In October of the 38th year of Da Ao’s reign, Jiang Jingyue, the eldest son of the late King Shun, followed the imperial command to go to the border between Da Ao and Tai Gong Country. He was tasked with persuading the Swift Wind Corps, which had been nurtured by King Shun during his lifetime, to abandon their rebellious ways and pledge loyalty to Da Ao. The public had mixed opinions about this.
Some criticized the Emperor as being too cold-blooded, accusing him of not even sparing a fool and sending him to a deadly battlefield.
Others praised the Emperor as a wise ruler, trying to preserve the reputation of the late King Shun by peacefully recruiting the rebel Swift Wind Corps.
Many people prayed in temples, hoping for the spirit of King Shun, who had conquered vast lands for Da Ao, to bless his lunatic son and continue King Shun’s lineage.
As autumn arrived, their prayers seemed answered.
“Have you heard? On his way to the border, the late King’s son kindly saved an old man who was about to die of thirst. Surprisingly, that old man turned out to be an ‘Immortal’. After drinking a sip of water from him, the old man laughed, praised the boy for his pure heart, patted his head, and then disappeared right in front of an entire army,” narrated a man vividly, rolling up his sleeves while eating tofu pudding at a tofu stall.
The crowd, drawn by his story, stretched their necks and eagerly asked, “What happened next?”
Wiping his mouth, the man continued, “After being patted, the King’s son fainted on the spot and had a high fever for three days and nights. On the fourth day, he woke up, and guess what happened?”
An old man guessed, “Did the King’s son’s….. madness get cured?”
As the story ended, everyone turned their attention to the man who had spoken, eager for him to clarify their doubts. Instead, the man quickly finished the tofu pudding in his bowl, placed it on the table with a bang, and laughed, saying, “Exactly, the madness of late King Shun’s heir has been cured!”
“Really?!” someone exclaimed, covering their mouth in excitement, their voice trembling with emotion.
“The heavens have eyes, King Shun’s legacy can be continued!” someone else knelt down on the spot, bowing their head towards the clear sky in gratitude.
“King Shun was the war god of Da Ao, our greatest hero. While his wife was like a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, a lifesaver for my family. If it weren’t for her opening her mansion for disaster relief, my entire family would have starved,” another person said, tears choking their voice.
More people then focused their attention on the man, who continued, “His madness may be cured, but it seems that he has forgotten all the things that happened while he was a lunatic.”
“Forgetting is fine, as long as he’s well,” someone remarked.
“Yes, indeed…”
This news spread like wildfire throughout the Imperial City. While the people rejoiced and fulfilled their vows in temples, a somber mood hung over the imperial palace of Da Ao.
Bang——!
Suddenly, a pile of porcelain bowls and chopsticks shattered near Jiang Huaiyu, who knelt beside a bed, his face stoic despite the searing pain on his knees from the hot soup splashed on the floor.
Not far away from him on the imperial bed, the Emperor’s forehead was throbbing with veins, his expression distorted with rage. His gaze towards Jiang Huaiyu, kneeling below, was not that of a father looking at his son, but more like one beholding a detestable enemy.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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As the saying goes, “A general in the field is not subject to the emperor’s orders.” Jiang Jingyue, having finally broken free from his control and left the imperial city, was not likely to obediently return; such a hope was nothing but a fool’s dream.
During this time, Emperor Jiang Lianfeng sent numerous imperial edicts and deployed multiple assassination teams, but to no avail. These efforts were like pebbles thrown into the ocean, not even causing a ripple.
What’s more, the hundred thousand troops he had attached to Jiang Jingyue when sending him away now seemed like a self-inflicted wound.
While this number wasn’t significant for Da Ao, Jiang Jingyue was his arch-enemy. What was once a bargaining chip in his hands was now generously offered to the enemy for his protection. And this very army made it impossible for him to lay a finger on an enemy he could have easily crushed.
The root cause of all this, the one to blame for everything, was his “beloved son” in front of him.
After piecing together all the key points, Jiang Lianfeng, feeling as bitter as if he had swallowed a bitter gourd, felt a rush of blood to his head.
“Get out! Get out of my sight, now!!!”
With a loud crash, another set of bowls and chopsticks shattered. The Emperor, mostly paralyzed but with some movement in his arms, roared furiously at the person nearby.
Lying paralyzed on the bed, he seemed to have forgotten that although the suggestion initially came from Jiang Huaiyu opposite him, it was he who had made the final decision. It was he who had appointed Jiang Jingyue as a general and provided him with a hundred thousand troops.
Perhaps it wasn’t a case of forgetting, but rather an unwillingness to admit he had been fooled by such a naive young man, defeated by a mere youth…
He, Jiang Lianfeng, who was the ruler of Da Ao and the sovereign above thousands.
“This son… shall take his leave.” Enduring the stabbing pain in his knees, Jiang Huaiyu rose and left the Yangxin Hall.
Despite his disheveled appearance, his back remained straight. Just as he reached the crossroads, looking ahead at the seemingly flourishing palace, Jiang Huaiyu felt an inexplicable reluctance to move forward.
The servants around him dared not speak, silently accompanying him as he stood there for a long while. It was then that a melodious tune, light and ethereal, reached Jiang Huaiyu’s ears.
