He simply does not deserve you; you should be with…
Nie Dong was momentarily stunned. The bizarre dead rat clearly had not been cooked; calling it poison actually seemed to make some sense.
Xie Linchuan tightened his grip, his sword-like brows furrowing as his anger flared. He questioned the man in a low, heavy voice, emphasizing every word. “Was it Qin Li who ordered this jailer to poison us? If so, just say it plainly.”
The jailer was lifted off the ground through the bars. His face had turned a bloated purplish-red, and he could only flail his one free hand, screaming, “I am wronged! I only wanted to frighten them a bit to squeeze out some benefits. How would I dare to poison and kill anyone? That meal was clearly…”
Nie Dong understood immediately. He felt an intense loathing for these cruel and greedy officials. Without a word, he drew his blade and severed the jailer’s arm, the one Xie Linchuan was still gripping, in a single strike. With a scream, the jailer slid from Xie Linchuan’s grasp and collapsed to the floor, where he was hauled up by two guards.
“Drag him away and torture him,” Nie Dong ordered with a wave of his hand. His decisive action effectively rewrote the man’s future fate. He glanced between Xie Linchuan and Li Xuehong. Eschewing small talk, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
“Our Marshal is currently busy mopping up the remnants of the army; he truly knew nothing of this, and he certainly had no intention of harming you. I shall report this truthfully. It was my negligence that led to this oversight, and I apologize for the poor display.”
Though Li Xuehong did not understand Xie Linchuan’s motive for causing a scene, he recognized an opportunity. After a moment of thought, he asked, “How does Qin Li intend to deal with us?”
Nie Dong immediately signaled for subordinates to bring brush and ink. “Prince Xuehong, please draft an imperial edict to announce to the world. State that because the former Emperor lacked virtue and was incapable of governing, he voluntarily abdicated the throne to King Yao. You will then read this aloud in front of the civil and military officials.”
“Once the matter is settled, my Marshal will naturally treat you well. He will personally title you Prince Shun, The Obedient Prince, and you shall reside in the capital to enjoy a life of wealth and honor.”
Although Li Xuehong had expected this, hearing Nie Dong speak so casually of a voluntary abdication and a title made his fists clench. His face shifted between pale and flushed with rage. “Humph! No matter how pleasantly you phrase it, he is nothing more than a rebel who usurped the throne! History is clear, and justice resides in the hearts of the people. How long can Qin Li sit on a throne he stole?”
Nie Dong’s expression darkened, and his voice turned cold with displeasure. “Did the founding ancestor of your Li family not rise from the rank of general to rebel and steal the throne from the former dynasty’s master? Yet that stolen throne was sat upon for over two hundred years, was it not?”
“So, it is acceptable to steal from others, but when it is your turn, you speak of clear history?”
Li Xuehong was not provoked. Instead, he spoke with righteous conviction. “You are mistaken. The last Emperor of the previous dynasty acted against the natural order, inciting the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people; everyone had the right to execute him. Our Great Ancestor Emperor eliminated the divided factions and restored the mountains and rivers, bringing peace to the world and ending the chaos of war. That was the true Mandate of Heaven.”
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking dignified. “I, Li Xuehong, am the Emperor of Great Jing. I would rather die than suffer such humiliation. You may wield the temporary might of weapons, but you will surely be reviled by the people of the world in the future!”
Xie Linchuan did not know how the people of this era would view it, but he knew that the history books a thousand years later told a different story. Nie Dong was not a man of letters and had no interest in debating. He asked in a muffled voice, “Prince Xuehong is a nobleman, and we crude men do not understand these scholarly principles. But do you know how much a child can be sold for in my hometown?”
Li Xuehong blinked. “What?”
Nie Dong held up both hands to form a cross. “Last year, a boy was ten taels of silver, and a girl was seven. This year, they will not fetch that price. A boy has dropped to eight taels, and a girl is only five.” Nie Dong shook his head. “We crude men do not understand clear history. We only know that when we cannot find enough food to eat, we must rebel.”
Li Xuehong fell into an instantaneous silence. Xie Linchuan sighed inwardly. Nie Dong did not press the point further; he simply had the brush and ink sent inside.
“I advise you to recognize reality. You will write it whether you want to or not. A shameful life is better than a noble death.”
