Chapter 120 It's as if he really is that fox...
Cui Yao remained silent.
But then, silently and firmly, a pair of hands wrapped around his waist and tightened.
His arms were extremely powerful, tightly wrapped around his body like a giant python.
Ji Chengning felt no resistance; on the contrary, he felt increasingly at ease.
A cool breeze brushed against my face, slowly cooling down my burning cheeks.
The emperor was cruel and ruthless, skilled at manipulating people's hearts but incapable of accomplishing anything in military or political affairs. The officialdom was extremely corrupt. The Luanyang incident was a case of officials forcing the people to rebel, but that was not enough.
The Zhou dynasty had been established for over a hundred years, and by this time, public resentment was boiling over; they still lacked a legitimate reason to justify their rule.
Besides conforming to the will of Heaven and the people, there is a legitimate legal principle.
If the name is not correct, then the words will not be proper; if the words are not proper, then things will not be accomplished.
"What are you thinking about?"
Cui Yao asked softly.
Ji Chengning pressed his temples. "I'm thinking about whether to also make a campfire fox cry and a fish belly hidden message."
Cui Yao understood Ji Chengning's meaning in just half a second and remained silent for a moment.
Her long, slender eyelashes drooped slightly, casting a shadow.
Ji Chengning chuckled, "I just said it casually, but it's made A-Yao worry too. Things will work themselves out. Don't look so sad. Come with me to see your uncle."
He said this and started to walk inside.
They didn't move.
Because Cui Yao was holding his sleeve.
That usually steady hand was trembling slightly.
Ji Chengnin was taken aback, then grabbed Cui Yao's hand and intertwined their fingers. "What's wrong?"
Cui Yao looked up.
A thousand words seemed to surge and tremble in her eyes, but in the end, Cui Yao said, "Didn't the young master ask me if Cui Yao was my real name?"
Ji Chengnin grew increasingly puzzled, "Is it...?"
Cui Yao said solemnly, "My sins are unforgivable." As he spoke, he pulled Ji Chengning closer and closer. "Cui Yao is not my real name," he continued before Ji Chengning could reply, "and Zhong Mei is not either."
Ji Chengnin's heart skipped a beat for no reason, but he smiled slightly. "What, are you bringing up the past to annoy me?"
Cui Yao slowly shook his head, staring intently at Ji Chengnin's face, as if trying to etch every reaction into his eyes. "My original surname was Zhou. Emperor Zhaoming," that is, the late emperor, "personally named me Xuan, meaning to inherit the ancestral rites. Therefore, I should be called Zhou Xuan."
Silence.
Ji Chengning thought that as the commander of the three armies, he had cultivated the ability to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him. Hearing this news was like being struck by lightning.
"You you you you you..."
He knew that Crown Prince Daohuai had a son, but wasn't that child also frail and sickly, and died of illness not long after his father's death?
Her narrow, beautiful eyes widened in surprise.
Cui Yao felt as if her insides were about to collapse with tension. Seeing Ji Chengnin's astonished reaction only made her more nervous, her whole body trembling. She tried to suppress it, but her voice still trembled, "I... I brought this up today with no other intention than to relieve the young master's worries. If the young master..."
Before the words were even finished, "smack!"
A loud kiss landed on my face.
Cui Yao opened her eyes wide in astonishment.
He had considered the countless reactions Ji Chengning would have after he revealed this: resentment for his concealment, resentment for not telling him sooner and for not trusting him. Going even deeper, just thinking about it made Cui Yao feel like he was falling into an ice cave. The Crown Prince would suspect that he was also interested in the throne and that his motives were impure.
But this kiss is the only exception.
Ji Chengnin's face was still pressed against his, and he murmured, "Could it be that Heaven has bestowed A-Yao upon me?"
My heart was pounding with anxiety, but finally, I felt at ease.
Cui Yao slowly exhaled.
My arm tightened unconsciously.
Seeing that Cui Yao looked extremely frightened just now—although he felt that he was the one who should be frightened—Ji Chengning did not stop Cui Yao from hugging him.
But it's getting tighter and tighter.
The bond between blood relatives, sharing joys and sorrows, and living and dying together—this is the essence of life.
"Ah Yao!"
Cui Yao was startled and hugged him even tighter.
Ji Chengnin gasped for breath, "Let me go first!"
He's really going to be strangled to death!
...
Soon after, an uprising broke out in Cangzhou, shocking the entire court.
At the same time, an imperial edict circulated among the court and the public. The edict clearly stated that the Emperor was of meager virtue and had been spared by Heaven's mercy to inherit the throne. After the Emperor's death, the throne would be passed to his grandson, Zhou Xuan. If the grandson was too young at the time, then the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince Xun Qingying, the Grand Protector of the Crown Prince Qi Lingyan, and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Cui Zhan would temporarily assist in governing.
