Yan Heng knew he couldn’t survive. He glanced at the general’s personal guard who was quietly waiting for his choice. His gaze fell and swept over the items on the tray before picking up the dagger. He gave a bitter laugh and asked, “The General doesn’t have such compassion. Who prepared this?”
The guard lowered his eyes, somewhat sad but still composed. He said quietly, “The steward ordered it, saying to let Master Yan go quickly and cleanly, at least leaving a complete corpse.”
Hearing this, Yan Heng was somewhat dazed. After a long while, he laughed bitterly and said, “I didn’t expect the General would take my head, not even leaving me a complete corpse. I’ve accompanied the General for many years, yet in the end I’m worth less than Wang Yan was to Shi Le.”
At least Shi Le left Wang Yan with a complete corpse and didn’t make him see the blade.
Yan Heng drew out the dagger, looked down at it for a while, then said, “I have a few words. Please trouble you to pass them to Master Ming.”
The guard quickly bent down, “Master, please speak. I will certainly deliver the message.”
Yan Heng said, “In this game, I have lost.”
“I overestimated myself and misjudged the General,” he said. “He is not a truly pure and upright person. Let him retire to the mountains and forests.”
The guard opened his mouth, wanting to say a few words on Gou Xi’s behalf, but Yan Heng had already steeled himself and thrust the knife deep into his chest, leaving only the handle outside.
The guard’s eyes widened. He rushed forward to cover the wound, but Yan Heng grabbed him, staring at him fiercely and saying, “Go, go tell him not to forget our original intention, not to forget…”
The guard’s tears streamed down his face as he nodded repeatedly, “Master Yan, rest assured. I will certainly tell Master Ming, I will certainly tell him.”
Only then did Yan Heng feel relieved. His hand dropped, and his eyes closed.
When Ming Yu rushed into the General’s mansion, he seemed to sense something. He stumbled and fell to the ground, his heart aching as he coughed up blood.
The servants were startled and hurriedly helped him up, anxiously carrying him to the main hall.
Hearing that Ming Yu had coughed blood, Gou Xi hurried over to see him. “Master is gravely ill, why did you leave your home?”
Ming Yu quickly got up and asked Gou Xi, “General, may I ask where Master Yan is now?”
The worry on Gou Xi’s face instantly changed. He dropped Ming Yu’s hand and asked with a cold face, “Master Ming came for Yan Heng?”
“Precisely,” Ming Yu said. “Please, General, spare Yan Heng. He also sincerely has your best interests at heart.”
“Nonsense! He insulted me and cursed me in his letter. Is this also for my good?”
“If the General had not erred, why would he remonstrate? We as advisors must help the General maintain rectitude and avoid missteps…” Ming Yu hurriedly said.
Gou Xi’s eyes showed contempt as he said, “Master Ming, you are advisors. What you should do is follow this General’s orders and provide counsel. You are not censors, much less court officials. What rectitude or missteps are you talking about?”
Ming Yu very much wanted to debate this with Gou Xi, but thinking of Yan Heng, he still suppressed his anger and asked warmly, “But may I ask where Master Yan is now, and is he well?”
“He’s already dead.”
Ming Yu froze, looking at Gou Xi in disbelief.
Gou Xi glanced at him and very directly told the steward, “Bring up his corpse for Master Ming to see.”
Ming Yu’s lips trembled as his face turned deathly pale. Disregarding proper hierarchy, he pointed a shaking finger at Gou Xi, “You, you—how are you any better than the tyrants Jie and Zhou?”
Hearing this, Gou Xi’s expression changed drastically. He said angrily, “I killed Yan Heng of my own accord. What business is it of yours that you, gravely ill, came to plead for him, and now even compare me to the tyrants Jie and Zhou? Do you want to accompany Yan Heng?”
The steward, fearing the General would also kill Ming Yu, hurriedly came forward to support the swaying Ming Yu. Seeing the guards carrying up the corpse, he immediately said, “Master Ming, please take Master Yan away for burial.”
Ming Yu stiffly turned to look at the corpse covered with white cloth, trembling as he approached and pulled it back. Seeing Yan Heng’s face pale as paper with a bloody hole in his chest, he was overcome with grief and spurted out blood.
He had so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to curse, but when his bloodshot eyes lifted to meet Gou Xi’s indifferent face, hisæ¿€passionate emotions dissipated, leaving only despair and disillusionment.
He wiped the blood from his mouth, supported himself on his servant’s hand to stand, bowed slightly to Gou Xi, then said, “Lift the master up, we’re leaving.”
Ming Yu had only brought one servant. The steward quickly had the guards help carry the body, then carefully stole a glance at the General before bowing and withdrawing.
Gou Xi watched Ming Yu’s departing back, pressed his lips together, feeling some regret in his heart.
Ming Yu stumbled along, supporting himself on his servant’s hand as he followed behind the stretcher. At the main gate, he happened to encounter the eunuch who had rushed over.
The eunuch saw the stretcher being carried and was startled. He quickly asked, “Who is this?”
The guard said quietly, “It’s Master Yan.”
The eunuch was saddened, “We arrived too late.”
Only then did Ming Yu raise his head to look at the eunuch. Seeing the imperial edict in his hand, understanding dawned in his eyes. He asked, “Who requested the edict from the Emperor?”
The eunuch quickly lowered his head, “It was Minister Zhao who entered the palace to request it. This servant rode all the way here, nearly running the horse to death, but still arrived too late.”
The distance between the imperial palace where the Emperor resided in Yuncheng and the General’s mansion wasn’t far—how could he possibly run a horse to death? This was just self-aggrandizing talk.
Ming Yu’s lips twitched, but he really couldn’t say any polite words. He just waved his hand and said, “My thanks to Minister Zhao and His Majesty.”
With that, without waiting for the eunuch’s reaction, he staggered down the steps. He said to those carrying the corpse, “Put him in the carriage. You may return.”
The guards placed the corpse in the carriage and stepped down, standing beside Ming Yu and saying quietly, “Master Ming, Master Yan had words to pass to you.”
Only then did Ming Yu look at the guard’s face, recognizing him as one of Gou Xi’s personal guards. Come to think of it, Yan Heng had once saved him.
Yan Heng spoke very bluntly and had a somewhat poor temper, but that was toward Gou Xi when remonstrating. He was very gentle with those beneath him.
Conversely, Gou Xi was mild with superiors but very harsh with subordinates, especially those close to him. Even the slightest error would result in severe punishment.
This guard had once angered Gou Xi and was nearly beaten to death. Because it was a minor offense, Yan Heng pleaded for him, which spared him many lashes and saved his life.
Ming Yu moved closer, and only then did the guard say quietly, “Master Yan said he overestimated himself and misjudged the General. He is not a truly pure and upright person. He told you to retire to the mountains and forests.”
The guard paused, then said, “But at the end, Master Yan grabbed me again and said to tell you not to forget your original intention.”
Ming Yu froze, then after a long while nodded and said, “I understand…”
He stepped on the stool to board the carriage, but just as he lifted his foot, his body swayed and he nearly fell from the carriage. In the end, it was the guard who half-carried him to get him into the carriage.
Ming Yu leaned against the carriage wall, looking down at the person lying at his feet.
The carriage began to move. After a long while, his trembling hand reached out to pull back the white cloth. Tears fell drop by drop onto Yan Heng’s body. The servant, seeing him cry without restraint yet not making a sound, grew anxious, “Master, cry out loud. Cry it out and you’ll feel better.”