Chapter 151: The Desperate Counterattack of the Governor of Liangzhou

After entering the palace, Zhang Chi followed the female official straight to the residence of Princess Wuyou.

Princess Wuyou was the beloved daughter of the Prince of Chengdu, so naturally, she lived within the Prince of Chengdu's estate. However, Zhang Chi had not entered through the main gate; instead, he was led through a side entrance. From this detail, Zhang Chi guessed that the princess might be meeting him in private, and the Prince of Chengdu was likely unaware of it.

Princess Wuyou was hosting Zhang Chi alone, and she had already been waiting near the palace gates for quite some time. Zhang Chi walked up to her, offered a respectful bow, and with a gentle smile, the princess invited him inside to talk.

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, let alone princes and nobles, even the aristocratic families lived lives of extravagant luxury. It was common for them to have dozens of attendants flanking them, and Princess Wuyou naturally had an even larger retinue of female officials at her beck and call.

Yet once inside, Princess Wuyou dismissed all the attendants, stepped forward, took Zhang Chi by the sleeve, and said, "I have long heard that you, sir, are not only well-read but also capable of holding your liquor. Therefore, I have specially prepared fine wine today to invite you to drink your fill."

Having a princess pour wine for him personally was hardly a privilege granted to ordinary people. As Zhang Chi took his seat, he genuinely felt a sense of awkwardness.

Princess Wuyou was as lovely as a hibiscus, with fingers as delicate as jade shoots. As she moved gracefully, the gentle swaying of her jade pendants produced a crisp and pleasing sound. Having such a beauty pour wine was normally one of the greatest pleasures in the world, yet for no apparent reason, Zhang Chi’s thoughts drifted back to the engagement the Prince of Chengdu had once arranged between them.

Sure enough, Princess Wuyou had not invited him without a reason; what she wanted to discuss was precisely this matter. After pouring two cups of wine, a blush crept across her cheeks, and she spoke in a low voice, "My father long ago arranged an engagement between the two of us, but I heard from him that you have repeatedly delayed the wedding date. I wonder if you have some sort of reservations?"

What must come could not be avoided. Actually, Zhang Chi had long wanted to say these words to Princess Wuyou, but he had never known how to begin. He certainly could not just walk up to the princess and bluntly say, "Your Highness, I don't like you; please go find yourself a better match."

In truth, Princess Wuyou was not lacking in any way. She was strikingly beautiful, and her personality did not seem arrogant and unreasonable like those of typical royal and aristocratic scions. Yet, Zhang Chi always felt a strange sense of dissonance.

He was a modern man, someone who even struggled to accept arranged blind dates, let alone an engagement directly decreed between two people who were utter strangers to begin with.

Most importantly, of course, was the fact that the shadow of Emei always lingered in his heart.

One was a princess, draped in wealth and regal splendor; the other was Emei, as ethereal and graceful as an immortal. Which one would Zhang Chi choose? Without a doubt, Zhang Chi would choose the immortal-like Emei, though if asked why, he would be hard-pressed to explain.

Furthermore, aside from Emei, he already had two confidantes in his life: the Wine Maiden and Lady Ruoshui. While a surplus of romantic fortune was a fine thing, when there were too many blossoms, good fortune inevitably risked turning into a tribulation.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Zhang Chi decided to speak his mind directly: "I am deeply honored by Your Highness’s favor, but there is something I have been wondering whether I ought to speak of or keep to myself."

Upon hearing these words, Princess Wuyou felt a subtle sense of foreboding, but she forced a smile and replied, "Please speak freely, sir; there is no harm in it."

"Your Highness may not know this, but the truth is, I have long since given my heart to another."

Princess Wuyou froze for a brief moment, but then immediately smiled again. "Is that all? Why should the sir take such matters to heart? It is entirely normal for a man to have a wife and concubines. Once we are married, sir, you are more than welcome to bring your beloved into your chambers. I am not a jealous person."

Objectively speaking, for a princess to utter such words was already quite remarkable. However, seeing the shifting, uncertain expression on Zhang Chi's face, she added, "If you feel that doing so would wrong her, then the two of us can emulate Ehuang and Nuying; that would be acceptable as well."

