Chapter 85
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Chu Xie finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, he saw that the person didn’t leave but made a gesture.
This was asking if he needed to find a way to rescue him.
Chu Xie, looking at the half-burned prison door, which seemed somewhat eerie, though he didn’t understand why, he was well aware.
Su Mingan now, for some reason Chu Xie couldn’t comprehend, wanted to quickly kill him.
In the moment of nodding, a dozen or so shadow guards swiftly surrounded Zhao Prison from all sides. Taking advantage of the chaos, they rescued Chu Xie, stuffing him into a carriage.
The carriage had only traveled a couple of streets when Chu Xie quickly changed into different clothes, trying to conceal his identity in a narrow alley.
However, the carriage was stopped on the street, and the sounds of pursuers closely followed.
Chu Xie slipped into a tavern, borrowed paper and pen, and sent a final message to Dr. Zhu. But as he exited through the back door, a sharp sword pressed against his throat.
It was Qi Sui.
“Lord Qi, your eyes are quite sharp,” Chu Xie said. “Can’t you just let me go?”
“You still say it wasn’t you.” Qi Sui’s expression was solemn, gritting his teeth. “I won’t believe your words anymore. If you are wrongly accused, go to Zhao Prison and explain it.”
Creak.
A small sparrow circled above his head. Chu Xie saw clearly that a black string was tied to its foot.
This meant the plan was successful; Xu Chunmu had successfully left the city.
Chu Xie’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally completely relieved. It wasn’t in vain that he had caused chaos in the capital, confusing Su Mingan’s vision. Now, with Jiang Yanchi seriously injured again, no one could disrupt his plans.
As long as Xu Chunmu successfully leaves the Western Capital amid the chaos, he will no longer have any fears.
Concluding the matter here might not be a bad idea.
“Zhao Prison?” Chu Xie gave Qi Sui a sideways glance. “Alright.”
Qi Sui, having served as the Prefect for three or four years, was adept at handling cases and keeping tabs on individuals. Even Su Mingan didn’t anticipate that Chu Xie could be captured and brought back so quickly.
Utilizing Qi Sui in this matter proved to be the right choice. If it were someone else, Chu Xie might have escaped without a trace.
Su Mingan thought Chu Xie was gravely ill last night, and the imperial physician had even predicted an unlikely recovery.
Su Mingan truly believed that the heavens were on his side.
However, the imperial physician managed to save Chu Xie’s life upon entering the palace. If the emperor were to discover the true relationship between Chu Xie and Xu Chunmu, the entire kingdom might fall into the hands of the Shens.
A lifetime of planning would be in vain, and the day when his true wishes would be fulfilled might never come.
Therefore, Chu Xie had to be killed.
Before he revealed the secret, Chu Xie had to be killed in prison.
Dead men tell no tales.
As long as he died, and the illicit relationship between him and Xu Chunmu was solidified, he would have sufficient grounds for the assassination. Even if Chu Xie died, the emperor, if still sentimental, would only direct his anger at the negligent Yingtian Mansion, leaving Su Mingan unscathed.
The young emperor’s throne was not yet stable, and had to rely on himself. Once this crisis passed, everything would return to normal.
This action must succeed in one go.
Otherwise.
Thinking of the young general who, years ago, shot down the Yue Clan banner from a hundred steps away in the blaze of the Yue Clan’s imperial city, Su Mingan inexplicably felt uneasy.
He didn’t know why he was feeling anxious; he had always considered Chu Xie to be someone indifferent to life and death, someone who was not keen on survival. Yet now, for some reason, he seemed different from the person he used to be.
Chu Xie became difficult to control, even quite troublesome.
Perhaps he should have killed him earlier.
***
Entering this familiar place once again, Chu Xie felt the same familiar cold and damp air, mixed with a slightly burnt smell.
The prison remained calm for a day and night. Whether Qi Sui had grown a brain and assigned someone to watch him was unknown to Chu Xie.
At this moment, Chu Xie speculated on how Su Mingan would kill him.
It must look like a suicide, and torture was out of the question. Considering this aspect, this method of death should be acceptable.
He had intentionally given Xu Chunmu a sufficient amount of sedatives, ensuring he wouldn’t wake up within the next three days.
If he died, he wouldn’t need to return. Zhao Xuan would persuade him, arrange things properly for him, and he would spend the rest of his life in peace and comfort in seclusion.
This would also be a satisfactory ending.
The original owner should be satisfied, willingly relinquishing the body that existed in this world.
Chu Xie looked at the sunlight filtering through the small window, but he felt a lump in his throat.
There was an inexplicable sense of sorrow and regret lingering in his chest.
This sentiment was too unfamiliar, seeming not quite like sorrow and regret.
More like—
Reluctance.
What was he reluctant about?
Chu Xie was taken aback by this realization in his heart. He had been meditating when suddenly his eyes opened wide, gazing at the small patch of blue sky.
Xu Chunmu must have a peaceful end, but what about Jiang Yanchi?
He now lived like a tyrant. After his own death, could he still return to the path of a benevolent ruler that he used to follow?
Just as he released a burden from his heart, it felt like an even larger one was placed upon him.
What did Su Mingan know? Why was he so eager to kill him? If he managed to send Xu Chunmu out of the capital, would he be safe for the rest of his life? And Jiang Yanchi—
If he woke up and discovered that Chu Xie was dead.
There was a sudden and intense thumping in his chest.
Almost as if his ribcage was about to shatter.
Would he be very upset?
The erratic pounding lasted for a while, slowly subsiding like a precipitous cliff. Chu Xie wiped his forehead and found a thin layer of cold sweat.
He wouldn’t be…. right?
