Waking from a deep slumber, Gu Weizhou opened his eyes to a world of luxurious jade and emerald surroundings. Rubbing his slightly aching head as he sat up, he was greeted by an excited cry from beside him.
“The Young Master is awake, thank goodness.”
The unfamiliar voice made Gu Weizhou turn his head, only to see a maid dressed in palace attire hurrying over. “Are you feeling unwell anywhere, Young Master? Shall I call the Imperial Physician to have a look?”
Not recognizing the person, Gu Weizhou didn’t respond but frowned reflexively. “Who are you…?”
The maid smiled and replied, “This servant’s name is Qiu Yue.”
Qiu Yue?
Gu Weizhou, who had hardly ever interacted with people from the Da Ao Imperial Palace, naturally couldn’t know that Qiu Yue was the personal maid of Jiang Huaiyu. Thinking back to the scene before he was knocked unconscious, he replied with a cold demeanor, “Whose person are you, exactly?”
Qiu Yue wasn’t bothered by his frosty reception. After all, she had never seen her master take such interest in anyone before, not only assigning her to personally take care of him but also carrying him back himself.
With a slight smile, she reassured, “You need not be on guard, Young Master. If the master has saved you, he surely means you no harm. You must be hungry by now; please eat something first.” Saying this, she turned to bring him some warm porridge.
Having been imprisoned for two days without food, Gu Weizhou was indeed hungry. Although he wanted to act indifferent, the enticing aroma tempted him, and he reluctantly began to eat.
If they wanted him dead, there were countless opportunities before now; there was no need to poison his food at this point.
Seeing him eat, Qiu Yue’s smile grew warmer. She had heard of Proton Su’s reputation for being aloof and difficult to deal with, but he seemed less troublesome than rumored.
Halfway through the meal, the sound of a door creaking open caught their attention. Turning, they saw a man in luxurious clothing step inside.
Recognizing the man, Qiu Yue immediately bowed in greeting, “Master.”
“It’s you…”
“Who else did you think would save you?” Jiang Huaiyu, taking the bowl from Qiu Yue, asked with a light laugh. He gently scooped a spoonful of porridge, bringing it to Gu Weizhou’s lips.
Faced with such a tender gesture, Gu Weizhou remained motionless, eyeing the man before him with extreme caution.
Jiang Huaiyu, this deeply scheming man, was not like Jiang Huaijin, who wore his emotions on his sleeve. He never engaged in a losing deal.
This sudden act of breaking me out of prison…
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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Remembering their past dealings, Gu Weizhou coldly said, “If you’re worried about the promise I made, rest assured. As long as I live, I won’t go back on my words. That matter…”
“That matter is no longer important,” Jiang Huaiyu suddenly interjected, cutting him off.
“What?”
Seeing Gu Weizhou’s confused look, Jiang Huaiyu simply smiled, not offering any explanation, and continued to feed him, “Eat, before it gets cold.”
Seeing that the person clearly did not intend to explain, Gu Weizhou, though puzzled, did not press further, secretly relieved at the prospect of not having to fulfill his end of the deal.
Seeing him open his lips to eat the food, Jiang Huaiyu simply smiled gently and continued to spoon-feed him the porridge. The whole scene, with the sunlight slanting in through the carved window at this moment, appeared exceptionally warm and serene.
…
On a clear morning just after the snow had started melting, the people of the Da Ao Empire were struck dumb by a piece of sudden and unexpected news.
The emperor, who had been bedridden for nearly two years, had passed away.
The news threw the entire land into chaos.
The Tai Gong Country, previously beaten back into hiding by Jiang Lianbi, mobilized upon hearing the news, unleashing years of pent-up resentment on the already unstable Da Ao.
Affected by the negative news from the Imperial City, the morale of the border soldiers plummeted, and defeat seemed inevitable.
The news of defeat spread like a plague, and in a short time, Da Ao lost nearly a dozen cities. The borders were in turmoil, with countless civilians displaced and the heart-wrenching cries of those who had endured the ravages of war echoing in every heart.
Meanwhile, the hundred thousand troops that had been away from the Da Ao Imperial capital for nearly a year, under the delaying tactics of Jiang Jingyue, finally reached the Taihe frontier after the Emperor’s death, reuniting with the remnants of the Swift Wind Corps.
‘Being recognized required showing real skill’, was a phrase often mentioned by Jiang Lianbi when leading the Swift Wind Corps. Jiang Jingyue also had to face such a test upon verifying his identity with the Swift Wind Corps.
Fortunately, Wang Chang had been by his side throughout the year, diligently teaching him everything he needed to know. Additionally, when he left, Gu Weizhou gave him all his treasured possessions, enabling Jiang Jingyue to pass everyone’s test without danger and be recognized by the Swift Wind Corps as their new leader.
Meanwhile, Jiang Huaijin, looking dejected in the depths of the Da Ao Imperial Palace, sat dully in the luxurious chamber, like a soulless shell.
