Chapter 106: Encountering a Clear Day Chapter 85: Make Preparations for the Ten Unforgivable Evils

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Shaowei

Liu Qi

Liu Qi gave his answer: "I know Changshi is wholly loyal and devoted, and has never held anything back in his treatment of me. Precisely because this is a critical juncture and the road ahead is perilous and uncertain, if I continue to conceal things, and some day an irreparable matter arises, Changshi will still speak in my defense and argue my case, and will inevitably be seen as my accomplice, suffering my misfortune for no reason—that would be truly unjust."

"I know Changshi will not leak what he saw today. I also hope Changshi is wise enough to protect himself and not be drawn into this conflict." Liu Qi said calmly: "The scars on my arm will disappear before we reach the capital. Please, Changshi, stay here."

Tang Jia, sitting slumped on the ground, had trembling eyes and conflicted emotions.

Showing him those scars was both a sign of trust that he would not expose them, and a means of making him unable and unwilling to expose them.

The scars would disappear, and the fate of anyone who exposed them would be nothing more than becoming a second Zhu Zhi.

This was a frankness based on the premise that he was capable of tying up loose ends, but this frankness was not absolutely necessary... The Sixth Prince was so skilled at concealment, why not continue to disguise himself and use this unaware person?

Instead he chose this method to make this incapable, ignorant, unaware person see the stakes and avoid this deadly whirlpool.

Tang Jia was overwhelmed with mixed feelings and did not immediately state his position.

At this moment his heart was filled with ten thousand worries, his voice almost trembling: "Your Highness, do you intend to..."

The rest of the words he dared not speak, and the boy who could understand asked him in return: "What does Changshi hope I will do?"

Without waiting for Tang Jia to answer, Liu Qi said on his own: "Changshi hopes I will pull myself together, but unfortunately, when I do pull myself together, I look like this neither-human nor-ghost."

Tang Jia looked up at the person in the pavilion. The boy, no longer concealing himself, showed not a trace of dejection or negativity, but the cold and stern aura had not faded; it had all turned into resolute killing intent, like a drawn cold blade, with one side of the blade facing the enemy and the other facing himself.

Tang Jia could almost foresee that this sword would hurt others and himself, and that the sword body would eventually break.

This imagination was heartbreaking, and Tang Jia urgently wanted to grab that boy who would perish together with jade and stone. He hurriedly said: "I know Your Highness intends to clear the grievances for an old friend, and this is also Tang Jia's wish!"

"How does Tang Sir think this sky-high grievance can be cleared?" A hint of hatred finally leaked from the boy's tone: "Who would be willing to clear it for them? I want those who deserve death to die completely, and I want those who made mistakes to admit their faults and repent... Is this also Tang Sir's wish?"

Tang Jia's mind suddenly buzzed in chaos.

Those who made mistakes...

Admit faults, repent?

He said with a trembling voice: "Your Highness... regarding the events of that year, His Majesty was also deceived, incited by others, framed by those people..."

"Yes, when I left the capital that year, I survived by relying on these very excuses." The boy smiled mockingly: "But even if one was deceived, and committed irreparable mistakes while deceived, is that not wrong?"

Facing the boy's reddened eyes, Tang Jia was suddenly left speechless by the question.

That was a dark canopy that, as a subject, he had never dared to uncover, and now the boy before him had suddenly split it open with a sword.

Behind the canopy was an even more cruel and bloody scene.

The Son of Heaven is the sky of his subjects, and also the father of his children.

Compared to these ordinary subjects, this child, who is both a subject and a son, will only endure even more heart-rending torment.

Perceiving the truth above requires the wisdom to look up. But facing this truth directly requires courage a thousand times greater than wisdom.

Not escaping, not deceiving oneself, and even choosing to split open this canopy—how is this not a tremendous aura of resolve?

Tears suddenly welled in Tang Jia's eyes, both grief and shock.

He lowered his head and let out a deep, choked sigh in his heart.