Li Xuehong, his face full of anger, remained silent. Suddenly, he felt a forceful pat on his back. Caught off guard, he coughed several times, only to see that Xie Linchuan had walked up behind him at some point.
“Lin…”
Xie Linchuan said in a deep voice, “My Highness possesses a body worth ten thousand gold, yet he has been so mistreated by you that he has fallen gravely ill and is weak. At this moment, he truly cannot satisfy your Marshal’s request. It would be better to wait until My Highness has recovered his health and King Yao comes here in person.”
Li Xuehong was stunned. Just as he was about to speak, another series of pats on his back left him coughing and gasping for air. Nie Dong was silent for a moment. He then gave orders to his subordinates to immediately bring fresh food, bedding, and clothing.
“I shall return tomorrow.” Nie Dong glanced at Li Xuehong and suddenly added, “In truth, we have already found a man who closely resembles Prince Xuehong in appearance. When the time comes, he will stand before the officials in your robes. If the Marshal says he is you, then he is you. From a distance, who could tell the difference?”
“The Marshal does not care whether you agree or not. It would be best if Prince Xuehong did not delude himself, otherwise, his death would be in vain.”
With that, Nie Dong ignored their reactions. He had the items sent into the cell and led the guards away. Li Xuehong stared at the pile of brush, ink, and food. His eyes flickered as he remained silent, lost in thought.
Xie Linchuan, however, was immensely surprised. In his past life, Li Xuehong had never mentioned Nie Dong’s final threat to him. Back then, he had been unconscious with a high fever, sleeping fitfully for three days, completely unaware of what had transpired in the cell. The only thing he knew was that Li Xuehong had initially been adamant about refusing to comply until death, yet by the time Xie Linchuan woke up after being treated by imperial physicians, Li Xuehong had already accepted Qin Li’s title.
Since crossing into this world, Li Xuehong had saved him more than once. Especially in this freezing cell where survival was uncertain, only Li Xuehong had sacrificed so much for him, even setting aside his royal dignity to submit to Qin Li. Xie Linchuan remembered every bit of that rare warmth in his heart.
But looking at it now, the other man might have simply been following the path of least resistance at the time, and it was not entirely for Xie Linchuan’s sake. The flickering candlelight crackled. After the two of them had eaten, Li Xuehong remained preoccupied with his thoughts. Xie Linchuan was not in the mood for small talk either. Each wrapped in a quilt, they passed the night in silence.
The next morning.
Xie Linchuan brought breakfast to Li Xuehong’s side, only for his hand to be suddenly grabbed. Li Xuehong’s eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to have grown thin overnight. He looked at Xie Linchuan with a hint of confusion. “Linchuan, what do you think we should do?”
“I originally thought Qin Li was wary of Li Fenghao, his troops, and his legitimate claim, so he would not dare to kill us. But they actually found a body double.”
The Third Prince, Li Fenghao, had failed in the struggle for succession and fled with tens of thousands of elite troops. He had money and grain, but most importantly, the Li royal family had ruled for over two hundred years. Most of the civil and military officials in the court and local magistrates were likely still wavering, their hearts still leaning toward the Li family.
Even if Qin Li captured the capital and most of the country, and the officials surrendered one by one, the people’s hearts could not be changed so easily. This was why Qin Li adopted a policy of appeasement toward Li Xuehong and other surrendered officials.
Li Xuehong frowned and whispered, seemingly trying to convince himself, “As long as my third brother, Li Fenghao, is still alive, Qin Li cannot easily kill us. Otherwise, he would simply be giving Li Fenghao the legitimacy of succession and a righteous excuse for a counterattack.”
“A body double will eventually be exposed. Li Fenghao has been proclaiming to the outside world that I am already dead. Only if we are alive can Qin Li ascend the throne with a legitimate title.” Li Xuehong spoke, a spark of light appearing in his eyes, and his hands gripped Xie Linchuan’s tightly. “Linchuan, if their killing me would allow you to live well, that would be fine. But if I die like this, it proves their promises are worth nothing, and they will only become more unscrupulous in executing surrendered officials.”
“You have led troops to besiege King Yao’s army many times and possess great prestige. They will settle accounts with you sooner or later. Linchuan, I cannot let you die with me.”
