Pang Xiao knew he was destined never to live a completely ordinary life, because too many people followed him. Everything he did was beyond his own control—he had to consider the feelings and interests of many more people.

Li Qitian was determined to take his life. If he didn’t become strong and ascend to that position, he would have no way to protect those he wanted to protect!

As for how much trouble ascending to that position would bring him, Pang Xiao no longer cared. Either way, this life was destined not to pass by in carefree ease. As long as the people he cared about could be safe, as long as Qin Yining could accompany him, perhaps the rest of his life would still be worth anticipating.

Perhaps when Qin Huaiyuan spoke those words earlier, he had already considered all this. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have persuaded everyone to agree not to destroy the Tatars but preserve this dynasty. He probably also feared that if Pang Xiao failed in Great Zhou and had to retreat to Xihua, simply defending one corner wouldn’t satisfy him, so he considered the Tatars as future reserves.

After much discussion, everyone decided they should continue fighting, but destroying the nation was unnecessary.

As for Si Qin, Lu Heng, and others, Pang Xiao ordered the preparation of prisoner cages to transport them back to the capital in a parade of public humiliation.

“Let them have their moment of glory too.”

“Yes.” Huzi agreed with a beaming smile and went to give orders.

Lu Heng, Bian Ruohan, Lu Wenru, and others were brought out together from the tent where they’d been imprisoned. As soon as they stepped outside, a cold wind hit them in the face, making everyone shiver.

Bian Ruohan muttered in a low voice: “What exactly do they want to do? There’s no need to torture people like this. Whether they’ll kill or dismember us, at least give us a straight answer.”

Lu Heng’s heart was already dead as ash. He was too lazy to argue with Bian Ruohan about anything. He just lowered his head, looking at his hands that had turned purple either from being bound too tightly or from the cold, and smiled self-mockingly.

He, a dignified family head who had known glory and wealth, was now going to be paraded through the streets for public humiliation?

Paraded through the streets, cursed by ten thousand people, pelted with filth. If enduring this could earn him a way to live, that would be one thing. But once he reached the capital, death still awaited him. Given Li Qitian’s vengeful nature, leading the Tatars into the pass was already an unforgivable crime.

As for the treasure—whether he had actually embezzled it, whose hands it was in—all of this could no longer be verified and no longer mattered. Time couldn’t flow backward; he could never return to the beginning.

The creaking sound of wheels approached from far to near as Huzi led people driving prisoner cages toward them.

Seeing those wooden cages—just the right height to make one unable to squat or stand straight, with hands and head fixed to the cage roof—for the entire journey back to the capital, he would suffer such abuse, then be killed after returning to the capital…

With such a dark future ahead, what was there left to persist for?

“Come, come, come, everyone get in the cages, one per person, don’t fight over them.” Huzi shouted loudly.

From another tent, Si Qin was also driven out and loaded into a prisoner cage first, followed by several strategists and generals from his entourage.

When it was the Lu family’s turn, everyone else was in tears. Bian Ruohan was sobbing and choking even more. “I’m just a weak woman who’s never suffered hardship since childhood. Why must I ride in this cage and endure this suffering!”

Hearing this, Huzi sneered: “There’s no suffering in this world that can’t be endured, only people who are inferior to others.” He knew that the Princess Consort had been put in a prisoner cage and paraded through the streets in the capital.

The resilience the Princess Consort had shown then moved even people like them to tears. When mentioning the Princess Consort, who didn’t respectfully give a thumbs up? Compared to Qin Yining, Bian Ruohan was nothing in his eyes.

“Go, get in the cage.” Huzi led his people to urge everyone forward.

Lu Heng pressed his lips together and slowly walked forward with the Elite Tiger Guards.

He looked at the prisoner cage, then at the wooden wheels of the cart. His gaze gradually changed from confusion to determination, with a hint of ruthless resolve.

He clenched his teeth, suddenly widened his eyes, and rushed forward with large strides.

No one expected Lu Heng to suddenly rush out. The Elite Tiger Guards hurriedly reached out to stop him, but it was too late.

Lu Heng forcefully crashed his head into a sharp corner of the cart, immediately splattering blood everywhere.

“Master!” Lu Wenru cried out in panic, wanting to rush over, but having just been locked in a prisoner cage, all he could do was scream at the top of his lungs.

Bian Ruohan had been walking shoulder to shoulder with Lu Heng and never imagined he would suddenly harm himself. In that instant, she felt like the sky was falling and the earth splitting. Everything before her eyes was spinning, and she vomited on the spot from nausea.

Huzi rushed forward in alarm to check, and saw Lu Heng lying on the ground, his body occasionally twitching. His eyes stared blankly at the sky—he was breathing out more than breathing in.

Someone quickly reported this to Pang Xiao.

Pang Xiao immediately rushed over. Seeing the surrounding silence with only Lu Heng lying in a pool of blood, he walked forward with large strides and squatted beside him.

“Why did you do this to yourself?”

Lu Heng’s eyeballs moved slightly, but he didn’t answer Pang Xiao’s question.

He lay on the cold ground, looking at the pale sky. All the sounds around him gradually weakened, all colors slowly disappeared, leaving only gray and white in his eyes.

All the glory and humiliation he had experienced in this life flashed quickly before his eyes.

A voice was asking him: do you have regrets, do you feel remorse?

Lu Heng’s mouth moved slightly, forcing out a smile. Because he seemed to see Qin Yining’s figure in the pale sky.

Regrets? Of course there were.

But no remorse.

His eyes slowly closed as blood flowed from his mouth, nose, and eyes.

Pang Xiao reached out to check his breathing, sighed, and stood up.

“The Lu family head has passed away. Prepare a coffin and transport the body back to the capital.”

“Yes.”

Huzi felt somewhat dejected because he hadn’t done well at the task the Prince had assigned him—he hadn’t kept watch properly and let Lu Heng commit suicide.

Lu Heng’s subordinates, led by Lu Wenru, all began crying. Bian Ruohan watched as Lu Heng was carried away, then began screaming: “Come back, come back! If you’re dead, what will I do! You coward, you weakling! You close your eyes and kick your legs, and you don’t care about me anymore! You’ve wronged me! Lu Heng, you’ve wronged me! Come back to life! Tell me you’ve forgotten that wench and then die! “

Pang Xiao glanced sideways at the screaming woman. It was she who had made things difficult for his Yining in every way and often slandered her.

Pang Xiao commanded in a heavy voice: “Gag her. Since she’s Mrs. Lu and the Lu family head is gone, let his wife take his place in the public parade.”

Bian Ruohan screamed: “No! You can’t treat me like this! What right do you have!”

“What right?” Pang Xiao sneered, pointing at Bian Ruohan and saying in a heavy voice: “Simply because you are Mrs. Lu. You enjoyed the advantages that the position of Mrs. Lu brought you.”

“But I’m just a weak woman! Why should I replace him for you! What exactly are you trying to do!”

Pang Xiao shook his head with a bitter smile, his gaze toward Bian Ruohan full of mockery.

“You’re husband and wife, one flesh. Shouldn’t sharing honor and disgrace be natural?”