V4C8

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Audition season coming soon. (´∀｀；)

008

The little Highness that suffered the pain from bone engraving once had already learned to be obedient. If Xu Hao Ran were to let him go east, he would definitely not go west. Only, whenever he came in contact with him, the other person would always unconsciously evade it, and after realizing it, he would look at him with fear.

The extended hand stopped midair, slightly moved, and then was pulled back.

While forcefully maintaining his smile, Xu Hao Ran took out the bridal garments that he rushed people to make throughout the night and placed it in front of Zhou Jun Yan, then caressed his cheeks, “Your Highness, look- this is the bridal garment this subject had people make. We will soon be married. This way, we can be together forever and ever.”

The other person had no reaction, and only lowered his face, not letting anyone see any of his expressions clearly.

Xu Hao Ran went silent for a while, and when he turned away to go take care of the country affairs, he could only hear the crisp sound of fabric tearing from behind. His footsteps came to a halt, but was unable to turn his head back. The footsteps only continued to step out, and was unusually heavy.

Perhaps he heard wrong? Or perhaps…… Perhaps the little Highness was too excited, and accidentally tore it.

However, all this time, he did not turn back to look, and look at that the expression on that person’s face at that moment.

Faced towards the subjects that he once worked together with, Xu Hao Ran absent-mindedly had a kind of feeling of being the same yet different[1]. The people beneath went from persuading him to ascend to persuading him to gather a back palace, and eventually had even wanted him go kill off Zhou Jun Yan for the country in the very end.

“The country cannot have a day without its monarch. The remaining evil of the previous dynasty is stupid and incompetent. We hope that General is able to ascend at an earlier date and take control of authority.”

He did ascend, but did not go in accordance with their expectations.

“Since your Majesty has already ascended to the position of the Emperor, you should kill the previous dynasty’s remnant as to avoid troubles down the line, and prevent foundations from being unstable.”

After that, he had all the people who said these words killed, up until no one mentioned it any more.

“Your Majesty has already ascended for a long time, it is time you pick out a master of the back palace. You should not leave the Empress’ position vacant any longer, and even make a pet out of a man. This goes against moral principles[2].”

Not long after those people finished talking, he had the back residences of those subjects thrown into complete disorder.

“Your Majesty, if you continue to be like this, Zhou will sooner or later perish.” Everyone knelt in front of him, the tone of their speech both filled with sorrow and resolution, “We hope that your Majesty reconsiders. Do not muddle your head because of beauty.”

He had originally ascended to this position of the Emperor for the reason of being able to live together with his Highness. He should have been a bone-sticking minister[3], with a good reputation for a long time come[4]; but instead he became a traitorous subject, with a bad name to go down in history.

Did Xu Hao Ran regret it? He could not say. Every night, he would hold Zhou Jun Yan, unable to sleep even after a long time. He was afraid that once he closed his eyes, the lone and resenting spirits would come to find him, and interrogate him on why he would let Zhou come down to this extent; why he would take Xu family’s hundred years of loyal bones and abandon it like a pair of old shoes.

He had once thought, the human realm was filled with smoke and fire[5]. As long as he had his happy place[6] within his arms, it would be fine; but now, he did not have smoke and fire, and his happy place was also gone.

When complying with Master’s request, he lifted his head to look at the man he had once been jealous of in front of him. In the end, towards someone other than his Highness, he lowered his head, “Okay.”

He only needed to suppress this times’ rebellion, then, he could leave Zhou with the little Highness, and leave this place full of unhappy memories.

He had originally thought, on the expedition towards the battlefield, he would be able to lift his spirits. But now that he sat inside the chief commander’s tent, he unexpectedly realized that there was no longer anyone by his side. That day in the curtain of night that was being lit by fire, he stood on top of the mountain, and looked on at the corpses spread across the earth without any sorrow or joy, without a single billowing wave inside his heart.

So, it turned it out he already become like this?

He no longer fought side by side with his subordinates, and no longer cared for how the army treated the pillaged women and children, and no longer cared for the rumours floating around within the army. Xu Hao Ran only sat inside the army, and blankly watched as the curtains in front blow about by the winds, like a puppet ‘setting right to the world’.

In one go, the risen army fell, and in a few short months time, Xu Hao Ran had dispersed the insurgent army.

