Chapter 224 – Private Matters, Not Work
Qi Zhen Emperor had yet to comment on Su Ziluo's words when the Crown Prince began to fluster, "Teacher Su, was it? Whether or not Secretary Ji killed this man, hasn't a life already been repaid with another? If he really was killed by Secretary Ji, just let this matter be. Did you expect the Great Lin to compensate your Qujiang by tenfold?"
His words really were disgusting!
Who would have thought that Qi Zhen would be so pleased with the Crown Prince's declaration. However, after all, that was exactly what he wanted to say himself.
'Good job, my son! You've just spoken my mind!'
On the surface, however, he could not overindulge him and instead gave Jing Hua a stern glare. "Watch your manners!"
"Your son admits his faults!"
Jing Hua grudgingly stepped back.
Qi Zhen wore a cold smile as he turned to Su Ziluo, and said, "Regarding this matter, I will definitely give Qujiang an answer. In the meantime, Teacher Su should remain in the relay station."
Su Ziluo nodded. "If so, this humble one hopes that this issue would be quickly resolved."
"Definitely!"
"However…" Su Ziluo suddenly continued, "This matter concerns both nations. I hope Your Majesty understands that some things are just not that simple." His words held hidden meaning.
Even an idiot could understand this! What of 'a life for a life', or 'sentencing by the laws of the Great Lin'? These were never Su Ziluo's motives!
Jing Hua stared at him furiously and could not help himself but add, "Did you really want the Great Lin to repay one life with ten?"
Su Ziluo answered, "Your Highness has misunderstood."
"How so?"
Su Ziluo solemnly replied, "If this matter could be written off with a life, then surely your Great Lin must owe our Qujiang countless lives?"
Gasp
Su Ziluo's cynical statement astonished the court. Before anyone could react, Su Ziluo had already wiped the strange smile off his face and raised his eyes, black as the abyss. He continued, "Five years ago when the Great Lin and Qujiang fought at Cangshui, the battle concluded in countless casualties and endless bloodshed. Our defeated Qujiang soldiers were forced to offer tributes to your Great Lin every year and even gave up two cities at Lu Hai Guan. These actions have been the unresolved regrets of us Qujiang people for many years. Now, if we can resolve these, then we won't insist on the matter of General Yuchi."
"How dare you!" Qi Zhen bellowed, slamming down his hands onto his throne.
Countless armed soldiers swiftly barged in and encircled Su Ziluo and his attendant. The two of them seemingly showed no fear as the soldiers drew their swords at them in unison.
Su Ziluo was still Su Ziluo! Even his attendant was as calm as he was.
But in the next moment, Qi Zhen slammed again on the throne. "How dare you!" All the soldiers immediately threw their swords away and dropped to their knees on the ground.
"Who gave you permission to carry your swords into the court?" Qi Zhen angrily reprimanded.
The Chief of the imperial guards raised his head and nervously eyed Crown Prince Jing Hua. Jing Hua broke out in a cold sweat and threw him a glance, hinting for him to keep his mouth shut.
'If you dare reveal that it was my order, your entire family will perish!'
The Chief of the imperial guards understood and averted his glance, keeping silent.
In his fit of anger, Qi Zhen pointed at that man, "Men, behead him!"
"Please spare me, Your Majesty!"
"Drag him out."
Someone entered, and pulled him out. The other kneeling soldiers frantically picked up their swords and quickly exited the court.
What a farce was that scene!
Su Ziluo paid no attention to them the whole time, only waiting for Qi Zhen to give him a reply.
Qi Zhen regained his composure and explained to Su Ziluo, "What happened just now was not directed at you, Teacher Su."
"I understand!" He continued, "However, it is excusable even if Your Majesty decided to kill us both here."
"If we killed you here, what could be said of our reputation?"
"Is that so? Then, what can be said of Your Majesty's reputation in regards to General Yuchi's death?"
"If you are seeking the return of those two cities from us, it's impossible!"
There was no room for negotiation!
"Whether it's possible or not, your Majesty should take your time, slowly reconsider, and not rush into a decision," Su Ziluo stated in a slow tone.
Everyone else was waiting with bated breath.
Having stated his intentions clearly, Su Ziluo cupped his hands in front of his chest and declared, "This humble one will remain in the relay station. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider and form a clear view. This is my final suggestion!"
His attitude was equally firm.
Su Ziluo left Zhangzhi Hall under the public eye.
