Chapter 1252 The Pillar of State
A few days later, it was another gloomy day.
Thick, dark clouds hung overhead, blocking out the scorching sun but also the wind. The entire city of Chang'an seemed to be shrouded in an airtight dome, and the dry, sweltering weather made everyone restless and irritable.
The only one who remained calm and composed was Xiao Yuansui.
At this moment, his hands were bound, and he was being escorted step by step by several guards towards the Liangyi Hall.
Compared to when he was first captured, he had lost a lot of weight. This was not the result of torture or abuse. On the contrary, in the deepest part of the Dali Temple, in a cell personally assigned by the emperor, his food, clothing and other necessities were no less than when he was in Wanggang Village and Luoyang. Although the guards who watched over him were not very kind, none of them made things difficult for him. Thinking about it, this was one of the few "peaceful" lives he had had in recent years.
But the repression in my heart is hard to express.
During the months he was imprisoned, he had hardly seen the sun. Today, he was finally able to come out, but the weather was gloomy. Xiao Yuansui raised his head and looked up at the sky. Some messy hair was tangled between his eyebrows, making his eyes look a little hazy.
"Run!"
The guard behind him gave him a hard shove, and he staggered two steps forward.
Before long, they arrived at the Liangyi Hall.
The man escorting him spoke a few words to the eunuch standing at the entrance of the main hall. The eunuch went in to relay a message and came out shortly afterward. He told Xiao Yuansui to "behave himself" and then led him inside.
The doors and windows inside the main hall were tightly closed, making it even hotter than outside.
The moment Xiao Yuansui stepped inside, he instinctively held his breath. It was as if he had entered a steam room, with waves of heat hitting him. Sweat dripped down his forehead like beads from a broken string, and with almost every step he took, a drop of sweat would fall at his feet. By the time he reached the inner side of the hall, he had left a series of footprints on the clean floor.
More importantly, inside this hall with its doors and windows tightly closed, he could smell the scents of many people.
But the place was empty, with only a few people around.
Finally, he stood before Yuwen Yuan.
"Hurry up and pay your respects to His Majesty!"
Before Xiao Yuansui could even look up, someone pressed his shoulders and made him kneel down.
His disheveled long hair made his somewhat bewildered eyes appear even more unfocused, but he still respectfully whispered, "This sinner, Xiao Yuansui, pays his respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Dasheng."
No one answered him, but a very slight breeze came from above.
Someone waved to signal.
Immediately, someone stepped forward and loosened the ropes binding his wrists. Xiao Yuansui's shoulders relaxed instantly, and he seemed to feel much more at ease. He twisted his shoulders and was about to look up when he felt a powerful pressure bearing down on him. Then, Yuwen Yuan's deep voice rang out: "Do you know I'm going to kill you?"
Xiao Yuansui stopped halfway in his upward gaze and shook his head, saying, "I don't know."
The person sitting on the couch stirred slightly, and the quiet hall was filled with the rustling sound of fabric being rubbed. Yuwen Yuan's voice carried a hint of amusement as he said, "You never guessed that I would kill you?"
Xiao Yuansui shook his head: "I didn't guess that."
Yuwen Yuan said, "Do you think I won't kill you?"
Xiao Yuansui remained silent for a while before saying, "Your Majesty kills me for a reason, but without any benefit."
What does it mean to have a cause but no effect?
“I have been an enemy of your country for many years, fighting endlessly and suffering countless deaths. This is the reason Your Majesty wants to kill me. As for the claim that it is not profitable—”
As he spoke, he smiled faintly and said, "I have surrendered for several months and am now all alone. I have no troops to assist me from the outside and no allies to help me from the inside. Killing me would not establish any authority or gain any followers. It would only add another entry to the list of those in the underworld. It would be pointless."
"..."
"When the emperor kills, one must not only consider the cause and effect, but also the advantages and disadvantages."
The hall fell silent. After a long silence, Yuwen Yuan laughed and said, "Well done, Xiao Yuansui! He truly has the bearing of a pillar of the state."
Upon hearing these four words, Xiao Yuansui's thin body trembled slightly. These four words were Emperor Wen of the Daye Dynasty's evaluation of him, and it was because of these four words that he was never willing to be mediocre. Even if he fell once, twice, or three times, he would always get up and continue to fight. But now, hearing them, they seemed like a proverb from a past life.
He smiled wryly and said, "A pillar of the state... It's difficult for Your Majesty to still remember that phrase."
Yuwen Yuan said, "You haven't forgotten either, have you?"
Xiao Yuansui shook his head and said, "I haven't forgotten, but whether I forget or not is no longer important. Even though I have the potential to be a pillar of the state, wasn't I still captured by the King of Qin in a single battle?"
When this was mentioned, a hint of pride flashed in Yuwen Yuan's eyes, but immediately, that pride transformed into an invisible hand, clenching his brows into a knot.
Seeing him like this, Xiao Yuansui's eyes, hidden beneath his disheveled hair, flickered slightly.
But Yuwen Yuan didn't lose his composure for long. He immediately looked down at him again, only to see Xiao Yuansui quickly lower his head, as if he dared not meet his gaze. So Yuwen Yuan smiled faintly and said, "So, you are very convinced of the Prince of Qin?"
Xiao Yuansui remained silent for a while, quite a long time, before finally saying, "I admire you."
Hearing the heavy tone in his voice when he uttered that word, Yuwen Yuan's lips curled slightly: "If you are truly convinced, then I will bestow you upon the Prince of Qin to serve as a military advisor in his residence. How about that?"
Xiao Yuansui immediately raised his head: "Isn't Your Majesty going to kill me?"
Yuwen Yuan was neither annoyed nor ashamed that his words had been found to be contradictory. Instead, he laughed and said, "It seems you're still not convinced."
"..."
"Otherwise, why would you rather die than serve under the King of Qin?"
"..."
Before Xiao Yuansui arrived at the Liangyi Hall, Yuwen Yuan had already met quite a few people there, especially the Qianniu Guard and Xiaowei Army, who arrived one after the other, causing him a headache with their back-and-forth dealings. So he was originally quite tired. But now, seeing Xiao Yuansui like this, Yuwen Yuan felt quite pleased. He changed his posture and looked at this "defeated opponent" with a leisurely expression, saying with a half-smile, "Tell me, why are you unwilling to work at the Qin Prince's Mansion?"
"..."
"You should know that most of your brothers in Wanggang Village and your old subordinates in Luoyang are under the command of the King of Qin."
"..."
"If you go, it will be like meeting an old friend again."
"..."
"Isn't this better?"
His words sounded very caring and considerate, and Yuwen Yuan even smiled as he said them, and the headache that had been bothering him for several days had subsided considerably.
But Xiao Yuansui keenly saw a hint of smugness in his smiling eyes, like a cat playing with a mouse.
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