SS CH67

The cruelest choice Ruan Shen ever made in his life was to act while knowing he utterly loathed it.

The Second Prince indeed harbored ambitions for the throne, but in terms of civil and martial prowess, character, and virtue, he was outstanding among the late Emperor’s sons. It was perfectly normal for Qin Hebai to be on good terms with him. Yet, this very connection made the late Emperor view them as co-conspirators.

Ruan Qingxing entered the palace overnight to seek an audience. Returning with his robes dampened by dew, he told Ruan Shen, “At tomorrow’s court assembly, you will impeach Qin Hebai for instigating the Second Prince to commit treason.”

Ruan Shen laughed in sheer anger. “What does that have to do with him? What does it have to do with me?”

He harbored too much resentment. He despised the Emperor, he despised his master, he despised the entire court of officials, and he despised himself.

After a long silence, Ruan Qingxing asked, “Do you feel that Qin Hebai is being unjustly wronged?”

“Is he not?”

“I believe he deserves his punishment.” Ruan Qingxing sat immovably in his chair. “Do you think my discord with him is solely because our power and status are equal, or because our political views clash and he constantly obstructs me? That I must eliminate this obstacle to secure my own position?”

Ruan Shen looked up at him. “Is this wrong?”

“You are not wrong, but it is not enough.” Ruan Qingxing sneered. “Discord between generals and prime ministers has existed since ancient times. If I couldn’t tolerate that, I would never have climbed to my current position. I say Qin Hebai is disastrously wrong and deserves his fate because his very existence has become a blade threatening the stability of the imperial court!”

Ruan Shen frowned, his mind racing. “Shifu means… his merits overshadow the sovereign?”

“His merits overshadow the sovereign, and he holds the hearts of the people. The commoners at the border only know of Lord Qin and care nothing for the Emperor. The hundred-thousand-strong army follows his every command. Yet, he doesn’t know how to conceal his edge. Though he doesn’t arrogantly boast of his achievements, his brilliance is far too piercing. Do you think this is a mistake or not?”

It certainly was. Ruan Shen saw it perfectly clearly. Qin Hebai was overly rigid and lacked tact. For instance, while both of them detested the late Emperor and certain nobles, Ruan Shen knew how to act one way in public and another in private, whereas Qin Hebai never bothered to hide his dissatisfaction. Three years ago, he had ridden his horse back to the capital without a summons, coming and going in a rush without even entering the palace to plead guilty. It was obvious that his heart held the nation and its people, but no Emperor.

“Qin Hebai is a good man, but he is unfit for the court. He acts with the heroic justice of the martial world, bringing those Jianghu habits into the imperial halls. Though he lacks selfish motives, he practically forms his own faction… Heh, do you think any Emperor would not fear him?”

“When I single-handedly propped him up back then, it was because the nation was in peril and he was a once-in-a-lifetime military genius. I paved his way for years and painstakingly taught him how to survive in the court. Pity he disdained these schemes and even befriended the Second Prince, wholeheartedly wanting to help him ascend the throne as a wise ruler… The Emperor’s lack of virtue and talent is indeed a national misfortune, but the princes are mostly capable individuals. If a bloody war of succession erupts now, tearing the country apart from within, how could we ever remedy the disaster?” Ruan Qingxing sighed deeply. “My opposition to him these past years was to force him to retreat while he still could and return to the martial world. Unfortunately…”

Ruan Shen had nothing to say. He knelt on the ground for a long time, so long that his knees went numb and the pot of hot tea beside Ruan Qingxing had gone completely cold, before he finally spoke. “Therefore… we must first eliminate Qin Hebai, so the Emperor will no longer be suspicious, and only then can we protect the Second Prince? Only by preserving the Second Prince can we maintain the balance of power against the other princes’ factions?”

Pausing, Ruan Shen asked with a trembling voice, “Is there no other way?”

“You have one night to make your choice,” Ruan Qingxing replied.