These people either died of illness long ago, or were involved in disputes and their entire families were killed; none of them are still alive.
This adds another layer of doubt to the authenticity of this imperial edict. The person in question has passed away and there is no way to verify it. But how could it be such a coincidence that the youngest of them, Cui Zhan, was not even forty years old before Emperor Zhaoming died, less than twenty years ago? None of the three regents mentioned in the edict are still alive.
However, what made the emperor most uneasy was not the imperial edict, but the fact that the crown prince Zhou Xuan mentioned in the edict was still alive and under the command of Ji Chengning!
The imperial court naturally condemned it as a forged edict, a lie fabricated by treacherous officials to mislead the people. However, after so many years of corruption in the court, with officials flattering their superiors and bullying their subordinates, very few people believed the official reports issued by the court.
Besides plotting to murder the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince's grandson, and falsely conveying the late emperor's decree, an old incident shocked the army even more: the death of the Marquis of Yongning was not entirely due to the fickle nature of the barbarian tribes, but rather because Xu Sheng received a hint from the emperor and deliberately did it. From beginning to end, the Marquis of Yongning died because of the schemes of the emperor to whom he had been loyal!
This news sent chills down the spines of countless people, leaving them both disheartened and terrified.
Marquis Yongning and the emperor were childhood sweethearts, and he had made great contributions to the rise of the new emperor and had achieved numerous military exploits. Even such a person could not escape death. How could these people find peace?
The army marched out of Cangzhou and advanced with unstoppable momentum. The generals along the way were either already aware of Ji Chengning's brilliant military strategy or the people were extremely disappointed with the court, so they offered food and drink to the general.
The emperor had no choice but to execute Xu Sheng, calling him the main culprit and the root cause of the discord between himself and the Ji family. However, this only confirmed the rumors.
Three months later, an imperial edict was issued to the world, wishing to confer upon Ji Chengning the title of King of Luohe. Luohe was the place where the dynasty rose to power, and this move was tantamount to being willing to share the world with Ji Chengning. However, the edict did not mention Zhou Xuan at all, clearly indicating that the emperor was unwilling to acknowledge his status.
The emperor also had his own thoughts on this.
Whether Zhou Xuan is real or not, since he already has the title of Crown Prince, how could he be willing to be subordinate to others? Ji Chengning used his name to launch a military campaign under the pretext of righteousness. The court only bestowed titles upon Ji Chengning and not upon Zhou Xuan, which will inevitably cause Zhou Xuan to be dissatisfied with the court and Ji Chengning. When things are unfair, people will cry out.
But to the court's surprise, the imperial edict did not stop Ji Chengnin's army from advancing; instead, they marched straight in.
He did not harm the people at all along the way.
By February of this year, the enemy was at the gates of the city.
Beforehand, Ji Chengning issued an order stating that this was solely the emperor's fault and had nothing to do with anyone else. The only goal was to apprehend the ringleader and restore order to the world!
In early March, Luoyang fell, but no civilians were harmed.
The false emperor Zhou Yun committed suicide by setting himself on fire, thus concluding the historical record.
As horses' hooves pounded the ground, under the night sky, Ji Chengnin gazed at the burning palace and suddenly recalled that dream.
He turned his head, not seeing Cui Yao beside him, and suddenly remembered that he had led his army into the city from the other side.
"General, we've found... His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Ji Chengnin looked up abruptly, "Where?"
...
It wasn't in the Crown Prince's bedroom, but in Anping Hall, where Ji Chengning used to love attending palace banquets.
It is no longer as magnificent as it once was.
Ji Chengning raised his hand, signaling everyone to wait outside the hall, while he himself stepped up the stairs.
"Crunch."
The door opened.
Although the interior of the hall was messy, thousands of red candles were burning, making the entire Anping Hall as bright as day.
He went inside.
He first saw Zhou Yu kneeling before the table, seemingly waiting for him to have tea.
Then came a pale face, with filthy black blood flowing freely, slicing this beautiful face into pieces.
Having known each other for nearly ten years, Ji Chengning had never seen Zhou Yu in such a disheveled state.
Ji Chengning felt his blood rushing wildly to his head, followed by an endless chill.
He was so cold that his teeth were chattering.
"Your Highness!" He turned around abruptly. "I'll go and fetch the doctor."
Zhou Yu smiled gently, her gaze towards Ji Chengnin filled with nostalgia and melancholy.
His Xiao Ning looks so handsome in his armor. It's a pity that he's too weak to fight alongside him on the battlefield or negotiate with him.
