Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Sounds of Panic at That Time (Part 1)
His slightly open collar revealed the skin of his chest, but from a distance, all that could be seen was a layer of viscous liquid. Droplets stained the area, sticking his skin and clothes together. His head was bowed, his hairline had strayed, and a few strands fell loosely. His breathing seemed somewhat shallow.
Zhuang Su instinctively tightened his grip, striking the chain on the outside of the door with a jarring "click" in the empty space. The person inside seemed startled; his head, which had been bowed, shifted slightly. It was unclear whether he hadn't been asleep at all, or had simply grown accustomed to being constantly disturbed. He didn't look up, only letting out a soft, mocking laugh: "Here we go again?" His voice, weak from his current state of exhaustion, was equally feeble.
“Chen… Jian…” Zhuang Su opened his mouth and finally uttered two words.
At that moment, the man's whole body jolted, and he raised his head in an instant. Only then did Zhuang Su see his appearance clearly, and she felt a lump in her throat, her eyes slightly stinging with heartache. It was Shen Jian who asked first, "Why did you come here?" Zhuang Su saw that his brows were slightly furrowed, and something seemed to be churning in his eyes.
Zhuang Su knew she shouldn't be here, and she understood Shen Jian's worries, but she felt a pang of resentment. She didn't understand why she was always the one being worried about like this, when those people should be worrying about themselves, like—Shen Jian right now.
The tattered clothes reminded Zhuang Su of the time many years ago when this person took the beating for her. She lowered her eyelashes and said in a cold voice, "Chen Jian... just bear with it, seven days, it will be fine in seven more days."
Shen Jian was taken aback by his words, but he understood immediately. His voice was still somewhat hoarse: "Su Su, stay put and don't come here again... Don't... do anything rash." His words were concise, without any unnecessary details. He only let out a soft sigh of relief after hearing Su Su's response.
Even this small movement sent excruciating pain coursing through his body. Suppressing a muffled groan, Shen Jian gritted his teeth, his tone remaining calm: "You should go back now; someone could come at any moment." However, Zhuang Su stood there motionless. Shen Jian was covered in wounds, the chains binding his limbs deeply embedded and subtly digging into his wounds. Three days without food had left him utterly weak. He opened his mouth to say something, but then Zhuang Su suddenly turned around at the doorway.
Zhuang Su stood quietly with her back to the house. Shen Jian couldn't see her tightly clenched fist outside the door; all he could see was the outline of her back. Then, Zhuang Su's clear voice faintly rose. She said, "Shen Jian, I'll wait for you to come out." After saying that, without waiting for his reply, she quickened her pace and hurried away. Behind her was a long, unwavering gaze.
Zhuang Su walked quickly, her lips pursed in silence. Gradually, crystal tears fell around her rapidly departing figure. She didn't cry out loud, but simply let the tears fall drop by drop, her expression remaining as calm as ever. Zhuang Su's eyes were bright; at a glance, no one could fathom what was truly on her mind.
Chen Jian's vision was blocked by the narrow, locked door; he could only hear footsteps fading into the distance until they finally disappeared. He felt all the strength in his body loosen, his entire weight pressing down on the chains binding him, causing another sharp pain. Yet he seemed oblivious, only a dry trickle from the corner of his mouth.
"Liusu... what kind of arrangements have you made..." He gritted his teeth, his voice trembling. He had entered the palace with peace of mind, knowing that Liusu would naturally look after Zhuangsu in the Prime Minister's residence. He hadn't expected Liusu to be so difficult to manage, managing to get Zhuangsu into the palace as well. Shen Jian felt dizzy, his mind slightly hazy, and for a moment, all he could see was endless darkness.
After several days of severe torture, even he felt his body gradually becoming unbearable. Intense pain surged endlessly from every tiny part of his body, yet the constant pain had also caused him to become vaguely numb.
Chen Jian's breathing was soft, and he felt that he might faint at any moment.
The surroundings were completely silent, as silent as a grave where the dead are buried.
Shen Jian was in a daze, unaware of how much time had passed. Suddenly, a sharp sound came from outside the door, the chains scraping together, producing a grating metallic clang. Shen Jian didn't react for a moment, then abruptly looked up, his eyes clear for a fleeting instant. But upon seeing who it was, the worry that had been welling up in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a look of indifference.
The person who came was Dian Yong, the current ruler of the Chu Kingdom. He seemed quite drunk and didn't notice Chen Jian's momentary loss of composure. He casually put the key back into his pouch and asked in a languid tone, "How does it feel to be here?" He then let out a burp, which immediately released a strong smell of alcohol.
