An agreement? Recalling something from a distant past, Zhuang Su was puzzled as to why this person had suddenly brought it up again.
“You said you would always call me ‘Father,’ but it seems you haven’t kept that promise. So—I’m not obligated to keep that promise about taking medicine, am I?” Qingchen said this with remarkable nonchalance. He looked at Zhuang Su with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and his tone trailed off slightly: “However… if you’re willing to feed me, I might consider it.”
Zhuang Su couldn't figure out who this person was drinking the medicine for. She turned around, put the bowl on the table, and was about to leave when she stopped at the door after a few steps. Gritting her teeth, she turned back, picked up the medicine, and walked back to the bedside.
Seeing her clearly unwilling expression, Qingchen's smile deepened. He cheerfully opened his mouth and took the spoon she offered. The medicine was bitter, but he drank it slowly, sip by sip, seemingly unconcerned. His lips brushed against the milky-white porcelain spoon, subtly revealing a hint of ambiguity.
Zhuang Su felt Qingchen's breath close to her and was being stared at. Feeling extremely awkward, she finished feeding him the medicine, looked away, and said, "Consider this your way of thanking me for saving me. We're even now."
Qingchen's expression suddenly turned cold, and she asked, "Are you leaving again?"
Zhuang Su nodded very slowly. She had no intention of getting involved with the One Leaf Alliance anymore. Suddenly, she felt Qingchen lean closer. In her haste, she reached out to push him away, but her hand touched the bandages on his body. Afraid of touching his wound again, she quickly withdrew her hand. Qingchen, however, seemed oblivious to the pain surging in his wound, and whispered softly beside her, "Susu, now that you're back, I can't let you go again. This is—an order."
Zhuang Su frowned: "Why won't you let me leave? The One Leaf Alliance has nothing to do with me anymore. Whether you're the Wine Envoy or the Alliance Leader, what gives you the right to order me around?"
"You can't leave without my permission. Stay here, Susu, be a good girl." Qingchen lazily lowered her eyes, watching Susu walk to the door, and said seemingly casually, "Besides—Chen Jian will be back soon, don't you want to stay and see him?"
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Su stopped at the door. When she opened the door, she saw Murong Shi still standing there. A maidservant was respectfully waiting beside her, preparing to lead her to the wing room in the west courtyard. Zhuang Su felt Qingchen's last words floating in her mind. After thinking for a long time, she finally went with the maidservant.
Watching Zhuang Su's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Qing Chen's smile slowly faded, leaving only a calm and indifferent expression. At this moment, she heard Murong Shi ask, "Why didn't you tell her that letting her stay was for her safety?"
Qingchen glanced at her and said, "There's no need for her to know."
“With your personality, you'll never let anyone know how much you care about her.” Murong Shi frowned. “Even if you don’t want her to know that your five years of hard work were all for her, you should at least stop her from misunderstanding you. I know that if she leaves now, she’ll probably fall into the hands of the court very soon, so that’s why you…”
"Murong, you're saying too much." Qingchen interrupted her calmly, saying casually, "I don't need anyone's understanding. This is the only thing I can do for Qingyuan right now."
"Qingchen, in all these years, has Qingyuan truly remained the only one in your heart?" Murong Shi's voice lingered for a moment, then she turned and left without looking at Qingchen again.
Fearing the court would uncover her true identity, he ruthlessly disrupted the peaceful coexistence they had maintained; not wanting her to be implicated in future troubles, he was willing to be hated and, despite his deep reluctance, cruelly "driven" her away; though he loathed the identity of "Ye Chen" most, he willingly took it, leaving himself no time to recuperate despite his physical disability; the exhaustion of five years, and perhaps countless more, was all to ensure that person's future peace and tranquility...
Even so, Qingchen, is Qingyuan still the only one in your heart...?
Murong Shi's gaze swept past the doorpost, a fleeting glance before she looked back without a second look. The line of sight blurred, and a hint of helplessness lingered in her smile. This person, in truth—completely misunderstood her own heart.
Qingchen gazed indifferently out the window, her eyes clear as glass, and murmured softly, "Judging from the current situation, that person should be back soon. Everything won't be long anymore... Susu is mine, and no one can touch her."
His gaze fell south. There, war raged. The imperial court had hesitated to take significant action against the Yiye Alliance, largely due to the constraints imposed by the Han Kingdom to the south. With Liu Ye's transfer, the southern border was already showing signs of strain, and it wouldn't be long before the Han Kingdom would take action as well.
