Isolated town in northern border region

Chapter 130 Re-establishing the Eastern Palace

The lights in the Imperial Garden stayed on all night.

The Chu Emperor did not leave the pavilion. He sat on the stone bench, the tea in front of him had long since gone cold, and the white silk was spread on the table. The bloodstains had dried and turned into dark brown patches.

His hand hung down on his knee, the wound on his palm had already clotted, but fine beads of blood still seeped from the edges of the scab.

He neither dealt with it nor called anyone.

The eunuchs stood at a distance, and no one dared to step forward.

As the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, the Chu Emperor finally made his move.

He stood up, his knees making a slight clicking sound.

He looked down at the white silk on the table, reached out to pick it up, but withdrew his hand when his fingers touched the thin fabric.

Then he turned around and walked out of the pavilion. As he passed the palace lantern that had already burned out, he paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.

After daybreak, news spread from the palace.

His Majesty is unwell and has suspended court for three days.

Xiao Lie did not return to the post station that night, but went alone to the East Palace, which had already been burned to the ground.

The East Palace has never been repaired; only a charred pillar remains, supporting a wooden plank, waiting for Xiao Lie to return home.

"Clang!"

Xiao Lie pushed the charred pillar, and it collapsed to the ground, echoing in the empty East Palace.

"Father... Your son has returned..."

He swept the dust off the steps with his sleeve and slumped down.

"I've been here for over a year, and all I ever say is 'I am the King' or 'I am the King'."

"I'm so tired!"

There was no response from the night sky, only the whistling night wind brushing against Xiao Lie's cheek.

"What's so good about living like an 'alone and lonely' person all day long?"

"Every day I think about giving up, finding a beautiful place with clear waters and green mountains, and living a comfortable life..."

"But my eyes... truly can't stand this world, and I always want to do something..."

"Maybe that's what being a jerk is..."

Xiao Lie muttered to himself intermittently until the sun rose in the east and the rooster crowed at dawn.

Stepping out of the East Palace, a small figure rubbed against the shoulders in the wind.

"Bisu, what brings you here?"

Bisu ran to Xiao Lie's side.

"I was worried because I saw that the candles in the Princess's room had not been extinguished, so I came out to look for Your Highness."

"I had a guess; Your Highness is here!"

Xiao Lie chuckled and tapped Bi Su's head.

"Go back quickly, don't catch a cold."

Xiao Lie did not return home all night, and Jiang Min was so worried that she did not sleep all night.

The door was pushed open, and Jiang Min was reviewing the information she had collected along the way, preparing to build an intelligence network for the northern frontier.

She put down the scroll of paper in her hand and looked at Xiao Lie walking in from outside.

Xiao Lie's robe had several faint bloodstains on the hem. His hands had been washed, but there were still traces of blood between his fingers.

As soon as he sat down, he found a dry cloth and wiped the blade of the Taiping knife, his movements unhurried and slow, as if he were doing something very ordinary.

Jiang Min looked at him for a moment, then stood up and walked up to him.

"Did you take action when you went to see the Chu Emperor?"

Xiao Lie hummed in agreement.

"Yeah, I couldn't resist."

Jiang Min's gaze fell on the Taiping Blade, the bloodstains on its blade glaringly red.

"You've had surgery!"

Xiao Lie paused for a moment.

"It moved, but the old man isn't dead."

Jiang Min remained silent for a moment.

"Your Highness! Why can't you just suppress your anger for a moment?"

Xiao Lie shrugged indifferently.

Do I look like someone who can hold back?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Min's eyebrows shot up, and she slammed the case file in her hand onto the table.

"Your Highness!"

"Now that the Northern Frontier army has entered Yongzhou, and the road south is flat and indefensible, the Chu Emperor would never dare to set a trap to kill you; otherwise, the Northern Frontier army would surely make him pay with his life!"

"In this way, the Chu Emperor only has two options: first, to set a trap and imprison you in the capital; second, to abdicate with dignity and save his family's lives."

"Therefore, Your Highness must not allow yourself to be criticized at this crucial moment!"

"Your Highness, do you know that at this critical juncture, if you were to injure the Emperor of Chu, even just by scratching him, he could frame you for plotting to kill him?"

Xiao Lie did not look up.

"Don't worry, my uncle doesn't have that kind of guts."

Jiang Min raised her voice slightly.

Whether he dares or not is his business, but Your Highness must not leave any evidence against him!

"If His Highness were to strike with this blade, his loyal followers in the court could use it as an excuse to launch an attack."

"Even if Your Highness is not afraid of the Chu Emperor, you should be afraid of your reputation in the history books."

"If Your Highness were truly splashed with dirty water, even if you ascend the throne, you'd still face plenty of trouble!"

Xiao Lie sheathed his sword.

"I am not afraid."

"Besides, I have never cared about that damned throne."

Jiang Min looked at him, her face full of disbelief.

"Your Highness..."

"Do you know what you're saying?"

"Throughout history, many have reached Your Highness's current position, but their fates have only been one of two!"

"Further progress leads to boundless glory and the rule of the world!"

"If I back down, I'll be utterly disgraced and die a horrible death!"

"Your Highness! This is not the time to be temperamental!"

Xiao Lie finally raised his head and glanced at her.

Her expression was serious, her brows slightly furrowed, and there was a look in her eyes that he rarely saw on her face...

It was like worry, or perhaps some kind of obsession.

Xiao Lie's tone softened when he spoke.

"Min'er... don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Jiang Min's brows remained furrowed.

"When Your Highness says you have a good idea of what's going on, that's when I feel most uncertain."

As the sun rose higher and higher, Xiao Lie, who had just caught up on a nap, was still sprawled out in bed, lazing around, when footsteps sounded outside the door.

Bisu ran in and said that the Sixth Prince, Xiao Ye, had come to see him.

Xiao Lie frowned.

"The Sixth Prince, Xiao Ye?"

"What's he doing here?"

"Is the Chu Emperor up to something again?"

Bisu pouted and shook her head.

"I don't know, he said he came to become an apprentice."

Xiao Lie's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What?! Become an apprentice?!"

"Whom shall you take as your master? Me, Your Majesty?"

Bisu nodded.

At this moment, Jiang Min, who had stayed up all night, was also woken up. She wrapped herself in the quilt and sat up in bed.