Your Child Has Avenged You.
Before leaving, Lu Ronghuai set two luminous pearls inside the hall.
He embraced Chu Yuan once more, silently giving him support and strength, then turned on his heel and strode out of the hall.
The red candle had fallen upon the ground, and its flame had already gone out.
It lay only inches away. White smoke drifted up from the wick, carrying a scorched smell so thick it clogged nose and mouth.
One knee bent upon the ground, Chu Yuan lowered his head and lifted the candlestick with both trembling hands.
Such a simple movement was, for him, harder than anything else.
His vision spun, his throat clogged, his nose turned sharp with ache, and the tearing pain in his heart and lungs was worse still.
He bit down hard, his lean back drawn tightened like a blade, and the tip of his tongue tasted blood.
Those around him all knew that Chu Yuan feared candles.
Now, as he held the candle in his hands, it was only by an astonishing force of will that he kept himself from collapsing unconscious. Once he had set the candlestick in the corner, he finally let out a breath of release and lifted his face, damp with sweat.
The ruler of Chu Kingdom had already fainted from pain.
He had lived for decades in luxury. Even catching a cold would set the whole Imperial Medical Bureau on edge. In all his life, when had he ever suffered such pain as a hand pierced through to the bone?
Chu Yuan looked at him coldly, walked over, and ground his foot down hard upon that bloody palm.
“Ahhhhhh...” The ruler of Chu Kingdom convulsed with pain and woke shrieking.
Squatting down, Chu Yuan reached up and swept the imperial crown from his head. His fingers tightened in the man’s hair and forced him to throw his head back, his harsh, rasping breaths loud at Chu Yuan’s ear.
The ruler of Chu Kingdom’s scalp felt as though it would tear from the pain. With Lu Ronghuai no longer here, he had no restraint left and immediately opened his mouth to curse. “Wretched seed, this Ruler is your father emperor. Are you trying to commit patricide?”
Chu Yuan’s gaze was cold and clear. “The only father I have in this life is Jiang You.”
“Who is Jiang You? This Ruler is your father! And your mother empress, your mother empress was Jiang Wang. We are one family, have you forgotten?”
The ruler of Chu Kingdom did not know that Jiang You was Jiang Wang. The breath of death hung over everything around him. He could no longer afford to care about much else. He only wanted to live.
Chu Yuan found it laughable. His throat moved slightly, and a hoarse, low laugh escaped him.
“Has the ruler of Chu Kingdom grown old and muddle-headed? It was you yourself who once issued an edict denying that I was your child, slandering Mother Empress as lacking virtue, and insisting on drawing a clear line between us even to the point of announcing it to all under Heaven. Have you forgotten all that?”
“This Ru...”
The ruler of Chu Kingdom tried to argue, but Chu Yuan gave him no chance. Seizing his head, he slammed it hard against the cold stone floor.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Three sounds in a row, each heavier than the last.
The ruler of Chu Kingdom’s skull rang with buzzing pain. He felt as though the bone of his forehead had already split. Blood and grime streamed down from his brow and into his eyes. Everything before him went red with blood, and he could no longer even make out Chu Yuan’s face.
“Mad... madman!” The ruler of Chu Kingdom’s teeth knocked together. Groaning in pain even as he spoke, he threatened, “Now that you are like this, how are you any different from that bloody-handed calamity? This Ruler raised you for ten years. If you dare harm me today, you will carry infamy upon your back and stink for ten thousand years.”
“And what of it?” Chu Yuan said coolly.
“Whether there is infamy, or whether there is legacy, do you think I would care?”
After saying this in an idle tone, he gathered strength in his arm and shoved the man’s head into the ground again.
Several more crashes rang out.
With both his palm and his forehead suffering repeated heavy blows, the ruler of Chu Kingdom’s consciousness blurred. A death-rattle of screams came from his mouth. “Do not kill me. It has nothing to do with me. Do not kill me...”
Chu Yuan released him.
He pulled out the dagger.
