Chapter 54
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The carriage continued southward, and Xu Chunmu couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. He had not wanted to pull Chu Xie back into this quagmire, but…
He held the sleeping man in his arms tightly.
Despite Chu Xie’s occasional harshness and his seemingly unfeeling exterior, he had willingly accompanied him back to the capital.
“No matter what, you simply cannot die!”
With his slender fingers, Xu Chunmu gently brushed a strand of hair from his forehead and checked the time. He then picked up a basket of white silk and the carefully prepared medicinal powder. Leaning closer, he whispered, “Ah Xie, Ah Xie.”
Chu Xie, fatigued from his recent travels, was now asleep and responded with a nasal hum.
“I need to change your medicine, and we’ll be in the capital in about an hour. I’ll stop the carriage, change the dressing, and then you can go back to sleep.”
Chu Xie remained still. “It’s almost healed, no need to change. Let me sleep through until we reach the capital.”
Once they entered the city, there wouldn’t be such a long, undisturbed rest.
Xu Chunmu shook his head, knowing that Chu Xie could be like a child when he got sleepy. He would remove his waistband and adjust the dressing himself. As he worked on him, he continued talking. “You said that I’m doing something difficult and unrewarding, but you’re returning with me to the capital. Isn’t that even more worse?”
Chu Xie grumbled, “I have my own plans.”
“What plans?” Xu Chunmu asked.
“I’m going to see the Zhao family.”
Xu Chunmu was surprised. His movements became slightly firmer, and Chu Xie made a hissing sound. “Don’t worry; I’m going to see Zhao Xuan, not that bastard Zhao Yu.”
“But didn’t Zhao Xuan threaten you recently in your mourning hall?”
Chu Xie made a disdainful sound. “Zhao Xuan isn’t fundamentally bad. Unfortunately, he was born into a den of wolves. He doesn’t have your capabilities and can only drift along with the current. Now, it’s clear that the Zhao family is conspiring with the Yue Clan. Perhaps Su Mingan’s identity isn’t simple… The situation in the capital is too complex. You are too gentle by nature, and Jiang Yanchi is too radical. We need to start with Zhao Xuan. I have to find out who Zhao Lingqu really is. Then, I’ll find a way to eliminate him.”
“….”
Xu Chunmu had almost become accustomed to Chu Xie’s constant use of the word “kill,” as if he were talking about lives as if they weren’t real.
Chu Xie appeared to be a chess player focused on his strategy.
Not a participant in the game.
“I’m sorry.”
Suddenly, Xu Chunmu apologized. “I’m the one who got you out of the capital, and now I’m the one who brought you back.”
“I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that a few days ago. You have a sharp tongue, Ah Xie. I misspoke, and you—”
Chu Xie’s breathing was even.
He had fallen asleep once again.
Xu Chunmu raised his hand and gently touched Chu Xie’s head. “Don’t worry, it will be over soon. His Majesty will agree… The world is still in turmoil, and he needs someone to firmly stabilize those twenty-two northwestern counties. I understand your intentions, and at the latest, by the beginning of next year, after this war is over, I won’t linger in power. By then…”
“We…”
His hand stopped, and he looked at the peaceful sleeping face. He placed a cool kiss on the man’s forehead.
“…will get married.”
When the carriage reached the capital, Xu Chunmu confidently presented his badge to the city gate guards. They exchanged glances several times and reluctantly withheld the badge. One of them said, “Young Marquis Xu, please wait while we report to His Majesty.”
They cast a few more glances into the carriage, and there was a faint silhouette of a person inside. “Is there someone else inside?”
“Yes.”
Xu Chunmu nodded. “It’s Chu Zhangyin.”
The city gate guards’ expressions changed quickly, and their exchanged glances made Xu Chunmu somewhat uneasy. He immediately grabbed him. “What’s going on? Is he not allowed into the city?”
