chapter 69

It had been 36 days. Exactly 36 days ago, at this moment, he had left her.

Murong Yunshu stared at the scroll in her hands, unable to read half of its words anymore. So she simply put it on the table, and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, while she was in a daze. The handkerchief was a very ordinary one, a white silk cloth, with a plum flower embroidered at the corners, but that plum flower was different from ordinary plum flowers, as it had seven petals. Of course, if that were all, she would not have taken it out to relieve her lovelorn when she started to feel ill at ease.

On this handkerchief, there was the word ‘楚 (Chu)’ written in dragons flew and phoenixes danced[+]Chinese idiom : flamboyant or bold cursive calligraphy handwriting of Chu Changge, which was awfully illegible and unorganised. Presumably, it must have been written by him when he stayed here.

That day, after Chu Changge rescued her from Wang Chao and Zhang Yu, they spent a few laps on the outskirts of the city. It was not until the sun set over western hills[+]Chinese idiom : the day approaches its end that he sent her back to her home. After Chu Changge saw her stepping into her boudoir, he faintly said, “I’m leaving then.”

At that moment, it felt like the sky had collapsed with a bang[+]bring the feeling of devastation, and Murong Yunshu thought that she would never forget that feeling for her whole life.

This was not a separation between life and death, but it was even more painful than that. Simply because the dead could still be kept in one’s heart and could be mourned with absolutely unrestrained. While those who were alive, once they left, they would never see each other again and there was no way other than to miss them.

She knew he was there, and she was going crazy just by thinking about him, but she didn’t dare to see him or think about him which made it even more desperate and helpless than death separation that she couldn’t bear the most…

That day, Murong Yunshu did not urge him to stay, owing to the fact that she had no reason to ask him to. Originally, he and her were not from the same world. What was more, even if she was willing to enter his world, there was no place for her there…perhaps, there had never been a place for her all along.

For 36 days, she had forced herself not to ask about him, but the news had always ‘automatically’ come to her door, making it impossible for her not to listen. Such as right now——

“Miss, not good, not good…” Lu-er ran through the door with a horrified face and exclaimed, “Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family)…Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family)…”

When Murong Yunshu saw Lu-er’s face looking like dying amber[+]Chinese idiom : deathly pale (from fright or poor health), as if the sky had collapsed in half, her heart sank as she anxiously asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

“Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family), he…he’s missing!”

“Missing?” Murong Yunshu was startled for a long time before asking, “Didn’t you hear the other day that he went to Shu Province?”

“Yes. He went to look for King Liang Jr. He said that he wanted to cut the weeds and dig up their roots[+]Chinese idiom : stamp out the source of trouble once and for all, so that King Liang Jr. won’t try to get at Miss again. But I didn’t expect….for him to enter into the Liang Wang[+]Prince Residence and never come out again!” When Lu-er spoke of Chu Changge like he had gone forever, it made her cry out anxiously.

Murong Yunshu was so anxious that she couldn’t wait to fly to the Liang Residence to find out what was really going on.

When Lu-er saw that her Miss did not speak, she continued, “What I heard from the storyteller at the teahouse, Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family) has been ambushed by King Liang Jr….”

Murong Yunshu suddenly opened her eyes and urgently asked, “Is that storyteller an old man with a young girl?”

“Yes. How did you know, Miss?”

It must be old man Shenji and his granddaughter. Then there must be no falsehood in what that old man said. As she thought of this, Murong Yunshu abruptly got up and instructed, “Prepare a carriage for me at once.”

“Yes! Ah, right, the old man also said that all the master rank members of the Mojiao Sect are waiting for Miss.”

Murong Yunshu wondered, “Why would they be waiting for me?”

“Avenge Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family)!” Lu-er’s face gave it an expression as if it was a matter of course[+]Chinese idiom : go without saying.

“Avenge for what?” Murong Yunshu asked back.

“Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family) was killed by King Liang Jr….he was killed. Won’t you avenge him?” Lu-er thought her Miss’ question was really strange. Her husband was murdered, so of course, a wife should avenge her husband! Although they were not yet officially married…

“Who said Chu Changge was killed?” Murong Yunshu gave her a blank look as she angrily said, “You’re the one who will be killed.”

Ahh…does Miss suspect that the rumours were false? Lu-er looked embarrassed.

Murong Yunshu raised her eyes to look out of the window and coldly said, “How could King Liang Jr. dare to kill Chu Changge when his dream of becoming Emperor has not yet been realised?”

Lu-er was puzzled. She tilted her head and asked, “Why would King Liang Jr. not dare to harm Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family) if he wants to be Emperor?”

“It’s not that he doesn’t dare to harm him, but he doesn’t dare to kill him. He knows very well that if he kills Chu Changge, I will not spare him. Although he is not afraid of me, he is afraid that I will join hands with the Crown Prince. Once I join hands with the Crown Prince, his dream of becoming Emperor will come to an end.” Murong Yunshu paused, and then continued, “Although my official position is nominal, my private banks are more powerful than any other official in the Imperial Court today. No matter who will become the Emperor in the future, without the support of Murong Mansion, who is in charge of the wealth in the world, he will not be able to sit safely as an Emperor. That is why King Liang Jr. so determined to catch me.”[T/N]Erm… although it is one of the reasons, but it actually not the main reason he wants you, Yunshu.

Lu’er nodded even though she actually not quite understood. “But King Liang Jr. didn’t know the thing Miss hates the most is being forced.”

Murong Yunshu slowly nodded her head and said, “You’re not bad. I originally did not want to be his enemy, but he has repeatedly made things difficult for me. If I don’t get rid of this calamity in my heart[+]Chinese idiom : serious hidden trouble or danger, I will not be able to rest or eat in peace[+]fig. extremely worried and troubled.”

“Miss means that this time Miss wants to go to Shu Province, besides getting revenge for Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family)…no, I mean saving Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family). Besides saving Guye[+]son-in-law (used by wife’s family), Miss also wants to murder King Liang Jr.?” When it came to the murder of King Liang Jr., Lu-er was shocked to find out what an outrageous remark she just made. She quickly covered her mouth and said with an unclear articulation, “Murdering His Highness is a great sin that can cause nine familial extermination…”

Murong Yunshu raised her eyebrows and casted a sidelong glance at her, while saying, “I’ve told you long before that you are not within my nine familial, so it has nothing to do with you.”

“Does Miss think that…I am a type of person who is greedy for life while afraid of death[+]Chinese idiom : care only about saving one’s skin?” Lu-er exclaimed while feeling wrong as she thought her Miss was belittling her.

Murong Yunshu asked back, “Aren’t you really afraid of death?”

“Uh…I do.” Lu-er nodded quite hopelessly. But that didn’t mean she was thinking only of herself! “If Miss really wants to kill King Liang Jr., I will also…also…”

“Will also what?” Murong Yunshu’s mouth curved in a playful way.

“I’ll help dig a hole to bury the body!” Lu-er looked like she was looking upon death like going home[+]Chinese idiom : face death unflinchingly; very brave.

Murong Yunshu laughingly gave her a quick knock on her head and said, “Only fools kill a person by themselves. If I want to kill someone, I will naturally have a way to let him kill himself. Why do I have to do it myself? ”

“Who will be so stupid by killing oneself!”

“When life is more painful than death, the weak-willed people will choose to take their own life.” Murong Yunshu shifted her gaze out of the window again, obviously not intending to explain any further. Since she knew very well that her own maid’s head was in fact, just a shell, with its main purpose was to only be an ornamental.

*

Murong Yunshu had guessed correctly. Although King Liang Jr. had schemed to capture Chu Changge, he did not kill him, but imprisoned him instead.

At this moment, Chu Changge was feeling dizzy and his eyelids seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. He almost used all his willpower before he even managed to open his eyes. The first thing that caught his eye was a thick iron pillar with a thick iron chain tied to it. At this time, Chu Changge suddenly discovered that his hands and feet were all locked with chains and tied to four iron pillars that were surrounding him. While all around him, except for the stone platform that he was on, was full of water that was flowing slowly.

