TBR CH160

The raging storm outside was barely muffled by the thin sedan curtain. Uncle Lin, the last to enter, had just settled in when the sedan began to sway precariously, like a small boat tossed in a tempest. Startled gasps, screams, the clash of metal, the rhythmic thud of hooves, and a cacophony of shouts echoed relentlessly. Yet, the sedan continued its steady forward movement.

The driver, taking a moment, glanced at him.

“You won’t live much longer,” he said with certainty. Beneath his messy bamboo hat, a pair of eyes as sharp as an eagle’s seemed to pierce through him. This rather impolite remark made Uncle Lin freeze, then he slowly gave a bitter smile.

“This old bag of bones is truly a bother to you all. May I ask who Your Excellency is, and from where do you hail?”

He knew his lamp was running out of oil, and the only reason he had clung to life for so many years was a lingering flicker of a thought in his heart. His clansmen were either dead or mad; those who remained needed spiritual sustenance, and he had to bear that burden.

When Chu Huaicun, one hand gripping his sword and the other protecting him, emerged from the secret passage, moonlight fell upon him. At that moment, the aged man thought: So many years have passed, and the moon still looks the same. The moon hadn’t changed since he last saw it, or since he imagined it in his prison cell. Only he had transformed from the illustrious Lord Lin, celebrated in court, into a crippled old man. The dead and the surviving members of the Lin family seemed to float beneath the moonlight. He had once again stepped into the human world, and even death held no regrets now.

“I am Chu Huaicun’s master,” the other party admitted casually, then added, “Just a wanderer of the jianghu, my name is not for outsiders. Master Fang has gone out on urgent business; I’ll have him check on you when he returns. He has emergency medicine that might extend your time a bit. No need for pleasantries; if I feared trouble, I wouldn’t be here.”

The man before him indeed bore some resemblance to the awe-inspiring Prime Minister Chu. To Ji Ying, Chu Huaicun was incomparably different from the common folk; listing ten thousand differences would still be insufficient. But Uncle Lin, often interacting with younger generations, found the name somewhat unfamiliar. He blinked, recalling the cold young man brought by the Young Master, then painstakingly tried to connect him with the powerful, feared, and ambitious court official he had become. To connect him with the snow-clad swordsman outside who would defy all conventions to protect them.

“He has been —” Uncle Lin whispered, “I didn’t expect anyone else to be so, so…”

As if something had happened outside, the carriage, which had been moving forward, abruptly turned with the driver’s decisive gesture. The sound of hooves became chaotic, and the faint whizz of arrows piercing the air could be heard. Chu Huaicun’s sword, when striking an enemy, produced a unique metallic clang. This sound suddenly paused for a moment.

No one could answer Uncle Lin’s question for now. The driver slightly lowered his bamboo hat, intently staring ahead. “Be careful, we need to accelerate now.”

Just then, Uncle Lin found himself momentarily afraid to dwell on that heavy thought, and as if on cue, a crushing pain erupted through his body, leaving him with an uncontrollable weariness. The old man’s throat emitted a low, hoarse sigh, and he huddled in the seat, trying to keep himself as steady as possible while closing his eyes in endurance. The days in the imperial prison had blurred his sense of time.

When he opened his eyes again, he couldn’t discern where the carriage was or how much time had passed. The carriage seemed to have slowed down. Someone pulled back the curtain, and cool air, mixed with a strong scent of blood, rushed in. The face before him was splattered with someone’s blood, and his snow-white robes were stained with ominous large patches of red. Only his eyes remained chillingly calm, gazing inward.

“You’re injured?” the old sword master driving the carriage suddenly asked. Master Fang wasn’t here at the moment, which was indeed a bit troublesome. The wound hadn’t been treated well; the fresh scent of blood was something even hemostatic medicine couldn’t suppress. Uncle Lin was utterly horrified for a moment, struggling to sit upright. Chu Huaicun’s expression softened. He casually wiped the blood from his lips and reassured him, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing, this is someone else’s blood. I just sustained a minor injury, nothing serious.”

He then looked solemnly at the old sword master: “Master, I leave this here to you. After leaving the palace city, the people from the palace won’t catch up to you. Although we haven’t gone far, their forces seem to have been alerted by something else—”

“Are you still planning to go back?”

