Chapter 199: Wind and Thunder
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The thin stream of water poured onto the leaves of the Wind Rain Orchid, gradually growing thicker. It pressed the entire flower to lean to one side, as if experiencing a violent storm.
After one dipper of water was emptied, another followed suit. It was evident that patience had worn thin. Before even completing half of the watering, the dipper was thrown back into the bucket.
Mu Jingyan sat on the steps, surrounded by walls he was sick and tired of seeing. The autumn sun beat down upon his head, adding to his restlessness.
He even had a feeling that the latter half of his life would be spent enclosed within this corner, unable to escape. This notion appeared more frequently, and no pastime could dispel it.
Although he tried his best not to admit it, there was one fact he couldn’t avoid confronting—when he used to stand alongside Ning Wang and Qi Wang, he had never shown such timidity. Yet now, not long after Liu Qingru gave birth to a prince, he had fallen into this predicament.
Moreover, he had brought this upon himself. He had never engaged in a direct confrontation with Liu Zhongming, yet the invisible pressure from him was immense.
Mu Jingyan extended his hand into the bucket, the cool well water calming his agitation. As he was about to get up, he saw someone hurrying towards the door.
“Your Highness, Ning Wang is in trouble!”
He took the handed-over letter and quickly scanned it, his expression turning pale with shock, “How could he have fled? Is he mad? Isn’t this seeking death!”
The ideas of a fool were truly beyond his comprehension.
“I…didn’t I order all of you…” His breathing was somewhat erratic, and he wished he could tear the letter to pieces.
Regardless of what had happened between Ning Wang and the Empress Dowager, the Tang family and the Emperor were now in a stalemate. Engaging in a war of words within the court would surely not be settled anytime soon.
By that time, the Emperor would be at a disadvantage, and he would inevitably involve the Liu family in a confrontation with the Tang family. Even if Ning Wang was eventually released, he could easily remain a bystander, orchestrating from behind the scenes.
What was even more important was that from the Emperor’s attitude towards Ning Wang, Mu Jingyan keenly perceived his stance towards the Tang family, which posed no threat to him.
Yet, despite all his calculations, thinking he could reap benefits from the situation, he hadn’t anticipated this fool running away.
This was a serious crime!
“Your Highness, it is said that Liu Zhongming went to see Ning Wang before,” the person said cautiously, fearing to provoke him, “But he came out shortly afterward, and no one treated it as a significant event. However, this morning, it was discovered that Ning Wang is missing!”
“Why are you telling me now!” Mu Jingyan looked at the sun, which had already passed its zenith, and roared angrily, “It’s been so long, what were you all doing!”
“Your Highness, please forgive us!” The person hurriedly knelt down, “Currently, the palace is under strict supervision, and the news couldn’t be delivered immediately. By the time the outsiders got the message, Ning Wang had already left the city. It seems… he’s heading towards Ten Li Pavilion…”
Mu Jingyan’s breath halted, unable to believe it, “Is Ning Wang planning to force his way into the palace? Where did he get the audacity? Did Liu Zhongming instigate him to force his way into the palace…”
He didn’t finish his sentence before fully comprehending.
“Liu Zhongming is so cunning! How could Mu Jingzhao, this fool, believe him! Doesn’t he know he’s nearing death? No, this can’t be…”
He forced himself to calm down. If the Tang family was eliminated, only he and Liu Zhongming would be left on the stage, facing each other in a deadly struggle. This had all happened too fast, beyond his expectations.
“Quick! Quick, go find someone to catch up with Mu Jingzhao! While he can still turn back, stop him! Notify the Tang family as soon as possible…”
A strange sound interrupted his words. Initially, it was as soft as the buzzing of a fly, then it seemed like something was pushing the air, waves of sound crashing like water.
Mu Jingyan had never heard such a sound in his own home before. After looking around with the person for a while, he suddenly realized, abruptly raising his head to the sky in inexplicable terror.
“What is… that! What is that!”
At this moment, not only Mu Jingyan, but all the people inside and outside the capital raised their heads dumbfoundedly, staring at the dense flock of birds circling in the sky.
The cloud of birds was formed by countless giant birds converging overhead. There seemed to be people riding on them.
Even though still high in the unreachable sky, that terrifying and imposing force was coming straight ahead, as if gigantic wings were about to swoop down upon them the next moment.
The sharp whistling sound stirred in the air, shaking everyone’s ears. People on the streets couldn’t help but kneel down.
“They’re gods… They’re immortal beings’ mounts!”
“What is that?” Those rushing outside the city could clearly see too.
The person following Ning Wang kept his brows tightly furrowed throughout this sudden conscription, deeply worried yet powerless.
Obedience was his duty, especially since Ning Wang was the sole master of the Tang family.
But though he had a duty to follow his master’s orders, he also dared not follow them.
Throughout the journey, he kept asking questions, but Ning Wang was more anxious to hurry along, only responding impatiently — This time, I’ll lead you to a great achievement! It’s almost too late!
