Chapter 218 A patriot dies for loyalty and righteousness; that is his own path...
It was nearly midnight, and the vast Mei family mansion was completely silent. In the backyard, Mu Chenbi picked up the wine jug he had asked a servant of the Mei family, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. He had experienced more in the past few days than in the previous twenty years of his life, and Mu Chenbi could no longer feel the spiciness of the wine. It tasted like water when he swallowed it, and in just a few gulps, the wine jug was empty.
"Guan Ye." Mu Chenbi recognized the person and wiped the wine stains from his lips with his sleeve. "How is Thirteenth Young Master?"
"At least I'm not in mortal danger." Guan Ye looked exhausted as she sat down next to Mu Chenbi, leaning back against the cold wall. She picked up the light wine jug and shook it, then tossed it aside in disappointment. "You're injured too, and you still dare to drink?"
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and leaned closer to Mu Chenbi. Mu Chenbi was momentarily confused and remained tense, not daring to move. Guan Ye carefully stroked Mu Chenbi's hair. Perhaps because it was dark and she couldn't see clearly, she blinked her eyes and leaned even closer.
"Guan Ye..." Mu Chenbi held his breath, "You..."
"The wound is healing quickly." Guan Ye breathed a sigh of relief. "It should be healed in a few more days." Seeing that Mu Chenbi remained silent, Guan Ye examined the location of the sword wound on her brow bone and said with lingering fear, "This sword was also dangerous. If it had been half an inch lower, your left eye might not have been saved..." As soon as she said it, Guan Ye felt that something was not quite right. Ajiu from Canglang Island was struck by Lou Cangyu's sword, and she seemed to have said something similar.
"If this wound were half an inch lower, your left eye would be ruined."
Guan Ye stared blankly at Mu Chenbi's brow bone for a long while before finally speaking, "Does it... hurt?"
Mu Chenbi's phoenix-feather eyelashes fluttered, and his dark eyes met Guan Ye's. "It hurts."
That's not what Ajiu said, Guan Ye remembered. Ajiu squinted, looking languid, "You want to see me wail like a banshee? I'll have to endure it no matter how much it hurts, how could you possibly see it?"
"Does it hurt?" Guan Ye asked doubtfully. "It's just the two of us here. I won't tell anyone if you're in pain."
Mu Chenbi seemed to understand, and ran a finger along his brow bone, "Doesn't Ajiu feel any pain?"
Guan Ye's lips curled into a smile she herself didn't even realize. "Him? He's just putting on a brave face. How could a sword wound that's so deep you can see the bone not hurt? I used a little force, and he was still yelling in pain."
Guan Ye suddenly felt a little lonely, hugged her knees, tilted her head and looked at the moon in the sky, "A-Jiu, what are you doing now?"
"Once I recover from my injuries," Mu Chenbi said, "once I enter the palace to exchange for Ajiu, you and he will never be separated again."
"Will Ajiu be in danger in the palace?" Guan Ye pressed.
Mu Chenbi could not hide his disappointment, but his tone was still gentle, "I am, after all, the Crown Prince of Jin. With the Crown Prince in charge of the Eastern Palace, everyone has to be wary of me."
Guan Ye found the argument reasonable, and her tension eased only to tighten again suddenly. "But A-Jiu isn't the Crown Prince. What if people find out he's an imposter..."
Mu Chenbi poked her forehead with a finger. "Did you think I've been a paper tiger all these years? Putting aside the fact that everyone respects and fears me, Ajiu is a deep and cautious person. He dared to take this risky move because he must be confident that he can hold out for me for the next few days. Two days later, when my injuries are almost healed, I will take the opportunity to switch places with Ajiu when I enter the palace. I will definitely protect you in the Zetian Hall and seek justice for you."
“He is your father, the Emperor,” Guan Ye couldn’t help but sigh. “You have already risked your life for us, and now you want to stand against your father for us… You are his son, and also a subject of the Emperor of Great Jin. A father can kill his son, and a ruler can execute his subject, Mu Chenbi…”
—What if I insist on resisting?
