Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Gu
"Brother! That Xie Linyuan is far too arrogant! He not only dared to point a sword at Anle, but he also cut off Anle's finger! Waaaaah..."
Inside the magnificent palace, on the throne, Emperor Liang Ming, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, was flanked by two women.
With his favorite concubine in his arms, she wore only a thin, gossamer-thin gauze, with what appeared to be bells hanging from her chest. The emperor would tug at them from time to time, and the concubine would let out bursts of sweet, cloying laughter mixed with the clear sound of the bells, clinging to the emperor's fleshy body like long vines.
Such licentious behavior occurred in the Imperial Study, a place for deliberate discussions. However, those in the hall were already used to it and treated it as nothing, continuing to stand with their heads bowed and discuss matters.
Princess Anle was furious about what happened at the banquet that day and listed Xie Linyuan's crimes in detail.
“Royal brother, I am a princess of the royal family. He cut off my finger, pointed a sword at me, and even tried to kill me…” Princess Anle was still terrified when she thought of what happened that day, and she couldn’t help but tremble.
"His arrogance is so extreme that he completely disregards the royal family..."
"Your Majesty! Don't you care about the dignity of the royal family?!"
Princess Anle was spoiled since childhood, and no one dared to disobey her in the slightest, let alone have someone point a sword at her and cut off her finger...
Her pride had clouded her judgment; she was furious and vowed to make Xie Linyuan pay the price!
She is a dignified princess, and she will definitely make Xie Linyuan suffer a slow and agonizing death!
Eunuch Li, who was standing to the side, was sweating profusely. He had advised the princess not to provoke General Xie. There were so many men in the world, why did she have to provoke that god of death?
The emperor seemed unmoved, his face, clearly overindulging in excessive pleasure, still buried in his favorite concubine's chest.
Princess Anle continued, "He even dared to kill someone openly at a banquet! That was the son of the Marquis of Changping... Does he still have any respect for the law, or for his elder brother, the Emperor?!"
Hearing this, the emperor finally raised his head. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them, and suddenly asked, "I heard that at the banquet, the son of the Marquis of Changping flirted with Xie Linyuan's sister-in-law. His sister-in-law is stunningly beautiful, with an unparalleled and unforgettable charm..."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward, flatteringly saying, "Your Majesty, this is the beauty I mentioned to you last time..."
"I have seen that beauty myself; she is truly one of a kind, like a flower in heaven. Your Majesty would surely be delighted if you saw her..."
Upon hearing this, the concubine in his arms seemed displeased and called out "Your Majesty" twice in a coquettish tone. The Emperor of Liang laughed twice and coaxed the concubine in his arms twice.
Wu Zizhuo was also in the imperial study, and one of the favorite concubines in Emperor Liang Ming's arms was his sister.
He kept his head down, and the usual smug smile on his face had vanished without a trace.
Emperor Liang Ming of the Great Liang Dynasty was licentious by nature. He had three thousand beauties in his harem, and he had sexually assaulted all the palace maids. There was even an order that forbade them to wear underpants so that he could favor them anytime, anywhere.
Not content with that, Emperor Liang Ming also ordered eunuchs to search far and wide for beauties to bring into the palace as concubines.
I have both my daughter and my wife.
Even with wars raging and borders in turmoil, the imperial power remained awe-inspiring. The fundamental principles of human relations—between ruler and subject, father and son—had been shackled by millennia of education, and no one dared to disobey them. If the emperor took a liking to someone, he would simply send them to the palace.
In this chaotic world, besides imperial power, military power was also able to intimidate people.
With wars breaking out everywhere, generals who commanded troops and could fight battles became another fearsome figure.
Moreover, Xie Linyuan was a general who had accumulated great prestige in the army, had never suffered a defeat, and had made outstanding military achievements.
He joined the army at the age of thirteen, fought his way up through the ranks, risked his life on the battlefield, and became the great general he is today, guarding the border for many years.