This time when he returned to the capital with triumph, the citizens stood on both sides in complete silence, without the former sounds of jumping and shouting for joy.

It was probably because, he was a tyrant.

When he thought in a self-mocking manner, Xu Hao Ran turned pressed, and wanted to quickly see his(pos.) Highness, let Chang Ge fulfill his promise, then let him take the Highness far away.

The silver plate on the armour had been tainted with blood, and because of the long time, the blackness had long given off a smell that people could not bear. Xu Hao Ran’s face was not seen to be that clean, his hair was unkempt, and if not for his clothes, he would probably be mistaken for a beggar by the castle by others.

He took off the armour on his body, and rode by horse on the path within the palace. Xu Hao Ran could see the Highness inside the cage, standing behind Chang Ge shrunken in, with his hand tightly pulling at the other person’s sleeve. When he saw him, he even withdrew towards the back.

As though not noticing the soldiers coming out in full force, Xu Hao Ran got off his horse and approached closer with every step. He looked at the frightened Highness, and bit his teeth, “You lied to me.”

That man that typically looked like a banished immortal that did not care for anything lightly laughed. He could clearly feel out the laughter of the other person carrying contemptuous mockery, “You can certainly take him away, but he is Zhou’s righteous Emperor. You need to ask if he is willing or not.”

Was he willing? Could the Highness be willing?

He took his last chance. He dragged along the heavy steps, and went up the flight of stairs one step at a time, and asked, “Your Highness, would you be willing to leave with this subject?”

Leave Zhou, and leave this place apt to get into trouble.

“If you don’t want to go with him, then just give out the order to release the arrows.”

When Xu Hao Ran heard Chang Ge finish, Zhou Jun Yan started to roar out in a panic, as though to screaming out all his terror, “Release the arrows! Hurry and release the arrows!”

“Have this traitor killed!”

As a shower of arrows filled the sky, he straightened his body and endured those sharp edges. The muddy eyes watched the demented looking Highness, like when the Highness of that night dug out all the hidden truths under the paper, clamouring about and cursing him.

He had much wanted to ask his(pos.) Highness- was he not good enough? Why did his gaze always follow someone else, and not willingly stop at his self.

With a single breath, he strained himself and went over one stair step and another, up until the very end, when he could only crawl up. The blood on his body dragged along a long, long bloodstain on the ground. He made great effort to open his eyes, and looked at his Highness’ look of terror and steps of withdrawal. He wanted the other person to not be afraid of himself, and not step back.

Once he opened his mouth, a mouth of fresh blood gushed out from the corners of his mouth instead, and the mute voice emitted a simple breathy sound.

He really wanted to have his own heart gouged out to let the Highness have a proper look- whether it was red, all broken up; he also wanted to ask him, how could he be so cruel, and throw his sincere heart into dust, and trample on it without restraint.

But he could only lie on the floor, in front of the people he would never resign to in his entire life, completely helpless[7].

“Do you hate him?”

“Hate.”

“Then just kill him.”

“Kill him.”

Xu Hao Ran faintly listened to his Highness’ staggering sound of footsteps, with his mouth mumbling on and on about wanting to kill him, and all the arrows in his heart being pulled out. He opened his eyes and saw Zhou Jun Yan’s face get splattered by his blood, and the dagger in his hands pierce into his chest without any hesitation.

This time, Xu Hao Ran’s pupils fell in defeat. He could distinctly feel it——

That pain that came from the heart.

[1] 物是人非- The things are still there, but the person is no longer the same.

[2] 常纲 >>> 三纲五常- The three cardinal guides and five constant virtues. The three guides are as follows- The ruler guides their subject(“君为臣纲”), the father guides their son(“父为子纲”) and the husband guides their wife(“夫为妻纲”). The five virtues- benevolence, righteousness, propriety, knowledge and sincerity (仁,义,礼,智,信).

[3] 骨鲠之臣- An outspoken minister who gives out unpleasant advice. Akin to a thorn in ones side.

[4] 流芳百世- Ones good name is remembered for a hundred generations to come; never forgotten. Its antonym (遗臭万年), a foul reputation for ten thousand years, is used in the sentence following it.

[5] 人间烟火- Refer back to notes in the Doctor/Demon chapter.

[6] 良辰美景- A wonderful time and scenery.

[7] 狼狈不堪- In a sorry/wretched sight.

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