Chapter 884 - 889: Sending the Marquis of Hongdu County on His Final Journey (2)

Chen Mo: "..."

This person is quite interesting, I wasn’t even pursuing him anymore, yet he rushed to deliver himself.

Chen Mo smiled and said: "My beloved minister is a meritorious and important minister of the Great Wei, how could I bear to punish you? Moreover, I have only abolished the Secretariat and the Prime Minister, and reassigned my beloved minister to the newly established Cabinet as a Grand Scholar. Yet, outsiders say I am ungrateful; if I were to punish you, I don’t even know how they would criticize me.

You also wouldn’t want to put me in a position where I’m seen as ruthless and unjust, would you?"

"Your Majesty..." Geng Songfu choked up a bit, knowing that His Majesty was excusing him from punishment. Ultimately, thousands of words boiled down to just one: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Speaking of which, the reason Geng Songfu was able to reach this point.

Was because he was old, and with no attachments, he was extremely concerned about his own purity.

If the "Geng Faction" continued to develop like this, his end would probably not be much better, even the Red Book Iron Certificate might not protect him.

Of course, he wasn’t a saint either.

If Nanhua was pregnant with his child.

Or if Nanhua was not bestowed by His Majesty, but a woman he loved deeply, with profound feelings between them.

He would also show favoritism.

He wouldn’t sit by and watch the "Geng Faction" collapse.

Nor would he come to confess his guilt.

...

Time flew by.

Without noticing, more than a month had passed.

The Great Wei thus entered the eleventh month of the First Year of Zhenghe, as autumn receded, winter arrived, and the temperature dropped particularly quickly.

The feeling was as if just yesterday people were cooling off shirtless, and after one night, wearing a cotton jacket still made them shiver.

The battle situation on the Shu Residence’s side.

Also came to a close.

In the military’s prison at the Shu Residence.

Yang Xian’s battle armor was in tatters, covered with dried blood stains, but his body had no obvious wounds, indicating this blood wasn’t Yang Xian’s own.

Yang Xian’s half-black, half-white long hair was a disheveled mass, and his face was covered in dust, his whole body exuding a stench mingling sweat and blood.

It was precisely the dead of winter that kept the stench from permeating the air.

He sat just like that in a cell lined with dried straw, without handcuffs or shackles, no ropes seen binding him, his face full of dejection and resentment.

The two prison guards watching him couldn’t help but whisper seeing him like this, saying: "The Marquis of Hongdu County, whose daughter is even His Majesty’s Princess Consort Zhao, reaching the highest ranks, yet he had to gather troops for his own weight, rebel, and defy His Majesty, now reduced to a prisoner, for what?"

"Indeed, even the previous rebellious Prince Huai, King Chong, and Lu Sheng’s alliance couldn’t stand against His Majesty, where did he get this confidence?"

"Nonetheless, the State Preceptor is formidable, heard that when he made a move, it took less than ten rounds to subdue him and sealed his cultivation."

"Think about it, wouldn’t be appointed as State Preceptor by His Majesty without being formidable."

Yang Xian raised an eyebrow. Though his cultivation was sealed, the perception of an Upper-Grade Martial Artist remained, allowing him to hear clearly what they whispered, flooding his heart with an endless sense of desolation.

Thinking such small characters dare to discuss him now.

Just then, the clanking sound of chains outside the cell resonated, jolting Yang Xian’s heart, causing the two soldiers to stop their discussion and look toward the sound. Seeing the visitor, they immediately went up to greet them.

Wu Yanqing entered, surrounded by a group of Personal Guards, and instructed the soldiers who greeted him: "Open the door."

At once, the soldiers quickly complied and opened the prison cell.

"What are you here for?" Yang Xian showed no good expression, an indifferent look on his face.

"I came to bring some food to the Marquis of Hongdu County."

Wu Yanqing walked into the cell, followed by two Personal Guards. One held a Master’s Chair for Wu Yanqing to sit on.

The other carried a food box, placing it before Yang Xian, then opened it, bringing out the food inside one by one.

