Chapter 257
After a night of sudden changes in the weather, on the morning of the second day, looking around the entire capital city, ordinary people were all holed up at home, afraid to go out, with only patrol teams walking around.
Suddenly, two people on horseback arrived at the city gate, requesting to leave the city. The guards at the city gate, seeing the group closely following behind these two individuals, didn’t dare to make a decision on their own and could only notify their commander. When the commander arrived, he frowned and said, “Orders from above, strict prohibition on entering or leaving these days, unless there’s a special order.”
“Young Master Lin, you can’t leave the city,” the person responsible for monitoring Lin Qingyang said, stepping forward.
Lin Qingyang turned around and said, “I’m just escorting my friend out, is that not allowed? I don’t even know how long I can survive here. My friend is young, just an ordinary itinerant physician. Letting him leave shouldn’t cause any trouble for your master, right?”
But the supervisor shook his head, “Young Master Lin, don’t make it difficult for us.”
“Why don’t you go and ask your master? I’ll wait here. If I don’t get a response, I’ll just force my way through. Your master should have said not to harm me. Don’t blame me for making you neglect your duty.”
The supervisor frowned, about to send someone to inquire.
Suddenly, a carriage rolled up and stopped. Xu Wenze stepped out of it. He glanced worriedly at Lin Qingyang before asking, “What’s going on?”
The supervisor, being from Duke Wei Guo’s residence, naturally showed respect upon seeing the young master. After explaining the situation, he seemed quite troubled. “I’m just following orders.”
“You were ordered not to let Lin Qingyang leave, but it didn’t say anything about others,” Xu Wenze said after understanding Lin Qingyang’s intention. “Let him go.”
“But there’s been a lockdown these past few days…” The subordinate hesitated. After all, it was related to Lin Qingyang. Although they only saw one horse and a young man, who knows if there might be trouble?
“This person is also my friend. Can’t I let him go? If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility. You just focus on your own duties.”
Xu Wenze said firmly, leaving them with no choice but to step aside.
Lin Qingyang had thought it would be a tough battle. If Xu Wenze didn’t agree, he would have to rely on his own abilities to force his way out with Mu Huichun. But he hadn’t expected Xu Wenze to resolve the situation as soon as he arrived.
Lin Qingyang’s emotions were complex as he faced Xu Wenze, but he still nodded in gratitude.
Xu Wenze felt a bit guilty for Lin Qingyang’s gratitude, but Mu Huichun’s calm resentment strangely comforted him.
Stepping forward, Xu Wenze addressed the people around him, “Everyone, step back. I want to bid farewell to my friend in private.”
With everyone stepping back a few paces, Xu Wenze approached the two and said, “My sister has blocked all information. People outside don’t know what’s happening in the capital. Before Zhao Cheng’s forces moved, they sent other teams to disrupt the Huo family army, spreading misinformation. Don’t go looking for Brother Huo and Brother Yue. Their camps are already filled with spies. It’s not safe over there.”
Lin Qingyang and Mu Huichun’s expressions changed. They had planned several places to go, with the Huo family army being the first choice as it was the safest option recently. However, Lin Qingyang also suspected that they might be under surveillance, given Xu Wenze’s sister’s meticulous nature. If she could find out that the Six Ministries were Chu Lishu’s doing from someone else, she could certainly figure out that Huo Luo and Yue Chen, who benefited from it, might be allied with them and would naturally be cautious.
Fortunately, Lin Qingyang had already considered this possibility, so there were three other options. The Seventy-Two Fort had the Dai siblings, the Western Moon Kingdom had the Xinyue siblings, and the Tongjia Pass had Qi Ci and Ning Ziheng. These options were much more discreet, and others would likely be unaware of them.
These were safe points they could go to. Lin Qingyang and Mu Huichun agreed to adapt to circumstances along the way. Mu Huichun had his own thoughts as well. He didn’t have confidence in handling the situation with his senior brother alone, so he planned to look for their master’s whereabouts along the journey.
