CALID Chapter 100

Torment

Lin Jun looked at Fang Xianye, smiling enigmatically.

He often had restless nights, and one night while wandering, he unexpectedly saw Fang Xianye escorting a person in black out of the mansion, faintly discerning bloodstains on the person’s body in the moonlight.

He was extremely surprised. Later, he heard that Duan Xu had fallen ill that same night, and the doctor summoned to the Duan Mansion was the same one who usually treated him. This doctor was quite friendly with him, and under his temptation, disclosed Duan Xu’s condition, mentioning that he had likely caught a cold that night and had coughed up blood before fainting.

Lin Jun immediately recalled the person in black who had come out of Fang Xianye’s mansion that night. The person’s figure resembled Duan Xu’s, and the timing of coughing up blood and fainting matched. He suspected that person was Duan Xu, and perhaps there was something fishy between Duan Xu and Fang Xianye. Now that Duan Xu was a major concern for the emperor, capturing any evidence would be a great achievement.

He decided to start with Fang Xianye, never expecting to uncover such a formidable secret decree. Duan Xu was now a meritorious official, making it difficult for the emperor to find grounds for punishment, yet the emperor didn’t want to send him back to the Northern Shore. However, this decree, personally written by the late emperor, presented a perfect opportunity.

Fang Xianye’s gaze darkened, and he said coldly, “I thought Mr. Lin’s heart was with the Northern Shore, and your lifelong wish was for its recovery.”

Lin Jun smiled thoughtfully, “So Mr. Fang has been hiding this because of that reason? Although there are still nine provinces left to be recovered in the Northern Shore, Han uprisings are spreading like wildfire, and the capital is right in front of us. Daliang already has five well-equipped border armies, familiar with the tactics and formations of the Danzhi army, as well as experienced generals such as Meng Wan, Xia Qingsheng, Wu Sheng, Shi Biao, Ding Jin, and others. Zhao Chun is not capable, so recommending a new general is necessary. Reclaiming lost territory is just a matter of time. Must it be Duan Xu?”

Lin Jun took a step forward and whispered softly in Fang Xianye’s ear, “Moreover, as we both know, his health is deteriorating, far from what it used to be. He’s no longer of much value.”

“Duan Xu can die.”

The words echoed in Fang Xianye’s ears like thunder.

He clenched his fists and said, “Duan Xu has been kind to you.”

“Duan Xu has indeed been kind to me, but I am loyal to the emperor. Naturally, I prioritize the emperor’s concerns. Mr. Fang, you also have great ambitions. Now that the emperor is suspicious, are you willing to be cast aside for the rest of your life, or even endanger your life as a former associate of Prince Ji? Are you content to see all your plans to save the people go to waste? Are you willing?”

Lin Jun, currently riding high on success, confidently persuaded step by step. He smiled leisurely and said, “This is a golden opportunity. Duan Xu is currently unconscious, so you don’t have to worry about confronting him and bringing up old grudges. Instead, you can gain the emperor’s trust by bringing down Duan Xu and become one of us. Opportunities like this won’t come again.”

“Fang Xianye may feel uneasy due to old feelings, but he will soon come to terms with it. By then, you will thank me.”

Fang Xianye’s expression remained unchanged, but he furrowed his brows as he scrutinized Lin Jun. Lin Jun indeed had the shrewdness of a businessman, calculating every move without scruples.

—”For the sake of power, even fathers, sons, and brothers will turn against each other.”

Suddenly, Fang Xianye remembered the words of the late emperor, which often lingered in his mind like a curse. Nandu was a quagmire, and the court was the abyss within that quagmire. These past few months had been unprecedented turmoil, where even a white paper thrown in would instantly become soiled, let alone an ambitious one, which probably wished it were even dirtier.

He looked down on Lin Jun like this, but how clean was he himself?

They couldn’t keep the emperor waiting for long, so eventually, they entered the Hall of Peace where the young monarch, dressed in a saffron dragon robe, sat high on the throne, his features resolute yet intimidatingly calm.