The ruler of Chu Kingdom’s fat body twitched, then collapsed to the ground like rotten mud. His rolled-back eyes were filled with a dead red pallor, and his face had gone ashen blue.
Expressionless, Chu Yuan looked at the bloodied dagger in his hand. His black eyes were deep and quiet. However violent the tide inside him, outwardly he remained gentle and still, calm to the point of cruelty.
The massive, heavy body on the ground struggled and writhed. It seemed as though a gust of wind had passed through the empty and silent hall.
Within that wind came a low murmur, light as though it were nothing at all.
“Mother Empress, your child has avenged you.”
One shichen later.
The hall doors opened from within, and Chu Yuan slowly walked out holding the red candle.
This palace hall carried too many memories for him, ones of beauty and ones of pain alike. Now all of them had gone up in flames, and there was no need to think upon the dust of what had come before.
As he stepped beyond the threshold, his body swayed. Xian Shuang lifted a hand to steady him, and hidden worry lay in his quiet gaze.
Lu Ronghuai stood below the palace steps. Hearing the movement, he turned back. Behind Chu Yuan, the hall doors stood open, and Lu Ronghuai saw the flames inside climbing and leaping.
He only swept a glance across that scene before all his attention gathered entirely upon Chu Yuan.
The steps of the hall were high. Lifting his face, he smiled with warm gentleness and opened his arms toward him.
Chu Yuan lowered his head. Seeing the boundless love in the man’s eyes, it was as though no matter what he did, Lu Ronghuai would accept it all with joy.
His lips moved, as though he said something, yet no sound came.
In the next instant, Chu Yuan pitched forward as though all strength had left him. His heavy eyelids shut, and he knew nothing more.
Lu Ronghuai caught him firmly.
Turning in one motion, he lifted him horizontally into his arms and strode away without the slightest hesitation.
Xian Shuang followed close behind. No one turned back to look into the hall again.
Carrying Chu Yuan, he returned all the way to the main hall. Nie Xuxing and the others had already been escorted safely into the palace and were waiting there for them.
“What has happened to Yuanyuan?” Jiang Ni was holding Lu Duoyu. At the first sight of Chu Yuan being carried back with no color in his face, everyone became anxious beyond measure and hurried forward to ask after him.
Lu Ronghuai carefully laid Chu Yuan down upon the bed. Then he turned to Jiang Ni and took Lu Duoyu from his arms.
“I trouble Ah-Die to take Ah-Yuan’s pulse.”
Jiang Ni had already intended to do exactly that. Stepping forward, he sat at the bedside and laid his hand upon the pulse at Chu Yuan’s wrist.
Everyone waited in silence.
Lu Duoyu wrapped both arms around Lu Ronghuai’s neck. Blinking his large eyes, he saw Chu Yuan lying there pale and unmoving, his black hair disordered and bloodstains upon his sleeve. The little one’s mouth trembled, and water at once welled in his eyes.
“Wuu... Ah-Die...”
Lu Duoyu began sobbing in a tiny voice. Lu Ronghuai lifted a hand and stroked his head, his tone gentle. “It is all right. Ah-Die is only asleep. Do not cry.”
Lu Duoyu’s eye rims had gone red, and bean-sized tears still hung on his face. He stretched out his little hand and pointed at Chu Yuan’s sleeve, speaking in a small, aggrieved voice. “Blood...”
There was blood on Ah-Die’s clothes. The little one was frightened in his heart.
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
No one had expected that such a young child would already understand what blood was.
Lu Ronghuai gave a light sigh and reached out to wipe the tears from Lu Duoyu’s face. “It was only stained there by accident. Ah-Die is not hurt.”
At this same moment, Jiang Ni also withdrew his hand and looked toward Lu Ronghuai. “His heart vessels are blocked from excessive grief. It is nothing serious. I will go prepare some medicine. Once he drinks it, let him sleep well.”
Lu Ronghuai nodded.
“Le Shu, go bring in a basin of hot water.”
