The sword was entirely black, without a single glint of light. King Xiang was still staring blankly at Jiang Wu, not realizing what was happening.
Suddenly, a hand firmly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him backward, forcing him to lean back and narrowly avoid the strike.
Yin Wuzhi had sneaked in. He had initially been worried that King Xiang would try something against Jiang Wu, but upon entering, he saw Jiang Wu attempting to kill him instead.
His voice was panicked. “What is the meaning of this, Your Majesty?”
To make things easier for Yin Wuzhi, Jiang Wu had always kept the Taiji Hall completely open to him since he didn’t have any major secrets to hide.
Seeing him appear at this moment was more than convenient timing. Jiang Wu directly declared, “I want to silence him.”
As he spoke, Sixteen’s sword didn’t stop. King Xiang finally reacted, twisting his waist to dodge, his face turning pale as he said, “His Majesty harmed the Crown Prince and King Qi.”
Jiang Wu’s gaze flickered.
Now, without him needing to intervene, Yin Wuzhi would believe that he was a ruthless villain.
“That’s nonsense.”
Not only King Xiang but even Sixteen paused strangely.
King Xiang was stunned. “Wh-what?”
Yin Wuzhi corrected himself, “Ridiculous words.”
He took the opportunity to snatch Sixteen’s sword and heavily struck King Xiang’s face with the flat of the blade, saying, “Slandering His Majesty, no wonder he wants to kill you!”
King Xiang, unarmed, looked grim. “But it was His Majesty who said it himself!”
Yin Wuzhi stopped and turned to Jiang Wu for confirmation.
Jiang Wu naturally gave the same answer. “He’s right. I did it all.”
“I don’t believe you,” Yin Wuzhi said. “If you were truly behind it, why didn’t you admit it before, but suddenly confess now?”
“Because I’ve been found out,” Jiang Wu responded calmly. “He has uncovered my secret.”
King Xiang briefly explained his and Qiu Wuchen’s plan. Yin Wuzhi was incredulous. “What do you mean, ‘If he doesn’t marry her, he’s the culprit,’ and ‘If he kills you, he’s the culprit’?”
Jiang Wu gestured for Sixteen to stop, temporarily allowing King Xiang to take the stage.
Jiang Wu liked Yin Wuzhi’s unconditional affection for him, but he wasn’t going to give up his own self-destructive plans for such a thing. He simply didn’t want to deliberately hurt Yin Wuzhi anymore.
So, he had to let Yin Wuzhi realize through other means just how bad he truly was. Sooner or later, Yin Wuzhi’s moral compass would outweigh his inexplicable love, and he would personally kill him.
King Xiang didn’t disappoint. Despite his hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, “Because Brother would never be able to ignore Sister Qiu going mad. Brother… even when he’s wronged, he never blames others.”
Jiang Wu thought that was quite reasonable.
Yin Wuzhi, disbelieving, said, “Your reasoning only proves that His Majesty is kind-hearted and easy to deceive. What else does it prove?”
“Yin Wuzhi, do you really not understand, or are you pretending not to? He has no power or influence, yet he ascended to the throne solely because he won the people’s hearts. He is a saint, destined to ascend to the heavens one day. If he wasn’t truly good, why would the people follow him?”
“He has no power or influence, but he is here because he deserves it,” Yin Wuzhi retorted. “Whether it’s the people’s support or his destiny to ascend, that’s his own blessing. He is a saint. A saint bestows grace upon all of you, and you should be on your knees, bowing nine times to thank him. Instead, you take advantage of his kindness and use the standards of sainthood to criticize him, even trying to condemn him. What kind of logic is that?”
Jiang Wu found Yin Wuzhi’s reasoning absurd. He looked to King Xiang, hoping for a rebuttal to Yin Wuzhi’s words.
After a long pause, King Xiang managed to squeeze out, “From the beginning, he’s always been this good. You have no idea how great he truly is.”
“Is his greatness just something for you ungrateful scoundrels to exploit?” Yin Wuzhi couldn’t contain his anger. “Just because he has a good temper, you think he’s unforgivable if he gets angry even once? Because you see him as a saint, you believe he should forgive all your suspicions, doubts, and unreasonable behavior without limits? What kind of logic is that?”
King Xiang couldn’t find any more words. He had come today already feeling guilty, and in front of Jiang Wu, he didn’t dare raise his head.
Jiang Wu had to speak for himself. “I just admitted it.”
“Everyone who has been hurt by their loved ones has the right to feel angry and speak without thinking,” Yin Wuzhi said. “Just because you admitted it doesn’t make it true.”
“I did not speak carelessly,” Jiang Wu said, glancing at the blood on Jiang Rui’s neck. “Look at his neck.”
Jiang Rui hung his head low, his curled fingers silently confessing his guilt.
Useless.
“I truly intended to kill him,” Jiang Wu added.
“It’s only natural for Your Majesty to want to kill King Xiang,” Yin Wuzhi said, returning the black sword to Sixteen. “He disrespected you, committing a grave offense against the emperor.”
Jiang Wu, momentarily unable to outtalk him, turned to King Xiang. “What do you think?”
Yin Wuzhi continued coldly, “King Xiang Your Highness, to the world, His Majesty is a saint, but to you, he is a brother. You’ve said it yourself—no matter what you do, he would forgive you. But what you did today has broken his heart…”
Before he could finish speaking, King Xiang knelt down. “Your little brother was wrong. Your little brother should never have doubted Your Majesty. Your little brother deserves to die a thousand times over. Please punish me, brother.”
Jiang Wu immediately said, “Kill him.”
Whatever the case, let’s move forward with the plan.
