Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Su Huaijing froze in place, silent for a long while before chuckling softly with his head bowed.

When he raised his head again, his eyes slightly curved as he softly asked, "Rong Tang, are you being clingy—"

Rong Tang stiffened, ready to retort, but then heard Su Huaijing continue, "Or are you feeling sorry for me?"

Rong Tang was suddenly at a loss for words.

In the summer night, the Milky Way glittered brilliantly, stars hung in the sky, a candle flickered in the room, and moonlight spilled softly through the window. Rong Tang gazed at Su Huaijing in a daze, almost thinking, for a moment, that he was about to reveal his true identity to him.

He remained silent for a long while, then innocently asked, "Why do you say that?"

Su Huaijing sat opposite him, resting his chin on one hand, looking at him warmly and gently, "The young general of the Xian Kingdom's noble family is my cousin."

Rong Tang felt a sigh of relief in his heart.

Fortunately, there was this layer of identity as a cover. Su Huaijing could blatantly talk about those things only known to the Seventh Prince, under the guise of being a distant relative of the Xian Kingdom’s noble family.

Without being exposed by anyone.

Rong Tang nodded: "I know, he is a very remarkable person."

The novel "Emperor’s Conquest" begins from the perspective of the male lead Sheng Chengli. By that time, Emperor Ren Shou had successfully usurped the throne. All the once brilliant figures in the history of Da Yu were either buried under the yellow soil or living incognito in the bustling city, never to be seen in their former glory.

Like the solemn and devout End Yi Princess often found chanting scriptures in her mansion, and the Xian Kingdom’s noble who had once gained merits on the battlefield.

Da Yu has always had the problem of barbarian disturbances at its northern borders, a lingering issue since ancient times, causing headaches for every ruler.

During Emperor Xuan's reign, the young general Wei Ziheng, just eighteen, volunteered to lead troops to the northern border to quell the disturbances. He stayed away from the capital for three years, repelling the barbarians over eight hundred li.

After his father, the then Great General Wei, passed away, Wei Ziheng naturally became Da Yu’s new Great General.

Two heroes from one family, their honor earned through genuine valor and sacrifice.

General Wei lived to the age of fifty-four. From his eighteenth to his fifty-fourth year, for a total of thirty-six years, not a single enemy soldier dared to cross Da Yu’s borders in the north.

Rong Tang said, "My grandmother was almost married to General Wei."

Su Huaijing softly laughed: "Indeed, it was very close."

The emperor's foster daughter and the eldest son of the Great General’s family should have been a beautiful story.

However, Emperor Xuan suddenly fell seriously ill, and Mingzong ascended the throne. End Yi was uneasy about her younger brother being alone in the treacherous imperial court. The Wei family, having fought for the country for generations, always followed the unchanging rule of leaving an heir before each general set off for war.

"It was impossible for Duan Yi to retreat and solely devote himself to family life, just as Wei Ziheng could not abandon his lonely mother to journey alone to the frontier, leaving his elderly mother to worry and fret."

"Thus, the two who were once betrothed met one evening, openly and honorably dining at the gilded Yu Jing building, gazing over the Jin Fen River, reflecting on the ordinary joys and hopes of the common people."

"I wish you a safe journey and steadfast defense of our nation's borders; you wish me ease in my comings and goings, and success in my courtly endeavors."

"Afterward, each annulled their engagement, and for the next thirty, forty years, there were no more entanglements between them."

"General Wei had a son and a daughter: his son joined the military to serve the country, and his daughter entered the royal court, becoming the future Empress Wei—the mother of Su Huaijing."

"Wei Ziheng was honored both in the nation as a mighty general deterring enemy forces, and at home as a duke revered by the late emperor, unmatched in his time."

"The young general mentioned by Ke Hongxue was Wei Zhun, Wei Ziheng's eldest grandson."

"In the year of the northern invasion, the crown prince was twenty-one, and Wei Zhun seventeen; both were the epitome of youthful elegance in Yu Jing City."

"Had history taken its expected course, the crown prince would have ascended the throne, and Wei Zhun, from a green young general, would have grown into a renowned commander, his very name enough to repel barbarians, like his father and grandfather before him."

"But time holds no 'ifs', and like the crown prince, Wei Zhun too perished in that early spring, as the border city fell at dawn."

"The young man was buried in the spring, becoming one with the sands guarding the border."

"Rong Tang reminisced about the residual memories in his mind, softly saying, 'As a child, when I visited my grandmother's house, I would sometimes sit on the stone steps at the door, looking across the street.'"

"Opposite was a grand and prestigious mansion."

"With no adult males at home, the women were in charge, from the elder Madame Wei to Madame Wei, each a paragon of valiant and resolute femininity."

"Wei Zhun was a boy in his teens, playful by nature, disinterested in studies, spending his days wielding swords and spears, gathering friends. Born into a prominent family, yet he would play with crickets in the market streets for mere coins."

"Often, he would spend the whole day out, his silver turning into candies in the hands of children, the young general weighing the few coins left, casually buying a pot of the cheapest, harshest liquor from a stall and leisurely drinking his way home."

"Approaching home, he would become anxious, hiding the liquor, tidying his clothes, brushing off leaves and grass from sitting on the ground, fixing his hairpin, and adopting a dignified and noble demeanor as he walked home."

"Then, at a glance, he saw another young child sitting at the neighbor's door."

