“Lu Ronghuai, Are You Trying to Rebel?”
With a thunderous boom, the calm night sky split with a peal of thunder. The red candle slipped from the table and rolled several times.
Having listened to Chu Yuan recount the full truth from beginning to end and learning that the truth behind Empress Chu’s death had been so cruel and horrifying, everyone present seemed as though thunder had struck their bodies and split their souls. Their faces were full of shock, and no one could speak.
Lu Ronghuai held Chu Yuan’s hand tightly. With gentle, cherishing movements, he wiped away the tears from Chu Yuan’s face. In his heart, he was shaken and furious in equal measure, and he could not help grinding his teeth at the thought that Chu Haochuan had still died too easily. Had that old dog fallen into his hands, he would certainly have been made to beg for death without being granted it, and his bones would have been crushed to dust and scattered.
Jiang Ni, too, had cried himself into a tearful wreck.
Clan Leader Jiang’s aged tears flowed freely. His trembling hands carefully lifted the red candle, and when he spoke, his voice was aged and hoarse. “The thing I regret most is that when Xiao You wished to leave, I did not stop him.”
“Clan Leader, this is not your fault.” Jiang Ni’s throat had also gone hoarse from crying. “Xiao You merely met the wrong man. This is something none of us wished to see. If blame must be laid, then let it be laid upon Chu Haochuan, that beast worse than pig and dog.”
If Ah-Yuan had not told it with his own mouth, if they had not seen it with their own eyes, he would never have dared imagine that Chu Haochuan could go mad to such a degree. Like a gambler driven to the end of the road, his heart black and his hands vicious, he had taken his wife’s life to exchange for a result that was empty and illusory.
Through tear-blurred eyes, Jiang Ni looked at Chu Yuan. He had only been nine years old then. Watching Jiang You’s throat cut open and his blood drained, only for that blood to be taken and melted into candles, how much pain and terror must this child have carried in his heart?
Jiang Ni cried so hard his breathing broke.
Nie Xuxing patted his back to soothe his breath, yet he too was choked with pain and unable to speak.
He looked toward Chu Yuan across from him, sitting there with wet lashes lowered in silence. The words spoken just now still echoed in his ears. They, mere listeners, were already so furious and heartsore. Then what of Chu Yuan, who had witnessed Jiang You’s death with his own eyes? How great must his terror and grief have been?
Boundless pity rose in Nie Xuxing’s heart, along with an ache he could not quite put into words. “Was it then that Ah-Yuan began fearing candles?”
Chu Yuan’s lashes trembled lightly.
“Mm.”
“Dear child.” Jiang Ni rose and came to sit at his other side. Unable to help himself, he drew Chu Yuan into his embrace. “You have suffered. I hardly dare think of the sort of days you lived in Chu Kingdom all those years. The moment I think of how bitter and wretched your childhood was, I...”
Jiang Ni choked and could say no more.
Chu Yuan lifted an arm around him and lightly patted his back, water shimmering in his eyes. “Ah-Die, it is all right now.”
When he had personally ended Chu Haochuan’s life, his hatred had already gone up in that blaze of fire and disappeared with it.
“You did very well. You avenged your mother empress. Do not worry. With Ah-Die and the Nie family here, we will not allow anyone to point even half a word at you over this matter.” Jiang Ni gripped Chu Yuan’s trembling fingertips, his expression resolute.
Lu Ronghuai gave a light laugh, and his languid voice rang out, dissolving some of the heavy oppression in the room.
“Ah-Die need not worry. I will handle everything.”
Jiang Ni lifted his eyes toward Lu Ronghuai. Lu Ronghuai met his gaze and gave a single nod, and in that instant his eyes held a fierce, unyielding certainty. It was the look of a man who would permit no one to harm Chu Yuan, not for any reason.
Tonight, everyone’s emotions were sunk in great sorrow, and Chu Yuan most of all. Worried for his health, they firmly ordered Lu Ronghuai to take him back to rest.
It happened that Xian Shuang came at that moment to report that Lu Duoyu had woken. Finding neither of them there, the child insisted on coming over, and Xian Yu was still coaxing him.
Lu Ronghuai patted Chu Yuan’s shoulder. “The little one was a bit frightened. He is clinging hard to you right now. Let us go back.”
“All right.”
The two left Shuming Hall. The deep night held a slight chill. Lu Ronghuai stepped forward, gathered Chu Yuan into his arms, and strode back to the main hall.
