Chapter 375: Chapter 364 Emperor
Having avenged his enemy should have been a gratifying moment.
Yet Xie Xun felt a hollow emptiness in his heart. His eyes burned and stung as he looked up at the somber sky. "Big Brother, I’ve avenged you. Rest peacefully now!"
Men like him deserved to die in the wilderness, their corpses scavenged by beasts, with no one to claim their remains or offer them ritual offerings—destined to be nothing more than wild, wandering ghosts.
"Zhixu!" Fengyu called out to him from behind. Xie Xun turned around, and Fengyu had already rushed forward, collapsing into his arms. Her scorching tears soaked his collar. Xie Xun let go of the sword and held her tightly, pressing her firmly against his chest.
After arranging the military affairs of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, he traveled alone to Yangzhou. The river was a chaos of boats, large and small, fleeing the city, crowding its surface.
He alone piloted his small boat upstream, threading his way through the vessels of escape, traversing mountains and rivers to find his beloved.
"Don’t be afraid. I’m here," Xie Xun reassured her, soothing her terror. Thankfully, he arrived in time—just moments earlier, seeing Lin Cheng swing his sword in an attempt to kill them, Xie Xun’s heart nearly stopped.
It had been so close!
Thankfully, he had seized a horse. Had he been even slightly delayed, he might never have seen Fengyu again.
"Master?" Nuanyang, covered in injuries, caught up to him. When he saw Xie Xun, his astonishment was evident. Nuanyang, alongside the soldiers and Protectors he commanded, fought desperately, but only two of his men remained.
Xie Xun released Fengyu. Their group was in disarray. He ordered them to assist one another in treating their wounds, as his eyes darkened, gazing deeply at the blaze near Yangzhou City, glowing as bright as midday.
Fengyu turned back to search for her grandfather. Housekeeper Su had been faithfully guarding Su Ming, weeping inconsolably. A few Protectors were still alive. Housekeeper Su spoke, "Miss, leave Yangzhou with the Prince. The master has passed away—I’ll handle his funeral arrangements. You can rest assured."
"Grandpa Su, come with me. Yangzhou is in chaos—remaining here is fraught with peril. We can take Grandfather and leave together."
Housekeeper Su shook his head. "Yangzhou is our root. Now that the master is gone, I must watch over it. I had planned to accompany the master on his final journey anyway, then return to Yangzhou eventually. Fallen leaves return to their roots; all my family is here in Yangzhou City."
Fengyu was mired in sorrow and distress, but when she turned back, she noticed Xie Xun staring intensely at the flames in the distance. The noise of chaos blended into one cacophony as Nuanyang swiftly explained Yangzhou City’s circumstances beside him.
The city guards were slaughtering riotous disaster victims. Supplies of grain and medicine were scarce. Disease had spread, and fear gripped everyone. Those with even the slightest network or wealth longed to escape Yangzhou, fleeing the turmoil. But all docks had been sealed off. This particular ferry stop couldn’t accommodate large ships—only small fishing boats could anchor. Those who hadn’t managed to escape were now trapped within Yangzhou City.
"Zhixu, what are you thinking?" Fengyu asked softly.
Xie Xun looked deeply into her eyes, his gaze as tranquil and heavy as the sea before a raging storm. A natural emperor-like aura exuded from him. "I want to save Yangzhou."
This city held hundreds of thousands of lives, yet only a small fraction had succeeded in fleeing. Prefect Li Yong, despite his missteps, had managed to do one thing right—sealing off the city gates and docks to prevent anyone from leaving. The epidemic had to be confined within Yangzhou. Without aid from all corners, the city would have to rely on its own strength. Prefect Li’s continued killings would only exacerbate the tension between the disaster victims and the State Mansion, escalating into utter tragedy. In the end, the entire Yangzhou City would perish.
These were hundreds of thousands of lives!
