Chapter 0124: An Accidental Rescue and Consort Hua’s Past Romance
Shen Yuan furrowed his brow, caught between laughter and exasperation. “What I meant was, the Jian’an Dynasty lacks sufficient military strength, while bandits run rampant in the northern regions. If we want the people to live peacefully without being harassed by bandits, then offering amnesty to the outlaws is imperative.”
“Once the bandit threat is resolved, Your Highness can sleep…” The man paused, suppressing a chuckle, “Ahem, hold your princess consort and sleep more soundly, isn’t that right?”
Xie Chengze: …
Then just say so directly! Why beat around the bush and make me misunderstand!
Pouting, Xie Chengze asked discontentedly, “Then why didn’t you offer amnesty to the bandits in your previous life? And why have I never heard of the name of Qianjin Zhai’s First Leader, despite his exceptional martial skills? Surely he didn’t freeze to death on the mountain?”
“Dealing with the Second Prince was already troublesome enough in the previous life. Moreover, many bandits in the Liaozhou area did indeed starve to death back then, making the amnesty offer meaningless,” Shen Yuan shook his head helplessly. “As for the First Leader, do you know who he is?”
Xie Chengze immediately perked up. “Who?”
“Before your mother married into the imperial family, she studied under Liaozhou’s top martial artist, Murong Wuji. Under him, there were three junior disciples,” Shen Yuan said slowly.
Xie Chengze’s eyes widened slightly as he realized something. “Could one of them… be this First Leader?”
Shen Yuan nodded. “The other two are Wuhen and Wuji.”
Xie Chengze: !!!
“How do you know this?!” Xie Chengze asked in disbelief.
The original book didn’t mention any of this!
“Naturally, I inquired about it,” Shen Yuan shared his information. “The First Leader is only about thirty years old, yet his martial arts prowess is no worse than mine, clearly indicating he also received formal training. After we fought to a draw, he thought highly of me and told me about his martial arts lineage.”
“Wow, wow!” Xie Chengze couldn’t help but marvel. After all, what man wouldn’t want exceptional martial skills? It was just a pity he had passed the age for bone training in martial arts and was too fond of eating and sleeping, leaving him with only envy. “So, the First Leader is my mother’s junior disciple!”
“Indeed.” Looking at Xie Chengze’s bright, excited eyes, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but lower his gaze with a smile, then continued, “I also wondered why I hadn’t heard of him in the previous life, so I asked the First Leader what he would do if the court didn’t order disaster prevention, and heavy snow sealed the mountains, leaving them without food or warm shelters.”
His tone grew slightly more serious. “He said Liaozhou was too cold, and having heard that Pingcheng had a pleasant climate, he had long wanted to take his brothers there to start some business and seek alternative livelihoods. If they encountered heavy snow sealing the mountains, he would likely lead his brothers to Pingcheng to take refuge.”
“Pingcheng!”
Xie Chengze gasped softly, exchanging a look with Shen Yuan. Everything suddenly became clear without another word.
In the 79th year of Jian’an, Dezhou’s Pingcheng experienced an epic-level earthquake. The event brought mountains crumbling and the earth splitting, with the very heavens and earth changing color. Nearby Qingzhou and Qizhou couldn’t escape the disaster either. The powerful seismic waves could be felt even in the south, and many counties suffered from this major earthquake, ultimately causing fifty thousand deaths and over two hundred thousand casualties!
Qianjin Zhai escaped the snow disaster but couldn’t escape the earthquake catastrophe!
Xie Chengze felt goosebumps rise all over his body. He had accidentally saved his mother’s junior disciple!
Taking a deep breath, Xie Chengze steadied his mind, then asked puzzledly, “With his martial arts skills, why didn’t he take the military examinations to serve the court, instead becoming an outlaw?”
“Because Consort Hua died of illness in the palace, he despised the Emperor’s incompetence and refused to serve the imperial court,” Shen Yuan explained in detail. “Later, he became a Yamen Runner at the county office, where he witnessed the local magistrate imposing exorbitant taxes, colluding with wealthy merchants, and oppressing the common people. In a fit of rage, he killed the magistrate and fled into the mountains, establishing Qianjin Zhai.”
“This happened many years ago, and now that the matter has settled, he has begun considering going to Pingcheng to seek a new livelihood,” Shen Yuan clarified.
Xie Chengze sighed with emotion, “No wonder the people say that the Black Tiger Stronghold only robs merchants and never harms commoners. So this is the reason behind it.”