With a slight smile, a profound depth appeared in her peach-like eyes. The end of the Chu Kingdom must be fast approaching.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Tender Thoughts of Chu Startled Zi Mo (Part 1)
The capital of the Han state was Shangjing.
People hurried along the streets, all heading in the same direction. The spacious execution ground in the north of the city was already surrounded by onlookers, with more and more people gathering, like a bustling market.
Today is the day that Marquis Wuyang, Chang Gong, will have his home ransacked and be executed. As noon approaches, the scorching sun shines down on the dust-covered ground, and a gust of wind blows up clouds of yellow dust.
For the past five years since Shen Jian came to the Han Kingdom, he had almost always been stationed at the border, only receiving an imperial edict a few months ago to return to the capital. His string of victories over the years had earned him the title of "Flying Cavalry General" among the Han people, and he was the one who oversaw this execution. Many still remembered the day he entered the capital; a light drizzle fell, and he sat atop a tall horse, raindrops sliding slowly down his gleaming silver armor, revealing only his handsome, aloof eyes. He was a man who could easily stir one's heart.
Shen Jian was a rising star in the Han court in the past two years, highly valued by the King of Han. However, due to the death of the veteran general Du Jing, Shen Jian had been stationed at the border until recently when he returned to the capital. Since his return, the general's mansion was bustling with visitors, with Marquis Chang Gong of Wuyang being one of the most frequent visitors. But soon after, someone in the court submitted a memorial impeaching him, yet he still ended up being executed, and Shen Jian never uttered a single word of pleading for him.
Not far from the execution ground stood a building. Shen Jian sat in a chair, casually flipping through the books piled up beside the storeroom, and took a sip of tea. The soldiers standing beside him stood upright, appearing exceptionally solemn. These soldiers were all comrades-in-arms from Shen Jian's time in the military camp, possessing a unique air of authority. The eunuch waiting in the corner appeared sweaty and at a loss.
Shen Jian glanced at him and asked, "Is Chang Gong in the house across the street?"
The eunuch was already feeling intimidated, but when Hall felt the indifferent gaze brush past him, it was as if a knife had cut through him. He hurriedly replied, "Yes, Marquis Wuyang is imprisoned there awaiting execution."
"Oh." Shen Jian stood up from the chair and walked to the door in the blink of an eye. The eunuch was about to follow him eagerly when Shen Jian suddenly turned his head and glanced at him indifferently, saying, "Don't follow." As he finished speaking, a soldier stepped forward and closed the door for him, leaving behind a silence behind the dim light. The eunuch felt a chill run through his body as he stood there.
Shen Jian walked into the house across the street and closed the door.
The room was somewhat dark, and because it was a place where prisoners were held, it had a gloomy atmosphere. His gaze fell on the person in the center of the room who was bound with thick hemp rope, but he did not speak.
The man sensed someone enter and turned around. When he saw it was Shen Jian, a glint of brilliance flashed in his eyes. Because he was bound, his movements were difficult. He crawled to Shen Jian's side on his knees, twisting his body as he approached, pleading, "Young General, Young General, please save me! If you plead for me, His Majesty will surely be lenient. Young General, I'm innocent!"
Chang Gong grabbed Shen Jian's wide sleeve, his voice gradually tinged with sorrow. Kneeling before the man, he appeared as insignificant as an ant, his only thought to move him with emotion. In his panic, he managed to squeeze out a few tears. Looking up, he met Shen Jian's gaze—a gaze that was indifferent, detached, and profoundly absorbed, yet also seemed to churn with a strange hatred. Chang Gong's hand trembled, his movements froze, and he stood there speechless for a moment.
With a gentle flick of his wrist, without any apparent force, Shen Jian's sleeve slipped from Chang Gong's fingers. His lips parted slightly, his voice deep and resonant: "Wu Ji..." His breath was long and drawn out, seemingly floating in the air, brushing past Chang Gong, swirling slightly before settling down, yet it felt like an invisible pressure bearing down on Chang Gong's shoulders, making him feel a sudden weight on his heart. Chang Gong looked up in astonishment, his eyes filled with terror: "You..."
Shen Jian looked at him indifferently, as if he were only looking at a corpse.
Wu Ji. In the Han Kingdom, this name had long been forgotten. Years ago, the King of Han took a liking to the King of Chu's beloved concubine and specially sent an envoy to exchange five cities for Wu Ji. At that time, Wu Ji was already pregnant with the third prince, Dian Chu. After arriving in the Han Kingdom, she lived in the King of Han's harem. After giving birth to Dian Chu, she raised her son alone in a foreign land until the day the harem burned down, killing both mother and child, causing a period of tension between the Chu and Han kingdoms.
