disappointment
As Chu Yiran pushed open the heavy vermilion gate of the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence, the setting sun was painting the last rays of its rays onto the mottled screen wall.
Inside the courtyard, Chu Zhongling stood with his hands behind his back. The white hair at his temples stung Chu Yiran's eyes. Zheng Shuyi rushed out from the hall upon hearing the noise, her skirt tripping on the threshold, and she almost fell.
"Mother!" Chu Yiran rushed forward to support her, and when he touched her arm, he was shocked by how thin she was.
Zheng Shuyi choked back tears as she stroked his cheek, her fingertips icy cold. "My son has lost weight."
Before the words were finished, a shrill voice suddenly pierced the twilight: "The imperial edict has arrived—"
A palace attendant carrying a bright yellow scroll stepped into the courtyard, his tone icy: "I am moved by the deep longing of the Marquis of Zhenyuan and his wife for their son, and hereby grant Princess Anning permission to return to her residence for a reunion. She is bestowed with one hundred taels of gold and fifty bolts of silk. Effective immediately, the deceased son's post as General of Suiyuan is revoked, and he will remain in the capital awaiting further instructions..."
Chu Yiran dug his nails into his palms and knelt down to receive the imperial decree: "Your subject accepts the decree and thanks you for your grace."
As soon as the footsteps of the palace attendant who was delivering the imperial decree disappeared at the door, Chu Yiran turned to face Chu Zhongling and Zheng Shuyi, pressed his forehead heavily against the cold ground, and said in a hoarse voice: "Your son is unfilial, causing your parents to suffer humiliation."
"Silly child," Zheng Shuyi choked back tears as she stroked the top of his head, "As long as your mother is well..."
Chu Zhongling's voice was rough and somewhat stiff as he comforted her, "We're all family... It's good that you're back."
"Let your mother take a good look at you," Zheng Shuyi helped Chu Yiran up, tears falling like beads. "You're doing well. Let's stay at home from now on, so the whole family can be together... It's been six years since you left your mother's side after you went to Northern Qi. In the blink of an eye, my son has grown up so much..."
“Yes, Aran has grown up,” Chu Zhongling said with emotion. “It’s almost time for her coming-of-age ceremony.”
——
Chu Yiran's coming-of-age ceremony was arranged in a hurry, without a large number of guests or the sound of bells and drums.
Incense smoke curled around the ancestral hall. Outside the once bustling vermilion gate, only a few inconspicuous blue-canopied carriages were parked here—these were all family friends who had been on good terms with the Chu family for generations and were willing to offend the crown prince to come.
Chu Yiran knelt in the center of the ancestral hall, letting his father tie his hair and put on a crown for him.
“Your literary talent shines like jade dew, and your radiant light warms you with the grace of Heaven. From this day forward, your courtesy name will be ‘Wenxi’,” the candlelight in the ancestral hall flickered, casting Chu Zhongling’s shadow long and tall. He pressed the jade crown heavily onto his son’s head, his voice deep and resonant, “Your father hopes that you will never forget the Emperor’s grace and will serve him faithfully.”
Chu Zhongling's words had a hidden meaning, and Chu Yiran pursed his lips and replied in a low voice, "...Yes."
After the coming-of-age ceremony, the guests went to the main hall to sit down and eat. Chu Yiran had just stepped out of the ancestral hall when he bumped into Huo Yan.
Huo Yan clasped his hands in a fist salute: "General—"
Before he could finish speaking, Chu Zhongling, who was following behind, interrupted him in a deep voice: "Wenxi, come with me."
Chu Yiran and Chu Zhongling walked to a deserted corridor. Chu Zhongling said with a dark face, "Have you forgotten the teachings I gave you in the ancestral hall? From today onwards, I forbid you from having any further dealings with Prince Jing!"
Chu Yiran frowned: "Father, with floods raging and refugees everywhere, how can I stand idly by?"
"Then what do you intend to do?" Chu Zhongling roared, staring straight at him. "Rebel?"
Chu Yiran remained silent, his Adam's apple bobbing violently: "Su Jing, at least..."
"At least what?" Chu Zhongling sneered, "At least he knows how to use the lives of refugees as stepping stones? Why did so many refugees suddenly flood into Jinling City? Wasn't it all his doing?"
Before Chu Yiran could say anything more, a report suddenly came from outside.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"
The fierce look in Chu Zhongling's eyes vanished instantly. He and his son exchanged a glance, and the two of them quickly walked outside.
