Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2656 Still Vigorous in Old Age 40.0
“We also met Wanyan Yuwen and his son Wanyan Qingmu during the Three Kingdoms hunting expedition a couple of years ago.”

"Did you see them alone, or did you see them together?" Chu Han looked at Shen Cha. "What did you think?"

“Both,” Shen Cha said after a moment’s thought. “When they’re alone, they seem no different from ordinary princes and heirs—well-mannered, polite, and good in every way. Putting aside their different positions, Wanyan Yuwen is a very good elder, knowledgeable and willing to guide the younger generation. Wanyan Qingmu…” She sighed, “wasn’t the heartless, ruthless person he is now, willing to do anything for the throne. I actually had a pretty good impression of him before, and I thought Prince Wanyan had a worthy successor. It’s a pity…”

“Yes, that’s the same feeling I had.” Shen Haolin and Xue Ruitian exchanged glances and nodded at Chu Han. “So, we were all very surprised when he caused this siege. It’s true that you can know a person’s face but not their heart.”

"Of course, you were just casual acquaintances before." Chu Han looked at Shen Cha. "What's the relationship between them, father and son?"

"How should I put it? Although they're not as affectionate as typical fathers and sons, they're still fairly normal, right?" Shen Cha couldn't find a particularly suitable word to describe them. After thinking for a long time, she finally said, "They seem like a loving father and filial son, polite and respectful. But..."

"What's wrong? Is something the problem?"

“When the three kingdoms were hunting together, we didn’t notice anything amiss, but when Wanyan Yuwen died in Wuma Town, there was definitely something wrong.”

"What is the problem?"

"Wanyan Qingmu only sent the chief secretary of the Prince's Mansion to help the coffin back to Yiqing Mansion. At the time, I felt a little awkward about it, but many things happened later, and no one remembered this. Now that I think about it, there were already some signs of something going on back then."

“You’re right. Their father-son relationship was strained, but it wasn’t very obvious while Wanyan Yuwen was still alive. After all, Wanyan Yuwen had done everything he could.” Chu Han sighed and said, “I remember Xiao Hei once told me that on the surface, the father and son got along very well, and he didn’t seem to notice anything wrong. Not only that, Wanyan Yuwen even advised Xiao Hei not to hold a grudge against his family or his father, and Xiao Hei just brushed it off verbally, but he didn’t really take it to heart. After Wanyan Yuwen passed away, Wanyan Qingmu could still put on a show of being a dutiful son for the first three months, but after three months, his true colors were basically revealed.”

“Speaking of which, it’s only been about half a year since Wanyan Yuwen passed away. According to custom, Wanyan Qingmu should still be in mourning, yet he’s already caused so much trouble. Doesn’t that also mean…” Song Yaojia looked at Chu Han, “that he doesn’t care about any of this at all?”

"The mourning period in the Liao and Jin dynasties was only three months. There was no such thing as a year or three years of mourning, and there was no custom of 'dingyou' (a period of mourning for the deceased)," Chu Han explained. "Before they settled in one place for a long time, if an elder in the family passed away, they only had a maximum of three months to mourn, and sometimes not even three months. This was because their living environment was very harsh. If they only used time to mourn, the family or the tribe might face extinction. No matter how sad they were, they had to be responsible for those who were still alive. So, this custom has continued, and even though they now live in a fixed place, they have not changed this habit."

"I see." Song Yaojia breathed a sigh of relief. "So, Brother Yelü was also worried about this, which is why he asked Uncle to do his best to extend it by five years, is that right?"

"Yes and no." Shen Cha nodded, then shook her head, saying, "The main problem is that they are not strong enough right now and cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of the King of Liao." "That's true." Song Yaojia looked at Chu Han, "However, my uncle just said that as long as we can't produce conclusive evidence to prove that his background is problematic, he is still the heir to the throne of Wanyan Yuwen, right?"

“Even if it were presented, he wouldn’t admit it. Besides, the grudges and entanglements of the previous generation are hard for this generation to understand. Not many people from that generation are still alive, and even fewer can testify. There’s no need to waste time and energy on such a matter.” Chu Han waved his hand at Song Yaojia. “Don’t worry about whether he is of the Wanyan family bloodline. As long as we eliminate the fact that Wanyan Zongzongcheng and Wanyan Yuwen are illegitimate and Wanyan Xi is the only heir to the throne of the Jin King, that’s enough.”

"But..." Xue Ruitian looked at Shen Haolin and Shen Cha, then at Chu Han, "Can Yiting and Yixiu really control Wanyan Qingmu? If that guy goes crazy, I'm afraid the brothers will all be in trouble, right?"

"He may be crazy, but he's not stupid. Yiting and Yixiu are nothing special; they're just the most loyal supporters of Wanyan Da Wangzi and Wanyan Yuwen. These two brothers don't have a high profile in Yiqing Prefecture. Unless something particularly big happens, you won't see them more than a few times a year. They usually stay in the mountains outside Yiqing Prefecture."

“My great-uncle said that it was where Yi Ting and Yi Xiu stationed their troops, and that it was easy to defend and difficult to attack.”

"They set up many traps, obstacles, and mechanisms in that mountain forest. If you try to force your way in without someone leading you, you will never come back."

"Does your great-uncle mean you've suffered a loss?"

"Indeed, we lost some men. We tried to break in several times, but couldn't get past the first checkpoint and had to retreat with regret." Chu Han helplessly spread his hands. "Fortunately, we weren't obsessed with this, so we gave up quickly. We have many capable people under our command, and even they were helpless in this mountain, so what makes Wanyan Qingmu think he can?"

"Could you offer them a huge reward?" Shen Cha asked tentatively. "If he told Yi Ting and Yi Xiu's confidants that if they helped him obtain the throne of the Golden King, they would be guaranteed credit for their service, would they be tempted?"

“Unlikely.” Chu Han shook his head slightly. “The people around Yi Ting and Yi Xiu, not just their own, but many of the people around tribal leaders are trained as assassins. Unless their master dies, they will not easily change masters.”

"So, it's incredibly difficult for Wanyan Qingmu to bribe these people?" Seeing Chu Han nod, Shen Cha tapped the table absently. "It's not entirely impossible, it just depends on whether Master Falian will give up on him."

“That’s what we think too.” Chu Han nodded. “It’s just a matter of whether the Little Prince Mudfish wants to get involved, but based on what I know about him, he probably will. After all, this is the place he’s chosen to settle down after many years of searching, and it might also be the place chosen by the people behind him. If he doesn’t want to become a pawn, he’ll probably have to do everything he can to fulfill the instructions of the people behind him.”

“Yes, but it’s not easy either.” Shen Cha gave a bitter smile. “We are in a difficult situation now, but it’s even more difficult for him. Taking a step forward is a cliff, and taking a step back is also a cliff. We are caught in a dilemma, and we don’t know how he will deal with it.”