Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Róng Táng was repeatedly amazed by Sù Huáijǐng.

For his knowledge, demeanor, character, and especially his transformation.

He stood still for a long time, pondering Sù Huáijǐng's words, recalling the ending not covered in the original text but supplemented by the system.

A king indifferent to his people, a monarch consumed by hatred, Dàyù plunging into war and chaos, the people suffering, the world line collapsing into oblivion.

When these stories appeared in digital text made of light symbols and pixels, it was hard to feel them deeply. But as a reader immersed in the story, becoming a speck of dust under the wheels of history, witnessing those moments beyond the original text, and seeing the changed past and future, it was hard not to be moved or expectant.

Róng Táng thought, Sù Huáijǐng had truly changed a lot.

From the phrase at the flower folding event, “If the people abandon the ruler, can the ruler betray the people,” to tirelessly reading ancient texts and rushing to granaries during the seven days of torrential rain in Jiāngnán, striving to save everyone he could.

On the carriage before the New Year's Eve palace banquet, his words about kings, people, education, and production, and now, in the faint spring light, these early sprouts of egalitarian consciousness amidst millennia of entrenched tradition.

Whether as a beneficiary of the feudal imperial system, as someone favored in a gender-unequal environment, or even as a deeply wronged villain, Su Huaijing had truly changed a lot, his growth and transformation being remarkably impressive.

Rong Tang stood under the camphor tree, looking up at Su Huaijing’s face intermittently illuminated by the dappled light filtering through the tree leaves, with a fleeting image in his mind.

On an overcast autumn day, dark clouds accumulated in the sky over the capital, hinting at an impending storm.

In front of the Wei family mansion, usually quiet streets were crowded with commoners. High horses approached from the direction of the palace, the third and fifth princes dispatched by the Emperor to oversee the seizure of property, while a senior official from the Ministry of Justice stood at the gate, cross-checking names with a list.

Continuously, people were being escorted out of the mansion by the imperial guards. Ke Hongxue stood beside Mu Jingshu, shielding him from the servants and concubines who might pounce at any moment.

This was a sign of Sheng Chengli officially entering the struggle for inheritance, and Rong Tang had to witness it.

The sixteen-year-old protagonist was growing up, his eyes losing the gloom and inferiority brought on by years of imprisonment in the cold palace. Standing under the sky, he was indistinguishable from any other prince raised under the emperor's favor.

Rong Tang's health was poor, and he easily felt tired, especially when the weather was about to change, with a faint ache in his bones.

He stood at the edge of the crowd for a while and then decided to leave, but at that moment, Qin Pengxuan was pushed out.

The debauched young master, stripped of all his etiquette and dignity, staggered a big step when pushed by the officers, looking extremely disheveled.

Rong Tang was not interested in him and gave a lazy glance, about to turn away, when he suddenly noticed Qin Pengxuan's abruptly changing expression and the direction his trembling hand pointed.

He seemed to have no strength in his body, lifting his hand only to let it fall again. He opened his lips to say something, but no coherent syllable came out.

Rong Tang, surprised, followed the direction of Qin's previous gesture and saw Su Huaijing hidden in the crowd.

This was their first encounter.

The sky over the capital was dark and gloomy, like a Chinese ink painting with too much ink. In front of a grand mansion, it was half desolate, half intense.

Rong Tang stood on the very edge of the crowd, seeing a youth both magnificently beautiful and coldly damp.

Cold, damp, like a ghoul that had crawled out of the deep pond, even with a smile on his lips, his mere presence evoked fear and panic in people.

Almost without needing a reminder from the system, Rong Tang knew who it was.

His first encounter with Su Huaijing perfectly matched the original description of the main antagonist in "The Emperor's Journey": a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

Yet, Rong Tang inexplicably felt something was amiss.

He couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, only that his body, already aching slightly due to the changing weather, experienced an intense pain at that moment. His heart felt as if it was being tightly squeezed, his breathing became rapid, as if he could die at any moment.

It was an inexplicable pain that never happened again.

When he met Su Huaijing again, all traces of that dark dampness were gone, leaving only his handsome face and a moon-like serene aura.

Thus, Rong Tang thought, that fleeting glimpse in front of the Duke of Wukang's residence must have been an illusion. Su Huaijing was never that gloomy and damp.

He should always be like he is now, basked in the warm spring sun, a clear and resolute young man, advancing towards his ideal of an equal and prosperous society.

Rong Tang was momentarily stunned, and Su Huaijing asked again with a smile, "Is it good?"

His voice carried a hint of softness, a tone he often used when coaxing Rong Tang.

Rong Tang thought about it and did not respond hastily.

He knew what Su Huaijing was urging him to strive for, and he was also aware that Su Huaijing knew about the vision he had shared. Rong Tang was looking forward to it too.

