Chapter 74

At that critical moment, someone arrived outside the prison cell and hurriedly intervened.

“Left Worthy King, the Chanyu has ordered that General Ning is not to be killed. He must be brought to heel!”

Huyan Su had no choice but to lower his whip, his expression fierce and resentful. “My father already has a powerful warrior to guard the Xiongnu. Why bother subduing Ning Shoujiang?”

“The Yan Chi people would never exchange Long City for him anyway. We might as well kill him now and hang his corpse from the city walls to intimidate those Yan Chi barbarians!”

The guards did not dare say anything more. Seeing that the wounds covering Ning Shoujiang were horrifying, they first treated his injuries.

Only after they had finished did they bring him to the khan’s tent.

Ning Shoujiang felt as though his entire body were burning with pain. Even breathing caused a searing agony. With great effort, he opened his eyes.

Seated above him was a sharp-eyed man with graying hair, staring down at him.

“General ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‍Ning, why put yourself through this?” Xiongnu King Huyan Qu shook his head. “Do you know that it was the Yan Chi people who betrayed you, causing you to lose two cities?”

When Ning Shoujiang remained silent, Huyan Qu continued to coax him.

“General Ning, I know you are made of iron and steel and will never submit.”

“But you ought to think of yourself. And if not yourself, then at least think of your family. Their situation is no better than yours…”

Ning Shoujiang’s body stiffened.

Huyan Qu walked closer and looked down at him, his tone filled with pity.

“You must have guessed already.”

“You failed in your duty to guard the border. The survivors will shift all the blame onto you, while the traitors among them will report to the imperial palace that you colluded with the Xiongnu and sold out military secrets. What do you think the emperor will do to the Ning family once he hears that?”

Ning Shoujiang’s heart clenched, and sorrow filled his eyes.

Of course he had already guessed.

Many officials at court coveted his father’s position as Minister of War and were only too eager for something to happen to the Ning family so that the old general would be forced to relinquish his office.

The late emperor had always been wary of the Ning family, displeased that their achievements had overshadowed the throne. That was why Ning Shoujiang had volunteered to go to the frontier and guard it for so many years: to dispel the emperor’s suspicions and allow his family to live in peace in the capital.

The new emperor had been on the throne for barely half a year and was busy consolidating his power. Regardless of whether he truly feared the Ning family, this incident was the perfect opportunity for him to seize control of the Ministry of War. Why would he help the Ning family?

From the moment Ning Shoujiang had fallen into the trap and been captured, the Ning family’s fate had been sealed.

The Ning family would be branded traitors, and every one of them would be executed!

Amid his grief and daze, the voice above him rang out again.

“After news of the two cities’ fall and General Ning’s capture reached the imperial palace, every official pointed accusingly at Old General Ning. The emperor flew into a rage and had the entire Ning family thrown into prison. They are to be executed three days from now.”

“By my count, the execution will take place in three days.”

“Your Ning family has been loyal to the death, every one of you a blood-forged warrior who fought and died for your country. Yet in the end, you will all die at the hands of your own people. What a tragedy. What a lamentable fate!”

Ning Shoujiang cut him off, his voice hoarse. “I know what you are trying to do. There is no need to say more!”

“The Ning family’s creed is loyalty to the sovereign and protection of the country. No matter what happens, even if it costs us our lives, the Ning family will never betray that creed!”

Huyan Qu’s expression changed. He snapped, “I clearly misjudged you!”

“Loyalty to the sovereign? What kind of sovereign is that? A ruler who suspects you, distrusts you, and is even willing to exterminate your entire family! Protect the country? What country are you protecting? The one that betrayed and abandoned you?”

“What your Ning family calls loyalty and righteousness is nothing but foolishness! Selfishness!”

“Why not serve a ruler who trusts you and makes use of your abilities? Why protect those hypocritical wretches at court and that cold-blooded tyrant? The only ones worth protecting are the innocent common people.”

“Why not submit to the Xiongnu and trample the Yan Chi imperial palace beneath our feet? Then the people could live under enlightened rule. That would be what truly benefits the people of Yan Chi!”

“If you agree to surrender to me, then when your family is sentenced to death three days from now, I can send men to rescue them and bring them back to the Xiongnu!”

“Which matters more—the faith you cling to or the lives of your family? You have three days to think it over.”

“Take him away!”

The guards immediately dragged Ning Shoujiang’s battered body away.

Ning Shoujiang closed his eyes, and a line of bloody tears slipped down his face.

When the cunning hare is dead, the hunting hound is boiled!

The Ning family had always held to a single belief: loyalty to the sovereign and devotion to the country.

Why, then, for something so simple, had they suffered endless suspicion and distrust, been betrayed and harmed by their own people, and ultimately met with such a fate?

Thirty years ago, when the Xiongnu invaded and were only two cities away from reaching the capital, it was his father who had risked his life to save Yan Chi!

Fourteen years ago, when the Xiongnu returned, it was his second, third, and fourth brothers who had used their own flesh and blood—dying on the battlefield—to protect Yan Chi!

And now…

Now the Ning family had only one heir left, yet he had been betrayed by his own people. In the end, the entire Ning family would die at the hands of the very Yan Chi they had fought so desperately to protect.

How bitterly ironic.

How utterly tragic.

Had the faith the Ning family had upheld all these years truly been wrong…?

After Ning Shoujiang left, Huyan Qu returned to his tiger-backed chair.

“Hmph. He is certainly a hard bone to crack. But no matter how hot the blood, after enduring this ordeal, it should have gone cold.”