Knowing it was impossible yet doing it anyway, or knowing he despised it yet doing it anyway. Ruan Shen thought for an entire night, analyzing every minor detail and major consequence. Hovering between these two paths, he inexplicably recalled a scene from the border all those years ago.

Thirty-six strikes of the Suolong Spear surged like a dragon breaking from the sea; single-handedly bathed in blood, he was the undefeated god of the battlefield.

What did Qin Hebai fight for his entire life? For his country and his home, he would die without regret.

Ruan Shen finally chose the path he wanted to take the least.

When he impeached Qin Hebai in court, everyone was shocked. All of his past arrogance combined could not match his aggressive ferocity that day, rendering the Qin faction speechless and backing himself into a corner of no return.

The Emperor was furious, issuing consecutive edicts that went ignored, cementing the accusation of treason. Ruan Shen was frantic with anxiety; as long as he returned, Ruan Shen was determined to protect him and ensure his safe retreat, even if it cost him his own life. Unfortunately, he had no idea what was wrong with Qin Hebai’s brain.

Ultimately, the Emperor dispatched the Lueying Guards to capture him and haul him back to the capital. The day Qin Hebai was brought into the court, Ruan Shen stared at him. Covered in grime and blood, he was utterly wretched. He lacked all the heroic elegance of a northern hero and the imposing aura of a defending general, yet his unyielding pride remained. His torch-like gaze swept over everyone before finally landing on Ruan Shen’s face.

They had finally met again, but under such circumstances. This time, it wasn’t about victory or defeat, but life and death.

Like a leech smelling blood, Ruan Shen chased after Qin Hebai like a madman, wishing he could bite off all his military merits and status, strip away his glorious veneer, beat him back down to a common mortal, and force him to roll back to the martial world forever.

But from beginning to end, as the others debated endlessly, Qin Hebai never directly answered a single word from Ruan Shen. He still didn’t believe he was wrong. Pressing his lips together, he slowly stood up, refusing to admit fault regardless of the insults hurled at him, and refused to kneel even when clubs struck his knees.

He finally tore away his long-endured hypocrisy, revealing his blatant accusation.

Ruan Shen felt this fool was looking for death.

In the end, Ruan Qingxing stepping into the court became the final straw that crushed Qin Hebai. He lost—utterly and completely defeated in this political struggle.

Ordered to have him dragged outside and beaten with eighty staves, Ruan Shen clenched his hands into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms without feeling the pain.

He just watched Qin Hebai and thought: You fool, if it hurts, why won’t you cry out to me?

One hundred and thirty-six members of the Qin family were thrown into prison. That night, Ruan Shen paced outside the imperial prison for half the night but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to enter. Instead, he encountered Gu Zheng, the Lueying Commander.

From him, Ruan Shen learned the truth about why Qin Hebai had defied orders and refused to return—a plague had broken out at Jinghan Pass. To prevent mass panic within the army, Qin Hebai locked down the information and quarantined all infected soldiers and civilians for treatment.

He couldn’t inform the court because, faced with such a plague, the imperial court’s solution to eliminate future trouble would be to slaughter everyone rather than let one infected person slip through.

Fool, you deserve to die from your own stupidity! Ruan Shen’s eyes burned red with fury. Seeing Gu Zheng head toward the palace to beg for mercy, he turned and stormed into the prison, drove all the jailers out, slipped into the cell, and ruthlessly cursed Qin Hebai out.

For three years, he had wanted nothing more than to curse this fool to hell and back. Now that he finally got his wish, he didn’t feel happy at all. Instead, as he cursed, his voice broke, and tears suddenly burst from his eyes.

Qin Hebai, who had been listening to the curses like they were music, finally panicked. But he had been beaten too severely; he couldn’t get up to wipe Ruan Shen’s tears, nor could he hold him and pat his back like before. He held his breath for a long time before choking out, “Don’t cry!”

Ruan Shen dropped to the ground, his voice hoarse: “Brother Yunfei… you’re going to die.”