Xie Linchuan felt a bit of admiration for Li Xuehong’s eloquence. In his past life, it truly had not been Qin Li and Nie Dong intentionally making things difficult for him. Li Xuehong had calculated the stakes clearly and made the decision that was most beneficial to himself.
As the saying goes, “If a man does not look out for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him.” Li Xuehong could save his own life while also solidifying Xie Linchuan as an ally; his actions were not entirely unreasonable. It is said that one should judge a gentleman by his actions rather than his intent, but the human heart fears calculation most. How many people can truly ignore the intent?
Xie Linchuan gazed into the other man’s eyes. Had he discovered this in his past life, he might have felt a chill in his heart. But now, he only felt a sense of calm, and even a bit of relief. He subtly withdrew his hand and pressed the rice bowl into the other man’s grasp. “Highness, since the situation is stronger than we are, it would be better to feign submission to Qin Li and wait for a better day.”
Sure enough, he saw Li Xuehong’s expression relax with a look of relief. Xie Linchuan’s heart stirred, and he asked as if casually, “I wonder which of Your Highness’s capable people are still nearby? We must be certain who our allies are and who harbors ill intentions, so that we do not have another traitor like Yang Qiong who opens the gate for the enemy.”
Until his death in his past life, Xie Linchuan never knew who Li Xuehong’s other hidden agent was. He could not have succeeded in bringing Qin Li down on his own. Li Xuehong shook his head and looked at him earnestly. “Linchuan, aside from you, I no longer have anyone I can trust.”
His eyes fell upon a jade pendant held in Xie Linchuan’s hand. He knew it was an heirloom left by Xie Linchuan’s parents, which he always wore around his neck. He had not expected that Xie Linchuan would nearly give such a precious item to that cunning jailer for his sake. Li Xuehong felt a wave of emotion. His gaze softened as it landed on Xie Linchuan’s face.
“This is the heirloom jade left by the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery; you should keep it safe. Do not bring it out again. A small amount of food is not worth it.” He took the jade pendant, rethreaded the red string, and reached his hands around Xie Linchuan’s neck to tie it for him.
As he raised his hands, his sleeve naturally slid down a bit, revealing a recent wound on his right forearm. The wound was small, and the scab had already fallen off, leaving behind new, pinkish skin. Xie Linchuan’s gaze caught the obvious scar, and the hand he had intended to use to tie it himself paused slightly.
He remembered that shortly after he had crossed into this world, several court officials had jointly requested his punishment on the charge of nurturing the enemy to increase his own importance. Everyone wanted him dead. Having just arrived, he was isolated and without help, except for Li Xuehong, who knelt outside the old Emperor’s study all night, pleading bitterly until he earned a chance for a retrial.
During the argument, the furious old Emperor had thrown a teacup, and a shard had sliced Li Xuehong’s arm. Even if it was done with the intent to win him over, for Xie Linchuan’s precarious political life, Li Xuehong had indeed taken a great risk. Li Xuehong noticed his gaze, pulled his sleeve down, and smiled faintly. “It is just a superficial wound; it healed long ago. You do not need to take it to heart.”
Xie Linchuan shook his head. “I shall remember Your Highness’s kindness in helping me.” However, he had already repaid everything he owed in his past life.
Li Xuehong, perhaps thinking of something else, turned his face slightly away. He lowered his eyes and whispered, “Linchuan, you should know that my feelings for you are not merely those of a ruler for his subject. My feelings for you are…”
He could not help but look up again, cautiously searching Xie Linchuan’s eyes. Xie Linchuan was momentarily speechless. In his past life, when the other man hinted at his feelings, Xie Linchuan felt nothing for Li Xuehong. But at the time, there had been trust and gratitude in his heart. Now, with all the unpleasantness lingering in his memory, only a complex mix of emotions remained.
He wondered: had the other man gradually lost his current self in the pursuit of revenge and power, or had his heart always been filled only with utility and recruitment? And then, what about Qin Li?
Xie Linchuan’s thoughts drifted, and for some reason, he recalled Qin Li’s face, those eyes that were sometimes lazy and sometimes fierce. And that sorrowful, maddened gaze just before his own death. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to stop thinking about those images and the confusing puzzles.