“He’s there.” Chu Huaicun’s pupils seemed to reflect his snow-white blade, radiating an unapproachable sharpness and brilliance. His lips seemed to move, perhaps outlining a faint smile: “I’m going to find him.”

Since Ji Ying was there, even if it were a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, he ought to go.

“Wait,” Uncle Lin unexpectedly interrupted him. One of Uncle Lin’s eye sockets was empty, and when he looked at people, it instinctively caused fear and disgust. However, these emotions seemed inherently absent from the eyes of the person before him.

Chu Huaicun’s ice-cold pupils merely shifted slightly, then looked at Uncle Lin. His sword was still clutched in his hand, as if no one could stop him.

“I just feel,” the old man stared intently at him, “there are some things I absolutely must let you know.” He seemed to be organizing his words, then, uncharacteristically, revealed a raw honesty: “I am, among the living, the one most qualified to speak for the Lin family. Lin Ying… he embarked on this path for us. The Lin family has always served the nation with their lives, never shirking their duty unto death. The current emperor, with his fratricide, injustice, tyrannical rule, and illegitimate claim to the throne, must not hold sway over the realm.”

“But this path, it’s too unfathomably deep.”

“I understand,” Chu Huaicun said softly.

Ji Ying was forced to commit the most sordid and dark deeds, any one of which would contradict the gentlemanly learning he had received in the first half of his life. His body, once that of a humble gentleman, was shattered, and his flesh and blood were reshaped into such a venomous, snake-like figure. Could he accept the flimsy excuse of “being forced”? As he looked at his hands and saw them covered in blood.

Uncle Lin paused, then gave another bitter smile: “The Lin family’s identity put too many shackles on him. Even though he stood out for us, for a time, he didn’t even dare to look us in the eyes. The most terrifying thing is that many of us also thought – thought that if the Young Master regained his identity, he would become the greatest blemish on the Lin clan’s centuries of pristine reputation.”

Chu Huaicun’s expression swiftly turned cold. In his snow-white robes, he was already sharp and unapproachable; now, with his robes stained with layers of blood-red plum blossoms, he looked like an Asura.

These words were not absurd; in fact, they were heartfelt. For an old man to utter and confess such thoughts was incredibly difficult. But Chu Huaicun still found it hard to imagine how Ji Ying must have felt when he saw a flicker of unfamiliarity in the eyes of his own kin. He stood alone in the shadows, lowering his gaze like a ghost that didn’t exist in the world.

His clansmen, of course, bore no ill will. But he consciously drew a line between himself and them because he was already utterly defiled.

“Then what about me?” Chu Huaicun asked. “An ambitious, power-hungry official who covets control of the world, what do you all think?”

“The first time I saw you,” Uncle Lin’s voice was very low, “I guessed what would happen. I had already heard your name from His Majesty’s mouth. A prosperous and peaceful era cannot tolerate such a powerful minister, and the three cardinal guides and five constant virtues cannot accommodate your ambition. Prime Minister Chu, at that time, I even had this thought: the Young Master must also deal with you; if it were him, he could probably do it very easily…”

To say such things to his savior seemed somewhat absurd. Yet, Chu Huaicun appeared very calm, even admitting: “Indeed.” If Yuan Ya wanted to kill him, he wouldn’t even need a knife.

The old sword master driving the carriage took off his bamboo hat and glared at his disciple, then shook his head. He spoke these words as if calmly facing death, his expression unchanged. Master and disciple were equally stubborn.

“But how can I remain unmoved by what you have done?” Uncle Lin smiled sadly, sighing softly, “Then I realized what I was thinking and how gravely mistaken I was. Is it truly righteous to return kindness with enmity, and be faithless? I wanted to apologize to you. As for Lin Ying, all of us have wronged him too much. He has suffered too greatly, and no matter what we do, it is probably impossible to repay him. But I still want him to know…”

Chu Huaicun looked at him in silence, only to see the old man’s lips move faintly: “No matter what he has done, no one in this world has the right to condemn him. He should be free to do everything he wants. If he suffers because of similar thoughts, please, Prime Minister Chu, tell him for me. Please, I beg you.”