In the courtyard, all the guests came out to greet the Crown Prince. Zheng Shuyi stood at the front, looking very uneasy.
Crown Prince Su Qi, dressed in a dark purple dragon robe, stepped across the threshold with a smile. His gaze swept over the people in the courtyard before finally landing on Chu Yiran: "I am late, please forgive me, Aran." He raised his hand, and a eunuch presented him with a brocade box, "A humble gift to congratulate Aran on her coming-of-age ceremony."
Chu Yiran accepted the brocade box, his tone calm: "Your Highness's kindness is too much for me to accept."
"Speaking of which, you and I grew up together. We even played polo together when we went to the Empress Dowager's palace before. Do you remember, A-Ran?" Su Qi chuckled. "Today is indeed a good day. I have prepared a banquet at my residence. Would you do me the honor of joining me?"
Chu Yiran bowed and declined, saying, "I am currently hosting a family banquet, so it is inconvenient for me—"
Before he could finish speaking, the Crown Prince suddenly turned to Zheng Shuyi, his smile deepening: "How has Princess Anning been lately? Father Emperor has been thinking of you day and night in the palace, always saying he wants to invite you to stay in the palace again."
Chu Yiran suddenly stepped in front of her mother, her voice taut like a snapping string: "Since His Highness the Crown Prince is so hospitable, then I, Aran, have no choice but to come and bother you."
Before Zheng Shuyi could say anything, Chu Yiran patted her shoulder, signaling her to relax.
——
Su Qi led Chu Yiran into the Crown Prince's residence and then to an elegantly furnished room.
The hall was resplendent with gold and jade, with precious objects displayed on sandalwood shelves, and incense wafting in the air. The eight-immortal table was covered with a Suzhou embroidery tablecloth and was laden with delicacies.
Su Qi sat down with a flick of his sleeve: "Aran, what do you think of my Crown Prince's residence? Compared to Su Jing's shabby Prince Jing's residence, it's at least presentable, isn't it?"
Chu Yiran did not respond, but said coldly, "Your Highness, please feel free to speak your mind."
"What did Su Jing promise you? Military power? A title?" Su Qi said leisurely. "I cherish talent. If you are willing to accuse Su Jing of treason before the Emperor, I can grant you anything you desire." As he spoke, he poured a cup of wine and handed it to Chu Yiran. "Aran has been intelligent since childhood. Why not abandon darkness and embrace the light?"
Chu Yiran did not take the wine cup, but only scoffed: "Your Highness is too kind, but unfortunately I cannot stand the smell of wine and meat, nor can I bear to see the banquets of the rich."
"Chu Yiran, don't be so stubborn!" Su Qi's expression changed, and he slammed his wine cup on the table. "Guards, give the Marquis of Zhenyuan's heir a proper welcome!"
Chu Yiran was imprisoned by Su Qi in the dungeon of the Crown Prince's residence. His body was suspended from the beam by iron chains, his toes barely touching the ground. A pale-faced, beardless palace servant was probing the acupoint between his ribs with a silver needle, the tip of which was dipped in honey, to attract ants to gnaw at his internal organs.
"Why is Your Highness doing this?" the palace maid asked in a soft, feminine voice. "If I just say 'Prince Jing is plotting a rebellion,' I can easily explain myself, can't I?"
Chu Yiran swallowed the blood and foam mixed with his clenched teeth, but remained silent throughout.
"The Crown Prince has been fighting on the frontier for many years. Although he knows that military law is strict, the private tortures in the palace are so varied that even the strongest body can't withstand them..."
As he spoke, the palace servant secretly increased the force, and a dense, tingling pain swept through his entire body. Chu Yiran's body trembled violently, and he couldn't help but let out a low growl.
The iron gate creaked open, and Chu Zhongyue and Chu Zhonghe stepped in through the blood-stained puddle.
"You good-for-nothing..." Looking at Chu Yiran's disheveled appearance, Chu Zhongyue was disgusted. "You didn't walk the bright path that your elders paved for you, but insisted on following that unlucky prince to rebel!"
"Ah Ran, why are you doing this?" Chu Zhonghe handed over a water pouch. "The Crown Prince is the heir to the Mandate of Heaven and is the legitimate heir of the royal family. It's better for you to follow him than to follow Su Jing and cause your parents to live in fear..."
