Chapter 55, Fifty-Five: A Knife from Behind
The moonlit night was slightly tipsy, and the atmosphere was incredibly subtle.
The rules and upbringing he had learned since childhood made Qin Sihai slightly flustered. Before he could think of how to phrase it, Zhu Qingyan was already smiling and rubbing Qin Sihai's ear, saying with a heavy heart and a sense of relief, "I know, I know everything, so I came to thank you."
It was as if Qin Sihai's little scheme of holding up his book to cover his storybook during class had been exposed, and he was extremely embarrassed. However, he was even more afraid that Zhu Qingyan would find him scary, and he was about to explain.
Zhu Qingyan continued, "I married him because of his family's status. I tolerated his old-fashioned and indecisive nature. But his concubine harmed me, and he ignored it. I've had enough. No matter what you said to him or what you thought, it doesn't matter. You are different from him."
Qin Sihai nodded, finding the food exceptionally delicious.
Before she could finish celebrating, Zhu Qingyan continued, "You are my brother, even closer than a biological brother."
The delicious food instantly tasted bland.
Qin Sihai recalled his parents' deaths in battle. When he first arrived at the Xijing Prince's Mansion, Zhu Qingyan took his hand and showed him around, saying, "From today onwards, you are my younger brother."
He always lived in the shell of her younger brother, but he knew he was different from Zhu Huantang; he had no blood relation with her.
But because of these repeated calls of "little brother," Qin Sihai dared not break free from this facade.
Qin Sihai focused on his meal, while Zhu Qingyan helped him tidy up the room. After finishing his meal, Zhu Qingyan repeatedly told him to "go to bed early" before leaving.
The letter was written and sent out, and I only hope that Zhu Huantang will receive it soon.
Zhu Huantang certainly didn't receive that letter, and the next day Qin Sihai was also poisoned and on the verge of death.
None of this is a coincidence.
Judging from Xiao Er and Zhu Qingyan's reactions, Qin Sihai's already clear-headed thinking instantly became a done deal. This was the only possibility left, and there was no room for maneuver.
There were vendors selling rice cakes on the street, and their calls attracted him. Once, Zuo Qinghou had a sudden urge to try Wu Kingdom's rice cakes, so he asked Qin Sihai to make them with him.
The two worked for most of the day, only to end up with a lump of paste stuck in the mortar. Qin Sihai was somewhat annoyed, but Zuo Qinghou happily ate it with a spoon.
Seeing Qin Sihai lost in thought, the uncle selling rice cakes said, "Young man, buy one. This one is very delicious. The red bean paste inside is my wife's specialty."
Qin Sihai sighed and bought a box, but the large table of food Zhu Qingyan had just prepared had completely ruined his appetite. After turning the corner, Qin Sihai gave the box of rice cakes to the beggar at the foot of the city wall.
The beggar gratefully stuffed a mouthful into his mouth. Qin Sihai squatted down to be at eye level with him and said, "I have something to ask you."
The beggar nodded repeatedly, but kept stuffing his mouth with food.
Qin Sihai asked, "In recent years, how many carriages have the Xia, Liu, and Qiu families been using to come to court?"
Such things would surely be known to the beggar who stayed under the city wall every day. Unsurprisingly, the beggar said, "The Xia family has three horses in their carriages, and the canopies are all gold. They are very beautiful. The Liu family and the Qiu family have two horses, and their carriages are not as nice, not as luxurious as the Xia family's."
Sure enough, things were not much different from when he left. Now that he had lost his important position and the court was short of capable generals, he didn't need to be too eager to enter officialdom; someone would always remember him.
The snow stopped at the border between Wu and Sui. Zhu Huantang stepped into the territory of Wu and felt a little uncomfortable with the winter without snow.
The ministers who came to greet him led a large entourage to escort him to Yingdu. They were extremely respectful and made no mistakes along the way.
The princes and ministers had already taken their seats. As soon as Zhu Huantang stepped into the Qiankun Hall, their eyes followed him. Their gazes were strange; they didn't seem to be looking at a meritorious official, but rather at a lion in a cage for them to play with.
Take a moment to ponder, and be wary.
The position of head of all officials was still vacant. Zhu Huantang walked over, and a minister beside him stopped him and said with a smile, "General Zhu, you've been wandering far from home, and you've probably forgotten your status and the rules of our Wu Kingdom, haven't you? That's not a seat for you."
Countless gazes, accompanied by low but loud laughter, were cast upon him. Zhu Huantang clenched his fists and said, "Oh? I wonder who is in charge of etiquette in our Wu Kingdom's court now? Could it be some scion of a noble family who relies on his ancestors' influence and hasn't even read many books?"
These words angered almost all the officials present, many of whom had risen to their positions through family influence. Placing Zhu Huantang in the middle or rear of the room was indeed a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for him.
The minister who had just spoken snorted coldly, and was about to make a sarcastic remark when he saw Zhu Huantang lift his robe and sit in the head seat.
Suddenly, the crowd fell silent. The ministers all stood up, but Zhu Huantang, because of this series of contemptuous treatments, neither looked at them nor stood up. He poured himself a cup of wine and drank it leisurely.
When the person got closer, Zhu Huantang glanced at him. He was stunned when he saw Fan Qi, who was dressed in the official robes of a duke, and could not believe what he was seeing.
Zhu Huantang was about to step forward when he suddenly saw Qin Sihai behind Fan Qi. They were all alive; if they were alive, then everything was alright. He'd tell him about his plans later when he had some free time.
The official who had just been mocked was about to humiliate Zhu Huantang even more when he saw Fan Qi arrive, but then the emperor arrived, and he swallowed his unpleasant words.