Seeing Princess Wuyou yield step after step, Zhang Chi genuinely felt a twinge of guilt. Spreading his hands, he could not help but resort to modern logic: "Why must Your Highness hang yourself on this single tree of mine? Without a crooked-necked tree like me, Your Highness still has an entire forest out there."

Although Princess Wuyou had never heard such phrasing before, she was as sharp as ice and snow, and it was not hard for her to grasp the meaning. Thinking that this metaphor was rather novel, she smiled and said, "Looking across the lands of Shu, apart from you, sir, there are no other heroes. Though I am a princess, I am no different from the women of this world: I recognize a hero and admire a hero, and I wish to join hands with you in heart and mind, treating each other with the utmost respect."

Zhang Chi was not naturally a man of lust, and Princess Wuyou’s words deeply moved him, yet he still could not alter his stance.

There were, of course, reasons why Zhang Chi could not accept Princess Wuyou.

If Princess Wuyou were not a princess, but merely an ordinary person, Zhang Chi would not have had so many misgivings. But as it happened, she was the beloved daughter of the Prince of Chengdu.

Zhang Chi was a time traveler. Ever since he had encountered Liu Yu, he had known that the Eastern Jin Dynasty was on the verge of total collapse. The inevitable outcome would be a chaotic dance of demons across the realm, eventually to be replaced by the Southern Dynasties of Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen. The aristocratic clans were gradually losing their influence, and the Prince of Chengdu, as a member of the imperial clan of Jin holding a high position, was bound to meet a tragic end.

In this era of powerful noble families, choosing the wrong side meant there was little hope of turning things around. If he married Princess Wuyou, he would inevitably become a part of the Sima imperial clan.

That was the first reason. The second was that the political landscape of Shu was already complex, and with the entire realm on the brink of great chaos—though he and the Prince of Chengdu currently shared the same objectives—who could predict the future? In politics, Zhang Chi firmly believed in the adage that there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.

Moreover, as the displaced refugees of the realm gradually rose in rebellion, they were bound to stand in opposition to the aristocratic clans. If he married Princess Wuyou, what kind of relationship would he have with the commoner factions?

The reason Lady Wang had urged him to come to Shu in the first place, and his own plan to carve out a separatist regime in Hanzhong, was simply to transform Shu into the foundation for his heroic enterprise. Since Princess Wuyou was the daughter of the Prince of Chengdu, even if they were to marry now, they would never find happiness in the days to come.

Zhang Chi had originally hesitated to break Princess Wuyou's heart, but thinking this through, he resolved to refuse her. Thus, he said, "Your Highness is as fair as a flower; why worry about failing to find a worthy husband? The truth is, I harbor no romantic intentions toward Your Highness. I beg your forgiveness for any offense I have given."

"Am I truly so unworthy in your eyes?" At that instant, Princess Wuyou felt as though she could hear the breaking of her own heart. Overwhelmed by grief, shame, and anger, tears finally burst from her eyes.

Hardening his heart, Zhang Chi offered no reply.

"Very well! Since that is how it is, why did you agree to my father's marriage proposal in the first place, only to break the engagement now and ruin my reputation?"

Zhang Chi understood Princess Wuyou's feelings at this moment, so he answered gently, "Back then, the Prince of Chengdu merely asked whether I was betrothed, and before I had time to explain, His Highness had already set the engagement. Afterward, I repeatedly wanted to make my feelings clear to Your Highness, but I feared causing you pain, which is why I delayed until today."

"And you aren't afraid of causing me pain now?" Princess Wuyou’s emotions slipped out of her control, but at this point, she could no longer care about such things.

Zhang Chi indeed felt a pang of guilt, yet he had no way to make amends. Remaining longer in Princess Wuyou's presence under these circumstances was completely useless, so he said, "Things have reached this point; if Your Highness wishes to blame me, I shall bear it without a single word of complaint. The hour is growing late, and your humble subject will take his leave."

Zhang Chi stood up and walked away, while Princess Wuyou was already bathed in tears.

