Chapter 196

After the Medicine King Valley was destroyed, Emperor Xuānwen completely concealed Xiao Jingyuan's existence in the shadows.

To avoid detection by the Holy Heaven Sect, before he turned seven they ignored him, only sending his nominal maternal uncle, the then Garrison Commander, to look after him.

The Holy Heaven Sect originally believed that the infant bearing the "dragon descendant bloodline" ought to have died in the Medicine King Valley's torment; even if he miraculously survived, he could not endure the bitter cold. Seeing no movement at court, they gradually let down their guard and had no suspicions.

However, even after being sent to the illustrious Prince Yan's Manor, his childhood remained filled with sorrow and bitter cold.

Princess Yan initially refused to accept Xiao Jingyuan, but after Prince Yan told her the child's origins, she had no choice but to agree; thus she felt no love for the child forced upon her.

In the years when he most needed care, he received neither his birth father's pity nor his foster mother's tenderness; the vast Prince Yan's Manor was, to him, merely a splendid cage.

Fortunately, Xiao Jingyuan was steadfast from youth and had an uncle who truly loved him, guiding his growth, which kept him from going astray.

Yet the seed of malice deep in his heart, though un sprouted, has always existed, and will one day break through the soil.

And once Xiao Jingyuan learns of his own origins, realizing that he and his birth mother were indirectly harmed by the emperor's folly, it is hard to guarantee he will not lose his reason and storm the Imperial Palace to slay the mediocre ruler.

Paper cannot contain fire; Yuan Zhenfeng understands this better than anyone, and fears even more that if Xiao Jingyuan later learns the truth of his origins, knowing that his and his birth mother's suffering stems from Emperor Xuānwen's folly and weakness, he will lose his reason and storm the Imperial Palace to slay the "mediocre ruler".

Thus, the two words "loyal to the ruler" became the principle Yuan Zhenfeng taught Xiao Jingyuan from childhood; in his previous life, Xiao Jingyuan indeed carved these words into his bones and blood.

Even if Emperor Xuānwen later, to balance the court situation, tacitly allowed officials to suppress the Prince Yan's Manor, driving him to desperation; even if the Liang realm was already tottering, with internal rebellion and external enemies, he still strove desperately to protect the imperial clan and the world.

Pei Zhi once sincerely admired Xiao Jingyuan's character.

Had it been anyone else, bearing such origins and hardship, they would long have been consumed by hatred and become a "rebel" seeking to overturn the court.

Only later did Pei Zhi understand that what sustained Xiao Jingyuan's rationality was not merely the doctrine of loyalty to the ruler, but also the presence of Shen Shuangning.

Thus, after Shen Shuangning's death in his previous life, the Xiao Jingyuan who constantly bore heavy responsibilities and considered himself rational would make the most "irrational" choice—when Pei Zhi carried Shen Shuangning's corpse and leapt into the Valley of Oblivion, Xiao Jingyuan also resolutely jumped down!

To him, when the wife dies, the husband will not live alone......

Pei Zhi told Shen Shuangning everything he knew, including what happened after her death in his previous life.

The information overload made Shen Shuangning's head buzz, and she remained silent for a while.

More shocking than the revelation of Xiao Jingyuan's origins was the fact that, in his previous life, he would actually die for love for her.

She could hardly imagine that scene; her heart felt as if gripped tightly by a hand, making breathing difficult.

After speaking, Pei Zhi fell silent, patiently waiting for her to digest all of this.

Shen Shuangning's mind was in turmoil; only after a while did she find her voice, hoarsely asking: "You said the Valley of Oblivion—what place is that?"

Pei Zhi did not detail the twists and hardships, but briefly explained: "The Valley of Oblivion lies on Cangwu Mountain; it is a rumored place where one can die and be reborn, accessible only to the sincere—this is why we have been reborn."

Shen Shuangning's breath caught sharply.

Pei Zhi looked at her shocked expression, recalled his own encounter, and added: "I initially did not believe such a wondrous place existed in this world, until a reclusive eminent monk came to me of his own accord, revealing the existence of the Valley of Oblivion."

He paused, a flash of clear memory crossing his eyes: "That monk appeared mad in his bearing, his robe old and torn, always clutching half-eaten biscuit in his hand, yet his gaze was clearer than anyone's, his words full of wisdom. Later I learned from others' fragments that he was the wandering Living Buddha 'Ji Gong' circulated in the martial world."

