Chapter 172 Chu Huaiyu's Desperate Struggle
Chu Siheng felt a pang of pain in his heart when he saw the worry and tears in Lu Zhaoxue's eyes. He took Lu Zhaoxue's hand and pulled her in front of him.
Chu Siheng gently stroked Lu Zhaoxue's cheek with his other hand, wiping away the moisture from the corner of her eyes. Then, Chu Siheng kissed the corner of Lu Zhaoxue's lips to reassure her.
“Ah Xue, Siheng knows what you’re worried about. But Chu Huaiyu’s uprising this time is under the pretext of ‘punishing the tyrannical emperor,’ and it’s aimed at me, the current emperor. If I let someone else lead the expedition, it will ultimately be illegitimate.”
"Besides, Chu Huaiyu is my own younger brother. This feud should be settled by me personally."
After Chu Siheng finished speaking, he pulled Lu Zhaoxue into his arms and gently patted her back.
"Ah Xue, you don't need to worry. I swear to you, I'll be right back and there won't be any mishaps."
"You are all alone in the palace, so take good care of yourself. And our Zhaozhao is waiting for my triumphant return."
Looking into Chu Siheng's unwavering eyes, Lu Zhaoxue knew that his mind was made up and that further persuasion would be useless.
Lu Zhaoxue bit her lip, forcing back the tears in her eyes, and finally nodded slowly, but the unease in her heart could not be dispelled.
Lu Zhaoxue hugged Chu Siheng tightly around the waist, buried her face in his chest, and listened quietly to his steady and powerful heartbeat.
She only hoped that this journey would truly be as Chu Siheng had said—safe, smooth, and a triumphant return.
Late at night, Chu Siheng held Lu Zhaoxue in his arms and whispered something in her ear, his words meant to reassure her.
...
That day, Chu Huaiyu was sitting upright in his chair, reading through military books, when suddenly he felt a metallic taste rising in his throat.
Chu Huaiyu suddenly covered his mouth, and bright red blood seeped from between his fingers, dripping onto the pages of the book, spreading into dazzling red plum blossoms.
Zhao Xiaoling, who was standing by, turned pale and hurriedly called for the guards outside the door to summon a doctor.
After the doctor rushed over, he carefully took Chu Huaiyu's pulse. The doctor frowned repeatedly as he took the pulse, and finally shook his head and sighed, saying that Chu Huaiyu had no pulse at all, so he could not diagnose the problem at all.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaoling felt a surge of anxiety. This was a crucial moment, how could this be…?
Suddenly, Zhao Xiaoling remembered the reclusive hermit living in Taibai Mountain, and hurriedly sent someone to invite him over day and night.
When the reclusive master arrived, he was dressed in a plain Taoist robe. Chu Huaiyu bowed to him and said respectfully, "Thank you for your trouble, sir."
The reclusive master waved his hand, then approached Chu Huaiyu, took Chu Huaiyu's wrist, closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes. The hand that was stroking his beard suddenly stopped, and his face turned grim.
The hermit looked at Chu Huaiyu and thought to himself, "Although he was lucky enough to be saved by me back then, he was already going against the will of Heaven. Now it seems that Heaven will not tolerate him after all."
Zhao Xiaoling, standing to the side, felt a chill in her heart upon seeing the expert's demeanor. She was about to press him for answers when the expert raised his hand to stop her.
"I have a few secrets to tell Chu Huaiyu, but it is inconvenient for others to be present, so please excuse me for the time being."
Zhao Xiaoling was unwilling to comply, but the master was adamant, saying only, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. If there is a third person present, I will not say anything."
Helpless, Zhao Xiaoling could only retreat, turning back every few steps, and stand guard outside his door, her heart hanging in suspense.
Inside the room, the reclusive master looked at Chu Huaiyu, who remained calm and composed throughout, and slowly said, "You only have two years left to live."
Chu Huaiyu paused slightly, but her eyes remained calm and composed.
The expert leaned closer and whispered a few words in Chu Huaiyu's ear. Finally, he took out a bright red pill from his sleeve and handed it to Chu Huaiyu.
Chu Huaiyu accepted the pill, thanked the reclusive master, and said nothing more.
The expert gave Chu Huaiyu another deep look, then turned and left, leaving the room in silence.
...
On the other side, Chu Siheng has been advancing with unstoppable momentum since he personally led the expedition. Over the years, Chu Siheng's mental skills and military strategies have become second nature, and with the help of his uncle Yu Chiyun, he is even more powerful.
In just two months, Chu Siheng recaptured several cities that Chu Huaiyu had previously conquered, causing Chu Huaiyu's army to suffer repeated defeats and collapse.
Reports of defeats from the front lines came in like snowflakes, and the candlelight in Chu Huaiyu's tent remained burning all night.
That night, Chu Huaiyu summoned all his generals and held a secret meeting with them until dawn.
"Our forces are currently outnumbered, and a direct confrontation would be like throwing an egg against a rock."
Chu Huaiyu's voice was low as he glanced at everyone. "Since we can't win, let's take a risky step that Chu Siheng wouldn't expect."
Chu Siheng pointed to the direction of the capital on the map, a resolute glint in his eyes, then turned to look at Zhao Xiaoling, his tone carrying an unquestionable command.
"Xiao Ling, you must act according to the plan we discussed tonight. You cannot make a single mistake. Remember not to act impulsively."
Looking at Chu Huaiyu's pale face, Zhao Xiaoling felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, but he knew that things had come to this point and there was no room for maneuver. He could only bow and accept the order: "Your subordinate obeys."
Another month passed, and Chu Siheng's army besieged the city.
Chu Huaiyu ordered his men to plant flags all over the city walls and beat drums day and night, making it seem as if he was ready to fight to the death.
Little did they know, this was Chu Huaiyu's plan to lure them away from their prey. Knowing he was already at his limit, Chu Huaiyu no longer wanted to struggle and only wanted to see his wife and daughter in the last days of his life.
Just days before Chu Siheng's army launched a fierce attack on the city, Chu Huaiyu had already quietly led several troops to withdraw and rode to the capital overnight.
The night was as dark as ink. Chu Huaiyu's troops clashed with the patrolling imperial guards, and Chu Huaiyu and several secret guards took the opportunity to sneak into Chengqian Palace, where Lu Zhaoxue was.
Chu Huaiyu raised his hand and waved, and the guards threw specially made smoke bombs into Chengqian Palace, where wisps of pale purple smoke rose.
Chu Huaiyu quietly entered the inner hall and looked at Lu Zhaoxue, who was fast asleep on the bed, and her daughter Chu Lingyang beside her. His eyes were filled with complex emotions that were hard to discern.
Chu Huaiyu carefully picked up Lu Zhaoxue, then signaled the guards to take Chu Lingyang with them. The group quickly retreated and headed straight for their pre-arranged hiding place in the suburbs.
After an unknown amount of time, Lu Zhaoxue slowly woke up. What came into view was the unfamiliar stone house dome, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of grass and trees.
Lu Zhaoxue shifted her body and noticed a gaze falling on her face. She looked up and saw that it was Chu Huaiyu.
Lu Zhaoxue's gaze remained calm and unwavering, showing no surprise whatsoever, as if she had long anticipated this day would come.
Seeing Lu Zhaoxue like this, Chu Huaiyu's heart sank, and that familiar, dense, dull pain spread throughout his body again.
"you……"
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