Dian Yong came here alone, unsteadily walking over, and casually patted Shen Jian's face. Although Shen Jian gave him a cold look, he still smiled casually: "Chu'er... I am, after all, your father. Is this attitude inappropriate?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Jian's already gloomy expression darkened even further. From the very first day he was captured, Dian Yong had already exposed his true identity. Shen Jian looked slightly bewildered, not understanding how his identity, which he had concealed for so long, could be so easily revealed by such a decadent and dissolute ruler.
Dian Yong pinched Shen Jian's face and examined it closely. Because they were so close, the strong smell of alcohol from his breath fell onto Shen Jian's face. Shen Jian had only managed to stay conscious by a struggle, and this stench made him feel dizzy again. However, he gritted his teeth and asked in a low voice, "What do you want?"
"Heh, how about that?" Dian Yong staggered back a few steps, grabbing onto a nearby frame to steady himself. He squinted at him with a smug look, shaking his head. "Chu'er, Chu'er, tell me... how much better it would have been if you had died peacefully in Han." He paused, then casually picked up a piece of iron and tossed it into the burning charcoal stove, his voice a half-smile. "Just you and your son, getting three cities in exchange is already a huge bargain for Chu. You should have just stayed peacefully in Han; at least when they were unhappy, you only needed to coax them a bit. Look, look... in the end, you had to offend those powerful figures, and in the end, you ended up with the burning of the harem."
The iron sheet gradually turned red in the pile of glowing coal, "crackling—crackling—", and the fine dust that splashed out from time to time scattered restlessly. As these words were spoken, Chen Jian closed his eyes heavily.
“Chu’er, as a descendant of the Chu royal family, you and your mother died in that fire, which was at least a sacrifice for the country, giving us a great excuse to go to war with the Han Kingdom… When you came back, didn’t your father tell you that you should have ‘died’? Don’t you remember? But why… are you so stubborn?” Dian Yong sighed, as if he were dealing with a piece of rotten wood that could not be taught.
Shen Jian remained motionless with his eyes closed, a deep despair hidden within them. He vividly remembered the arduous journey he had taken to escape back to Chu, and he also vividly remembered the man who, with a smile, declared he deserved to die while drawing his sword from behind. Years had passed, and he had thought that perhaps he could at least consider the bond between father and son when making his own actions; now, it seemed that his belief remained utterly ridiculous…
In the royal family of Chu, there was no such thing as blood ties or kinship.
Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through her body. Shen Jian bit her lip hard to keep from crying out. The scorching hot iron, glowing red-hot from the charcoal fire, had burned the fabric it touched to a dark, coal-black color, revealing her bright red skin underneath, which seemed to smell of burning.
Shen Jian's lips were bitten until they bled, yet he remained silent. He felt Dian Yong remove the metal plate from his body; in an instant, the surrounding air rushed in, bringing a bone-chilling cold, followed by a sharp pain. Shen Jian forced his eyes open, his dark, deep eyes already faintly bloodshot.
"Tsk tsk tsk, just like your shameless mother..." Dian Yong seemed quite satisfied with his anger, casually tossing the iron pliers aside and walking leisurely towards the door. "I will arrange a grand execution ceremony for you in a few days. That's all for today, General of the Flying Cavalry of Han." The last few words sounded somewhat frivolous, spoken in an exceptionally businesslike tone, until only the sound of the door being locked remained.
Inside the room, only Chen Jian's deep, labored breathing remained.
"Cough, cough..." He had been holding it in until Dian Yong left, then Chen Jian coughed up the blood that had been building up in his chest. His chest heaved heavily, but because he had little strength left, only deep breaths could be heard. He glanced weakly at the door, through which only the grass and trees could be seen.
The bloodshot veins in Shen Jian's eyes seemed to gradually accumulate, appearing exceptionally ruthless as his chest heaved violently.
It seems he no longer needs to worry about anything. Shen Jian recalled Zhuang Su's words, and despite his extremely weak body, a faint, cold smile appeared on his lips as he closed his eyes tightly... Less than seven days... Since this person enjoys seeing people die so much, then—so be it.
The Western Palace of Chu remained lifeless and cold as ever. By this time, news of General Flying Cavalry's rampage in the Chu palace and subsequent arrest had spread throughout the land, sparking heated debate within the Han Kingdom. However, Chu closed its gates, refusing all envoys, and only announced to the outside world that five days later, General Flying Cavalry would be publicly executed by amputation on the altar.