There was fine wine, roast goose, roast duck, even bear paw, a very sumptuous feast indeed.

Wu Yanqing waved his hand, signaling the two to leave, then picked up the wine jug, personally pouring Yang Xian a cup, and offering it, saying: "This is the fine wine bestowed by His Majesty before the campaign, haven’t had the chance to drink it on the way, want to try it?"

Yang Xian was unperturbed, accepting it and gulping it down, thanking him for the good wine, before extending the cup back towards Wu Yanqing, as if saying for another.

Wu Yanqing obliged, pouring him another, then gazed intently at Yang Xian, saying: "His Majesty is benevolent, gave you several opportunities, this campaign even sent Lady Zhao to persuade you, why does the Marquis remain so obstinate?"

Yang Xian emptied the cup again, looking back at Wu Yanqing, replying in a questioning tone: "Everything in Shu Residence, I painstakingly built it from scratch, yet now with a nonchalant sentence from him, he wants to take it all away, how can it be so easy?

Not to mention, he’s like a treacherous wolf; I gave my daughter to him, assisted him in his campaign against Prince Huai and King Chong, and asked for no compensation afterwards, merely wanting to preserve my own territory, he disagreed and pursued ruthlessly, such a person, how could I let him have his way?"

As he spoke, Yang Xian’s anger flared up instead.

"The Marquis still lives in the past, today’s era has changed, the trend is for Central State’s unification. To resist the trend is like smashing an egg against a rock. His Majesty is a wise and capable ruler who won’t allow anyone to gather troops for themselves to defy the Court."

Wu Yanqing poured another cup, but instead of handing it to Yang Xian, he splashed it in front of him, saying: "Moreover, when you helped His Majesty against Prince Huai et al., I’m sure you had your own calculations.

If Prince Huai and others had won back then, would the Marquis have assisted His Majesty?"

Yang Xian didn’t listen to Wu Yanqing’s latter words, but seeing the wine poured in front of him, was suddenly shocked, gazing at the bountiful meal before him, speaking with a relatively relaxed but probing tone: "So sumptuous, a last meal?"

Seeing Wu Yanqing not answering, having an expression of silent assent, an unspeakable dread flooded his heart.

In truth, he refused Chen Mo’s multiple "chances," opposed the Court, because he harbored a delusion, thinking he contributed to Chen Mo’s current success, and his daughter was also Chen Mo’s woman.

He believed Chen Mo wouldn’t deploy troops, even if he did, the worst outcome he imagined was imprisonment, never death.

Now realizing his fate was death, Yang Xian’s complexion changed.

"What do you intend to do? I want to see His Majesty, let me see Princess Consort Zhao, Qingqing, Qingqing..." Yang Xian began to yell.

"So the Marquis can feel fear too. Unfortunately, it’s too late." Wu Yanqing said with a calm, unemotional tone.

After speaking, he took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom, and in front of Yang Xian, poured it into the wine jug, saying: "Princess Consort Zhao likely won’t see the Marquis now, and His Majesty has no time to see you either."

Upon finishing, he stood up, turned his back, and ordered: "Someone, see the Marquis of Hongdu County on his way."

Even though His Majesty didn’t explicitly say to kill Yang Xian.

But considering Yang Xian’s daughter was His Majesty’s Princess Consort Zhao, if His Majesty decreed Yang Xian’s death, it would create a rift between His Majesty and the Princess Consort.

Better this villain be played by him.

Moreover, given his position, even if the Princess Consort clung to His Majesty to blame him afterwards, he feared not.

Better for Yang Xian to fear and take his own life, eliminating future troubles, and avoiding gossip about His Majesty.

Yet upon these words, none dared move for a moment, including Wu Yanqing’s Personal Soldiers.

After all, Yang Xian’s position was not ordinary.

Wu Yanqing frowned, roaring: "Do you want this General to do it personally? See the Marquis of Hongdu County on his way!"

This time, the Personal Guards moved.

Forcing the poisoned wine into Yang Xian’s mouth.