The old man’s face was etched with unfeigned pain and remorse. His voice at the end was so faint it was like an almost inaudible vibration in the air. In such an atmosphere, Chu Huaicun clearly realized that his own time was running out. He noticed that the escorting carriage had reached a place where tree shadows intertwined, understanding that he had to get out of the sedan, no matter what.

However, before that, he solemnly spoke his final words.

“Although it is only natural for me—I promise you. As for other words, please save them to tell him in person. There is only one thing you said incorrectly: ultimately, none of this is your fault. You have all endured suffering that you shouldn’t have. The true culprit is the Nine-Five Sovereign in the palace.”

“—And I am on my way to kill him.”

—

Ji Ying stared with interest at the gleaming back of the blade, which reflected a pair of terrified and muddled eyes. His Majesty, noble as the supreme ruler of the nation, was nothing more than a pig or a lamb awaiting slaughter when faced with a blade. His breathing was rapid, and his complexion had even turned greenish-purple. To this moment, he still couldn’t understand how Ji Ying had suddenly abandoned all his promises and, just as suddenly, pressed the blade against his neck.

“朕 (Zhen – Imperial We),” he stammered, “dare to threaten the Emperor’s life? Ji Ying, are you tired of living, or do you think the lives of your family are insignificant? Do you not understand that doing such a thing will lead to you being cut into a thousand pieces, slowly tortured to death? Do you think you can with朕…”

Ji Ying’s smile deepened a few shades, and his voice became very soft.

“Your Majesty,” his eyes gleamed terrifyingly, “you wouldn’t think I’m just making a joke and don’t intend to actually act, would you? I’m already very tempted to just stab the blade in right now, and I don’t think that’s a bad idea at all.”

As he spoke, he actually made a move.

For the old emperor, the most subtle part of this incident was that it was his birthday today, meaning everything in the palace, including the imperial guards’ daggers, had been meticulously prepared and decorated. The daggers of the imperial guards were a newly custom-made batch, with silver hilts and freshly sharpened blades that gleamed coldly, sharp enough to cut hair. Even the emperor’s peripheral vision could see them clearly. He could only strain his neck backward, yet Ji Ying still managed to draw a line of blood across his throat.

Ji Ying slowly, and with a sense of vengeance, savored the entire process. He seemed exceptionally pleased. Especially in this palace hall, in front of a group of weeping, bewildered officials, his pupils trembled slightly with pleasure, the blood color gradually swallowed by an unfathomable darkness. His Majesty barely dared to struggle now, and Ji Ying suddenly stopped the blade.

“It seems you don’t want to die that much,” he said.

This was obviously a rhetorical question. No one wanted to be suddenly slit in the throat and killed, especially when you are the ruler of a nation and it happens to be your birthday banquet. Guards were continuously rushing in from outside, but they dared not bear the responsibility of approaching Ji Ying. Ji Ying’s eyes, for some reason, became even darker in the brightly lit hall, like a snake’s pupils.

“You’re insane,” the old emperor gritted his teeth, feeling the stinging pain in his neck.

Ji Ying did not retort. The emperor saw him tighten his grip on the knife again and said thoughtfully, “Perhaps.” This sounded extremely ominous, as if the blade would swiftly and precisely end his life in the next second. His Majesty’s muddled eyes began to flicker rapidly. He endured an extreme sense of insecurity, and with a trembling voice, he cried out:

“Ji Ying, put down the knife. I can make a deal with you. I will let your family leave. I’ll call for a carriage now and have them brought from the palace, giving them enough time to escape. I will issue the decree in front of you, with no falsehoods. And you, if you stop now, I will decree your innocence, you…”

Ji Ying slowly smiled.

“My family?” he said, “Your Majesty, you’ve forgotten, my surname is Ji now.”

To investigate Ji Ying’s background was ridiculously simple. Taking Chu Huaicun’s own experience as an example, Ji Ying’s father was a gardener in the palace surnamed Ji, and thus served in the palace year-round. Ji Ying was noticed by His Majesty while doing odd jobs, and was subsequently promoted. As for his seemingly innate ability to navigate the officialdom with ease, that was another matter.