"Ji Gong?" Shen Shuangning's heart jolted. She had heard that name in storybooks, thinking it a fictional character, never expecting it to be real, and moreover connected to her own rebirth.

Pei Zhi nodded.

He too jumped into Forgetting Worry Valley with the resolve of treating a dead horse as a living one; when he opened his eyes again, he was already Pei Sanlang of the Duke of the Nation's residence.

And Xiao Jingyuan was the one who followed him down.

Pei Zhi thought Xiao Jingyuan would also be reborn, so when they first met in this life, he deliberately tested him.

But seeing that Xiao Jingyuan's attitude toward Shen Shuangning in this life was lukewarm, not like someone with memories of a past life, Pei Zhi felt somewhat relieved.

But later, for some reason, Xiao Jingyuan recalled his past life and recognized him as Xie Yan from the previous life.

Reincarnation is itself a profound mystery, hard to explain with common sense.

This is probably heavenly will.

As the living Buddha had warned him, he and Shen Shuangning were fated to meet but not to be together, and no matter how many lifetimes they lived, the outcome would be the same. Yet he refused to accept it, having done all he could to defy heaven and change fate—so why could he not alter their marriage?

He even absurdly held a netherworld marriage with her, thinking it would keep her by his side, but in the end she still went to Xiao Jingyuan. This is heavenly will.

Pei Zhi accepted it.

"Thank you." Shen Shuangning's soft voice sounded from beside him, interrupting his thoughts.

If it weren't for Pei Zhi bringing her back to life, she would have had no chance to make up for this life's regrets and reunite with her family. At this moment, she sincerely felt grateful toward him.

Pei Zhi tipped his head back and drained the remaining wine in his cup; the fiery liquid slid down his throat, but it could not suppress the bitterness in his heart. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing a smile: "No need to thank me."

This is exactly what he owed her.

Pei Zhi quickly composed himself, got back to the point, and said solemnly: "I'm telling you this not only to give you a mental preparation, but also to look after the bigger picture. Xiao Jingyuan's current situation is not optimistic.

"The toxins in his body are triggered by the poisonous mist of Black Stone Mountain; the heavier his killing intent, the more likely he is to lose control. Since he has come to the capital this time to seek revenge against the Heavenly Saint Sect, I fear that when the moment comes, hatred will cloud his judgment and he will completely lose his reason."

Shen Shuangning's heart sank sharply, and she said solemnly: "What should I do?"

Pei Zhi glanced at her and said: "You don't need to do anything; just stay by his side."

After a pause, seeing her tense profile, he added: "Don't be afraid; I'll be there then as well. If he truly loses control, I will certainly protect you."

Shen Shuangning wasn't afraid; she was merely worried.

The dungeon.

Xiao Jingyuan dealt with the jail-breakers, bringing their heads before Prince Rui.

This person was a trusted aide of Prince Rui; when Pei Zhi defected in battle, he had taken people into hiding, continually seeking a chance to rescue Prince Rui.

Xiao Jingyuan had prepared in advance; tonight's victory feast was deliberately intended to lure the other side into a trap.

Prince Rui no longer bore his former majestic and vigorous appearance; he wore a prisoner's garb, the wound on his shoulder untreated, blood seeping out and staining half of his shoulder red.

His hair was disheveled, his whole body hoisted upright by iron chains, his toes unable to touch the ground.

"Xiao Jingyuan, if you have the guts, kill me and give me a quick death!" Prince Rui snarled, eyes flashing with ferocity, his heart full of resentment and hatred.

He was of imperial lineage, never having suffered such humiliation, yet now he lacked even the strength to struggle.

If one looked closely, one would see his hands hanging limp at his sides, the tendons already severed, all his martial arts ruined; he was now nothing but a cripple at anyone's mercy.

This is a hundred times more painful than killing him!

Xiao Jingyuan said nothing, raised his hand to the side, and immediately someone placed a knife on the ground.

Xiao Jingyuan walked forward slowly, his cold brows and eyes seeming to be stained with a bloody aura, that extremely handsome face showing no expression at all, Prince Rui felt a chill in his heart, involuntarily swallowing his saliva.

