Chapter 128: Encountering a Clear Day Chapter 107: When Did He Ever Think of Retreating Even Half a Step

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Everything around was still trembling.

Many people had not yet realized who the youth who had drawn his bow and shot Zhu Zhi was, until at this moment they heard these words of "awaiting punishment" as he knelt and bowed.

Liu Qi, that Sixth Prince who had been exiled to the South for many years...

Empress Rui looked dazed, and Crown Prince Liu Cheng also looked toward that kneeling figure—this was... their sixth brother who had been away from the capital for many years?

The firelight dancing in the wind and the lingering atmosphere of shock provided excellent cover for everyone present; no one could tell whose expression was unusual.

Some did not know why this Sixth Prince had suddenly returned to the capital; some had known he would return but not that he would arrive so quickly; and some knew the more specific time of his arrival in the capital, but had never expected him to appear before everyone at this time and in this way—

Tonight's ceremony was unprecedentedly sensational and shocking, and this youth, appearing like a messenger of gods and spirits at just the right moment, shot dead the "evil spirit" that had caused the disturbance—such a wonderful coincidence, so impossible to ignore.

And Rui Ze heard an extremely bad whisper, coming from an official who was about to retire to his village and had probably become addled with age: "Is it actually the Sixth Prince? That arrow just now, in my observation, bears a few traces of His Majesty when he was young..."

Lu Hou was also looking at that youth; his gaze swept over the youth's left leg, which had been unusual when he walked just now, and he sighed in his heart—in the blink of an eye, this child had grown so big.

This was also the thought that occurred to many people at first glance, including the Emperor.

When he left the capital back then, he was still a child; now he had grown into the appearance of a youth.

Children always grow up, and one naturally imagined what this child would look like grown up, but imagination is just imagination; only upon truly seeing him could one understand just how many years had been missing here.

This sense of absence was like a Time Totem, imprinted on the Emperor's heart, reminding him that that matter had long since passed.

"What crime have you committed?" The Emperor finally spoke, uttering the first words upon this reunion of father and son.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Liu Qi still kept his head bowed; no one could see his expression, only heard him say: "Just now in the urgency of the moment, this child minister recklessly loosed an arrow without due thought; if I injured an innocent person's life and disturbed the ceremony, I truly have no face to see Imperial Uncle and our ancestors!"

The Emperor looked at him with unclear joy or anger: "When you were young you prided yourself on your superb archery, so naturally you disdained to heed many things."

These words seemed to carry reproach.

Yan Xiangguo, whose complexion had already recovered its calm dignity, now walked over, glanced at the youth kneeling on the ground, raised his hand, and reported: "Your Majesty, Zhu Zhi has breathed his last and been executed."

The Emperor then lowered his gaze: "Whether you have merit or fault will be discussed later; first, rise."

Liu Qi bowed in thanks and rose; as the Emperor withdrew his gaze, it passed over several unclear dark marks on his robe.

At this time, the Taichang Temple Minister, who had hurriedly descended from the altar, bowed with a salute, his loud voice carrying a tremor: "Your Majesty, under the Wu Nu's descent of the spirit, Hua Li is now severely injured and near coma! I beg Your Majesty to permit this minister to have someone take Hua Li down for treatment first!"

The Emperor nodded: "Go quickly."

"Yes!" The Taichang Temple bowed and withdrew.

And because of this shout, everyone present now knew that the great Wu Nu for tonight was Hua Li; this name was not unfamiliar—she was the Wu Nu who had summoned the spirit of the Grand Ancestor a month ago—but... weren't there rumors that this person had gone missing?

Those who could now gather around the Emperor's side were all senior ministers or inner attendants, and knew some news to some extent.

Even those who knew nothing at all could not help but marvel at this moment: the one who descended the spirit today was actually that Wu Nu again?

This marvel quickly spread and extended toward the rear.

Ming Dan's face was snow-white; why was it that Hua Li again... she had clearly inquired and heard that she was dead, injured, or lost!