Fang Xianye and Lin Jun knelt together silently, paying their respects. Fang Xianye said, “Your Majesty, your servant Fang Xianye pays his respects.”

The emperor nodded faintly. “Rise, Minister Fang.”

Fang Xianye stood up from the ground, and when he lifted his eyes, he saw the bright yellow silk cloth the emperor had picked up from the table. The emperor asked, “Minister, why is it that you are only presenting this decree to me now?”

Fang Xianye immediately knelt down again. “Your servant thought that his virtues were inadequate, unworthy of the late emperor’s favour. Furthermore, the Northern Shore has not yet been reclaimed, and it is still too early to punish General Duan. Your servant was afraid of alerting the enemy prematurely.”

Lin Jun chuckled from the side. “Minister Fang is always too modest, to the point of refusing credit where it is due.”

The emperor smiled noncommittally, placing the decree back on the table. “General Duan is currently unconscious in Nandu. The army outside the city has already set out for the Northern Shore. Is there a better opportunity than now?”

He stood up, hands behind his back, leisurely descending the steps as he spoke. “Zhao Chun is dead, having died within the Guihe Army. It’s said that he committed suicide out of guilt. The Guihe Army truly lives up to being General Duan’s personal troops, with such audacity. Are all the armies sent to conquer the Northern Shore bearing the Duan surname?”

The emperor’s intentions were now crystal clear.

Fang Xianye pursed his lips and said, “General Duan indeed… was reckless and impetuous in his youth, showing his sharpness.”

“At the same age, Minister Fang, however, is much more steady than Duan Xu. I believe the late emperor did not misjudge, and neither will I,” the emperor said, shifting the conversation and praising Fang Xianye.

Fang Xianye immediately bowed, lowering his head. “Your servant is grateful for the late emperor’s and Your Majesty’s favour. I shall be loyal and serve the country… and obey Your Majesty’s orders.”

The emperor nodded approvingly and withdrew his gaze. Then, as if chatting casually, he said, “I’ve also heard recently that General Duan is not actually Duan Xu. When he came from Daizhou to Nandu, he was switched with a Huqi prince by a cat demon.”

Fang Xianye’s heart skipped a beat, but Lin Jun interjected, “In that case, General Duan’s family has been literati for generations. He has never been to the north before joining the Tabai Army, yet he possesses remarkable martial skills and military strategy, achieving remarkable feats. It might be a bit far-fetched to attribute it solely to talent. From what I’ve seen in the north, General Duan is quite knowledgeable about the Huqi people.”

“There is no solid evidence for this, and besides, General Duan has repeatedly defeated the Danzhi Army. It would be difficult to challenge him on this basis,” Fang Xianye said calmly.

The emperor nodded, then said coldly, “With your decree, Minister Fang, that’s enough. Whether Duan Xu is a Huqi or not, I cannot let him return to the Northern Shore. Minister Fang, prepare yourself for the morning court two days from now.”

The identity of Duan Xu no longer mattered. What mattered was that under the imperial authority, there was no room for him anymore. The concept of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country meant that those who ruled the world must demand loyalty from their subjects before talking about patriotism.

Fang Xianye fell silent for a moment before kneeling down, “Your servant obeys the decree.”

That night, Fang Xianye had a nightmare.

In the pitch-black darkness, he saw his twelve or thirteen-year-old self sitting at a dimly lit desk, happily writing an article. But when he reached the end to sign his name, his pen stopped.

Then, he wrote down the words “Duan Shunxi.”

The young boy looked up at him, his face stern, and said, “Are you going to continue being his shadow like this? Seven years isn’t enough for you, how many more years do you want to continue?”

The young boy stood up and walked towards him.

Fang Xianye stepped back, feeling an inexplicable fear, even though it was clearly his own face from his youth.

“That decree wasn’t something you forced the late emperor to write, nor was it you who handed it to the current emperor. It was Duan Xu’s own fault for being too conspicuous. Moreover, when you lost the decree, you intended to consult with Duan Xu, but he was unconscious and couldn’t respond. He was just unlucky. What could you have done?”

