The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 45

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Red Dragon Sovereign – Episode 45

Chapter 45 – The Ceasefire Accord

It was an ordinary day.
An envoy from Zhao arrived at the Southern Army Corps. He was the newly appointed commander-in-chief, replacing the previous one who had fallen to Yi Huan’s assassination.
Since it was rare for a commander-in-chief leading an entire corps to come as an envoy, all eyes were upon him.
Peng Muwei and the Zhao commander-in-chief sat across from each other, with key generals from both sides attending.
After exchanging formal courtesies, the Zhao commander-in-chief asked a question before broaching his main subject.
“Is General Hwang Ho not the commander-in-chief?”
“The General has urgent matters and has gone to the Imperial Palace for a time. Therefore, I am acting as commander-in-chief in his stead. If you have something to say, address it to me.”
The Zhao commander-in-chief made a peculiar expression for a moment, then proceeded to his main purpose.
“I have come to inquire whether a ceasefire accord might be acceptable. If you consent, I would propose a duration of two years.”
“Jin is giving you headaches?”
“Not headaches, precisely—rather, they are proving bothersome. Surely you don’t think Jin is our equal?”
“Merely bothersome, and you suddenly propose a ceasefire? Ha, ha, ha. You expect me to believe that now?”
“Whether you believe it or not is your concern. I have simply conveyed my intent. Whether you continue a war of attrition or accept the ceasefire—that choice is yours alone to make.”
A tense standoff hung in the air.
The attending generals glared at one another, heating the atmosphere further. Jeong Cheon’s demeanor in particular had grown so sharp it bordered on murderous.
The eyes of the Zhao generals fixed upon him held the same intensity. It was no wonder—Jeong Cheon was the man who had inflicted the greatest damage upon Zhao.
For his part, Peng Muwei was inwardly troubled.
‘I wish the Lord were here.’
When the Zhao delegation arrived, he had informed Yi Huan at once. Yet for some reason, Yi Huan had simply told him to handle it and had not attended.
For Peng Muwei—a man of formidable martial power and unflinching courage, but lacking in political acumen—the burden of determining how to achieve the best possible outcome weighed heavily upon him.
It was then that Jeong Cheon rose.
“We cannot accept this!”
“General Jeong, please remain silent.”
“Thousands upon thousands of our warriors have fallen! Their vengeful spirits are watching over us!”
The Zhao commander-in-chief replied coldly.
“We have not lost lightly either. Especially not by your hand, I suspect?”
“You should blame your own incompetence!”
“I could say the same to you.”
“What did you say!”
Crash!
Jeong Cheon shot to his feet, and his chair toppled backward. The Zhao generals seated opposite reacted at once.
Peng Muwei raised his voice.
“If you press further, you will have to leave this chamber, General Jeong!”
“The rest of you, stay your ground.”
It was at that moment.
Jeong Cheon’s Telepathic Transmission flowed into Peng Muwei’s ear.
[Use the mood as an excuse to buy us time.]
“……!”
Only then did Peng Muwei realize that Jeong Cheon had a plan. He spoke with deliberate gravity.
“We cannot continue negotiations in such an atmosphere. Let us take time to clear our heads. Have refreshments brought to the envoy delegation.”
“Understood.”