“…What exactly do you want?”

This question finally allowed the aging emperor to calm down slightly, enabling him to observe the current situation. When Ji Ying heard him mention family, although the knife tip was still firmly pressed against his neck, his attitude seemed to have changed. If Ji Ying truly wanted to kill him swiftly and decisively, why didn’t he just do it? Although a stinging pain radiated from his neck, he ultimately did not deliver a fatal blow for some reason.

Ji Ying had served under him for so many years without going mad; instead, he had grown into a venomous snake. The snake charmer who thought he could tame a snake like a dog deserved to be bitten. However, he absolutely couldn’t let this beast in his eyes climb over his head.

“I want you to admit it yourself,” Ji Ying’s false smile was almost like a mask. “Your Majesty, admit what you did to the Lin family, admit what you did to the late Emperor. Admit that you live in fear every moment of the truth coming out, and only recently have you relaxed slightly.”

Despite the extremely tense atmosphere in the hall, being numerous, not just one or two people caught the unexpectedly crucial keyword “Lin family” in that sentence. However, it appeared so abruptly that listeners had to start doubting whether they had misheard the word.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

The old emperor had, after all, sat on the throne for so many years. He understood the absurdity of the conditions Ji Ying proposed; these were clearly more difficult than taking his life. His mind raced, contemplating the meaning behind Ji Ying’s conditions, and he reached what he believed was the true conclusion hidden beneath it all.

“Ji Ying,” his voice regained some authority, “you think you’re doing something earth-shattering, but you’re merely a clown. Now you’ve backed yourself into a corner. Do you think that after you kill me, those people you care about will still survive? No, if I die, I’ve already instructed that they be tortured to death, not one shall live.”

Ji Ying’s expression seemed to change. He narrowed his eyes indifferently, a coldness emanating from his pupils, but to His Majesty, this was a signal to press the advantage: “What made you uneasy… Ah, yes, it’s your deception towards me. I naturally know that even with that identity, Prime Minister Chu and you are always on opposing sides; that was just a small punishment for you just now, and you’re only making things worse, letting all your previous efforts go up in smoke.”

Ji Ying was silent for a moment, his dagger still motionless: “Then, Your Majesty, what do you intend to do?”

This seemed like a successful hint. Ji Ying’s expression finally showed some of the submission the old emperor was familiar with, and that feeling always made him forget himself. The old emperor’s eyes darted slyly:

“You’ve stirred things up to this point, they can’t possibly survive,” he promised, “but I guarantee that if you put down the knife, those people will die much more swiftly. I’ll issue the decree right now. If you kill me here today, those people will be cut into a thousand pieces, left without a burial place. This is a very simple choice; I know you’re a smart man.”

Ji Ying was a smart man, and smart men knew the pros and cons best. The old emperor had threatened him for so many years, so he naturally knew his weakness best. At this moment, he felt the blade at his neck tremble slightly, knowing that the other party must have wavered and would soon make the right decision.

This was supposed to happen naturally.

—Until he heard suppressed laughter.

The chill of the blade, separated by a thin layer of skin, finally choked the old man’s vocal cords again. The civil and military officials, however, were not without loyalty to the nation. Although the incident happened suddenly, they finally understood what was happening. Especially some hot-blooded youngsters, who had only recently been promoted and were full of zeal for sacrificing themselves for righteousness. The image of Ji Ying as a treacherous villain had taken root in their minds, and at this moment, they cried out in anger and horror:

“You traitor, how dare you… how dare you… release His Majesty!”

Ji Ying chuckled, his body involuntarily trembling. He almost accidentally slit His Majesty’s throat just now. He suppressed his laughter, mainly because he was indeed too close to taking the Emperor’s life. And the other party couldn’t die now, absolutely couldn’t die now. Not because of anything else, but because he hadn’t yet been stripped of everything while still alive.

“Your Majesty,” he finally spoke, his tone remarkably gentle, though still tinged with laughter, “You just said something. Hmm, the one about Prime Minister Chu. Would you mind repeating it in front of all these pillars of the nation?”

