Chapter 245: Encountering a Clear Day Chapter 222: There Is a Request

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

At this moment to say what dream he had was truly absurd.

The Emperor drew a breath, wearily closed his eyes, neither said he wanted to listen nor said anything at all, so Liu Cheng began his seemingly absurd account on his own.

"In my child minister's dream, Sixth Brother, ever since being banished from the capital by Imperial Uncle, never saw Imperial Uncle again……"

Liu Cheng knelt on the ground, both hands weakly braced before him, head bowed, voice somewhat scattered like dream-talk, yet his words were extremely bold and utterly without taboo: "But when Your Majesty lay gravely ill and dying, you still thought of Sixth Brother, secretly sending a secret decree to have Sixth Brother return to the capital……"

"I do not know whether it was Your Majesty in the dream still dissatisfied with me, this heir, unwilling to entrust the realm to me, or whether at death's door the mind wanders, burdened by old guilt, wishing to see your son with Ling Empress once more?"

Mentioned so close to the reverse scale, the Emperor did not as usual glare and rebuke, still kept his eyes closed, unknown whether he truly listened closely.

Liu Cheng continued on his own, with some mockery: "However that secret decree was intercepted by the uncle, not only that, the uncle also seized evidence of Sixth Brother raising troops to plot rebellion, soon known throughout court and countryside, Your Majesty fell even more ill……"

Liu Cheng vaguely thought, combining this with the reality of the uncle setting a trap at Xiwangmu Temple, in that dream perhaps the uncle obtained Sixth Brother's rebellion evidence because the uncle discovered Huanghou's secret of saving that Ling family child, and thereby set a similar trap…… so in the dream Huanghou soon hanged herself in Jiaofang Dian, as if unable to bear the desperate atonement under such great evil.

The swaying si lu of Huanghou in the dream appeared before his eyes again, Liu Cheng closed his eyes for an instant, then continued:

"The Court issued a decree to punish Sixth Brother, but Sixth Brother seemed to disperse his forces, leaving only some willing confidants and old retainers loyal to the Ling Family and Crown Prince Gu, they actually followed Sixth Brother secretly to the capital, slaughtered many connected to that year's events, including the Middle Attendant, Commander Zhu……"

"Those people ultimately could not break into the Forbidden Palace, so Imperial Uncle you ultimately could not see Sixth Brother as you wished…… You died, Sixth Brother died……"

"I child minister became the new Emperor, the new Emperor you personally selected for the Imperial Jiang Mountain of the Liu Family!"

Speaking here, Liu Cheng sat a little straighter, raised his head again, his tear-streaked face not proud but shame and grievance: "But everyone assumes I child minister am incompetent and can be bullied!"

His expression seemed to carry revenge-like pleasure, laughing through tears: "So not long after, the realm you left fell into chaos!"

"More and more chaotic, the Xiongnu then entered the realm…… Liang Guo's army attacked Chang'an, they claimed the Rui Family disrupted governance, swore to clear the sovereign's side by death, assist the Prince in resisting the Xiongnu and guarding Jingji."

Naturally this was the respectable pretense, the Emperor would only "accidentally" die during their protection, moreover with Xiongnu iron hooves rampant, the uncle took him and fled Chang'an.

Liu Wang Shi Zi ascended the throne in Chang'an, secretly pursuing "Late Emperor" Liu Cheng whom they outwardly claimed had passed.

The uncle brought him before the Wu King, whose state was strong second only to Liang, the Wu King accepted this wandering Emperor, and on the spot executed the uncle, watching him sigh: 【A puppet should not listen to two masters, listening here and there, one just gets confused, already confused enough.】

The Wu King publicly announced he was still alive, using him to confront Liang Guo's forces in Jingji, but the situation was too chaotic, the Liu family's hearts had scattered, many local warlords carved out territories, the realm split, wherever Xiongnu iron cavalry passed they only looted and burned, rites collapsed, common folk were worse than livestock.

Liu Cheng recounted that scene in detail, told it to his Imperial Uncle.

And how did this Emperor die?

"I child minister did not die of political chaos, nor of military mutiny……"

In the dream he was killed by a maidservant.

That maidservant tampered with his medicine, he was panic-stricken, daily needing calming medicine, the maidservant increased his dosage, he slept deeply and weakly, the maidservant wrapped hemp rope around his neck, rough hemp rope tightened with gritted-teeth force, suffocation and fear unlike any dream.

He originally thought that maidservant was a spy assassin, yet while unable to struggle, he heard her spew unreasonable hatred.

The maidservant recently finally got a chance to visit relatives, but heard her father had died of hunger and cold illness, her similarly ill younger brother was snatched alive by two bandits and cooked alive, Mother took a chopping knife and hacked those two before the fire into one dead one injured, no official inquired.

