Chapter 194 Loyalty: Is His Throne Never Stained with Blood?

Royal Palace

Last night, during the siege of Xingguo Ward, the Eagle Guards reported that the swordsman had escaped. Yet, within a day, they had captured one. Cui Jin ordered that the man be brought back to the palace for the Emperor's personal interrogation. In the Imperial Study, Mu You saw the youngest swordsman again. He said his name was…

"What's your name?" Mu You tried to recall, but still couldn't remember the swordsman's name.

Ji Fang, who had been drooping his head, suddenly sat up in surprise, "Ji Fang."

Mu You remembered the name. He had asked the young swordsman his name when they tested the sword that day. The boy stammered and couldn't even pronounce his own name properly. Today, tied up in the imperial study, he no longer seemed as terrified as he had been that day. Mu You asked in a hoarse voice, "Not afraid today?"

Ji Fang raised his blood-stained face and looked directly at the high and mighty Mu You. Months ago, Mu You was still a majestic god, but today he was nothing more than a muddle-headed fool who couldn't distinguish right from wrong. Ji Fang gave a self-deprecating laugh, "The Emperor told me that Rongdu is a city of imperial aura, the city of the Son of Heaven. When I unsheath my sword before the Emperor, the surging power should be like mountains and seas. What is there to fear?"

"Insolence!" Chang Lu retorted, his voice grating. "How dare you speak so arrogantly before the Emperor!"

"Let him speak," Mu You said, his face showing displeasure. "I want to hear it."

Ji Fang was no longer afraid. Since the Emperor had spoken, he decided to speak his mind. "The Emperor also said, little Ji Fang, if there is a next time, you must not be afraid."

"Oh?" Mu You nodded repeatedly. "I remember now. That's exactly what I said. Ji Fang, you remember it almost word for word."

Ji Fang lowered his eyelids. "His Majesty's words are golden and engraved in my heart. I, Ji Fang, cannot forget them, nor dare I forget them."

Mu You seemed quite satisfied with his answer and said kindly, "Then do you know what Xingguo Ward has done wrong, and why you were tied up and brought to see me?"

Ji Fang had not eaten or drunk anything all day, and his lips were cracked and bleeding. He licked the blood from his mouth and raised his head, saying, "I also want to ask Your Majesty, what did Xingguo Ward do wrong and why was it raided? What did Yin Bo do wrong and why was he killed? I, Ji Fang, follow the rules and act honestly and carefully, so why was I tied up? Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Mu You shook his head and laughed, "I remember you were the most timid one among the swordsmen. Have you changed today? I see you... are quite bold. No one has ever dared to ask me a question before, and you even managed to ask me three questions in a row. Which one do you want me to answer first?"

"What crime has Xingguo Ward committed? Ji Fang has no idea!"

Before he could finish speaking, the black-robed figure appeared like a demonic shadow. Before Ji Fang could even see who it was, a slap had knocked him to the ground. Ji Fang struggled for a few moments, spitting out several bloody, broken teeth.

"You dare to be so arrogant before the Emperor? You want to die!" Cui Jin shook his robes and stood still, his single eye revealing a fierce look. "The crimes committed by Xingguo Ward are all crimes punishable by the extermination of their entire clan. Ji Fang, do you think you can escape?"

Ji Fang was so shocked by the blow that he saw stars. It took him a while to catch his breath before he could see Cui Jin clearly. "Cui...the Imperial Advisor?"

Cui Jin lifted Ji Fang up like a chick, "Where is your companion, Xiao Ma?"

As soon as Ji opened his mouth, bright red blood dripped down the corner of his mouth. "Xiao Ma? I haven't seen him for days..."

"Haven't seen him for days? Aren't you curious where he's been?" Cui Jin pressed. "Does he know anyone in Rongdu? Where do you think... he might be hiding, or... where did he go?"

Ji Fang heard every word Cui Jin uttered and a complex expression appeared on his face. "There's so much to do at the end of the year, who has time to keep an eye on others? They're all from deserted islands, how could they possibly know anyone in Rongdu? Where are they hiding? They haven't done anything wrong, why are they hiding? I can't answer any of the Grand Preceptor's questions, does that mean I'll be punished even more severely?"