The Great Lin would need to return two cities built upon the blood of thousands of men in exchange for the measly life of a general.
'Never!' Qi Zhen would never agree!
Someone in court piped up. "Your Majesty, the Qujiang of today is not the Qujiang from five years ago. For example, they deployed only thirty thousand troops to stir up enough trouble at our border patrolled by a hundred thousand-strong army. They are now a force not to be belittled!"
"Is Lord Zhang suggesting that we return the cities?"
"This subject is only serving my humble opinion!"
'Daring to clash opinions with His Majesty, you're done for!'
At this point, Jing Yi glanced at Jing Rong and took his cue to speak up, "Imperial Father, your son feels that although this concerns the two nations' relationship, there is no need to return the cities. That Teacher Su is no more than a meagre military officer and you need not pay any heed."
Qi Zhen narrowed his eyes. "Then what do you suggest?"
"Pay no attention at all. Since it happened in the capital, it must be trialed according to the Great Lin's laws. These are rules that cannot be ignored or belittled – everyone is equal; even if our opponent is a Qujiang General, all we need to do is to compensate them with some tael and jewelry."
"Hm, what you said is not wrong."
"Moreover, even though they have entered the capital on grounds of marriage, we have yet to establish if they have any ulterior motives. Imperial Father is the sovereign of a mighty empire. Naturally, you will not be led by something as trivial as Qujiang," Jing Yi declared assuredly!
Others were convinced by Jing Yi that it had to be so!
Jing Hua could control himself no longer and blurted, "This time, your son agrees as well. We might as well kill Secretary Ji and give them a life for a life." He was infuriated!
Although his own future Crown Princess was Ji Li's sister, even the idiot Jing Hua knew that he should help his own kin and not outsiders. Or perhaps he was simply his father's son, thinking that killing would solve all problems! If he became the emperor, even Hell would not be able to hold all the maligned wandering souls.
All the ministers were chattering!
During all this, only Jing Rong had kept quiet. He hurried out of the palace and chased after Su Ziluo who was just about to board his carriage.
"How could I help Prince Rong?" Su Ziluo was at least polite.
"How about we find some place to talk, Teacher Su?" Jing Rong was unabashedly straightforward.
"Prince Rong would like to have a chat at this critical time? Are you sure it is appropriate?"
"We will discuss only private matters, not work!"
Grenn’s Rants Corner
Please welcome my new translation helper: tzegeeek.
Chapter 225 – A Pitiful Obssession
Peach Blossoms Spring
After Jing Rong left the palace with Su Ziluo, they directly went there. At that moment, both men sat opposite each other.
The pageboy, who guarded the place, hurriedly came in with a teapot. He poured the infused tea in two cups and placed one in front of Su Ziluo.
"There's no need."
The pageboy took back the teacup. He kept his head lowered and cleverly stepped back.
Outside of the pavilion they sat in, the flourishing peach trees were in full bloom, scattering pink petals all around. Sometimes, one or two petals would slip in between the white curtains surrounding the pavilion.
Jing Rong's slender eyes were affixed on Su Ziluo, observing him. Underneath his sleeves, his fingers were drumming quietly. No one wanted to take the initiative to start the conversation.
Su Ziluo's expression remained serene all along, like the undisturbed water of a lake. His eyes held an unfathomable tranquility.
The silence went on until Jing Rong eventually broke it. "Did you come to Great Lin before?"
"What does Prince Rong mean?"
"I was just asking, that's all."
Su Ziluo lightly shook his head. "Never."
If it was someone else, they might have believed his words, but Jing Rong was skeptical. His sly eyes slightly raised, and his mouth curled into a smile. "There's no one else here. So, how about we speak frankly?"
Su Ziluo did not appear to be baffled by the other party's suggestion. On the contrary, he revealed an amused smile and replied, "This humble one has never traveled to the Great Lin before, so why does your Highness think that I have not spoken the truth? Did your Highness invite me here for the sole purpose of asking me this?"
"Nothing of that sort." Jing Rong's tone was a bit forceful.
Su Ziluo continued, "Then, why don't we get straight to the point? If there's anything you would like to say, then there is no need to go around in circles. This would only make people weary."
'Who isn't tired? Everyone is weary too, you know?"
Jing Rong usually had an impetuous temper. However, at that moment, he was surprisingly calmer. This might be an attempt to follow Su Ziluo's pace. He paused for a moment. His eyebrows lowered as he began to speak. "The words you said at the imperial court showed your straightforward temper, so this Prince won't beat around the bush. I want to ask you one question."