The regicide maidservant pulled the hemp rope tight while crying, saying when she saw Mother, Mother stuffed handfuls of dirt into her mouth, stuffing while saying: 【Good child, don't fear, Mother will eat you up, eat you all up, be born again and it'll be fine! Just as before!】

The maidservant cried and raved, repeating Mother's mad words, finally gritted her teeth: 【Your Majesty spends dozens of gold monthly on medicine and upkeep, has over ten servants, yet Your Majesty daily says you have no choice, better to die, die!】

He was blank, fearful, angry, ashamed——

But what had he done wrong?

He could do nothing, those people wouldn't let him do anything!

"Whether in the dream or now, all this is Imperial Uncle's doing!" Liu Cheng wept: "It was Imperial Uncle who made me Crown Prince, unable to retreat or advance, torn apart, humiliated……"

"And fundamentally, it was because Imperial Uncle feared the heir being too outstanding, Imperial Uncle wanted an obedient heir, yet in the end everyone including Imperial Uncle blamed me for only knowing obedience!"

"Enough." The Emperor finally spoke, he steadily looked at the tear-streaked, aggrieved and resentful youth, softly said: "Good, Liu Cheng, it was Zhen who erred, it was Zhen who misjudged, you don't want to be this Crown Prince, it was Zhen who forced you——then Zhen asks you, since you don't want to, why are you unwilling to retreat?"

"So I child minister must have every advance and retreat arranged and manipulated?!" Liu Cheng widened his tear-filled eyes, counter-questioned with the loudest voice of his life.

After such a dream, perhaps he should retreat, avoid everything related to such an end……

But, but——

"I child minister am also human, also have depression, also have unwillingness!"

One long living in fear, denied, despised, threatened with defects like "incompetent," "unambitious," himself could not help but hate these weak traits, and retreating as Mother wished would only reinforce this cowardly incompetence.

Behind extreme admiration for strength was always his great self-doubt and self-loathing.

So retreat could not bring release, the only way to self-rescue was to obtain the power to kill these incompetents…… he almost had it.

"Imperial Uncle permits I child minister to speak, nothing more than wanting to hear I child minister beg for mercy and confess……"

Liu Cheng stared at the Sovereign Father, word by word clear: "But I child minister do not repent."

"Today's matter I child minister does not repent!" He repeated, expression growing ferocious, staggering to his feet, his blood-stained body like dripping wax, burning a curse at the cost of self-immolation: "I child minister not only does not repent, but will never forgive Imperial Uncle's faults!"

A son plotting rebellion and patricide shouting he would not forgive his Sovereign Father, simply absurd and laughable, but the Emperor could not laugh.

The Emperor turned aside, closed his eyes again.

A rebellious son……

The Emperor's heart echoed, today here, a rebellious son……

Great fatigue surged, the Emperor's back slowly bent.

"Take him away."

Two Imperial Guards who never dared make a sound assented, approached Liu Cheng, but Liu Cheng madly lunged at the Sovereign Father above.

One Imperial Guard immediately drew his blade to deter, yet Liu Cheng's feet instantly changed direction, lunging straight at the long blade, letting his body be pierced, killing the cowardice, making another and final choice of his own.

The blade-drawing Imperial Guard knelt in panic to apologize.

The Emperor did not open his eyes to look.

He only repeated, "Take him away."

Shaowei saw Liu Cheng being carried out by two Imperial Guards under the stone steps outside the palace hall, his arms held.

His internal organs ruptured, his mouth filled with blood, using his last bit of strength, he raised one hand, struggling to grab Shaowei's fluttering sleeve, refusing to let go.

Shaowei stopped, the Imperial Guards halted, Liu Cheng strained to lift his head, tears in his eyes, his words unclear: "I have a request, may I, beg the Witch God... curse..."

As he spoke, another large mouthful of bright red blood surged into his mouth, his voice grew increasingly fragmented, unable to clearly express his unfinished words; Shaowei gazed into his eyes, slowly nodded, and said: "Very well."

Liu Cheng's eyelids twitched, revealing a smile, only to hear her say: "Heaven and Earth as witness, Mountains and Rivers as contract, erase Liu Cheng's name and identity from the registers of the Yang World, sever Liu Cheng's soul spirit on the path of reincarnation; once this curse is spoken, throughout Heaven, Earth, and the Three Realms, for ten thousand years hence, there shall be no such person."

If there is another life, then never again be Liu Cheng.

That is all well.

Shaowei finished speaking and immediately ascended the steps; Liu Cheng also released the hand clutching her sleeve.

The sleeve drifted away; Liu Cheng had a smile on his lips, he closed his eyes, taking this as his last look at the world.

The fire in the chamber set ablaze by the Emperor had been extinguished, only gray smoke rising and dispersing.

The Emperor opened his eyes, watching Yan Tian and Yueyang coming forward to plead guilty.

Shaowei knelt sitting to the side front of the two: "Your Majesty, it was I who, in the name of the safety of Your Majesty's Imperial Carriage and of ghosts and spirits, strongly ordered them to send troops to rescue the carriage—at that time I had publicly promised that if the Son of Heaven punished them afterward, I alone would bear it all."