During this moment, Xu Wenze came over, assuming that Mu Huichun was going to seek help from Huo Luo, so he hurried over to warn them, thus saving them some trouble.
“Thank you,” Lin Qingyang finally spoke to Xu Wenze.
Xu Wenze hesitated for a moment, then said, “Qingyang, I’ve brought some men with me, they’re on our side. If you’re willing to take a gamble, I have a way to help you and Mu Huichun leave together.”
Upon hearing Xu Wenze’s proposal, Lin Qingyang fell silent, while Mu Huichun became excited and immediately grabbed Lin Qingyang’s arm, his eyes shining. He was willing to take the gamble.
However, Lin Qingyang shook his head and said, “I can’t leave.”
Mu Huichun understood his concerns and said, “At the very least, we can split up after we get out. You don’t have to stay here. Let’s give it a try. Although he’s that woman’s brother, I believe he genuinely wants to help us.” Despite their grievances, they had sincerely escaped from Duke Wei Guo’s residence together in the past.
Xu Wenze nodded. “I’ll do my best to buy you time. If you two act separately, maybe you both have a chance to escape.”
“I really can’t leave.”
Disappointed, Mu Huichun looked at Lin Qingyang. He didn’t understand why Lin Qingyang was hesitating, but at this moment, he could only trust him.
Mu Huichun took hold of the reins, his eyes turning red. He looked at Lin Qingyang and said, “Take care of yourself alone. Don’t you dare die, okay?”
Lin Qingyang nodded firmly and couldn’t help but reach out to pat Chiteng’s body.
“Be good, it’s up to you now. Safely take him to a secure place.”
Chiteng, unusually composed, behaved obediently, just like a properly trained horse.
Lin Qingyang looked at the horse’s body, his eyes turning red. Unable to control his emotions, he leaned closer, seemingly just standing nearby, using the horse’s body to conceal his sorrowful expression from others.
But only he could see it: lying unconscious on the horse’s back was Chu Lishu.
【Invisibility cloak, when worn by someone other than the host, it generates a shielding effect against others, lasting for five hours.】
With tears in his eyes, Lin Qingyang gazed at Chu Lishu’s face. He didn’t need to scrutinize it so closely; he had long etched every detail of Chu Lishu’s appearance into his mind. Yet, even now, he couldn’t bear to blink.
Looking at Chu Lishu’s clearly troubled sleeping face, he knew that his body must be very uncomfortable. All he could do was press his forehead against Chu Lishu’s, feeling heartache, and take a deep breath.
Unable to utter any extra words, Lin Qingyang could only gently press a kiss onto Chu Lishu’s dry, pale lips. The scent unique to Chu Lishu lingered in his nostrils, soothing his restless heart.
Reluctant to move away, he stayed there until a tear slid down his cheek, landing between their lips, tasting salty and bitter.
In the end, Lin Qingyang gazed deeply into Chu Lishu’s face for a moment before finally stepping back, still reluctant to leave.
However, when he tried to take the second step back, he found himself unable to.
His clothing was tightly grasped by a hand.
Lin Qingyang’s eyes widened in astonishment, thinking Chu Lishu had woken up. He lifted his head, only to see Chu Lishu still unconscious.
To others, it might appear that Lin Qingyang’s clothes were just a bit disheveled, causing them to puff up slightly.
Lin Qingyang, fearing that others might catch on, hurried forward, but in that instant, he heard a faint voice.
“Come with me… Don’t… leave me… Come with me… Together…”
Lin Qingyang’s face, which had been holding a forced calm, almost instantly showed signs of cracking. His heart was almost ripped apart by those words.
A sound caught in his throat, but he couldn’t voice it out.
He wanted to leave, but he couldn’t. He also couldn’t involve Chu Lishu.
He could only gently hold the hand that was gripping him tightly, reluctant to touch it, before forcefully pulling it away.
It felt like he had heartlessly thrown the arm away, making Lin Qingyang himself feel somewhat cruel.