“Young…. Young Marquis Xu is exaggerating. It’s just that we need to… inform His Majesty. To be honest, the Central Region’s sixteen states have been thoroughly searched. His Majesty has been looking for Chu Zhangyin the whole time…”
Xu Chunmu felt something was odd and asked, “Why is His Majesty so anxious to find him?”
The city guards at the gate didn’t say more and seemed eager to get the visitor settled. They asked Xu Chunmu to alight from the carriage and arranged for him comfortably. They then dispatched a group to escort him back to the Chu residence and sent two others to deliver a message to Zhao Prison.
The Emperor arrived faster than expected, faster than Xu Chunmu could comprehend.
It felt almost unbelievable.
He had barely finished tucking in Chu Xie on one side when the steward informed him, “The Emperor is here. Young Marquis Xu, would you like to withdraw for a moment?”
Xu Chunmu pondered for a moment and replied, “There’s no need.”
This could be a good time to discuss a matter.
As the hurried footsteps drew near, a disheveled figure in dark clothing stumbled through the door. With a clear view of the sleeping man, Jiang Yanchi pinched his hand with force to confirm that it was not a dream.
He was not dead; he was still alive.
After the upheaval in Puyang, he had been unable to sleep, fearing the final gaze and the words spoken between them on the road, a prophecy that had created an insurmountable chasm between them.
Jiang Yanchi’s eyes were filled with longing and distress. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to hold Chu Xie’s delicate wrist. Ten fingers interlocked in a familiar, warm touch.
As he clutched Chu Xie’s wrist, he could feel something real.
“Ah Xie…”
The new emperor’s voice was full of indescribable affection and sadness. “I…”
“I am the Emperor now.”
His voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum, not enough to wake the person who slept so soundly. Countless words choked in his throat, leaving only this one sentence, “I… am the Emperor now.”
“Your Majesty.”
Xu Chunmu’s voice startled him, and he finally realized that there was another person in the room.
A city gate guard had arrived to report that Chu Xie had been brought back by Xu Chunmu.
Jiang Yanchi kept his broken emotions hidden, and he stood up calmly, asking, “It was you who saved him.”
Xu Chunmu saw how much importance the Emperor placed on Chu Xie and initially didn’t want to boast about it. However, he needed bargaining chips for negotiations, so he nodded, “Yes, I couldn’t bear to see my grandfather killing innocent people. I saved him outside the city gates in Puyang County….”
“Why did it take you a whole month to return him, then?”
“There were some unexpected difficulties on the way. I got injured, and I couldn’t travel quickly, so…”
The new Emperor’s eyes glinted as he turned to inspect Chu Xie’s injuries and called out, “Summon the royal physician!”
Xu Chunmu became increasingly puzzled. In theory, Jiang Yanchi no longer needed Chu Xie to secure his position as Crown Prince now that he was the Emperor. Why was he so concerned?
As he watched the chaotic scene unfold, Xu Chunmu could only sit quietly and wait for the hustle and bustle to subside before discussing matters concerning the Xu family with the Emperor.
However, the atmosphere grew increasingly peculiar.
A group of imperial physicians arrived, one by one, to examine Chu Xie’s pulse. By the time the third one examined him, Chu Xie was finally awakened and opened his eyes, realizing he was back in the mansion. He immediately asked for a drink of water.
Jiang Yanchi supported him and made him lean against his chest, personally feeding him water.
Then, he fetched a piece of silk to wipe away the water stains from Chu Xie’s lips.
The more Xu Chunmu observed the situation, the more uneasy he felt. Vague and unsettling thoughts crossed his mind, especially as he recalled overhearing conversations on the road a few days ago.
Chu Xie had been tossed about along the journey and had received painkillers. The royal physicians estimated he would sleep for another half hour or so before waking. Witnessing how the royal physicians treated Chu Xie with great care, Xu Chunmu began to grasp Jiang Yanchi’s intentions.
Perhaps…
This young Emperor had strong feelings for Ah Xie.
