flstandardbreds Chapter 141 Hatred
Chapter 141 Hatred
Liu Shan stared at the map of Cangzhou on the wall, his fingertip tracing the vermilion marks marking the Imperial Guard's garrison: "The Imperial Guard's tiger tally is by Emperor Xia's pillow; the Longxiang Army just switched to Western Region Uzi steel swords last month; and the Zhentian Army's trebuchets have increased their range by thirty paces..."
He suddenly turned around, the air current from the hem of his robe extinguishing two candles. "And we're even robbing Peter to pay Paul to equip our cavalry with chainmail!"
The sound of porcelain shattering came from the shadows.
Yin Nantian held a half-broken piece of porcelain and sneered: "The most ridiculous thing is that the old bastard slaughtered his own brothers and then tried to cover it up by mentioning the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet."
He dipped his brush in tea and drew a blood-red totem on the table. “Do you know what the late emperor said to me before he died? ‘Of all my sons, only Jingru has a benevolent heart.’”
Suddenly a commotion arose outside the window. Liu Shan opened the window and saw flames shooting into the sky in the direction of the West Market.
A group of people dressed in mourning clothes were carrying the memorial tablet of King Kang and storming the official granary. Three of the soldiers guarding the granary had their gun barrels snapped in two.
"Let them make a scene." Yin Nantian pressed down on Liu Shan, who was about to get up. "The anger they've been holding in will eventually be released."
After leaving the secret room, Liu Shan went to his study alone and pondered for a long time.
He knew that the road ahead would be full of hardships, but they had to persevere. For the sake of the deceased Prince Kang, for the sake of Princess Changning, and even more so for the people of Cangzhou, they could not give up.
He took a deep breath, picked up his pen, and wrote a letter detailing the current situation and their plans.
He sealed the letter, handed it to the messenger, and instructed him: "Be sure to deliver this letter to Princess Changning as soon as possible."
The messenger departed with the order, while Liu Shan continued to ponder in his study.
He knew they had to act quickly, otherwise the Xia Emperor's power would expand further, and they would be in an even more passive position.
Behind him, the armor of Lü Ding and three hundred elite soldiers gleamed a deep blue in the moonlight.
……
Summer in Cangzhou always arrives unexpectedly.
The wind that was still chilly the day before suddenly swept across the city with a heat wave.
Standing on the city wall, Liu Shan gazed at the post horses galloping along the official road in the distance, a vague sense of unease creeping into his heart.
Sure enough, before the post horse even entered the city, it was already shouting at the top of its lungs: "The Empress Dowager—has passed away!"
The people below the city gate stopped and stared in disbelief.
Liu Shan gripped the long sword tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
He turned and walked quickly down the city wall, his mind churning with thoughts.
What does the passing of the Empress Dowager signify?
What will happen to Princess Changning in the capital?
What will Emperor Xia do next?
The death of the Empress Dowager was like a sudden storm that swept across the entire Xia Dynasty.
When the news spread from the capital, the entire nation was filled with mourning.
When Princess Changning received the news, she felt a wave of dizziness and nearly fainted.
She could not accept this cruel reality, nor could she forgive the Xia Emperor's actions.
"Emperor Xia, why did you do this?" Princess Changning questioned Emperor Xia, her voice filled with endless grief and anger. "You knew that Grandma was in poor health, why did you still make her suffer such a blow?"
Emperor Xia sat on the dragon throne, expressionless, but his eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and bitterness.
He sighed softly and said, "Changning, your grandmother... she was no ordinary woman; she was very righteous. It was she who proposed to take advantage of her birthday to eliminate those unstable factors."
Princess Changning was stunned; she couldn't believe Emperor Xia's words.
How could her grandmother, that gentle and kind old woman, have made such a suggestion?
Her heart was filled with doubts and confusion.
“Your grandmother knew about her illness months ago. She knew she didn’t have much time left, which is why she came up with this plan.”
Emperor Xia continued, his voice tinged with weariness, "She hoped to make her final contribution to the country before she died."
Princess Changning fell silent, unsure whether to believe Emperor Xia's words or continue to be skeptical.
Her heart was filled with contradictions and pain.
"And what about Prince Kang?" Princess Changning questioned again, her voice trembling slightly. "Why did you kill my father, my grandmother's own son?"
Emperor Xia remained silent; he did not answer Princess Changning's question.
A flicker of pain and struggle crossed his eyes, but in the end he didn't utter a single word.
Princess Changning felt her anger and grief intensify as she looked at Emperor Xia's silent demeanor.
She knew that the Xia Emperor's silence had said it all.
She hated the Xia Emperor, hated his cold-bloodedness and ruthless methods.
"You cold-blooded and ruthless emperor!" Princess Changning cried out, "You would kill your own brothers for the throne, what else wouldn't you do?"
The Emperor felt a pang of pain in his heart as he looked at Princess Changning weeping.
He took a deep breath and said slowly, "Changning, you will understand sooner or later that I did all this for you."
Princess Changning was stunned; she couldn't understand Emperor Xia's words.
She hated the Xia Emperor and his actions; she didn't want to hear any explanation from him.
"You don't need to say anything more, I will not forgive you!" Princess Changning ran out of the main hall crying, leaving Emperor Xia sitting alone on the dragon throne, expressionless.
As Princess Changning's figure disappeared outside the palace gates, Emperor Xia felt an unprecedented loneliness welling up in his heart, filled with helplessness and bitterness.
He gazed silently at the empty hall, recalling the joyful laughter he had shared with Changning in the past.
He knew that everything he did was for the future of Princess Changning, but he also knew that Princess Changning could not understand his predicament.
But he always believed that these difficult choices would eventually pave a path to a bright future for Changning.
However, at this moment, he can only bear it all alone.
The wind outside the hall blows gently, as if telling the story of the relentless passage of time.
Emperor Xia closed his eyes, breathing in the cold wind, his heart filled with a mixture of responsibility and loneliness.
He understood that in order to protect the country and its people, sometimes it was necessary to make sacrifices that others could not comprehend.
He hoped that Princess Changning would understand his good intentions in the future; this was his only hope and expectation at the moment.
He sighed softly and slowly stood up.
Suddenly, after a violent cough, blood spurted from the Xia Emperor's mouth, staining his dragon robe red.
His body swayed precariously, and he nearly fell to the ground.
"Your Majesty!" A palace guard rushed forward to support him, asking anxiously, "Your Majesty, how are you?"
Emperor Xia waved his hand, indicating that he was unharmed.
He took a deep breath and said slowly, "I'm fine, just a little tired. Go and prepare, I need to rest."
The imperial guards withdrew, and Emperor Xia sat alone on the dragon throne, his eyes revealing a hint of weariness and helplessness.
He knew his time was running out, but he had to persevere for the sake of Princess Changning's future.