Chu Yiran suddenly spat out blood and sneered, "Uncle and Second Uncle have sided with the Crown Prince. Are you still comfortable sitting in your positions as Prime Minister and Minister of Revenue? Do you know that there are famines everywhere outside and that refugees are starving?"
"Ungrateful wretch!" Chu Zhongyue roared, turning and leaving. "Second brother, let's go! Let this brat fend for himself!"
"You're imprisoned here, do you think Prince Jing will care about you? You're already a pawn, yet you still don't know how to save your own life, how foolish." Chu Zhonghe snorted coldly and went out with Chu Zhongyue.
No one knew which day it was, but Chu Yiran was locked in a dark and sunless dungeon, unable to distinguish between day and night.
Chu Yiran counted the ants as he endured the festering, itchy wound. The temperature in the dungeon had changed from cold to hot; it must be midsummer by now.
As the iron gate swung open with a roar, Chu Yiran was dreaming of a scene from his childhood, where he and his mother played together in the mansion.
Su Qi, his crown askew, rushed in, followed by the Crown Princess carrying a baby and servants carrying trunks.
"Chu Yiran!" The Crown Prince's hand, holding the sword, trembled. "I'm giving you one last chance. Will you follow me or Su Jing?"
Chu Yiran's head was spinning, and he didn't react for a moment. He vaguely heard the deafening sounds of battle outside, but he didn't know what was happening.
"Fine, fine, fine!" Su Qi laughed maniacally, "Then let's die together!"
As he spoke, his blade slashed straight at Chu Yiran's neck—
"Clang—!"
A peach wood sword pierced straight from behind, penetrating Su Qi's heart: "Whoever harms my junior brother shall die."
Su Qi looked down in astonishment at the peach wood sword in his chest, blood gushing out, and collapsed before he could even utter a word.
The dungeon chains clattered to the ground, splashing up murky water. Shen Zheyu's sword precisely severed the iron rings binding Chu Yiran's wrists, but hesitated for a moment before the deep, bone-revealing wound.
"Senior brother?" Chu Yiran looked up, panting, blood trickling down his forehead. Through his blurred vision, he saw Shen Zheyu's aloof face. "Why are you here?"
"How did you get so badly injured?" Shen Zheyu asked with heartache, quickly tearing off a piece of his sleeve to wipe the wound.
"Ahhhh—"
The Crown Princess and her attendant shouted and ran out in a panic. The attendant in front was pierced through the throat by a long sword that suddenly appeared out of nowhere!
The silver-armored soldier drew his blood-stained sword, his gaze falling on the crying infant in the Crown Princess's arms, and reached out to snatch the swaddling clothes.
The Crown Princess clutched her child tightly, her fingernails scraping against the soldiers' armor with a harsh sound: "Insolence! This is the Imperial Grandson—"
In the struggle, she was suddenly shoved to the ground, her head slamming heavily against the wall, and she collapsed limply. Without hesitation, the soldier lifted the infant high, ready to slam her onto the stone steps—
"Stop!" A white shadow flashed past. Shen Zheyu parried the soldier's wrist with his left hand and snatched the swaddling clothes with his right. The baby's cries suddenly echoed throughout the dungeon. "The child is innocent. How can you be so cruel?"
The soldier replied curtly, "King Jing ordered that we must eliminate them completely!"
As he reached out to snatch the child from Shen Zheyu's arms again, Chu Yiran forced himself to shout, "Stop! I'll explain to Prince Jing myself... cough cough..."
Shen Zheyu picked up the baby and was about to walk towards Chu Yiran when the Crown Princess, who had woken up at some point, picked up the Crown Prince's longsword and plunged it into Shen Zheyu's back with all her might: "Traitor—die!!"
The soldiers nearby were startled. They stepped forward, cleaved her longsword in two, and stabbed the Crown Princess to death.
Shen Zheyu froze, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth. Chu Yiran rushed over like a madman to catch his limp body, pressing his fingers tightly against the bleeding hole: "Senior brother—!"
"Someone, go find a doctor! Hurry!!" Chu Yiran shouted at the soldier, who immediately turned and ran out. He frantically tore off a piece of his clothing to try and stop Shen Zheyu's bleeding wound, his voice trembling as he said, "Senior brother, wait a little longer, the doctor will be here soon, please wait a little longer..."
Chu Yiran hugged Shen Zheyu tightly, stammering, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, I'm the one who ruined you..."