The only thing Huyan Qu found strange was the news that had come from the Yan Chi imperial palace. The emperor had actually declared that he would protect the Ning family until the truth was uncovered.

How laughable!

Outside the tent, a guard arrived to deliver a message. “Chanyu, Shaman Yuekun has arrived.”

Huyan Qu immediately came to himself. “Invite her in at once.”

Shaman Yuekun was no ordinary woman.

Before the age of fifteen, she had been an ordinary person. Then one day, a strange phenomenon had appeared near her home. A rainbow of seven colors stretched across the sky, while every sheep, horse, and ox within a hundred-li radius ran into trees and died, as though offering themselves in sacrifice.

After a bolt of lightning struck the house where Shaman Yuekun lived, she awakened completely to the will of the gods.

From that day onward, her temperament changed drastically. Her skills in divination became peerless. She could drive away evil spirits, ward off misfortune, and invoke blessings.

Huyan Qu’s health had been deteriorating lately. He was growing old, and many things were beginning to exceed his strength. Thus, he had summoned the legendary Shaman Yuekun to bring blessings upon his body.

Before long, a woman slowly entered the tent. Her face was covered in intricate, ancient totemic patterns, and around her neck hung a string of sixty-six fangs from ferocious beasts, each one belonging to a different savage predator.

Huyan Qu was about to speak when he saw Shaman Yuekun suddenly frown. She hurried to his side without a word and began casting the divination.

When she finished, Shaman Yuekun let out a long, heavy sigh. Then, as though she had finally understood something, she murmured, “Disaster is where fortune leans, and fortune is where disaster lurks. So that is how it is…”

When it came to a physician, the most frightening thing was the dreaded sequence of silence, a frown, and a sigh. With a shaman, it was even worse if, after performing all three, she began muttering words no one could understand.

Huyan Qu immediately grew anxious. “Is the omen auspicious or ominous? Shaman Yuekun, what exactly do you mean?”

Shaman Yuekun spoke slowly.

“Fourteen years ago, the Xiongnu suffered defeat and humiliation. To seek peace, Chanyu, you sent your least-favored son to the Yan Chi imperial palace as a hostage. That was a calamity, yet it preserved a sliver of fortune for today.”

The more Huyan Qu listened, the more confused he became. What did this have to do with that abandoned son?

He could only suppress his impatience and continue listening.

“You wished to raise the most capable Left Worthy King, so you allowed your twelve sons in the Xiongnu to compete and slaughter one another. Now, only Left Worthy King Huyan Su remains. He is brave and battle-hardened, courageous and resourceful, and will surely be able to lead the Xiongnu in conquering all four corners of the world. This should have been a blessing.”

“But he just happens not to be the Chanyu’s biological son. And so, that blessing has given rise to disaster.”

The moment those words were spoken, Huyan Qu’s pupils contracted, and his breathing grew rapid.

“Shaman Yuekun, are you certain you read the divination correctly?”

Shaman Yuekun shook his head. “Chanyu, before summoning me, you must have made inquiries about my abilities. I have awakened divine insight and am protected by the gods. I have never misread a divination.”

“If you investigate carefully, Chanyu, you will be able to learn the truth.”

Huyan Qu fell silent for a moment before finally waving his hand. “You may leave. You are not to mention this to anyone.”

“Yes, Chanyu.”

Shaman Yuekun withdrew slowly.

The instant she turned around, Shaman Yuekun—also known as Fang Yao’er, who had spent a fortune crafting this amazingly impressive shaman persona—curled her lips into a faint smile.

As people grew older, they naturally became more prone to overthinking and suspicion, especially now that Huyan Su already possessed the bearing of a new king. He had the support of the people and was extremely decisive in all he did. This made Huyan Qu feel gratified, yet at the same time, unable to stop himself from growing suspicious and wary.

Now that the seed of doubt—whether Huyan Su was truly his biological son—had been planted in Huyan Qu’s heart, all that remained was to wait for it to grow on its own. Then Fang Yao’er would continue adding fuel to the fire, while the spy His Majesty had planted in the Xiongnu did their part as well~

She had always known that she, Fang Yao’er, was destined to accomplish great things!

Once she succeeded in sowing discord within the Xiongnu, the Fang family genealogy would have to be rewritten beginning with Fang Yao’er!

Inside the tent, Huyan Qu wore a solemn expression, his face filled with doubt.

He certainly could not believe Shaman Yuekun based on her word alone.

But this matter was of the utmost importance. He had to investigate it thoroughly before he could set his mind at ease!

After summoning a trusted aide and giving him instructions to look into the matter, Huyan Qu sat down, his expression somewhat dazed.

Perhaps he could not stop himself from following his suspicions, because the more he thought about it, the more evidence he found that Huyan Su was not his biological son.

“Enough. I mustn’t overthink this. Perhaps there is something wrong with Shaman Yuekun. Everything must be investigated thoroughly before any conclusions are drawn!”

Regardless of the truth, that abandoned son had to be brought back!

He could no longer try to win over or kill Ning Shoujiang. He needed to use Ning Shoujiang’s life to exchange for the life of his own son!

Huyan Qu felt a headache coming on. If things continued this way, the contest between the Xiongnu and Yan Chi would once again leave the Xiongnu at a disadvantage.

Although he said this to himself, Huyan Qu could not stop his mind from wandering.

Back then, Huyan Su’s mother had been forcibly taken by him after he became interested in her. Not long after she came to him, she had given birth to Su-er. Could it be that she had already been involved with her former lover…

No, he mustn’t let his imagination run wild!

Su-er’s features did not look much like his either…

He couldn’t keep thinking about this!

What had that lover of hers looked like again…?