The Emperor watched the girl shielding the two generals behind her, and said in a hoarse voice: "Where is there talk of punishment? Rescuing the carriage is a fact; throughout history, when have soldiers who rescued the carriage and protected the nation ever been punished afterward? How could I commit such a wolf-hearted, dog-lunged foolish act..."

The general who protected the carriage, the celestial opportunity that protected the nation—whom could he now go punish.

"Merits and faults, I have my measure... Very well, all rise; afterward rewards and punishments shall naturally be discussed."

The three then offered thanks, straightened their bent waists, and sat upright facing the kneeling monarch.

However, the Emperor did not ask about their process of swiftly sending troops, nor ask why the celestial opportunity could go request troops so quickly; he only watched the girl kneeling sitting calmly, and said slowly: "Only today do I truly understand what true celestial opportunity power is."

Liu Cheng just said that in the dream he had, there was no celestial opportunity manifesting.

If a dream is also an extension of another possibility, then the greatest difference between it and the current situation lies in this girl monarch before our eyes—her appearance changed the direction of many people and things, indirectly creating an entirely different direction for the world.

He is no fool; he can see that this child indeed possesses extraordinary power, from when she prophesied the collapse of the Imperial Tomb...

Power surpassing mortals is divine power; because of this portion of "divine power" of unknown origin, she obtained sufficient thought power, and the remaining things not covered by divine power were all "fabricated" by her, even including deception, and this is also the manifestation of celestial opportunity power.

Such great power, such a young girl... yet besides her divine aura, she was also open and composed, firmly controlling this power, not swallowed by it, wielding it as a blade, using it as easily as her own arm and fingers.

The Emperor could not help but think: if it were in his prime, could he have tolerated such an existence... yet there is no "if" in the world; or rather, the timing of the celestial opportunity manifesting was itself destined by fate.

At this moment he possessed a ruined situation, a ruined body, a ruined state of mind, yet what he had always valued most never changed—namely, the survival of the realm.

He wanted to make this realm strong, stable, and even immortal... precisely because he had this great ambition to deploy, before this he had been obsessed with the Longevity Method; on the battlefield killing enemies he never feared death, he originally did not fear death, what he feared was that the remaining time was insufficient to complete his ambition, and this obsession had at some point become distorted, giving birth to a heart demon, making him increasingly wary of anything that might "interfere" with its existence.

Now his own body was about to decay; in a sense, this girl who had reversed the nation's fortune was the true celestial opportunity that made up for his unease and continued his aspirations and hopes.

Even with more misgivings and dissatisfaction, all could only be gathered into the bottom of his heart.

The fatigued Emperor did not go question further; he waved his hand: "Very well, all return; I am also tired."

Generals Yue and Yan responded "Yes," picked up the helmets placed to one side, rose and withdrew; the girl sitting upright did not "know when to stop," but instead clasped her hands and said: "Your Majesty, I have a request."

The Emperor lifted his eyelids: "I have said I am tired."

—How is there still something to trouble him?

"Your Majesty, it will be quick." Shaowei looked up and met the Emperor's gaze; her expression was serious: "It is a very small matter."

The Emperor was nearly angered into laughter, enduring as he said: "Speak, let me hear how small it is."

Yueyang and Yan Tian, who had withdrawn, stood under the stone steps.

The two were originally in their prime, yet both had heads full of gray hair; but the gray hair at this moment was also illuminated by the bright firelight, no longer utterly lifeless; turning to look at each other, both saw long-lost vitality and hope in the other's eyes.

Holding helmets under their arms, the two walked toward the soldiers; the Choose Armor on their bodies also flashed with light.

The same Choose Armor appeared and moved about throughout Shanglin Park; one unit had just passed before Feng Zhu.

Pei pushed Feng Zhu forward, followed by the Mo Li released by Jiang Fu.

Yan Mian, who had just finished instructing several Imperial Guard commanders on remaining matters, saw Feng Zhu and quickly walked over: "Zhu'er, why are you out at this time?"

Feng Zhu glanced around: "I am not afraid of these; I only fear that you have something happen, so I came over to take a look."

Yan Mian's expression turned gentle: "Rest assured, Shaowei is unharmed; I have asked, it is only some superficial injuries; she is now at Your Majesty's place. The Marquis's injury is somewhat heavier, but there is no danger to his life; he just now still wanted to pursue the remnants, but I stopped him; he is currently being bandaged by physicians—Zhu'er, I will take you over there."

Feng Zhu nodded quickly; Yan Mian took over Pei's duty, pushing Feng Zhu in the wheelchair forward.

Her heart settled, Feng Zhu then casually asked him: "You are out walking alone at night in all directions; how did you not bring a lamp? Are you not always most afraid of the dark?"

"Tonight there are torches coming and going; there are few dark places." Yan Mian finished speaking, and immediately saw a dark stretch of road ahead; Feng Zhu raised the lamp in her hand and said: "I had Pei bring an extra one."

Pei followed behind carrying a lamp; Feng Zhu's lamp illuminated the front path; Yan Mian watched her hair bun, profile, and shoulder contours lit by the lamp light, unconsciously revealing a smile, and an old scene flashed through his mind.

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