With help from the men Rong Jing had brought, the Hongzhu assassins were soon eliminated. Given the sensitive nature of Rong Jing’s identity, they did not tell Xu Qingye the truth. They merely explained that these were sworn brothers Rong Jing had met during his travels.
Xu Qingye was astonished only briefly that the man had several dozen sworn brothers before accepting it. After all, this was a wandering martial artist who had rescued two people who had fallen off a cliff. Having so many sworn brothers seemed perfectly natural.
As one of those rescued, he therefore volunteered to become Rong Jing’s sworn brother as well. Rong Jing’s expression changed several times before he declined.
Xu Qingye breathed a sigh of relief. Not for himself, but for the other two: one was the emperor, the other the Prince Regent. Either of them becoming Young Master Jing’s sworn brother would be troublesome. The Prince Regent might even silence him permanently afterward.
As for His Majesty, their emperor was so cunning that he would probably accept at once, then drag Jing Lan into the mire just as he had done to Xu Qingye.
Xu Qingye greatly admired honorable wandering martial artists like Jing Lan. He did not want the man drawn into Yanjing’s struggle for power merely because he had saved him.
Rong Jing knew nothing of his thoughts. Now that he had laid everything out before Song Liang, he no longer concealed matters. He ordered his men to bring spare clothes and medicine, and even procured a simple horse-drawn carriage.
“I borrowed it from a wealthy household below the Western Hills. I once saved their son-in-law,” Rong Jing explained.
Song Liang: “…”
The man truly did enjoy saving people.
With a carriage available, even the gravely wounded Xie Yun could leave immediately. The group delayed no further, departing the little hut below the northern peak under cover of darkness.
Before boarding, Song Liang casually asked Rong Jing the name of the man whose hand he had sliced a piece of flesh from. Thinking he meant to punish him, Rong Jing immediately dropped to one knee.
“He is my subordinate. Everything he did was on my orders. If Your Majesty insists on assigning blame, please punish me.”
Song Liang looked at him. Although kneeling at his feet, Rong Jing remained composed, his shoulders and back straight.
“You truly deserve your reputation as a gentleman. But you underestimate me. I merely wish to offer your subordinate some compensation.”
Rong Jing was slightly surprised. Hearing Song Liang deliberately adopt his imperial manner, he realized his subordinate was to be rewarded, but remained puzzled.
“Rong Jing thanks Your Majesty on his behalf. But weren’t you…”
“I was indeed angry. But I also knew he was following your orders, so you were the one I was angry with.”
“Then why would Your Majesty—”
“The medicine you gave us was good.” Xie Yun’s fever had broken after taking it.
Rong Jing paused, then realized he meant the antidote pill he had given Xie Yun.
“I obtained it by chance during my travels. It can counter most poisons apart from rare, exceptional ones. I have no use for it, so it’s good if someone else can benefit.”
Those words, so simple and guilelessly kind, made Song Liang stare at him for a long time.
3085: 【You couldn’t say that in three lifetimes.】
True. If Song Liang possessed an antidote pill, he would sooner crush it and feed it to a dog than give it to an enemy. But Rong Jing really would give it away, because that was precisely the sort of person he was in the original novel.
Song Liang: 【How did someone like him end up with Helan Ze?】
Here was a valiant young general who cared for the realm. Even after suffering injustice, losing his entire family to execution, and becoming the fugitive son of a disgraced official, he had never lost his innate goodness. How could he fall for someone as ambitious and ruthless as Helan Ze?
3085: 【Falling in love can be very simple or very difficult. For two people to love each other and remain together is even harder, so every factor matters. Little worlds do not take away NPCs’ free will. Every NPC makes the choice they genuinely want to make at that moment.】
To ensure Song Liang understood, it offered an example.
【Just as Xiao Yi chose to leave the Emperor’s Tear to you in the previous world. That never happened in the original plot, and the little world could not prevent it. It was an expression of Xiao Yi’s will alone.】
For a moment, Song Liang said nothing.
“Your Majesty?” Seeing him stare without speaking, Rong Jing asked, “There are three military garrisons near the Western Hills. Which should we visit first?”