“I know.” He tilted his head to look at Ruan Shen. “Prime Minister Ruan and Brother Gu told me everything. A-Shen… I am very happy you still wanted to protect me, and very grateful you chose this path.”

“The General never tasted defeat on the battlefield, yet you will die in the imperial court, and no one in your entire Qin family will survive… Brother Yunfei, do you not feel hatred?”

“What I hate is that the foolish ruler still reigns and the toxic plague still exists. I blame no one for anything else.” Qin Hebai smiled. “A family cannot compare to a country, and a single person cannot compare to the common people.”

“One day, I will assist a wise ruler in governing this nation. I will uproot all these vermin and parasites, rewrite all the unjust laws, and return a clear and bright sky to the people of this world.” Ruan Shen grasped his scarred hand. “I do what I say, Brother Yunfei… you have to watch me.”

Qin Hebai smiled gently. “I believe you.”

“Gu Zheng went to plead for you. I told him it was useless, but he insisted on going.” Ruan Shen stood up. “I can’t count on him; I have to do it myself…”

In that moment, he seemed to revert back to the impulsive, willful Zhou Shen. Qin Hebai missed him terribly, but he had to pull him back. “Don’t draw fire upon yourself. I’m not leaving.”

The hand gripping his ankle didn’t use much force, yet Ruan Shen couldn’t take a single step. He fiercely wiped his eyes with his sleeve, only to hear Qin Hebai ask, “A-Shen, have you forgiven me?”

Ruan Shen replied, “I do not forgive you.”

The light in Qin Hebai’s eyes went out.

“I didn’t forgive you before because I couldn’t hate you, and I didn’t know how to face you.” Ruan Shen crouched down and grasped his hand. “But Brother Yunfei, if you die this time, I will hate you, and I will never forgive you.”

Qin Hebai sighed. “A-Shen, you’re not young anymore. Don’t be so willful.”

Ruan Shen stiffened his neck and refused to speak. Qin Hebai continued, “You actually know in your heart that no one can save me now. Why drag yourself down too?”

Pausing, he pleaded, “A-Shen, if you truly care for me, then… save Liurong. She just reached coming of age, and she’s a mute. She doesn’t know anything.”

Ruan Shen snapped, “I risk my life to save her, just so she can come back and seek revenge on me later? No way! If you want to save her, do it yourself! I’m only saving you!”

Qin Hebai’s voice softened even further. “A-Shen… please. Consider it my begging you.”

Ruan Shen violently threw off his hand and stormed away. He walked with furious strides, but the moment he turned around, his face was drenched in tears.

Ultimately, he still saved Qin Liurong. He forced a potion to destroy the vocal cords down the throat of another female prisoner to swap them out. Just as he struggled to smuggle the girl out of the prison, he ran into Gu Zheng. He thought he was about to be arrested, but Gu Zheng acted as if he hadn’t seen him, turned away, and conveniently drew the guards off.

Seeing the bloody gash on Gu Zheng’s forehead—struck by a thrown teacup—and sensing the man’s desolate aura, Ruan Shen knew Qin Hebai was absolutely doomed.

He personally escorted Qin Liurong out of the imperial capital overnight. As they parted, he said, “I am the one who ruined Qin Hebai. Your family was dragged down by me. If you want revenge, I’ll be waiting anytime. Don’t die before then.”

Qin Liurong’s once-beautiful face was ruined. A jailer in the prison had wicked intentions, and unable to escape her chains, the girl had used a sharp stone to brutally slash her own face until it was unrecognizable and bloody, stripping away both her beauty and her will to live.

Throughout the journey, she hadn’t spoken or moved. Only now did she show a trace of human vitality. With tears welling in her eyes, unable to speak a single word, she raised her hand, delivered a heavy slap to his face, and walked away without looking back.

Ruan Shen touched his stinging cheek. Strangely, his heart felt slightly lighter. He turned and rushed back.

A few days later, the swap to save Qin Liurong was exposed. The late Emperor was enraged. Ruan Shen had prepared himself to accompany Qin Hebai in death, but the unlucky one turned out to be Gu Zheng.