The old emperor was as slippery as an eel. He had just made promises with such conviction, yet not a single word mentioned the Lin family. However, perhaps it was because the connection between the name Chu Huaicun and the Lin family was too brief, and the timing too sudden, that he had blurted it out.

Everyone present immediately recalled His Majesty’s earlier statement. The old emperor gritted his teeth, his face turning grim again: “Are you completely indifferent to them now? When they die in agony, they will understand that everything was because of you.”

“Aren’t we discussing Prime Minister Chu?” Ji Ying was completely unmoved. The blade, which had loosened slightly, was now firmly pressed against His Majesty’s neck again. At this moment, the initial cut had already begun to coagulate, with only a faint dark red stain on the collar of His Majesty’s bright yellow dragon robe.

“‘Prime Minister Chu and I have always been on opposing sides,’ Your Majesty specifically said that, perhaps because you discovered some connection between Prime Minister Chu and myself?”

If Ji Ying focused on convincing someone, his talent was truly unmatched. Although few would believe it if he just stated it directly, he insisted on forcing the words out of His Majesty, using the words of the old man whose life he held hostage as the ultimate proof. Ji Ying didn’t miss the thoughts and doubts flashing in the eyes of the assembled officials. Even the new court talents who had been cursing him and wishing him gone, hesitated for a few seconds.

“Minister Zhang,” Ji Ying suddenly called out an official’s name. The other party’s face immediately turned grim, as if disaster was imminent. He looked at Ji Ying nervously—this corrupt official who, half an hour ago, had been tacitly discussing with him how to embezzle and accept bribes, now had a knife at the Emperor’s neck. Although he didn’t consider himself a good person, this was a bit too stimulating for him.

Ji Ying watched him patiently: “Take a guess, what kind of connection might I have with Prime Minister Chu?”

“Prime Minister Chu…” The other party’s face went pale. When it came to connections, most people immediately thought of family background, but Ji Ying’s origins seemed so ordinary. As for Chu Huaicun, he had always seemed to appear out of nowhere in this world, only saying his home was in a small town on the border, with few remaining parents or relatives. But now, if you mentioned Prime Minister Chu and what he was connected to, there was only one answer—the Lin family.

His Majesty’s anger towards Ji Ying, and Ji Ying’s subsequent change in demeanor, also seemed to have begun when Prince Duan revealed Chu Huaicun’s true identity. To Minister Zhang, he wished his mind didn’t work so fast. He even felt that at this moment, suggesting that Chu Huaicun and Ji Ying secretly had an affair, with vows of eternal love and having secretly become betrothed, would sound much better than proposing that Ji Ying was connected to the Lin family.

Ji Ying smiled, urging him on and once again reopening the emperor’s newly clotted wound, as if he would execute His Majesty on the spot if Minister Zhang didn’t provide an answer. He couldn’t bear that responsibility.

Minister Zhang, his mind heating up, blurted out: “Could it be that Minister Ji… Ji also has a connection with the Lin family?”

His Majesty’s eyes bulged, staring straight at him. His expression was like that of a demon, but the old emperor’s reaction, surprisingly, startled everyone present. People’s thoughts began to stir, because His Majesty’s state clearly proved that the Lin family was, in any case, connected to the current situation. Ji Ying, however, seemed very satisfied. As he became satisfied, his hand began to tremble with heightened emotion. This scene made everyone dare not look away.

But His Majesty could no longer bear it and spoke: “Enough! The Lin family died out in that great fire over a decade ago. The Lin family’s reputation has been spotless for generations, serving the nation unto death. Ji Ying, look at yourself now. How can you even utter such a lie? How can you possibly have even the slightest connection to the Lin family? Ungrateful, utterly rebellious… you are going to destroy the Lin family’s reputation.”

“I am going to destroy the Lin family’s reputation,” Ji Ying slowly blinked. “But Your Majesty wants the Lin family to disappear from this world altogether. In that regard, I’m actually more reasonable.”

As he blinked, the chaotic scene before him seemed to briefly disappear for a second. He felt his whole body burning. The candlelight in the hall burned fiercely, casting long shadows of people. His hand gripping the hilt of the blade was scalding hot, making Ji Ying suspect he would soon accidentally drop it. Hatred had ignited all the blood in his body, and for a moment, he felt an extreme weariness.

