Chapter 61 - Honey Tangerine Flavored Shadow Guard Gong (19): Cheap sc.u.ms commit mutual harm! A great change！
Translator: KunLin
Editors: Vez, Blarghette
*Heaven-fated body/person has been changed to son of heaven in some parts accordingly.
Three months after he had pa.s.sed on his authority in court, the Emperor announced that he was going to abdicate.
The news shocked everyone.
After the ministers visited the Emperor, they were given a scare by the heavily ill Emperor whose head was full of white hair.
They heard the Emperor personally say, “Zhen has led campaigns on the battlefield since the age of fourteen. Later on in life, zhen discarded martial prowess to pick up the pen, striving only to better the country. Zhen dare not talk about merits, but at the very least, there were no demerits. Now zhen is ill. Towards running the court, zhen has the will but not the strength. The Crown Prince has been handling the matters in court without fault and there are many beloved subjects able to a.s.sist him. Zhen is a.s.sured. In the next few days, have the Ministry of Ceremonies pick an auspicious day to have the Crown Prince ascend the throne. All of you here are loyal and capable subjects and are the pillars of the country. From today forth, do well to treat the Crown Prince like you would zhen…cough, cough, cough.”
No matter how many thoughts were in their heads, they could only accept and carry out the decree.
The Emperor couldn’t wait any longer.
Although repeatingly taking the secret medicine preserved his life, the backlash was also very serious.
In the short half a year period, his hair had become grey and his body was rotting and leaving him hollow from the inside. He knew he didn’t have much longer to live, so he summoned Zhong Yue to push their agreement forward. Zhong Yue still couldn’t confirm the depth of Li Yan’s feelings towards him, but seeing that the Emperor was indeed tight on time, he could only grit his teeth and agree.
After receiving the auspicious hour from the Ministry of Ceremonies, Li Yan couldn’t hide his joy.
“Chong Hui.”
He hurriedly headed to the side palace where Zhong Yue was living and drew him into his arms.
Zhong Yue was stunned. He then turned his head, smiling while asking, “Dear Yan, what causes you to be so happy?”
Two years time had pa.s.sed and he was nearing adulthood. The immature physique of a teenager had receded and his temperament had become more refined, like a jeweled sword with an unexpectedly sharp edge, causing people to ponder. Moreover, his injuries had already healed. His current appearance was even more beautiful than when they had first met.
Looking at his smile that was akin to a blooming flower, all memories of his ugly side scattered into dust.
Zhong Yue had always done things in a high profile manner. Many people, including Li Yan, knew that the Emperor had only pa.s.sed the decree after meeting with Zhong Yue. The Crown Prince being able to ascend to the throne so smoothly was largely attributed to him.
“Today the Ministry of Ceremonies had decided on the ascension date. It is set to be on the fifteenth of next month. In just one more month, I’ll be able to sit on the throne. At that time…”
Li Yan controlled the ecstacy and impatience in his heart. He kissed Zhong Yue’s forehead and said adoringly, “Chong Hui, meeting you, knowing you, and loving you is my luck acc.u.mulated from three lifetimes.”
Tears formed in Zhong Yue’s eyes. Faced with this kind of Li Yan, he was dazed.
The gentleness in Li Yan’s eyes was undoubtedly sincere. This sort of gaze made Zhong Yue deeply entranced, the unpleasantness of the past all disappeared in the moment. He was suddenly uncertain: In this lifetime, except for this man in front of him, there probably won’t be a second person who can make him love and hate so deeply…can he really harden his heart, ruin his path to rulership, and take his life?
However, what Li yan said next quickly trampled his last trace of hesitation.
Li Yan asked him, “Chong Hui had said before that once you reach adulthood you’ll be able to take over the Zhong Clan. At that time, will you return to TianJi Mountain?”
