Chapter 177
When Murong Yunshu's group arrived at the Yonghe Palace and saw the scene before them, they understood why Nie Qing used 'words cannot describe' to explain the current situation.
Murong Yunshu thought for a long time before coming up with a word that wasn't entirely appropriate——c*ckfighting.
Hua Yeli and Hua Tiansheng were like two angry roosters at this moment, fighting in the courtyard in the most primitive way.
"How can you two say that you are also people of status? Can't you change it to a more elegant way of fighting?" Murong Yunshu indifferently said while looking coldly at the two people who had managed to get themselves entangled into a ball on the ground.
Hearing her words, Hua Yeli and Hua Tiansheng, who were fighting, physically stopped and looked at Murong Yunshu in unison. "You're here?!" The two spoke in unison.
Were they waiting for her? Murong Yunshu did not even change her tone or expression.
Chu Murong: "You guys used to dislike me just because I'm a child and didn't want to negotiate with me. But now that my mother is here, you are willing to talk it out, right?"
Murong Yunshu: "What's going on?"
Chu Murong explained, "Two months ago, the four people South, East, North and West 'invited' them to the palace. I kindly made peace with them, asking them to stop making trouble and stay in the capital as idle kings, and I would support them. But they both dislike me for still being a child who was unable to be sensible yet. Thus, they were unwilling to even talk to me. So I had to leave them in the Yonghe Palace and wait for Mom and Dad to come before making a decision."
Murong Yunshu nodded as if she understood what she was saying. Then she looked at Hua Yeli and Hua Tiansheng with a puzzled face. "Did the two of you fight because you were displeased with each other or simply had nothing to do, so you fought to pass the time?"
Hua Yeli turned his head away and didn't say anything. Hua Tiansheng then said, "Our army will attack the capital sooner or later."
"That's why we need to reach a reconciliation before putting other people's lives in extreme suffering and misery." The person who said this was Chu Murong, and his tone was relatively mature for his age.
Murong Yunshu knew that Little Murong had an old head on his young shoulders. So she was not that surprised by it.
Hua Yeli and Hua Tiansheng, however, were full of surprises. They did not expect these words to come from the mouth of a little boy who was less than five years old. At this moment, what they had always thought was absurd was suddenly not looking like one. In reality, Chu Murong was much more mature......than they had imagined.
"You can live until now because you are my uncles, and I do not want to kill my relatives. But if you are still holding on to your misguided course and adamantly wanting the world under heaven to become disorder and the river flows with blood, then, even if you are my father, I will kill you." When he said these words, Chu Murong's face was expressionless. His childish face was full of irrefutable dignity.
Hua Yeli's heart suddenly startled. This expression gave him a déjà vu. "Where is Chu Changge?" He looked at Murong Yunshu and asked.
Murong Yunshu: "He is out on business and has not yet returned."
"What is so important that he would leave you." Hua Yeli's eyesight was as sharp as a hawk's, catching the fleeting grief on Murong Yunshu's face. "Something happened to him, didn't it?"
Murong Yunshu: "This has nothing to do with you."
"He is my younger brother." Hua Yeli's tone was a few degrees colder, obviously minding how Murong Yunshu treated him as if he was an insignificant person.
Murong Yunshu: "Since you still consider him your younger brother, you should stop stubbornly clinging to your course
. Four years ago, you failed in your plan to seize the power of the whole country, and now, four years later, you are like a turtle in a jar. These situations are enough to show that you have no chance with the throne.""He won it unfairly." Hua Yeli answered indignantly.
Murong Yunshu: "If one is successful, one will be called a king, and one who is defeated will be called a bandit. It doesn't matter how you win. What matters is who wins, isn't it?"
Hua Yeli was silent.
Murong Yunshu added: "For him to easily capture you from the Western Shu military camp, this is exactly where his power lies. Behind you are thousands of soldiers, while behind him is the Mojiao Sect. Both are the same in nature. The difference is that the Mojiao Sect is more powerful." After a pause, she added, "If one of your soldiers can capture him or Murong with just one single spear and one horse, you can also proclaim yourself the Emperor. Accusing someone of unfairly winning the throne is nothing more than the loser making excuses for his unwillingness."
Her words suffocated Hua Yeli until he was rendered speechless. Such a good sentence as 'accusing someone of unfairly winning it is nothing more than the loser making excuses for his unwillingness' had drawn his blood with just one prick of a needle, which directly hit his vital spot.
It was true, though. The reason he did not concede defeat was because of his unwillingness. He loathed seeing his years of hard work go down the drain and for him just to accept losing without a fight. He stepped on many bones to get to this point, but someone who did not even go to the battlefield could easily get his hand on everything. Yet that person only needed to send two people just to capture him. How could he be content with that?
But, what could he do even if he was unwilling? If one were successful, one would be called a king, and one who was defeated would be called a bandit. The most important thing was that there was nothing else he could do. What was more, the reason why his Mu Fei taught him to rebel since he was young was just to avenge his Fu Huang's death, who had died in vain and to take back the throne that belonged to his Fu Huang's son. Whether it was Chu Changge or Hua Tiancheng, or even Chu Murong, they were all Fu Huang's descendants. No matter who became the Emperor, Mu Fei got what she had wanted.
As for him, until now, he was just accustomed to seeking a result in everything. Now that the outcome had been decided, it was time for him to call it quits.
"This battle for the Emperor's throne was supposed to be a battlefield contest. For me to lose to you in this way, I won't accept it and never will. But, I will acknowledge it." After saying that, Hua Yeli shifted his eyes to Chu Murong and said, "I will not be an idle king, and the Daye Dynasty does not need an idle king."
Chu Murong blinked, "Does Elder Uncle mean that Elder Uncle wants to help me take care of the state affairs?" A certain strange light shone in his beautiful eyes. Please read this chapter at xinshou blogspot com.