Chu Yuan was utterly exhausted in heart and spirit tonight. Obediently, he looped his arms around Lu Ronghuai’s neck, leaned against his broad chest, and closed his eyes to rest.
When they entered the sleeping hall, the little fellow heard the movement and called outward from the bed, “Ah-Die.”
Chu Yuan walked in and gathered Lu Duoyu into his arms, asking in a soft voice, “Why did Little Fish wake up?”
In a sweet, soft voice, the little fellow rubbed his eyes and said, “Ah-Die not here, Little Fish not sleepy.”
Chu Yuan’s heart softened into water. He set Lu Duoyu back onto the bed. Lu Ronghuai came in carrying a basin of water. After the two of them washed their hands, they returned to bed, lying one on either side of the child.
Lu Duoyu rolled his little body over until he landed in Chu Yuan’s arms. Tilting up his soft little face, he looked at Chu Yuan seriously. “Ah-Die’s eyes are red-red.”
Chu Yuan froze.
He lowered his gaze to the little one, surprised by his carefulness.
Lu Ronghuai stroked the child’s head. “When Ah-Die came back, the wind got in his eyes by accident. It will be better in a little while.”
The little fellow gave an “mm,” then leaned over and softly blew on Chu Yuan’s eyes. “Little Fish blows it better, Ah-die will not hurt.”
Chu Yuan closed his eyes and let out the first shallow smile of the day. “All right. Thank you, Little Fish.”
Father and son spoke intimately for a while. Their voices grew softer and softer, and before long the two of them had fallen asleep with their heads resting close together.
Lu Ronghuai gazed at them the whole while. When he saw their breathing had grown even, he carefully drew the thin quilt up over the two of them. Then, with a neat and silent turn, he slipped out of the inner chamber.
“Your Highness.”
Xian Shuang and Xian Yu, standing guard outside, lowered their heads and bowed when they saw him come out.
“Where are the remains of old dog Chu?” Lu Ronghuai’s face expression was cold and dark, his black eyes glittering with a subdued fury.
Xian Shuang at once replied, “The flames in Fengjiao Hall were too fierce. Only a few blackened fragments of bone remain.”
“Throw those bones outside the palace and let the wild dogs grind their teeth on them.”
“Yes.” Xian Shuang immediately cupped his fists and left.
“How goes the inventory of the things inside the palace?” Lu Ronghuai stood beneath the corridor with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out at the dense black of the night in the courtyard.
Afraid of disturbing the inner chamber, Xian Yu lowered his voice. “Replying to Your Highness, Lord Su has already finished counting and recording all the items. Does Your Highness wish to look through them?”
“No need. Go tell Su Ruhe to announce that the ruler of Chu Kingdom has already been beheaded by This Prince. You will cut off Chu Zhang’s head and hang it upon the market gate by tomorrow morning.”
Xian Yu’s mind worked quickly. He understood at once that His Highness was claiming responsibility for the Chu ruler’s death himself, so that the court censors would come after him, and the Prince Consort would not be touched by a single word of blame.
Xian Yu said, “Your Highness, after Chu Zhang was imprisoned, he kept shouting that he wanted to see Master once.”
Lu Ronghuai gave a cold laugh. “How could he possibly be worthy of appearing before Ah-Yuan? Beheading him would be too easy. Throw him into a boiling cauldron first and scald him twice, strip all that fat off his body, and only then take his head.”
“Yes. This subordinate will go handle it now.”
Once the ruler of Chu Kingdom and the Crown Prince of Chu were beheaded, their corpses were hung in the eastern market day after day. The sight frightened the people of the capital so badly that they dared not set up stalls nearby.
Now that Chu Kingdom had no ruler, and with news having come earlier that more than half of Duan Kingdom’s cities had already been taken, and that even the ruler of Duan Kingdom and the empress of Duan had been captured, forcing the Crown Prince of Duan to surrender of his own accord, all six kingdoms had now fallen into Lu Ronghuai’s hands.
He had many soldiers and great strength. The people all speculated whether he would remain in the south and divide the land from Lu Kingdom, ruling on either side of the Ye River.
They had all heard that the Emperor and Empress Dowager of Lu Kingdom were on poor terms with Prince Li. Prince Li had defied the imperial edicts of Lu Kingdom time and again, treating imperial authority as though it were nothing at all.
He had long since enraged the imperial house of Lu Kingdom. For the sake of preserving his own life, Prince Li was very likely to remain in the south, gather the six kingdoms together, and establish himself there as king.
Such rumors flew about for several days. Then one day, the people of Chu Kingdom suddenly discovered that Prince Li had left in a mighty procession with all his men.