Gu Zheng took the fall for him, refusing to defend himself even when labeled a Qin faction rebel. With Ruan Qingxing deliberately covering up the truth, by the time Ruan Shen found out, his own involvement had been scrubbed completely clean.

Ruan Qingxing had long told Ruan Shen of the late Emperor’s dislike for the Lueying Guards and his dissatisfaction with Gu Zheng. To avoid suspicion, Ruan Shen had rarely interacted with him, but he had always felt pity for Gu Zheng in his heart.

Ruan Shen confronted Ruan Qingxing, insisting he would take responsibility for his own actions and didn’t need someone else to die to absolve him.

Ruan Qingxing calmly replied, “Matters have priorities, and people have degrees of closeness. To Qin Hebai, the country mattered more than his family; to me, you matter more than Gu Zheng.”

He sprinted madly to the execution ground, but he was too late. The steady, reliable Lueying Commander with a cold exterior and a warm heart had already been reduced to a bloody skeleton. All Ruan Shen saw was a puddle of blood that hadn’t yet been washed away.

He stared at the bloody robe on the ground. Upon it, a single line of blood was written: “Once a promise is made, there is no regret; even if life and death are taken lightly, it shall not change.”

Ruan Shen fell severely ill and missed many events, such as Qin Hebai finally pleading guilty after learning of Gu Zheng’s death, or martial heroes and generals attempting to break him out of prison…

But by the time he recovered from his severe illness, no one could save Qin Hebai. The execution date was imminent, and Ruan Shen was appointed as the supervising official.

Ruan Qingxing permitted him to visit Qin Hebai one last time. Standing outside the cell, he couldn’t utter a word. It was Qin Hebai who spoke first: “A-Shen, are you supervising the execution tomorrow?”

“…Yes.”

“Can’t it be changed?”

Ruan Shen replied, “What do you think an imperial edict is? No!”

“That’s troublesome, you love crying so much…” Qin Hebai sighed. “Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Tomorrow, during the execution, close your eyes. Don’t look, and don’t cry.” Qin Hebai smiled at him. “If you cry, I won’t be able to leave in peace.”

“…”

He finally couldn’t hold it back. Falling to his knees, clutching the iron bars, his tears fell like rain. “Brother Yunfei…”

Qin Hebai’s hand reached through the gaps, gently stroking his hair. He probably wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t.

The next day, dark clouds blotted the sky, and rain poured down in torrents.

At a quarter to noon, the entire Qin family knelt on the execution platform. Ruan Shen personally threw down the execution token. The executioners sprayed wine upon their blades, and the heads rolled.

As the blade was raised, Qin Hebai glanced at him. Ruan Shen closed his eyes just as he had promised, and didn’t slowly open them again until the wailing of the crowd erupted around him.

Heads rolled across the ground; rainwater diluted the fresh blood, and corpses collapsed onto the stone steps.

He couldn’t immediately identify which head belonged to Qin Hebai, for the rain and tears had blurred his vision.

Seven days later, Ruan Shen received a secret letter from Zhou Xi. He had identified the patients infected with the plague at Jinghan Pass and the soldiers who had potentially been exposed—a total of three thousand people—who were en route back to the capital.

Naturally, Zhou Xi wasn’t truly bringing the plague back. He sent this letter to provide a cruel, definitive end to the epidemic.

The very first name on that list was Zhou Xi’s.

The mudslide scheme succeeded. Three thousand people, along with the plague they carried, were entirely submerged, and a massive fire burned away every last trace.

When the news arrived, he stared at a slip of paper Zhou Xi had sent back before entering the mountains. It read: “I understand what happened with the General. You did nothing wrong. Live well.”

He clutched the note tightly, sitting alone until dawn.

Blood brothers who hadn’t seen each other for three years concluded a lifetime of blood-tied kinship with a single, simple piece of paper.

