Green Mountain
Chapter 220 - 174. Life Feather Pill_2

Chapter 220: 174. Life Feather Pill_2

Bai Li hurriedly grabbed Chen Ji’s arm armor and twisted it from side to side, "Are you hurt?"

Chen Ji smiled, "Thankfully, Feng Daban arrived in time, I wasn’t injured."

The Princely Heir and Bai Li breathed a sigh of relief, "How did you end up mixed in with the Liu Family’s armored soldiers?"

Chen Ji explained, "It was a combination of circumstances."

Prince Jing looked toward Feng Daban, "How’s the situation?"

Feng Daban answered in a soft and detailed voice, "All six zodiac Spies of the Spy Department have arrived, the Jiefan Guard and the Thousand-year Army have broken into the Liu Mansion, Elephant Armor Camp couldn’t come to the rescue in time, and Mr. Feng has led the Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry into an ambush set by the Longevity Army from the North. Your Highness can rest assured, Lord Bai Long’s strategies are flawless, guaranteeing absolute safety."

However, Prince Jing didn’t exhibit the joy of victory, instead he sighed deeply, "After so many years, everything is finally settled."

Feng Daban asked, "My Prince, would you like to rest here for a moment?"

Prince Jing shook his head, "No rest needed, I’ll go to see Official Liu off on his last journey. He should be waiting for me."

...

Before the ancestral shrine, a long trail of blood stretched out to the mansion gates, like a crimson, twisted carpet woven from flesh and blood.

Grandmaster Liu was missing an arm and sat propped against the door of the ancestral shrine, gasping for air heavily.

Lord Bai Long stepped over, his white boots now tinted red, his pristine white clothes also splattered with blood stains. He arrived at the door of the ancestral shrine, not sparing Grandmaster Liu, who was at his feet, another glance, but instead focusing on the figure of Official Liu as he wiped down one ancestral tablet after another.

Official Liu placed his father’s tablet back into its rightful niche, then took down another and swept the dust off with his sleeve.

Behind him, the ongoing slaughter and wailing seemed unrelated to him.

Lord Bai Long spoke softly, "Official, the downfall of the Liu Family is not your fault; there’s no need for self-reproach."

While continuing to clean the tablets, Official Liu chuckled, "The victor becomes king, the defeated an outlaw; there’s nothing to regret. Thirty-one years ago, the Liu Family’s lands stretched across the Three States. Ten years ago, we could only cling to our last breath within Henan Province. I knew this day would come sooner or later; I just didn’t expect it to end in such a humiliating way. That Poison Minister wouldn’t even permit the Liu Family a dignified end."

Lord Bai Long pondered for a moment before saying, "In recent years, the Jing Dynasty has been sharpening swords and fattening horses; the Liu Family’s assets still have great use and can’t be wasted. Later on, I might need to borrow the severed heads of you and the Liu family clan to persuade the Tiger Armor Camp and the Yu State Army to surrender."

Official Liu laughed lightly, "Are you not afraid of planting seeds of trouble by convincing the Liu Family forces to surrender?"

Lord Bai Long’s dragon mask showed no expression, revealing no sorrow nor joy, "That’s for the Lord Prime Minister to consider, not a concern for a mere frontline soldier like myself."

Official Liu placed the tablet he was holding back into the niche and looked around the ancestral shrine, "What a pity."

At that moment, the voice of Jin Zhu came from outside, "My Prince."

Official Liu turned his head and saw the Jiefan Guard parting to allow Prince Jing’s entrance into the Liu Family ancestral shrine.

He watched Prince Jing in silence for a long while, "Let’s play another game of chess, son-in-law."

"Alright."

"Grandmaster Liu, bring a chess set," Official Liu instructed.

Grandmaster Liu, missing an arm, struggled to get up and hobbled through the crowd, returning from a side room with a chess board.

There was no suitable table in the ancestral shrine, so they had to lay the board across a stool. His arm dripped blood onto the chessboard; attempting to wipe it off with his other hand, he only smeared it more.

Grandmaster Liu, in distress, said, "My Lord, I..."

Official Liu replied warmly with a laugh, "It’s not an issue; rest by the side."

Grandmaster Liu replied with an "Okay" and repositioned himself to sit, resting by the door frame.

Prince Jing picked up a chess piece and placed it on the bloodstained board, lamenting, "Who would have thought that my final game of chess with my father-in-law would be in such surroundings."

Official Liu scoffed and placed down a chess piece, "Stop with the pretense. Without you, the Liu Family wouldn’t have fallen to this sorry state."