"Killing you is too easy, how boring."

Xiao Jingyuan raised his hand, the dagger slowly sank into Prince Rui's shoulder wound, then he twisted his wrist.

The dagger stirred in the festering wound, bright red blood gushed out instantly, flowing down the prison garb, quickly pooling into a small puddle on the ground.

Prince Rui clenched his teeth from the pain, his whole body trembling, soon breaking out in a cold sweat, finally unable to hold back an anguished cry.

"Ugh—!"

The surrounding guards heard it, all lowering their heads tightly, not daring to look up, thinking that the title "Jade-Faced Yama" given to Young Master Xiao was indeed not undeserved.

After a while, Xiao Jingyuan pulled out the dagger, lightly saying: "How many corrupt officials colluding with the Heavenly Saint Sect remain in the court? And who all participated in Yuan Zhenfeng's death?"

Prince Rui gasped heavily.

By now, concealment is meaningless, and he truly fears Xiao Jingyuan will give him another stab.

Prince Rui spoke haltingly, while someone beside him took up a brush and wrote it down with a swish-swish-swish.

Yuan Zhenfeng was killed on the orders of the Queen Mother; she feared Yuan Zhenfeng would discover her collusion with the Heavenly Saint Sect, ruining her plans, so she teamed up with the Heavenly Saint Sect to kill him.

Upon learning the truth, Xiao Jingyuan's face showed no surprise at all, but the chill in his eyes grew even deeper.

After Prince Rui finished speaking, a jailer stepped forward, forcibly grabbed his hand, and pressed a bright red fingerprint onto the confession document.

Prince Rui thought that after he finished confessing, Xiao Jingyuan would kill him; unexpectedly, the latter said, "I won't kill you, I'll release you."

Prince Rui was first stunned, then he sensed something from Xiao Jingyuan's gloomy, cold eyes.

"Aren't you wanting to rebel? I'll give you the chance to march on Jingcheng." Xiao Jingyuan hooked the corner of his mouth, his smile not reaching his eyes, instead exuding thick mockery: "How so, are you unwilling, or are you afraid?"

A flush of abnormal red rose on Prince Rui's deathly pale face, his lips trembling, unable to tell whether it was excitement or fear.

Before dawn broke, the gate of Tongzhou City slowly opened.

The cold wind swept in residual snow into the city, yet it did not bring the usual bustle of the morning market; only ragged, panic-stricken rebel troops could be seen, under the surveillance of the Black Iron Army, fleeing miserably out of the gate.

Leading them was none other than Prince Rui, who had been tortured in the prison just yesterday.

The rebel soldiers each shrank their necks, their eyes full of disbelief.

They originally thought that falling into Xiao Jingyuan's hands would surely be a dead end, never expecting they could actually walk out of Tongzhou City alive!

"General… we… are we really going to Jingcheng?" a deputy general approached cautiously, his voice full of unease, "Why did Xiao Jingyuan let us go, what does he mean?"

Prince Rui glanced back at the dark figure on the city tower, his eyes bloodshot: "We have no choice; staying in Tongzhou means death, going to Jingcheng at least offers a sliver of hope!"

But even he himself didn't believe those words.

The rebels had gone three days without food; the soldiers were so hungry their steps faltered, many couldn't even stand steady, lacking any decent weapons—let alone attacking Jingcheng, any random troop could crush them!

The rebels hesitated, some even wanting to desert, and the troop's progress was extremely slow.

At that moment, a shout from the city tower rang out, "Release the arrows!" Countless arrows rained down; the rebels had no shields, hardly any ability to resist, and in an instant they fell to the ground in heaps.

Before the rebels could recover from their terror, Xiao Jingyuan personally selected five thousand elite troops and chased after them from behind.

The rebels no longer dared to dawdle, like a pack of dogs driven mad, they stumbled and ran wildly toward Jingcheng!

On the city tower, Xiao Jingyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his dark robe snapping in the cold wind. He watched the fleeing rebels' backs, his eyes devoid of any ripple.

Beside him, Pei Zhi said: "The Heavenly Saint Sect has already taken action; Ouyang Wentian himself has taken the field."

As his great vengeance was about to be fulfilled, a crimson hue gradually spread across Xiao Jingyuan's eyes.