He was asking, or rather pleading, for Rong Tang to have more will to live, to survive a few more years, to accompany him in witnessing the grandeur and prosperity of this golden era.

Rong Tang very much wanted to agree.

Rong Tang felt that he could agree.

If the Heavenly Dao truly governed, and if such a Su Huaijing eventually ascended to the throne, without the Heavenly Dao decreeing that this small world would collapse and cease to function.

But what about Rong Tang?

Was he bound to the main character or to this world itself?

He previously thought he was bound only to Sheng Chengli, but the constantly battling clouds in the system space, his health not deteriorating after abandoning the system's mission, and even the main character’s repeated setbacks made Rong Tang start to question.

What if... the entity he was actually bound to from the beginning wasn’t Sheng Chengli, but this world?

Then what would his ultimate fate be?

Seeing Rong Tang's prolonged silence, Su Huaijing called out, "Tang Tang?"

Perhaps it was the overwhelming noise of the crowd, or maybe the enchantment of the spring light.

Rong Tang looked into his eyes, momentarily stunned, and involuntarily nodded.

He said, "I'll try."

Try to live a little longer, try to see you achieve your dreams.

Su Huaijing's eyes brightened, visibly delighted. As he was about to speak, Rong Tang quickly added, "But nothing is absolute, and some things can't always be achieved by effort alone. Don’t... don’t have too many expectations."

Su Huaijing paused, his emotions mixed, the brief joy subdued by Rong Tang's words, feeling both perplexed and sympathetic.

It was Rong Tang who had poor health, yet it was also he who advised others not to harbor too much hope.

Su Huaijing sighed softly, chuckling, "Alright then."

He paused before adding, "But you know, Tang Tang, there's nothing absolute in this world. There's always a possibility for change."

Rong Tang stared blankly at the two conflicting clouds in the space, admonishing himself not to harbor false hopes, yet he couldn't help but start to look forward to a turning point.

After waiting for a while, Ke Hongxue finally finished chatting with the students from Linyuan Academy, gracefully nodding and then leading Muru Jingxu out of the crowd, with Lu Jiaxi hurriedly following his two seniors.

As the crowd thinned, Ke Hongxue lowered his arm, opened his fan, and casually waved it a few times, smilingly asking, "Now that Su Daren has been promoted, shouldn’t he treat us to a meal?"

Su Huaijing responded, "Where would you like to eat?"

"Liu Jin Lou," Ke Hongxue suggested, "and then we can go to the Ziyu Ban to catch the start of the new play at the hour of Wei."

The playboy demeanor was fully embodied in the National Preceptor.

Fortunately, neither the Censorate nor the Dali Temple had any urgent matters for Su Huaijing and Muru Jingxu to handle, so they took young Master Lu along from the Gongyuan to Shuileng Street, and then strolled from Liu Jin Lou to Ziyu Ban, stealing a moment of leisure in their busy lives.

Below the stage were hot tea and sunflower seeds; on the stage, life unfolded in song.

Shortly after sitting down, Su Huaijing whispered to Rong Tang that he needed to step out for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Muru Jingxu, and they both left their seats.

Lu Jiaxi enjoyed the opera, and Ke Hongxue was an aficionado, while Rong Tang glanced at the direction where Su Huaijing had left before turning his attention back, peeling seeds while listening to the soprano's melodious voice on stage.

Suddenly, the candlelight around them dimmed, the curtain on the stage was slightly drawn, and mischievous laughter started to spread among the audience, with people in the front row craning their necks to see.

Lu Jiaxi wondered, "What's happening?"

Rong Tang turned his head to glance at the playbill beside the stage, his heart suddenly filled with panic.

Ke Hongxue leisurely tasted his tea and said unhurriedly, "It's just Ziyu Ban's specialty. Just watch and enjoy."

Rong Tang felt restless, his eyes drifting towards the exit, even contemplating looking for Su Huaijing, but just then, a suggestive moan echoed from the stage.

Rong Tang: "......"

The system, belatedly realizing: [Host, isn’t this the storybook you read last year?]

Rong Tang: "......" Please, no more.

He genuinely hadn’t expected the customs of the Great Dynasty to be so liberal!

How on earth did those risqué storybooks get adapted into plays for public performances??? Thankfully, Su Huaijing wasn’t there; otherwise, he wouldn't know how to explain.

Lu Jiaxi blushed, her gaze shifting away. Rong Tang dared not look anywhere, especially as some spectators around them cheered.

Rong Tang felt out of place. He even looked towards Ke Hongxue, trying to understand how someone could sit so calmly, sipping tea while listening to the play.

