“Chapter 65 (Revised)”

"Chapter 65 (Revised)"

"Wang An, with trembling hands, closed his eyes."

"'Not for wealth, fame, or desire, and being from a merchant family, we couldn’t participate in the imperial exams. It wasn’t exactly about power either.'"

"Zhou Xu thought of Taiyang’s Governor Li Bozhi, whose display of indifference to death was similar to Wang An’s. However, Li Bozhi was pretending, while Wang An’s fearlessness was real."

"Zhou Xu scoffed and waved his hand dismissively."

"Tuo Ba Agou seized a member of the Wang family, beheading him swiftly and splattering blood all over Wang An, who trembled at the sight, triggering panic among the Wang family."

"Datong in Jinxi, Datong in Songyu. A land of fish and rice, a beautiful place."

"Of the twenty bows and crossbows, three, identified by Xue Si, were coated with strychnine wax. One had a mixture of strychnine and yellow wax, indicating a substitution due to a shortage of yellow wax."

"The cell was filled with corpses. Wang An, hunched and aged, watched as Zhou Xu entered, his presence overshadowing the renowned spice merchant of Youzhou."

"Wang An bit his teeth, staying silent."

"Zhou Xu mocked, 'Do you think by not confessing, their deaths are justified?'"

"'A truly dutiful and respectful dog,' Zhou Xu mused, recalling the intelligence reports."

"Hearing Zhou Xu's words, Wang An slowly lifted his head, his chest heaving painfully. His eyes were bloodshot and crazed, and in a fit of rage, he spat out blood, 'What did you say!?' He couldn't believe Zhou Xu knew of his secret dealings."

"Zhou Xu, amused by Wang An's outburst, said, 'Were you in love with the scholar's daughter from Ji Xing? That would explain a lot.'"

"An elderly woman in prison garb was brought from the women’s cell by General Shi, accompanied by Zhou Xu’s sons, Zhou Xuan and Zhou Ling, who held Wang An’s daughter and her young children."

"Wang An's body trembled violently, gasping for air, unable to speak."

"The elderly woman knelt down as soon as she entered the cell, covering her daughter and grandchildren. Wang An’s daughter fainted at the sight of the carnage inside the cell."

"Zhou Xu, sitting leisurely, sipping tea, said, 'Madam Wang Lin, if you speak the truth, considering your daughter's ignorance, I might spare them.'"

"The elderly woman glanced at Wang An in the cell, her mouth curling with disdain. She covered her grandchildren's eyes with a cloth strip before speaking, 'I was a poor scholar's daughter from Ji Xing. When Wang An proposed, my father thought it was a blessing, although Wang An was older and had several sons from concubines. He was wealthy, and marrying him meant a life of comfort.'"

"Wang An, mad with rage, rushed to the bars, wishing he could strangle her, 'Shut your mouth, you wretch!'"

"The woman looked contemptuously at her husband, 'After marrying Wang An, he drunkenly consummated our marriage, resulting in my daughter. The other children aren’t mine. Wang An had gathered women who looked alike in his Ji Xing residence; their children fared better than my daughter.'"

"She continued, 'Only later did I learn my husband was once in love, enamored with the daughter of the renowned Ji Xing scholar Liang Qiu. Unfortunately, she married a high-ranking official in Chang’an. It’s been decades since, known only to a few elders in Ji Xing.' Her eyes gleamed with vindictive satisfaction at Wang An's fury, 'I wouldn’t have minded living alone in Ji Xing while you enjoyed luxuries in Shigong, but why did you treat our daughter, Rou Nuan, so cruelly?'"

"Enraged, she slapped Wang An repeatedly, 'You heartlessly sent concubines to her husband after she married. Did you ever consider her feelings, you lunatic? Of all the Wang family, you deserve death the most.'"

"She accused him, 'You used Rou Nuan as a pawn, facilitating your own ambitions. Why don’t you just die, Wang An!'"

"In a frenzy, she beat Wang An, who bled from his mouth and nose, furious at being overpowered by a woman he despised."

"Tuo Ba Gu separated them, calming the woman down and slapped Wang An to silence him."

"The woman wiped her tears and knelt before Zhou Xu, 'I apologize for the spectacle, my lord. Wang An loved a talented woman named Liang Li, who married a high-ranking official in Chang’an.'"

"Zhou Xu calmly reassured, 'Your daughter will not be implicated.'"