Though he had defected from the Capital City, Xie Xun was still a Yanyang man—he couldn’t simply stand by as the people suffered. His rebellion was against Yuwen Jing, not the people of Yanyang. Moreover, to prevent the epidemic from spreading further to other regions, controlling Yangzhou’s outbreak was crucial; it was the source.
"Alright!" Fengyu’s voice was gentle yet resolute, her eyes ablaze with passion and moved deeply. He was still the boy she loved—the same Xie Xun who had defied impossible odds years ago by leading the Capital Guard in disaster relief during the Capital City’s snowstorm.
Weathering storms, undaunted in adversity.
Separated by life and death, unwavering in his principles.
Fengyu spoke gently, "I’ll stay by your side. No matter what you choose to do, I’ll be with you."
Fengyu was frail of body, and remaining in Yangzhou was unwise. Yet he decided to stay, and there was no persuading her otherwise. "I’ll stay in the city to help you, just like we did during the disaster relief in the Capital City."
It was during that relief effort that Xie Xun found himself drawn to Fengyu, feelings slowly blossoming between them.
"Alright!"
Nuanyang became anxious. "Master, you can’t risk staying in Yangzhou! Miss, I beg you, don’t follow the master in this reckless endeavor. The epidemic is rampant—I don’t even know if it can be controlled. If anything should happen to either of you..."
"Nuanyang, we rose up in rebellion to ensure the common people could live peacefully, not merely for revenge. If it were just revenge, Second Brother and I could have sent assassins into the palace to kill Yuwen Jing. Why bother raising an army? Yangzhou City is gripped by fear, with the State Mansion’s authority crippled. If no one steps in, tens of thousands in Yangzhou will die. Who can save them?" Xie Xun spoke with deep conviction, raising his hand to silence Nuanyang. "I have made my decision. No need to say more. We head to the State Mansion!"
Fang Lingjun looked at Xie Xun in astonishment. Her impression of him had always been that of an arrogant and domineering playboy. She hadn’t expected that for Ayu, he would travel alone against the current to Yangzhou. Though he could have escaped this hell on earth, he chose to endure it alongside the people of Yangzhou.
This was the responsibility the State Mansion should have shouldered—but what had they done instead?
They turned Yangzhou into chaos, spilling blood everywhere.
The people were suffering unbearably!
With one swing of his longsword, Xie Xun severed Lin Cheng’s head. Fang Lingjun hadn’t anticipated the brutality and screamed in terror, burying her face into Fengyu’s chest. Fengyu patted her shoulder, "Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid."
"It was so sudden!" Though Fang Lingjun had killed before, it was the first time she personally witnessed someone beheaded before her eyes. The experience felt entirely different—terrifying and surreal.
Xie Xun instructed Fengyu and Fang Lingjun to continue wearing face masks, leading the group onward toward the State Mansion.
A fierce gust of wind blew past as torrential rain poured down, extinguishing the flames engulfing Yangzhou City. The people scurried for shelter from the wind and rain. With the deep chill of midwinter in Jiangnan, both damp and cold, the disaster victims—exhausted from a night of unrest—gradually quieted in the downpour.
State Mansion.
Li Yong had learned that Lin Cheng had sent men to capture Su Ming. He had also given orders for the city guards to slaughter the riotous disaster victims. Yet he himself hid within the State Mansion, afraid to step outside—terrified of infection and of being attacked by the enraged masses—until a severed head rolled to his feet: Lin Cheng’s lifeless visage, his eyes wide open in death.
"Aaah!" Li Yong shrieked, collapsing backward onto the ground. "Someone come—"
A longsword pressed against his throat as Xie Xun and his group appeared in the main hall of the State Mansion, silhouetted against the light like judges, come to deliver Li Yong’s sentence.
"Li Yong, long time no see!"
"Xie... Zhixu?" Li Yong’s entire body froze as if someone had gripped his throat. He pointed to the severed head on the ground. "You killed Lin Cheng?"
"I’ll even take Yuwen Jing’s head. What is so unexpected about killing Lin Cheng?"