Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors-Chapter 517 - 270: The Two Saints Return to Court (8000 words, voting request)

Chapter 517: Chapter 270: The Two Saints Return to Court (8000 words, voting request)

Wanyan Sheng listened to the report of the Jin envoy, furrowing his eyebrows deeply.

"Understood, you may leave," he said.

After dismissing the Jin envoy, he turned to Wanyan Xian beside him, "Han Fuyue has agreed not to take Taiyuan, but he demands the two emperors.

"What do you think... he means by that?"

Wanyan Sheng was similarly baffled, not knowing what General Han Fuyue was really thinking.

The Jin people’s attitude towards these two emperors was also constantly changing.

Initially, when the Jingping Incident occurred, abducting the two emperors along with all the royals and high officials was primarily to strike at the heart of the Qi Dynasty, rendering it unable to organize a powerful central government or court. With this, the Jin people’s subsequent slow annexation of Qi would become much easier.

However, Prince Nine’s escape to the south to ascend the throne thwarted the Jin’s plan.

That was why Wanyan Sheng organized a thorough search of mountains and seas to repeat the tactic, launching a decapitation strike against Emperor Gaozong of Qi to once again dismantle Qi’s command center.

But he failed.

In this light, the two emperors, Emperor Qihui and Emperor Yingzong, became somewhat like tasteless bones in their hands.

Too pity to discard, too flavorless to relish.

The Jin people obviously realized that these two emperors were of use, which was why they had not killed them but instead imprisoned them in Five Countries City. But how exactly to utilize them? After much internal Jin deliberation, they still couldn’t come up with a satisfying method.

The greatest use of these two emperors was actually to affect the legitimacy of Emperor Gaozong of Qi’s rule.

For instance, the Jin people once considered instating either Emperor Qihui or Emperor Yingzong as the puppet emperor of a fabricated Chu state. This would lend legitimacy to their rule over the territories of the false Chu, reducing resistance in these areas, and also disturb Emperor Gaozong’s peace of mind, affecting his rule’s legitimacy.

But this idea was ultimately not enacted.

After careful consideration, the Jin people realized while this strategy looked appealing, it might not work as smoothly in practice.

If these emperors were to rule a puppet state, it would have to be under the Jin people’s strict control and surveillance.

In that case, Qi could claim that these two emperors were imprisoned by the Jin and could not handle affairs personally, so Qi would have to continue to fight to rescue the two ’saints.’

But what if the Jin actually granted these two emperors some authority?

Perhaps, given the opportunity, the two emperors would rebel, unwilling to comply as puppets.

After all, these two emperors were different from the puppet emperor Liu Yu of Chu.

Liu Yu was a rebel of Qi, despised by nearly everyone within Qi. He had no option but to cling to Jin’s favor, having no other path to pursue.

But Emperor Qihui and Emperor Yingzong were emperors of Qi after all. Countless officials would instigate them to return to Qi or resist Jin.

Even if the Jin stationed some people to monitor them, they could find themselves suddenly overthrown by a coup.

In short, they couldn’t be trusted easily.

So, after much consideration, the Jin vaguely recognized that these two emperors were useful but could never find an appropriate way to employ them, so they just kept dragging their feet.

In history, both emperors eventually died of old age at Five Countries City.

But in this slice of history, their fate would change because of Zhao Haiping.

After a long period of thought, Wanyan Xian said, "General Han Fuyue’s Zhao Yi Army, at this point, is effectively acting independently, although nominally still subjects of Qi, they are practically a power unto themselves.

"Therefore, I believe General Han Fuyue demands these two Qi emperors not for himself.

"He has no need to invite back ’two fathers’ for himself."

Wanyan Sheng nodded in agreement.

This was obvious to anyone of sound mind.

If General Han Fuyue’s initial refusal to follow orders could be interpreted as acting against his will out of loyalty to his sovereign, his continuous recovery of former Chu territories without any intention of transferring them to Qi, solely governed by the Zhao Yi Army, clearly revealed his intent.

It was just one shout away from an outright rebellion.

Therefore, General Han Fuyue couldn’t possibly keep these two emperors by his side, for that would be meaningless. If he’s still nominally a subject of Qi, why would he want to invite ’two fathers’ over?

If he ignored them, the world would call Han Fuyue a treacherous minister and rebel. But if he listened to them, wouldn’t he just make trouble for himself?

The tactic of wielding the emperor to command the nobles also depended on the era and specific circumstances.

With a fully recognized Emperor Gaozong of Qi in the south, wielding the emperor to command the nobles could be seen as treating everyone as fools.

Concluding his thoughts, Wanyan Xian said, "Therefore, perhaps Han Fuyue intends to... send these two back to Qi."

Wanyan Sheng’s eyes lit up with the idea: "Send them back to Qi?

"Do you mean... that Han Fuyue has actually harbored the idea of disrupting the Qi court?

"Or even... is preparing for the downfall of Qi?"

Wanyan Xian nodded slightly, "Very likely!"

Wanyan Sheng couldn’t help but stand up and pace a few steps, his expression becoming somewhat excited.

Why would sending the two ’saints’ back to Qi be harboring the thought of Qi’s downfall?

This conclusion took a few turns, but it wasn’t hard to understand.

To both the Zhao Yi Army and Qi, these two emperors were hot potatoes.

Although Emperor Gaozong of Qi was publicly calling for the return of the two ’saints,’ deep down, he feared nothing more than their actual return. It was just that under the ethical codes of the feudal society, he had no choice but to call for it.

That was the highest political correctness of the era.

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