In the flower of her youth, and a princess to boot, everyone in the palace had always pampered and cherished her. When had she ever been treated in such a manner? Watching Zhang Chi's departing back, she said with venomous resentment, "Since you have failed me today, I will certainly not let you off easily. You will live to regret this!"

Though Zhang Chi sighed upon hearing these words, he did not pause. He pushed open the door and stepped out, leaving Princess Wuyou alone in the room, weeping bitterly.

When Zhang Chi returned to his own estate, Hamster was waiting for him in the main hall. In fact, ever since Zhang Chi had sent Dao Xuan to escort Xie Lingyun to Chengdu, he had also instructed Hamster to command a hundred men of commoner background to keep a close, covert watch on the Inspector of Liangzhou.

At this moment, Hamster had returned to report. As soon as he laid eyes on Zhang Chi, he said, "Just as you anticipated, sir, the Inspector of Liangzhou has made his move."

It was all within expectations, so Zhang Chi remained calm and collected with a smile. "Then spread the word. Let it be known that a swift rider has retrieved ironclad proof of the Liangzhou Inspector's treason from Hanzhong. Tomorrow, I shall have an audience with the Prince of Chengdu, and at that time, I shall also invite all the officials of Shu to the grand hall to serve as witnesses."

...

The next day, when Zhang Chi ascended the throne hall once again to have an audience with the Prince of Chengdu, preparations had been made in advance, and all the civil and military officials were gathered—save for the Inspector of Liangzhou, who was conspicuously absent.

After waiting for a long time without his appearance, even the officials of Shu in the hall began to whisper among themselves. Zhang Chi smiled faintly and said, "Prince of Chengdu, my lords, it would appear that the Inspector of Liangzhou is absent today because his conscience is guilty, and he dares not face me in the hall for a confrontation."

Just as they were speaking, a soldier suddenly shouted, "Report—!" and burst breathlessly into the hall.

The Prince of Chengdu was initially displeased by the soldier's frantic entrance into the royal hall, but without reprimanding him, he demanded, "Has the Inspector of Liangzhou arrived?"

Before catching his breath, the soldier blurted out, "Reporting to the Prince of Chengdu! An unknown force of troops has broken into the Prince of Chengdu's estate!"

Because Shu was far distant from Jiankang, and its communication with Jiangnan was further severed by Huan Xuan's forces, Shu had long maintained very little contact with Jiankang. Since the Prince of Chengdu garrisoned Shu by imperial decree, the sudden appearance of an armed force attacking the Prince of Chengdu's residence was no different from outright rebellion! Hearing this, the Prince of Chengdu was deeply shocked. "Quickly dispatch orders for the city guards to put down the rebellion!"

Because Chengdu was under strict martial law on all sides, any official entering the city was required to station their main army outside the walls. Thus, although the Prince of Chengdu's estate was heavily guarded, its actual military force was relatively small.

The soldier replied in a panic, "A massive force of rebel troops has also suddenly appeared outside the city! They have already broken through the South Gate, and their armies are flooding into the city!"

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials in the hall turned as pale as death.

There was no doubt about who was behind the chaos: it was the Inspector of Liangzhou. The reason he had delayed coming and waited until now to suddenly strike was precisely to wait for his Liangzhou army to arrive beneath the walls of Chengdu.

Although the Inspector of Liangzhou was within Chengdu, he had left a trusted subordinate named Qiao Zong behind in the territory of Liangzhou to command the entire army. Only after Qiao Zong had led the main force to the outskirts of Chengdu did the Inspector of Liangzhou feel secure enough to come and capture the Prince of Chengdu.

With everything prepared, there was no way he could fail this time.

Sure enough, the forces within the Prince of Chengdu's estate were sparse. In a very short time, he had fought his way right to the front of the grand hall. What gave him even greater peace of mind was that Qiao Zong had managed to capture the South Gate so smoothly and was personally leading the vanguard to join forces with him, a realization that filled him with boundless joy.

Once he captured the Prince of Chengdu, how could he possibly fail to achieve his grand ambition?

Watching Qiao Zong lead his troops to tightly surround the grand hall, the Inspector of Liangzhou felt that the Prince of Chengdu, the Inspector of Yizhou, and Zhang Chi inside the hall were already no different from dead men.