“Senior brother doesn’t blame you…” Shen Zheyu’s hand covered the back of his hand, the light in his eyes like a candle about to go out, “It’s so good… this time… I protected you.” He coughed up blood and laughed, “Aran, from now on… be safe…”
"No! No—!!" Chu Yiran trembled violently, tears mixed with blood splattering onto his increasingly ashen face. "Senior brother, hold on a little longer, just a little longer—"
The sound stopped abruptly.
The body in his arms completely lost its strength, and the hand that always ground ink for him, added clothes for him, and protected him from disasters fell silently to the ground.
Chu Yiran held Shen Zheyu and cried until he was exhausted, until the soldier returned with the doctor, until Huo Yan came to welcome him with his personal guards...
He sat there in the dungeon for a long time before finally asking in a hoarse voice, "Where is Su Jing?"
——
The dungeon reeked of blood. When Su Jing walked over the pool of blood, Chu Yiran was still sitting there holding Shen Zheyu's cold body.
Su Jing's gaze lingered on Chu Yiran, then swept over Shen Zheyu's pale face, his brows furrowing: "Aran, please accept my condolences. I will surely slaughter the entire Crown Prince's residence to avenge your senior brother..."
A baby suddenly cried in the corner, its voice weak yet piercing. Su Jing's eyes turned cold: "Huo Yan, get rid of it!"
Huo Yan had just taken a step when Chu Yiran said coldly, "Let's see who dares to touch him!" He still held Shen Zheyu tightly in his arms, but his gaze was like a poisoned ice blade as he slashed at Su Jing. "This child was protected by my senior brother with his life. No one is allowed to touch him!"
He carefully laid Shen Zheyuping on the ground, tearing off his outer garment to cover his blood-stained face. "Huo Yan, do me a favor, help me settle my senior brother." He staggered as he stood up, almost falling, but turned to stare intently at Su Jing. "Su Jing, why is my senior brother here?"
This was the first time Chu Yiran had addressed Su Jing by his full name. Su Jing frowned, raised his hand and said, "You all get out! Take that child out too," and then added, "Keep an eye on him, don't hurt him."
Huo Yan led his soldiers to carry the corpses out of the dungeon, and then ordered his men to take the children out as well.
Soon, only Chu Yiran and Su Jing remained in the dungeon. Chu Yiran then questioned, "I always keep the copper whistle close to my body. How did you know about my whereabouts, Senior Brother? Did you call him here?"
The firelight crackled in the dungeon. Su Jing was silent for a moment before saying, "I was worried something might have happened to you, so I sent a message to Taixu Temple."
"It really was you..." Chu Yiran's voice trembled. He suddenly grabbed Su Jing's collar, and as he roared, blood filled his throat. "My senior brother and I grew up together. Do you know that I would rather die myself, rather be torn to pieces than have him die in my place!"
Chu Yiran had never lost his temper with Su Jing before. Seeing him shouting so loudly, Su Jing was somewhat puzzled: "Aran, are you questioning me on behalf of an outsider?"
“Outsider…” Seeing that Su Jing remained as indifferent as ever, Chu Yiran released him weakly. “I forgot, not only my senior brother, but also myself, what do the lives of everyone in the world mean to Your Highness? As long as you avenge your great enemy, what wouldn’t you do…”
Chu Yiran looked at him, her eyes filled with disappointment: "Perhaps from the very beginning I—"
Before he could finish speaking, Su Jing suddenly slammed him against the blood-soaked stone wall, staring intently at him: "Perhaps what? Do you regret choosing me?"
At this moment, Chu Yiran was filled with grief and completely oblivious to Su Jing's unusual tension and anxiety. He only gritted his teeth and said, "I only hate that I misjudged him! Su Jing, do you really think the lives of everyone in the world are in your hands? Why—"
A burning kiss brutally silenced the unspoken words. The salty taste of rust and tears filled their mouths. While Chu Yiran was still reeling from the shock, Su Jing bit his lower lip, her breath coming in heavy gasps as blood rolled down his cheeks: "Because I can't afford to lose..."
“Refugees can die, soldiers can die, even yourself can die! But you can’t—” He pressed his forehead against Chu Yiran’s, his voice hoarse like that of a dying beast, “I walked here over thousands of corpses, I even took out my heart and forged it into a knife, but just thinking about you dying makes this knife pierce me with unbearable pain…”
Chu Yiran opened his mouth as if to say something, but the next second, Su Jing's body suddenly slid downwards.
He instinctively caught Su Jing, but when he looked down, he saw a patch of blood on the ground.
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