He had once been heartbroken in a torrential downpour and sworn to “return someday.”
In front of everyone, with all eyes watching, the empress had cuckolded the emperor, and Emperor Yuan Tai had to swallow his humiliation for the sake of his reputation, reluctantly acknowledging this illegitimate child, to the point of fainting from rage. And once the crown prince’s mother was involved in such a scandal, the crown prince’s good days would be over.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood. Moreover, Emperor Yuan Tai’s actions were a thousand times more cruel than Fu Shen’s. He was invited by Emperor Yuan Tai to witness this carefully orchestrated farce, and his heart should have been filled with the joy of revenge, wishing the emperor would die soon. But fate is unpredictable, and a Taoist priest of Pure Yang suddenly appeared at the Longevity Banquet.
At the critical moment, Fu Shen saved Emperor Yuan Tai’s life. The change came too suddenly.
He had no time to think, and all his actions were a subconscious reaction in an instant. By the time he finally understood what he had done, everything was already settled.
Fu Shen suddenly realized that the biggest fool in this farce was actually himself.
“Jing Yuan, do you know what you’re like?” Yan Xiaohan gently kissed his hair and suppressed a laugh while saying to Fu Shen, whose face clearly read “Are you crazy?”: “A good child who has never done anything bad suddenly does something wrong one day, feels guilty like a thief, and before anyone even asks, blurts out everything on their own.”
Fu Shen really wanted to kick him.
Yan Xiaohan, this tactless bastard, couldn’t help but laugh again: “Tell me, don’t you righteous gentlemen find living exhausting?”
“When all is said and done, you merely hate his suspicion and can’t change your inherent loyal nature. If it were me, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. After all, I’m a treacherous person who creates waves even without wind, let alone when someone actively provokes me.”
Fu Shen said: “Nonsense, how could I be like you?”
Yan Xiaohan: “Are you a saint then?”
Fu Shen: “Do I feel like you’re sarcastically mocking me?”
“That’s exactly it,” Yan Xiaohan said, “Since you’re not me, why act petty and vengeful? Since you’re not a saint, why force yourself to be magnanimous and selfless?”
“No one can force you to seek revenge. You can choose to take it up or let it go, entirely of your own will. Or if you don’t want to act personally, I can handle it for you.”
“Moreover, even clay figures have their own nature. Harming loyal officials and generals out of suspicion is never the mark of a wise ruler in any era. If you’re wrong, you should accept punishment. There’s no reason for the victim to make excuses for him.”
Fu Shen had never heard such a long-winded lecture and found it somewhat novel, realizing he couldn’t refute a word.
Yan Xiaohan lifted his chin, smiling: “My lord, you dared to shout ‘The Emperor is wrong’ in front of me when you were sixteen. Why are you now restrained and hiding your edge?”
Old memories surged like a tide, and Fu Shen suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
“Dare to love, dare to hate. Swift in gratitude and revenge. No one can restrain you except yourself.”
“What are you looking at me for? Are you so touched?” he said without changing his expression. “Don’t blame me for being soft-hearted. It’s just that your master was so scared that he cried in my arms all night long.”
Fu Shen had someone carry the boxes away and went to have lunch without feeling guilty.
After eating, he wanted to aid digestion. Remembering that the Yan residence was not far from Qingxu Temple, he couldn’t resist his curiosity and asked Du Leng to take him nearby.
The once-prosperous temple was now desolate and empty. To prevent any escapees, Yan Xiaohan stationed a team of forbidden troops there, led by Wei Xuzhou, the general whom Fu Shen had met before.
General Wei was sophisticated in social matters. Initially, he thought Fu Shen and Yan were not getting along, but Yan Xiaohan’s attitude after marriage indicated otherwise. Whether Fu Shen had any intentions was unclear, but Lord Yan was certainly paying attention to the Jingning Marquis.
Seeing Fu Shen arrive, he stepped forward to greet him, maintaining a humble attitude and suggesting that Fu Shen could look around.
Fu Shen remembered the first time he met him when Wei Xuzhou was not so enthusiastic and couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “General Wei, aren’t you afraid I’m in cahoots with the assassins?”
“My lord, what are you talking about,” Wei Xuzhou responded, “You are one of us.”
Fu Shen lowered his eyes and smiled, repeating, “‘One of us.'”
” The two old foxes seemed to have obtained the information they wanted through this cryptic dialogue, exchanging a knowing smile. Wei Xuzhou made a “please” gesture, and Fu Shen nodded slightly in acknowledgment, saying, “Then I’ll trouble you. Du Leng, let’s go.”
Chapter 37: Escaped | Scared to Death
The layout of Qingxu Temple was similar to typical Taoist temples, with buildings symmetrically arranged along a central axis. The main hall was the Sanqing Hall, enshrining statues of the Three Pure Ones, with the Four Emperors Hall, Precept Platform, and Bell and Drum Tower behind. The temple complex was not large but was distinguished by its lush trees and winding paths, creating a serene space amidst the mundane world. Du Leng pushed Fu Shen along the uneven stone path, like two ordinary pilgrims. The Flying Dragon Guard had already thoroughly searched the courtyard, and Fu Shen couldn’t discern anything, using this place to ponder. He had a lingering doubt in his heart that he had never shared with anyone, which constantly weighed on him. The day after his marriage to Yan Xiaohan, Yu Qiaoting had brought him a box of bloodstained East Pearls. Fu Shen had asked him to take it away and handle it, but he had never forgotten that incident. Any detail related to the Zhu tribe was not trivial. This old opponent was always watching him covetously, seemingly calm on the surface but secretly sharpening his claws, waiting for a fatal opportunity. “
Fu Shen’s return to Beijing to recuperate after stepping down as the Northern Yan military commander undoubtedly gave them hope. They even dared to probe, but hesitated to act, probably suspecting this was a trap set by the Great Zhou emperor and his court.
The Northern Yan cavalry was far from unprepared. The only thing that made Fu Shen uneasy was that he was unclear about how many eyes the Zhu tribe had in the capital. Were the Jin Wu Guard murder case and the assassination attempt at the Longevity Banquet related to their actions?
East Pearls were extremely precious in the Zhu tribe. Apart from being tribute to Great Zhou, only the wife or mother of the leader, known in the central plains as the empress or empress dowager, was qualified to wear them. Thus, Zhu tribe members often used East Pearls to refer to the empress.
If one were to speculate further, the shape of golden pills was similar to East Pearls. Lost in these thoughts, the wheelchair seemed to hit a small stone, causing Fu Shen to jolt and snap out of his reverie. Looking up, he asked in confusion, “Where are we?”
Du Leng awkwardly replied, “I don’t know.”