"Xiao Ning, shh," he raised his hand with difficulty, "I drank the poisoned wine myself. The poison has entered my heart meridian. Even if Hua Tuo were alive, he couldn't do anything about it. So don't call for help."
Her voice grew even softer, "Shall we talk quietly for a bit?"
Ji Chengnin took a few deep breaths.
He stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
Zhou Yu was embraced tightly by him. He wanted to hug back, but his body was too weak and his hands wouldn't obey him.
I hate myself for being sick, and I hate that others are healthy.
He can be with Xiao Ning forever, in a place where he can't see him.
He closed his eyes wearily, but felt a little dampness.
"Clatter."
Yes, he looked up and met a pair of bloodshot eyes. Those naturally beautiful and affectionate eyes were now covered with red veins, making them look even more like blooming peach blossoms. Yes, tears.
He rarely saw Ji Chengnin cry like this.
In his memory, Xiao Ning had always been arrogant, unruly, and flamboyant.
So Zhou Yu, filled with love and joy, felt even more strongly that he should die.
He reached out with difficulty, wanting to wipe away Ji Chengnin's tears.
But I can't find it.
Ji Chengnin immediately lowered his head.
But he seemed to be afraid of something, and his hand fell limply to his side.
He has blood on his hands; how could he get Xiao Ning's face dirty?
"Xiao Ning, don't cry."
"Don't cry for me. Life is short, and death is a common occurrence. What's there to cry about?"
But he saw the tears falling even more heavily.
Zhou Yu closed his eyes, feeling the moisture on his face, and felt almost smug.
At least for now, at least for now, Xiao Ning was holding him, her heart and eyes filled with nothing but him.
But even a single moment like that would be worth dying for, even if it meant dying ten thousand times over.
He wanted to speak.
He wanted to say that the death of the Marquis of Yongning was due to my father's wrongdoing to your family, and that the cycle of karma was what it was meant to be. He felt that it was a great fortune for him to see me one last time. However, after thinking it over, he did not know how to say it.
His throat made a hoarse sound.
I'm sorry.
He closed his eyes.
“I have known you for nearly ten years, but I have done you no good; on the contrary, I have often caused you worry.”
Before he could finish speaking, he felt Ji Chengnin's arms tighten around his waist.
Ji Chengning's hands were making a cracking sound.
"I didn't mean to..."
I didn't mean to kill you!
Now that things have come to this, he has never regretted raising an army, but the death of Zhou Yu was never something he expected.
When dynasties change, Zhou Yu, as a member of the previous royal family, will play an indispensable role in the ceremony, both to demonstrate the new emperor's benevolence and to fulfill his own selfish desires.
He would keep Zhou Yu in the capital, give him a title, and regardless of whether Zhou Yu hated him or not, he would ensure that Zhou Yu lived and lived well.
Instead of dying in front of him!
Feeling Ji Chengnin's violent trembling, Zhou Yu actually felt safer.
Peace of mind.
Once the dust settles, even the last trace of resentment disappears.
"How difficult it is to be a person..."
They strive and struggle their whole lives, yet never achieve their goals.
His fingers traced lines across Ji Chengnin's clothes, leaving streaks of crimson.
Zhou Yu's voice was so hoarse that it was unrecognizable. "If there is an afterlife, I would rather be your carved bow and your precious sword, accompanying you in life and being buried with you in death."
Ji Chengning closed his eyes.
Tears streamed down her face.
He wanted to tell him to shut up and stop talking.
But he wanted to hear Zhou Yu continue.
He heard Zhou Yu's weak voice continue, "Xiao Ning, I know you trust Cui Yao, but Cui Yao was once the Crown Prince, second only to the Emperor. The throne was clearly within his grasp, but now he has to submit to someone else. With his years of scheming and forbearance, how can he be willing to accept it?"
“Xiao Ning, kill him,” he said, almost as if he were trying to persuade or coax a dying man. “When you have nothing left to reward him for, kill him without hesitation.”
"Don't let him turn around and harm you..."
He couldn't hear what Xiao Ning said anymore.
He felt the palace door open, but he no longer cared who had entered.
He slid down limply, finally falling into Ji Chengning's arms, his chin resting on Ji Chengning's knee.
Just like they had done ten thousand times in their youth, they quietly closed their eyes.
He recalled the first time he met Ji Chengnin. The young marquis had drunk too much fruit wine at the palace banquet, and secretly slipped out, only to fall asleep on the white stone.
At that time, the imperial concubine's personal maids were looking for a fox, a bright red, furry one.
Ji Chengning was also dressed in red, which fluttered like fire.
It was as if he really was that fox in disguise.
Xiao Ning.
Small……
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Author's note: The main story will conclude tomorrow.
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