"Hmm?" This phrase sounds familiar.
Mu Chenbi smiled warmly, “Outside the Immortal Cave, a girl carrying a sword said to me, ‘What if I insist on fighting against it?’ She thought I was afraid to fight, and said that I didn’t need to know the truth. Now that I know everything, I must fight to the end, even if it means death, I will do so willingly.”
Guan Ye stared at Mu Chenbi, and the two looked at each other silently for a long time before chuckling softly at the same time.
Imperial Palace East Palace
Following Cui Jin's instructions, Lou Cangyu informed the Crown Prince about Feng Shisan's appeal to the Emperor by beating the drum. Two days later, the Emperor would personally hear the case, and everything would be settled.
Lou Cangyu observed the Crown Prince's expression. For some reason, Lou Cangyu felt a strange fear of him. However, the person in front of him was the future leader of the Great Jin Dynasty. After thinking it over, Lou Cangyu still wanted to do him a favor. "I know you are concerned about Guan Ye. Your Highness, please rest assured, Guan Ye is settled in the Mei family and everything is fine."
Ah Jiu remained calm. "Only her?"
Lou Cangyu was incredibly astute. "Of course, there's also that persistent ghost, Ajiu."
A-Jiu sneered inwardly, not even glancing at Lou Cangyu, "You hate A-Jiu?"
Lou Cangyu's once-proud eyebrows drooped. "He always seems to look down on everything in the world, yet he manages to obtain everything that others can only dream of." Lou Cangyu sighed. "The Emperor favors him, and even the Imperial Advisor treats him with special regard..."
Ajiu turned slightly, and just as Lou Cangyu raised his eyelids, she slowly turned her back again, saying, "Isn't the Imperial Preceptor treating you differently now?"
Lou Cangyu gripped his sword tightly and remained silent. Suddenly, he noticed a girl in green hiding behind a jade pillar in the corridor, peering towards him and Mu Chenbi. "She is..."
Ajiu looked in the direction and said, "It's Princess Runhe."
"Oh," Lou Cangyu murmured, "The princess came to pay her respects, why are you avoiding her? Should I go and invite her?"
Ajiu paused for a moment, then said, “Runhe is timid by nature and will inevitably be nervous when she sees strangers. She doesn’t recognize you, so she doesn’t dare to come over.”
Lou Cangyu bowed, clasped his hands in greeting, and turned to leave. As he passed through the corridor, he noticed Mu Runhe's round eyes curiously darting around him. He stopped and glanced at the girl a few more times. "Your subordinate, Lou Cangyu, greets Princess Runhe."
"I've never seen you before." Mu Runhe's cheeks flushed red, her eyes filled with panic. "Have you seen me before?"
Lou Cangyu had heard people say that Princess Runhe was sixteen or seventeen years old, but her mind was still like a child's. Seeing her today, the rumors were true. Facing the childlike Mu Runhe, Lou Cangyu relaxed his tension. "It was His Highness the Crown Prince who spoke of you to me. Princess, I shall take my leave. You should go see His Highness now."
"I'm not going..." Mu Runhe looked at the waterside pavilion where Mu Chenbi stood, and unconsciously took a few steps back.
"Why?" Lou Cangyu couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you come to the East Palace to see His Highness?"
Mu Runhe looked at Lou Cangyu warily, her cherry lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly seemed to see something, her cheeks turning from flushed to pale, and she hurriedly turned and ran away. Lou Cangyu was somewhat puzzled. He had been respectful and kind to her, and hadn't frightened her at all. Lou Cangyu looked back and saw Mu Chenbi standing proudly with his hands behind his back. Although they were several feet apart, his sharp eyes were intimidating. Lou Cangyu immediately understood. Mu Runhe, despite being a princess, was still born to an unfavored concubine and harbored fear even towards her elder brother, the Crown Prince. Thinking this, Lou Cangyu felt a strange sense of satisfaction. What did it matter if she was a princess or the Crown Prince? Even if they were worlds apart from him, before Emperor Mu You, they were all still subjects.
