SGSHE126

Three days later.

The emperor summoned the officers and soldiers who had distinguished themselves at Wucheng to the palace for an evening banquet.

The banquet served a dual purpose: to celebrate the victory and to bestow lavish rewards.

With the entire civil and military officials in attendance, it was a grand affair.

At this moment, Jing Heguang was changing into his court robes.

Xing Ming was fastening his sash.

As the wide sash was cinched tight, it accentuated the firm lines of the man’s waist, highlighting his powerful, athletic physique — broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, exuding an air of commanding vigor.

Xing Ming knew that beneath that lean appearance lay incredible core strength, the kind that would be the envy of others.

“All done.”

Xing Ming’s gaze swept over Jing Heguang before stepping back.

Jing Heguang, however, stepped forward instead, asking with a touch of vanity, “Do I look good?”

Xing Ming: “…”

“Be serious. There’s a palace banquet tonight.”

Jing Heguang seemed naturally bold, showing no fear of imperial authority, while this made Xing Ming proud of his man, it also stirred a twinge of worry.

Jing Heguang smiled. “Then give me a kiss.”

Xing Ming looked at his handsome beloved and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

Pulling away, Xing Ming smiled and said, “There, I kissed you.”

It wasn’t even a lingering kiss, merely a fleeting touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

Jing Heguang pursed his lips in dissatisfaction.

He recalled how, in the past, whenever he asked for a kiss, Xing Ming would kiss his cheek. He would then use the excuse that one cheek wasn’t enough to wheedle another kiss out of him.

But even if one excuse was gone, he could always find countless others.

Jing Heguang said, “It’s not done yet, I haven’t kissed you back!”

Standing before the full-length bronze mirror, Jing Heguang pulled Xing Ming into a tight, domineering embrace and claimed his lips. In the reflection, their faces merged into one, and their bodies pressed close until they seemed like a single being.

Since he had important business to attend to shortly, Jing Heguang reluctantly let go of Xingming after kissing his lips until they were flushed red.

Seeing the look of regret on his face, Xingming found the situation amusing and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Don’t laugh at me,” Jing Heguang said. Then, thinking of the recent rumors circulating, he asked, “younger brother Xing, do you think the emperor might promote me a couple of ranks because of what Cui Tong did?”

Jing Heguang wasn’t even sure how Jing Ziming had pulled it all off.

Currently, the second and fourth princes are joining forces to undermine the crown prince. News that the crown prince had been blinded by lust had spread throughout the capital in just three days, reaching even the small towns in the surrounding area.

As the scandal grew, the number of people calling for the crown prince’s deposition increased daily. Events were unfolding exactly as Jing Heguang had hoped.

The alliance between the fourth and second princes meant the fourth prince couldn’t openly assist the Cui family.

Under the absolute power of the throne, the fate of the Cui family,having ruined the crown prince, was all too predictable. Their future would undoubtedly be miserable.

Furthermore, since the crown prince’s subordinates had interfered with the military and repeatedly bullied others, the emperor would need to appease both the populace and the troops, which meant he would almost certainly have to bestow generous rewards upon the soldiers!

As Jing Heguang was credited with the greatest contribution, rumors were already circulating that he might be granted the title of Count.

One had to realize that the emperor guarded titles of nobility jealously and rarely bestowed them, making such titles highly valuable in Wu country. Even Jing Heguang’s father, Jing Ziming, held only the title of Count, despite having fought countless battles, both large and small.

Jing Heguang didn’t have any particular desire for high titles or ministerial power, but the prospect of rising in rank and wealth while the crown prince and the Cui family suffered, effectively doubling his joy, made the whole situation truly delightful.

Xing Ming offered a rational analysis: “I think the chances are slim. The emperor guards titles jealously, at most, you’d get the rank of Count. Besides, you’re still young, if you were granted too high a rank now, how could he reward you further in the future?”

“I don’t care. Just seeing Cui Tong and the others meet with misfortune makes me happy,” Jing Heguang said with a roguish air.

Xing Ming picked up his official cap, his hands trembling with laughter at the remark.

The fact that he could laugh after the incident involving Cui Leyou showed that Xing Ming was no saint. Looking at them now, the two were a perfect match, both held grudges.

Seeing how handsome Xing Ming looked when he laughed, Jing Heguang couldn’t resist reaching out to cup Xing Ming’s face and stealing a kiss.

He planted a quick kiss on Xing Ming’s cheek before finally taking the official cap.

Xing Ming covered his face, shot him a glance, and then turned his other cheek toward him.