* * *

Gomi entered Yi Huan’s command tent.
Yi Huan had been waiting for her.
“Approximately ten thousand of Zhao’s troops withdrew last night.”
“You’re certain of this?”
“Yes. I confirmed it myself.”
Yi Huan settled deep into his chair and smiled faintly.
“As expected—a predictable move. How many soldiers remain in the Zhao encampment now?”
“At most, thirty thousand. If we attack, we would certainly overwhelm them.”
“Overwhelm them, yes—but we cannot. Not while the Imperial Palace is in turmoil. To kindle the flames of war at such a time could prove far more costly.”
In truth, when Zhao had depleted their forces due to their conflict with Jin, Yi Huan’s opposition to an immediate attack stemmed from this very concern. In the present unstable situation surrounding Crown Prince Yi So’s position, an escalation was deemed impossible.
“What will you do?”
“I should at least hear what they have to say first.”
Yi Huan drained the last of his tea and rose to his feet. Cheol Muok retrieved his outer robe and sword.
Soon Yi Huan made his way toward the command tent where negotiations were underway. Cheol Muok and Gomi followed behind.
“Any other word from Guizhou?”
“No, sir. Nothing has been reported yet.”
Yi Huan walked at an unhurried pace. Then, out of nowhere, he broached an unexpected subject.
“Don’t you find that big house of yours a bit lonely living there alone? It seems like it would be nicer with a bustling household, don’t you think?”
“I’ll have to decline.”
Gomi refused outright, just as she had before.
Moments later, Yi Huan stepped into the courtyard of the command tent.
“Salute!”
The officers snapped to attention with ringing voices. The generals of Zhao, however, merely stared blankly at Yi Huan as he entered.
Jeong Cheon stepped outside.
Yi Huan asked calmly.
“How are the negotiations proceeding?”
“We took a brief rest and resumed just a moment ago. Please, come inside.”

* * *

As Yi Huan entered, every officer from Yeon’s side rose from their seats and bowed.
Peng Muwei greeted him.
“Welcome, General.”
Yi Huan slowly surveyed the officers of Zhao. The Zhao commanding general and the other officers belatedly realized that Yi Huan held the rank of general and stood to offer their respects.
The Zhao commanding general felt a wave of doubt.
‘Why is that figurehead here? And what’s with the way these officers are treating him?’
Their demeanor and expressions overflowed with deference. Peng Muwei’s display was especially pronounced.
The truly astonishing moment came next.
“Please, be seated.”
When Peng Muwei yielded his own seat to Yi Huan, the Zhao commanding general could scarcely believe his eyes.
‘He gave up his seat? The negotiation’s lead?’
Ordinarily, in such circumstances, supreme authority rested with the negotiation’s principal. Therefore, yielding one’s seat was highly irregular—something that would be done only for an emperor.
And yet Yi Huan was rumored throughout Zhao to be nothing more than an incompetent general.