"You can rest assured. Once I recognise it, I won't rebel again." Although Hua Yeli didn't answer Chu Murong's question, it was equivalent to his acceptance.
Chu Murong was overjoyed at his words and said with a smile, "Elder Uncle, what are you saying? Your help is something I've been seeking but failed to get. How can I not trust you?" After saying that, he looked at Hua Tiansheng, "Then, what about you?"
Hua Tiansheng pondered for a moment and said, "You can just kill me."
Chu Murong frowned. Why was this man so stubborn?
Murong Yunshu, on the other hand, was not at all surprised by Hua Tiansheng's answer. A ruined prince who was born as an emperor had struggled all his life to reclaim the throne. Now that he has failed on the verge of success, between bowing his head to acknowledge his allegiance and dying, choosing death was his last pride.
He would rather die proudly than live in humiliation. This was something Murong Yunshu had seen in Chu Changge and Hua Yeli as well.
This blood relationship between them was indeed remarkable.
After a moment of contemplation, Murong Yunshu said, "Murong, prepare an Imperial Decree announcing that the Emperor Tian died in battle, and bury him with Imperial Funeral Rites. From now on, there will be no more Emperor Tian or King Sheng in this world."
Chu Murong: "Okay."
"You do understand me." Hua Tiansheng was filled with excitement and gratitude. To him, who had lived half his life in the military, to die on the battlefield was an honour. And to be buried with Imperial Funeral Rites was tantamount to recognising his status as Emperor Tian. Since he had lived as an Emperor in this life, he would die without regret.
Murong Yunshu: "From this moment on, you are just Hua Tiansheng, the commoner Hua Tiansheng. I will send someone to send you out of the palace secretly. From now on, the edge of the sky and the corner of the sea will be at your disposal."
"No. I only ask for three feet of white silk." Hua Tiansheng interjected firmly.
As if Murong Yunshu did not hear his request, she said indifferently, "Leave the first half of your life behind and start a new one. You will find something more important and worthy of your pursuit than taking over the throne. At that time, you will find out what a beautiful and lucky thing it is to be alive."
Murong Yunshu hid it well, but Hua Tiancheng still heard the sadness in her words. Not only Hua Tiansheng, but Hua Yeli could catch it too. [+]
"My guess was right." Hua Yeli continued, "In Chu Changge's eyes, there will be nothing more important than being with you. If he didn't appear by your side, that means he met something that he couldn't get away from."
Murong Yunshu smiled faintly. Her smile looked full of mournful strength in Hua Yeli's eyes. "Since he is busy and unable to get away, so I'll be trapped with him."
*
Leaving Yonghe Palace, Chu Murong returned to the imperial study to prepare the Imperial Decree, while Nie Qing sent Murong Yunshu back to her bed-chamber, Anning Palace. The two of them were speechless all the way until the Anning Palace was in sight, when Nie Qing said, "I know that no matter what I say, you won't change your mind. I only ask you for one thing."
Murong Yunshu's long and narrow eyelashes twitched, "What is it?"
Nie Qing was silent for a moment before saying, "If you're not going to return to the Imperial Palace, then don't let me know your news, whether it's news of your living well or your death."
"Okay, I promise you."
"Thank you." He was not her. He could not bear the pain of hearing her die for her beloved one. He would rather believe that she was somewhere in the world, living happily with Chu Changge.
After a long time, Nie Qing suddenly heard Murong Yunshu say, "You're welcome. I owe you this."
Owe? No. She didn't owe him anything. He thanked God for allowing him to meet her. He was even more grateful that he had given himself to her like that without any regret. Being able to contribute a little to her happiness was the most outstanding achievement of his life. Although he could do nothing about it now, he would still bless her and guard her child.
Nie Qing was still in a daze when he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him, "She has gone far away." Nie Qing raised his eyes, and Murong Yunshu had indeed walked into Anning Palace. The distance between them was only a few dozen meters, but he felt this farewell would be for a lifetime. He had an inexplicable sadness and felt slightly bleak.
"You've done enough. Don't forget. There is another person behind you who loves you silently and sincerely, just like you love Murong Yunshu. "
"You knew?"
"Everyone knows except for Ling-er."
"Then why did you still agree to marry her to me?"
"Because she still doesn't know about your feelings for Murong Yunshu."
After a long silence, Nie Qing promised, "I will treat her well."
"I know." Feng Cheng smiled gently, "If I wasn't certain of this, how would I have married my most beloved sister off to you?"
*
No news regarding Wuhua Valley ever came South, East, North and West. Even they, themselves, had disappeared from the jianghu.
Murong Yunshu did not know what had happened to them or what kind of message they wanted to convey to her by disappearing. But she was always convinced that Chu Changge was still alive. She would find him even if she had to go to the edge of the sky and the corner of the sea, even up beyond the blue sky and down the Yellow Springs. If he was alive, she wanted to see him in person. If he was dead, she wanted to see his corpse.
(End of the first part)
The author has something to say: Mo Feng knows it already. After reading this chapter, I'm sure you all have picked up your killing knives by now. You are preparing to go in with a clean white knife and out with a red-stained one. This pseudo-ending is the result of Mo Feng's own idea. Calm down. Mo Feng will also write the second part. And he will not hastily do it as he did for «The Phoenix Of The Eastern Palace». The next part will be serialised tomorrow. As for why Mo Feng did not directly continue the serialisation with the first part, you can read the reason in the announcement. Mo Feng will explain clearly there. (To be honest, Mo Feng really wants to end the novel just like this. But this will probably cause public outrage. Therefore, it's better to write the second part where both main characters will be reunited. For those who can accept this ending, it is okay to stop reading until here.)