"Hm?"
"Are you Ji Pei?"
His question came out of the blue. Fortunately, Su Ziluo had already mentally prepared himself for any eventuality before he had entered the Peach Blossoms Spring. Hence, when the question came out, he was surprised but not caught off guard. He merely smiled faintly, overflowing with elegance to mask any other expressions.
This kind of bearing induced fear in Jing Rong's mind. His bearing was like a warm breeze during spring, and he could just easily soften people's hearts upon contact. It stirred envy in a handsome man like Jing Rong. It was no wonder Ji Pei, who was that kind of man, was able to drill and take root so deeply in Ji Yunshu's heart. They had a charisma which could attract crowds to them.
Su Ziluo rolled his wheelchair, leaving the cover of the pavilion roof. He took in the sight of the garden, which was being filled with fluttering petals. Many fell upon his shoulders. He reached to brush them off, but when he touched one, he suddenly stopped. He put down his hand and left them be.
After a long silence, he began to speak with no hurry, with his back still facing Jing Rong. "Ji Pei? That name has disappeared two years ago. That person no longer exists."
"You're saying that Ji Pei truly disappeared, but for that person, he still exists."
"You mean Miss Ji?" Su Ziluo crooked his head.
Jing Rong did not expect that man to discover Ji Yunshu's gender. He nodded in confirmation.
This caused Su Ziluo's smile to widen. The next moment, he said, "Clinging to a non-existent person, how pitiful."
'Pitiful?' Jing Rong coldly retorted, "Is she pitiful for enduring all kinds of hardships in the past two years, just for one man? Or do you find her foolishness pitiful?"
Su Ziluo did not look back, but his expression abruptly changed – it reflected remorse and guilt. That change was a ripple on his calm expression. Hidden underneath his wide sleeves, his hands curled up into fists.
After a long while, he finally uttered, "Your Highness should know that life is a winding road. There are many crossroads and you can't tread on all of them. Some things are bound to be lost as you gain other things. This is an undeniable fact since olden times; this is life. Don't you think so?"
This is life. Although his words did not directly answer his question, Jing Rong still understood the real meaning behind Su Ziluo's speech – that man was Ji Pei.
After a moment, Jing Rong got up and quietly walked to Su Ziluo. He also looked at the peach trees, which were shockingly gorgeous in full bloom.
"Are you really willing to part with her?" He asked.
Su Ziluo faintly trembled. His hands stroked his thighs as he bitterly laughed. "Look at my current state. Do I still have any qualifications to talk about whether I am willing or not?"
"You know she doesn't care about that!"
"But I do care!" His tone came out forceful.
Jing Rong glanced at him but did not add anything.
"Your Highness was by her side on the journey from Jinjiang to the capital. She has long been aware of your feelings. At present, the only qualified person to stand at her side is your Highness. From now on, I want to trouble your Highness to take care of her. Please overlook her mistakes, and forgive her for her wrongs."
"Even if you didn't say it, this Prince will stay at her side regardless of anything."
"I hope you can do what you say." His words contained a deeper meaning which only the concerned party could understand. A silence ensued, before being broken by Su Ziluo some time after. "Our meeting today shouldn't be known to her."
"I understand."
"Thank you very much."
After Su Ziluo left the Peach Blossoms Spring, the attendant, who was pushing him, stopped and came in front of Su Ziluo. He used his hands to make several signs. Su Ziluo frowned a bit. "Li'er, you don't understand."
The attendant called Li'er did a few more hand signs. He appeared very worried. After he was done, he squatted down, looked up at Su Ziluo and let out some incoherent sounds. Li'er was a mute.
Su Ziluo reached for his head and rubbed it with a smile. "Don't worry. I'm fine because it was a decision I made two years ago."
Li'er lifted his hands and gestured a few more times as his eyes reddened.
"Li'er, you don't understand. My father has not been avenged, and the matter our king has entrusted me with has yet to be achieved. Besides, everything is ephemeral, and so are my feelings, which now belong to the past."
"Ah, ah…"
"Enough. Don't mention it again. Remember well, I am Su Ziluo, so you must not let Shu'er find out. Understand?"
Regardless how much Li'er felt distressed for his lord, he was still a servant, who worked for Su Ziluo ever since the latter had returned to Qujiang two years ago.
He nodded before getting up and resumed pushing the wheelchair.
……
Grenn’s Rants Corner
So, how many of you have correctly guess the truth?