Seeing Zuo Wushang remain silent, Hong Jie sighed, "Marshal, you treat us four like your own sons. Are we not worthy of knowing the truth? If something unexpected were to happen, would I not even know who I should protect?"
Zuo Wushang let out several long sighs and said, "You are indeed the successor I, Zuo, have chosen. If you were not a remnant of Da Heng, perhaps you too could have become a hero like the Marquis of Zhenguo of Da Liang... Hong Jie, then you must have guessed, the maidservant I had you abduct that day was none other than the Princess."
The others nearly choked, then shed tears.
"Is she truly the Princess? It's not a misunderstanding?" Hong Jie stammered, his voice trembling.
"There is no mistake, neither in her appearance nor the other half of the jade pendant," Zuo Wushang replied with absolute certainty, followed by endless shame. "But the Princess's heart belongs entirely to Liang Xiao, and she would never support us."
"So that's why the Marshal was willing to recruit Liang Xiao at any cost, even though he knew he was the Emperor's favored minister?" Hong Jie finally confirmed his suspicions and gave a sorrowful smile. "Marshal, allow me to ask this at the risk of my life: Is such a Princess truly worth our efforts?"
Zuo Wushang looked at the four of them and finally nodded, "She is! She is kind, but she has been too deeply influenced by Liang Xiao! However, I want you to be mindful of your boundaries. Unless you can bring the Princess back, you must not fall out with Liang Xiao. At least, before you have absolute certainty, do not violate the laws of Da Gan, lest Liang Xiao act personally. He is advising me to turn back for the Princess's sake. If our other compatriots knew of this matter..."
They all fell silent.
Da Gan had its Heavenly General first, then the Marquis of Anguo, filling them with deep despair!
Even their Princess had fallen. What could they do...
Surrender? How would they account for themselves to their ancestors in the afterlife?
Continue to resist? With Liang Xiao standing in their way, he was an insurmountable mountain. Where was their hope?
At this moment, they finally understood Zuo Wushang's painstaking efforts.
If they killed Liang Xiao, the surviving Princess would be grief-stricken, and the consequences might be even worse!
If they did not kill Liang Xiao, their grand plan of restoring the nation would be nothing more than a fantasy!
They could only try to recruit him, or force him to submit!
After Hong Jie understood, a bitter smile spread across his face. "I understand. Marshal, please take good care of my wife and children. I will do my utmost, until my death!"
Zuo Wushang nodded with shame and reminded him, "The materials for these two boxes of 'Xuan Ming San' have become extinct. You must guard them well and find an opportunity to incapacitate Liang Xiao or his female relatives. However, given Liang Xiao's nature, the possibility of you succeeding is infinitesimally small. He is also unlikely to allow outsiders near his female relatives currently. You must remain patient. I also need to go to Jiangnan to make arrangements."
In a courtyard south of the Northern Frontier military camp, Liang Xiao followed Lü Changhe to a small house deep within the courtyard.
This time, Jian Qinwan and the martial artists from Tianshan could not accompany them. More than a dozen Shadow Guards were hidden in the courtyard, guarding the place.
"Knock, knock..."
A soft knock on the door broke the silence of the courtyard.
"Please come in."
A hoarse, old voice replied from within.
Lü Changhe then pushed the door open with Liang Xiao. As soon as they entered, they saw an old man with white hair staring at them.
This person had a sinister expression, wore an unremarkable grey robe, but his spirit was vigorous, and his eyes were like a viper spotting its prey.
A rare master!
The moment their eyes met, Liang Xiao knew that Sima Jing was a character of Ding Wuyi's caliber!
Even though this person had retired many years ago, he was still someone Xiao Qing absolutely trusted.
Before Liang Xiao's departure, Xiao Qing had also instructed him: "Treat Duke Sima as you would treat Duke Ding."
"Senior Sima, this is the Marquis of Anguo..."
Before Lü Changhe could finish, Sima Jing nodded. "Changhe, I have made my decision. Keep the Marquis of Anguo here, and you may return to the barracks."