The Former Emperor and Consort Qu united the current emperor to unify the chaotic times; the Ling Empress was wise and conciliatory yet also decisive. This child standing in the pavilion bears the blood of the Liu, Qu, and Ling surnames—how could there be any possibility of ignorant retreat?

A tear fell onto the back of the hand he held before him. Tang Jia could only say in a low voice: "Your Highness, perishing together with jade and stone must not be taken, nor is it a result the Ling Empress and General Ling would wish to see... To seek revenge, to prove the truth, there are many ways..."

"There are many ways, but they may not be available to me." Liu Qi said: "Sir, the road ahead is unknown and difficult as climbing to heaven. I cannot even grasp life and death in my own hands, so how can I speak of the qualification to choose a course of action? No need to speak of a perfect solution; even a single success is hard to come by. Since stepping onto this path, one must be prepared for the ten unforgivable evils."

"Sir is utterly benevolent and kind, not a person of this path. Please stay here."

After Liu Qi finished speaking, he said no more and walked out of the pavilion.

A dark robe passed through Tang Jia's peripheral vision, like a blade sinking into the dark night.

Tang Jia felt as if he had been cut by that dark blade; besides the pain, he suddenly came to his senses.

He suddenly moved his knees, facing the boy's back, and said with a sobbing voice: "Your Highness is wrong! Tang Jia is not utterly benevolent and kind, but utterly foolish and mediocre!"

"Tang Jia is also greatly mistaken!" He propped himself up with both hands, his back bent, looking extremely disheveled, his tone both crying and laughing: "I kept saying I wanted Your Highness to wake up and pull himself together, but in truth I was merely Ye Gong loving dragons, boasting without understanding the true meaning... The moment I saw Your Highness awake, I became fearful and cowardly! Truly foolish and mediocre to the extreme!"

Liu Qi had stopped, and only heard the voice behind him continue: "However, even foolish and mediocre people have their uses!"

"If Tang Jia were merely Tang Jia of the Court, today he should stay and take the path of self-preservation..." Tang Jia spoke to this point, suddenly threw his head to the ground, and completely broke down in tears: "But I once received great kindness from the Ling Empress and the Marquis of Changping! To not repay this kindness, and only seek to preserve myself, how can my conscience..."

"This path is difficult; Tang Jia is of no great use and is insufficient to assist the Sixth Prince in accomplishing great matters. At most, I can accompany the Sixth Prince forward for a short distance... And if the day truly comes when things are irreconcilable and cannot be balanced, Tang Jia is insufficient to assist him, but also insufficient to stop him! Your Highness only needs to ignore Jia!"

"For this stretch of road ahead, please let Jia accompany you!"

"I beg Your Highness to grant this!"

Tang Jia knelt on the ground, bowed his head and kowtowed, tears pouring down like rain.

This choice was too sudden for him and truly difficult, but at this moment he had only one thought: this child was going to the Dragon Pool Tiger Den, and he at least had to follow, even if to repay the past kindness of the Ling Family, he had to protect this child for a stretch of the road!

For someone for whom even staying alive is difficult, how could he still listen to him speak of those principles of benevolence and filial piety?

If one day the Sixth Prince has the capital to stand and the true power to oppose, then when that time comes he can advise again, and it would not be too cruel or hypocritical—otherwise, how would he differ from that monk in blue robes?

First let this blameless child live; one must survive first!

Tang Jia kowtowed again with tears, begging for this to be granted.

Just follow this stretch of road; when the day comes that things are irreconcilable, insufficient to assist him, and also insufficient to stop him—

This could hardly be called a vow of unswerving loyalty and fearless advancement. It seemed to want to express loyalty but did not grasp the key point, revealing a foolish straightforwardness that knew neither flexibility nor adornment.

But for this loyal and upright minister of a person not originally resolute, it was already a choice bordering on tragic heroism.

Light mist floated about, and the bricks and stones on the ground had long been soaked wet.

A pair of slender, clean boy's hands rested upon the sobbing, trembling shoulders and arms.

Tang Jia raised her head, only to see that the youth's brows and eyes no longer held a trace of heaviness, having regained his usual unrestrained and unruly demeanor. He asked with a half-smile, "Changshi, do you know how to act? Going to the Capital this time is of the utmost importance."

