Hearing this, Yue Shi turned around, looking helplessly at the Yan Emperor, then at Xiao Rongyan, his fists clenched tightly.
“It’s useless! The journey is too far – I’m afraid before Yue Shi reaches Shouyang… I will already be unable to hold on!” Though Murong Yu didn’t want to die, though he still wanted to see the day when the realm would be unified and the world at peace, he knew his condition.
His injury this time had reached his heart and lungs – he probably wouldn’t survive. Why burden Yue Shi with the back-and-forth journey and trouble Physician Hong with a wasted trip?
“What kind of defeatist talk is this!” Xiao Rongyan’s throat rolled as he gripped Murong Yu’s hand tightly. “Mother is watching over us from heaven. Elder Brother will be fine! Moreover, Great Yan is at a critical juncture right now – for Great Yan’s sake, Elder Brother absolutely cannot have any mishaps!”
Murong Yu looked at his brother’s grave expression and smiled softly: “With A’Yan here for Great Yan… Elder Brother is very much at ease.”
“But it’s precisely because Elder Brother is here for Great Yan that I can confidently go to other kingdoms!” Xiao Rongyan gripped Murong Yan’s hand tightly. The emotions from losing loved ones one by one had accumulated in his heart for years without release. “Elder Brother, you will be fine!”
“A’Yan, Elder Brother is very happy to be able to go find Mother…” Murong Yu’s lips carried an extremely faint smile. “Being able to live these many extra years is already heaven’s blessing to Elder Brother – I don’t resent it! It’s just that I couldn’t see you marry Princess Zhenguo. After Elder Brother passes, I’m afraid I won’t be able to explain to Mother! A’Yan… life is short – don’t miss your chance!”
Xiao Rongyan bit his teeth hard, suppressing the choking in his throat, forcing himself to remain calm as he looked up at Murong Yu: “Stop taking the medicine Physician Hong prescribed for now and use hemostatic drugs instead. It might be more uncomfortable, but Elder Brother must endure it! The Crown Prince is mediocre and cannot shoulder great responsibilities. If Elder Brother is no longer here, Kuntian City will surely fall into chaos – the Empress Sister-in-law and the Crown Prince cannot maintain control! Our Great Yan has struggled through so much hardship to reach this point. If Elder Brother stops here and watches Kuntian City fall into chaos with Great Yan falling apart again, we would be failing Mother… failing our ancestral foundation, and even more so failing the people of Great Yan who have suffered alongside us!”
Murong Yu looked at Xiao Rongyan, who had buried all his pain deep in his heart, his expression serious as if everything was only for the greater good. He suddenly felt that his younger brother was still that child from their youth who always forced himself to remain calm and didn’t want to worry him.
Murong Yu’s eyes reddened slightly as he nodded: “Alright, then Elder Brother will hold on for some more time. I’ll delay going to Mother’s side to fulfill my filial duties – I must first see our A’Yan married to his beloved woman.”
His tone was like coaxing a child.
But regarding his own condition, how could Murong Yu not know? He truly… couldn’t hold on much longer.
Having been bedridden with illness, living a life worse than death for so many years, Murong Yu had never feared death. But he was afraid that his death would cause his wife and younger brother grief and sorrow. He was even more afraid that… if he died, his always timid and fragile wife would follow him in death.
In this world, it had always been easy to want to die but difficult to want to live.
“How about this – I’ll find a way to defend Longan City!” Xiao Rongyan made up his mind. “Let Uncle Feng and Yue Shi escort Elder Brother to Shouyang. Physician Hong will have a solution!”
Murong Yu shook his head: “I can’t leave yet. If I leave… the army’s morale will scatter! If the army’s morale scatters, Longan City cannot be defended. If Longan City cannot be defended and the Xiliang army crosses Liyi and passes Tianqu River, our Great Yan’s capital will be in danger!”
“Elder Brother can rest assured – with me here… I will never let Longan City fall.” Xiao Rongyan made his decision and turned to call Feng Yao. “Uncle Feng!”
Feng Yao responded and entered with small steps: “Young Master!”
