Xue Shen was not surprised by Emperor Cheng'an's actions, and calmly ordered, "Collect the body."
The stunned guards then came to their senses and hurriedly dragged Emperor Cheng'an's body away.
The ministers who had come to witness the execution saw that Emperor Cheng'an had committed suicide and knew that the situation was settled. Wang Yuanguang, who was best at reading the political winds, was the first to kneel down and loudly proclaimed, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Seeing this, the others quickly knelt down as well, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
Xue Shen's expression was solemn. He picked up the blood-stained longsword that had fallen to the ground and placed it on the altar in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He spoke in a deep voice: "The traitors have been executed. Your son has restored order and avenged your father and mother. If your father and mother know this in the afterlife, they can rest in peace."
After he finished speaking, he knelt down before the altar and solemnly kowtowed three times.
Those present were stunned by the murderous look on his face, and only came to their senses when Xue Shen turned and left.
Back in the palace, the imperial guards came to ask Xue Shen how to dispose of Emperor Cheng'an's body. Xue Shen thought for a moment and said, "Since it's not going to be buried in the imperial mausoleum, let's just throw it into the mass grave."
He couldn't possibly collect Emperor Cheng'an's body, but if he wasn't mistaken that day, someone would have done so.
Since Xue Heng didn't want to see him, he would grant his wish.
Returning Emperor Cheng'an's body was a way of fulfilling their last brotherly bond.
*
Following Xue Shen's orders, the Imperial Guards threw Emperor Cheng'an's body into a mass grave outside the city.
The mass grave was eerily quiet, and even the Imperial Guards, who were used to seeing dead, felt a chill run down their spines. They hastily threw the corpses down and turned to leave.
After they had gone far away, Xue Heng, who had been following behind, came out and knelt before the body of Emperor Cheng'an.
Emperor Cheng'an was a deposed emperor. In order to please the new emperor, these imperial guards did not bother to prepare his remains, and were even stingy with a straw mat. They simply threw his body into the mass grave.
“Father, we were sworn enemies in life, but now that we are dead, we will depend on each other for survival.”
Xue Heng chuckled self-deprecatingly, gathered dry branches and leaves from the surrounding area, and piled them on top of Emperor Cheng'an's corpse. Then, he took out the wine flask from his waist, poured the wine over the branches and Emperor Cheng'an's corpse, and lit the dry branches and leaves with a tinderbox.
With the help of the alcohol, the flames suddenly shot up and burst into a raging fire.
Xue Heng knelt to the side, watching as the fire snakes burned Emperor Cheng'an's body piece by piece until only a pile of ashes remained.
He took out a bamboo tube, scooped up a handful of still-warm ashes and put it into the tube, tightened the tube and hung it on his waist. He patted the dust off his knees and said with a smile, "You died, and the sins you committed went with you. But I am still alive, and I cannot forget those things."
"You gave me life and raised me; for the rest of your days, I will atone for your sins."
In the setting sun, Xue Heng's shadow stretched long as he led an old horse, his steps heavy and slow as he walked into the distance.
And this parting may be the last time they ever return.
*
Xue Shen watched Xue Heng walk away, never showing himself from beginning to end.
He had long known that Xue Heng would not be able to bear leaving Emperor Cheng'an's body exposed in the wilderness and would definitely come to collect his biological father's body, so he had been waiting at the mass grave for a long time.
And Xue Heng arrived just as he had expected.
He had aged considerably; though not yet thirty, his once black hair was now gray, and his once straight spine was now slightly hunched, weighed down by heavy guilt.
Xue Shen watched him from afar, but ultimately did not show himself.
Just as Xue Heng couldn't face him, he didn't know how to face Xue Heng either.
They were once the closest of brothers, trustworthy to each other, but now they have gone their separate ways and drifted further and further apart.
Xue Shen picked up the wine flask at his waist, which contained Xue Heng's favorite wine. He tilted his head back and took a sip. The scalding liquid rolled down his throat, burning him so much that tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
Xue Shen only took one sip, then poured the rest of the wine onto the ground.
After that, he threw down the wine jug and rode away.
Like Xue Heng, he came silently and left silently.
They were once the closest of brothers, but now they can't even say goodbye.
*
Xue Shen returned to the Prince of Qin's residence, his expression somewhat gloomy. When the servants who were serving him saw this, they all carefully shut their mouths, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Only Shen Youying remained unchanged. Seeing his gloomy expression and the smell of alcohol on him, she took his hand and said with concern, "I heard that you had someone throw Emperor Cheng'an's body into the mass grave."
Xue Shen didn't know why she suddenly asked this, but he nodded nonetheless.
After considering for a moment, Shen Youying finally asked, "Has my eldest brother returned?"
The elder brother she referred to was not her biological brother Shen Xiuyi, but Xue Heng.
Xue Shen looked surprised, gently stroking the back of her hand with his fingers for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice, "How did Zhao Zhao know?"
Shen Youying touched his dark eyebrows that couldn't be relaxed and said softly, "You're not the kind of person who would take your anger out on the dead."
Emperor Cheng'an felt he was dead, and that was the end of this feud.
Xue Shen insisted on forcing Emperor Cheng'an to confess his crimes in public. Rather than saying he hated Emperor Cheng'an, it would be more accurate to say he simply wanted Emperor Cheng'an to personally admit his mistakes and apologize before the memorial tablets of the late emperor and empress.
Emperor Cheng'an confessed his crimes as he wished and committed suicide. Even if Xue Shen did not allow him to be buried in the imperial mausoleum, he would still have his body buried.
Leaving a corpse to rot in the wilderness was simply not in Xue Shen's nature.
After much thought, Shen Youying could only guess that Xue Heng had probably returned.
Since Xue Heng left the Eastern Palace with a letter, Emperor Cheng'an has sent countless people to search for Xue Heng's whereabouts, but they have been unable to find him.
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