Ruan Shen’s status in the court grew increasingly vital. He systematically took over the forces entrusted to him by Ruan Qingxing, slowly transforming into the person he had once loathed the most, until he finally became impeccably invulnerable.

Three months later, Ruan Qingxing could hold on no longer. On his deathbed, his breath weak as a thread, he called Ruan Shen to his side. “I know you hate me.”

This old man had changed his entire life, forcing his own hands to destroy everything he cherished. Yet, just like with Qin Hebai back then, he respected him as deeply as he hated him.

Ruan Shen didn’t speak; he merely tucked in the corners of the blanket.

“One day, you will understand… for some things in this world, if not me, then who?” Ruan Qingxing let out a low chuckle, followed by a violent coughing fit. “A-Shen… when you came of age, I didn’t give you a courtesy name. Let’s make up for it now… How about taking the name ‘Feiyu’?”

When the whole world praises him, he is not encouraged; when the whole world condemns him, he is not discouraged. He determines the boundary between the inner and outer, and distinguishes the realms of glory and disgrace, and that is all.

When Ruan Shen nodded, the grip on his hand loosened. A generation’s Southern Scholar passed away with a smile. Looking at the old man’s pale hair and weather-beaten face on the bed, Ruan Shen could already see his own ending.

And that was exactly what happened.

He became Ruan Feiyu, assisting the new Emperor, promoting new laws, dominating the court with absolute power, schemes, and calculations.

He also became the new Southern Scholar, presiding over the academy, commanding scholars, writing books and doctrines, and turning the clouds and rain with a flip of his hand.

Ruan Shen used this cruel, resolute method to fulfill his promise, severing his own path of retreat—neither rejoicing in external things nor grieving over himself.

Year after year passed like this. His full head of dark hair was covered in frost and snow, his spirited youth ground down by the affairs of the world, until the day came when he finally became a thing of the past.

Before leaving the imperial capital, he specifically visited the mass graves.

Back when the entire Qin family was executed, no one came to collect their bones. They were discarded in the overgrown wasteland of the mass graves. Back then, Ruan Shen had come under the cover of night, braving the wind and rain to meticulously piece together the decapitated corpses and bury them in the dirt.

Because of this, he had seen Qin Hebai one last time. The flesh on the man’s face had already begun to rot, but Ruan Shen still recognized him and carefully buried him beneath a large tree.

Today, white snow fluttered through the air. Ruan Feiyu, wrapped in a crane cloak, walked to that very tree. A generation’s Northern Hero had no tombstone after death, only a small, solitary burial mound.

He burned paper money and poured out a jug of wine, saying, “Brother Yunfei, I’m leaving.”

With frost and snow settling thickly on his head, Ruan Shen felt that he was truly old now. Standing in the freezing cold for just a moment made him tired, yet he didn’t want to leave.

Because once he left, he might never come back.

In his hand were thirty-one letters. Even after Qin Hebai’s death, he hadn’t broken the habit of writing to him. This time, he had planned to bring them to the grave and burn them for Qin Hebai, but ultimately, he couldn’t bear to do it. Hesitating for a moment, Ruan Shen opened the letters and read them aloud to the burial mound, stopping only when his mouth ran completely dry. By then, it was already dusk.

The setting sun sank in the west, devoid of warmth, and the snow on the ground remained unthawed.

“These past years, I’ve been quite tired. Many people ask me why I refuse to show mercy. I feel that… everyone has selfish motives. You and Shifu were like that back then, and so was I. And in the end, we all lost.

“Since then, I have understood… only when a person is heartless, selfless, and devoid of all attachments can they govern without distraction and avoid failing the world.”

Rubbing the letters with his fingers, Ruan Shen said, “Brother Yunfei, if you haven’t been reincarnated yet… wait for me a little longer.”

He stood there until the daylight completely faded, placed the final jug of leftover wine on the ground, turned away, and left without ever looking back.

The lord is buried in the Yellow Springs where mud dissolves the bone, while I remain in the mortal realm with snow covering my head.