Chapter 150 Atonement

Chapter 150: Redemption

This scene was played directly in his mind, appearing even more realistic than a 3D movie, truly immersive.

The image showed a quiet, secluded restaurant.

A servant of the restaurant cautiously approached the side entrance, opened the door, and whispered, "Young Master Liu, the man has arrived."

As he spoke, he stepped aside to make way.

Liu Qingci walked in from outside, dressed in the exact same robe he was wearing now.

Clearly, what was playing on the screen happened earlier today.

The servant led Liu Qingci inside, with no one else around. They went to a private room at the end of the hall on the second floor, where the servant stopped, raised his hand, and softly knocked twice. The door opened from inside, and the servant stepped aside, lowering his head, waited for Liu Qingci to step in, then closed the door.

The scene followed Liu Qingci into the private room.

The room was simply furnished—a round table, a few chairs, windows tightly shut, and curtains drawn.

Only a single lamp was burning on the table, and beside it sat a person.

The man looked grim and pale. When he saw Liu Qingci enter, he openly scrutinized him.

"Young Master Liu," Zhao Chongwu, who was seated, spoke in a low voice.

Xiao Yan's eyes widened in shock, and he asked in surprise, "Little K, Zhao Chongwu isn't dead?"

The plot reset; according to the original novel, the Zhao family should all be dead by now.

"No, I just found out myself," Little K muttered. "I hadn't checked that area before..."

"What's going on?" Xiao Yan asked.

Little K said, "Because of the influence you had on the plot, the reset process caused a lot of bugs. You changed Zhao Chongwu's fate before the reset, so he became a bug."

It paused before continuing, "After the reset, Zhao Chongwu was stripped of his title and all honors, but his life was spared."

Xiao Yan listened while continuing to watch the scene playing in his mind.

Liu Qingci had already walked over, lifted the hem of his robe, and sat down opposite Zhao Chongwu.

"General Zhao has arrived in the capital today; presumably, you received my letter earlier," he said calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.

Zhao Chongwu was still scrutinizing him, as if concerned.

"Young Master Liu said in your letter that my nephew has come back from the dead?" he asked, confused.

Liu Qingci's expression remained unchanged. "General Zhao rushed back to the capital in a hurry, so you probably haven't heard the rumors on the streets yet? The business with Prince Yu has already spread throughout the capital."

It was true that as soon as Zhao Chongwu returned to the capital, he sent a message requesting a meeting with the Chancellor's son, who had contacted him by letter half a month ago. He did so partly out of curiosity and partly because of his awkward current status.

"I am now a mere commoner and cannot bear the title 'General' that you use, Young Master Liu," he said gruffly. "Just tell me your intentions plainly."

"Although you no longer hold the rank of general, you can still mobilize tens of thousands of troops, can't you?" Liu Qingci hinted.

Zhao Chongwu had rushed back from the border not alone; his army was currently waiting outside the city.

"Young Master Liu, in your letter, you said His Majesty was in trouble and swore that if I returned to the capital, I would have an opportunity to redeem myself."

He narrowed his eyes at Liu Qingci, as if ready to attack at the slightest sign of denial.

But Liu Qingci showed no fear. He remained composed: "That's correct."

"And your nephew," he said to Zhao Chongwu. "Now that Prince Yu has suddenly appeared, he is alone in the capital with no support. Who else can he rely on but you, his uncle? And you... isn't your only hope also Prince Yu?"

Zhao Chongwu frowned deeply, pondering in silence.

Liu Qingci was right—he and his nephew were bound together in honor and disgrace.

Putting aside familial affection for a moment, just looking at their positions, if Xiao Yan really hadn't died, it would be an absolute stroke of luck for him. Likewise, if he returned to the capital, it would be a support for Xiao Yan.

But...

"Young Master Liu, as I recall, Prince Yu has offended you before, and I myself am implicated in the corruption case involving Chancellor Liu," Zhao Chongwu narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "After all this, you still want to help us?"

"You're exaggerating, General Zhao. I'm not trying to help you," Liu Qingci plainly denied. "You framed my father, and you deserve to die. But today, my father is confined in the palace by Prince Rui, and His Majesty is recuperating at the imperial hot spring retreat. The situation is dire."

He met Zhao Chongwu's suspicious gaze directly and said, "This is an opportunity I am giving you—a chance to atone for your sins against my Liu family."

A man like Zhao Chongwu would naturally scoff at the idea of needing a chance to atone.

But between people, there are no eternal enemies or friends—only differences in positions.

Given the current situation, Zhao Chongwu and the army he could mobilize were the best option to oppose Prince Rui.

"Your father is confined in the palace today, but you sent a letter to the border half a month ago?" Zhao Chongwu sneered.

Liu Qingci took a deep breath, searching for a good excuse: "His Majesty has been ill for many days, and Prince Rui has long harbored malicious intentions. My father, serving in the court, naturally foresaw that today's events would come to pass."

Zhao Chongwu looked at Liu Qingci thoughtfully, not sure if he believed him.

After a long silence, Liu Qingci sat there, his fingers kept rubbing the edge of the teacup—a sign of growing impatience.

Finally, Zhao Chongwu spoke: "The Black Armor Guard now has a new commander. I only managed to persuade him to come back to the capital. If you want to make a move, go see the commander yourself."

Hearing this from Zhao Chongwu, Liu Qingci knew things had been settled.

Then came the meeting between Liu Qingci and the commander of the Black Armor Guard; the two of them discussed how to storm the palace, and then setting up a squad to go to the imperial hot spring retreat to retrieve the unsuspecting emperor.

After these images finished, Xiao Yan was stunned inside.

Liu Qingci had been planning this for over half a month? And he had no idea!