“He deeply admired Consort Hua. Whenever he mentioned her, his words were filled with reluctance and nostalgia. So, if Da Dangjia learns that you are Consort Hua’s son, he will surely be willing to accept the amnesty offer.”
As Shen Yuan spoke, his tone gradually turned playful. “He also mentioned you, saying that the first time he held you, you were still a little dumpling who could have been squashed if he sat on you.”
Xie Chengze: …
There was absolutely no need to say that out loud!
But… “Wuhen excels with the saber, Wuji with the sword, my mother with the whip, and Da Dangjia with the axe… It seems this Murong Wuji is proficient in quite a few weapons?”
Shen Yuan couldn’t help but agree, “Indeed. Such a peerless master is likely a once-in-a-century occurrence.”
After all, mastering one weapon to perfection is already no easy feat, and he had heard that Murong Wuji was skilled in more than just these four—even including the spear and meteor hammer.
It was a pity the great master had passed away, leaving Shen Yuan unable to meet him and receive even a bit of his guidance.
Seeing the regret on Shen Yuan’s face, Xie Chengze felt too embarrassed to tell him that Murong Wuji’s extraordinary prowess was likely due to the author’s favor, granting him unparalleled talent in martial arts.
Just as Shen Yuan himself had benefited from the author’s grace—for the sake of the plot, even when opposing the Second Prince, he hadn’t been stabbed to death by Wuhen or Wuji.
“Ah, Heaven is truly biased,” Xie Chengze muttered, clearly referring to the author. “Some are peerlessly skilled in martial arts, while others are merely average, relying on their looks to get by. Comparing oneself to others is enough to drive one mad.”
Shen Yuan couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “Your Highness inherited Consort Hua’s looks, but your physical aptitude came from…”
He paused, glancing at Xie Chengze with hesitation.
“I know—I’m not the Emperor’s son,” Xie Chengze said resignedly. “You were going to say my aptitude comes from my late biological father, weren’t you?”
People are often drawn to their opposites. Hua Ning was bold, cheerful, and robust, with no knowledge of refined arts like music or poetry, yet she fell for the frail but brilliantly talented Junior Minister.
The Junior Minister had once been Emperor Jian’s study companion, and his father was also from Liaozhou, a close friend of Hua Ning’s father. When their wives were pregnant at the same time, they arranged a marriage pact: if one had a boy and the other a girl, they would be betrothed.
Unexpectedly, Hua Ning’s parents died young, and she was entrusted to Murong Wuji for upbringing. Only when she reached marriageable age did Murong Wuji send her to Jingcheng to seek out the Junior Minister and fulfill the engagement.
However, by then, the Junior Minister was already ill, and both his parents had passed away. Unwilling to burden Hua Ning, he denied the betrothal.
Hua Ning, seeing his pitiable state, took care of him for some time. Unexpectedly, as days passed, affection grew between them. He loved her free-spirited nature, while she cherished his gentle and attentive heart. Both secretly developed feelings for one another.
Emperor Jian shared a close bond with the Junior Minister. Noticing his usually stoic brother frequently lost in thought, he learned of his beloved. Through the Junior Minister’s introduction, he met Hua Ning and fell for her at first sight.
She was too radiant, like a blazing sun. Oppressed by studies and expectations, Emperor Jian found only in her presence a moment of respite. She had even saved his life once, suffering injuries in the process—even if she did so merely because he was the Crown Prince, a friend, or simply a person.
He fell helplessly in love with this bright and unrestrained woman.
Yet at that time, Hua Ning’s heart and eyes were wholly fixed on the Junior Minister. Emperor Jian knew he stood no chance and could not offer her a lifelong promise, so he could only silently accompany and watch over her. Still, the affection in his heart deepened with each passing day, refusing to fade.
Like a rich wine, it grew more mellow with time, more intoxicating the longer it aged.
This continued until the Junior Minister fell gravely ill.
Hua Ning was a person of pure emotions. Aware of the Junior Minister’s frail health and chronic illness, she was willing to marry him and accompany him to his final moments, even knowing he would not live long. What she hadn’t anticipated was that she would become pregnant.
Their love had found a continuation.
The Junior Minister, recognizing Emperor Jian’s sincere feelings for Hua Ning, entrusted her to his care before passing away.
Hua Ning complied.
She did not want Xie Chengze to grow up without a father, for she knew the hardship of being parentless from a young age. Emperor Jian had stood by her through her most difficult times, and she was naturally willing to honor his heartfelt intentions.
Yet the ways of the world are unpredictable.
Hua Ning did not live to see Xie Chengze come of age, succumbing to illness and melancholy before her time.