Xiao Qing was both surprised and delighted upon hearing the news.
The ancient Xiongnu King had indeed left behind three treasures!
"My Lord, our estimation for the gold in the third treasure exceeds thirty million taels, equivalent to at least three hundred million taels of silver. In addition to gold, there are vast quantities of ancient bronzeware, jade artifacts, agate, crystal, and rare paintings and calligraphy from the Great Zhou era. The total value is definitely over four hundred million taels of silver!"
"But we have discovered that the most precious treasure within is the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great!!"
The captain of the shadow guards was clearly extremely excited, his voice trembling.
To deliver the message, they could only pass it down orally, daring not to write it in letters, for fear of any mishap on their journey that might reveal the secret.
"The Nine Tripods of Yu the Great?!" Xiao Qing and the two shadow guard commanders exclaimed in unison.
Yu the Great cast the Nine Tripods, symbolizing the nine provinces. The Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties regarded them as imperial treasures, to be possessed by whoever gained control of the realm. After the Qin dynasty conquered the Western Zhou, the whereabouts of the Nine Tripods became unknown. Due to the extensive loss of historical records after the Qin dynasty, the history of the Wu dynasty is almost impossible to trace, with only scattered mentions found in the annals of the Great Zhou.
"Asking for the cauldrons of the Central Plains" referred to King Zhuang of Chu's ambition to replace the Zhou dynasty, thus he went to the Zhou royal court under the guise of paying homage to the Son of Heaven, to inquire about the size and weight of the Nine Tripods.
The Nine Tripods held extraordinary significance for this land.
After his initial joy, Xiao Qing quickly calmed down.
"Winter is approaching. Sending people to the north of Yinshan to give orders will still take at least a month. Mobilizing laborers and troops will require at least early spring next year to avoid running out of supplies in the desert…"
Ding Wuyi volunteered, "This old servant is willing to undertake this arduous task!"
"Eunuch Ding is the most suitable candidate, but it will be another hardship for you all. This time, it is even more difficult…" Xiao Qing said with concern.
"This matter is of great importance. Even if it means climbing a mountain of knives or plunging into a sea of fire, this old servant will not falter," Ding Wuyi replied with solemnity.
Xiao Qing and Liang Xiao often spoke of this last treasure. Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun were present, and though they didn't fully grasp the political nuances, they understood its general significance.
Such immense wealth, if truly incorporated into the national treasury, would greatly boost domestic economic development, relieving Liang Xiao from having to constantly inject funds to cover shortfalls.
Furthermore, the discovery of the Nine Tripods would greatly strengthen the people's recognition of the Great Qian's legitimacy.
After all, the Imperial Seal had long been lost, and the subsequent imperial seals of various dynasties were all replicas.
Xiao Qing immediately sent for Wang Canghai and informed him of the situation. Wang Canghai was also stunned.
"The Nine Tripods are truly there?!"
Compared to gold, Wang Canghai considered the Nine Tripods to be priceless treasures, whose value could not be measured in monetary terms.
"Yinshan North is too far from the capital. If anything unexpected occurs, our country might be too far to intervene. We need to mobilize the northern border defenses to support our forces in the desert, to prevent the Xianbei cavalry from attacking. I suggest deploying half of the shadow guards to transport the Nine Tripods and other treasures back to Yanzhou first. The gold can be discussed later!" Wang Canghai urgently advised.
Xiao Qing understood and immediately sent orders to Yanzhou, preparing to dispatch troops to reclaim the desert.
Concurrently, the Great Qian considered sending an envoy to the Xianbei to negotiate an alliance.
Liang Xiao had not yet returned, and the Great Qian's army was dispersed across various regions, deterring local gentry and powerful families. They were also in a standoff with the Guishuang Dynasty. It was necessary to reduce friction with the Xianbei and await the opportune moment.
It had been nearly three months since Liang Xiao entered the borders of Great Liang. Xiao Qing, Yue Lian, and Christelle were eagerly awaiting his return, the three sisters only able to occasionally confide their longing for him in the West Palace Villa.
Xiao Qing and Zhuo Xun's child had already celebrated their birthday, and their other elder siblings were two years old.
The industries of the three Liang brothers had spread across the country.
Liang Qing summarized the financial reports from various regions and made an estimation.
Liang Feng's assets should have reached one million taels, and Liang Yun's one and a half million taels.