“None of them. The Western Hills garrisons all fall under the Five Military Commissions. The commanders of all three nearby posts belong to the Qin family. There’s no point wasting our effort.” Song Liang continued, “Go straight to Qingyang Prefecture.”
Rong Jing paused. “Qingyang is closer, but its military strength is far inferior to Anyang’s. Since Lady Qin intends to commit treason and regicide, she must have secretly mobilized considerable forces. If we’re seeking reinforcements, why not go to Anyang?”
“Who said we’re seeking reinforcements?”
“…”
Rong Jing stared. “Does Your Majesty want an escort directly back to the capital?”
“An escort, yes. But not to the capital—to the Western Hills.” Song Liang spoke slowly. “Lady Qin has more than the Hongzhu assassins. She also controls the Red Cloud Guard. The Xiaoyi and Tengxiang Guards must remain around the Western Hills to keep them in check. That means we need others to escort us back as quickly as possible.”
“As for Qingyang, it’s close, and its prefect is Chancellor Yin’s student. He also belongs to the Zuo clan of Xinyang, a scholar of noble lineage. Lady Qin won’t dare move against him openly.”
Rong Jing was puzzled. “Why must Your Majesty hurry back to the Western Hills camp? What will happen if you don’t return in time?”
Song Liang was about to answer when an indifferent voice came from the carriage behind them.
“If we don’t return in time, the Black Armor Guard will rebel.”
Rong Jing’s expression changed. He instinctively looked at Song Liang. When the emperor offered no denial, shock ran through him.
“Your Majesty—”
“Go to Qingyang.”
Without further explanation, Song Liang lifted the curtain and entered the carriage.
Inside, Xie Yun had changed into a moon-white cotton robe. His face was pale and cool, his eyes half closed, his lips lightly pressed together. Were it not for his broad, imposing frame, he might have resembled an elegant scholar, his bearing refined and graceful.
“Rong Jing wants his clan’s name cleared. Although you did not issue the decree ordering his household’s execution, it bore your imperial seal. Exonerating them would damage the imperial family’s reputation. The ministers will not agree.”
“Have I done so few things they disagreed with?”
“…”
Xie Yun slowly opened his eyes. He seemed to be looking at Song Liang, yet perhaps he still could not see him; his gaze was faint and unfocused.
“I was responsible for the Rong case. If you wish to clear their name, you should execute me as its architect.”
Song Liang thought the man was more pleasant to listen to with his eyes closed. The moment he opened them, his words acquired a blade’s edge. He openly admitted to orchestrating the Rong family’s downfall, openly probing Song Liang’s attitude.
Song Liang said nothing. Xie Yun continued facing him, waiting for an answer.
Instead, Song Liang suddenly asked, “Can you swim?”
Xie Yun: “…”
3085: 【…】
Day after day, no one could guess what went on inside its host’s head.
“I consulted a fortune-teller about you. You drowned in your previous life, so you’d best learn to swim in this one. Of course, if you really don’t know how, I can teach you.”
“…”
Xie Yun could scarcely be bothered to answer. His body was too weak, and he had no energy to watch this man rack his brains to deceive him to his face. Nor did he care to expose the irreconcilable conflicts and grievances between them.
He simply closed his eyes. Yet sharp, muted pains spread through his chest, like countless fine needles lodged there, leaving him stifled and heavy.
Then he heard the little emperor’s composed voice.
“I told you I wouldn’t let you die.”
“…”
Silence fell inside the carriage. Even the pain in Xie Yun’s chest seemed to pause. He opened his eyes again. He could not see the little emperor’s face, but he could imagine him now: watching him earnestly and calmly, his dark eyes seeming to hold no one else. Then came words that sounded like something born of Xie Yun’s own longing—
“No matter where you and I end up, remember this: I cannot bear to let you die.”
“…”
His thoughts tangled once more, ensnaring him like a net.
He remembered his uncle’s words again. The imperial house of Chen was the most ungrateful of all. Its people deceived others so easily, then just as easily turned away and abandoned everything.
Whether the man before him would one day betray him remained unknown. But at the very least, he truly knew how to deceive. Words that unsettled the heart came effortlessly to him, and his gaze was so sincere that one could believe his eyes and heart held only oneself—when, in truth, he was merely speaking on a whim.
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