Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Róng Táng was momentarily startled, a flash of surprise crossing his face.

While waiting for the new dishes, Lú Jiāxī chatted about the various aspects of the Wanshou Festival in a relaxed manner.

Sù Huáijǐng noticed Róng Táng's expression and felt a momentary sense of alertness. He squeezed Róng Táng's wrist casually and asked, "What's wrong?"

Róng Táng shook his head instinctively, "Nothing?"

But he couldn't help asking, "Dàsuí is sending their Crown Prince? Is it confirmed?"

Sù Huáijǐng felt a chill in his heart, speculating, and said warmly, "If the news has reached the Ministry of Rites, it's probably confirmed. But the Wanshou Festival is still months away; what may happen in the meantime is uncertain."

His tone shifted as he directly asked, "What is Táng Táng worried about?"

Róng Táng opened his mouth but didn't speak immediately.

In this world, Dà Yù is the most powerful nation, wealthy and strong, with its culture and history far surpassing neighboring smaller countries.

But Dàsuí is not considered a "small country."

Located in the harsh, cold northern territories of Dà Yù, Dàsuí is fierce in spirit, expansive in territory. Due to geographical factors, the country faces severe cold and food shortages for half the year, leading to shorter life spans for its people. As a result, there are almost annual small-scale border skirmishes.

These conflicts are often for the seizure of food and territory.

And ten years ago, the calamity that led to the deaths of the former Crown Prince and General Wèi was instigated by the newly enthroned ruler of Dàsuí.

From Róng Táng's perspective in this world, he should naturally harbor a deep-seated enmity towards Dàsuí. But the young Crown Prince...

If his calculations were correct, the prince was barely over ten years old, his understanding of right and wrong debatable. It was unjust to involve him in a decade-old conflict between the two nations.

Róng Táng pondered for a long time, while Sù Huáijǐng waited patiently for him to figure it out, occasional flashes of suppressed fury in his eyes revealing his bad mood.

After three rounds of drinks, and with most of the new dishes ending up in Lú Jiāxī's stomach, the group left the Liújīn Tower, strolling along Shuǐléng Street to digest their meal in the cool summer night breeze.

As if having made up his mind, Róng Táng said to Sù Huáijǐng, "If possible, think of a way to send an envoy to the border to receive them."

Sù Huáijǐng felt a weight lift from his heart, as if a heavy stone had finally settled with a dull thud.

He smirked ambiguously and agreed straightforwardly, "Alright."

Róng Táng was surprised, turning to look at him, astonished at his quick agreement.

On some level, if Dàsuí hadn't instigated the war at that time, leading to the former Crown Prince's death, the situation wouldn't have escalated to this irreversible point. The fact that Sù Huáijǐng agreed so readily to his abrupt suggestion was unexpected.

Sensing his astonishment, Sù Huáijǐng smiled softly, honestly replying, "The Crown Prince of Dàsuí is a very important person to me. I need to meet him."

Róng Táng was stunned, never having considered this connection. He asked, "How important is he?"

The crowded street was brilliantly illuminated, the wealthiest area of Dà Yù, where even the night seemed as bright as day.

Sù Huáijǐng answered in a low voice, "He could be my relative."

Róng Táng froze, unable to take another step, staring at Sù Huáijǐng in shock.

He rarely concealed his emotions in front of Sù Huáijǐng, and because of this, Sù Huáijǐng often understood what was happening just by looking at his expression.

His lips curved slightly in a smile that didn't reach his eyes, softly asking, "Something happened, right?"

Róng Táng was unsure whether to nod or not.

He remained silent for a long time, finally resuming his steps, giving Sù Huáijǐng an ambiguous answer that skirted the system's rules: "It's rare for a nation's Crown Prince to travel far to another country."

Especially when these two nations are somewhat equal in power and happen to have a history of enmity.

Dàsuí's importance is downplayed in the original text, with most of the focus on Shèng Chénglì and the Princess of Yuèshì. A major reason is that the Crown Prince of Dàsuí didn't survive to see the Wanshou Festival.

He died on his way to another country, and the ruler of Dàsuí sent an envoy with a letter demanding justice from Emperor Rénshòu, asking for ten border cities as compensation.

The life of a Crown Prince in exchange for ten cities wasn't an excessive demand.

But since the original story revolves around Shèng Chénglì, it obviously wouldn't allow his future territory to fall into others' hands. Under Shèng Chénglì's strategy, Dàsuí not only failed to get the ten cities but ended up compensating Dà Yù with hundreds of fine horses and silver.

The internal strife of Dàsuí turned the young Crown Prince into a dispensable pawn. His death at the border of Dà Yù may have been his greatest contribution to his country.

Politics and diplomacy are the cruelest games in the eyes of those in power, where the lives of subjects and even one's own children are mere trifles. Róng Táng feels disgusted but powerless to change it.

This is the protagonist's moment to shine, and even if he wanted to save the young Crown Prince, the main system wouldn't allow him to act on his own.

This has nothing to do with him.

Countless Dà Yù warriors had died under the hooves of Dàsuí soldiers, and now it was just another country suffering the consequences of its internal strife, unrelated to Róng Táng.