Thinking back now, she felt that the voice coming down from the altar just now did indeed have two parts of familiarity... before, it was only because she had preconceived notions, plus the voice was altered by the mask, and she was only busy being shocked by all these anomalies, that she had not had a chance to think more...

Could it really be...?

Ming Dan raised her head and looked toward the altar; she could vaguely see many people surrounding that single patch of vermilion, preparing to help her down.

That patch of vermilion suddenly became even more glaring; Ming Dan retreated two steps. Although separated by a distance, she still feared eye contact, and suddenly turned her back.

"Feng Young Lady!"

This shout made Ming Dan, who was in a state of panic, tremble; she turned her head and met a boy's face full of concern—it was Qiu Wen, who was also in Xian Tai Gong and often showed her goodwill.

"The evil spirit has already been executed," Qiu Wen comforted her. "There is no need to be afraid anymore."

Ming Dan turned her head back and clenched her fingers inside her sleeve.

No, she did not care at all whether this evil spirit, which had nothing to do with her, lived or died... what she feared was that perhaps a more ferocious and terrifying evil spirit had revived.

"Don't follow me anymore!" Ming Dan walked away quickly, only wanting to get as far away as possible so she could calm down and organize her chaotic thoughts.

"Shaowei."

The voice entered her ears; Ming Dan's eyes trembled, as if her whole heart had been suddenly yanked up, and for a moment she dared not make any movement or response.

Until Feng Xu walked up to her and looked at her worriedly: "Were you frightened?"

Ming Dan calmed down a bit, then dared to try calling out: "Uncle..."

Feng Xu, as the Heir Apparent, had also followed Lu Hou to attend the sacrifice and was with the other dukes' and marquises' heirs. Until the chaos occurred, he then ran to Lu Hou's side to protect and inquire; Lu Hou was naturally unharmed and urged him to go check on his own junior.

At this moment, Feng Xu soothed her in a gentle voice: "Do not be afraid; the anomalies have been removed, and the Son of Heaven and the Wu spirits naturally protect. The ceremony has ended; if you are truly afraid, go back and rest in peace first. Once matters here are finished, I will have someone send some calming soups and medicines to you."

Ming Dan nodded through tears: "Thank you, Uncle."

At this time, a companion ran to look for Ming Dan, with eager concern.

Watching the two go back together, Feng Xu then turned and left.

Above the altar, Shaowei, half her body leaning on Yu Si Wu and about to be helped down, spoke weakly: "Slower..."

Thinking she was in too much pain, the person supporting her carefully slowed their movements.

In this gap, Shaowei turned her head and looked down from below the altar.

The person in the black robe passed under her gaze and slowed their steps as if sensing something.

Chi Yang raised his head; his pupils reflected the leaping firelight and a face pale from blood loss.

The mask had been removed; she no longer needed to hide her appearance from him.

She just looked down weakly like this, bloodstains overflowing from the corner of her mouth; in the eye contact, there still shone the untamed spirit of a rebel and the solitary pride of a victor.

She was looking at him, openly and squarely seeing him clearly.

She was so badly injured she needed someone to support her to stand, yet in truth she had obtained a power truly sufficient to sustain herself; she would no longer fall easily as she had yesterday.

How she escaped, why she ultimately did not die... these no longer mattered; what mattered was this round — he had lost.

That gaze disappeared inch by inch as she was helped away, and on Chiyang's snow-white facial skin, several patches of red spots bloomed bit by bit.

Seeing this, Shunzhen immediately lowered her eyes uneasily.

Red spots suddenly appearing on Master's face can only have two causes: one is exposure to scorching sunlight, the other is the mind suffering a violent impact.

Shunzhen bowed her head and asked in a low voice: "Master, should we thoroughly investigate the cause of those birds' strangeness...?"

Chiyang swept her gaze expressionlessly over the bronze braziers above: "Unnecessary."

Even if one could guess, they would have burned leaving no traces long ago.