"I'll ask you again." Cui Jin suddenly let go, and Ji Fang lost his footing and fell to the ground. "How did those swordsmen, and Guan Ye, get onto Canglang Island?"

Ji Fang tilted his head and spat out a mouthful of bloody foam. "I don't understand the Imperial Preceptor's question at all. They are the people on the island, so what do you mean by 'how did they get to the island'?"

Cui Jin slapped Ji Fang again, the force so great that it knocked Ji Fang unconscious. Cui Jin raised an eyebrow at Chang Lu, who understood and picked up the teacup on the table, flicking his wrist to splash it on Ji Fang's face. Ji Fang groaned and moved a few times as the cold tea mixed with blood smeared all over his face.

Just as Cui Jin was about to make a move, a eunuch's voice came from outside the imperial study: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

“Send it,” Mu Yousha replied.

The door opened, and Mu Chenbi, dressed in black, strode in. When Cui Jin saw the sword in his hand, his heart sank. On Rongdu Street, it was because of this sword that he mistook Mu Chenbi for Ajiu... Cui Jin stepped aside, glancing sideways at Mu Chenbi's clean brow bone with his single eye. The ink on his face concealed the slight movement in his expression.

"It's...you?" Mu Chenbi saw the swordsman curled up on the ground. "Your name is..."

Hearing the voice, Ji Fang struggled to open his eyes. The face in front of him was blurry. Suddenly, Ji Fang grinned at him, "A-Jiu...did you come to save me, A-Jiu..."

"Insolence!" Chang Lu shrieked. "You blind fool! This is His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Crown Prince?" Ji Fang squinted hard. He had also seen the sword. It was clearly A-Jiu's sword. Ji Fang sucked the blood from his lips and swallowed it to quench his thirst. "Not the Crown Prince, it's A-Jiu. Is it you, A-Jiu...? Are you here to take me away?"

Mu Chenbi stopped Chang Lu from throwing down his whisk, "He's badly injured, it was just a mistake, why make such a fuss?"

“Your Highness is unaware of the truth,” Chang Lu insisted. “He’s had the guts to do this. After questioning the Emperor, he confronted the Imperial Advisor, and now he’s feigning madness and disrespecting you. He deserves not only a beating, but also death.”

Mu Chenbi looked at his seated father and asked, "I only just heard about it... what happened in Xingguo Ward?"

Mu You slightly raised his eyelids, "You'll know once the Imperial Advisor pries Ji Fang's mouth open."

“He clearly knows everything, yet he says nothing.” Cui Jin sneered, his single eye fixed on Ji Fang, his sharp teeth seeming to want to crush his flesh. “The people of Xingguo Ward are all imprisoned in the dark dungeon. Do you know why we brought you to see the Emperor? Because you are the young Ji Fang who has exchanged pleasantries with the Emperor.” Cui Jin leaned down and lifted Ji Fang’s pale face. “Young Ji Fang, as long as you tell the truth, you still have a chance to step into the Emperor’s presence.”

Ji Fang suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the silent Mu You, murmuring, "Your Majesty... is it true?"

Mu Chenbi lowered his phoenix-feather eyelashes. He had only met Ji Fang a few times. In his memory, this swordsman was different from the others. Ji Fang was the youngest and the most timid. Luo Yichen's elbow swipe had scared him half to death. Could it be...

"Is it true..." A faint glimmer of light appeared in Ji Fang's eyes.

Cui Jin looked back at Mu You, who coughed and said, "My words are golden and true. Tell me the truth, and whatever the Imperial Advisor asks you, just tell him."

"Please ask, Grand Preceptor?" Ji Fang smiled faintly.

Cui Jin revealed a triumphant look, leaning down to press Ji Fang, "Xiao Ma, and Guan Ye, where did they come from? Did they come from outside the island?"

Ji Fang opened his mouth, revealing bleeding teeth. "I've known them since I was a child. Canglang Island is isolated from the world, with no one coming or going. They were born and raised on the island, so how could they have come from outside the island?"

Cui Jin asked again in a low voice, "And how was the Meteor Sword forged?"

Ji Fang's eyes were glazed and unfocused. "The Heavenly Furnace, the Heavenly Furnace melted the meteorite and then forged it into a sword."

"It was the furnace of human sacrifice that melted the meteorite, wasn't it!"

