ‘duty’. Unfortunately, too many people in Great Yu today have forgotten their duty as human beings! As part of the human race, what can they get if they turn their backs on their mother race? Is eternal life really so important?”

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. Everyone lowered their heads and listened carefully to Emperor Haozun’s muttering.

After giving vent to his mixed feeling, the emperor said in a deep voice, “King of Dong Hai, the Secret Palace will construct a spatial corridor between You Xiong Plain and Dong Hai Province, and channel some of the natural energy here over there. I want you to go back there, select the honest, reliable children of the good people, and train them into a new army. The size of the army will be decided by you, but all the military expenses and ordnance will be paid by Great Yu. Do you understand why I want you to do this?”

Ji Ao was ordered to command You Xiong Army and station in Zhang Province, west of You Xiong Plain, while Wu Qi was ordered to build a new army and station in Dong Hai Province, east of You Xiong Plain. How could Wu Qi not understand the emperor’s intention?

With the Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan, guarding the north, and the Yan Emperor, Shennong, guarding the south, the Heaven would not be so foolish as to launch their campaign in these two directions. In that case, a strong military deterrent was needed in both east and west. By asking Wu Qi to build a new army in Dong Hai Province, Emperor Haozun had handed over the safety of his east flank to him. Certainly, the emperor would hide another powerful force in the east, but on the surface it was only Wu Qi’s army in Dong Hai Province.

Wu Qi bowed and said, “As long as I live, no one from the Heaven and the Buddhism League can pass through my territory.”

Emperor Haozun clapped his hands and laughed. “Excellent! If it weren’t for the fact that you already have a betrothed, I’ll surely marry a few of my young daughters to you.”

He roared with laughter, and then snapped, “My loyal subjects, Great Yu is shaking in the wind and rain now, and I hope you will work with me to protect this very foundation of the human race!”

Everyone answered loudly, cupped their fists and bowed toward Emperor Haozun. Wu Qi suddenly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He was finally leaving Liangzhu, this land of trouble. With the Heaven and the Buddhism League’s plan pressing closer, Liangzhu was no longer fit to stay. This place was bound to become the focus of all conflicts. The danger here was too great, and it was better to leave as soon as possible.

Just as he was contemplating what to do when he returned to Dong Hai Province, Wu Qi heard Emperor Haozun sighed and said, “I really want to capture that Liu Bang alive and interrogate him with torture… However, how can I do such a thing when our forebears had taught us not to kill the emissary even in wars? But… I really want to know what are they up to!”

Nobody said anything. This time, even the most radical King Yang Shan and Ji Ao were silent.

Wu Qi could not help but sigh in his heart. What was the point of sticking to this damn tradition when the enemy was already at the door?

‘Should I secretly capture Liu Bang and interrogate him? Should I?’