Moreover this fundamentally does not matter; Zhu Zhi admitted to being an evil spirit even before his breath ceased, and tonight she was able to complete the soul-stirring sacrifice — more of the power fundamentally originated from herself; this world has never lacked fangshi holding secret formulas who can manufacture portents, but not everyone can sustain a sacrifice of this magnitude.

At this moment the soul consensus she left behind has not yet dissipated; those who rashly speculate will only damage themselves.

This round is already lost; one must not lose more because of unwillingness to accept defeat.

"How to handle the aftermath, does the Immortal Master have any insight?" The Emperor looked toward where Zhu Zhi's corpse lay, asking for Chiyang's view.

Chiyang lowered her eyes, questioning no person and no matter, only calmly saying: "Since he is an evil spirit, he ought to be burned, to sacrifice to heaven, earth, mountains, rivers, spirits and ghosts."

The Emperor nodded in agreement.

This Grand Sacrifice concluded with Zhu Zhi's corpse being bound to a stone pillar on the high platform and burned.

This fire burned exceedingly vigorously, as if all the fire oil he had prepared at the mountain villa had been poured over his own body.

Liu Qi watched that firelight.

Tonight's great fire burned away an evil spirit that had grown in his heart.

It also burned forth a true Vermilion Bird.

Under the scorching firelight, Liu Qi lowered his eyes, looking at the dark bloodstains stained on his front and his sleeves — these were traces left by the Vermilion Bird struggling fiercely in the flames during its nirvana.

"We ask you once more: for what matter do you request punishment?"

One hour later, Liu Qi knelt before his sovereign father again, his lowered gaze happening to fall on the bloodstains on his robe.

The Emperor had returned to the mausoleum hall; Rui Huanghou had gone to rest after being frightened; at this moment only Crown Prince Liu Cheng, Xiang Gong Yan Mian, and Guo Shi and other inner attendants were present.

Facing his sovereign father's questioning, Liu Qi had not yet answered when Fine Clothes Guard Commander He Pingchun walked in.

"Reporting to Your Majesty: a sudden great fire broke out at Zhu Zhi's villa thirty li away; the entire villa was consumed by fire, dozens of guards also perished entirely, only the doctor and maidservants escaped in time."

"Since they are Zhu Zhi's guards, they must all be quite skilled; why are they still not as skilled at escaping with their lives as the doctor and maidservants?" The Emperor was asking He Pingchun, yet his gaze was on the kneeling youth.

"Judging by traces at the scene, there was blade killing; when the patrolling Imperial Guard and Fine Clothes Guard arrived, those wielding weapons had not yet left; they had already admitted to being Sixth Prince's attendants, claiming they entered by mistake while saving the fire, but were instead forced to kill by the villa's people wielding blades, and could only act in self-defense to clean up this chaos." He Pingchun's words were clear: "All persons including the doctor have now been brought back."

As He Pingchun's voice stopped, the chamber fell into a brief silence.

Guo Shi's brows twitched slightly; Liu Cheng looked in shock at the kneeling Liu Qi.

Until the Emperor raised his eyes and spoke: "Before you rushed to the imperial mausoleum, you had already brought men to kill at his villa, so it is for this that you request punishment."

Liu Qi kowtowed: "Father Emperor's clear judgment: your son initially indeed went to save the fire, and did not know that place was Zhu Zhi's villa; only because he feared someone deliberately set fire to cause trouble, disrupting the Changling Grand Sacrifice."

The Emperor's voice was hoarse to the extreme: "So you went to kill people; killing and seeing blood is not disrupting the Grand Sacrifice?"

"They moved first. When your son arrived, bloodshed had already begun; they were besieging and killing others." Liu Qi said: "Your son was inadvertently caught up, and had no choice but to act to clean up."

The youth's voice held not a shred of fear or shrinking, only flat narration and a nameless obstinacy.

"A fine 'had no choice but to act to clean up'." The Emperor gazed at him, voice steady as he asked: "We ask you one thing: whether killing everyone at his villa, or shooting him dead just now — do you truly have no selfish motive?"

Liu Qi raised his head: "Replying Father Emperor, your son has selfish motives. Your son simply wanted to kill him."