Did I kill my most revered father? Have I personally ended the life of the father I loved the most?
The vivid image of Jiang Lianfeng falling stiffly before his eyes haunted him. He didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to see it, but for some reason, his mind uncontrollably replayed the scene.
Disappointment, heartache, sorrow… his father died, right in front of him.
Suddenly, the sound of a door creaking open startled Jiang Huaijin, who looked up dazedly to see a very familiar face.
With trembling lips, he called out in a hoarse voice, “Third… brother…”
Jiang Huaiyu, holding a jug of wine, sighed softly at the sight of his disheveled brother, sat down at the table, and began pouring wine, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of everyone who knew about it.”
Taken care of…everyone?
With a slightly chaotic breath, Jiang Huaijin grabbed Jiang Huaiyu’s arm across the table, asking in a trembling voice, “What about Qingli? How is Qingli?”
Jiang Huaiyu stopped pouring wine and looked up at him with genuine concern and tension in his eyes, devoid of any deceit.
This was his brother, whom he loved enough to wish him alive, yet hated enough to wish him dead. Someone, whom he could see through at a glance and understand everything about him.
With a light laugh, he reassured, “He’ll be fine. I promise you. How could I let him get involved in such a horrendous matter?”
Tears of gratitude appeared in Jiang Huaijin’s eyes as he tightened his grip, “Third brother… thank you… thank you.”
“We are brothers; there’s no need for thanks,” Jiang Huaiyu replied, placing the wine cup in front of him.
“You must be shocked. Drink this to calm your nerves.”
Remembering something as he took the wine, Jiang Huaijin laughed, “I remember when I was a child, I was always curious why father loved to drink. One time, I couldn’t resist and stole a bottle back. I ended up with a fever that wouldn’t go down for three days.”
Remembering this incident, Jiang Huaiyu also showed a bit of nostalgia, “Yes, I remember. Even though you were unconscious at the time, you kept mumbling something about me, and then I was punished to kneel by your bed for three whole days.”
“Third brother… I actually wanted to give it to you to drink. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this… you won’t blame me, right?” Jiang Huaijin, mentioning this old story, looked a bit nervous and uneasy.
With a gentle smile, Jiang Huaiyu said, “Of course not. You’re my brother. How could I ever blame you? Now, let’s not dwell on it, or this warmed wine will cool down.”
“Thank you, third brother.” Jiang Huaijin smiled and drank the wine in one gulp.
Across from him, Jiang Huaiyu’s smile had faded without notice, and watching him swallow, a different, indiscernible emotion appeared in his eyes.
How could I blame you? You are my brother, after all!
The Imperial physician said that it was because I took your vitality while we were in our mother’s womb, leading to your congenital deficiency. Thus, you were pampered and spoiled as you grew up. No matter how much better or superior I was than you, our father and mother were unwilling to focus their attention on me.
As long as you spoke up, no matter the issue, they would believe you without reservation, even if I stood by your bed, unable to explain myself, crying in a mess for the first time. They still made me kneel by the bed of you, who was suffering from a high fever, for three whole days.
They said this was what I owe you.
Owe…?
Looking at Jiang Huaijin, who suddenly spat out blood, his eyes filled with immense shock and disbelief, Jiang Huaiyu, who stood up, gently touched the person’s face with his hand.
He said, “Huaijin, your third brother never owed you anything, because only the weak need charity. The strong always take action to seize what they want, and the weak have no right to use the word ‘owe’ towards the strong.”
The light and indifferent voice was just like the one Jiang Huaijin had heard from childhood to adulthood, but for the first time, he discovered that this voice was not gentle, but cold to the bone.
But he didn’t understand. Wasn’t he the brother who loved him the most? Hadn’t he always depended on his brother since they were young? He told himself countless times that they were siblings, so he would always be good to him, always…
Intense pain, accompanied by warm blood, continuously poured out from Jiang Huaijin’s mouth and nose. Raising his hand, he tried to grab the person’s hand, but in the end, that person withdrew first.
Jiang Huaiyu stood there, looking down at his younger brother, who was struggling to breathe on the ground, his indifferent demeanor reminiscent of Jiang Lianfeng from the past.
“…Conspiring against the Emperor is a grave crime. Your third brother can only uphold justice over familial ties. Huaijin, remember in your next life, never bring this naivety to the merciless Imperial family.”
Jiang Lianfeng could kill his own brother’s entire family to secure his throne. So, why couldn’t I kill my own blood for the same crown?
Brother, huh…
As he looked down at the lifeless body on the floor, Jiang Huaiyu’s expression remained unflinching as he turned and walked away.
The opulent halls of the palace remained as lavish as ever, yet this vast, Imperial City now housed nothing but cold, luxurious solitude.
That’s very cold blooded 😭 here I am starting to like that lil boi but now he’s ded 😭😭😭
Thank you for translating sylph sama!
I haven’t liked anyone on this imperial family so it’s interesting to see it ruin itself.
At this point, throw the whole Palace away💀
Thank you for the chapter!