The next moment, he heard Chu Lishu’s voice, almost gritting his teeth.
“Lin… Qing… Yang!”
Lin Qingyang felt like crying. How could Chu Lishu be angry with him when he was clearly unconscious?
He’d probably be even angrier when he woke up.
Lin Qingyang closed his eyes. When Xu Wenze approached to inquire about his condition, he immediately stepped back to prevent Xu Wenze from getting closer, so he wouldn’t overhear anything. Then he turned to Mu Huichun and said, “Quickly leave.”
Mu Huichun cast one last reluctant glance at Lin Qingyang before turning to lead the horse away.
He walked alone, leading the horse without a saddle, with nothing much to inspect since it was bare except for some cloth bags hanging on it, which upon inspection contained only medicine. Mu Huichun hadn’t brought anything else. He was simply allowed to pass through.
Lin Qingyang stood at the city gate, watching the figure gradually recede into the distance. He kept watching until Mu Huichun made a motion to mount the horse. With a final neigh from Chiteng, they disappeared from sight.
Unable to see them anymore, Lin Qingyang couldn’t bring himself to leave.
Seeing Lin Qingyang’s slightly reddened eyes, Xu Wenze couldn’t help but ask, “Is it because you don’t trust me that you’re unwilling to take the risk?”
“It has nothing to do with you,” Lin Qingyang replied. It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered it. How could he bear to leave Chu Lishu or trust his safety to someone else?
Even if he were to seek help from the servants at Chu Lishu’s private residence, they might be willing to risk their lives to help him escape, but…
From the moment Chu Lishu fell into unconsciousness, the system issued a warning indicating that progress had been halted. This was a serious warning, indicating that his ultimate mission was in jeopardy.
If there had been a way for Chu Lishu to counterattack upon waking up, the system wouldn’t have calculated such an outcome. Obviously, with things having progressed to this point, the plot had been severely disrupted. It made Lin Qingyang realize that even trying to hide Chu Lishu in the capital would be extremely dangerous. So, sending Chu Lishu away was the only option.
According to the system’s explanation, until Chu Lishu, as the male lead, resumes his role in the main storyline, Lin Qingyang, as the host, cannot leave the setting of the plot. His role is to wait for the plot to unfold and participate in it. Therefore, with progress halted, his actions are effectively paused.
In other words, at least until Chu Lishu regains the ability to act and continues his path to reclaim the throne, Lin Qingyang cannot leave the capital city.
So, whether it’s the system’s limitations or Concubine Xu’s monitoring, Lin Qingyang couldn’t leave with Chu Lishu.
“Get in the carriage. I’ll take you back. There… are some things I need to tell you,” Xu Wenze said bitterly.
Lin Qingyang, devoid of any energy, sat in the carriage.
Only then did Xu Wenze slowly reveal what had happened since last night.
“At dawn, the court urgently summoned all the ministers and announced to everyone that it was the Fourth Prince’s faction who rebelled. Zhao Cheng’s ‘death’ earlier was staged under the Emperor’s orders for the ambush rescue. So, essentially, the royal family has been nearly wiped out. Concubine Mei and the Fourth Prince were replaced with two corpses, effectively declared dead. They’re probably being held captive by Zhao Cheng. Now… my sister and the Empress Dowager are jointly managing the affairs of the court. However, the Empress Dowager is just a figurehead. The real power lies with my sister.”
Lin Qingyang, who had been dazedly listening, finally reacted at this point. “Does the Empress Dowager know about Concubine Xu’s involvement? And Concubine Xu didn’t kill to cover her tracks. Are they actually working together?”
“My sister has captured the only remaining blood relative of the Empress Dowager’s family, Xie Yiqing, as leverage,” Xu Wenze said with an expression of disbelief.