But he still held the blade tightly. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake, because someone was waiting for him.

Ji Ying casually glanced at the old emperor, maintaining the pose of holding the blade to his neck, and slowly stood up. Around him, almost all the pillars of the current dynasty were gathered, and of course, enough guards to rush forward and tear him apart the moment he lowered the blade. This was irrelevant; it merely provided a gratifying number of spectators. And these spectators—they first had a vague impression, then a strange thought flashed in their minds. Ji Ying’s demeanor had become remarkably different, as if he had truly transformed into another person.

The sarcastic smile that had just frozen on his lips silently faded. His face was utterly calm now, only in the depths of his dark eyes did a fleeting flame still flicker. His complexion was somewhat pale, yet for some reason, his movements became exceptionally graceful and polite, even when placing the blade at His Majesty’s neck, he seemed very courteous. His deep purple official robes enveloped his body, but in a trance, people seemed to see a certain young master from a noble family, clad in white.

“Has no one remembered yet?” Ji Ying said softly.

“You… you—” Someone in the crowd blurted out. He casually looked over; it was an elderly civil official. Old enough to have definitely seen him before, perhaps at a poetry gathering or simply a noble family banquet. But the man immediately fell silent, as if he had blurted out something taboo. With this outburst, more and more faces in the crowd flashed with incredulous expressions, but the hall remained utterly silent.

Ji Ying slowly exhaled. This was harder than he thought. To make them admit that standing before them was a ghost from the past. Or to admit that the universally recognized treacherous minister, the shameless lackey, once had a pure and clean soul.

His Majesty had stopped struggling. His face was ashen, his lips tightly pursed, silent beneath Ji Ying’s blade. Ji Ying didn’t even glance at him, simply rubbing the back of the blade slowly with his finger, deep in thought. He was thinking of how to prove himself, how to make everyone acknowledge the past, how to make His Majesty speak. But all of this was too difficult, almost impossible given his current image.

He suddenly, concisely, and abruptly said, “My surname was not Ji.”

This sentence was without context, not a true confession. However, the newly promoted Yuanwailang this year looked indignant, completely seeing him as the dregs of the court, the foremost among all evil people. He had indeed wavered just now, but Ji Ying’s actions at this moment were undoubtedly utterly heinous, so he shouted:

“You rebellious scoundrel, what kind of sophistry is this? If your surname isn’t Ji, are you saying you’re Lin Ying?”

Ji Ying’s expression suddenly changed. He stood quietly in the very center of the crowd, neither admitting nor refuting, his long black hair slightly falling, obscuring his eyes. However, he couldn’t free his hand to brush it away. Not only him, but when the surname and this name were combined, the last string in the scene instantly snapped. The air in the hall seemed to grow thinner, causing even the candlelight to tremble.

“Young Master Lin…” a low voice finally echoed through the crowd, “The ‘foremost gentleman under heaven’?—No, not at all alike—but if one looks closely, perhaps a little… How is this possible? It’s utterly absurd!”

The murmuring in the crowd grew louder, but Ji Ying made no new movements. Of course, the blade was still at His Majesty’s neck. The old man quickly muttered “You’re insane,” then stared unblinkingly at the crowd opposite. For some reason, Ji Ying seemed to genuinely leave them space for discussion, without offering even a single word of defense for himself.

He clearly heard many voices.

“This is an insult!” someone cried indignantly. “I remember Young Master Lin, and he bears no resemblance to such a villain. Ji Ying, Ji Ying, you are utterly disgusting.”

“The Lin family is a family of noble lineage,” someone else whispered, “Minister Ji… what he has done is known to all: greedy for wealth, corrupt, and slaughtering loyal officials. I don’t believe it. If it were true, it would bring utter shame to the Lin family.”

“Could there truly be some hidden truth?” Speculation began to rise.

“He just wants to excuse himself…”

“If the Lin family saw this, they’d probably wish to execute such an unworthy descendant on the spot.”

“That’s what they say, but he himself doesn’t dare to admit it.”

More and more skeptical voices came, and miraculously, Ji Ying’s hand became steadier than before. He took all these sounds into his ears, feeling only a twisted turmoil of emotions in his stomach. Just a little more, he told himself, this is a necessary process, you must persist and complete all of this.