Prince Jing’s eyes stayed on the chessboard, not lifting his head as he asked, "Father-in-law, was it the Liu Family who killed Ayi?"

Official Liu was taken aback, "Yes. After Ayi married you, the Empress Dowager wanted her to sow discord between you and His Majesty. Who knew she would be so devoted to you and had no desire to meddle in these affairs."

Prince Jing said calmly, "For her own selfish desires, the Empress Dowager made Yunxi lose her mother... So, when the Liu Family later arranged for Ajing to marry me, was it also with the intention of driving a wedge between me and His Majesty?"

Official Liu slowly said, "No, it was Ajing herself who wanted to marry you. She begged me for seven days and nights before I agreed."

Prince Jing, holding a chess piece and not placing it down, asked, "You did not agree at first?"

Official Liu laughed, "I was afraid my vicious sister would kill her as well. Prince, you wouldn’t be seeking to doom the Liu Family because of Ayi, would you?"

Prince Jing fell silent for a long while, "No. Throughout these years, one-third of our state’s taxes, silver coin, and provisions went to the national treasury, while the remaining two-thirds went into the households of the ruling families. If we do not address these accumulated malpractices, our kingdom will gasp its last breath."

Official Liu looked beyond the ancestral hall to see a countless crowd bustling, waiting for them to finish their game.

He felt a wave of sentimentality, "Prince, I thought others might stab the Liu Family in the back, but I never considered you. Do you know why?"

Prince Jing replied, "I do not."

Official Liu smiled, "Because I thought you were a wise man, understanding the principle of mutual dependence. You know better than I do what kind of person sits in Renshou Palace. If the Liu Family falls, you will be next. Just look at those people outside the door—they’re not here for me; they’re here for you!"

Prince Jing remained composed, "His Majesty and I are as close as brothers."

Official Liu burst into loud laughter, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, "Does the Emperor need brothers? Forget it, what’s the point of playing chess with a hopeless player like you?"

With that, he swept the chess pieces off the board and stood up, heading to the door.

Official Liu stood on tiptoes to pull down the funeral banner hanging on the door beam, then stepped back, standing on the bloodstained chessboard with the white banner in his hands. He stood high up and tossed the white funeral banner over the roof beam, tying it into a death knot.

Then, he looked down at Prince Jing with a smile, "Prince, stay in this world and see for yourself whether I am right or not. I’ll be waiting for you on the road to the netherworld."

As his words fell, Official Liu slipped the funeral banner around his neck and kicked over both the chessboard and a stool.

By the threshold, Grandmaster Liu propped himself up with one hand and, without saying a word, gave three heavy kowtows toward Official Liu; afterward, he struck his own forehead with his palm, splitting his skull open.

At that moment, a heartrending wail arose, "Father!"

Prince Jing turned around and saw Princess Jing stumbling along the bloody path outside.

She pushed through the crowd and clung to Official Liu’s legs, trying in vain to pull him down from the beam; she was too weak to move him.

Princess Jing’s eyes were red from crying as she turned to Prince Jing, beating his chest repeatedly, "Prince, why did it come to this? Why!"

Prince Jing spoke in a low voice, "The Liu Family’s sins are numerous and beyond record. Just look at those women who became sacrificial victims for your brother; what sins had they committed? What wrong did those commoners from Henan Province, whose farmlands were seized by the Liu Family, do?"

Princess Jing sobbed uncontrollably, "But what did I do wrong? They commanded me to deceive you and steal the firearms; I refused, and they killed the child in my womb. I admired you and wanted to stand by your side like my sister, yet you used me to lure the Liu Family into rebellion. These are the affairs of men; I only wanted to bear and raise children and support and teach my son. What did I do wrong?"

Prince Jing remained silent.

From outside, Jin Zhu suddenly said, "Lady Princess Consort Jing, in all these years you executed maids; there weren’t a hundred, but there were certainly eighty."

Princess Jing glared in anger, "What right do you eunuchs have to speak of such matters? Haven’t you killed even more?"

Jin Zhu shrank his neck and no longer spoke.

Princess Jing let go of Prince Jing’s robe and staggered toward the door.

She pulled a wooden box from her sleeve and casually threw it to the ground outside, "Prince, I’ve obtained the Life Feather Pill for you; take care of yourself from now on."

After speaking, Princess Jing suddenly rushed headfirst into a pillar of the ancestral hall and slumped down crookedly.

Outside, the wooden box shattered on the ground, and a round white elixir rolled out, stained with blood.