After steadying his emotions, he continued, “The Empress Dowager is now completely under my sister’s control. Zhao Cheng has also pledged allegiance to her. During the purge, he used various excuses to eliminate the leaders of the Imperial Guards. He now commands both the Imperial Guards and the large army stationed outside the city. He’ll likely soon confront Brother Huo. Chief Steward Sheng has been reinstated as the chief steward, but Chief Steward Hai’s whereabouts are unknown. He probably sensed something was amiss and didn’t return to the palace. It can be said that the entire capital is now under my sister’s control. That’s all the information I have at the moment.”
Lin Qingyang felt utterly lost. “What… grudge do you have against the royal family?”
“If only I knew… I wouldn’t be feeling this terrible. Don’t mention my sister; I’ve been questioning my father about it before I came here, but he refused to tell me,” Xu Wenze said with a bitter smile.
He then sighed, “I never expected that this is who my sister truly is. Everything before was just a facade. I don’t know when she started deceiving everyone, even Father obeyed her completely. I began to suspect something when we were on Mount Wuxin. She had connections with bandits and spies from enemy countries. I truly don’t know how much influence she has gathered over the years. She truly frightens me. Ambitions to seize power, murdering members of the royal family… How vast are her ambitions? It’s ridiculous. When she was in trouble before, I was so worried, I wished I could guard her every day. You even saved her. Yet, she still wants to kill Chu Lishu…”
Lin Qingyang trembled suddenly, his eyes turning completely red as if blood were spreading throughout his body. He couldn’t stop shaking.
He had been trying his best to avoid thinking about it. He was afraid that if he allowed himself to dwell on it, he would collapse. He couldn’t afford to collapse; he had to stay calm and do his best to make amends. So, he avoided thinking about it.
But Xu Wenze’s unintentional words pierced through his chest like arrows, regardless.
The emotions, like a dam bursting, became unbearable. Lin Qingyang clenched his eyes shut, biting down hard on his lower lip, desperately trying to control his breathing and prevent tears from falling.
Xu Wenze had manipulated Jing Rouyin to deal with Yuan Ye and Empress Cheng, then used Zhao Cheng to handle Prime Minister Li and Concubine Mei. All of this was happening above and beyond Chu Lishu’s various plans, things Chu Lishu hadn’t even anticipated. If Lin Qingyang hadn’t saved Concubine Xu…. She would die, and there would be no cooperation from Yu Suoxi. Zhao Cheng would die too, and Chief Steward Sheng wouldn’t have had the chance to bury Thunderous Explosion…
No, there were many “ifs” that, if they hadn’t occurred, wouldn’t have led to the current situation.
He had changed everything, ruined all of Chu Lishu’s efforts. Chu Lishu had spent years planning, enduring hardships, only to end up failing to reclaim what was rightfully his, and leaving in defeat.
If Chu Lishu knew that everything could have gone smoothly, that he wouldn’t have lost to Concubine Xu, who just took advantage of the situation… If Chu Lishu had remained the ruthless, merciless tyrant, he would have succeeded.
In comparison, perhaps being cold-hearted to the end would have resulted in less harm.
If Chu Lishu knew that everything stemmed from him, would he hate Lin Qingyang…?
He probably would. Lin Qingyang even hated himself.
“Qingyang, Qingyang, what’s wrong with you…” Xu Wenze suddenly noticed that Lin Qingyang wasn’t acting right. He was breathing rapidly, devoid of color in his face, his body almost convulsing. He seemed drained of vitality, as if he could die at any moment. This was the appearance of someone on the verge of an emotional breakdown, but forcibly holding it back.
Xu Wenze’s eyes turned red. “Qingyang, if you’re upset, just let it out, cry if you need to, even stab me twice if you want. It’s our fault, the fault of the Xu family… It’s me…”
“I… I’m fine…” Lin Qingyang continued to push through. “I’m fine.”
Chu Lishu had left, he was safe now. When everything started anew, even if Chu Lishu resented him, Lin Qingyang would shamelessly cling to Chu Lishu’s side and help him.
And Chu Lishu would forgive him afterwards, right? After all, they were in love, and Chu Lishu was willing to sacrifice himself for Lin Qingyang. What couldn’t be forgiven?