“I trouble Uncle Feng and Yue Shi to immediately take Elder Brother and travel light. Yue Shi should take people ahead to Shouyang’s Bai mansion to request Physician Hong’s assistance, then return to rendezvous with Elder Brother!” Xiao Rongyan ordered.
This would be faster than specially sending Yue Shi to request Physician Hong and then bringing him to Longan City.
“Yes!”
After Feng Yao and Yue Shi acknowledged the order together, Feng Yao rose first to pack.
“Ninth Uncle, I’ll escort Father Emperor to Jin!” Murong Li stepped forward to request the mission.
“You stay!” Xiao Rongyan looked at Murong Li solemnly. “News of your Father Emperor going to Jin cannot leak out. You escort your Father Emperor’s carriage back to the capital, Jinling, claiming that His Majesty is returning to the capital to recover from his wounds. The Longan battlefield… will be taken over by Great Yan’s Ninth Prince Murong Yan.”
If his elder brother truly had any misfortune this time, Great Yan could not be without a ruler. Among all these nephews… only little A’Li could shoulder great responsibilities!
Murong Li was already precocious – how could he not understand Xiao Rongyan’s intentions?
Ninth Uncle was having him return to Jinling simply because he was worried that if Father Emperor truly couldn’t hold on, he would need to take control of Jinling first and ascend the throne to stabilize the situation.
But Murong Li didn’t want to reach that point. He didn’t want any throne – he only wanted Father, his brothers, and Ninth Uncle to all be well.
“Little A’Li, you’re no longer a child. You must learn to share your father’s burdens! Ninth Uncle will help you!” Xiao Rongyan reached out to grip Murong Li’s shoulder, as if the heavy burden was also pressing down on Murong Li’s shoulders.
“A’Li is still young and cannot bear Great Yan’s heavy burden!” Murong Yu frowned tightly. “This burden may need you to carry.”
“Elder Brother has three sons – no matter what, it cannot be me who carries this burden! I can assist… but I cannot overstep my bounds!” Xiao Rongyan turned to look at Murong Yu. “Moreover, as long as Physician Hong provides treatment, Elder Brother will have plenty of time to personally train A’Li. Why worry that A’Li cannot shoulder great responsibilities?”
Murong Yu’s brow tightened as he looked at Xiao Rongyan’s profound gaze…
Murong Yu had always known that Murong Yan was more suited to be an emperor than he was. His ambition, aspirations… and abilities were far more suited for imperial rule. He even knew his younger brother harbored the desire to become a monarch who could unify the realm. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn’t wait for him to speak – upon learning his life was short, they would have already seized the opportunity. But A’Yan refused to take that step further because of their familial bond.
Knowing that more words would be useless, Murong Yu simply let his younger brother make the arrangements.
That afternoon, Great Yan’s Ninth Prince Murong Li personally led troops to battle Xiliang. On the surface, Yan Emperor Murong Yu was escorted back to the capital by Prince Murong Li for treatment, but in reality, he was escorted by old eunuch Feng Yao and shadow guards toward Shouyang. Yue Shi departed first, riding swiftly to Shouyang to fetch Physician Hong.
On the twenty-seventh day of the seventh month in the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, Great Yan’s Ninth Prince Murong Yan defended Longan City to the death, consuming Xiliang’s troops and provisions. He sent small detachments to circle Xiliang’s grain transport routes and burned their supplies. The next day, Xiliang’s fierce general Ge Zhen’an decided to risk death attacking the city. He hurled insults beneath the city walls but was beheaded by Great Yan’s Ninth Prince Murong Yan, who came out to meet the challenge. Xiliang was forced to retreat and defend the Longhu Platform.
On the twenty-eighth day of the seventh month in the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, a plague suddenly broke out in Great Liang. The symptoms of the infected were identical to those in Huayang City. Jin’s Crown Prince sent an envoy to Great Liang, stating bluntly that if Great Liang submitted, they would provide the medicine formula for the epidemic. The Liang Emperor killed the Jin envoy to demonstrate his determination to fight to the death.