Ji Fang shook his head. "I didn't go to the foundry that day. I stayed up all night studying. When I woke up, the meteorite had already melted. A living person was sacrificed to melt the stone? Grand Preceptor, who told you that? Who saw it with their own eyes? Call them out to corroborate it."

Cui Jin grabbed Ji Fang's neck tightly, and Ji Fang's eyes rolled back as he tightened his grip. "Ji Fang, do you really want to die? Do you think no one will know if you don't tell? I was just trying to give you a way out. If you don't take that way out, then go die."

Ji Fang raised his head, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but he still had something to say. "There are so many people in the imperial prison, why doesn't the Grand Preceptor go and question them? If I'm not mistaken, he must have found nothing in the prison. You brought me before the Emperor, so you think I, Ji Fang, am a spineless coward? I am timid, I am afraid of death, terribly afraid, but this time, I'm not afraid at all... After all, it's the Emperor's order..." Everything before Ji Fang's eyes became increasingly blurry; he could no longer see Mu You's face, or A Jiu, where had A Jiu gone...? "The Emperor said, little Ji Fang, next time... you can't be afraid... Ji Fang obeys the decree."

Cui Jin paused, "Want to die? Do you think you can just die like that?" Cui Jin looked back at Mu You, "Your Majesty, what do you say?"

Mu You coughed and stroked his beard, saying, "Young Ji Fang is determined to die, wanting to be a hero and die a glorious death. Since that's the case, let's grant his wish."

Cui Jin smiled knowingly and said, "You're young and chivalrous, wanting to be a hero. I wonder if your escaped companion shares the same chivalrous spirit as you. Why don't you give it a try?"

Ji Fang understood what was going on, struggled to lift his head, and tried to fight Cui Jin to the death, "What are you going to do? What are you going to do? Kill me, just kill me."

“You are destined to die,” Cui Jin sighed. “But you must die a worthy and glorious death, Your Majesty. Three days from now, you will be publicly executed by slow slicing at Caishikou. Is that alright?”

Mu You looked up at Ji Fang again, "Little Ji Fang, you mustn't be afraid."

"—Death by a thousand cuts? Mu Chenbi's face turned pale. "Father...a person can be killed, but not tortured to death. Ji Fang's crime does not warrant such a punishment. I beg Father to retract the decree. Father, please reconsider!"

Mu Youcang's eyes widened in displeasure. "Torture and murder? You're saying I'm a cruel and inhuman tyrant?"

"Your subject wouldn't dare." Mu Chenbi knelt on one knee, not daring to raise his eyes. "Your subject... didn't mean that."

Cui Jin said at the right moment, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but there are still some fugitives in Xingguo Ward who are a threat to the country and the emperor. Ji Fang's life is insignificant, but it can deter the remaining fugitives of Xingguo. This move may seem cruel, but it is necessary. Your Highness, the emperor has really wiped out everything for you. Not only do you not appreciate the emperor's good intentions, but you also say such hurtful things to your father-son relationship... You are unfilial."

Mu Chenbi raised her phoenix-feather eyelashes and glared angrily at Cui Jin. "Grand Preceptor Cui is an immortal from Cangshan. Immortals are compassionate, yet you instigated my father to torture and kill Ji Fang. Grand Preceptor has been in court for many years. I respect you as my teacher and regard you as my friend. Only today did I realize... that Grand Preceptor also hides a heart of stone. No wonder you can..." Mu Chenbi paused for a moment, "Everything is ready."

Cui Jin, with his single, cold eye, remained expressionless. "The Crown Prince is still young and has had a smooth journey, unaware of the wickedness of people's hearts. Kindness cannot lead an army, and emotions cannot accomplish anything. The Crown Prince is kind-hearted and sentimental. If you do not stand on the Emperor's side, you are far from being ready for everything."

"Enough." Mu You closed his eyes slightly. "There are some things that must be done, Shen Bi. The Grand Preceptor is right. I am clearing away all obstacles for you. If I hadn't shed blood for you, how could you have become the Crown Prince of the Great Jin? Whose path to becoming an emperor is not stained with blood? It's just that someone is bearing the burden for you."

Whose path to power is unstained by blood? Is Mu You's throne unstained by blood?!