Chapter 505: A Mad Marshal!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yun Yang looked at Fu Baoguo. "On that account, Marshal Fu, you are purely a militant in nature but Han Sanhe, other than being a most remarkable militant himself, was also an incredibly sharp politician. He was able to utilize his death so beneficially, it is as impressive as it is frightening!"
Fu Baoguo chuckled bitterly. "How could I ever be as thoughtful as Young Master Yun? The only thought that I had is that we're both militants and he's a military legend who's worthy of respect. I knew I had to help him, even if I had to carry the blame, I'd be willing to do it!"
He turned and stared into Yun Yang's eyes, saying, "I'll personally explain this to His Majesty. I take full responsibility for what happened."
Yun Yang asked, "Is Marshal Fu afraid that I'd snitch on you to His Majesty? It would seem that what Han Sanhe's mentioned about me being a royal descendant could subtly instigating us, huh? Haha!" Yun Yang laughed, "Marshal Fu doesn't really like me anyway and now that I have the identity of being an aristocrat, my position is even more delicate, isn't it?" finished Yun Yang with a smile.
Fu Baoguo was embarrassed, quickly replying, "No no, not at all. Young Master Yun, you think too much…"
Yun Yang chortled before lowering his voice and saying, "Marshal Fu, I think it's fine for us to end our conversation here. This delicate subtlety remains known only between you, me, and the heaven and earth in this world. Dongxuan's military resents you to their core because you've forced Han Sanhe to his death regardless of what actually took place. So let us not burden ourselves with more trouble."
Fu Baoguo appraised Yun Yang seriously as if seeing him for the first time. Yun Yang smiled genuinely and continued, "Marshal Fu, some things are better off not exposed and kept hidden as they are. You have to know, no matter how open an emperor is, there will always be suspicion lingering in their heart; no matter how impartial an imperial court is, a bias will still exist – especially when it relates to a massive benefit. How often is it when one has to do something when one knows he shouldn't and he can't…?"
"Right…" Fu Baoguo let out a soft sigh.
Yun Yang added, "As for me, I'm only a marquis' young master. Even if I'm of royal blood, it's impossible I'll be recognized by the imperials in this lifetime, so naturally, I won't be partaking in the hegemony of the cake. In fact, with my cultivation base level as it is, such worldly profit is worth nothing in my eyes. Do I sound too arrogant speaking like this? Haha" he laughed again.
Fu Baoguo could not help but grin, "It's arrogant indeed but more of it leans toward the side of truth."
After a moment of thinking, Fu Baoguo concluded, "If so, then I shall keep this matter to myself. No one would believe me if I told them anyway."
Yun Yang, who already understood this, agreed immediately, "Exactly. I'll keep it to myself too. But when Marshal Fu returns to the capital to give your report, you'll have to buy me a drink."
"Not a problem," Fu Baoguo replied, "I'll get some men to dig a big pond, fill it with wine, and then prepare lots of meat. You can have it all to yourself. I've heard of Young Master Yun's past reputation and I'm not afraid of your appetite." Fu Baoguo laughed.
Yun Yang guffawed, "The legendary wine pool and meat forest? You better promise!"
"A promise it is!"
Both of them then urged their horses to turn around and go back.
"The war comes to a close here," Yun Yang mused out loud, "By the looks of it, I believe Dongxuan will hardly be able to engage in large-scale warfare for at least three years. What will become of Marshal Fu after this?" asked Yun Yang.
"I've promised Lord Supreme Cloud that I will guard the Fortress of Resilience with my life," Fu Baoguo said in veneration. "Now that the original Fortress of Resilience is destroyed, I plan to gather more manpower and build another fortress that will be stronger and more resilient than the previous Fortress of Resilience within two year's time. The eastern border won't be disturbed for a period of time so this should be achievable."
"I have to say, the Fortress of Resilience was utterly ruined this time, all the way to its foundations. Because of this, it's actually more convenient for me to restructure the entire thing from scratch."
Fu Baoguo became more animated as he spoke, "Even if war were to come upon us two or three years down the road, Dongxuan will know that this new resilient fort is not something they'll be able to breach so easily. The world's most indestructible fortress still lies before them."
"Wrong," Yun Yang said quietly.
"Wrong?" Fu Baoguo asked in surprise.
"Marshal Fu's thinking is too conservative. The existence of the old Fortress of Resilience was to defend against Dongxuan, no doubts about it – because Dongxuan had the world's top army and it was under the command of the world's top marshal. It would thus be prudent to prioritize defense whilst facing an enemy with such a strong combination," said Yun Yang.
"But after today, Dongxuan doesn't have the aforementioned advantages anymore. Especially now that Han Sanhe is no longer in control, Dongxuan's imperial court will be absolute chaos reflecting the internal struggle between the civil institutions and military."
Yun Yang continued calmly, "Therefore, the cons have already outweighed the pros. Your efficacy will be very limited if you merely intend to guard the land and rebuild the Fortress of Resilience. Instead, I'd suggest for Marshal Fu to remodel the new Fortress of Resilience into a fort that focuses mainly on attack rather than defense."