Legend has it that Wu Ji was a woman whose beauty could topple cities with a single glance and kingdoms with a second. However, in many versions of the story, the blame for the enmity between the Chu and Han states is largely placed on her, described as a seductive vixen who bewitched the ruler. As the war between the two states intensified, people gradually forgot about this woman's existence.
She was merely a small catalyst in the chaos that unfolded; as for her past, no one would be interested in delving into it, including the sudden fire in the palace…
However, the young general who held immense power before him now casually uttered that woman's name... Chang Gong looked at Shen Jian, whose face seemed familiar, and a twisted fear gradually rose on his face: "You...you...it's you! It's you!" He pointed at Shen Jian, his voice sharp with extreme fear: "How is this possible? Didn't you die ten years ago?! Impossible! Impossible!" He collapsed to the ground and crawled back several steps, as if he had seen a monster.
Shen Jian remained indifferent, looking down at him with a deep gaze filled with turbulent emotions: "Marquis Wuyang, have you remembered?" He looked coldly at Chang Gong, his words devoid of any emotion: "Beheading at the waist seems too lenient. Yesterday I petitioned the Emperor to change the punishment to slow slicing."
The tone was overly flat, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.
Waist-cutting simply involves using a heavy axe to cut the prisoner in two at the waist, while slow slicing involves cutting away flesh piece by piece during execution, causing the victim to suffer each cut before slowly and painfully dying.
"No!" Upon hearing this, Chang Gong's face contorted with rage. He scrambled to the door, trying to break free, but it was locked and his hands were bound. He desperately rammed against the door, attempting to escape. Shen Jian coldly watched his actions. Soldiers outside, disturbed by the commotion, ran to investigate and asked from outside the door, "Young General, is something amiss?"
"Help—!" Chang Gong tried to shout, but a hand suddenly covered his mouth tightly from behind. Shen Jian glanced at him disdainfully and said, "There's nothing here, you can all go down, don't worry about it."
"Yes!" came a brief and firm reply from outside, followed by the sound of footsteps receding into the distance.
Chang Gong struggled several times but failed to break free. As he listened to them leave, a deathly intent gradually settled in his eyes. Shen Jian caught a glimpse of his expression and chuckled lightly, "You should have expected this day to come." His smile was icy, making it seem as if every part of his body was cold.
He released his grip on Chang Gong's hand, and Chang Gong, now free, stopped screaming. Knowing his death was inevitable, he instead looked at him and laughed sinisterly: "I never thought that Wu Ji's bastard child would still be alive in this world... Ha... Haha... It seems the Han Kingdom won't be at peace either... Haha... Hahaha..." Chang Gong just kept laughing, not knowing what he was laughing at. Shen Jian hadn't interrupted, only waiting for him to finish laughing and raise his head, his lips curving into a strange, almost manic smile: "Shen Jian? Or should I call you Dian Chu? Wu Ji was a slut. You're here for revenge? Yes, I slept with her, but... she didn't die by my hand in the end... Heh, if you really wanted to kill her, could you kill her all? Countless men slept with her back then... Haha... Ha... Cough..."
His words were abruptly cut off as his throat was suddenly gripped. A turbulent rage surged in Shen Jian's eyes, and the hand on his throat tightened its grip. This grip felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Even after he returned to Chu, even after killing so many people during his years in the Yiye Alliance Silver Hall, perhaps the only people he truly wanted to kill were the men of Han who had made his mother wish she were dead. He knew very well that the reason Wu Ji had endured humiliation and survived was for him. Every time she saw her own mother moaning and groaning under other men, yet having to force a smile in front of him, did she truly love those powerful men who treated her like a plaything? Those men never bothered to be discreet when they came; several times he had personally witnessed them brutally tearing off the last of her clothes, leaving behind shameful wounds on her body.
Uji was unaware that he had been silently watching from the sidelines on several occasions. He simply wanted to clearly memorize the ugly faces of each of them.
The fire that claimed so many lives was not accidental, as Shen Jian had always known.
In his eyes, his father, the ruler of Chu, was perhaps no different from any other man. In their eyes, he and his mother were nothing more than playthings, pawns that could be discarded at any time.
Watching Chang Gong's increasingly weak breaths, Shen Jian gradually loosened his grip, and in a moment, Chang Gong collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Shen Jian glanced at him coldly and sneered, "You think I'd just let you die like this?"