"In my memory, the slanting sun flooded half the sky, the vast and desolate Xuanwu Avenue harbored secrets behind each high gate, and a carefree youth approached with a confident stride, bending down with a smile, magically pulling a dragon-shaped sugar figurine from his pocket and saying, 'Call me 'brother', and I'll give you candy.'"

"As an outsider who stumbled into this time stream, Rong Tang would sometimes recall these scenes and feel the emotions of the original inhabitant of this body."

"It was a feeling akin to sitting on a grassy slope bathed in sunset, as a child waiting for parents and elders to return home, bringing unexpected treats."

"Such vivid emotions were rare in the original host's memories, often clouded by the bitterness of medicinal soups."

"So vivid that Rong Tang, as an observer, couldn't help but slightly lift the corners of his lips, saying, 'He gave me a lot of candy.'"

"Su Huaijing paused, then a slight smile curved his lips: 'My cousin also gave me a lot of candy.'"

"'My uncle was often away from home, and neither my aunt nor the Duchess could control him. Sometimes when I played at the Duke's residence, my cousin would take me to steal bird eggs or sneak into dog kennels, always getting completely dirty. If not for my mother's intervention, who knows how many times he would have been punished by my aunt.'"

"Rong Tang poured himself a cup of warm tea, the steam slowly rising. He watched Su Huaijing, a quiet listener."

"Su Huaijing said, 'My cousin always longed for the battlefield, vowing that as long as he lived, no barbarian would step over the border. Pressured by my aunt to marry, he asked, 'How can one prioritize family over country?'"

"He furrowed his brow, thinking hard, unsure if the memories were too distant and blurred, or if too much reflection had caused deviations, making recollection difficult."

"'It seems it was the winter of the twenty-fourth year of Yuan Xing, on New Year's Eve. No one knew why he suddenly said that, and as soon as he did, the Duchess hit him several times with her cane.'"

"He laughed, a layer of faint sadness emerging in his eyes: 'But later we understood he was the first to sense the anomaly. To this day, I don't understand how my cousin knew the nation was in peril. Perhaps, he was a born military strategist, aware of disturbances in the northern border even while in the capital.'"

"'The Crown Prince volunteered to go to the frontier to inspire the soldiers. Many opposed my cousin joining him, but the Duchess stood up for him, saying his grandfather and father died for the country. With the border in turmoil and no great general to guard it, it was right for him to go. Even if he perished in battle, it was better than countless soldiers and civilians dying senselessly.'"

"Su Huaijing's voice grew softer."

"He was only eight years old then; some things he witnessed himself, others he heard about."

"A child's memory is fleeting, but over these nine years, he forced himself to remember, to not forget completely."

"'Who knew it would be a prophecy,' Su Huaijing murmured, 'The northern gate fell, the southern prince slain. Sometimes I wonder if there is such a thing as national destiny. Heaven's abandonment, thus none of the emperor's descendants met a good end, and all their kin suffered tragic deaths.'"

"Su Huaijing lifted his eyes, gazing quietly at Rong Tang, as if seeking an answer."

"Rong Tang's heart skipped a beat, almost blurting out: 'It's not like that!'"

Yet, after much thought, he realized the wheel of history was turning exactly as Su Huaijing described. None of the late emperor's sons met a good end.

Even for Su Huaijing himself, once he ascended the throne and initiated war, this world would be utterly annihilated. How could that be considered a good end?

But Rong Tang couldn't bear to see Su Huaijing so lost and helpless. Furrowing his brows in thought, his voice was soft, almost childlike as he said, "That's not true."

Su Huaijing blinked, "Hmm?"

Rong Tang said, "If it's really as you say, then the Emperor should be the first to perish abruptly."

Su Huaijing's expression darkened, his pupils contracting. He glanced out the window to ensure no one was there before turning back, a mix of warmth and reprimand in his voice, "How can Tang Tang speak such words?"

Rong Tang insisted confidently: "Why shouldn't I?"

Su Huaijing frowned: "Such words are treasonous. If they were to spread, it could lead to the execution of one's entire family."

"Isn't that perfect?" Rong Tang muttered defiantly. "I won't live long anyway. Didn't you say you'd be buried with me? If we're to be executed, it's a chance for a lovers' suicide. We could even find a spot together in the mass grave. Dying together means we'd at least have each other's company."

Su Huaijing was speechless for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, his demeanor relaxing: "My husband is right."

He said: "I'll follow my husband, whether he chooses a chicken or a dog. My husband is a saint who doesn't care about royal authority, what else can I do? If we're indeed reported to the emperor, I'll join you in beheading and go to the underworld together."

Yet, Rong Tang pouted: "That won't do."

"Why not?" Su Huaijing indulgently inquired.

Rong Tang: "Before I die, I definitely want to go and fiercely scold the emperor. What a despicable person! Seizing the throne from his brother, spreading false rumors, indulging in pleasure while corrupt officials run the court, turning the whole world into a place of despair!"

The more he spoke, the angrier he became, ranting: "And he hasn’t even allocated the relief funds! I’ve even used up all my private savings!"

Su Huaijing: "......"

For the first time, Su Huaijing didn’t get lost in sorrow or sarcasm when recalling the past. Watching Rong Tang angrily ranting about the current emperor, puffing up like a little hamster, he remained silent for a long while, then laughed.

"You really are..."

"Treasonous."

Su Huaijing sighed softly, left his seat, approached Rong Tang, and looked down into his eyes with polite and cultured demeanor, asking: "Tang Tang, may I kiss you?"

"I really like you a lot."