He had only left his own people behind to take temporary control over all affairs within Chu Kingdom.
The people of Chu were like a ten-foot monk unable to touch his own head, thoroughly unable to make sense of it. Another month passed, and news came from the north. It turned out that Prince Li had already gathered all his soldiers, crossed the Ye River, and arrived at the southern border of Lu Kingdom.
The one now guarding the southern border was Prince Qi.
When Lu Ronghuai heard that Prince Qi was in Liao Cheng on the Southern Frontier, he smiled with deep meaning and personally wrote a letter. Tying it to the tail of a black iron arrow, he shot it into the pillar of Liao Cheng’s gate tower.
The soldiers of Lu Kingdom upon the wall hurriedly retrieved the letter and ran back to deliver it to Prince Qi.
One shichen later, Prince Qi was carried up onto the gate tower.
He had not seen Lu Ronghuai in a long time. Now, seeing him seated upon his horse, all high spirit and wind and glory, so splendid and overbearing, Prince Qi felt his breath choke and his heart grow stifled with annoyance.
He could not understand how Lu Ronghuai still dared be so arrogant.
“Lu Ronghuai, are you trying to rebel?”
Lu Ronghuai leisurely circled his horse. Hearing this, he raised a brow, puzzled. “What does Eldest Imperial Brother mean by this? This Prince has won illustrious military merit for Lu Kingdom and now returns in victory. Yet rather than opening the gates to welcome This Prince, Eldest Imperial Brother shuts This Prince out and even says This Prince means to rebel. Ah, this heart of mine has shattered all over the ground.”
Prince Qi: “...”
Listening to that one false and syrupy “Eldest Imperial Brother” after another from Lu Ronghuai was even more nauseating than hearing him call him “Eldest Brother” in the past.
Unable to bear it any longer, Prince Qi cursed, “Stop pretending! You harbor wolfish ambition. Taking the six kingdoms still does not satisfy you. His Majesty has already seen through your schemes and ordered this prince to stop you here.”
“If you are willing to hand over military authority, this prince will naturally open the gates.”
“Oh? Did His Majesty truly say so?” Lu Ronghuai asked at an unhurried pace.
“Of course. Would this prince speak falsehoods?!” Prince Qi snapped.
Lu Ronghuai smiled. “But Eldest Brother, have you forgotten? This Prince already returned my military authority to Father Emperor long ago.”
Prince Qi grew even angrier. “Without military authority, you still dared move troops and march to war on your own. Lu Ronghuai, your boldness reaches the heavens, and your heart deserves death.”
Lu Ronghuai idly flicked his riding crop. His expression remained composed. Not only was he not angered by Prince Qi’s curses, but he even let out a laugh.
With a sweep of his crop, he pointed it toward the silent five hundred thousand troops behind him. Then, filling his breath into his dantian, he spoke in a steady voice that the whole army could hear.
“Soldiers, for what cause did This Prince march to war?”
All the soldiers answered together, their voices shaking mountains and rivers. “To defend home and nation, and drive out the foreign invaders!”
Lu Ronghuai said, “Whose home did we defend?”
“Our home!”
Lu Ronghuai said, “Which nation did we defend?”
“Lu Kingdom!”
Lu Ronghuai said, “When foreign enemies invade our homeland and humiliate our people, should they be killed?”
“Kill!”
Lu Ronghuai said, “Should the wish of Lu Kingdom’s forefathers to unite north and south be fulfilled?”
“Yes!!”
“Good. As expected of the fine sons of Lu Kingdom.” With that said, Lu Ronghuai lifted his thin lids and cast a sharp, cold look toward the gate tower. Suddenly he let the riding crop slip from his hand. It struck the dust and startled his horse into giving two whinnying snorts.
“This Prince indeed has no military authority nor any right to lead troops into battle. Yet when the general is in the field, there are military orders he need not accept. Eldest Brother may as well ask—”
Lu Ronghuai tipped up his chin slightly, the line of his jaw smooth and fierce with noble bearing. “Ask the soldiers behind This Prince whether they are willing to lay down their blades and enter the city, or whether they are willing to follow me, this rebel and traitor.”
At these words, Prince Qi’s eyes flew wide.
Before him, the several hundred thousand troops behind Lu Ronghuai all dropped to their knees in perfect unison, and their voices thundered together.
“We swear to follow Prince Li to the death!”
“We swear to follow Prince Li to the death!”
“We swear to follow Prince Li to the death!”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu Dog: Invincibility is lonely just like this.
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