Chapter Thirty-Two: Rescuing Wei Yang

Prince Ang’s words were a clear declaration of a falling-out with Pang Juan.

Pang Juan’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a cooking pot, and he looked ready to explode.

"In the royal court, such clamor—what kind of decorum is this?"

The King of Wei let out a furious shout. The atmospheric pressure seemed to plummet, and his face was so gloomy it looked as if rain might fall from it.

"Your Majesty..."

Just as Pang Juan was about to offer a defense, the King of Wei waved his hand brusquely. "Get out, all of you! Once this matter is thoroughly investigated after the autumn, Wei Yang will be released."

"Yes..."

The King’s rage was absolute; if they continued to push, it would be tantamount to seeking death.

The ministers, trembling like cicadas in winter, retreated in haste. At the palace gates, Pang Juan cast a triumphant, sidelong glance at Prince Ang.

"Hmph."

Prince Ang let out a cold snort and swept his sleeves as he departed.

The ministers of Wei were in an uproar. How had Prince Ang and Pang Juan turned against each other so suddenly?

The events of the court were naturally reported to Zhao Zheng by Mo Hao.

"It is soon. The chaos is about to begin," Zhao Zheng said, appearing entirely unsurprised. "We should make our preparations."

Beside him, Jing Jian was baffled. "Isn't this just the usual court infighting? Surely it won't lead to total chaos?"

He pondered the intelligence brought by Mo Hao and could not detect any signs that the State of Wei was falling into disorder; Mo Hao felt much the same.

"I had been suspicious of this for some time, and today’s events confirmed my theories. Who do you think will become the final Chancellor of Wei?" Zhao Zheng asked, looking at the two men.

They were stunned and exchanged a glance. Jing Jian said, "Is there any need to guess? It must be that scoundrel Pang Juan."

Mo Hao nodded in agreement. "Yes... according to the information verified by our Mohist school, it is Pang Juan."

Zhao Zheng shook his head. "That is only what they want you to see. Do you know what 'praise-killing' is?"

"'Praise-killing'?"

Both men shook their heads. Was this another new term coined by Zhao Zheng?

"So-called 'praise-killing' means elevating someone to a high position, only for them to suffer a more devastating fall in the end."

Zhao Zheng offered a serious explanation.

"Does the master mean that Pang Juan is finished?" Jing Jian seemed to grasp the concept.

Zhao Zheng shook his head. "Not finished, but he will certainly not be the Chancellor."

"If not him, who else in Wei is capable of such a heavy responsibility?" Jing Jian remained puzzled.

Zhao Zheng pointed to three characters on the intelligence report.

"Prince Ang?"

The two men looked at each other in astonishment.

Zhao Zheng nodded. "Precisely, Prince Ang. You haven't forgotten that Prince Ang was also a disciple of Gongshu Cuo, have you?"

"Not only that, he is the King of Wei’s own brother."

The two men had indeed overlooked Prince Ang. After Zhao Zheng’s analysis, it seemed entirely possible that he could become the Chancellor.

If that were the case, Pang Juan would inevitably be dissatisfied.

"So, will Pang Juan and Prince Ang come into conflict?" Jing Jian’s mind raced.

Zhao Zheng nodded. "Indeed, conflict is inevitable. Pang Juan will naturally be too distracted to guard the pigpen, and that is when we will rescue Wei Yang."

After waiting for many days, this was the moment Zhao Zheng had been anticipating.

"I previously suspected that there was more to the cause of Gongshu Cuo's death. As I thought, his death was intended to pave the way for Prince Ang."

Zhao Zheng unraveled the truth, laying out the sequence of events.

The ultimate winner of this struggle was neither Pang Juan nor Shang Yang, but Prince Ang.

Events unfolded exactly as Zhao Zheng had predicted. The next day, the news of Prince Ang’s appointment as Chancellor acted like a bombshell in the political arena of Wei.

Those who supported Pang Juan and those who opposed him began to engage in a very "friendly" exchange.

However, Pang Juan did not appear overly furious.

This was because the King of Wei had created the position of Grand General for him, granting him overall control of the Wei military.