He opened his mouth, but found his voice caught in his throat. Ji Ying slowly shifted his gaze downward, then met the old emperor’s eyes, a pair of eyes filled with malicious mockery. They had both anticipated such a situation. The truth was, His Majesty had used these past years to utterly destroy Lin Ying, breaking his bones and staining his flesh and blood with ink. Who would believe it?

The other party’s eyes clearly spelled out: I can destroy you.

“And I can kill you,” Ji Ying stared at him for a moment before saying softly, his voice feeling so unfamiliar it didn’t seem to come from his own vocal cords. But the effect of these words was immediate. The old emperor’s face instantly turned green.

Ji Ying raised his eyes again, his gaze sweeping from one end of the crowd to the other. He forced himself to make a decision; this was not easy, but he was certainly not the type to panic and wait for everything to happen in such a situation. He forced the words out, as if piercing a hole in his heart. He tried to open his lips again, battling against those ethereal thoughts.

Then—

The palace doors suddenly burst open.

The doors of the great hall should not have opened, as the situation inside was already so tense. Moonlight suddenly streamed over layers of steps, illuminating the hall. Even the blade in Ji Ying’s hand reflected a hint of pale blue moonlight. Blue light calms. Outside the hall doors, a dense array of iron-clad soldiers could be seen at a glance.

Prince Duan had indeed been gone for a while, the people in the hall thought in unison, assuming his mobilized troops had arrived. Although this fundamentally wouldn’t change the situation much, it still brought a flicker of relief to His Majesty’s eyes. However, as the eyes of the people inside adapted to the dim moonlight and clearly saw the situation outside, they would naturally feel a sense of bewilderment. Because these people were not wearing the insignia of the imperial guards.

Ji Ying suddenly froze. He saw clearly; he wasn’t the first to see, but the other party’s eyes had gently fallen upon him the very first moment. It was a gentle yet cool gaze, like ice and snow, suddenly extinguishing all the chaotic heat within him.

Chu Huaicun entered the hall, sword in hand.

At this moment, Prime Minister Chu could almost be described as a frequent visitor in the nightmares of many in the hall. There was still fresh blood on his sword’s edge, dripping down the gleaming blade onto the priceless red carpet of the Golden Imperial Hall. His snow-white robes were also stained with mottled blood, yet his expression remained as aloof and austere as ever. His ice-cold pupils reflected everything in the hall, yet he seemed utterly unsurprised, as indifferent as if His Majesty having a knife at his throat was an everyday occurrence.

Nothing else that happened could surprise the officials in the hall more. Only His Majesty still stiffened his neck, gasping for breath. This scene was among the top three of His Majesty’s nightmares; worse dreams included losing face before all under heaven and his deceased father unfortunately reviving. He used his strongest self-control to maintain solemnity in his words, reassuring himself that Chu Huaicun had no previous intention of rebellion, trying his best not to lose his composure first.

“—Is Minister Chu here to rescue me?” Even he barely believed his own words.

Chu Huaicun walked into the hall as if it were not a sacred forbidden area of imperial authority. The surrounding guards wanted to step forward, yet the soldiers behind them raised their weapons first. Everything in the hall maintained a delicate balance, and Chu Huaicun slowly stepped through that balance. He walked in front of Ji Ying. Ji Ying’s eyes flickered, and for some reason, he pushed the blade in his hand a little further inward, then smiled at him.

“You continue,” Chu Huaicun nodded reassuringly.

His mere presence brought an immense sense of security. Ji Ying suppressed a thousand vague thoughts in his heart, finally truly raising his head, revealing a pair of clear eyes, and looking at everyone.

“My surname is not Ji,” he said, “My surname is Lin, courtesy name Yuan Ya. My former name was **Lin Ying**. I guess some of you still remember this name, because you thought it impossible for me to be him.”

The silence in the room could at this moment freeze a sweltering summer night. Of course, the main culprit for the icy atmosphere in the room also included Prime Minister Chu, who had just burst into the hall.

Chu Huaicun spoke softly but unyieldingly:

“And I, I am here to bear witness for him.”