Zhong Yue’s heart sank but he smiled and said, “There’s no need to wait until my birthday. On the day you ascend the throne, my clansmen would accept me as the Clan Head and come to take me back to the clan. The Emperor meant to step down for King An, but I entered the palace that day and negotiated with him using this as the condition. I told him that I, Zhong Yue, will only recognize you as the monarch. So long as I live for a day, the Zhong Clan’s att.i.tude won’t change, and only then did he give up that idea. It’s just…I’m afraid this parting, it’s uncertain if we can meet again in this lifetime.”
Li Yan didn’t discover the complicated look in his eyes.
Hearing how Father Emperor had originally chosen King An and had wanted to push him aside, Li Yan narrowed his eyes faintly. In his heart, he determined he must completely eliminate King An. Then listening on, Li Yan felt overjoyed, then grateful, and then reluctant, “Chong Hui, don’t go. Didn’t we promise to see all the beautiful sceneries and to create a flourishing new age together hand in hand? Stay by my side forever, isn’t that good?”
Zhong Yue hugged him tightly, he said with a voice choked with emotions, “Dear Yan, I’m also unwilling, but…I have no other choice.”
Only your life can redeem mine.
He could only make a choice.
Li Yan didn’t know what he was thinking. He heard him then pressed, “Why? TianJi Mountain is only a few days away from the capital. Even if we can’t stay together for long periods of time, at that time you are the master of the Zhong Clan and I am the country’s monarch. If we want to meet, who can stop us?”
“You don’t understand…the clan rule is like this. I originally thought we could stay together if I just give up the Zhong Clan and give up my ident.i.ty as someone from TianJi Mountain. But if I do that, you wouldn’t be able to obtain the world. You will regret it, rue it, be tormented and agonized. How can I bear that? Rather than letting you be sad by my side, why not freely go our own ways?”
“Chong Hui, don’t say that. What meaning is there to the mountains and rivers without you?” Li Yan made him face him and held his face, “Rules are made by people. After you become the head, why can’t you change it? Or is it that you’re not willing to be together with me?”
“What are you saying, if not for you, why would I…”
“Chong Hui, don’t cry. I know your difficulties, but I also believe things can be changed through effort. To be where we are today, we had to cut down countless obstacles before we could walk a smooth road. Now no one can stop us from being together.”
Zhong Yue cried even harder. He asked Li Yan, “Do you love me?”
“Of course. The waters are plenty, but I only want you.”
Li Yan said with conviction.
Zhong Yue breathed in deeply. He hugged him tighter and said in a low voice, “Li Yan, remember what you said today…don’t lie to me.”
King An’s Manor.
It was shrouded in gloom compared to the East Palace where joy hung on everyone’s brows.
Niu Bi looked at King An’s dark expression and said, “Your Highness, have you thought it through? There is no going back after you’ve taken this step.”
King An clenched his fists, “Could it be sir has some other ways? Even if I concede, is there truly a way out for me?”
Thinking of the news he had received from his secret channel, he hated that he couldn’t tie Zhong Yue to five horses and dismember him.
Clearly, Father Emperor had intentions to depose the Crown Prince and instate him instead, but unexpectedly in the end he still yielded to the power of TianJi Mountain, choosing to pa.s.s the throne to Li Yan, who was supported by Zhong Yue. They had clearly conspired to steal what originally should’ve been his!
Seeing how Li Yan’s ascension date was nearing, King An knew how perilous his own situation was. He could only cut off his own retreat and stake everything on one last fight.
He clearly understood that if he gave up this last window of opportunity, Li Yan would never keep him around as an idle king—just like if he was the one who succeeded, he would refuse to let Li Yan live for a moment longer.
So he could only gamble everything.
Moreover, King An had his own trusted aides at court, not to mention the support of his maternal clan. If that wasn’t enough, there was still the Zhang Clan. Zhang Tian once humiliated Zhong Yue, the Zhang Clan surely wouldn’t just sit idly by as Li Yan ascended the throne. With this in mind,it wasn’t completely impossible for him to seize the throne. Even if he failed, the worst outcome would merely be…
Thinking up to here, King An said heavily, “Sir doesn’t need to say anything more. The winner takes all. Whether I succeed or fail, this prince won’t shrink back!”