The so-called amputation punishment involved removing the kneecaps of the person being punished, often rendering them unable to stand. While the execution was ostensibly out of respect for the Han court, it was likely far worse than death for a military general.
While the world was abuzz with discussion about this matter, the Chu court was instead filled with song and dance. It was said that a dancer sent to the palace by the prime minister had become a favorite of the King of Chu, and before he knew it, she was spending so much time in the harem that she hadn't attended court for several days. As the days passed, the day for Fei Qi's execution arrived.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Sound of Panic at That Time (Part Two)
Zhuang Su stood in the courtyard, surrounded by falling petals. She gently reached out, and a petal landed on her hand. They were now far from the palace, in a secluded courtyard south of Luoyang—the place of the One Leaf Alliance. Standing at the entrance, Zhuang Su gazed into the distance, sensing a chill emanating from among the leaves.
Today was the day of the Flying Cavalry's public execution. Standing on the mountainside, Luoyang City appeared deserted, except for one place that seemed unusually crowded, where all the city's noise converged. Zhuang Su's fingers were clenched tightly; she was worried about Shen Jian, but could only stay here anxiously waiting.
Su Qiao relayed Qing Chen's message, telling her that Shen Jian would be alright.
"Should we still believe this man's words..." Zhuang Su exhaled softly, a mist seemingly forming in her eyes. Her last breath fell emptily, a gust of wind swept by, raising clouds of dust. The streets of Luoyang were now shrouded in swirling yellow dust, a sense of desolation pervading the air.
The crowd gathered before the execution ground consisted mostly of people curious about the Flying Cavalry General. They hurriedly pushed their way in, occasionally stepping on each other, followed by a burst of cursing and shouting, making the originally solemn execution ground resemble a bustling marketplace.
A dragon throne was placed on a rickety high platform, prepared for Dian Yong. It was already close to noon, yet the ruler of the country was late. On the other side stood several rows of high-ranking officials and nobles, among whom were a few people dressed in different colors, their faces clearly showing anger; these were officials sent by the Han state to the Chu state.
However, these envoys dared not speak out, for if the King of Chu dared to attack even someone as formidable as the Flying Cavalry, what chance would he have against them, who were unknown to the world? The agreement between the two countries had already been completely broken. Now, all that remained was to see if the King of Chu was truly prepared to make an example of them and add fuel to the fire in this confrontational situation.
Then came a magnificent spectacle: Dianyong sat on a dragon-drawn palanquin, carried by sixteen men. The procession was grand and imposing, with someone striking a gong to urge the people ahead forward. Following behind was a prison cart, inside which sat a man shackled, looking disheveled but showing no fear.
The legendary Flying Cavalry General, renowned for his brilliant military strategy. Many were awestruck by his imposing presence.
Shen Jian was forced to the center of the execution platform. The executioner kicked him hard in the knee. He was already weak, and he staggered and had to kneel down. His soft breathing fell around him. His loose hair concealed his expression, but his back was straight, as straight as a knife, piercing into everyone's eyes.
Having not attended court for several days, Dianyong alighted from his sedan chair, sat on the dragon throne, and lazily leaned back, yawning. This sight inevitably drew whispers and murmurs from others. Liu Kun, his expression clearly displeased, asked the old eunuch beside him, "Eunuch Deng, hasn't His Majesty been spending most of his time in the harem lately? Why does he seem so listless?"
The old eunuch, called "Eunuch Deng," narrowed his long eyes and lowered his voice to complain softly, "Yes, ever since His Majesty became infatuated with that dancer, his health has been deteriorating day by day. He used to go out for walks, but a few days ago he hasn't even stepped out of the Kangde Palace..."
"Wasn't there any investigation? This..." Liu Kun felt something was amiss and was about to ask when he suddenly heard the sound of drums.
The time for execution had come. After the drumbeats, the previously noisy surroundings suddenly fell silent. Several burly men came up from the side, each grabbing one of Shen Jian's hands, lifting him directly from the ground, and throwing him onto the platform. They then bound him to the platform with two thick iron chains.
A man nearby took a heavy iron hammer and placed it over the roaring coals to heat it. Those present seemed to vaguely smell a strong, cruel odor.
However, Shen Jian merely glanced at the torture device in the burly man's hand, his expression unchanged. When he slightly raised his head, he saw the boundless sky before him and narrowed his eyes slightly.
For several days in a row, he was locked up in the dark and sunless West Palace, never expecting to see this boundless expanse on the day of his execution.