Jing Heguang: !!!

He suddenly didn’t want to go to the palace banquet anymore!

***

After some lingering affection, Jing Heguang was finally shooed out the door by Xing Ming.

The servants in the courtyard stifled their laughter, marveling at the close bond between the second young master and his new wife.

However, once they stepped out of the courtyard, the servant was startled by the shift in Jing Heguang’s expression, his look had turned serious and stern.

The servant thought to himself: The second young master changes his expression faster than the weather in June!

But what was the reason for the sudden change? Wasn’t he going to the palace to receive a reward? That was a good thing, after all.

In truth, what Jing Heguang was thinking about was far from a lighthearted matter.

He was considering the aftermath of the situation.

At most, the crown prince would be deposed. As the emperor’s son, he wouldn’t lose his life over this, unless another prince took ruthless action, though that possibility was slim.

The downfall of the Cui family was also inevitable.

As for Cui Tong and Cui Leyou…Cui Tong almost certainly wouldn’t survive, while Cui Leyou’s fate would depend on whether the ‘female lead’s halo’ could save her. However, for a woman capable of inciting conflict among the princes, especially before any of them had secured their power, neither the princes’ parents nor the royal family at large could tolerate her presence, as she posed a threat to the stability of the realm.

The emperor held the crown prince, the legitimate son of the late empress, in high regard. The reigning empress was the biological mother of the fourth prince. The second prince, along with his mother, the noble consort, were certainly not to be trifled with.

Cui Leyou might well lose her life because of Jing Heguang’s plan.

In the past, Jing Heguang had waged war and taken lives to hasten victory and ensure that the people living in territories controlled by the Jin’s would no longer suffer oppression.

He had killed King Li to settle an old score regarding his younger brother Xing, and to eliminate a threat at the root, thereby weakening the enemy’s power.

Yet, this time, Jing Heguang felt something was different.

This time, he was killing to secure future stability and to preemptively deal with potential troubles.

This was a deliberate act of killing with a specific, personal agenda. He was driven by his own private motives.

He rode to the palace gates and walked straight into the banquet hall alongside his comrades-in-arms, whom he hadn’t seen for days.

As the stars of the evening, the group naturally drew the gaze of the entire assembly.

Despite the multitude of eyes upon him, Jing Heguang noticed two distinct, lingering stares.

From the seats reserved for the princes up ahead, two men were fixing their eyes on him.

The second prince, stout of build, wore a beaming smile, much like a fat cat that had just spotted a fish.

The fourth prince, however, harbored conflicting emotions, and his gaze upon Jing Heguang was complex.

He was pleased at the prospect of toppling the crown prince, yet he resented the fact that the Cui family, and Cui Leyou in particular, had been dragged into the affair.

Upon learning the news, the fourth prince had initially intended to downplay the Cui family’s involvement while secretly undermining the crown prince. That approach might have been less dramatic, but it would still have been enough to make the emperor question the crown prince’s competence.

But just as he made his move, the second prince acted as well, insisting on blowing the matter out of proportion to ensure the crown prince’s total ruin.

Naturally, the fruits of victory go to the one who put in the most effort. Unwilling to lose out, the fourth prince had to suppress his guilt and heartache regarding Cui Leyou and join forces with the second prince.

After stealing a glance or two out of the corner of his eye, Jing Heguang simply pretended not to notice and engaged in an animated conversation with General Zhao beside him.

General Zhao was in high spirits. “Brother Jing, you’ve really done something extraordinary this time. Next time we meet, I’ll have to pay you formal respects!”

If Jing Heguang were granted a noble title, his status would become even more distinguished.

Were he inclined to be exacting, it would be entirely within his rights to demand such formalities from others.

But considering the bond between Jing Heguang and Old Zhao, it was a friendship forged in the shared act of kidnapping Cui Tong.

Jing Heguang laughed. “Brother Zhao, are you trying to embarrass me? Look at the bond we share.” He then turned to the other military officers present. “And the rest of you, don’t go teasing me like brother Zhao does!”

His words drew a burst of laughter.

The officers felt a warmth in their hearts, seeing that he hadn’t forgotten his old friends even as he rose in rank and fortune.

Jing Ziming, seated among his old comrades, watched the scene and grinned as he heard the exchange.

Speaking in front of his old brothers-in-arms, Jing Ziming chuckled, “That lad is still just a lad, nothing is even set in stone yet, and he’s already spouting nonsense!”

His old comrades scoffed.