“Your Highness should change Ah-Yuan’s clothes in a moment. They are all damp with sweat.” As Jiang Ni spoke, he reached for the red candle in Chu Yuan’s hand, intending to take it and set it to one side.
However, Chu Yuan would not loosen his grip. He held the red candle in an iron clutch.
“Let me do it,” Lu Ronghuai said softly.
“Very well. Then we will go out first.”
When Jiang Ni left, he had intended to carry Lu Duoyu out as well. Yet Lu Duoyu clung tightly to Lu Ronghuai’s neck and would not let go, looking toward Chu Yuan with tear tracks still on his face.
“All right. Then Little Fish will stay here and keep Ah-Die company.” Jiang Ni patted the little one’s head with tender fondness.
Le Shu prepared Chu Yuan’s clothing and set it upon the side table nearby.
Once everyone had left, Lu Ronghuai set Lu Duoyu down. After his feet touched the ground, the child pattered quickly over, rose up on tiptoe, and caught two of Chu Yuan’s fingers in his little hand, gripping them tightly.
Lu Ronghuai was in the middle of rolling up his sleeves. Looking down and seeing this, he curved his lips, bent over, lifted the little fellow up, and gently set him down on the inner side of the bed.
“Take good care of Ah-Die.”
“Mm!” The little one obediently curled himself beside Chu Yuan. He even raised his little head and kissed Chu Yuan once on the cheek, then copied the motion Chu Yuan used when coaxing him to sleep and softly patted Chu Yuan’s shoulder with his hand.
When Chu Yuan awoke, his vision was vast and hazy, and he did not know where he was.
“Awake?” A deep, pleasant voice came from beside him, carrying the slightest trace of hoarseness.
Chu Yuan slowly turned his head and looked toward Lu Ronghuai, who lay beside him.
Lu Ronghuai was propped up on one arm, his gaze clear, as though he had been looking at him for a very long time.
He lifted his hand and gently brushed the hair away from Chu Yuan’s cheek. “Are you hungry?”
Chu Yuan shook his head.
Lu Ronghuai sat up and picked up the warm water from the low table. Then he helped Chu Yuan sit up and held the cup to his lips.
“Drink a little water first.”
Chu Yuan drank from his hand. After two cups in a row, the dryness in his throat was soothed.
“What time is it now?” As he spoke, he lowered his head and found that he was still holding the red candle in his hand.
“The first quarter of the xu hour.” Lu Ronghuai removed the shade from the luminous pearl lamp, and at once the soft light grew much brighter.
He had slept for more than six shichen.
Chu Yuan looked toward Lu Duoyu on the inner side of the bed. The little fellow was sleeping soundly, still gripping Chu Yuan’s sleeve tightly in his hand.
“Let Le Shu and Xian Yu come in to watch over Little Fish. I want to go find Clan Leader and Father.”
“Very well. I will have Xian Shuang go and pass the word.”
Once the two of them had tidied themselves, they slipped out of the sleeping hall as quietly as possible.
Lu Ronghuai held his hand and led him forward. Moonlight poured across the world like a bolt of silk, lending the blue stone road beneath their feet an added chill.
“Is Elder Brother well?” Chu Yuan lifted his face and asked, holding the red candle in his arms.
“Mm. There were shadow guards at his side protecting him. Liu Mingyue could not harm him.”
“How many of Your Highness’s men were lost?”
At this, Lu Ronghuai laughed softly, and it was rare to hear such pleasure in his voice. “Not one soldier was spent.”
“Ah?” Chu Yuan’s lips parted in surprise.
“That fine elder brother of yours feared death. He personally opened the palace gates and welcomed me into the city.”
For quite some time, Chu Yuan could not find any words.
He had known Chu Zhang was greedy for life and afraid of death, but he had not expected him to have no integrity at all, cherishing his own life to such an extent.
“What a pity for Liu Mingyu, scheming for so many days, only to have such a useless ally. The whole plan collapsed at once.”
Talking idly together, the two arrived at Shuming Hall.
After receiving word, Clan Leader Jiang and Nie Xuxing had already prepared tea and water and were waiting there.