Shen Jian felt an invisible pressure enveloping him. He knew perfectly well that once the execution was carried out, he would be a cripple. The One Leaf Alliance had notified him of the execution in ten days, but the punishment had been brought forward by several days. He let out a soft breath, but did not complain. If this was unavoidable, then he had no choice but to accept it.
He closed his eyes heavily, not looking at them again.
The crowd below the stage had been secretly observing Shen Jian's expression, whispering amongst themselves as they watched his composed demeanor. Dian Yong leaned back on the dragon throne, a half-smile playing on his lips, while the official from the Han Kingdom beside him grew increasingly somber.
The executioner took the red-hot hammer from the embers, blew on it, and it hissed loudly. He then smashed the hammer down on a large rock beside him, shattering the thick stone into countless pieces. Everyone present gasped in shock.
Xing Shou smiled coldly with satisfaction and walked step by step to Shen Jian.
At this point, all that was needed was a single, forceful strike of the hammer to shatter his kneecaps, rendering even the most formidable and powerful cavalry general unable to stand. For many executioners, personally carrying out the execution of a person of renown was undoubtedly a great honor.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, he raised the heavy hammer in his hand again. Suddenly, the force in his hand increased, and he slammed it down.
In that instant, many people instinctively covered their eyes, unable to bear the sight of the bloodshed. However, instead of the sound of shattering, the sound of metal striking the ground echoed across the empty execution ground. Because the surroundings were excessively quiet, this sound seemed particularly abrupt. Before anyone could even register what had happened, when they opened their eyes again, they saw only a dense, dark mass of people surrounding them.
These people, who had been hiding somewhere before, seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
"Those who don't want to die, leave now." A cold, indifferent sentence, devoid of any emotion. Yet, just that one sentence sent chills down many spines, and they instinctively began to flee.
High atop a distant tavern, a man stood defiantly, bow and arrow in hand. He was the one who had just killed the executioner with a single arrow, and those cold, ruthless words had also come from his mouth. Beside the banquet table behind him sat a nonchalant man in white, wearing a mask that revealed only a faint, enigmatic smile. He said in a low voice, "Old Bei, if you continue to be so gloomy, people will think our One Leaf Alliance is cold-blooded and ruthless..."
The smile seemed reproachful, but upon closer listening, it was full of teasing. He didn't speak loudly at all; it was a very soft and understated sentence, yet every word he uttered was clearly audible to everyone present.
Dianyong, who had been watching everything unfold, suddenly turned serious. The Imperial Army, which had been preparing for any eventuality, immediately deployed a thick layer of defenses around the execution ground, surrounding the high-ranking officials in the center for protection. By this time, the civilians had all been evacuated, leaving only the two sides of the army facing each other from a distance, the situation on the verge of erupting into conflict.
"Quickly, go and inform the eldest son!" Liu Kun urged, hastily sending someone to contact Liu Ye, who was already stationed outside the city. Someone hastily lit a signal flare, which instantly burst into countless sparks in the air. When Liu Kun looked up again, he saw Dian Yong stepping down from the throne with a cold smile on his face.
With an arrogant expression, Dian Yong addressed the people in the restaurant, saying in a distant voice, "What, does the One Leaf Alliance also intend to interfere in the affairs of the two countries?"
Seeing that the person behind him remained silent and cold, Yan Bei replied briefly, "Today is just to settle things."
Upon hearing the word "settle," many knew that the One Leaf Alliance would not let this matter rest, and their faces darkened. Dian Yong's expression was even worse. He had already walked to the center of Xingtai, his tone full of arrogance: "I am the King of Chu, the rightful heir of the Chu Kingdom. Does the One Leaf Alliance, a mere Jianghu gang, intend to rebel?" The last few words resonated powerfully around him.
Many people in this world value the word "orthodoxy." However, when this word reached Qingchen's ears, a hint of a smile appeared on his face beneath his mask.
"Legitimate... huh..." His slender fingers toyed with the translucent cup in his hand, making his already alabaster skin appear even more translucent. A hint of amusement played on his crimson lips beneath the mask as he parted them slightly, laughing, "As long as I provoke the One Leaf Alliance, what does legitimacy matter to me..." With a final soft murmur, the cup in his hand abruptly fell, shattering into countless tiny fragments upon impact. In that instant, the surrounding forces surged forward, clashing violently.
Suddenly, all around was filled with the glint of swords and the clash of blades.
Dian Yong's fierce yet cowardly face finally paled, and he was momentarily terrified amidst the sudden surge of murderous intent. He turned and grabbed Chen Jian's chin, gripping it so tightly it seemed as if he wanted to embed his fingers into it. His eyes gleamed with a hint of sneer, and his voice was sharp: "Why are the people from the Yi Ye Alliance who were supposed to execute you here? When did you get involved with the Yi Ye Alliance?"