The emperor didn't say anything, and simply invited Fan Qi to sit next to him.
Qin Sihai sat down next to Zhu Huantang without saying a word.
Seeing that Qin Sihai was indifferent and seemed to want to distance himself from Qin Sihai in public, Zhu Huantang did not speak to him.
The emperor never mentioned Zhu Huantang, but the official mentioned it earlier, saying, "Your Majesty, now that we have the secret of the snuff bottle, you must reward our great hero."
The emperor glanced at Zhu Huantang, clearly displeased that he was seated in the head seat, but remembering that Zhu possessed the secret of the snuff bottle, he said, "Minister Zhu, present the secret, and I will reward you with ten thousand taels of gold."
That was it; it was like giving money to a beggar.
Zhu Huantang laughed, but did not reveal the secret. He simply stood up to offer a toast and said, "Although I have survived nine deaths, it was all for the sake of the Wu Kingdom. I dare not claim credit. I only wish for the position of Assistant General of the State, so that I may reclaim the territory for Your Majesty."
With his abilities, he is fully qualified to be a second-rank official.
This matter is inherently strange. How could there not be a trap if a prisoner hadn't even brought back secrets that no one else could obtain? The emperor pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is not urgent. My dear minister is exceptionally capable and will surely rise to the highest ranks of officialdom sooner or later. It is not worth getting involved in such a trivial matter."
All around were snickers. Zhu Huantang remembered that his ancestor had been unable to get a seat at the banquet, so he went outside the hall with the eunuchs to look at the brazier used for longevity prayers, probably just like today.
People's prejudices and selfishness cannot be changed by effort alone.
The snickers around him seemed to grow louder and louder, surging like the bitter anger in his heart, making him unable to hear anything else.
The secret was his only bargaining chip; once he handed it over, whether he was executed or rewarded was entirely up to others. Like every previous King of Xijing, Zhu Huantang was a fish on the chopping block.
Zhu Huantang, under the pretext of sobering up, went outside the main hall.
The guards blocked his way with their halberds, leaving Zhu Huantang with no choice but to return. Sure enough, the head of the household had already been dismissed. He snatched the halberd from one of the guards, stood in the center of the hall, and said, "Does Your Majesty still remember my Xijing clan?"
The guards had already formed a circle around him. The emperor, not knowing what he was up to, said, "I remember, your ancestors had distinguished themselves in military affairs."
Zhu Huantang laughed heartily and said, "My clan is most skilled at halberd dancing. Today is a joyous occasion, and I would like to add to the festivities for Your Majesty."
Without waiting for the emperor's approval, Zhu Huantang began to wield his halberd in the main hall. At first, everyone was on guard, but they had never seen such superb skills before, so they gradually lowered their guard and drank a few more cups.
Suddenly, Lu Huantang danced to the palace entrance and fired a signal flare before anyone could react.
The signal flare had barely been fired when a blood-soaked guard rushed in to report, "Your Majesty! The Sui army has appeared out of nowhere, breached the city gates, and is heading this way..."
Before he could finish speaking, a chopstick was plunged into the guard's forehead.
Before the ministers could react, Zhu Huantang had already killed more than a dozen unarmed officials.
Blood splattered in the main hall.
Before the emperor could reprimand him, he was escorted away by Fan Qi and the others.
Weapons were not allowed at the banquet. Qin Sihai picked up the cane of an old minister beside him and blocked Zhu Huantang's halberd. Qin Sihai scolded in a low voice, "What are you doing!"
"Kill the dog emperor, destroy the Wu Kingdom," Zhu Huantang sneered. "You just saw it yourself. Unless I'm one of the three great families, nothing I do matters. Why are you protecting a place like this!"
Qin Sihai couldn't refute this statement. If it weren't for Fan Qi's guarantee, he would never have been able to set foot in the palace.
But now that he has stepped back in, he is determined to protect everything. Qin Sihai exchanged a few blows with Zhu Huantang and was astonished by the rapid progress of Lu Huantang's martial arts.
Those who ran out of the hall were all slaughtered like leeks by the attacking army. When Qin Sihai saw this, he said, "Aren't you going to protect him, but the place where the Zhu Yan was planted? Have you forgotten what kind of lives we saw the people living when we were young? Stop right now, and your master will protect you."
Zhu Huantang found it laughable and said, "Senior brother, you don't think I'm just acting on a whim, do you? No, with the current strength of Sui Kingdom, you don't have a 100% chance of winning. Besides, the three great families have already discussed this with the Regent, so you and that stupid emperor can't possibly prohibit it."
Qin Sihai was shocked that Zhu Huantang also knew about this. He recalled the scene of his master carrying Zuo Qinghou, who was covered in blood, and struck Zhu Huantang's vitals with his cane: "You really were turned by Zuo Qinghou! Snuff bottles have harmed countless people! I really misjudged you!"
Zhu Huantang was furious that Qin Sihai would be so ruthless. He no longer held back and refused to explain. He threw a halberd at Qin Sihai and said, "Go ahead and insist on your so-called right. If you end up being devoured by them and nothing is left, don't blame me for not warning you."
As more and more soldiers joined the army, Zhu Huantang mounted his horse, overturned all the candlesticks, and after a massacre, rode away triumphantly.
That night, fire and blood illuminated the entire darkness. After Zhu Huantang led his troops to plunder Yingdu, he met Jiang Jinyi, who had been waiting for him, at the border of Wu and Sui.
Most of the hundreds of secret guards were lost, but it seemed they had turned the Wu Kingdom upside down. Looking at Zhu Huantang, who was covered in the blood of his homeland, Jiang Jinyi's face was full of mockery. He said, "She was right about you. You really are... ruthless."
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