The Child Emperor

The Great Chanyu entered the tent, brushed the snow off his shoulders, and smiled at the Northern Protection General who had arrived earlier. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, then quickly spoke a few sentences in the Xiongnu language.

Jin Chuiduo emerged from behind the Great Chanyu’s plump figure and translated, “The Great Chanyu apologizes for making you wait. The weather is freezing, and he hopes you can get used to it.”

Han Ruzi had arrived a bit earlier, bringing only one guard as agreed, with the rest of his men waiting outside.

The Great Chanyu, not well-versed in the Central Plains’ language, communicated through a translator. Han Ruzi also refrained from speaking directly, whispering to his guard, who then spoke loudly, “The Great Chu is vast and rich, with four distinct seasons. The people of Chu are long accustomed to all kinds of weather.”

Jin Chuiduo quietly translated this, and the Great Chanyu burst into hearty laughter, taking a seat on a soft chair and motioning the Northern Protection General to sit as well, as if he were the host.

Jin Chuiduo and the guard stood behind their respective leaders. The Great Chanyu and the Northern Protection General often paused to think and exchanged glances, then whispered their thoughts to their aides to speak aloud.

In negotiations between two countries, equality was crucial. Han Ruzi had arrived first and waited in the tent, already losing some momentum. Therefore, he also needed to convey his words through someone else, just like the Great Chanyu.

“The Chu army is just bluffing,” Jin Chuiduo said, her voice monotone, staring at a corner of the tent instead of the two men opposite her. “The largest batch of reinforcements only arrived yesterday, totaling just over eighty thousand, and the soldiers are exhausted and easy to defeat.”

“In the past decades, has the Chu army ever been easy to defeat? Just a few days ago, who suffered heavy losses?” the guard retorted.

After Jin Chuiduo translated, the Great Chanyu laughed heartily, followed by a bout of coughing.

Jin Chuiduo said, “Northern Protection General, don’t be overconfident due to a few small victories. This isn’t decades ago. The Chu army has retreated south of the river, losing its edge. The Xiongnu have ended their division. I am not the pretender Chanyu of the Eastern Xiongnu; I am the Great Chanyu of all the Xiongnu, uniting the East and West with over two hundred thousand warriors. Even at its peak, the Chu army wasn’t our match.”

“A defeated general dares to boast? The Xiongnu were also once aggressive, but eventually split into East and West. The Western Xiongnu fled thousands of miles, and the Eastern Xiongnu bowed in submission. Does the Great Chanyu not remember the events during the reign of the Martial Emperor?”

The two sides exchanged sharp words, debating which side had more soldiers, higher morale, and greater combat strength. Their words were a mix of truth and exaggeration.

The Great Chanyu was not angered. After listening to the translation, he occasionally laughed heartily, though his laughter often turned into coughing fits.

After a prolonged debate, the Great Chanyu chose to concede, speaking through Jin Chuiduo, “We are not here to quarrel but to negotiate sincerely. I’ll start.”

The Great Chanyu spoke at length, with Jin Chuiduo nodding constantly. After he finished, she said to the Northern Protection General, “The Western Xiongnu have returned from afar. We were doing well in the west and had no desire to return to fight the Chu. But fate had other plans. We encountered the Eastern Xiongnu, whose pretender Chanyu had died, and his sons were fighting for succession, abandoning their plan to ambush the Chu army.”

“This is a gift from heaven. The heavens took us from our western homeland but gave us the entire Eastern Xiongnu. The Great Chanyu easily unified the East and West. Northern Protection General, the Xiongnu are here but do not wish to fight the Chu. Attacking Shattered Iron City was just a test to see how much of the Chu’s former might remains.”

The Great Chanyu spoke again, and Jin Chuiduo continued, “The Great Chanyu is satisfied with the Chu army and proposes negotiations.”

The Northern Protection General whispered for a while, and the guard said, “The Chu army is not yet satisfied with the Xiongnu. Why did the Western Xiongnu return east? On what basis do you negotiate with the Chu?”

After the translation, the Great Chanyu waved his hand, indicating for Jin Chuiduo to answer directly.

“The reason for the Western Xiongnu’s return is irrelevant. Negotiations benefit both sides.”

“I only see benefits for the Xiongnu.”

“The Chu scouts must have seen the Xiongnu migrating east in large numbers?”

“Yes, but they are all old, weak, women, and children.”

“That’s where the Chu army is mistaken. Behind them are many young and strong men. There’s no need to hide it now; fifty thousand Xiongnu cavalry will soon arrive at Mayi City. If the Northern Protection General does not wish to negotiate, we can fight. The Xiongnu do not care about the outcome of this battle. If we can fight, we will. If not, we will retreat east. By then, Mayi City will have fallen, and the Xiongnu will penetrate the Chu territory, making negotiations unnecessary.”

The faces of the Northern Protection General and the guard changed simultaneously. Grand General Han Xing had led his troops into the pass to quell the rebellion, leaving few troops to defend Mayi City. Even with only ten thousand invaders, the Chu army would struggle to hold the city.

Mayi City also located outside the Great Wall but was much larger than Shattered Iron City. Its fall would be a severe blow to the Chu army.

The Northern Protection General whispered to his guard, who then said, “Since we are being open, the Northern Protection General has a truth to share: the Chu army on the southern bank is ready to cross the river soon. The Xiongnu may take Mayi City but will suffer a disastrous defeat here. However, the Northern Protection General believes that the hard-won peace between Chu and the Xiongnu should not be shattered by minor conflicts. Therefore, he is willing to halt the Chu army’s attack plans and engage in sincere negotiations.”