“King Xiang can die,” Yin Wuzhi stepped forward again, “but not at Your Majesty’s hands. After the truth is uncovered, he should commit suicide to atone for today’s offense.”
King Xiang interjected, “Yin Wuzhi, there’s no need to speak. Let my brother kill me.”
“Do you think I’m doing this for you?” Yin Wuzhi retorted. “After all His Majesty has been through to get to where he is, do you think you deserve the risk of him ruining his reputation over your pathetic desire to die?”
“For someone so ungrateful and shameless, you should live and suffer under the weight of your own guilt.”
King Xiang’s face flushed with shame, and he couldn’t lift his head. “Your Majesty…”
“You’re only seeking death to ease your guilt. In the end, it’s still about you—selfish,” Yin Wuzhi said. “You’ve taken so much kindness from him, and now, even in death, you want to drag him down with you. Shameless.”
King Xiang: “….”
Tears streamed down his face.
“I insist on killing him,” Jiang Wu persisted.
Yin Wuzhi glanced at King Xiang, his voice filled with frustration. “Even now, His Majesty cares so deeply for you, still thinking of you.”
Jiang Wu: “…”
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.
He looked at Jiang Rui, then at Yin Wuzhi. “I’m not a good person.”
Yin Wuzhi turned to King Xiang. “Look at what you’ve reduced him to.”
King Xiang, choking on his sobs, said, “I realize my mistakes.”
“I finally understand why His Majesty has become like this,” Yin Wuzhi said. “Because those he truly cares for are all beasts, unworthy of him.”
Jiang Wu added, “I was just pretending to be good.”
“Look at the emperor you’ve betrayed,” Yin Wuzhi said to King Xiang. “He’s still trying to cover for your shameless actions, even at the expense of his own reputation. King Xiang, what have you ever done to deserve such a brother?”
Suddenly, King Xiang leapt up, grabbed the sword from Sixteen, and stabbed himself in the shoulder. His bloodshot eyes fixed on Jiang Wu as he swore, “I vow with my blood, I will uncover the truth and restore my brother’s honor. Then, I will kill myself to atone.”
Jiang Wu: “?”
Unmoved, Yin Wuzhi approached Jiang Wu and suggested, “King Xiang’s death sentence can be spared, but he must still face severe punishment.”
King Xiang gave him a grateful look.
At this moment, to be beaten by his brother was the best possible outcome.
Yin Wuzhi’s expression remained cold.
Make the punishment harsh, so he could lie in bed recovering for a while—long enough to avoid seeing him.
King Xiang left to receive his punishment.
Yin Wuzhi then approached Jiang Wu. “Your Majesty knew about King Xiang and Qiu Wuchen’s plan all along?”
“I didn’t know,” Jiang Wu said weakly, realizing how far things had strayed from his expectations. “I truly want to marry Qiu Wuchen.”
Yin Wuzhi replied, “You’ve been wronged.”
“?” Jiang Wu said, “I truly love her.”
Yin Wuzhi lowered his lashes and sat beside him, whispering, “You and I are kindred spirits, both falling for people we shouldn’t.”
Jiang Wu felt numb.
He slumped back, only for Yin Wuzhi to gently catch him and lay him down softly.
Yin Wuzhi gazed at him for a moment, then softly said, “King Xiang isn’t good. Qiu Wuchen isn’t good either. They will only bring you heartache.”
Jiang Wu wasn’t heartbroken at all.
If anything, Yin Wuzhi was the one who caused him the most grief.
He had meticulously orchestrated everything, and just when King Xiang had delivered himself into his hands, instead of a clean resolution, it had all turned into this misguided display of brotherly affection.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Wu said, “I want to marry Qiu Wuchen, not only because I love her, but because I knew of their plan. I wanted to turn the tables. I genuinely intended to kill King Xiang.”
“I know.”
Jiang Wu stared at him, too tired to speak, using only his eyes to ask: You know what?
“I know that Your Majesty has suffered greatly. You’ve treated people with sincerity, but they have wronged you. It must be because of this that you’ve given up on yourself and ended up as others see you now. Am I right?”
“…” What nonsense are you talking about?
“Can Your Majesty tell me,” Yin Wuzhi cautiously probed, “what exactly did Empress Dowager Yao say to you?”
Jiang Wu strained to remember, and after a long pause, all he could recall was Yao Ji pinching him while crying into his ear, giving him a headache.
He didn’t know.
Yin Wuzhi’s eyes darkened, feeling a pang of sorrow.
Jiang Wu must have endured so much to become like this. Even though he had lost some of his memories, it was clear that Jiang Wu had been exceptional, so exceptional that even after a year of indolence, people still hadn’t given up on him.
Yin Wuzhi leaned closer to Jiang Wu, propping himself on one arm beside his head. After a moment, he softly asked, “Your Majesty, could you stop liking Qiu Wuchen?”
Jiang Wu, “Ah.”
“She’s not worthy,” Yin Wuzhi replied. “She doesn’t truly understand Your Majesty, nor can she ever truly reach your heart. Only I know that the title of ‘sage’ given by common people is nothing but a shackle, preventing Your Majesty from being true to yourself.”
“A true sage should act freely, without restrictions,” Yin Wuzhi chuckled. “What do they know about sages? Every person has their fate. If a true sage were to descend upon this world, they wouldn’t care about anyone’s life or death.”
“Your Majesty is simply a good person, in the most ordinary sense,” Yin Wuzhi lowered his head, pressing his forehead against Jiang Wu’s, his long dark lashes fluttering. “A good person is still human and can have all the flaws others do—laziness, frustration, anger, or imperfection in everything they do.”
“A good person can live recklessly, being unapologetically themselves.”
“… Even if Your Majesty were utterly listless, I would still like you just the same.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