Xu Chunmu abruptly stood up and positioned himself between Jiang Yanchi and the bed. “Your Majesty, I have something important to discuss.”
“I don’t want to talk now. Step aside,” Jiang Yanchi replied impatiently.
Xu Chunmu refused to move. “It’s essential.”
Jiang Yanchi lost patience. “Xu Yi… he’s already dead.”
Xu Chunmu was shocked, and his body seemed to lose its strength for a moment. He staggered a few steps before regaining his balance. “Your Majesty… he is the Marquis of Zhenguo. If you kill him, who will maintain the stability of the northern border? The Chongming Army consists of three hundred thousand soldiers, and in the northwest…”
“Xu Chunmu, you saved Ah Xie, and I can spare your life. But Xu Yi must die,” Jiang Yanchi said in a low voice.
“Your Majesty, you’ve dispatched assassins against lords one after another. Aren’t you afraid that people in the world will be chilled to the bone?” Xu Chunmu’s voice carried a hint of anger. “Even if you choose to exile him or strip his title, why must you…”
“Xu Yi has rebelled.”
Jiang Yanchi’s eyes swept across Xu Chunmu’s face, and he said, “Rebellion. Not exterminating his nine generations is already merciful, so how can people be chilled?”
“Rebellion, who—”
Xu Chunmu began to ask but never finished his sentence. Jiang Yanchi knew what the unsaid words meant.
Who is the real rebel, Crown Prince? Aren’t you the one who has rebelled?
Yes, I am the traitor, but what does it matter? The rules of this world have always been about the survival of the fittest.
They stood in silence.
Xu Chunmu heard some movement behind him and, before he could turn around, heard Chu Xie muttering and felt him tugging at his sleeve. “Chunmu, get me some water.”
The scene blurred before his eyes, gradually becoming clear, and he realized he was back at the Chu residence.
Xu Chunmu moved to fetch him a glass of water. Before he could hand it to Chu Xie, the glass was snatched away by Jiang Yanchi. He held Chu Xie up and had him sit halfway, then fed him the entire glass of water.
A scent of sandalwood wafted through the air.
“Jiang Yanchi, what about Xu Yi?”
Chu Xie had just regained some consciousness, but he immediately grabbed Jiang Yanchi’s sleeve. “Where is Xu Yi?”
Jiang Yanchi’s gaze flickered.
“He’s dead,” he said.
“Cough… cough, cough…” Suddenly, Chu Xie began coughing violently, and his face turned slightly red as if he had been choked. His gaze shifted unconsciously between the ashen face of Xu Chunmu and Jiang Yanchi. “Did you kill him? Why did you kill him so quickly? He’s the Zhenguo Marquis. He’s the guardian of the northern border…”
“Chu Xie, don’t you want him dead?”
Jiang Yanchi said to soothe him. “Anyway, you were going to kill him eventually, so I did it first to spare you the trouble.”
“No… I don’t want him dead,” Chu Xie managed to say as he struggled to breathe.
Jiang Yanchi looked puzzled and helped him lie back, propped up against soft pillows.
“These are the same enemies who brought ruin to your family, so why can Chen Lianzhou be killed, but Xu Yi can’t?”
“Ah Xie, you don’t need to be afraid. None of the people you want to kill can escape. If you want to wipe out the Xu family…”
But Chu Xie’s heart raced, and he coughed more violently. He clung to Jiang Yanchi’s shoulder with delicate fingers, clutching his clothes tightly. “No… cough, cough… don’t kill them anymore. Jiang Yanchi, the Emperor… the Emperor didn’t ascend to the throne that easily! The Xu family can’t be killed; let them go… I’ll tell you…”
Deeper doubts clouded Jiang Yanchi’s eyes.
As he shifted his gaze back to Xu Chunmu, his brows furrowed slightly.
Something felt amiss.
With a skeptical heart, he spoke gently, “Alright, you said not to kill him, so I won’t. I’ll spare Xu Changling’s life for now. First, tell me what has happened in this past month, and where have you been?”
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