Chapter 34: None of Them Believe It

Zhao Wudi led his men and spurred their horses forward. Before long, they encountered the approaching army.

"Notify the Sixth Prince! I am Zhao Wudi, requesting an audience with His Highness!"

Zhao Wudi’s reputation in the military was resounding; it was no exaggeration to say that everyone knew of him. The soldiers dared not delay and immediately dispatched someone to report.

Li Ye was surprised to hear the news. "Why has Zhao Wudi come? Tell the main army to stop and rest, then let him approach."

A short while later, Zhao Wudi arrived. Along the way, he had seen many bandits from the mountain stronghold, but to his great indignation, no one was guarding them. They were simply walking alongside the imperial army, which caused him deep concern.

"I pay my respects to Your Highness, the Sixth Prince..."

"General Zhao, please, there is no need for such formalities. Why have you come?"

Zhao Wudi improvised an excuse. "The Emperor is concerned that this is your first time leading an army into battle and that you lack experience. He fears you might encounter danger, so he ordered me to come and provide support."

Li Ye smiled and said, "Is that so? Then there is no need. I have already persuaded the people from the stronghold, and they have all pledged their surrender to the imperial court."

"I have heard as much, which is why I rode hard to confirm it. Your Highness’s success in suppressing the bandits is truly a cause for celebration. But these are bandits, Your Highness! How could you be so negligent? How could you allow them to march with the army?"

"General Zhao, you are worried they might renege on their word and stage a surprise attack, aren't you? You have no need to worry. The people in the stronghold also wish to live a good life. They would never do anything so foolish. Besides, there are many elderly and children among them; let our soldiers look after them so we may return to the capital sooner."

Zhan Ying was incensed by Zhao Wudi’s remarks and spoke coldly: "This General underestimates us too much. It is true that we are bandits, but we keep our word. We were won over by the Sixth Prince’s spirit. Since we have surrendered to the court, there is no reason for us to go back on our word."

Zhao Wudi was stunned. The court had sent many famous generals to attack Bald Eagle Mountain, and their command was by no means poor. They had even offered terms of surrender, only to be rejected. Furthermore, the court had sent troops to suppress them multiple times, all ending in failure. What method had Li Ye used to persuade these unruly bandits to surrender without even a single battle? He racked his brains, but he could not fathom it. Could the Sixth Prince truly possess such charisma? Was it really that easy to make those who had occupied Bald Eagle Mountain for nearly two hundred years surrender?

A phrase suddenly occurred to Zhao Wudi: "To subdue the enemy without fighting." This was the highest realm of military command.

"Your Highness is truly a divine man. Might you tell me how you convinced them to surrender?" Zhao Wudi asked, burning with curiosity.

"Actually, there were no startling strategies, just empathy. They occupied the mountain and were constantly harassed by imperial sieges; it is not a pleasant life to be constantly besieged. As long as you provide them with decent living conditions and genuinely care about their future, of course they are willing to surrender. Who would choose to be a bandit if they could have enough to eat?" Li Ye replied with a smile.

No sooner had he finished speaking than his words resonated with many, who called out in unison: "His Highness is absolutely right!"

"Is it really just that?" Zhao Wudi remained bewildered. Seeing the behavior of the bandits, he knew the Sixth Prince was not lying. Not only were they willing to surrender, but they were also deeply admiring of Li Ye. In such a short time, Li Ye had already established immense prestige among these bandits. How on earth did he do it?

"General Zhao, stop standing there in a daze. Since the matter is resolved, lead your troops back and report to my father on my behalf. Tell the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to settle these people as soon as possible. We will also hurry and aim to return to the capital soon!"

"Yes, as you command!"

Zhao Wudi acknowledged the order, mounted his horse, and left quickly with his men. Along the way, he remained in a daze. He felt that Li Ye had not told the whole truth. If the bandits had been willing to surrender, it would not have taken so many years of fighting. There had to be another reason, but he could not figure out what it was.

"It seems our Sixth Prince is not as simple as he appears; he has deceived everyone. To take Bald Eagle Mountain with such ease—how could an ordinary person do that?" Zhao Wudi muttered to himself. Suddenly, a startling thought occurred to him: "Could it be that the Sixth Prince has been biding his time all along? That his business dealings were merely a cover to make the other princes lower their guard, while he secretly cultivated his own power to prepare for the throne?"

He could not help but gasp, terrified by his own deduction. If his guess was correct, the Sixth Prince was truly terrifying. To hide his true nature for so many years without anyone discovering it, and then to suddenly strike—could it be that he was already fully prepared?

Zhao Wudi felt deeply conflicted. After all, the Emperor was in his prime and could easily live another twenty or thirty years. If Li Ye revealed his strength so prematurely, was he planning to usurp the throne? Zhao Wudi was fiercely loyal to Li Xuantian; that was precisely why he was trusted to lead elite troops. He had never participated in the infighting between princes, nor would he ever take sides. He only followed Li Xuantian’s orders. If anyone wanted to rebel and seize the throne, he would firmly stand on the side of the Emperor.

"It should not be so. Perhaps I am overthinking it!" Zhao Wudi mused, concluding that the imperial court was firmly under the Emperor’s control. Even a brilliant prince could not easily stir up trouble. "I must report what has happened to the Emperor as quickly as possible and let him decide!"

Zhao Wudi ordered his scouts to ride eight hundred miles a day to deliver the message as quickly as possible. Soon, Li Xuantian received the latest report from Zhao Wudi. His first reaction was to assume the report was false.

"What is Zhao Wudi doing? He just said the army had not launched an attack, and now, not even a day later, he sends word that he has already taken Bald Eagle Mountain? One of these two reports must be a lie."

Li Xuantian was furious. He had only asked Li Ye to suppress the bandits; he could not understand why so many problems had arisen. Most of all, Li Xuantian was worried that something had happened to Zhao Wudi and that he was no longer loyal. He immediately ordered the Chancellor, Shangguan Qi, to come for a consultation.

When Shangguan Qi heard the news, he also could not believe the authenticity of the report. It had clearly stated that the army had not launched an attack—how could the bandits on Bald Eagle Mountain surrender voluntarily? It defied common sense. For a moment, he could not determine which of the two reports was true. He hurried to the Imperial Study to see Li Xuantian.

"Your subject pays respects to the Emperor!"

"Enough, enough. There is no need for ceremony at a time like this. You have seen both reports. Tell me what you think!" Li Xuantian said impatiently, his mind in turmoil.

Shangguan Qi stood up and said respectfully, "In my opinion, both reports are likely true. General Zhao is loyal to Your Majesty; there is no reason for him to lie about such matters. Perhaps there are circumstances within that General Zhao himself is unaware of. It would be better to wait until the Sixth Prince returns with the army and ask him for clarification."