In a side hall,
Jiang Huaijin sat on a stone bench, his chin propped in his hands, gazing affectionately and unreservedly at a man in white playing the zither opposite him.
A few days ago, when his restrictions were lifted, Jiang Huaijin heard that Jiang Jingyue had been sent to the border to fight (or rather, was sent to his death). He was so delighted he nearly jumped for joy, glad that the “monster” was no longer clinging to his beloved Qingli.
Thinking that Qingli was now alone, he hurriedly sought him out, expecting to be turned away. Surprisingly, Qingli didn’t coldly dismiss him as usual.
Taking advantage of the situation, Jiang Huaijin visited Qingli daily, bringing gifts and hoping for a conversation.
Unexpectedly, today Qingli not only spoke to him but also played the zither for him.
Under the tree, the man, Gu Weizhou, played the zither with concentration. His fingers moved gently, producing a continuous melody. The dappled light through the tree branches cast a realistic shadow on his side profile.
As the last note faded, Gu Weizhou looked up and said softly, “It’s getting late, the Fourth Prince should return.”
“It’s fine. I can stay a bit longer and have dinner with you,” Jiang Huaijin replied, not wanting to leave. He wished he could stay overnight.
Faced with this, Gu Weizhou replied very coldly, “The side hall is modest and lacks proper food. Moreover, it’s getting late and cold. If the Fourth Prince catches a cold here, Qingli would be devastated.”
Jiang Huaijin wanted to say more, but upon seeing Gu Weizhou’s cold and indifferent expression, he refrained.
Reluctantly standing up, he hesitated before taking out a jade pendant from his robe and placing it on the table, saying, “This… is for you.”
Without waiting for Gu Weizhou to refuse, Jiang Huaijin quickly turned and left, his face flushed like a young boy experiencing his first love.
Gu Weizhou glanced at the fine jade pendant on the stone table, resisting the impulse to pick it up, and instead gently wiped his zither with a cloth, saying, “I wonder what brings the Third Prince here today.”
After his words, Jiang Huaiyu, who had been near the door, stepped inside.
The setting was the same stone table and the same two people facing each other, but unlike the last time when Jiang Huaiyu was confident and composed, today his eyes were sharp and piercing.
“Have you been pretending from the beginning?”
Congratulations on guessing right, but there’s no prize.
“What?” The master actor, Gu Weizhou said looking genuinely puzzled.
Staring intently at those cool, moon-like eyes across from him, Jiang Huaiyu said, “Jiang Jingyue isn’t crazy, you’ve known this from the start, haven’t you?”
At this, he saw a look of disbelief flash across the other’s eyes. The usually calm and collected Gu Weizhou suddenly stood up, startled. “What did you say? He’s not crazy? What do you mean by that?”
For the first time, emotions other than indifference surfaced in those eyes – shock, surprise, joy, and confusion…
Observing the fleeting expression on the man’s face, Jiang Huaiyu began to question his own judgment.
Could it be… there really was an immortal? Or did Jiang Huaijin deceive him too?
“Jiang Jingyue’s madness… has been cured.”
As he tentatively uttered these words, Jiang Huaiyu’s gaze remained fixed on the other’s now somewhat dazed eyes, as if trying to spot a flaw in his reaction.
But what he saw was only bewilderment, joy, and doubt… a myriad of emotions, but no hint of deception.
“It’s cured… it’s really cured… good… that’s good…”
Seeing Gu Weizhou’s dazed state and thinking about the rumors he had heard, Jiang Huaiyu added, “But… he doesn’t remember anything from the time he was a fool.”
Upon hearing this, the man in white stiffened, his face suddenly turning pale. It was as if, at that moment, something precious of his had been irrevocably lost.
He reminisced about the foolish, simple-hearted monster who bared teeth and grinned at others but always listened to him; the innocent fool who protected him fiercely, enduring beatings and bloodshed without letting anyone harm him; the naive guy who constantly looked back at him with eyes full of grievance and reluctance…
Gu Weizhou’s lips trembled, and he slowly closed his reddened eyes, speaking in a hoarse voice, “…Forgotten, then… let it be.”
It was all just a fleeting dream, never meant to last or to be shared.
Witnessing Gu Weizhou’s trembling form and tear-brimmed lashes, Jiang Huaiyu let go of the last shred of doubt in his heart.
He wondered if there really were immortals in this world, or if Jiang Huaijin had indeed been pretending all along…
Gu Weizhou thought to himself, ‘Of all the people in the world, I am the most innocent and the most deceived.’
Pushing aside his surplus thoughts, Jiang Huaiyu’s gaze landed on the jade pendant on the stone table, his eyes flickering slightly.
This was the betrothal jade his mother had given to him and his brother, one for each. Jiang Huaijin had actually given his to this man…
So, his plan was likely foolproof.
As this thought swirled in his mind, Jiang Huaiyu’s fingers resting beneath the stone table unconsciously tightened slightly.
….ahhh…I’m so exited …I hope jiang jingyue gets stronger and come rescue gu weizhou ..{come and receive heart tearing abuse from gu weizhou …..]
..thanks for the chapter…
😍
Omg I can’t wait, it’s so interesting thank you!!!!
I’m looking forward for the next chapter…