“He is the second-place winner, and you are the champion. Why should he be allowed to achieve fame and glory while you miss your chance to shine silently? Are you offering any less to Daliang than he is?”

Fang Xianye whispered, “Stop it.”

The young man looked at him for a while and said, “Do you dare to admit these thoughts? Haven’t you thought about it yourself?”

“Admit it, Fang Xianye. This is what you really think, not something Lin Jun’s words have shaken. If you really wanted to protect Duan Xu, why didn’t you destroy the decree when Master Zhao died? Why didn’t you tell him about this? You made your choice from the beginning.”

The young man had already walked up to Fang Xianye. With no way to retreat, Fang Xianye listened as the young man tempted him, “You also have your own dreams. What is Duan Xu? Discard him, betray him. What does it matter if he dies?”

Fang Xianye suddenly woke up from his dream, rubbing his temples. He felt a cold sweat drenching his body, as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing on his chest, unrelenting.

Getting up from the bed, he put on his clothes and went outside, hoping to get some fresh air by opening the window. There was a refreshing plum blossom scent mixed with the cold wind outside. Fang Xianye looked at the courtyard under the moonlight, silent and speechless.

Suddenly, fireworks bloomed in the sky, one after another. Fang Xianye raised his head in astonishment, the sparkling fireworks reflected in his eyes. It was already so late; perhaps it was some child sneaking out to set them off.

He suddenly remembered many years ago, on the day the results were announced, there were grand fireworks celebrations in Nandu at night. He followed behind Duke Pei as the top scholar, mingling with nobles at the banquet in Jade Tower, exchanging insincere compliments.

In fact, he didn’t like these occasions. Later, he made an excuse to be drunk and found a room to rest. As he watched the fireworks leisurely from the room, a figure suddenly appeared at the window.

The person who came in was none other than Duan Shunxi, the second-place scholar on the list. Duan Xu leaped in through the window, with colourful fireworks behind him, waving a bottle of wine in his hand, saying, “The immortal from Daizhou is drunk. Would the top scholar honour me with a drink?”

At that time, Duan Xu was even younger than he is now, full of vigour and courage, always moving forward. Duan Xu had never changed.

Fang Xianye thought, though he was reluctant to admit it, he knew he had always harboured jealousy towards Duan Xu. This jealousy began to sprout even before he had met Duan Xu, just from hearing his name in the world, and after being saved by Duan Xu, this jealousy became more complicated, mixed with gratitude and admiration.

This man was born into a noble family, with countless relatives, effortlessly standing at the centre of power, fearless and unrestrained, like a dark cloud enveloping him.

At that time, as he drank with Duan Xu by the window, he secretly thought that he had finally surpassed Duan Xu.

But then he thought, perhaps Duan Xu was the only one genuinely happy for him that day.

Having lost his parents prematurely, perhaps he had developed a bit of aloofness in his bones, not being too close to anyone. Thinking back over the years, he had only one true friend, relative, confidant. The girl he liked was also that person’s sister.

It seemed as if he owed the Duan family something from his past life, and now it was entangled in this life, impossible to shake off.

If he really shook it off, what would Fang Xianye have left?

If even Fang Xianye became unrecognizable, what would his so-called ideals rely on?

—War is an ominous tool, not a tool for gentlemen. I’ll be the ominous tool, and you’ll be the tool for gentlemen. How about that?

—I will lead armies, wielding my sword to conquer the world, while you govern with ivory tablets as the chancellor. I don’t mind hiding a good bow when birds have flown, and when the time comes, I’ll retire and you’ll govern the world properly.

—Betrayal is betrayal, so be it. People always have to pay the price for what or whom they believe in, don’t they?

Fang Xianye raised his hands to cover his eyes, slowly bowing his head.

“Duan Shunxi… damn guy! Madman!”

Fang Xianye gritted his teeth, as if he wished to tear that person into a thousand pieces.

People always have to pay the price for what they believe in.

If he believed in Duan Xu, what price would he have to pay for it?