* * *

Yi Huan fixed his gaze on the Zhao commanding general and spoke.
“I’m told you’ve come to propose a ceasefire.”
“That is correct, General.”
“Have you reached a conclusion?”
The Zhao commanding general looked toward Peng Muwei and answered evenly.
“It seems there may have been a misunderstanding about our intentions, so we have not yet reached a conclusion.”
“Is that so? Then let us begin again.”
“Before that, there is something we must first clarify.”
“What is it?”
“We must ascertain whether you serve as the principal negotiator or merely as an observer, taking into account the validity of any accord that should be reached.”
Instead of answering, Yi Huan turned his gaze toward Peng Muwei.
“May I negotiate in the general’s stead?”
“Of course, General.”
Yi Huan turned his attention back to the Zhao commanding general.
“Is that sufficient?”
“Yes. Then let us begin anew.”
Peng Muwei first laid out Zhao’s conditions. Until now, the only condition that had come forth was a ceasefire itself.
Yi Huan spoke plainly.
“State your terms.”
“Should a ceasefire be concluded, both sides must withdraw from the Neutral Zone.”
“Is that all?”
“It is.”
Just then an officer entered, bearing tea.
All waited for Yi Huan to speak. He took a slow sip of tea before opening his mouth.
Clink.
“If you agree, I’ll state our conditions.”
“I’m listening.”
“Ah, let me correct myself—not conditions, but demands.”
“……I beg your pardon?”
“Withdraw your army two hundred li to the rear within a fortnight. After that, should you advance even a single step, the Ceasefire Accord will be considered broken, and Zhao will bear full responsibility for all consequences that follow. And one more thing: Yeon will remain here.”
“What!”
The Zhao commander’s face went slack with disbelief, a suppressed laugh playing at his lips. The other generals stared at Yi Huan as though he’d lost his mind.
Yi Huan paid them no attention.
“I need to correct myself again.”
“…….”
“Not demands—a threat.”
“General!”
This time even the Yeon commanders were utterly taken aback.
Yi Huan pressed on.
“If you refuse, I’ll launch a full assault. Of course, I’ll keep my word that no harm will come to you—I can’t very well kill an embassy, after all.”
Bang!
“Are you jesting, General!”
“Does it look like a jest?”
Yi Huan’s presence turned glacial in an instant. He snapped his fingers, and Gomi—her face veiled in cloth—stepped into the chamber.
[Why is her face covered, though…….]
[The intelligence director must never have her face exposed to the enemy.]
“…….”
Yi Huan, feeling slightly embarrassed but showing nothing, continued.
“Gomi.”
“Yes, General.”
“How many troops did you say Zhao’s camp still holds?”
“At most, between twenty and thirty thousand.”
“You’re certain?”
“I’d stake my life on it.”
Yi Huan fixed his gaze on the Zhao commander again. The man’s face, flushed with anger and shock, now trembled with fury.
Gomi had struck a nerve.
Yi Huan continued.
“Truth is, I’ve given this considerable thought—if I killed you and your friends here and launched a full assault, this tedious game of territorial nibbling could finally end. Ah, but there’s something I’d almost forgotten.”
Clink.
Yi Huan smiled coldly, touching his teacup.
“Did you receive my gift?”
“……!”
“I sent it in haste before it could rot. I wish I’d had time to dust it with salt.”
He meant the Heads of Blood Demons and Blood Demon Bodies. Zhao’s generals clenched their teeth.
Yet none dared meet Yi Huan’s gaze as openly as they had moments before.
The Zhao commander felt as though he’d taken the full force of a blade.
‘We bled our forces away so carefully, so secretly, and yet he saw through everything…….’
In truth, the troops remaining in Zhao’s camp numbered only slightly above ten thousand—far fewer than the twenty to thirty thousand stated.
If Yi Huan was not bluffing, they lacked the military strength to stand against Yeon’s Southern Army Corps.
He wanted to call the bluff, to test Yi Huan’s resolve—but if the threat was genuine, he and his men might die where they stood.
‘Something’s wrong with our intelligence. Is this man utterly mad?’
Killing an embassy was unthinkable in any age, yet Yi Huan looked perfectly capable of it.
As panic crept in, the Zhao commander gritted his teeth.
Crack!
Then it came.
[Accept. Or you’ll never see home again.]
Yi Huan’s Telepathic Transmission thundered in his skull, and his vision swam.
Screech!
‘Gasp!’
Cold sweat poured down.
The Zhao commander’s face was drenched in moments.
Yi Huan’s voice continued.
[Simply withdraw two hundred li and nothing more need happen. You’ve risen to commander—wouldn’t it be better to enjoy what you’ve earned and live out your years in peace, rather than die uselessly here? I know I would.]
Screech.
‘Ugh!’
[Time’s running out. Much longer and your brain will start to liquify. Hehehehe.]
Squeeze.
The Zhao commander shut both eyes tight.
Then a hollow voice slipped through his lips.
“……I accept your conditions.”
“Commander!”
“You mustn’t accept, Commander!”
The Zhao generals jolted from their seats. One officer, so agitated he lunged upright, nearly toppled backward as his chair tipped beneath him.
“It is my will. Obey it.”
Meanwhile, Peng Muwei, Jeong Cheon, and the other Yeon generals sat dumbfounded. They had watched the whole thing unfold before their eyes, yet could not believe what they were witnessing.
“General Jeong.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Prepare the accord.”
“Understood.”

* * *

Gomi, standing beside Cheol Muok, gazed down at the crown of Yi Huan’s head, a faint smile playing at her lips.
‘This makes no sense. He’s actually accepting it?’
Even with troops peeled away due to the clash with Jin, she’d been certain he would refuse. Two hundred li to the rear was nearly equivalent to a Neutral Zone.
Yet he accepted it.
‘What on earth is this man…….’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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