At the same time, he redirected some of the guards stationed at the pigpen to go and cause trouble for Prince Ang.

When the news reached Zhao Zheng, he waved his hand: "Begin the operation."

Wei Lan secretly helped by spending heavily to bribe the head of the guards.

Mohist agents moved in quickly to coordinate. Jing Jian, Mo Hao, and Shen Buhai entered the pigpen.

The environment was dark, damp, and the stench was almost enough to knock them unconscious.

Wei Yang was being held in a small, windowless shed beside the pigpen.

"Wei Yang!"

Shen Buhai rushed in first.

Inside, they immediately saw Wei Yang, disheveled and in rags, sitting in quiet meditation with his eyes closed.

Wei Yang opened his eyes at the sound, looking surprised to see them. "Buhai? Brother Jing Jian? How did you... wait... it’s you!"

He was even more shocked to see Zhao Zheng.

"This is no time for nostalgia. If Pang Juan's soldiers return, none of us will escape," Zhao Zheng urged.

They didn't hesitate, helping Wei Yang out of the pigpen and fleeing the farm before they dared to catch their breath.

"Brother Yang..."

A familiar voice made Wei Yang tremble. He turned to see Wei Lan, whom he had not seen in a long time!

Wei Lan, dressed in white, looked at him with deep affection.

Wei Yang was momentarily dazed, as if he were seeing their first meeting all over again.

"Xiao Lan!"

From the moment Wei Yang entered the service of Wei, he had come to know Wei Lan. Over time, they had shared everything, and as they grew, their hearts had become intertwined.

"You must go. Leave the State of Wei and never return."

Wei Lan’s expression changed, and she tossed a bundle to Wei Yang.

"Why?"

Wei Yang was confused; he still wished to carry out his teacher's legacy.

"If you stay in Wei, you will suffer, and you will never have a chance to rise," Wei Lan gritted her teeth, revealing the entire plot hatched by Prince Ang and Gongshu Cuo.

This...

Not only Wei Yang, but Jing Jian and Mo Hao were left stunned.

Zhao Zheng, however, remained calm. As a traveler from another world, he knew that Shang Yang’s departure from Wei was precisely because he had been treated unfairly.

"I regret not listening to the warnings of Wei Lan and Brother Jing Jian that day..."

Wei Yang felt nothing but coldness toward the State of Wei.

It was not as if Jing Jian and Wei Lan had not presented the Order to Seek Talent and urged him to enter Qin, but Wei Yang had only wanted to strengthen the State of Wei.

Yet, the selfish and vicious political struggles of Wei had chilled his heart.

"Go quickly. If they discover you, you won't be able to escape," Wei Lan urged anxiously.

"Go. There will be chances to meet again in the future, otherwise... everything will have been in vain," Jing Jian also urged.

Wei Yang took a deep breath and looked at Wei Lan one last time. "Xiao Lan, one day I will come to fetch you myself."

With that, he mounted a horse and, led by Mo Hao, fled toward the west.

As for Shen Buhai, he chose a path diametrically opposed to Wei Yang’s. He headed east, having made a pact with Pang Juan to settle their score in fifteen years.

In the State of Wei, at the Grand General’s mansion.

"Prince Ang... I will remember this."

Pang Juan was mad with rage, overturning a table with a loud crash. After so many years of meticulous planning, the fruits of victory had been plucked by someone else?

He was filled with hatred!

Of course, he also knew that without the behind-the-scenes machinations of Gongshu Cuo, this would never have gone so smoothly.

"Gongshu Cuo, you old bastard, you won't even let me have peace in your grave, will you?"

"Very well, then I will make sure your most beloved disciple dies a miserable death..."

Pang Juan’s eyes grew increasingly cold.

Just then, a soldier rushed in, stumbling and crawling.

"Grand General, it’s bad... it’s bad!"

Pang Juan was already in a fury, and his face darkened instantly. "What’s the rush? The sky hasn't fallen yet."

The soldier, terrified by his overwhelming presence, gasped for breath.

"No... it’s bad, sir! Wei Yang is gone!"