Zhong Manor.
Li Xi once again disguised himself and came to visit. This time Gou Liang was too lazy to see him.
He had had a Quan shadow guard pa.s.s on a message—to do nothing extra. However, at the same time he knew that Li Xi would definitely not listen.
As expected, not a few days had pa.s.sed when Zhong Quan received a report, “Master, there are movements in the south. The subordinates left by Emperor Wu’s brother are heading north; they are certain to arrive before the ascension ceremony. Li Xi is making his move.”
Not only that, Quan Ya’s investigation also revealed that King An was also mobilizing troops in secret and Li Yan was gathering soldiers as an insurance as well. At the same time, the Emperor was guarded against Zhong Yue and had left an escape route for himself.
Gou Liang smiled, “They are truly related, their ambition lives up to their bloodline as descendants of the founding Emperor.”
Like this, on the day of Li Yan’s ascension ceremony, there would be at least four armies greeting each other.
Oh right, the Zhong clansmen that had already been sent from TianJi Mountain couldn’t be forgotten. Zhong Yue planned to resolve his life and death crisis on that day, and the Zhong Clan had attached utmost importance to this matter. Even the Clan Head who rarely ventured out came personally to ensure no mishap occurred.
Jackals, wolves, tigers and panthers all gathered in one palace. It would surely be a lively scene.
Gou Liang rubbed his lips with a small smile. He looked forward to it quite a bit.
Before Li Yan’s ascension ceremony was the Zhong Clan’s death anniversary.
On that day, Gou Liang brought Zhong Quan and a few other shadow guards to give offerings. He didn’t go visit the memorial set up by the Emperor at HuGuo Temple, instead he went outside of the capital to where the bodies of the Zhong Clan members were buried.
This place used to be a completely barren piece of scorched earth, but after ten years, the wild gra.s.ses had regrown and were now flourishing.
This place was a taboo for the natives in the capital. Whether it was because they were afraid of the State Teacher’s mysterious arts or because they felt reverence in their hearts, no one dared to disturb the Zhong Clan members who rest here. They all cautiously avoided this place.
The wild gra.s.ses here grew freely, pushing against each other and were nearly three meters tall, reaching just short of a person’s chest.
The entire way there was peaceful. When the joss sticks were burned completely and the paper money was scattered into ashes, the people hiding in the dark still hadn’t made a move.
That’s right, Gou Liang came here with two purposes today. One was to give offerings, and the second was to use himself as bait to lure the person working for Zhong Yue’s great-grandfather into the open.
That person knew the secret that among two sons of heaven, only one could live. The date where Zhong Yue was planning to resolve his ordeal was quickly approaching. An uncertain factor like him, they will definitely try to get rid of him before the ascension ceremony.
And today was the best opportunity.
However, the person was even more patient than Gou Liang had thought.
When the offering ritual came to an end, Gou Liang who was silent for a long time raised his hand and said, “Bring the wine.”
A cup of yellow wine spilled onto the earth.
“Grandfather, Father, Mother, Chang Qing didn’t fail your expectations. Everyone who harmed the Zhong Clan has been made to pay in blood.”
He bowed.
“Grandfather, the country’s fate is coming to an end. The Li Dynasty has not ceased to have anything to do with my Zhong Clan. The will of Heaven is hard to defy. Grandfather, if you’re watching from the nine springs underneath, don’t blame yourself. The Zhong Clan has done nothing wrong and has had a clear consciousness towards the Li Dynasty, so don’t worry.”
He drank three times.
“Mother, I’m doing well now.” He looked at Zhong Quan and said while smiling, “The words you said to your son back then, I remember them all. I…I’ve already met the person you told me about, so don’t worry about me anymore.”
“Zhong Quan.”
Gou Liang pa.s.sed over the wine cup and called out.
“Subordinate is here.”
“Kneel, kowtow in my place.”
Zhong Quan was touched. He knelt with no hesitation and kowtowed sincerely.