Liu Cheng only felt he had heard an inconceivable, heaven-shaking statement — Sixth Brother actually admitted it?! He had already killed before coming to Changling, dared see Father Emperor with blood on his body! Is he not afraid of Father Emperor? Not afraid of death!

The next instant, words even more terrifying to Liu Cheng came from Liu Qi's mouth: "That is because in Wuling Commandery he already wanted to frame and unjustly kill me; and the reason he wanted to kill me was precisely because back then the Xian Tai Gong incident was forced by him, compelling Elder Brother to counterattack, thereby..."

"Enough!" The Emperor's face suddenly darkened; he straightened his body and sternly interrupted the youth's words.

Just returned from Wuling Commandery, and already eager to kill, already eager to make him settle this old account!

The Deposed Crown Prince Liu Gu — whom no one else dares even mention — he still naturally calls out 'Elder Brother'!

Meeting the youth's slightly reddened eye rims, the Emperor said angrily: "All these years you've written letters incessantly asking Us to thoroughly investigate old matters, but all these grievances are merely your delusions! You have not a shred of evidence, yet you obstinately persist — it is simply that you refuse to acknowledge and face that your mother, your elder brother, and your maternal uncle are treacherous ministers and rebel traitors..."

Then, word by deliberate word: "Today you personally shot and killed Zhu Zhi, and slaughtered all his people; by now this delusional hatred of yours should finally be appeased, no?"

"Your son now instead thinks he died too easily." Resentment overflowed in Liu Qi's eyes: "He ought to have died under cruel torture, ought to have personally confessed his crimes, so Father Emperor would know the truth, rather than continue being deceived by treacherous villains."

By the end the youth's voice could not help but carry a thread of sorrowful grievance; that grievance was not for himself, but for the dead.

And Guo Shi noticed the Emperor's anger underwent a slight change because of this thread of grievance.

Grievance is a specific emotion, usually only revealed before a trusted person; because one trusts the other, and even more because one wants the other to believe oneself, one feels grievance.

This child kneeling here revealing grievance is more lethal than that child who could only write letters.

Truly, he should not have returned...

These eyes, overly gloomy yet overly beautiful, five parts resemble His Majesty, several parts resemble Ling Empress, even faintly resemble Marquis Changping... just looking at these eyes, endless tangles of love and hatred rush forth; how could His Majesty treat him like any other child?

"We see you are truly bewitched and unrepentant!" The Emperor's emotions stirred, and he began coughing violently.

Seeing this, Liu Qi immediately crawled forward on his knees: "Father Emperor..."

"... Do you truly still regard this Father Emperor in your eyes?" The Emperor coughed until his eyes swelled red, voice hoarse: "Today is your first day back in the capital; this is the capital Chang'an... not a place where you can arbitrarily kill based on conjecture! Considering you have merit in shooting Zhu Zhi, We spare your life for now; withdraw and accept ten strokes; if you still refuse to understand, immediately roll back to your Wuling Commandery until you have reflected clearly!"

Having spoken, he coughed again.

"Sixth Prince —" Yan Mian, who had been silent all along, shook his head slightly at Liu Qi.

Liu Qi looked with red eyes at his unceasingly coughing Father Emperor; a moment later, he prostrated and kowtowed, saying: "Your son is unfilial; on his first return to the capital he provoked Father Emperor into such great anger... your son is willing to accept this punishment, only hoping Father Emperor calms his anger and preserves the Dragon Body."

He rose and withdrew; his slightly limping back's spine was still ramrod straight.

The Emperor's peripheral vision caught this back; he closed his eyes and said through gritted teeth: "Willing to accept punishment only to calm Our anger — this self-willed rebel son fundamentally does not believe he is wrong; when has he ever retreated half a step..."

Before long, Liu Cheng, already drenched in cold sweat, took his leave; Guo Shi also withdrew to urge the medicine soup.

Lu Hou heard that the Sixth Prince had been punished and hurried to see the Emperor, but on the way his attention was drawn to an injured youth being temporarily watched over by the Imperial Guard.

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