Chapter 525: Schemes Within Schemes at the Hongmen Banquet (27)

Chapter 525: Schemes Within Schemes at the Hongmen Banquet (27)

"Rao Rao, do you wish to follow your uncle home or stay by this boy’s side? Your uncle’ll respect your choice."

The momentary confusion in her heart vanished as soon as her uncle looked at her with tender concern, asking for her decision—whether she wanted to remain with Yun Ji or come to his side. This made Su Rao’s eyes well up again, her vision blurring with emotion.

Her uncle was deep and calculating, yet he treated her just as he had in the past. This was her blood uncle, Qin Rao’s kin. After Great Qin was destroyed overnight, her uncle had plotted to restore their kingdom. He wasn’t wrong to do so; he had done nothing wrong.

She had let go of her hatred, and Yun Ji had reawakened her conscience. She had neither the intention nor the ability to restore Great Qin, but that didn’t mean she should impose her views on her uncle or stand in his way.

She had no right to stop him, nor could she. The gnawing vengeance she had endured, the nightmares that robbed her of sleep night after night—these were the same burden of hatred her uncle, as a prince of Great Qin, had carried for years, day after day. For that reason alone, she could not obstruct him.

So why was she hesitating? There was no need for hesitation.

She believed—no, she was certain—that her uncle would never become like those executioners. Even if he harbored endless hatred, even if he sought to push her to the forefront, she still trusted that he remained the same Qin King of old, the uncle who had doted on her endlessly. Even after more than a decade apart, she held firm to that belief.

"Qin Rao has family again, real family. Her uncle is alive, right before her eyes. Let her go to him—she wants to be by his side."

A faint smile curved her lips as Su Rao’s confusion solidified into resolve. Her luminous peach-blossom eyes grew clearer and brighter, like dew-cleared petals, and she turned to Yun Ji, her joy unmistakable. Yun Ji met her gaze, and after a moment, he released her right hand and retreated a half-step.

Though his mask hid his face, the deep tenderness in his eyes and the slight curve of his lips spoke volumes. He respected her choice—it was what she truly desired, what she longed for in this moment. She yearned for family.

"Little sister..."

Ever since the Qin King appeared, Su Wu had been watching Su Rao closely, worried about her reactions. Now, seeing her make this choice, he pressed his lips together—not in anger, but his heart ached for her. His murmur was too soft for anyone else to hear, and he did not cry out to stop her from reuniting with her uncle.

"Qin King... Your Highness..."

Su Rao indeed did not hear Su Wu’s reluctant whisper. She walked to the Qin King’s side, and the old Cloud King moved to stand beside Yun Ji. The Imperial Guards surrounding him made no move to block his path.

"Age has dulled this old fox’s fangs. I had thought everything was under my control, only to realize that from the very beginning, I had fallen into Your Highness’s trap. The depth of Your Highness’s schemes is such that even now, it was Rao Rao who saw through them."

As he approached, the old Cloud King’s gaze settled on the Qin King, his expression complex.

What connection did he share with Prime Minister Wang? And now, with the Qin King, it seemed there was some hidden link between them.

In that moment, Su Rao suddenly understood.

The truth about Yun Ji’s father’s death—that he had been killed by Rong Ke—had indeed been revealed to the old Cloud King by her uncle. That was why the old Cloud King had become the public face of the plot, while her uncle had used him as a pawn to quietly plant his own people over the years, laying the groundwork for this grand scheme.

"You flatter me, old Cloud King. That I was able to scheme in the shadows for so many years was only because of Your Lordship’s fatherly devotion, which made you trust me. But what I told you was no lie—your daughter was indeed betrayed by Rong Ke and sent to Great Qin as my father’s favored concubine. This, you have long since verified yourself. And your son’s death at Rong Ke’s hands—this, too, I have never deceived you about."

The Qin King’s words confirmed Su Rao’s suspicions.

Yun Ji’s father had died after following Yun Yu into Luangtian Temple, where he caught sight of Princess Yun.

A familiar figure in the distance, holding a child, had fled in panic along the blood-soaked palace corridors alongside the palace maids—gone in an instant.

Though it was only a glimpse, Yun Ji’s father had recognized her. He immediately gave chase, but before he could find his sister—why was she, who should have been in Danliang, here in the Qin palace?—a flash of steel pierced his back, bursting through his chest.

He turned his head just enough to see a tattered, blood-soaked sleeve—impossible to identify—before collapsing into a pool of his own blood. He died.

This scene had been witnessed by the Qin King, who had emerged from a hidden passage. He had seen it clearly, then followed Rong Ke. Outside a side hall, Rong Ke met with Princess Yun, and in their conversation, the plot behind Great Qin’s fall was laid bare.

"That I have lived to this day is thanks to Your Lordship’s protection over the years. Though I orchestrated it, using your influence to hide safely within the palace dungeons of Great Qin, I must still express my gratitude for your kindness. Without your shelter, I could never have remained hidden for over a decade, nor could I have orchestrated this plan."

With a respectful bow, the Qin King saluted the old Cloud King.

His thanks came from the heart.

As he spoke of this gratitude, his sharp brows relaxed.

Though the kindness between him and the old Cloud King was part of his scheme, he still harbored genuine gratitude and never forgot this kindness.

The Qin King was able to hide safely in the palace prison for over a decade not because Jin Chao informed Su Rao that he had been captured as a Great Qin official, but because another trusted subordinate of the Qin King had switched identities with him, allowing him to survive.

The Qin King also understood that the most dangerous place was also the safest. If he fled, the entire city would be searched, and the chances of escaping alive were slim.

Rather than constantly evading capture, it was better to hide right under their noses. And the best place to conceal himself was within the Qin palace, his most familiar ground—by posing as one of the captured court officials and being imprisoned in the palace dungeons, which was the safest method at the time.

Thus, the Qin King survived in hiding within the palace prison. After the vassal state of Yun Lang moved its capital to the Great Qin dynasty, he secretly sought out the old Cloud King, revealing the truth about Yun Ji’s father’s death and Princess Yun’s suffering.

He revealed his true identity to the old Cloud King and openly admitted that he sought the old Cloud King’s help to kill Rong Ke, the true traitor and mastermind behind the crimes, to avenge the blood feud of Great Qin. If this long-cherished wish could be fulfilled, he could die in peace.

The old Cloud King, driven by a father’s love, investigated the fates of his children and confirmed that the Qin King’s words were true.

His beloved daughter had been deceived into a sham marriage, suffered torment in Danliang, and ultimately humiliated by being sent to Great Qin as a concubine before taking her own life out of shame. His beloved son had been brutally slain in the Qin palace, run through by a sword. How could the old Cloud King remain rational after such revelations?

Thus, the old Cloud King fell into the Qin King’s scheme. Over the years, all his schemes in Danliang ended up serving the Qin King’s purpose, culminating in the grand scheme of today.