Yet when he glanced over, he saw Ke Hongxue with an indifferent expression, seemingly engrossed in the play but, like him, his gaze occasionally slid towards the door curtain, as if waiting for someone's return.

In that moment, Rong Tang suddenly realized something: Ke Hongxue, always seeming effortless and carefree, appeared to be the one constantly left behind.

Always chasing, but never able to catch up.

-

The Ziyu class had a private room in the front courtyard, where a servant led the guests in and then left.

Su Huai Jing sat down and poured a cup of tea for Mu Jingxu, gesturing for him to take a seat.

Mu Jingxu asked, "Do you have something to tell me?"

Su Huaijing smiled and said, "Brother, today outside the tribute academy, I spoke to Tangtang about something."

Mu Jingxu looked at him as he continued, "I mentioned that elder brother once wanted to establish a school for girls, and even said that someday, women in Dayu might also enter the civil service."

Muru Jingxu was momentarily stunned, then relaxed with a look of relief: "Xiaoqi, you've grown up."

Su Huaijing didn't agree or disagree, saying, "But it reminded me of something you once said. You claimed to help Sheng Chengli and gave Ke Hongxue an excuse about choosing a wise ruler for the world."

Muru Jingxu's expression became pensive, remaining silent until Su Huaijing continued, "Was that just an excuse?"

With a hint of a smile yet unable to hide his doubt, he asked, "If it wasn't an excuse, why did you poison Sheng Chengli? Who is the 'wise ruler' you truly wish to support? Or why support someone else at all?"

"In terms of status and experience, no one in the imperial family can match you. You could've returned from Lingnan to the capital and ascended the throne. Why not rectify the chaos yourself?"

It wasn't blind trust in his brother for Su Huaijing; he knew that if their father had died and their eldest brother perished in battle, the throne rightfully belonged to the man before him.

He thought he understood many people, but then Rong Tang appeared, and Su Huaijing realized he couldn't see through him.

And when Tang Tang opened up to him, he suddenly realized his brother had never been entirely forthcoming.

Su Huaijing didn't necessarily need his brother to confide everything, but now, this concealment seemed to trouble Muru Jingxu, so he felt he should know.

Muru Jingxu remained silent for so long that Su Huaijing thought he might not respond, but then he asked softly, "Have you ever been to Beijiang?"

Su Huaijing was taken aback for a moment and answered, "No."

"North of Beijiang lies the Daisui Kingdom. The Emperor and Empress have been married for years without offspring. But after the chaos ten years ago, a young Crown Prince suddenly appeared in Daisui's royal palace."

As the sun began to set, Muru Jingxu said, "I've seen the child from a distance once, and he strikingly resembled someone I once knew."

Su Huaijing was shocked, almost thinking he was hallucinating.

Muru Jingxu, staring at the tea leaves floating in his cup, spoke softly and weakly, "I don't know if what I did was right, whether it was worth it or even appropriate. I don't know if he would want to come back, or if doing this is like the rebels of the past, risking handing over the country to others."

"But I thought, as long as he is willing to return, I should clear the obstacles on his path, fulfilling my duty as his uncle. What do you think?" asked Muru Jingxu.

These words, bottled up for years and unsaid to anyone, now spoken, brought him a sense of relief.

"A-xue always complains that I'm not open enough with him, but Xiaoqi, do you know what I've been through? I've seen loyalists die for me, touched the bones of my brother and General Wei in Beijiang, broken my own bones; sent good officials to prison, and severed my uncle's tendons. How do you think I got here from being a nobody?"

"I've shed endless blood: my own, friends', relatives', enemies'... I've lost count. How could I justify dragging others down with me?"

Muru Jingxu, always aloof and unfeeling, barely showed any emotion even as he spoke these words.

"When I first entered the academy, other students said I was cold and emotionless, like a block of wood. But do you know what Ke Hanying said?"

Su Huaijing, momentarily speechless, just shook his head in confusion.

Muru Jingxu managed a faint, unaccustomed smile: "He said it wasn't coldness, but the chill of high mountains and snow, pure and lofty, suggesting that only those of the purest and kindest hearts were worthy to stand beside me."

Muru Jingxu fell silent for a long time, then shook his head softly: "But I am not that person. He is."

Ke Hanying is the snow on high mountains, the bright spring of the human world.

And he is nothing but a walking skeleton in the mortal realm.

If not for a relative far away in a foreign land, he would have already sacrificed himself for the soldiers who perished with him in the south.

Muru Jingxu, Jingxu, a name signifying good times.

But he could never bask in such times again, destined to keep company with the dark, sunless prison rats.

Until his bones are buried and hastily covered by a heavy snowfall, crudely ending his decades of life.

Author's Note:

Don't panic, at least these four characters have a big happy ending for now!!! Don't worry! I'm a caring author!