The main system told the system this, and the system came to brainwash him.

And now, Sù Huáijǐng says that the Crown Prince might be his relative.

Róng Táng stood frozen, not just because of this revelation.

He tried to detach himself, to view this story from an absolutely rational and objective perspective.

At eight years old, he lost both parents, thinking there was no more kin in the world.

At eighteen, a relative he'd never met in a foreign land died in a power struggle.

At nineteen, his own brother died serving the protagonist, or for some other reason, and he only learned about their relationship after attending the funeral.

……

All the descent into darkness had its traceable roots.

Róng Táng even dared not think whether there were more relatives of Sù Huáijǐng scattered around the world, only to be recognized by him posthumously.

In his daze, the lights of Yùjīng City merged into a vast blaze.

Not the fire at the Xiǎnguó Public Residence, but another one deeply rooted in Róng Táng's heart, that brought nightmares whenever recalled.

The thousand-year-old bell of the temple plummeted, ringing an untimely bell in the dead of night. Countless ancient Buddhas were enveloped in a fiery red hue, their expressions pained yet still casting a compassionate gaze upon the world.

The millennium-old temple perished overnight, and dark clouds hovered over the Tālán Temple's summit for seven days, as if all the deities recited scriptures for the passage of the temple and the mortal world.

Shèng Chénglì couldn't find Huì Miǎn, returned to the capital, and within two months, amid the crisp autumn air, a great fire broke out at the temple.

Yet even so, the revered monk Huì Miǎn remained untraceable, and the fire-ravaged temple left no charred remains.

Róng Táng never used to think, nor dared to ponder, the cause of that fire; but now he couldn't help but wonder who set it.

Despite the summer heat, Róng Táng felt a cold sweat.

Lú Jiāxī was enthusiastically standing in front of a jewelry store along the street, selecting gifts for his mother and sisters, occasionally asking his schoolmates for advice.

The streets were peaceful and harmonious, a scene that seemed straight out of a painting depicting a prosperous era.

The world is merciless, the heavens indifferent, treating all beings as trivial.

The intent of this saying was supposed to mean the heavens treat everyone equally.

It indeed looked down equally upon the millions of people in this world, letting nature take its course, but why...

Why did it single out Sù Huáijǐng like this?

Why did it force him to experience hellish despair, then lift him slightly, only to cruelly crush him again; lift him a bit, then heartlessly throw him into the abyss?

Was Sù Huáijǐng such an unforgivable sinner?

At this moment, Róng Táng was utterly bewildered, his gaze towards Sù Huáijǐng filled with a naive incomprehension, like a child yet to be enlightened, clumsily exploring an entirely unknown world.

This expression, caught by Sù Huáijǐng, triggered an uncontrollable pang of heartache.

He didn't know what Róng Táng was thinking, but instinctively felt it was related to himself.

Without avoiding others, he directly embraced Róng Táng on the street, holding him in his arms and softly comforting, "I'm here, I'm right here, don't be afraid, Táng Táng."

His voice, layered with calls, was clumsy yet tenderly coaxing.

Róng Táng's vision blurred, not because he wanted to cry, but because he felt he couldn't see through this world.

He leaned into Sù Huáijǐng's embrace, steadying his emotions, then gently pushed Sù Huáijǐng away, "I'm fine now."

He said, "If he is your relative, try to keep him in Dà Yù. Dàsuí is not a good destination."

Having escaped this time doesn't guarantee safety from future, meticulously planned assassinations.

Sù Huáijǐng didn't ask further but simply nodded, trusting Róng Táng implicitly, "Okay."

Róng Táng looked ahead, then glanced at Mù Jǐngxù, who was reluctantly trying on a jade hairpin for Lú Jiāxī, and said, "Find a better physician for Lord Mù, and once this is over, persuade him to resign."

"Alright," Sù Huáijǐng nodded.

Róng Táng lowered his gaze, pondering. After a while, he said seemingly out of the blue, "When you have time, let's go to Tālán Temple and pray together."

In two lifetimes, Rong Tang had never encountered Huimian, but in this life, he did. And this time, Huimian said they were fated and even gifted him a Buddha statue.

"Who knows what deep connections exist, and whether they involve Su Huaijing or not."

Contemplating subversively, Rong Tang looked up at the sky, pondering the irregular nature of the heavens.

Stars veiling the night, the moon's silvery trail, earthly splendor, celestial majesty; all seemed like an illusion of peace.

"Is it the destruction of the world when Su Huaijing ascends the throne, or the collapse of the heavenly path if Cheng Chengli fails to ascend?"

"But what's the point of such a celestial path anyway?"

Rong Tang, having lived so many times and years, felt for the first time that he might actually be somewhat malicious.

Su Huaijing, observing his expression, felt a deep sorrow, with an almost imperceptible ferocity gathering in his brows.

He wanted to cheer up Rong Tang, but it seemed there was no way to divert his attention.

After a while, he suddenly remembered something, "Qian's miscarriage happened six months ago. Does Rong Tang know about it?"