As Jian lay in the cage in pain, she let out a muffled groan and slowly opened her eyes to look at him. Her expression was unusually calm, and even carried a hint of pity.
The moment Dian Yong's gaze fell upon the body, he felt an overwhelming rage.
"Your Majesty, the situation is urgent, please leave immediately!" Liu Kun said hastily as he hurriedly ran up to the execution platform, surveying the escalating chaos around him. However, he saw Dian Yong suddenly turn around and pull an iron hammer from the hand of the dead executioner. The hammer was heavy, and still faintly warm to the touch. Dian Yong's expression struck Liu Kun as one of madness, as if he had lost his reason.
"Who do you think you are!" Dian Yong sneered, raising his hand and smashing a hammer hard against Chen Jian's knee.
"Crack—" Such a faint cracking sound seemed to be quickly suppressed amidst the clashing sounds of weapons around him. Shen Jian let out a deep groan amidst the intense pain, feeling the excruciating pain sweeping through his right limb and filling his brain in an instant, a moment of suffocation, his heart suddenly skipping a beat, but before he could even bear it, another hammer blow slammed into his leg bone.
"Ah—" The feeling of his bones shattering made him finally unable to hold back his scream, which he had been suppressing for days. This one scream revealed the dryness and hoarseness in his voice.
Such heart-wrenching screams caused everyone who heard them to pause in their tracks.
Shen Jian's leg suddenly dangled down, the leg bone a shocking sight of blood, dripping wetly as it slowly fell. Dian Yong's face was filled with a cruel smile, a smile that was both terrified and exhilarating.
"Hahaha—hahaha..."
His laughter echoed around us after Chen Jian's painful screams, sounding particularly manic.
"Prime Minister...Prime Minister..." A soldier rushed over and called out to Liu Kun, bringing him back to his senses. Turning around, he saw elite soldiers pouring out of the streets and alleys, fending off the attacks as they approached him. It was none other than the Grand Councilor. Liu Kun finally suppressed his trembling from Dian Yong's frenzied actions. After assessing the situation, he was overjoyed and said, "Grand Councilor, you've come at the right time! Quickly escort the King back to the palace, and be...faster..."
As the Grand Councilor raised his sword to his throat, Liu Kun's voice trailed off. He stared in astonishment and roared, "Grand Councilor, what are you doing! Are you trying to rebel?"
"Perhaps, it really is a rebellion... Father." The gentle words seemed out of place in the somber atmosphere.
Liu Kun suddenly looked up and saw who it was. He then realized what was going on and laughed angrily, "Fine, fine... I thought he was a useless piece of wood who would just accept whatever comes his way, but I never expected that I've always been a thorn in Yang's side."
Liu Su, who had disappeared from the Prime Minister's residence with "Zhuang'er" a few days earlier, had inexplicably reappeared here. Liu Kun, after some thought, had already guessed what was going on, but at this moment he could only secretly regret that he had never truly understood his son.
Dressed in light clothing, Liu Su walked slowly amidst the encirclement of elite soldiers, a gentle smile on his lips: "Father, I apologize." As he spoke these words, a strange look appeared in his watery eyes as he turned to look at the center of Xingtai.
By this time, Dian Yong had been subdued, pinned to the ground by several soldiers with their swords. The iron hammer in his hand had fallen to the ground, leaving only splattered bloodstains. Liu Su's heart skipped a beat; she had arrived too late once again. Her gaze slowly shifted to the man hanging on the execution rack.
A thick, crimson stain bloomed on Chen Jian's clothes, slowly seeping in and spreading wildly from his kneecap. A heavy pool of vermilion spread across the ground around him, blood still trickling down his leg, pooling at the tip of his shoe, before finally dripping onto the ground, accumulating larger and larger…
Liu Su hurriedly ordered her men to take Shen Jian down from the rack. Because of the severe injuries to Shen Jian's knees, the soldiers were extremely careful when untying him. By this time, he had already fainted from the pain. The area on his knee was so badly mangled that even seasoned soldiers couldn't bear to look at it. Although he had lost all feeling, they still tried their best not to touch his wound.
Liu Su couldn't bear to look any longer and cast her gaze around. She saw that only a few Chu soldiers remained. The several battles had gradually subsided because Dian Yong and Liu Kun were trapped in their hands. The last few Chu soldiers who had fought to the death also abandoned their troops and surrendered.
The battle has been decided, and the outcome is clear.