“Thank you for your affection, Highness, but I…”
“What a touching display of deep affection between ruler and subject. Truly moving. If this were staged, it would surely be a fine play.” Accompanied by several claps, a familiar mocking tone reached their ears. Xie Linchuan and Li Xuehong turned their heads together.
At the end of the corridor outside the cell, Qin Li and Nie Dong walked over unhurriedly, with two rows of guards following at a distance. There was no telling how long they had been watching silently. Qin Li was not wearing armor today, nor was he wearing a mask. He was dressed in a suit of pitch-black, tight-fitting clothes. He had never liked the wide-sleeved robes of scholars and noble lords; his sleeves were tightly bound with short leather straps, clearly outlining the lean and powerful muscle lines of his arms and waist.
His silver hair was tied back, catching a hint of warm gold from the candlelight, which only served to make his pitch-black eyes appear deeper. Xie Linchuan was stunned. He had expected Qin Li to come, but he had not expected him to arrive so quickly.
The jailer opened the cell, and Qin Li stepped inside in a few strides. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the two men who were almost huddled together, and the corner of his mouth curled slightly. “I said that General Xie was nearly framed to death by the old Emperor and then betrayed by his colleagues who opened the city gates. Why is he still so foolishly loyal in protecting Li Xuehong?”
“Now that you have fallen to the level of a prisoner and can barely save yourself, you still cause a commotion to ask for a bit of food and clothing for Li Xuehong, and even offer your heirloom jade pendant. Heh. So it is for an old lover. They say General Xie enters and leaves the Eastern Palace at all hours of the night and is inseparable from Prince Xuehong. It seems those rumors in the streets may not have been unfounded.”
Li Xuehong was fair-skinned, so the slight flush on his face was particularly obvious. “Qin Li! You may kill or hack me as you wish, but do not go too far! The struggle for the throne is between you and me; it has nothing to do with the affection between Linchuan and me!”
Xie Linchuan thought, “There is no need for you to admit it for me.”
Qin Li glanced at Li Xuehong, placed one hand behind his back, and let out a deeply disdainful snort through his nose. His gaze then fell back onto Xie Linchuan, looking him over carefully from head to toe before he sneered, “This former master of yours is too incompetent. He is not even as good as that boy Li Fenghao, who can still jump around with his army. He did not even know that Yang Qiong had long since secretly surrendered to me. He can only be my defeated opponent; he does not even have the qualification to face me.”
These few sentences made Li Xuehong stare in fury. Qin Li ignored him, took two slow steps forward, and continued to ask Xie Linchuan, “What could you possibly see in him? That fair-skinned, pretty boy face? Oh, he is quite fair, I suppose. And this thin frame…”
He glanced sideways at Li Xuehong, his gaze unpleasantly lingering on the man’s lower body, and clicked his tongue twice. “He is likely a silver-coated lead spear, good to look at but useless. Perhaps he cannot even manage to pass on the family line.”
Qin Li’s mockery stabbed directly at the places a man cares about most. Behind him, Nie Dong could not help but laugh. “You, you are simply beyond insolent!” Li Xuehong was so angry that the veins in his neck bulged.
But having been raised with the etiquette and Confucian teachings since childhood, he felt that even swearing was a disgrace to his refinement. How could he possibly counter Qin Li’s arrogant and crude tongue? Qin Li stared at Xie Linchuan playfully and said in a suggestive tone, “He simply does not deserve you. You should be with me rather than him. Whatever Li Xuehong can give you, I can give you more.”
Though the two men were of similar height, when Qin Li tilted his chin up slightly, his gaze appeared condescending, as if he were choosing a novel toy, or perhaps deciding which piece of meat on a prey would be most delicious.
Xie Linchuan raised an eyebrow. Qin Li was indeed born a common bandit; he was truly the same crude, foul-mouthed, and arrogant fellow from his memory. In his past life, when Qin Li had inexplicably taken an interest in him, he had said something similar. Having been raised with a modern education, Xie Linchuan was equally proud; how could he have endured it then?
At that time, Xie Linchuan had been so angry that he had punched Qin Li in the face right then and there. From then on, they had been at odds. As for now, Xie Linchuan unseasonably recalled certain unsightly entanglements from his past life and fell into a subtle silence.