Xiao Rong’s words struck the ground like iron, and the atmosphere in the room immediately turned tense.

Sitting between the two of them, Gao Xunzhi blinked, then subtly leaned back in a smooth and low-profile way, trying to reduce his presence as much as possible.

 

…

 

 

Xiao Rong stared wide-eyed. Qu Yunmie was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up.

“Why not?”

He asked it so calmly that it sounded as if Xiao Rong was being unreasonable.

This only made Xiao Rong even angrier.

“Why? You’re asking me why? What era is this? You’re still talking about slaughtering prisoners of war! You even spared Xianbei captives before, but now you refuse to spare the Left Army and the Shen family army instead? Yes, many of them deserved to die, but there were also people who were forced into it and had no choice! Whether to betray the North Army—how is that something a mere soldier can decide? They joined the army just to make a living! Why should innocent people pay for Yuan Baifu’s crimes?!”

Qu Yunmie said: “Because I want to.”

Xiao Rong froze.

Qu Yunmie continued: “I don’t care whether they are innocent or not. There are so many dead in this world, and not every one of them is guilty. There are plenty of criminals who live freely while innocent people die in the streets. They were unlucky to be caught up in this conflict, but that isn’t my fault. Why should I spare those who raised weapons against the North Army?”

Xiao Rong: “……”

Listening to this twisted logic, he could hardly believe his ears.

“It’s not your fault, so you want to take their lives? Do you even hear what you’re saying? You feel no mercy at all toward disarmed prisoners—do you want to become a tyrant?!”

Qu Yunmie said: “Tyrants who slaughter prisoners of war are countless. Even those who massacre cities have existed for hundreds of years. So what if I am a tyrant? Even so-called benevolent rulers have blood on their hands. How was that small country in Yizhou destroyed? It was wiped out by slaughtering the entire city!”

“Don’t use empty morals to persuade me. If I am in a good mood, I will listen to you a little. But I am not in a good mood today. I want the entire world to know what the price of angering me is.”

He placed both hands on the table and stared directly into Xiao Rong’s eyes.

“In truth, killing the ringleaders is not enough! Only by killing everyone involved will others never dare to gamble with fate again. Anyone who betrays me will have only one ending—death!!!”

Xiao Rong’s expression stiffened. After a long moment, he finally found his voice again.

“You’re right.”

Qu Yunmie still stared at him.

Xiao Rong steadied himself and continued: “All rulers have blood on their hands. Even if you don’t follow moral principles, no one can stop you. The Left Army betrayed you, the Shen family army provoked you—even if you kill them all, no one will dare criticize you. But everyone knows it’s wrong, and you know it too. Even if this doesn’t affect your position, what about your conscience? You are clearly not a bloodthirsty person!”

Hearing this, Gao Xunzhi pressed his lips together.

He already knew what nonsense Qu Yunmie was about to say.

And as expected—

Qu Yunmie sneered and straightened his back.

“How long has it been? And you’ve already forgotten how the world described me? Didn’t you also say it yourself? I am cruel and bloodthirsty.”

Xiao Rong: “……”

He took another breath and closed his eyes in frustration. When he opened them again, he shot back.

“That was because I thought you had changed! No—because I thought I had been misled by others! You are not cruel, and you are not bloodthirsty! After so long, people have finally started to change their opinion of you and the North Army—why are you throwing your reputation back into the mud?! Do you think fear will prevent betrayal? It will only make them run faster! Today it’s slaughtering prisoners, tomorrow what? Are you going to start exterminating entire clans and wiping out nine generations?!”

Qu Yunmie suddenly fell silent.

Xiao Rong: “……”

A very bad premonition rose in his heart.

He walked around the table and approached Qu Yunmie: “What are you planning now?”

Qu Yunmie looked at him, then finally said: “When I return to Chenliu, I will arrest all members of the Yuan family and execute them all. Not a single one will remain.”

Gao Xunzhi lowered his head and sighed inwardly.

If Yuan Baifu had not kidnapped Xiao Rong later on, perhaps after half a month or a month he might still have tried to leave them a way out. But now, it would already be good if they died quickly and painlessly. He could tell from Qu Yunmie’s tone that he was already holding back. His original intention had not been this absolute—only after seeing Xiao Rong’s reaction did he compromise.