All the eunuchs and palace maids of the Chu imperial palace had already been sent away. The palace consorts were confined together in one place. The vast imperial palace had grown remarkably quiet.
“Ah-Yuan, do you feel better now?” Jiang Ni stood upon the hall steps. He came forward two paces and took hold of Chu Yuan’s hand.
“Mm. There is nothing serious now. Ah-Die need not worry.” Chu Yuan smiled faintly.
“That is good. Come in and sit.”
Once everyone had taken their seats, Clan Leader Jiang asked, “Ah-Yuan has come to find us so late at night. Is there some matter?”
Chu Yuan lifted his eyes, and his gaze slowly passed across the room, taking in the expressions of Clan Leader Jiang, Nie Xuxing, and Jiang Ni.
He said nothing at all. He only carefully set the candlestick upon the table.
“Is this the red candle from the clan?” Jiang Ni leaned over and looked at it for quite some time, then turned uncertainly to Clan Leader Jiang.
Clan Leader Jiang knit his brows as he looked at the candle. Suddenly, he shook his head. “No. This candle is not a thing from our clan.”
“Then this is?”
“This was made by Chu Haochuan.” Chu Yuan’s words left everyone stunned.
Nie Xuxing asked, “Does the ruler of Chu Kingdom actually possess the secret formula for the red candle?”
Jiang Ni said, “Clan Leader already said that island sank into the seabed. No one alive could reproduce a special red candle.”
Clan Leader Jiang was observant and precise. Suddenly he said, “Judging by the color of this candle, the front and the back seem not to be the same.”
Chu Yuan said nothing. His fingers trembled once. After forcing himself to take a deep breath, he lifted his hand and laid it upon the body of the candle.
Lu Ronghuai raised a hand to catch his wrist, stopping his next movement.
The man’s deep brows drew together, and the worry in his eyes was plain. “You truly are all right?”
Chu Yuan knew that he feared he would feel unwell.
“It does not matter.”
Then, before the eyes of everyone present, he lightly stroked the candle with his hand and then pulled out the candlestick. Without the bronze pin running through it, the candle at once broke into two pieces and rolled across the tabletop.
Chu Yuan: “His Highness mentioned before that there is only one red candle in existence, kept in the Jiang clan’s ancestral hall and yet red candles appeared in both Lu Kingdom and Chu Kingdom.”
Everyone nodded. That was also the point that left them utterly perplexed.
Clan Leader Jiang picked up the two uneven pieces of candle and smelled them one after another. Then he frowned. “This shorter piece has a thick fragrance. It is the same as the candle in the clan. As for this longer piece, it appears to be only an ordinary candle?”
Chu Yuan lowered his eyes. “Mother once told me that when he left the Jiang clan, he could not bear to part with it entirely and so he slipped into the ancestral hall and cut an inch’s length from the candle to take with him.”
Clan Leader Jiang froze.
Nie Xuxing reacted at once. “Then the red candles in the hands of the ruler of Chu Kingdom and the late emperor were both cut from that single piece of red candle?”
Chu Yuan clenched his fingers. “Once the red candle fell into Chu Haochuan’s hands, he sliced off half of it and spliced it onto an ordinary candle to curry favor with the former emperor, passing off a fish eye as a pearl.”
Jiang Ni gave a cold sneer. “Everyone says the red candle grants long life. For such a ‘rare treasure,’ he truly was willing to part with it.”
“Because in his heart, he had already found a treasure that could replace the red candle.” The lowered lashes above Chu Yuan’s eyes stirred like ripples, carrying a pressure like storm and rain about to break.
“What treasure?”
Bit by bit, Chu Yuan’s eyes reddened. Clear tears welled to the brim. Looking at the other half of the red candle, he parted his lips. His voice cracked and went hoarse, and his tears crashed down.
“A blood candle... made by boiling down Mother Empress’s bones and blood.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu Ronghuai (channeling his inner domineering CEO): Next chapter is returning home. Everything that is mine, I am taking back.
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