Chu Changge looked up again. There was a rock above his head. It looked like this place was a cave. But how could there be flowing water inside a cave? Could it be that the cave was connected to a lake? If so, then the end of the current was the exit. However, Chu Changge was not happy about it, because he didn’t need to try to know that these iron chains were definitely unable to be broken by humans. Even if one had internal strength as deep as his, there was nothing he could do, as this iron chain was forged from thousand-year-old black steel.

His limbs were locked in a surrounding that was all black, no daylight. It was the first time in his life that he had fallen into such a mess.

When he thought of this, Chu Changge lowered his eyes as cold light came out from them, “King Liang Jr., if I, Chu Changge, don’t make you regret coming into this world, it will feel as if I have wronged you!”

*

Inside the Liang Residence, King Liang Jr. was playing with a pair of zither-shaped earrings, and his cold handsomeness shone with a determination to win.

He had seen these earrings a long time ago, but he couldn’t remember the exact time. He only remembered that he was still young at that time and had gone south to play. He saw a teenage girl wearing such a pair of earrings and felt that they were quite unusual. He wanted to buy it from her and give it to his mother. As a result, she smiled and said, “Your face is also particularly unusual. You write out a price and I will buy it.” Hearing such absurd words, he felt the little girl was interesting at the same time. Later, he realised that she was the young miss of Murong Mansion. Fortunately, he did not make an offer at that time, otherwise, this face would have really been bought by her…

Thinking of the past, Hua Yeli’s eyes flashed with tenderness. He raised his hand to touch the scar on his face, and sighed in his heart, ‘I’m afraid she won’t want to buy this face now, no matter how low the price it will be.’

At this time, Wang Chao came in to report, “Your Highness, there is news from the spies in Jinling saying that Murong Yunshu has already left.”

When he heard what had been reported, Hua Yeli’s cold and steely face suddenly became much softer, then darkened again, as he indifferently said to himself, “I sent people all the way to invite her, and she didn’t come, but now, as soon as she heard the news of Chu Changge’s death, she won’t let her horse stop from galloping[+]Chinese idiom : without stopping to rest. When will I be as important as Chu Changge in her heart?” After a few seconds, he added, “Soon. Soon she will know that there is more than one man in the world, other than Chu Changge.” The tone of this sentence was completely different from his previous sentences, as there was an irresistible dominance in his determination.

However, Wang Chao was not optimistic at all. Since he had fought with Murong Yunshu before, he knew that she wouldn’t eat soft or hard food[+]Chinese idiom : unmoved by force or persuasion. For His Highness to force her like this, he was afraid it would only be self-defeating. But he didn’t say anything, because he understood better that whatever His Highness wanted to do, he would never give up until he got the result he wanted.

“Your Highness, no matter what you have in mind, I suggest that you kill Chu Changge first.” The person who spoke was Xu Hu, who had come in with Wang Chao and was Hua Yeli’s military advisor.

Hua Yeli shook his head, “Chu Changge can’t be killed.” Killing Chu Changge was equivalent to pushing Murong Yunshu towards the enemy camp.

Xu Hu, however, responded, “Chu Changge must be killed. If you don’t get rid of the weed by cutting its root[+]Chinese idiom : stamp out the source of trouble, he will cause no end of trouble for you.”

Hua Yeli replied, “Now is not the time to kill Chu Changge. However, although I won’t kill him, I won’t let him see the daylight again. A person who will never see the light of day will not be a threat to me.”

Xu Hu wanted to continue his persuasion, but was stopped by Wang Chao.

“His Highness has his own consideration,” whispered Wang Chao.

Xu Hu opened his mouth. He wanted to speak, but in the end, he could only sigh. His mind was full of hatred towards iron for not becoming steel[+]Chinese well-known phrase : feel resentful towards sb for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement——as for him to be weak and indecisive would not make him a man of great talent!