Chang Gong hadn't expected that deliberately provoking him would result in him being subjected to the punishment of slow slicing. Gasping for breath, he looked at Shen Jian with terror. This man was too indifferent, so indifferent that even the pores of his skin couldn't help but emanate a sense of dread. His chin was lifted, and with a sharp pain, he opened his mouth, feeling something being forced into it. His pupils contracted instantly, and he instinctively tried to spit it out, but it was already full. He could only desperately clutch his throat with his hand, feeling a sharp, numbing sensation twisting up his cervical spine.
Chang Gong collapsed to the ground in excruciating pain, his body curled up tightly, clutching his clothes. With too much force, the sturdy prison uniform ripped open with a hiss. He no longer had the strength to roll over; he could only choke himself with his hands, tightening his grip until his fingertips seemed to dig in, leaving faint, deep bloodstains.
"Do you think I'll let the others off the hook?" Shen Jian didn't even glance at him again, turned around and walked out.
Chang Gong huddled up, watching helplessly as the door closed, extinguishing the last ray of light. He reached out, trying to grasp something, but his hand fell futilely. He couldn't utter a single word. He had become mute.
Sensing that his last hope had been shattered, a deep gray cloud settled over Chang Gong's eyes, and the last vestige of life finally faded away.
At noon, several soldiers kicked open the door and dragged the half-dead man on the ground to the execution ground.
A token flew down, and the execution began. Marquis Wuyang was already infamous, and the scene of being slowly sliced to death gradually turned crimson. Although people applauded, many could not bear the bloody scene and ran to the side of the street to vomit.
A man sat atop the execution platform, his gaze fixed on the gradually mangled figure, his eyes filled with red, yet devoid of any pleasure. His composure was excessive, as if he were merely observing a work of art.
"Young General, what should we do with the body?" a soldier ran up and asked.
Shen Jian finally slowly turned his gaze back and said calmly, "Throw him out of the city."
"Yes." The man withdrew upon receiving the order.
Shen Jian glanced casually at Chang Gong's body, which was wrapped in a white sheet, then turned to look behind him. Behind him was the vast Han Dynasty palace.
That glance seemed to hold a profound and incomprehensible meaning...
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and his ochre-red, wide-sleeved robe fluttered in the wind, adding another brilliant splash of crimson to the blood-soaked execution ground. He turned and walked away, never looking back.
In a few days, the Flying Cavalry General will personally visit the State of Chu as an envoy.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Remembering Chu and Startling Zi Mo (Part Two)
The Han army marched out in a grand procession and encamped on the border of Chu. Thirty elite Flying Cavalry soldiers accompanied Shen Jian to Dingye, a border city of Chu, and stopped not far away. At the forefront, a general in silver armor stood holding the reins, his horse's hooves pounding the ground, and a gust of wind blew up a cloud of yellow dust.
From afar, soldiers at the city gate saw this and hurriedly turned to go inside to report. A short while later, the suspension bridge over the moat was slowly lowered. Inside the city, a lone rider rode out and stopped not far from the city gate. The two men gazed at each other from a distance, and all was silent.
Shen Jian looked at Liu Ye calmly, his expression utterly indifferent. Liu Ye, clad in full armor, also stared back at him with a mixture of amusement and displeasure. Over the years, the two had clashed dozens of times, large and small, and were intimately familiar with each other, but each time it had been amidst bloodshed, and they had never observed each other so closely before.
A hint of a smile appeared on Liu Ye's cold face as he said, "The Flying Cavalry General of Han has come in person, and the King of Chu has instructed me to escort you into the country." He glanced indifferently at the group of personal guards behind Shen Jian, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere.
Shen Jian clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Thank you for your trouble, General Liu." His attitude was also very polite. After several years of fighting against this opponent on the battlefield, he knew that this man was indeed a military genius, and it was inevitable that they would admire each other.
"General Flying Cavalry, please." Liu Ye raised the corner of his lips, turned around, and slowly walked ahead to lead the way.
Shen Jian slowly rode his horse into the city. When they reached the city gate, they paused for a moment. When he looked up, he saw the two large stone characters "Dingye" on the city tower, which were heavy and majestic. His expression was distant for a moment, but he quickly looked up and continued to walk into the city.