No matter what, it was just a momentary attraction influenced by possessiveness.
In fact, when he thought about it, he had been here for so long, and Jiang Yanchi had never done anything good for him.
Despite the plot to sacrifice himself for Jiang Yanchi, in the end, he was the one walking this path. The talk of him being his blade ended with Jiang Yanchi standing on the side of the Yue Clan.
It was Jiang Yanchi who nearly beat him to death, who brutally possessed him, and who repeatedly doubted him. Jiang Yanchi, this child, was incredibly difficult to understand.
Although he could easily see through the thoughts of many people, even those of Su Mingan, Jiang Yanchi remained inscrutable.
There were many things he didn’t understand about why Jiang Yanchi treated him this way.
Well, it didn’t matter. He had to return to that world; he had to… be with Little Yin.
Clang.
The iron door of the prison was pushed open heavily, slamming against the wall.
Chu Xie instinctively looked toward the corner, hearing hurried footsteps and faintly discernible, disordered breaths—a sign of urgency.
Was it Jiang Yanchi?
Chu Xie recalled that Jiang Yanchi indeed liked slamming doors like this. Every time he heard such commotion, it was him.
Would he be very worried about him?
Complex emotions gradually surged, yet before Chu Xie could judge them, the figure appeared at the corner.
Chu Xie’s expression changed suddenly, immediately getting up and looking at the newcomer.
It wasn’t Jiang Yanchi.
It was Zhao Lingqu.
The Zhao Lingqu he almost burned to death.
His hand was still heavily wrapped in white cloth and bandages, his face scarred by burns, and his steps were unsteady, indicating he was still in considerable pain.
But upon hearing that Chu Xie was imprisoned in the Zhao Prison, learning that Su Mingan had finally made up his mind to kill this person who should have been torn apart a long time ago, Zhao Lingqu, regardless of his still corroding hatred, rushed over with a body covered in burns.
He wanted Chu Xie to have a miserable death.
Every member of the Shen family should have their bones crushed, hung in the old city of the Yue Clan’s royal court, buried together with the once flourishing and bustling city, decaying eternally without rest.
“General Zhao, this…”
“Drag him out!” Zhao Lingqu displayed the jade token from the Su Mansion.
Rarely did Zhao Lingqu exhibit a somewhat panicked expression. He truly felt that in this world, one good turn deserved another. Yesterday, he narrowly escaped being burned alive, but today, providence seemed to be on his side, delivering Chu Xie into his hands.
With such a golden opportunity, how could he let it slip away?
Chu Xie, with his frail health, staggered forward with a slight pull on the handcuffs. If not for the guards assisting him, he would have fallen directly to the ground.
Zhao Lingqu was extremely puzzled: Such a half-dead patient who seemed to have only half a life left, did Su Mingan really need to use such complicated methods to deal with him? It seemed unnecessary to resort to severe punishment; a few lashes would likely suffice to end his life.
This dog, raised personally but unresponsive to commands, should have been killed long ago!
As they dragged Chu Xie into a dimly lit room and tied him to the rack, he asked, “Does Su Mingan know you’re here?”
Whether he knew or not didn’t matter.
I don’t need to consider his feelings when I act.
Zhao Lingqu snorted coldly, “Do you think just because he raised you, there’s some sentiment involved? That he would spare you a way out?”
“You are from the Shen family, and he hates you to the bone. How could he truly have any feelings for you? Your father massacred tens of thousands of people from the Yue Clan. Even if I were to peel off your flesh layer by layer, how could that repay the colossal debt of sin?”
Zhao Lingqu speculated about what Chu Xie might be thinking at this moment, sarcastically gripping his neck and saying, “He raised you just to trample on you.”
“Otherwise, you would have died twenty-three years ago. If your little brother hadn’t been taken away by Xu Yi first and raised as a member of the Xu family, he would have surely led a life similar to yours. We have lived miserably in hatred, and you must be a hundred times more miserable than us. That’s the reason Su Mingan saved you. Do you think anyone truly cares whether you live or die? Shen Qianan lost in the Battle of Changye, committing high treason and causing the chaos of Yongan. He carries the infamy for a lifetime.”
“The people of Great Wei hate you, and the people of the Yue Clan hate you. You are a member of the Shen family, and even if you live, you can only live a life worse than death!”
The long whip fell, and blood appeared in an instant.
The person looked frail and sickly, with a body that seemed unable to withstand more than a few lashes before succumbing. The jailers were alarmed by his appearance; Qi Sui had specifically instructed not to let anyone die in the prison. They hurriedly went to report.
“Who do you think you are?”
“You’re just a dog raised by Su Mingan! Even as a dog, you still want to bite the master!”
Ignoring the injuries on his body, when Zhao Lingqu had almost beaten Chu Xie to the brink of death, Su Mingan arrived even faster than Qi Sui and shouted, “Stop!”
Zhao Lingqu wiped the blood from his chin and mocked, “What’s this? Wasn’t it you who said he should be killed—”
“I want him to ‘commit suicide out of fear,’ not to be ‘beaten to death’!” Su Mingan checked Chu Xie’s breathing, instructing to release him.
“Then let’s burn him; consider it self-immolation. I want him to experience the pain of being burned alive.”
“But if it’s a corpse—”
“Su Mingan!” Zhao Lingqu forcefully grabbed his collar, “You promised to help me restore the country. Until now, you can’t even kill a Shen dog!”
Grand Tutor Su remained silent.
Finally, he furrowed his brow and said, “Alright, then set him on fire. Move quickly; news is coming from the palace that the Emperor is about to wake up. He will surely be suspicious of this matter. We must lay the blame entirely on Lord Qi. You leave first; I will handle the aftermath.”
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