Lin Qingyang shamelessly kept imagining the scene of Chu Lishu getting angry but eventually forgiving him. Only in this way could he keep going.
With these emotions tightly held back, he returned to the courtyard, only to suddenly find several circles of people gathered there.
Xu Wenze, worried, accompanied Lin Qingyang inside, only to see Concubine Xu sitting in the flower hall waiting for them.
Lin Qingyang’s heart immediately clenched.
“Sending someone off?” Concubine Xu spoke slowly, her smile radiant.
Xu Wenze frowned. “Just seeing off a friend. Sister, aren’t you busy today?”
“Yes, I’m done already. The people from the Huo and Yue families have all been brought into the palace for care.”
Xu Wenze was suddenly shocked. “Sister, are you threatening them? The Huo and Yue families are old friends of ours!”
“What are you saying? There’s no rebellion, so where’s the threat? It’s just that this morning, there was an urgent military report. Tianheng Kingdom suddenly launched a surprise attack on the border last night, so I need Huo Luo and Yue Chen to guard the border. They must be worried about their families, so I’m taking care of it for them.”
“You’re clearly allied with Tianheng Kingdom…”
Concubine Xu smiled, and Xu Wenze suddenly realized, “The Huo family army can’t ignore the safety of the Great Zhou Dynasty. You… are afraid they’ll rebel, so you… You’ve discussed this with Tianheng Kingdom, using this tactic to force Brother Huo to not dare to confront you!”
Xu Wenze could hardly stand still, as Concubine Xu’s actions continued to redefine his understanding, showing how ruthless she could be.
“Also…” Concubine Xu’s gaze finally turned towards Lin Qingyang.
Lin Qingyang was already so nervous he could barely breathe.
Concubine Xu smiled faintly. “It’s strange, Lin Gongzi and your cousin had such a deep brotherly bond. Without even a burial, I thought you couldn’t bear it. How come… even the body is gone?”
Xu Wenze paused for a moment, then quickly reacted. The idea that Chu Lishu might not be dead emerged in his mind, and he hastily said, “Elder sister, won’t you even let go of the body?”
“I originally planned to visit Young Master Lin, but found no one in the reidence. Upon searching, there was no sign of the body, even though it hadn’t been moved out. The residence was turned upside down, but still no body. It couldn’t have been cremated, could it? Then where are the ashes?” Concubine Xu’s eyes grew colder as she spoke.
Lin Qingyang forced himself to stay calm and said, “I did indeed burn it with fire. The ashes scattered with the wind, returning him his freedom.”
“Oh really? Maybe the ashes were taken away by that person who left the city,” Concubine Xu’ suggested. Immediately, Xu Wenze countered, “That’s impossible. Your people were at the city gate, they checked everything. How could you not know?”
“Yes, but I’m still not at ease. That’s why I sent out all the assassins from Yu Shuoxi to find a little doctor. I wonder if they can find one.”
Both Lin Qingyang and Xu Wenze were taken aback.
“Sis, what are you doing…”
Suddenly, Concubine Xu’s voice turned stern: “I just don’t believe that Chu Lishu is dead. He’s not someone to underestimate. Escaping death might not be difficult for him after all, especially since ‘seeing is not believing,’ as they say. I only know that seeing is believing, and I’ve already ordered that anyone, whether it’s the little divine healer or anyone who might be with him, is to be killed without mercy!”
Lin Qingyang’s face finally couldn’t hold back, and he suddenly pulled out his dagger and rushed forward, but how could Concubine Xu not have skilled guards by her side.
Watching Lin Qingyang completely blocked, Concubine Xu stood up and said, “Lin Qingyang, you better calm down. I don’t want to kill you. Let’s wait for the real body of Chu Lishu to come back, and then I’ll give it back to you.”
Concubine Xu finished speaking and left, with Xu Wenze following behind, trying to plead.
In the flower hall, only Lin Qingyang remained, sitting on the ground in a disheveled state.