Hearing this, Lü Changhe nodded solemnly and took his leave.
Of course, he understood that both Liang Xiao and Sima Jing were intelligent individuals, and his presence was not needed for their conversation.
"Please sit."
Sima Jing casually invited Liang Xiao to sit and then poured him tea.
They sat in silence, sipping tea for a long while. The only sounds in the room were the occasional "gurgle" of the tea being poured and a profound stillness.
After a long pause, Sima Jing finally got to the point. "Second Young Master Liang is a wise man who hides his brilliance. Let us dispense with pleasantries. I would like to ask: How do you view the current Sovereign?"
"He is a wise ruler whom I willingly assist, and he is my brother," Liang Xiao replied without hesitation.
Brother?
A mysterious smile appeared on Sima Jing's wrinkled face, and he instantly grasped the cause and effect.
"I have already received a secret letter from the Sovereign. Second Young Master Liang, do you know why the imperial power of Da Gan has been stable throughout the ages, with each generation producing wise rulers?"
Liang Xiao replied, "Please enlighten me, Senior."
Sima Jing gazed at a map of Da Gan hanging on the wall, his slightly cloudy old eyes seeming to regain their brilliance.
"The Shadow Guards were established by the founding Emperor of Da Gan—Gaozu of Da Gan. They must abide by Gaozu's iron rules for Shadow Guards, which they would rather die than violate."
"The first iron rule of the Shadow Guards is not to swear allegiance to the Emperor, nor to obey only the Emperor's orders, but: If, one day, the Emperor becomes tyrannical, acts against reason, causes widespread suffering, and incurs the wrath of both gods and men, the Shadow Guards shall intervene to stop him. If he does not repent, the Shadow Guards shall establish a new imperial descendant from the imperial clan. If there is no one in the clan, the wisest person in the nation shall be chosen."
Liang Xiao remained silent.
Looking through history, what dynasty had ever been so unique!
In every dynasty, the imperial family longed for the throne to be passed down within the clan for thousands of generations, firmly believing in the supremacy of imperial power.
"The Shadow Guards are the Emperor's sword, and even more so, the Emperor's shield. Many things that are inconvenient for the Emperor are handled by us, the Shadow Guards. Just as the Marquis of Anguo promised the Sovereign, we solve problems for the Sovereign and take the blame for him."
"The Shadow Guards are like brothers and sisters to each other, sharing a common faith and strictly adhering to the iron rules. They are loyal to every Sovereign, and their training methods are not brainwashing like those for death warriors. Such Shadow Guards, as long as they have not retired from the Shadow Guard corps, cannot serve anyone other than the Emperor, including you. Even if I were to train an army for you, I could not use the methods for educating Shadow Guards."
Liang Xiao nodded slightly.
Faith was humanity's most magical, most powerful, and most terrifying weapon.
During the Spring and Autumn period, Cui Zhu of Qi assassinated the king. The Grand Astrologer wrote "Cui Zhu assassinated his lord." Cui Zhu killed him. Cui Zhu's younger brother succeeded him as Grand Astrologer and wrote the same, and was also killed by Cui Zhu. Yet another younger brother succeeded him and wrote it again, forcing Cui Zhu to allow him to write it...
During the An Lushan Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Xun, trapped in Suiyang, refused to surrender even unto death. Because he hated the rebels to the core, he bit his own teeth until they broke. The enemy cut open his mouth with a saber and found that fewer than three teeth remained...
For the Emperor, the Shadow Guards could go to any lengths, and even refuse titles of nobility after achieving their mission.
Otherwise, given Sima Jing's past achievements and status, being enfeoffed as a marquis would have been reasonable.
Most Shadow Guards were posthumously awarded official titles, as they could no longer refuse them.
Sima Jing asked, "I can understand Second Young Master Liang's needs, and I can also come out of retirement for the Sovereign. However, the troops recruited temporarily are all adults. How will Second Young Master Liang establish a faith for this army?"