For hundreds of years, the border tribes of Yanping have been constantly invading, plundering resources, killing people, raping women, and even trying to seize the territory of Daliang and migrate from the nomadic lands to the Liang Kingdom.
Xie Linyuan was stationed at the border, leading his troops in battle time and time again, defeating them one after another. He also built defensive works in the sandy land to prevent roving soldiers from harassing the people.
Xie Linyuan had fought on the border for many years, and the mere mention of his name in the ears of the Yi people would send chills down their spines.
Although Yanping is a small country not as powerful as Daliang, its nomadic Yi tribes are brave and skilled in battle. In order to swallow up this fertile land on the border of Daliang, they have been constantly looking for opportunities to harass it. Recently, they have also been lobbying the surrounding small countries to form an alliance and annex Daliang together.
Therefore, the border regions are of paramount importance. If the border is breached, the barbarian tribes can unite with the surrounding small countries to directly attack the capital.
If the Xiao family wants to maintain their throne, this border cannot be left unresolved.
However, Xie Linyuan's prestige in the army was too high, and the Emperor of Liang was indeed wary of the Xie family and Xie Linyuan. If Xie Linyuan had any disloyal intentions, he would definitely settle accounts with the Xie family.
Now, after Xie Linyuan's great victory in the last battle, driving the invading Yi tribes back deep into the heartland, the border has been peaceful for a period of time, until now.
If the Xie family remains loyal to the imperial family, Emperor Liang Ming will keep them around for a while longer, and through Xie Linyuan, completely eliminate the border tribes to prevent future troubles.
If... Emperor Liang Ming discovers that Xie Linyuan is disloyal and has long harbored rebellious intentions, then he will surely use this opportunity to replace the general and purge the Xie family.
The change of general was precisely the purpose behind Wu Zizhuo's elaborate strategy in this game.
This is his chance.
Xie Linyuan was willing to fall into the trap set by Wu Zizhuo for the sake of that woman. No matter what he chooses next, whether he rebels or not, Wu Zizhuo will get what he wants.
But...
Wu Zizhuo lowered his fox-like eyes, and the image of the woman sitting upright, silently shedding tears, suddenly flashed before his eyes.
He chuckled silently, then, unintentionally, he glanced up slightly, his eyes darting out of the corner of his eye at the favored concubine in Emperor Liang Ming's arms—his sister.
The favored concubine giggled and called out "Your Majesty" in Emperor Liangming's arms. Seemingly noticing Wu Zizhuo's gaze, she also glanced at him.
In an instant, all the allure and flattery she had shown towards Emperor Liangming vanished from her gaze; only the tenderness of a sister looking at her brother remained, revealing the love between family members, and a sense of helpless desolation.
Wu Zizhuo seemed to be burned by fire. He withdrew his gaze, his hands, hidden in his long sleeves, clenched tightly, his fingertips turning white.
After a moment, he finally took a step forward.
Then, he inflicted the same suffering on another innocent woman as his sister had endured.
"Your Majesty, I also saw that woman once at the banquet. I have something to say," Wu Zizhuo stepped forward and bowed his head.
"Oh, what brilliant idea does Minister Wu have?" Emperor Liang Ming asked. He thought of that woman, and his face showed a lustful look, his face wrinkling with laughter, completely devoid of imperial dignity.
Wu Zizhuo replied: "General Xie only drew his sword and killed the woman because the son of the Marquis of Changping was forced to drink and made suggestive remarks. He cleaved the woman in two in front of everyone at the banquet..."
"It is evident from this that the woman is extremely important to General Xie. I have also heard that she is the widow of his elder brother Xie Lin'an. His brother entrusted her to General Xie on his deathbed, asking him to marry her. Now she is his wife."
"General Xie killed the son of Marquis Changping and showed great disrespect to the Princess. He is really arrogant and seems to have no respect for His Majesty and the royal family."
At this point, Emperor Liang Ming narrowed his eyes, the lewd glint in them vanished instantly, and his gaze sharpened like that of a hawk.