The State of Chu. Five years later, he had finally returned. It was only recently, when Liu Ye was transferred away from the border, that he had the opportunity to win a decisive victory. Shen Jian's gaze fell upon the man before him, filled with approval, yet also with murderous intent. Keeping this man in Chu was always a potential threat; although he admired his military prowess, this very fact was the reason he had to eliminate him.
A thick, heavy cloud in the sky is a harbinger of an impending deadly attack.
Liu Ye and Shen Jian traveled north, arriving in Luoyang, the capital of Chu, several days later. The city gates were wide open, and the streets had been cleaned by Chu soldiers early in the morning. Several groups of people on both sides were struggling to stop the ever-growing influx of Luoyang residents. A group of Chu officials were already lined up at the Luoyang gate, led by the Chu Prime Minister Liu Kun, followed by high-ranking court officials in order of rank. The grand display, with its somber official robes, created a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.
Finally, Yao Yao and her entourage came into view of the eagerly awaiting crowd. Shen Jian ordered the Flying Cavalry to camp outside Luoyang City, dismounted, and entered the city alone with Liu Ye. Upon seeing this, Liu Kun hurriedly went to greet them, a humble smile on his face: "It is a great honor to meet the legendary Flying Cavalry General. My king has ordered me to take full charge of the negotiations with your country. Please, General, come to my humble abode for the time being."
"Okay, lead the way." Shen Jian responded calmly, showing no sign of being flattered by Liu Kun's personal welcome.
Liu Kun wasn't annoyed. He sent Liu Ye to the palace to report to the King of Chu, while simultaneously leading Shen Jian to the Prime Minister's residence. Along the way, Liu Kun secretly observed Shen Jian's expression, noticing that he showed no reaction to the surrounding people's restlessness and curiosity, and readily accepted all the arrangements made for him, revealing no hidden agenda. Liu Kun smiled warmly in agreement, but his heart sank. This young general seemed far more troublesome than he had initially imagined.
Shen Jian entered the Prime Minister's residence. The north courtyard of the residence had been completely vacated to provide him with accommodation during his stay in the Chu Kingdom. Shen Jian remained calm throughout the journey, following the maid who led the way. When passing a courtyard, his gaze inadvertently brushed to the side, and he paused almost imperceptibly.
Through the window, the figure of the person inside could be vaguely seen. He had been casually flipping through a book when Shen Jian glanced up, then paused slightly, slightly startled. Shen Jian's gaze fell on him and immediately looked away, his expression calm, as if he hadn't seen him at all.
Watching that person gradually disappear into the distance, a hint of contemplation crept into Liu Su's gentle gaze. At this moment, Na Yan pushed open the door and entered. Seeing the direction of his gaze, and catching the last wisp of Shen Jian's robe brushing past his eyes, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Second Young Master, didn't Master say that the Flying Cavalry General would temporarily reside in our Prime Minister's residence during his time in Chu?"
Liu Su pursed her lips slightly, her brows furrowing: "Is he the Flying Cavalry General?"
Nagaku asked, puzzled, "Yes, is there something wrong with it?"
"No, it's nothing." Liu Su calmly withdrew her gaze and asked gently, "Nayan, did you receive the ink I requested?"
“Second Young Master…” Nayan looked distressed upon hearing this, handed over a package, and said helplessly, “I really have limited ability to keep this from others, and this is all I could get.”
Liu Su took it and opened it, seeing that it was the lowest quality ink block, but she wasn't annoyed: "It's alright, this is enough."
"Second Young Master, you've suffered." Nayan's eyelashes drooped slightly, his voice trembled, and there was a hint of bitterness in it. "Although Master cares deeply for the family, he is inevitably a bit too demanding of you."
Liu Su was taken aback when she heard this, but seeing Na Yan's expression, she comforted him instead, saying, "I'm fine, I'm just being locked up for a few days."
Although Na Yan heard him say this, seeing Liu Su's slightly haggard face, he could say nothing more. He knew that the "few days of confinement" that Liu Su spoke of so casually was not so simple. That day, Liu Kun threw him into the Ministry of Justice's prison and punished him for "incompetence" for three whole days. Now, he had ordered him to be imprisoned in a room, not allowed to have a drop of food or water.
Although Liusu kept telling him she was fine, Nayan couldn't help but worry when he saw the weakness that Liusu inadvertently revealed. He glanced around to make sure no one was passing by, then hurriedly took out a few steamed buns from his robes and stuffed them into Liusu's hands. Liusu was taken aback by his sudden action, and when she saw what was in her hand, she couldn't help but smile and say, "Nayan, aren't you afraid Father will scold you for secretly giving me food like this?"