The news that Mobei had all but fallen stunned the court. Emperor Jingren’s face was ashen. Wrathfully, he said, “The soldiers at the front would spill their blood to defend our nation’s borders, but countless worms suck their blood before they can set out!”

When Mobei had faced ruin, Marquis Zhenbei and the three Xiao generals had led four battalions in a dangerous maneuver to protect the city. They broke through the herding tribes’ ranks in a four-sided attack and seriously injured their lead general, winning Mobei a slim chance. But the price of this chance was cruel. Not one member of the four battalions that had gone to attack the enemy camp returned alive. Now Mobei had no leader. If not for the breathing room Marquis Zhenbei had given the city, as well as the strategies plotted by Xiao Jinshu, which repelled one tentative attack by the enemy after another, the city would have fallen by now.

After he had tamed the court and executed countless greedy officials, Emperor Jingren truly could not understand how some could still be bold enough to misappropriate funds meant for military supplies, and do it to such an extent.

He knew very well that this must be connected to the peace that had reigned in the north for many years. The herding tribes had all but dissolved after their defeat by Marquis Zhenbei; that defeat had been so complete that there had hardly been any possibility of recovery. It was only each year when the herding tribes began to go hungry as one year’s stores ran out before the next year’s harvest could be taken in that a few would make raids; Mobei had not been involved in a major battle for years. And after Marquis Zhenbei’s great victory, when the late emperor had arranged the crown prince’s marriage to Xiao Jinyi, he had also sent people to supervise and control Marquis Zhenbei, so that his great merit would not threaten the throne. Marquis Zhenbei recognized these people as the late emperor’s spies and, in order to demonstrate that the Xiao family had no thoughts of rebellion, had treated these emissaries from the court with utmost respect. Though he was well aware of their embezzlement, as long as they didn’t go overboard, he put up with it.

But his tolerance had only encouraged their greed. Their appetites grew larger and larger, until at last they passed the point of no return.

And while at home everyone had been focused on intriguing against each other, a genius had emerged among the herding tribes. In a mere three years, he had united the splintering tribes, and in the excellent conditions of the past year, the grasslands had yielded fat cattle and sheep. As a result, the herding tribes had well-provisioned forces.

Weak against a powerful enemy and hindered by ill-intentioned internal elements, all of Marquis Zhenbei’s martial prowess was insufficient to allow him to lead a beleaguered army to victory. In the end, he and his three sons died tragically in battle.

But while Marquis Zhenbei was gone, the herding tribes didn’t retreat. They surrounded Mobei City and launched periodic attacks, shaking the city’s morale. And when word reached the city of Marquis Zhenbei’s death, the army supervisor attempted to flee; he was captured by Xiao Jinshu and summarily executed as a sacrifice before going into battle, his head offered in honor of the four dead commanders.

It was Xiao Jinshu’s gesture that had fired the blood of Mobei’s people; they grimly guarded the city gates, waiting for reinforcements from the court.

Xiao Jinshu had not been back to the capital for many years and did not know that Emperor Jingren had brought the court to heel. He had little hope of receiving reinforcements, but neither did he plan to leave Mobei. Each day Xiao Jinshu lived was another day that the city would stand; he would live and die with this city.

Emperor Jingren hadn’t summoned the ministers of revenue and war in the middle of the night in order to hold them accountable. The urgent matter now was to get Mobei out of danger. The question of assigning responsibility could wait for later.

Arrangements had been made for two hundred thousand troops and their necessary supplies; the next question was who would be sent to Mobei: who would command, and who would supervise.

When Emperor Jingren raised these questions in court, the normally boisterous civil officials all fell silent, as did the generals who lived in luxury in the capital. With the situation in the north so critical that a man as powerful as Marquis Zhenbei could be killed along with his three sons, anyone who went would be going to his death. No one dared to accept these positions.

Observing the silent hall, Emperor Jingren inhaled deeply and said, “So none of our beloved subjects wish to go? Very well. We do not trust you, anyway. Mobei’s forces are already exhausted. If we sent them people only capable of using up food and drink, we would be letting down the soldiers and the people of the border. We have no use for you. We will lead the expedition ourself!”

The court burst at once into an uproar. Courtiers fell one after another to their knees and remonstrated: the nation could not lack a ruler for a single day; Emperor Jingren had nominated no heir; who would stay behind as regent if he left? And it was so dangerous in Mobei. If the emperor came to grief, it would mean the end of Xia.

But Emperor Jingren did not wish to speak about any of this. Coldly, he said, “We have already made our decision. There is no further need for any of you to remonstrate. As for who is to be regent—Prince Huainan!”

Prince Huainan had been released from the Court of the Imperial Clan and kept by Emperor Jingren in the capital rather than be sent back to his fiefdom; he had been sitting there reviewing the plot in his head. When he heard Emperor Jingren mention him, he gave a start, jumped to his feet, and knelt.

“While we march with the army, you will be regent,” said Emperor Jingren.

Prince Huainan’s head shot up. Trembling, he said, “I-Imperial Brother, I-I have never dealt with affairs of state. I worry I will be unable to bear this responsibility. Why not send me to Mobei in your place?”

Emperor Jingren shook his head. If so much could brew beneath the surface in Mobei all these years right under his nose, then the situation had to be very complex. Prince Huainan’s status was high enough, but he had no foundation; he lacked credibility. The danger in Mobei was so great now, and its forces were already in the depths of despair. Meanwhile, the main army would take time to reach Mobei, and during that time, any mishap would result in the fall of the city. But if word got out that the emperor was personally leading the campaign, Mobei would know that the court had not abandoned them. Soldiers who had hope would be able to hold fast through any difficulty.