But Xiao Rong did not notice the nuance in his words. He was already furious.

“Even children?” he asked.

Qu Yunmie said: “As long as they are surnamed Yuan.”

Xiao Rong fell silent, then nodded slowly.

“Good. So even infants in swaddling clothes—you don’t intend to spare them either.”

Gao Xunzhi wanted to point out that the Yuan family currently had no infants and Yuan Baifu himself had no children, but this was clearly not the time to speak.

Qu Yunmie said: “Why should I spare them?”

Xiao Rong suddenly raised his voice in anger.

“Because they don’t even know what Yuan Baifu did! Don’t you think it’s tragic for them to die for something they never did?!”

Qu Yunmie shot back: “Then what about those who died at Yuan Baifu’s hands? They also did nothing wrong! And what about me? Did I do anything to deserve what Yuan Baifu did to me? Yet what did I suffer? They are pitiful, but so am I. Why don’t you speak up for me instead of always blocking me for irrelevant people?!”

Xiao Rong said: “How am I supposed to defend you? You went to Ningzhou without hesitation—I supported you. You wanted to attack Southern Yong—I supported you. As long as it’s what you want and it doesn’t harm the overall situation, I support everything! But now you are just venting your anger! You use twisted logic to convince me, as if you truly have no choice—but you don’t! Yuan Baifu died too easily, so you are angry. If you can’t kill him, you’ll kill others instead. Even if I wanted to defend you, I can’t find an excuse—you will be a tyrant!”

Throughout their argument, the system never intervened. Xiao Rong had always felt fine about that.

And that was exactly what frightened him—the fact that it was fine.

Qu Yunmie wanted to kill innocents. He wanted to wipe out the Yuan family.

And now he was too powerful—so powerful that even mass killings and retribution would not diminish his fortune. This meant he no longer needed to care about the opinions of scholars. He had reached a level where literary condemnation could no longer shake his rule.

Xiao Rong’s task was to maintain Qu Yunmie’s rising fortune, but that did not mean he would abandon right and wrong. Qu Yunmie was the emperor he had helped build. He wanted him to surpass every ruler in history—not become like them: high above, wielding life and death at will.

Today, Qu Yunmie’s attitude revealed that tendency. And that terrified him, because he did not know what to do.

He was required to guide Qu Yunmie to the throne—that was his job. But making him a benevolent ruler was not part of the system’s requirement. So why did he insist on it?

Helping Qu Yunmie become emperor was his duty. But making him a good emperor—that was no longer a duty. It was closer to a personal ideal.

And ideals were different. They belonged to oneself. No one else should be forced to disregard their own will just to fulfill someone else’s.

 

…

 

This was the second time Xiao Rong had called him a tyrant. But unlike the first time, this one was different.

As soon as he said it, he regretted it—but words once spoken were like water spilled, impossible to take back.

The atmosphere froze.

Qu Yunmie clenched his fists. The veins on his forehead twitched as he gritted his teeth. But slowly, he forced himself to relax.

His fists loosened. His expression returned to calm.

He looked at Xiao Rong and gave a faint, almost mocking smile: “You’re right. Human nature cannot be changed. And my nature is that of a tyrant.”

Gao Xunzhi opened his mouth, watching them in shock. The situation had escalated too quickly—they were clearly about to break down completely. If he did not intervene now, things would only worsen.

He quickly tried to think of something to say, but before he could act, Xiao Rong spoke first.

Gao Xunzhi immediately sat back down, pretending nothing had happened.

 

…

In truth, neither of the other two even noticed him. They had likely already forgotten there was a third person in the room.

 

….

 

Xiao Rong said: “I don’t understand.”

He said those three words very softly. Both Qu Yunmie and Gao Xunzhi looked at him, while Xiao Rong kept his head lowered, his jaw almost clenched to the point of breaking.

“You have already experienced far more life and death separations than I have—far more than me.

Qu Yunmie’s expression changed. He slightly opened his mouth, but did not know what to say. Xiao Rong had not finished speaking.

“Why is it that something I only experienced once is something I can never forget, yet you have never even realized it?”