"Grateful, the woman deeply bowed, 'Thank you for your mercy, my lord.'"

"Zhou Xu left the cell, ignoring Wang An lying in his own blood."

"Wang An, on the floor, cried out in despair and anger, 'How could you thank him? You’ll realize the gravity of your mistake when more die because of your foolishness!'"

"The woman spat on him, 'Madman!' and left with her daughter."

"Wang An felt an intense pain, haunted by visions of his beloved, pleading with tears, and his dying mentor's warning to beware of Zhou Xu."

"Wang An spat out blood, realizing his years of planning had been ruined, foreseeing a future where not stopping Zhou Xu would lead to countless deaths."

"Traitor! Traitor!"

"He thought of the many lives at stake, lamenting the impending catastrophe."

"Only through strategic balance can we grasp victory from the fire. By entangling the steppe tribes with Youzhou's cavalry, their mutual weakening gives the Imperial Court breathing room. Such sacrifices are a small price for the greater strategy."

Wang An, amidst the corpses, clutched them in deranged laughter, his maniacal cackles echoing in the cell.

The cell was filled only with his mad laughter.

Liu Ren followed behind the military governor, cautiously observing his expression. Outside the prison, guards raised torches, casting a serene look on the governor's face in the flickering light.

Liu Ren wiped the accidental bloodstain off his hand, feeling a mix of anger and sorrow. He recalled the old days when Youzhou, not as strong, relied on numerous sacrifices to fend off steppe cavalry, securing peaceful years. Had they forgotten their past hardships?

Initially, the Tujue raided them, seizing livestock and people. Many refugees in Guchou were rescued by the governor from Tujue. Among them were many descendants of Central Plains and Tujue, treated inhumanely by the tribes. The slaughters became routine. Liu Ren and the governor believed that the Tujue were behind the rebellions in Huibei.

Wiping his tears with his sleeve, Liu Ren cursed, "Damn it all!"

Zhou Xuan, Zhou Ling, and General Shi, along with Tuo Ba Gu, displayed a cold, murderous aura. Tuo Ba Gu cleaned the blood off his hands and gripped his sword.

"Subordinate Gao Fei greets the military governor," said a middle-aged military officer, striding forward and bowing, followed by several armored cavalrymen, all bowing in respect.

Gao Fei then bowed to Liu Ren, "Greetings, Liu Daren."

Liu Ren courteously returned the gesture to the newly appointed Guchou Commandant, "Greetings, Gao Daren."

Zhou Xu helped the men up, "We're all acquaintances here. Let's discuss matters inside."

The hall was brightly lit all night until the early hours when everyone finally dispersed.

Cui Shizi coughed, draped in a blanket and a cloak. Sipping his bitter tea, he coughed again and remarked to his lord, "The Imperial Court aims to reap benefits from afar, playing a clever game."

Receiving no response, he looked up to see his lord gazing into the horizon, expressionless, with a few strands of white hair fluttering in the wind.

As Cui Shizi paused, drinking his tea, and after his lord left, he stared at the map in front of him, coughing violently, his eyes red with emotion.

The tea had cooled, and the hatred remained unquenched.

Xiao Luo Lan, half-asleep, suddenly felt someone beside her, jolting awake. The room was dark; recalling Zhou Xu's past antics in Luo Ge, she relaxed.

"You're back," she said, noting the darkness outside.

The towering silhouette remained silent. Xiao Luo Lan sat up in bed, sensing a strong smell of blood. Suddenly, a large hand grasped hers. She felt Zhou Xu's rough palm. Before she could speak, she felt him enveloping her.

Xiao Luo Lan feared they were about to engage in intimacy again and instinctively shrank back. But then she found herself tightly embraced by the man, almost as if he intended to merge her into his being.

In the darkness, only their intertwined breaths could be heard.

Hesitant at first, Xiao Luo Lan gently wrapped her arms around him, instinctively patting his back as she would with her daughter. Realizing the inappropriateness, she blushed and stopped.

Zhou Xu sensed her action and chuckled softly.

Feeling his laughter, Xiao Luo Lan paused, then resumed her gentle patting, silently comforting him. She sensed something unusual about Zhou Xu that day, his mood seemed off, perhaps even troubled.

Zhou Xu, feeling her tender gesture, buried his head in her neck, inhaling her scent. The suppressed savage rage inside him deepened his breathing before gradually calming.

He caressed her face and couldn't resist giving her a kiss. She was his wife.