“Oh, so your son is the only one with any promise, is he?”

But upon reflection…it really was this old fellow’s son who had achieved such success.

They had spent over a decade just securing the south, whereas Jing Ziming’s second son had reclaimed the northern territories in less than a year.

As the lively chatter continued and some sought quiet amidst the bustle, the sky gradually darkened.

Once night fell, the red palace lanterns shone all the brighter.

The flames danced within, casting a vast, overwhelming crimson glow through the red gauze shades, bathing people and objects alike in a hazy, reddish mist. Bathed in the reddish glow, Jing Heguang fancied he caught the faintest whiff of a raw, metallic scent.

Frowning, Jing Heguang asked General Zhao, who was seated at the head of the table, “Old Zhao, do you smell anything?”

General Zhao sniffed vigorously a few times, then shook his head earnestly. “No.”

No sooner had General Zhao replied than he caught a glimpse of bright imperial yellow, he hurriedly tugged at Jing Heguang’s sleeve. “Hush.”

A eunuch’s long, drawn-out cry rang out: “His Majesty arrives—”

The emperor’s face wore a look of joy, yet beneath that joy lay an unmistakable weariness.

The war brought him delight, but his family affairs gave him a headache.

Glancing at the empty seat reserved for the crown prince, the emperor walked toward the front, exchanging a few lighthearted words with several veteran officials along the way.

Apart from those senior officials, Jing Heguang and General Zhao also received encouraging smiles from the emperor.

The second and fourth princes watched their father take his seat on the dragon throne. Then, glancing at the crown prince’s vacant spot, their eyes gleamed with burning ambition.

Tonight, they, too, would learn their fate.

Once seated, the emperor raised his voice amidst the silence: “Tonight, we hold a celebratory banquet for the soldiers who undertook the solitary northern campaign. In less than a year, you have resolved a burden that weighed upon my heart for so long! They are the pride of Wu country, the finest sons of our land. I shall offer the first toast to them!”

Raising his cup, the emperor glanced toward where Jing Heguang and the others sat, then drained it in a single draught.

Overcome with surging emotion, General Zhao and the others raised their cups and drank along with him.

“Thank you, your majesty!”

“Many thanks, your majesty!”

Jing Heguang raised his cup along with the others, yet his brows were tightly furrowed.

The scent of blood he detected seemed to have grown even stronger!

Yet, while no one around him sensed anything amiss, Jing Heguang felt something was terribly wrong.

He asked the system in his mind, “Little Yellow Peach, what is going on?!”

After a brief pause, Little Yellow Peach finally appeared.

[Host…Cui Tong and Cui Leyou are dying.]

[We might be pulled out of this sub-world at the Hour of the Rat (Zi shi) — midnight.]

Pulled out of the world???

His grand wedding was still in the planning stages!

His younger brother Xing, was waiting for him back home.

Uncle Yu, Chun Fen, and Li Xia were still on their way to the capital, they wouldn’t even get the chance to meet…

The thought of everything he would lose by leaving left Jing Heguang struggling to breathe.

Enduring a sudden, sharp pain in his head, Jing Heguang demanded Little Yellow Peach to tell him, “What is happening?! Why do I have to leave this world just because they’re dying? You didn’t warn me when I took action against them!”

If Jing Heguang had known that killing Cui Tong and Cui Leyou meant he would have to leave, he would have kept them alive until they were ninety-nine!

But he simply hadn’t known.

[I…I didn’t know beforehand either.]

Little Yellow Peach had tried its best, but many things remained beyond its control.

After a moment’s thought, and amidst his host’s surging agitation and anger, Little Yellow Peach cautiously transmitted the memories back to him.

The emperor continued to offer praise, while the officials humbly returned the compliments one by one.

Amidst this peaceful atmosphere, Jing Heguang, surrounded by the scent of blood drifting from a thousand miles away, began to recover memories from several past lives.

Having regained memories from just two of those lives, Jing Heguang endured the splitting headache to glance upward, then, biting his lip and clutching his head, he collapsed in agony.

General Zhao cried out in alarm, “Heguang!!”

The crowd instantly descended into chaos. Little Yellow Peach was scared out of its wits, too.

[Host, what’s wrong? The memory transfer is only supposed to cause a mild headache!]

As people busied themselves carrying Jing Heguang to see the imperial physician, Little Yellow Peach, having failed to detect anything amiss, burst into loud sobs: [Why couldn’t I figure it out? Waaah, I’m completely useless…]

Jing Heguang: … “Silly Peach, it was a fake faint.”