Seeing Lou Cangyu leave, Luo Yichen hesitated and stepped forward, asking doubtfully, "The Emperor will personally conduct the trial? What good will it do? Will he announce to the world that Tianhufang and Xingguofang have been wronged? Wouldn't that be a slap in the face? If the trial reveals that it was the fault of both workshops, then they will be doomed, and no one will be able to leave the palace."
Luo Yichen, who had been holding back, couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness will also be returning to the palace in two days, won't you?"
Ajiu nodded. He knew that regardless of whether Mu Chenbi's injuries had healed, he would definitely return to the palace in two days, because Mu Chenbi's status as the crown prince was everyone's last hope.
Ajiu whispered, "Did you hear Lou Cangyu say that Guan Ye and the Crown Prince are being housed at the Mei family's residence?"
The Mei family… Luo Yichen’s heart skipped a beat. This Black Hawk Guard leader, a man of military background, was rough around the edges but not stupid. He had long seen that the Mei family had a close relationship with Xiao Ma. When Mei Xiaojing was with Xiao Ma, it was a beautiful dream that he could only look up to but never reach. With Ma Lin’s tragic death and the Mei family’s involvement, Mei Xiaojing would definitely not escape either. The imperial court coveted the Mei family’s wealth, enough to support the entire country. Years ago, when Mei Junhe passed away, the imperial court tried to take advantage of the situation. If it weren’t for Mei Shiyu’s efforts to turn the tide, the Gongcheng Money House would already be under the Mu family’s control. After many years of twists and turns, the Mei family has once again gotten involved in this mess… The more Luo Yichen thought about it, the more nervous he became. Even in broad daylight, his strong body involuntarily shivered.
"May I be so bold as to ask you a question?" Luo Yichen mustered his courage, "If you were... if you were the Crown Prince..." He immediately cursed himself for being so disrespectful, "What... would you do next?"
Ajiu stared intently at Luo Yichen, "And what do you dare to do?"
“Your subordinate,” Luo Yichen gritted his teeth, “Although the Black Eagle Guard is subordinate to the Eagle Guard Camp, the Black Eagle Guard is an independent entity. Your subordinate and all members of the Black Eagle Guard are only under the command of the Crown Prince.”
"Is it the Crown Prince, or..." Ajiu slowly coaxed, "Mu Chenbi."
The Crown Prince? Isn't that Mu Chenbi? Luo Yichen looked puzzled, then suddenly realized that the Crown Prince in the palace was Ajiu in front of him, while the real Crown Prince Chenbi... was at the Mei family outside the city.
Luo Yichen knelt on one knee and clasped his hands high before Ajiu, saying, "Your Highness commands, and we will die ten thousand times over."
Ajiu touched her brow bone, her eyes unwavering and resolute. Luo Yichen knew Ajiu had a plan: if they succeeded, he would be a righteous man who would relinquish the spoils; if they failed, he would be a traitor who had switched identities with the crown prince. This was why Ajiu wanted to switch identities with Mu Chenbi; Crown Prince Chenbi was their last bargaining chip.
"Your subordinate... still doesn't quite understand." Luo Yichen hesitated, "Everyone can see that the Emperor treats you differently. You could have easily stayed out of it, so why risk your life for others? Even if it's for Miss Guan, is it... really worth it?"
Ajiu lowered her hand, holding the Twin Dimples Sword horizontally and carefully wiping it. "When you do things for others, you can never be completely willing. Just like yourself, is your willingness to die for Mu Chenbi or for Mei Xiaojing? No one is always right. Only the path in your heart is worth proving with your life."
"—Do you know what the Dao in my heart is?" Luo Yichen seemed to understand but not quite. "And what is the Dao in your heart?"
Ajiu tapped her heart. "Your path is the pursuit of loyalty and righteousness, while my path is knowing where I come from, and no one can change that."
Loyalty and righteousness… Luo Yichen could no longer hear the second half of Ajiu’s words. A surge of emotion rose in his heart. To die for loyalty and righteousness was his way.
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