Hearing this, even Gao Xunzhi showed a somewhat confused expression. He also did not understand what Xiao Rong meant.

At this moment, Xiao Rong finally lifted his head. As soon as he did, Qu Yunmie’s expression turned slightly pale. He stared at Xiao Rong in shock, while the latter remained completely unaware.

Xiao Rong shouted at Qu Yunmie in a hoarse voice: “A person’s only possession is their own life! Do you know how hard people struggle just to stay alive? Do you know how many people lose their lives over something trivial and never open their eyes again?! This world is full of things that take lives—death moves faster than the wind! Everyone who manages to grow up safely is a survivor! Who do you think you are, and what right do you have to casually take away their chance to live with just a single sentence?!”

Qu Yunmie stared blankly at Xiao Rong, not moving for a long time. His brows furrowed and then relaxed, repeating this two or three times. Only then did he ask: “Are you crying?”

Xiao Rong froze. He raised his hand to touch his face and indeed found it covered in tears.

He himself went still.

Qu Yunmie’s reaction was even more unexpected.

Looking at the tear tracks on his face, Qu Yunmie seemed as if he wanted to laugh, yet could not.

“You’re crying over this.”

Xiao Rong looked up, not understanding what he meant.

Qu Yunmie took a step back and showed a somewhat absurd expression.

“You can cry for unrelated people, but you have never shed a single tear for me.”

Xiao Rong was completely stunned. Qu Yunmie’s focus felt absurd to him—so absurd that it turned into numb silence.

He did not know how to respond. Should he say that he had been wronged, that he had cried before, but he never let Qu Yunmie see it because he thought it was embarrassing and he did not want to lose face in front of him, because he cared too much about his dignity?

Impossible. Even if he were beaten to death, he could not say such words.

Since there was no answer, the conversation no longer needed to continue.

When he had just lifted his head, Xiao Rong’s face had tear streaks, but his eyes were still normal. The tears had come because Qu Yunmie’s words had triggered something in him, reminding him of unpleasant memories, and he himself had not realized it—so his eyes had not yet reacted.

But while he silently looked at Qu Yunmie, a hint of redness appeared in his eyes.

Lowering his gaze, Xiao Rong said nothing and walked away. Qu Yunmie was blocking the doorway, so Xiao Rong avoided him without touching him.

His departure brought a faint chill of air.

Qu Yunmie stood stiffly in place. Only after Xiao Rong left did he reveal an awkward and helpless side of himself.

Faced with Xiao Rong’s questioning, Xiao Rong had not explained anything at all. To Qu Yunmie, that meant he did not want to explain—because he had been right.

Perhaps he should not have said those words. After all, he had always known Xiao Rong’s personality. He was strong and emotionally distant. Qu Yunmie had accepted that. He had only thought that even if Xiao Rong was cold, he would still be special to him. Xiao Rong had already treated him as well as he possibly could, so even if Xiao Rong had never cried for him, he had never minded it.

But today, upon discovering that in Xiao Rong’s heart he was not even as important as strangers, he suddenly could not control his temper.

But why was he jealous of unrelated people? He should not have said that.

Qu Yunmie also began to regret it—but he did not yet know that what he would come to regret was far more than this.

Gao Xunzhi frowned. After a long while, he finally spoke: “Little Rong has cried for you before.”

Qu Yunmie froze slightly and looked at him. Gao Xunzhi’s brows tightened further.

“When you were ambushed by the Xianbei, he neither ate nor slept and still insisted on going to find you. I advised him to rest on the way, and he cried—but that was only an accident. It happened suddenly, and he had no time to hide it, which is why I saw it.”

As Gao Xunzhi spoke in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, Qu Yunmie’s expression grew increasingly stiff.

After finishing, Gao Xunzhi paused. He originally intended to leave it at that, but in the end he could not help adding: “From the very first day you met Little Rong, he has always revolved around you. As long as you needed him, he would immediately put down everything and come to you. If something happened to you, he would abandon everything just to see you once. Can you even calculate how long it has been since Little Rong last saw his younger brother and grandmother? Chenliu is his life’s work, yet he has not returned for a long time.”