"From now on, Yutang is not a country for others to simply oppress or invade. The basic stratagem has shifted from defense to attack."
Yun Yang turned to look at Fu Baoguo and smiled, "Perhaps this great feat of invasion and expansion, to rule the world, would likely start in two or three years' time."
"Marshal Fu, such a great feat of willpower could possibly be completed by you," Yun Yang beamed at him.
Fu Baoguo was shocked upon hearing these words, his face flushed immediately after he heard what Yun Yang was saying. The more he contemplated about it, the brighter his eyes were; then, he slapped his thigh suddenly. "That's right, why didn't I think of it before? Thanks to young master's reminder that without Han Sanhe, Dongxuan's overall military prowess will be significantly diminished. What then will we have to be fearful for? Fu Baoguo spoke his thoughts out loud, "Wait, I'll have to rethink this entire matter. How should I build this new Fortress of Resilience? I'll have to gather some men who know about fort construction and discuss it with them. Ah, this is a heavenly task indeed…"
As he spoke and thought about it, he looked ecstatic, like he wanted to start the operation right away.
As he contemplated these things, Fu Baoguo had a look of salivation on his face as he considered the great feat of expanding the nation's land. He was even grinning to himself and chuckling. Yun Yang himself could not help but feel tickled at the sight. Where was the look of an unrivaled marshall that Han Sanhe had said about Fu Baoguo? He was acting more like a silly kid now.
Fu Baoguo laughed to himself for a good while before finally regaining his senses and remember who was by his side. He felt embarrassed and then suddenly pulled a long face and asked. "Why are you here?"
Yun Yang was stunned. "I… Why am I here? I beg your pardon? Why am I here?"
"Shouldn't you be guarding Old Marshal back to the capital? Why are you here at the battlefield? Yun Yang, you leave your duty on your own, do you know what penalty you'll be faced with!" Fu Baoguo was enraged at him now.
Yun Yang was stumped by the accusation. "Marshal Fu, your teacher isn't actually Old Grand Commandant Fang, huh? Your teacher must be Old Marshal Qiu Jianhan! Such roguish tactic of burning bridges after crossing the river and throwing rocks too! You must be really familiar with this technique because you're using it with utter ease. Talking with utter ease, rather. You just need to open your mouth and off you go. Could you be any more shameless?"
Fu Baoguo did not budge. "I'm talking about military duty with you now. Your current responsibility and location shouldn't be here. How did I throw rocks at you? Speak quickly, where's Old Marshal Qiu? He… He isn't around here, is he?"
Yun Yang felt helpless. "Of course not! He should already be three thousand miles away now!"
"You bastard!" Fu Baoguo cussed without courtesy. "You can still boast? Go quickly to protect him! Are you still thinking of contributing merit? Are you a militant?"
Yun Yang endured Fu Baoguo's rant, although very much wanting to show his identity as Supreme Cloud and wallop this man. He thought to himself, "Based on the fact that I've helped this guy tackle a huge troop of men and helped him win the war, also giving him so many good ideas for the beautiful future that awaits… I didn't expect him to be like a dog, turning around and giving me a vicious chomp!"
He continued in his mind, "F*cking hell, he's not only a dog, he's a mad dog! Can he be more roguish?"
Yun Yang had obviously ignored the main point. Qiu Jianhan was the head of the capital's three rogues, his reputation was infamous. But nowadays, dogs that bit do not simply cry out, like Old Grand Commandant Fang Qingtian of the top three rogues, or his prized disciple, Fu Baoguo!
In front of the Supreme Cloud, Fu Baoguo could only be ashamed and left to the former's critic. However, the litigant now was Yun Yang and it was right when the war ended; when should he be waiting to chide Yun Yang if not now? Was looking handsome almighty?
"I'll rush over there now." Yun Yang grumbled and huffed, "See you… no, better perhaps it's best not to see you again."
"I've promised you a wine pool and meat forest. How can you not see me again? Oh, by the way, this horse of yours is not bad. Why not leave it with me?" Fu Baoguo's eyes shone with a hungry light.
Yun Yang replied viciously, "Where is your shame?! Can you be any more shameless than this?" Then, with a light kick to the horse's abdomen, Reddie galloped away and left like the wind but not before it looked at Fu Baoguo with despise, snorting and spraying saliva on Fu Baoguo's face.
"What the f*ck! This beast is fierce!" Fu Baoguo yelled while wiping his face.
Then, he heaved a heavy sigh, "So many great brothers of mine, they all went away just like this…"
After chasing Yun Yang away, Fu Baoguo stood alone on the battlefield and suddenly felt a pang of grief rising from within him. Tears gushed down his face as he sprawled himself on the horse; he sobbed hard with both hands covering his face.
"My brothers…"
There was no one else around, as Fu Baoguo wailed, trembling just like a child.
Whoever it was that said that men did not cry easily, was incorrect – it was only because the grief had yet to hit home!
On the battlefield, the setting sun bathed man and steed in radiant light. As the sun went down, the light gave way to long shadows in the snow that was stained red with blood. When he was sure there were no outsiders watching, the main marshal sobbed; an indescribable sense of grief finally being released.