Fan Yuhuai’s posture was humble: “Fan Yuhuai begs Princess Zhenguo… for the sake of our having once fought together in blood! Please spare my wife and children!”
The surrounding raging fire burned the grass and trees, with sparks crackling and bursting everywhere. Fan Yuhuai’s features were illuminated bright red by the fierce flames. He had never been so devout in kowtowing to anyone, only begging that Bai Qingyan would spare his wife and children.
Whether he rebelled or killed… these were all his actions, unrelated to his wife and children.
Before Bai Qingyan could answer, hysterical, miserable shouts came from below the steps: “Father…”
Hearing this, Fan Yuhuai, gripping the blade with one hand, suddenly turned his head. He saw Fan Yugan at the bottom of the high steps – his clothes wrinkled and disheveled, his face filthy with dirt… his nest-like hair full of straw – shouting at him.
“Ah Gan…” Fan Yuhuai’s heart instantly jumped to his throat.
After Prince Liang’s enthronement, when the city gates were broken through by Bai Jinxiu, even in his rush to leave, Fan Yuhuai had brought along his son and wife, who had been confined at home. Fan Yugan was his only heir – even if he died a hundred times, he couldn’t let anything happen to Fan Yugan.
Fan Yuhuai quickly turned back, widening his remaining eye, staring at Bai Qingyan with terror, kowtowing heavily in plea: “Princess Zhenguo! I beg you to spare my son! My son is still young… when he learned I was following Prince Liang in rebellion, he threatened to die to make me stop! He’s a good child…”
“Father!” Fan Yugan was so anxious that tears came out. Seeing those people’s blades at his father’s throat, he hurriedly looked toward Bai Qingyan, shouting: “Sister Bai! Sister Bai… please spare my father’s life! I’m willing to die in my father’s place! Sister Bai… please!”
“What nonsense are you spouting!” Fan Yuhuai turned and roared angrily, tears immediately streaming down: “You little brat! How old are you? Who are you dying for? You think your worthless wastrel life is worth more than your father’s?! Get out of the way! Good-for-nothing… what are you joining in for!”
“Father!” Fan Yugan cried out: “I know I’m useless, you always scold me for being useless, but however useless I am, I’m still your son, and I can’t watch you die… Sister Bai! Please!”
Fan Yuhuai felt indescribable emotions. This was his only son in this lifetime… though he was a wastrel, always looked down upon by others, Fan Yugan had a pure heart and was a filial, good son.
He knew it, he had always known…
Though he was always disappointed in him, always saying Fan Yugan was good for nothing, only good at eating, drinking, and playing, his son wasn’t without redeeming qualities. But only facing death did he realize he had never praised his son.
Bai Qingyan looked at the constantly crying Fan Yugan and said to Bai Jinxiu: “Imprison Fan Yuhuai temporarily, we’ll deal with him later…”
“Imprison Fan Yuhuai!” Bai Jinxiu’s gaze also fell on Fan Yugan: “Lock him up together with his son!”
“Princess Zhenguo, misfortune should not befall wives and children… I beg Princess Zhenguo to spare my worthless son. He’s just a waste who only knows how to eat, drink, and play. Keeping him alive won’t pose any threat to you. I beg Princess Zhenguo to spare this fool and give him a way to live!” Fan Yuhuai, a dignified seven-foot-tall man, actually began to cry.
“Sister Bai, please spare my father!” Fan Yugan, who had collapsed at the bottom of the high steps, also shouted hoarsely.
Bai Qingyan looked at this father and son, Fan Yugan and Fan Yuhuai, for a long while, then whispered instructions to Bai Jinxiu: “Take them back to the capital, and give word… don’t make things too difficult for them.”
Originally, Bai Qingyan hadn’t wanted to spare Fan Yuhuai’s life.
But although she and Fan Yugan had no deep relationship, she knew Fan Yugan was a child with a kind heart. Fan Yugan had once been friends with Ah Yun, and Ah Yun had also said that among those wastrels like Lu Yuanpeng… though they were wastrels, most were clever and honest.
She felt that if such people used their hearts and minds for proper matters rather than eating, drinking, and playing, she wouldn’t dare say they could achieve great success, but they certainly wouldn’t be too bad either.
For Fan Yugan’s sake, Bai Qingyan could spare Fan Yuhuai’s life, but… someone like Fan Yuhuai, Bai Qingyan dared not use again.
And even if she wanted to use Fan Yuhuai, among those subordinates in the capital whom Fan Yuhuai had abandoned, who would be willing to follow him again?
Bai Jinxiu gave instructions to have the constantly crying Fan Yugan and Fan Yuhuai taken away, confining the father and son in the same cell.
Just as Bai Jinxiu finished speaking, she saw a subordinate who had left earlier with Quan Yu under Shen Tianzhi’s orders running over hurriedly, cupping his hands toward Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty, the physician says that little eunuch called Quan Yu can’t save his leg! That little eunuch has already coughed up blood and can’t be delayed, but that little eunuch…”
She dismounted, her brow furrowed tightly: “Unwilling to lose his leg?”
The messenger nodded: “Exactly!”
Hearing the name Quan Yu, although Bai Jinxiu didn’t know what had happened, she knew that this little eunuch Quan Yu had probably been injured protecting her grandmother or elder sister: “Elder sister, you go take a look. Leave this to me! I guarantee that when grandmother comes out, she absolutely won’t see any blood!”
This place needed to be cleaned up quickly, and the elder sister and grandmother also needed to leave quickly. The fire was too big – it wouldn’t be long before it burned this way.
“Have the soldiers evacuate the civilians to prevent the fire from harming them!” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she hurriedly left with Shen Tianzhi’s subordinate.
Bai Jinxiu watched her elder sister leave, then her gaze fell on Fan Yugan, who was being held but still struggling constantly, shouting “Sister Bai” and begging her elder sister to spare his father.
Bai Jinxiu sighed. Fan Yugan had once been friends with Ah Yun, which alone was enough for the Bai family to spare his life, not to mention that later when all the Bai family men perished in the southern frontier and they went out of the city to welcome the Bai family heroes’ souls, Fan Yugan had gone together with Lu Yuanpeng, Sima Ping and the others.
Just for this point alone, without elder sister’s instructions, Bai Jinxiu would also order the soldiers to treat Fan Yugan better.
Bai Jinxiu stepped toward Fan Yugan. When passing Prince Liang’s corpse with wide-open eyes, Bai Jinxiu only glanced at it lightly without lingering.
In Bai Jinxiu’s view, Prince Liang was nothing more than a grasshopper that jumped up and down and could sing opera. She had never taken him seriously.
It was just disgusting – she had been blinded by Prince Liang back then, thinking Prince Liang was deeply in love with her elder sister. Such a thing… even mentioning it together with my elder sister was an insult to my elder sister.
Fan Yugan saw her and looked up, shouting: “Madam Qin! Madam Qin… I’ve always had a good relationship with Qin Lang. I beg you, for Qin Lang’s sake, please spare my father! Let the son pay for the father’s debts… I’m willing to die in my father’s place!”
Fan Yuhuai, already under arrest, loudly cursed his son, his words full of disdain for his son.