He kowtowed thrice before standing up. He thought silently in his heart: Daren, rest a.s.sured, no matter what happens in the future, Zhong Quan will not fail in what you entrusted to me. If you’re watching from below, please watch over Master and ensure he lives a long, healthy, and peaceful life.
The sun was setting west, Gou Liang took one last look before putting on his mask again. He said quietly, “Let’s go.”
Because of the tall wild gra.s.ses, Zhong Quan didn’t push the wheelchair and carried him instead to prevent him from getting hurt. He had only walked a few steps when he heard a movement by his ear. With light steps, he carried Gou Liang and leapt into the air onto the stalk of a wild gra.s.s. His weight caused the wild gra.s.s to bend slightly, but he stood steadily on top of it.
The wind whistled, carrying along the gra.s.s seeds which had become sharp weapons as it flew towards Gou Liang.
The birds, snakes, and frogs that didn’t manage to leave in time became sacrifices of dismembered b.l.o.o.d.y flesh as they let out ear-piercing and plaintive cries.
Zhong Quan blocked it off with his sword qi. The shadow guards accompanying them also revealed themselves. Confirming their targets, they led the slaughter as they darted into the densely grown wild gra.s.s.
Gou Liang took off the hood of his cloak. Black and green gra.s.s seeds filled his vision and a strong inner force caused his clothes to flutter wildly. Vegetation grew densely in the wilderness, Zhong Quan carried Gou Liang and nimbly moved on the top of the wild gra.s.s. His sword qi blocked any wild gra.s.s seeds and occasionally, the razor-sharp leaves that were mixed in, producing sharp metallic sounds as they clashed with the blade.
Gou Liang with a ‘not bad’ expression thought in his heart: Using fluttering flowers and flying leaves to cause great harm, this is the stuff of the legends. It is indeed impressive!
“Master, be careful.”
When Zhong Quan saw he had taken off his hood, the arm holding him became tighter.
“No big deal, how many people are there?”
“No less than a hundred, but this subordinate can handle it, Master can rest a.s.sured.”
Gou Liang saw how he was swinging his sword with ease and was naturally at ease, but he still said, “You have to be careful too. If you dare to get hurt, I’ll punish you.”
Zhong Quan pursed his lips and smiled. Although he didn’t reply, the movements of his sword became even faster.
A ferocious close quarter combat took place in the midst of the wild gra.s.s. Whether they were dead or injured, no one let out a single cry, though the whistling of the wind and the rustling of the gra.s.s grew more and more intense.
Blood splattered onto the blades of the gra.s.s. Unable to bear the weight, the blades of gra.s.s bent over. Drops of dark red blood dripped from them then disappeared into the soil.
The battle was at an impa.s.se for nearly a quarter of an hour, then there was a long cry and the opposing side switched tactics. The other side no longer cared whether they made a commotion or not, or if they would be able to erase all their traces. Poisoned arrows covered the sky and shot towards them.
Zhong Quan frowned. He fended off the attacks while retreating, “Master, Quan One had already brought men to surround the area, but this time he won’t let go easily. This place is dangerous and it is no longer safe to observe. This subordinate will take you away first, alright?”
Gou Liang hadn’t watched enough yet but he knew right now he would only be a big burden that tied Zhong Quan’s hands and feet. He nodded.
Seeing that they wanted to leave, the long cry sounded again. The poisoned arrows were switched out for flaming arrows. Where they fell, a fire caught and thick smoke soon rose from the burning gra.s.s.
“Cough, cough.”
Gou Liang choked. He quickly covered his mouth and nose.
Zhong Quan furrowed his brow and began to push his martial arts to the limit!
It was like he had grown eyes on his back. The arrows flying towards them were easily evaded by him or blocked by his sword. In an instant, they had left the battlefield.
The opponent’s side had come prepared. Their way back to the capital was full of traps and ambushes. Unfortunately, the mantis stalks the cicada without being aware of the oriole behind—in the end he still underestimated the network of the capital Zhong Clan. He didn’t expect for Gou Liang to have so many highly trained shadow guards by his side. Not only did the suicide soldiers he sent fail to take Gou Liang’s life, they were all killed instead.