Wu Zizhuo paused for a moment, then his usual faint smile returned to his eyes and face. He continued, “General Xie holds a high position and great power. The border is now pacified and there are no immediate dangers. If Your Majesty is worried about General Xie’s loyalty and patriotism, I believe there is a way to try. General Xie can submit a memorial of loyalty, and at the same time, Your Majesty can win the heart of the beauty. It’s a win-win situation.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Liang Ming became interested and pushed both of his favorite concubines in his arms. The two concubines were thrown to the ground, but dared not make a sound. They quickly got up and stepped aside.
Wu Zizhuo's eyes darkened. He gritted his teeth and continued, "If His Majesty gives the word and requests that General Xie to take that beauty as a concubine, and General Xie presents the beauty to His Majesty, then General Xie's loyalty to the emperor and his love for the country will indeed be as clear as the sun and moon. But if he disobeys the imperial decree..."
Wu Zizhuo stopped speaking there, and there was no need for him to say anything more.
——
On the third day of Su Muying's imprisonment by Xie Linyuan, after she spilled her food, refused to eat the food he fed her, and continued to glare at him fiercely, Xie Linyuan locked himself in his study that night.
He sat quietly in his study, looking at the scars on his arm where he had been cut by a knife. He looked at them all night. The next day, he went to the Imperial Hospital.
He went to see Lin Xiuyuan, who worked at the Imperial Medical Academy.
Aside from the generals and soldiers who shared life and death with him in the army, Xie Linyuan had very few close friends, but Lin Xiuyuan could be considered one of them.
Xie Linyuan was seen by others as a formidable and ruthless general, with a cold and violent nature. He was often away fighting and stationed in the capital, rarely returning to Beijing. Few people would associate with him, and even fewer would dare to.
In the imperial court, the officials were all willing to befriend his elder brother Xie Lin'an, while Xie Linyuan, a man of refined character, avoided him like the plague.
This was especially true after Xie Linyuan publicly beheaded the son of the Marquis of Changping.
Lin Xiuyuan did indeed regard Xie Linyuan as a close friend.
Lin Xiuyuan was previously a royal physician accompanying the army. He had interacted with Xie Linyuan and had witnessed how this general fought bravely on the battlefield, narrowly escaping death several times before achieving victory after victory.
The battlefield is an extremely dangerous place. Everyone says he has never been defeated and has made outstanding military achievements, but every great victory was won with blood and lives. Meanwhile, the powerful and noble families in the capital enjoy themselves day and night.
On the battlefield, Xie Linyuan also saved Lin Xiuyuan's life. It was just a casual thing for Xie Linyuan, but Lin Xiuyuan was extremely grateful. After returning from the battlefield, the two became good friends.
This time, after sitting in his study all night, Xie Linyuan went directly to the Imperial Hospital to find Lin Xiuyuan.
He needs something from him.
At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan was still sorting out medicinal herbs when he suddenly felt a cold wind pass by. When he looked up, he saw Xie Linyuan and was startled by his pale face.
"Brother Xie, did you not sleep well last night?" As a doctor, Lin Xiuyuan habitually looked him over. Seeing that there were no obvious injuries on his body, he said, "It's been a long time since I've seen Brother Xie. I was just thinking of visiting the Xie residence when I had time, but I didn't expect Brother Xie to come to the Imperial Hospital instead."
Xie Linyuan remained silent.
His face was indeed deathly pale at that moment, and his sword-like eyebrows and eyes were extremely dark, making his skin appear even whiter, as if it could exude a chilling aura, eerie and sinister.
Moreover, his expression was unusually dazed.
At this moment, Xie Linyuan stood in front of Lin Xiuyuan, lost in thought. He stood there blankly for a while, his eyes lowered. Just as Lin Xiuyuan was about to take his pulse to see if he was ill, Xie Linyuan suddenly looked up and said:
"Is there any poison that can control people's minds and make them addicted to sex?"
"Give me."
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Author's Note: Lin: He really did have a relapse.
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