He turned to look at the thousands of soldiers behind him. As the city gates drew nearer, his sense of unease grew stronger.
Before he could even voice his concerns, he heard Ning Wang’s exclamation, “What’s that?!”
“That is…” Before he could see the flying yuan in the sky, the slowly closing city gates in the distance intensified his unease and fear to their peak, “Your Highness! The city gates are closing! We must retreat quickly!”
Mu Jingzhao’s reins were forcefully pulled, and before he could react, he was both shocked and furious, “We’re almost there! Charge! There are people waiting to meet us inside! It won’t take long…”
With the sound of gears falling into place, the city gates closed completely. On the city walls, someone stood with their hands behind their back, their disheveled hair and robe sleeves fluttering in the air stirred up by the yuans, as if a heavenly exile had descended to the mortal world.
Exquisitely handsome, yet the gaze they cast upon them was as indifferent as if they were looking at inanimate objects.
“It’s Qu Chenzhou!” Ning Wang straightened himself, pushed up his helmet with his hand, pointed upwards, and yelled sternly, “Shoot! Shoot the arrows now! Shoot him dead!”
As if hearing his roar, Qu Chenzhou took out a bright red command flag from his sleeve, his lips slightly curved as he pointed downward.
Thousands of yuans soaring in the sky whistled and dove down.
“Your Highness! Run! Retreat back!”
In just a moment, the sky rained arrows, leaving no escape.
After a few months of clear skies, the heavens dimmed once again.
No one anticipated that the case of the Empress Dowager’s assassination would come to such an ending.
Ning Wang managed to escape the palace, intending to rebel with troops, but he was shot dead by a barrage of arrows outside the city.
The Tang family, who had been gradually gaining an upper hand, not only lost any opportunity to speak up, but even those who used to argue with the Emperor on behalf of Ning Wang were now living in constant fear.
This turmoil was far greater than what had occurred last year when Qi Wang was exiled.
The blood outside the city gates had not yet dried when the illustrious Tang Shizhong’s residence was heavily surrounded by troops. Even pedestrians dared not pass through the nearby streets.
Although the Emperor’s mood and health had improved visibly, the court sessions were now shorter, and more people held their tongues, conveying their unease and fear through their gazes.
Another change of regime had taken place.
Before the bones of Ning Wang, trampled under horse hooves, could even be found in their entirety, the young prince born less than a hundred days ago in Lijing Palace was conferred the title of Rui Wang.
The third son of the Liu family, Liu Qingchi, entered the Hanlin Academy and was bestowed the position of a Xiu Zhuan. Bai Family’s Little General Bai was promoted to General Delang.
Though none of these edicts mentioned the name of Liu Zhongming, during the banquet, his seat was naturally pushed to the main seat.
However, there is never just one person who prospers in the court.
Even before conferring the title of Rui Wang, at a morning court session, the Emperor bestowed the waist tokens of the Left and Right Jinwu Guards to Qu Sitian in front of all civil and military officials.
As a result, all four palace patrols now fell under Qu Sitian’s control.
During the court session, though everyone exchanged polite congratulations, they all avoided lingering in the presence of this newfound favorite.
Even without seeing it with their own eyes, the horrific cries from outside the city gates grew even more terrifying as they were passed from mouth to mouth. It was said that after the gigantic yuans flew away, those remaining outside the city gates began to cry and wail hysterically.
“Ghost! Ghost!”
Until now, no one understood what those things truly were or what had happened that day. But one thing was clear—while General Bai was the unyielding shield guarding Dayu, the solid bulwark standing before the Emperor was Qu Sitian.
Any twisted and insidious thoughts couldn’t hide from those mesmerizing eyes, and were torn into pieces.
Not to mention the terrifying power that Qu Sitian seemed to have acquired from an unknown source—no one could stop him.
On the other side, the blame for Intoxicated Bone Fragrance’s crime fell back onto the Empress. Song Zhaoyi returned to her position as Imperial Consort Yu, and Huai Wang received substantial wealth and was released from house arrest.
Compared to the previous two newcomers to the court, these actions didn’t even cause a ripple.
The contenders on the arena had changed, and many were secretly speculating that the key to winning the final round laid in who could win over Qu Sitian.
“Win me over?” Qu Sitian spun the charcoal pencil on his fingertip, raising an eyebrow. “Did you start that rumor?”
Liu Zhongming took off his cloak and flung it onto the ground before collapsing onto the bed, lacking the energy to respond.
“Some fool said that, so I’m just going along with it. Fool or not, whoever has lived long enough will want to win your favor right under the Emperor’s nose.”
“Put it out there first to amuse the Emperor, so that Mu Jingyan doesn’t beat us to it. Bring up our past deeds and make the Emperor suspicious.”
Qu Sitian glanced at the setting sun in the west and chuckled disdainfully. “If you’re so worried about the Emperor’s suspicions, you should obediently stay in the lower room. What’s the meaning of climbing onto my bed?”
Liu Zhongming didn’t want to open his eyes, and lazily stretched out his arms. “You little fox.”