Seeing that his side was already exhausted, it was unlikely he would be able to fulfill his purpose today. Although he was unwilling, he had no choice but to retreat.
The Quan shadow guards chased his tail and even exchanged moves with him several times, but in the end, he still managed to escape.
Quan One reported, “This subordinate was incomptent and failed to complete the mission. We only managed to injure his arm.”
This result wasn’t out of Gou Liang’s expectation.
“No need to blame yourself, you did very well.”
Saying this, he took the sword Quan One presented to him. His finger tip lightly brushed over the blood on the sword. He calculated, then said his hard to conceal puzzlement, “It was actually…him.”
The fifteenth of September.
The Crown Prince officially inherited the throne and the ascension ceremony began.
“The Emperor has decreed: Zhen has been in this seat for twenty one years and has never forgotten the spirit of preceding ancestors, to be diligent, fair, and earnest in leading the country. Although zhen does not possess the talent to unify and stabilize the country, zhen has never shirked his duty. Zhen spent his youth on the battlefield and now an old illness has already taken a deep root and zhen can no longer watch over the country. Thus, zhen now announced to the ancestral temple, the seat will be pa.s.sed onto the Crown Prince and zhen will step down as the Emperor Emeritus. May the country stand eternally and the common people prosper. End.”
“Your officials have received the decree. May the Emperor live for a hundred thousand years!”
“Your son obeys. Thank you for Father Emperor’s grace. Your son will definitely strive to govern the country and live diligently to not fall short of your expectations.”
Li Yan raised his hands and accepted the imperial edict, then turned around to face the state officials.
The hundreds of officials bowed and said, “We greet your Majesty. We greet the Emperor Emeritus. May you both live for a hundred thousand years!”
Emperor Wu moved seat to the side, leaving the lofty dragon throne empty.
The eunuch overseeing the ceremony loudly announced the rules of the ceremony again and invited the Crown Prince to the back of the palace to change into the dragon robe and wear the dragon crown. As Li Yan bid farewell to the Emperor Emeritus, his eyes glided across the now empty dragon throne. He walked towards the inner palace in large strides. His steps were very steady but they also seemed eager.
“Dear Lan.”
Li Yan had already shed the robes worn by a Crown Prince and was waiting for an officer to help him into the dragon robe. He didn’t notice when the other had walked to his side, only realizing the other’s presence after he had spoken.
“Chong Hui, why are you here?”
Li Yan’s eyes were full of impatience but faced with Zhong Yue, he still held his temper.
Zhong Yue looked at the kneeling officer who was holding the jade girdle of the dragon robe and the dragon crown in his hands. He lifted his head and smiled at him, “Dear Lan, I’ll personally help you wear it, okay?”
Li Yan cheerfully agreed. He dismissed the attendants and pulled him into his arms, “Chong Hui, zhen is so happy.”
“I’m also happy for you.”
Zhong Yue raised his arms and hugged him back, causing Li Yan to smile.
Zhong Yue carefully helped him dress. He tied the belt. The nine dragon link girdle fit extremely well. He rose and fixed Li Yan’s dragon crown. Through the curtain of pearls, he could see Li Yan’s handsome face, and pain flashed through his eyes again.
“Li Yan, are you happy today?”
“Of course!”
“Then…do you love me?”
Zhong Yue asked this question again.
Li Yan hugged him and said, smiling, “Naturally zhen loves you. The heavens can be witness to my feelings, I vow it’ll never change. Chong Hui, you know zhen’s heart.”
“Really…then it can’t be better.”
“There’s not much time left, Chong Hui, later—”
There was a pain in his chest. Li Yan lowered his head in shock and saw Zhong Yue’s face covered in tears. He gripped a dagger tightly in his hand with the sharp tip buried in his chest. A blood red color seeped through the golden dragon robe.
“You…why…”
“Your Majesty, it’s almost time, you—ah!!!”
His personal eunuch let out a shattering scream, a prelude to the great changes that would happen on this day.