Tang Jia had been questioned on her weak point; leaning on Xiang Gong's support, she stood up, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and said with embarrassment, "Tang Jia is not skilled in this path; I still need Your Highness's guidance..."

After all, when it came to acting, Your Highness had already transcended the mundane and entered the sacred; even a stone spectator with unopened spiritual intelligence would be nothing compared to him.

"Changshi only needs to remember one thing," Liu Qi said. "Forget today's events and today's words; act as if nothing ever happened."

After a moment of stunned silence, Tang Jia pondered carefully and felt it was indeed useful, a perfect remedy... So effortless and effective—was this the terrifying power of a transcendent being?

Tang Jia struggled to regain her senses, looked back toward the pavilion, and hurriedly called out to Liu Qi, who had already raised his leg to leave: "Your Highness, wait! The imperial decree hasn't been taken yet!"

Liu Qi did not stop his steps and did not look back.

Tang Jia had no choice but to go get the silk herself, wiping the water stains off it with her sleeve as she chased after the youth who had already regained his usual bearing.

Watching that departing figure, Tang Jia couldn't help but wonder if the utterly different Sixth Prince who had just been in the pavilion had really appeared at all.

Tang Jia wanted to pinch herself, but her eyes were swollen and sore from crying, and her nose had both gone on strike, refusing to breathe again; this feeling of misery was all too real.

But shock also had a delayed effect. Tang Ren followed behind, stepping deep and shallow, recalling everything and looking at the person ahead, unable to help but think—he was clearly watching right under his eyelids, so how exactly had this child grown up in secret?

Emerging from the Garden in a daze, officials waiting outside came forward to pay their respects, then couldn't help but look astonished, quietly asking Tang Jia, whose eyes were swollen like rain-ruined peaches: "Changshi, what is this...?"

Tang Jia imagined the secrets imparted by the transcendent being, composed her expression, and said: "His Majesty has finally remembered the Commandery Prince. The Commandery Prince's return to the Capital this time may well dispel His Majesty's estrangement; if he regains His Majesty's favor, he might be able to stay in the Capital and serve beside his Sovereign Father."

The officials agreed, understanding in their hearts that this Changshi was the one who most hoped for the Commandery Prince and His Majesty to reconcile as father and son. Moved to tears, though it was a loss of composure, it was understandable.

Tang Jia's composed expression did not change, but in her heart she felt the sin of deceiving east and west... It seemed she would need to practice much more.

After giving orders regarding the departure, Tang Jia went alone to see Liu Qi and asked in a low voice: "After Your Highness leaves, how should the affairs of the South be arranged?"

Previously, thinking there was only this one Commandery Prince's Mansion, there had been no need for special management, but now that she knew otherwise—the Ling Family's descendants, and the troops who had saved the Ling Family's descendants...

Liu Qi: "Changshi, rest assured; the matters here have already been properly arranged."

Seeing this, Tang Jia stopped questioning further.

Four days later, Liu Qi set out for the Capital.

This day was exactly the Second Day of the Second Month; in terms of star phenomena, the Blue Dragon Constellation would rise from the Eastern Direction, and the Jiao Constellation would first appear—this was the Dragon's Head Raising.

A youth dressed in a Blue-Gold Robe sat alone inside the carriage. He did not look at the scenery outside, but fixed his gaze on a low table placed within the carriage.

He dipped his brush in tea and wrote two characters properly. As those two characters appeared on the table, his expression silently relaxed.

The road ahead was both the familiar land of Chang'an and a Dragon Pool Tiger Den.

But thinking that a flower fox carrying the Dragon-Tiger Subduing Qi had already gone ahead and was waiting there, he felt that the road ahead was no longer only endless heaviness and oppression.

When he saw her, he would first ask her one sentence: she had said she would write to him, so why had her letter not arrived for so long?

The horse's hooves heading north moved with a tap-tap sound.

The ghost-expelling dance steps of the shamans in the Shen Ci were also moving with a tap-tap sound.