There was a momentary weight on his chest as a treasure was placed within his arms.
“You’re so tired?”
“You’ve gained the benefits and are enjoying a comfortable life, while I’m nearly exhausted,” he sighed. “Once the cap of rebellion is put on, the Tang family won’t be able to quell it.”
“We’ve interrogated quite a number of people these days; I haven’t slept much.”
“When people go mad, they bite at anything. Many of them have no real involvement; we’re actually taking down too many.”
“I couldn’t easily find you, so I had to rely on a few of them in private. I even asked Lin Xiang and my father. Can’t say they’re flawless, but at least fewer mistakes will be made.”
His hand stroked over the soft lines of his back.
“Chenzhou, am I too naive—just a single life is a whole family. While it’s okay for the Emperor to be suspicious, I don’t want to see what happened to the Liu family in the past…”
A fingertip lightly flicked his lips.
“You are indeed too naive. The saying goes ‘one who accomplishes a great feat leaves a myriad of bones,’ yet you, who have decided to take the throne, still worry about losing lives?”
Liu Zhongming felt somewhat ashamed, but still persisted, “Many of them are key figures; it’s fine to have internal strife, but we can’t destroy the pillars of the house. When the mansion is about to collapse, no one can escape.”
That fingertip slid across his nose and gently stroked his temple.
“Zhongming, with your clear-headedness and temperament, our efforts aren’t in vain. In the future, educate Lan Er well. Da Yu has traveled such a convoluted path for so long; it’s time to do something right.”
Qu Chenzhou tried to rise, but was pinned down against his chest, and could only helplessly draw two circles around his eyes with the charcoal pencil.
“I should return to the palace soon, don’t be troublesome.”
“If you want to draw, draw inside. I’ll miss you.” Liu Zhongming refused to let go, tugging his clothes open slightly. “Chenzhou, did you ask for that booklet from me today because of Huai Wang?”
Qu Chenzhou chuckled and indeed added a few more lines from his collarbone downwards.
“You noticed?”
“I noticed,” Liu Zhongming replied slowly, savoring the moment. “The Tang family case implicated so many, but the booklet only implicated one person, and even then, the evidence is insufficient. I couldn’t find a good angle to start.”
Qu Sitian sighed.
“That’s what’s important. People can be divided into groups; Huai Wang excels at creating chaos from the shadows, and those he employs are the true rotten roots of Da Yu. They’re hiding too well.”
“Don’t say that Huai Wang won’t make such a big mistake as Ning Wang did in a fit of madness. Even if there are some flaws, those people can still rescue him.”
“This time, the Emperor and the Tang family clashed because of the Empress Dowager’s case. They must have stoked the flames behind the scenes; otherwise, why would it escalate to the Emperor’s determination to wipe out the Tang family?”
Liu Zhongming agreed with these statements.
“That’s a possibility. Rong Jiuan said the Emperor was initially persuaded by Lin Xiang, intending to involve the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishment but he changed his mind shortly afterward, for reasons unknown.”
“To shake Huai Wang, these people must…”
He felt a coolness in his chest and watched his clothes open further, about to move to cover himself.
“Little madman, it’s getting cold.”
Qu Chenzhou pushed his hand away, “Is Shizi so stingy? Isn’t it my belonging? Can’t I even take a look?”
Liu Zhongming propped himself up on his elbow, pretending to not care. “The place is too small; how can you write there?”
Liu Zhongming had seen his fair share of storms and was shamelessly unyielding, “Because it doesn’t have your love, the more you look, the bigger the writing space gets…”
His smooth dark hair suddenly brushed against his skin.
He suddenly let out a muffled groan, trying to break free. However, he was propelled upward involuntarily, one hand pressing Qu Chenzhou’s head as if he could strangle him alive.
“You f*cker… I didn’t ask you to…”
Qu Sitian looked up at him, his breathing heavy, and the watery glint in his tipsy red eyes teetered between playfulness and mischief.
Liu Zhongming roughly stripped away his outer clothes, leaning forward, intending to pull him up and tease him, but the furry fox nimbly avoided him.
“You little seductive fox,” he gritted his teeth, clutching the slender wrist. “If I don’t kill you today, then I’ll share your surname.”
Qu Chenzhou was wrestled into his embrace, pressed against his chest. Soft vocal cords were nibbled and licked a few times, while a charcoal pencil was held between them to keep the dry-mouthed Shizi at bay. It slid down their bodies.
“If the Shizi wants to indulge, won’t there be no space left for me to write?”
Before Liu Zhongming could reach for him, the pitch-black charcoal pencil had already found its place.
“Qu,” Qu Chenzhou wiped away the water marks with his clothes and then, deliberately scratching them with his fingernails. He heard another muffled groan and finally chuckled as he began to write. “Qu… Chen… Zhou. Shizi is mine now.”
He was lifted and held in someone’s hands.
“Little fox, are you done writing?”
Liu Zhongming rolled over, pinning him to the pillow.
“Then I’ll return these three words to their rightful owner.”
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