After the translation, the Great Chanyu laughed, stood up, and took a few steps forward, spreading his arms as if to embrace the Northern Protection General.

Jin Chuiduo nodded slowly. The Northern Protection General stood up, and the two walked forward simultaneously, embracing. Compared to the Great Chanyu, the Northern Protection General appeared tiny, almost swallowed by the Great Chanyu’s belly.

The Great Chanyu returned to his seat and had Jin Chuiduo speak, “The Great Chanyu says that openness is a good start. Although the Northern Protection General is young, he is bold and decisive, which the Great Chanyu admires. He is pleased to have chosen the right negotiation partner.”

The Northern Protection General nodded, “I need to send someone back to stop the Chu army from crossing the river.”

Jin Chuiduo asked directly, “Can’t the many sentries outside deliver your orders?”

“No, the sentries only report safety. If they carry orders, the rear generals will not obey and may cross the river early.”

After Jin Chuiduo translated, the Great Chanyu waved indifferently, and Jin Chuiduo said, “Alright, the Great Chanyu and the Northern Protection General will each send one person back to deliver orders, then continue the negotiations.”

Jin Chuiduo and the guard exited the tent. Nine Chu soldiers and nine Xiongnu cavalry stood guard several paces away, holding flags and facing each other.

Jin Chuiduo lowered her voice, “Did you think I would help you deceive the Great Chanyu?”

The guard smiled slightly. He could deceive the Great Chanyu, whom he had never met, but not Jin Chuiduo. “Your Xiongnu language is excellent.”

Jin Chuiduo glared at him and continued walking, “I won’t let you leave and lead a surprise attack on the Xiongnu.”

“I swear on the heavens, I am returning only to quell some internal chaos within the Chu army. I have no intention of attacking the Xiongnu. I sincerely want peace talks. Once this is over, I need to return to the Capital. There’s been a change at court, and I am more anxious to end this war than the Great Chanyu, but I cannot reveal that now.”

Jin Chuiduo remained silent for a few steps before speaking, “My Xiongnu is actually poor. The Great Chanyu’s words were pre-prepared. I only roughly translated your words. The Great Chanyu said he judges by actions, not words. If your young attendant is recognized, how will I explain?”

“Then translate more slowly. Give me an hour at most, and I will return to explain everything to the Great Chanyu.”

“That would still be deceiving him.”

“I’m asking for your help. Most Chu generals do not want peace talks; they want to fight and earn merit. If I fail…”

After a few more steps, Jin Chuiduo called a Xiongnu cavalryman and ordered him back to the camp. Han Ruzi, not understanding Xiongnu, could not discern what Jin Chuiduo said, but he knew she had not divulged the secret.

Han Ruzi mounted his horse. The old General Fang Daye dismounted, ready to enter the tent as a guard. With his vast experience, he could handle the situation.

Snow fell heavily as Han Ruzi rode south alone.

Jin Chuiduo and Fang Daye returned to the tent. The Great Chanyu saw the large old soldier and laughed, saying a few words.

Jin Chuiduo, half-guessing, translated, “The Great Chanyu asks why the young guard was replaced by an old one.”

Fang Daye stood behind the “Northern Protection General” and said, “Young men for chatting, old men for serious talks.”

Jin Chuiduo’s Xiongnu was clumsy, but the Great Chanyu understood, slapping his leg and speaking loudly.

“The Great Chanyu is pleased. He says that you look like a seasoned veteran, trustworthy.”

Fang Daye bowed slightly in acknowledgment.

Standing behind the Great Chanyu, Jin Chuiduo felt uneasy. The Great Chanyu had trusted her, had treated her like a daughter, and had chose her as his sole companion for the negotiations, over those more fluent in both languages.

Yet she had helped deceive him.

But she had no choice. Her two brothers were determined to leave the Xiongnu and return to the Chu army, relying solely on the Northern Protection General Han Ruzi.

Jin Chuiduo did not want to leave the steppes. Had she known she would have to lie to the Great Chanyu for Han Ruzi, she would have refused or avoided acting as a translator. But once in the tent, even though she hesitate many times, she ultimately did not reveal the secret, thus paving the way for her brothers.

Moreover, she trusted Han Ruzi, who had risked much to bring them to the steppes and had kept his promises.

Han Ruzi had not expected Jin Chuiduo to accompany the Great Chanyu into the tent.

Before setting out, he and Zhang Youcai had swapped armor, with Han Ruzi arriving earlier to quickly change helmets and cloaks. Thus, Zhang Youcai became the Northern Protection General, and Han Ruzi the guard.

When Zhang Youcai whispered, he said nothing, leaving Han Ruzi to respond. After Han Ruzi left, the task fell to Fang Daye.

The Chu soldiers outside the tent were from the same unit and would not speak out of turn in front of the Xiongnu.

Riding south alone, Han Ruzi passed groups of sentries, keeping his distance to avoid recognition.

The heavy snow helped, and the sentries only relayed, “The Northern Protection General’s messenger returned safely.”

In the Chu camp, factions were numerous, and Han Ruzi struggled to control them without clear evidence. He hoped for a disturbance among the generals in his absence and aimed to return in time to quell it, securing control over the northern army.

It was an unpredictable plan, but Han Ruzi knew one thing for sure: riding back to camp alone would earn him considerable respect.

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