Before long, the warning signal of the male lead’s life-threatening situation sounded in his mind again, but he truly couldn’t do anything about it.
Finally, a heart-wrenching scream echoed throughout the entire courtyard, and Lin Qingyang’s mental defenses completely collapsed.
“I don’t want to regain my life, let me go back. I accept death, I don’t need the mission anymore.”
“System, Fate, let everything return to normal.”
“He shouldn’t have to suffer anymore.”
“It’s all my fault, it’s my fault, I…”
Lin Qingyang’s eyes glazed over as he raised the dagger, but the voice of the system echoed in his mind.
【Even in death, nothing can be changed. Host, please cherish the life you’ve obtained so hard.】
Lin Qingyang froze, tears streaming down incessantly. He lowered his hand, devoid of any hope, and murmured, “Can’t it be restored? Why did you bring me here, why give me missinos? His life could have proceeded smoothly without my intervention, right? Is it just to give me a chance at life, to forcibly immerse me into his life and exploit his hard work to accomplish so-called mission experiences? He’s a person… a human being… Why? Why…”
The system detected that Lin Qingyang’s mental state was approaching collapse, reaching an extremely irrational state. Suddenly, a new interface popped up.
It was a screen Lin Qingyang had never seen before, and he didn’t have the energy to look at it. However, even just glancing at it in his peripheral vision shocked him and drew his attention.
There were various strange data displayed: the male lead’s hostility value, madness value… and the final count of people harmed.
Lin Qingyang’s eyes widened in shock. “What… does this mean?”
【By completing missions, the host is destined to change the male lead’s life trajectory. The purpose of issuing missions is not only to train the host but also to allow the male lead to reconsider his life choices. Because the world of the novel is also a real world, after the original ending of the novel, due to the excessive number of people harmed by the male lead, it has surpassed a certain threshold. Even if the male lead dies later, the impact is too great, leaving behind significant hidden dangers and disrupting the balance of the world, almost causing the extinction of human civilization. Therefore, it is necessary to readjust from his end, but the system and the Heavenly Dao cannot intervene in human choices and can only add a small variable.】
“Am I that variable?”
Lin Qingyang’s mind was in turmoil as he absorbed everything. Now he finally understood why the system issued seemingly straightforward missions from the beginning, only to fail under his influence, and why it didn’t stop him when he clearly made decisions that affected the plot. It wasn’t about allowing him, the host, to easily complete the missions. What the system and the Heavenly Dao wanted was for Chu Lishu to make new choices within a certain range of variables.
As a male lead who could potentially influence the entire world, every decision he made was crucial.
【The ending, whether good or bad, is determined by all factors together. The host can believe that no one can avoid suffering in a world of pain. If the world becomes better, it will certainly be good for the male lead as well. At least from the data perspective, the male lead’s various indicators are better than those of the original male lead. Please rest assured and continue to wait for the task to be released.】
Lin Qingyang felt a strange sense of comfort, as if he had received some kind of reassurance. Yes, Chu Lishu had once said similar words to him. If his arrival caused some trouble, Chu Lishu wouldn’t truly hate him. He should trust his beloved.
If he gave up because of this, Chu Lishu would only hate him.
Yes, this is Chu Lishu.
Lin Qingyang gritted his teeth, holding back all his tears. Suddenly, he remembered the alarm that had just sounded, and realized that it had stopped without him noticing.
Has the crisis passed?
……
On the small road between the two cities, Lu Yi arrived just in time to assist the disheveled Mu Huichun in protecting Chu Lishu on horseback. They were surrounded on all sides, and even with Chiteng’s prowess, they couldn’t escape.
At the critical moment, arrows were about to rain down on the person on horseback, and Lu Yi and Mu Huichun could only desperately throw themselves in front to block them.
A figure in white descended from the sky, silver blades flashing, sweeping away all the arrows.
Like a ghostly apparition, the figure instantly disappeared among the assassins, their hands swift as they wielded their blade, blood spraying in all directions.
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