Liang Xiao's wealth, largely derived from noble families and the Duanmu family, was approaching one hundred million taels.
The Peacock Dynasty, the Xianbei, the Guishuang Dynasty, and the distant overseas Izumo Kingdom successively received definitive news of Liang Xiao's diplomatic mission to Great Liang. They amassed troops on the borders, prepared their warships, and stirred restlessly.
Lu Yi was guarding the western border, Lu Changhe the northeast, Nie Yuan the northern border, Nan Jiyun guarded Yizhou, Gongsun Ye protected the southwestern region of Jiangnan, and Zhuo Ying was stationed in eastern and southern Jiangnan. The various regions were sharpening their weapons, not daring to be negligent.
Liang Xiao had long warned them that other nations might seize the opportunity to attack while he was away on his diplomatic mission.
Even the Southern Barbarians, located southwest of Yizhou, were training day and night with malicious intent.
At this time, Liang Xiao was at the Honglu Temple, preparing to choose a day to return to his country.
"Marquis, the leader of the Returning Spring Sect has still not revealed herself. Recently, the number of Returning Spring Sect disciples appearing within Great Liang has greatly decreased," He Zizhang reported to Liang Xiao, holding a document, with a joyous expression.
The Emperor of Great Liang had treated his Marquis with utmost benevolence, and his Marquis had also lived up to the expectations of Great Liang.
Liang Xiao merely frowned, "It seems this person is indeed Sophia, as cautious as ever."
The inability to capture the leader of the Returning Spring Sect left Liang Xiao with a sense of unease.
However, with the other party deliberately avoiding appearing, he was unable to conduct a thorough search in Great Liang to ferret her out.
The Xuan Guards and Shadow Guards were cooperating, closely monitoring the personnel entering and exiting these noble families.
There were no blondes or blue-eyed individuals.
Liang Xiao believed that contact lenses or similar items would not be available in this era, and eye color was impossible to conceal.
Even though there were many foreign merchants around Great Liang, they were still a rarity in the capital.
Zhuo Zifang said with helplessness, "Great Liang is the last stronghold for the Returning Spring Sect to infiltrate this land. She will never give it up easily. However, the death of Master Longyue might have made her a startled bird. Unless she is certain we are returning home, she will never appear."
Liang Xiao remained silent.
This was precisely what he and Zhuo Zifang were worried about.
Mu Cheng's health was deteriorating daily; the possibility of him living for another ten years was extremely low, and living for five years would be a miracle.
The Returning Spring Sect could remain hidden for a century, even several centuries. How could they not endure a mere five years?
Mu Cheng's death would likely herald the beginning of an era of chaos.
Without Mu Cheng, Great Liang might become hostile towards Great Qian, especially since all seven princes harbored ill will towards Great Qian.
Liang Xiao could no longer remain silent. He went to see Mu Cheng and asked him to summon Qin Feng as well.
In the imperial study, only Mu Cheng, Liang Xiao, Qin Feng and his wife, and Su Wanqing and her son were present.
"Although it may seem impolite, to be safe, Uncle should consider what happens after your passing…" Liang Xiao sighed.
A brief silence fell upon the imperial study.
"I understand." Mu Cheng seemed to have an epiphany and immediately drafted an imperial edict, appointing Qin Feng as the 'Regent General,' in command of all the nation's troops.
"Father Emperor, such a measure might completely enrage those few families…" Qin Feng expressed his difficulty.
"Son-in-law, we agreed that the interests of the people come first. You must weigh and balance. Father Emperor is also confident that you will not be the next Xiuping," Mu Cheng said with a stern expression.
Qin Feng had no choice but to accept the task, bracing himself.
[By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Since my ascension to the throne, I have expanded our territories. The Grand Tutor, Minister of War, and Marquis Zhenguo, Qin Feng, have made invaluable contributions and have been loyal and steadfast. After my demise, I entrust the support of the new sovereign to my esteemed subject, Lord Qin. Therefore, I hereby appoint him as the 'Regent General,' in command of all the nation's troops, to safeguard the destiny of our state! By Imperial Order.]
In the imperial court, upon hearing the edict, the officials were enraged and dismayed, pleading, "Your Majesty, reconsider!!"
ps: Apologies, I've been experiencing writer's block these past few days and am not very satisfied with what I'm writing. It's too cold, and my mind is unclear…