For the sake of the hundreds of thousands of people who lay behind Mobei, and for the acres of fertile farmland, Emperor Jingren had to deliver a boost to the morale of those soldiers, reignite the hope within them. He had to go himself.

It was true that there were still many things at court that required his personal attention and wouldn’t work without him, but matters had to be ranked by their importance and urgency; most important of all now was the morale of the people of Mobei.

If the city fell, all the land it guarded would suffer the scourge of war. Xia could not afford such losses.

“The matter has been decided. We will lead the expedition, and Prince Huainan will stay behind as regent!” Emperor Jingren said firmly.

After court, Prince Huainan and a number of important courtiers followed the emperor to his study. Before Emperor Jingren could issue any orders, Prince Huainan fell to his knees and said mournfully, “Your Majesty, I truly cannot…”

“Do not say you cannot do it,” said Emperor Jingren. “You too are a child of the imperial clan and grew up with the benefit of our father’s instruction. Now that the nation faces peril, you have no right to say that you cannot do it.”

After interrupting Prince Huainan in this way, Emperor Jingren paid him no further attention. Instead, he instructed the major courtiers to assist Prince Huainan in handling affairs of state. Of course, he had yet to bring these people entirely to heel, but this was an emergency; there was nothing else he could do.

Once he had handed out their assignments, Emperor Jingren gave the order that these courtiers’ most valued sons and nephews would accompany the army, including Chancellor Li’s most precious eldest son. This was a cold-blooded stratagem, but as long as the court remained stable, nothing would happen to these hostages.

When the appropriate arrangements had all been made, the courtiers left the palace, while Prince Huainan continued to look miserably at Emperor Jingren.

“Imperial Brother, I really wasn’t trying to assassinate you that time. I don’t have the slightest interest in being emperor. I just…”

“Shut up,” said Emperor Jingren, forestalling his confession. “When we return, we will arrange a good marriage for you.”

“Wait, no, I…” Prince Huainan was about to burst from frustration.

“To be an emperor, the most important thing isn’t how much you know; the most important thing is to be completely devoted to the interests of the nation’s people,” said Emperor Jingren, his tone softening. “We recall what you said at the lantern market: everyone must band together in the face of foreign invasion. When we heard that, we knew that you would not hinder us with a knife in the back while our soldiers were on the front lines spilling their blood. We trust you.”

Prince Huainan looked mournfully at Emperor Jingren for a time. Then the corners of his lips twitched, and at last he knelt and touched his head to the ground in acknowledgement.

While staying in the capital, Prince Huainan had accompanied Emperor Jingren each time he went to court. He had watched Emperor Jingren handle affairs of state and gradually come to understand the difficulties the emperor faced. Right now, what Emperor Jingren wanted was not a person capable of making ideal deployments back home; he only wanted someone trustworthy to stay behind and keep things on an even keel, to keep the soldiers at the front from despairing. And this person needed to be in a position to accept the Mandate of Heaven should anything happen to Emperor Jingren.

All things considered, he was the only suitable candidate.

Though he didn’t want the work, Prince Huainan knew that if he did well, he would earn Emperor Jingren’s trust, making it easier to get close to him in the future.

Seeing that Prince Huainan had grasped the current situation and was willing to take on the responsibility, Emperor Jingren breathed a sigh of relief.

The Ministry of Revenue transferred money, provisions, and supplies, while the Ministry of War moved soldiers. The important courtiers had been given their marching orders. Last night, Emperor Jingren had ordered Jing Xixian to keep a close watch on everyone at court and send him a message whenever necessary.

All the preparations had been made. News that the emperor would be leading the campaign had already been sent with army messengers protected by Embroidered Guardsmen. He could set out at earliest tomorrow, at latest the day after that.

Now, the only question was—

The empress.

Since receiving the news last night, Emperor Jingren had not seen the empress, but word of such great events would by now have reached the harem.

For the people in the harem, war at the border mattered not at all unless it came to the feet of the capital. But the empress was different. He had been born and bred in Mobei; it was his home, and Marquis Zhenbei was his father. It was his father and brothers who had died in battle.

While he had been busy, Emperor Jingren hadn’t had time to consider this. But once everything was ready, he had no idea how he ought to face the empress.

But he had to go see him, comfort him, tell him that he would go to Mobei and protect that city of heroes. He would protect its people, safeguard his only remaining brother’s life, collect his father and brothers’ corpses and bury them in the earth of Mobei; he would not leave them dead on foreign soil.

His footsteps heavy, Emperor Jingren reached Qifeng Hall. All the streamers in the hall had been changed to white ones. It seemed that the empress already knew.

As he came to the inner hall, the servants stood quietly outside the empress’s door. No one dared to speak.

Emperor Jingren opened the door and entered. Inside he saw the empress alone, kneeling before four spirit tablets.

Emperor Jingren quietly walked over and stood beside the empress. To Marquis Zhenbei’s spirit tablet he said, “The marquis and his family are martyrs. Please receive our veneration.”

He was an emperor who lowered his head only before heaven and earth, yet now he bowed it deeply before the four spirit tablets.

The empress quietly watched Emperor Jingren, then suddenly said, “Your Majesty is planning to lead the expedition yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Your subject requests a boon of Your Majesty.” The empress knelt before Emperor Jingren and bowed his head low. “Your subject Xiao Jinyi, as the only child of the Xiao family still living and sound in body, earnestly requests that Your Majesty order me to take command, to repel the herding tribes for Xia, for Mobei, and for my father and brothers, and to protect the land of Xia.”