On the Jingcheng city tower, the current commander of the Imperial Guards, Yan Zheng, saw the banner of Prince Rui's army, his hanging heart finally settling, and he shouted:

"At last you've come! Open the gate!"

The gate opened, Yan Zheng stood beneath it, his face breaking into a fawning smile, his eyes full of anticipation.

But when Prince Rui's army appeared in Yan Zheng's sight, it was not quite as he had imagined.

Especially Prince Rui, who led the way, had no decent mount; it looked as if he had come on foot.

His armor was riddled with several holes, his hair disheveled and stuck to his face, the whites of his eyes threaded with blood, resembling a demon just escaped from hell—where was any princely dignity?

As he was sizing him up, Prince Rui gave him a grim, sinister look.

Yan Zheng realized that staring directly was rude, so he quickly lowered his head and said respectfully: "Subordinate welcomes the Prince's return to the capital! The Empress Dowager has been waiting for you for a long time."

With his head lowered, he couldn't see Prince Rui's expression; the latter demanded a horse, then abandoned the rebels and headed for the palace.

After Prince Rui's figure disappeared, Yan Zheng finally raised his head, muttering: "It seems the battle in Tongzhou was indeed tough; it reduced Prince Rui to such a sorry state."

That thought only circled in Yan Zheng's mind once before being replaced by greater excitement.

Regardless of whether Prince Rui was bedraggled, his arrival in Jingcheng meant the situation was settled; Yan Zheng couldn't help curling his lips, as if he saw himself someday gaining office and rank.

Upon entering the Kunning Palace, Prince Rui couldn't help but redden his eyes.

The Queen Mother saw her son covered in wounds, unable to restrain her heartache, she reached out to touch his gaunt face, asking: "How did you sustain such serious injuries?"

Prince Rui murmured a few words with his lips, then suddenly "plopped" down on his knees.

The Queen Mother startled, quickly bent down to help him up: "What are you doing? Get up quickly."

Prince Rui pressed his forehead against the cold blue bricks, trembling slightly as he said: "Mother, your son has disappointed you!!"

The Queen Mother's motion froze slightly; she seemed to understand something, fell silent for a moment, then softly asked: "Xiao Jingyuan isn't dead, you lost the battle at Tongzhou, right?"

Prince Rui, his voice hoarse, dared not meet his mother's disappointed eyes: "Yes......"

The Queen Mother closed her eyes; no further questioning needed, she already understood Xiao Jingyuan's intention in letting him return.

When she opened her eyes again, the Queen Mother regained her composure, reached out to help Prince Rui up, and said in a deep voice: "What's with the dejection? You're a prince! The situation isn't settled yet—who says you've lost?!"

Prince Rui said nothing, looking at his mother in bewilderment.

The Queen Mother didn't say more, shouting outward: "Kang Shouyi!"

Kang Shouyi had just heard the commotion inside the hall, knowing Prince Rui had been defeated, preparing to be dumpling‑filled by Xiao Jingyuan, he was panicking when suddenly he heard the Empress's summons and hurried inside.

"Your Ladyship, what are your orders?"

The Queen Mother's expression turned icy; without further ado she said: "Summon the officials at once; it's time for the crown prince to appear."

Soon, civil and military officials appeared outside Fengming Hall; everyone looked at each other, not knowing what the Empress was up to inside the palace.

Not long after, Crown Prince Zhai Yu was brought before the officials by the Imperial Guard, and not far behind followed the trembling, at‑a‑loss Song Xizhi.

The officials below saw that the heir apparent was still alive and whispered among themselves.

Sunlight fell on the crown prince, yet it gave no warmth; he wore the robe symbolizing the heir apparent, still refined, but his expression was wooden, like a lifeless walking corpse, left to be slaughtered.

Empress Wang, in a splendid phoenix robe, stood behind Zhai Yu and said slowly, "If you want to spare that woman's life, confess to regicide before the civil and military officials."

Zhai Yu finally reacted, he turned his head and glanced at Song Xizhi.

The woman's eyes were filled with tears, yet she said firmly, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you did not commit regicide, you must not admit it! Don't listen to her!"

Song Xizhi knew clearly that if Zhai Yu confessed to regicide, he would surely die! And as the Crown Prince's consort, pregnant, how could she possibly survive?

She did not want to die!!!