“Don’t take his kindness toward you for granted. Because he gave you permission, you assumed you should always come first in his world. Little Rong cares about you—even an old man like me can see that. But why do you think he gave you this privilege in the first place? Little Rong is not foolish. He treats you well because he has something he needs from you. If you want more from him, then you should see what he still needs—not behave like a drunken man in a tavern, only complaining about injustice in the world.”

After saying this, Gao Xunzhi also left.

 

*

 

After leaving, Xiao Rong felt somewhat low in spirits and did not know what to do.

In any case, he did not want to go back to the room. Last night he had slept in the same room as Qu Yunmie, and he did not want to recall what had happened yet.

So he simply put on an outer robe and went out for a walk.

But the moment he left the courtyard, all the guards stationed at the gate followed him in a rustle.

Xiao Rong: “…………”

He turned back and saw that the courtyard was surrounded—about fifty or sixty guards were stationed there.

The corner of his mouth twitched. Even if the young emperor He Fu were to appear, he would not be followed by this many eunuchs.

But he could not be bothered to argue with them. He was no longer ignorant of military affairs. A glance at their armor told him they were Qu Yunmie’s personal guards.

Qu Yunmie was extremely generous to his personal guards. Each set of armor was made from high-quality materials with excellent craftsmanship. A full set weighed over 36 kg.

 

….

 

It was precisely because of this that these men could serve as personal guards—without such strength, Qu Yunmie would not have acknowledged their ability.

Xiao Rong walked on silently. He was fine, but every step of the people behind him produced a clattering sound. Xiao Rong’s expression was numb, and he felt like he had become an overly conspicuous presence.

After walking several meters, he could no longer hold back. He suddenly turned around, startling the guard in front of him.

Xiao Rong asked with suppressed anger: “Now that we are in the city and the battle is over, can’t you at least change into lighter armor?!”

The guard: “……”

He also wanted to change into lighter armor, but the King did not allow it. Moreover, not everyone in their group wore heavy armor—only about twenty of them did. The rest were already in lighter gear.

Different duties require different equipment. If Xiao Rong were interested, he could even lead this escort unit to attack small fortified settlements.

The guard gave a hesitant reply. Xiao Rong looked at him and became even more irritated. Truly, a stubborn soldier raised a stubborn group.

 

……

In the end, Xiao Rong still compromised. Wherever he went, the clattering sound followed him. To outsiders, it would look as if a great general was inspecting the city in disguise.

Xiao Rong looked at the streets. This place was not like Hanzhong. The civilians of Hanzhong had been highly accepting of the North Army, on the very day they entered the city, people had already dared to come out and observe.

But in Zitong, three factions had just fought a major battle here. The civilians now thought everyone looked like a madman and did not dare open their doors.

Qu Yunmie’s godlike killing aura had also left a deep impression—he had probably scared countless people to tears. In his lifetime, the people of Zitong would likely never be able to erase their psychological shadow of him.

Xiao Rong thought: Serves them right.

 

……

 

There was nothing much to see in such a small city. Even the most prosperous area could not compare to larger cities. After walking just one street, Xiao Rong had already lost interest.

He turned to the guard behind him and asked: “Where is the wounded soldiers’ camp?”

The guard paused, then pointed him in a direction.

*

 

Wang Xinyong was sitting beside Yao Xian’s sickbed.

Yao Xian’s injuries were not limited to his shoulder. He had been beaten by Yuan Baifu, whipped by Yuan Baifu’s personal guards, and imprisoned for several days. During that time, he was given no proper food and only dirty water. He had suffered greatly.

But compared to Wang Xinyong, he was still far less miserable.

Wang Xinyong said: “For more than ten days in a row, I could only hunt animals to survive. Mostly birds or rabbits. Once I was lucky enough to catch a fox, but after eating it, I stank for three whole days.”

Yao Xian: “……”

He looked at him sympathetically: “General, you have suffered.”

Wang Xinyong shook his head slightly: “What is that worth mentioning? Once you fall into the mountains and forests, you just treat yourself as a wild man. Let yourself stink if you must. No one could smell me anyway, except those two useless boys. What I truly could not stand was that I ate too much meat and did not defecate for many days. My lower abdomen kept feeling bloated—right here, I can still feel it when I touch—”

Yao Xian: “…………”

Even though this was his respected general, he could not bear to listen any further.

He hurriedly stopped him: “G-General, it’s all in the past. There is no need to mention it anymore.”

Wang Xinyong paused slightly, then nodded: “You are right. It is all in the past. We will not mention it.”

But if they did not mention it, there seemed to be nothing left to talk about. Wang Xinyong was not good at conversation, and neither was Yao Xian. Although they were very close, their bond had been formed through repeated battles, and they had rarely discussed personal matters.

A silence fell. Yao Xian also began to feel awkward. After a while, he noticed Wang Xinyong’s slightly stiff leg resting on the ground and quickly asked: “General, what did the doctor say? Can your leg recover?”

Wang Xinyong laughed: “This? He said it can. As long as I go back and rest properly, do not move around recklessly, and change the dressing every day, there should be no lasting issues.”

Yao Xian immediately brightened: “That’s wonderful! The general will still be able to lead us into battle in the future!”

Wang Xinyong also smiled. But after smiling, he hesitated slightly and pursed his lips.

“The doctor said I need to stay in bed to recover. I only have an elderly mother at home, and I do not want her to see me like this. Since you are also injured, why don’t I go to your home to rest for a while? We could lie down together and chat.”

Yao Xian: “…………”

Chat like this?

Moreover, Yao Xian was married. His wife was not like the general’s. Upon learning that Yao Xian had gone north of the Han River, she had immediately packed her belongings and gone to find him. Even now they were deeply in love, and their children were well-mannered and filial. Every time he returned home, Yao Xian felt rejuvenated.

Still, even if it was the general, he did not want to share a bed with him—that was his wife’s place…

Yao Xian was about to figure out how to refuse when Xiao Rong suddenly walked in.

Hearing Wang Xinyong’s words, Xiao Rong gave a light laugh: “Why trouble General Yao? The King residence has plenty of places for you to rest. You survived a great disaster and should recuperate properly. Don’t worry—when you return, I will arrange eight maidservants for you, ensuring you will not need to get out of bed at all during your recovery.”

Wang Xinyong: “…………”

For some reason, he felt a little afraid of Xiao Rong. Not long after Xiao Rong arrived, he quickly found an excuse and left.

After he left, Xiao Rong naturally sat down beside Yao Xian.

Looking at Yao Xian’s injuries all over his body, Xiao Rong said: “Thank you. I have already heard. It was your merit that kept the rear army from acting rashly. Later, when I was abducted, you ignored your own injuries and only wanted them to rescue me. I will remember this favor.”

Yao Xian said shamefully: “Lord Xiao, you are too kind. If not for you, I would already be dead. If anyone should be thanked, it is I.”

Xiao Rong smiled lightly, as if to say it was unnecessary.

Yao Xian was deeply moved and was about to say something more—such as pledging loyalty with his life—but before he could speak, Xiao Rong’s expression changed.

“Then let’s talk about you spreading news of my injuries throughout the entire army.”

Yao Xian froze: “Ah?”

Xiao Rong continued: “It would have been fine if you told one person, but you told so many! I didn’t even tell others about your injuries when you were beaten—why did you tell everyone about mine?”

Yao Xian: “……”

He looked helpless: “B-because, Lord Xiao, you are weak and injured. Of course I had to tell the King.”

Xiao Rong said: “What do you mean ‘of course’? Whether Qu Yunmie knew or not, wouldn’t he have come to rescue me anyway?”

Yao Xian glanced at him and bravely said in a small voice: “That is true. But the King cares so much about Lord Xiao that he would certainly want to know everything about you. If it is something that should not be hidden, then I should not have hidden it. If the King found out on his own, wouldn’t he be very upset?”

Xiao Rong froze, then looked away.

Yao Xian waited a moment. Seeing that he still said nothing, he cautiously asked: “Lord Xiao?”

Xiao Rong suddenly stood up.

He turned to leave, but before going, he turned his head back again and said to Yao Xian: “When we return to Chenliu, you should also come to the King residence to recover. That way you can lie down with General Wang and chat.”

Yao Xian: “…………”

Xiao Rong left.

Yao Xian sat there in shock, and at the same time thought inwardly: Jian Qiao really didn’t lie—Sir Xiao really does change faces instantly!

 

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

Support translation: