Chapter Sixty-One: The Sudden Death of King Han

Page 1 of 3

Han Royal Palace

The complexion of King An of Han had clearly improved a great deal.

After all, the state of Qin had genuinely delivered two hundred thousand gold coins to the gates of the Han royal palace, the chests lined up in a row, a truly astonishing sight.

“I wonder when Your Majesty will send the princess to Qin for the wedding?” Li Si stepped forward to remind the elated King An.

“No rush, give it a few more days. I have yet to discuss things thoroughly with the princess,” King An replied, immediately adopting a stalling tactic.

“I hope Your Majesty will not disappoint my Great Qin’s heartfelt intentions.” Li Si bowed and withdrew.

…

Meanwhile, in the Princess’s residence, Honglian was glaring angrily at her brother, her face flushed scarlet.

“Brother! I will not marry that so-called sworn brother of the King of Qin. If anyone’s to marry him, it should be you!” Honglian flatly refused.

“If it were Fang Yu, would you marry him?” Han Fei asked, narrowing his eyes.

“No, never. Who’d marry that scoundrel?” Honglian’s tone, however, had softened noticeably.

Han Fei paced back and forth in Honglian’s chamber, then stopped and looked at her. “Have you ever considered—”

“That Fang Yu is actually Li Yu, the sworn brother of the King of Qin.”

Honglian was taken aback. “What?”

“Brother, don’t joke. It’s not funny at all!”

Han Fei’s face grew grave. “I’m not joking. Just after Fang Yu threw Han into chaos, the Qin envoys arrived, and specifically demanded your hand in marriage. If it weren’t for Fang Yu’s feelings for you, I can’t think of any other reason for such a coincidence.”

Honglian’s cheeks turned crimson. “Brother! What nonsense are you talking about? Who said anything about feelings!”

Han Fei smiled. “When you two lock eyes, that melting gaze—don’t think you can fool me.”

He resumed his pacing. “As for Fang Yu’s plan, looking back, he didn’t have to come to Han in person at all—he could have controlled everything from afar. His real reason for coming to Han probably lies elsewhere.” With that, he looked pointedly at Honglian.

Unable to bear his gaze, Honglian buried her head under the covers.

“Brother, do you really believe my mother was harmed by Lady Mingzhu?” Honglian’s muffled voice came from beneath the blanket.

“Heh! Such an excuse could only fool a three-year-old. By the time Lady Mingzhu arrived at the palace, your mother had already passed away. The timing doesn’t add up at all. I suspect there’s another plot behind this two hundred thousand in gold—I just can’t deduce what it is yet,” Han Fei said with a faint smile.

…

The Residence of the Fourth Prince, Han Yu

“Has General Ji come here for Honglian?” Han Yu asked, regarding Ji Wuye, who was visiting his estate for the first time.

“Will the Fourth Prince go back on his word?” Ji Wuye’s gaze was somewhat intimidating as he stared at the prince.

Few can endure such wild swings of fortune.

“No matter. I have a plan! Rest assured, General, Honglian will be yours,” Han Yu said, a rare trace of cruelty flickering across his face.

“There’s a lot of talk outside these days, none of it favorable to you, Fourth Prince,” Ji Wuye remarked, half in jest, half in earnest.

“Mere rumors—what trouble can they stir?” Han Yu dismissed it with disdain.

Nobles never bother with the affairs of those beneath them; it’s a matter of attitude.

…

Han Royal Palace

King An of Han

Standing amid the vastness of his palace, King An felt utterly lost.

His beloved, Lady Hu, had vanished.

His legitimate wife had been dismissed.

For the first time, King An tasted the bitterness of loneliness.

Just then, a palace eunuch approached and presented a bowl of ginseng soup.

“Your Majesty, this is a recipe left by Lady Hu herself. Please try it.”

“Oh, just set it aside.” Hearing Lady Hu’s name, King An felt even more despondent.

“Where is Lady Mingzhu?” he asked, recalling her cold beauty.

“Your Majesty, Lady Mingzhu left the palace that very day, taking all the palace maids from Mingzhu Hall with her,” the eunuch replied truthfully.

“Still no word from Bai Yifei?” King An thought of Lady Mingzhu, who was Bai Yifei’s cousin, and asked in passing.

“None, Your Majesty. Last I heard, he was still recovering at Blood Garment Fortress,” the eunuch reported all he knew.

King An gazed at the eunuch before him and said softly, “You’ve served me for twenty years, haven’t you?”

The eunuch bowed. “Your Majesty, twenty-two years and three months.”

King An chuckled. “Indeed. You’ve served me the longest. Leave me now; I wish to be alone.”

Late at night, with the palace quiet, King An let out a sigh.

Looking back on his life—he had once galloped across battlefields, played political games, fought fiercely for power, been full of youthful vigor, pointing out the world and commanding armies.

Yet time truly does erode a person’s will.

He was no longer the passionate youth of those days.

Now, he was merely an old man in his twilight years, desiring only to pass the throne on in peace.

The eldest was incompetent, the fourth too ruthless, the ninth most talented.

King An knew this well.

But holding an empire is never so easy.

Power corrupts the heart most easily.

Once at the pinnacle, the world becomes your enemy.

The title “the Lonely One” is not self-effacing, but self-mocking.

Lost in thought, King An grew weary, lifted the ginseng soup from the table.

As the soup slid down his throat, Lady Hu’s foxy, pitiful image danced before his eyes.

He recalled their many moments together—Lady Hu had always known how to please him best.

“My love…” Tears fell uncontrollably as he sipped the soup, savoring its familiar taste.

When the bowl and spoon clattered to the ground, King An collapsed.

Hearing the noise, the eunuch rushed into the inner hall, only to see King An face-down, motionless on the ground; terrified, he ran outside, shouting for help.

Civil and military officials hurried to the palace that very night.

Several of King An’s children were already weeping by his bedside.

When the imperial physician confirmed King An’s death, Princess Honglian fainted on the spot.

“Can you determine the cause of death?” Han Fei stepped forward and asked the physician.

“Preliminary diagnosis: tetrodotoxin poisoning,” the physician answered truthfully, not daring to conceal a thing.

“What?” Fourth Prince Han Yu stared at him in disbelief, as if seeking confirmation.

“Indeed. Judging by His Majesty’s current state and the unusual odor in his mouth, it’s almost certain,” the physician explained.

“Who wanted our father dead?” Han Yu’s eyes blazed with murderous fury as he glared at everyone present, finally settling his gaze on Han Fei.

“You suspect me, Fourth Brother?” Han Fei, in contrast, was now frighteningly calm, his voice low and cold.

“Father wished to marry Honglian to General Ji, but you, sharing a mother with her, refused—and so you bore a grudge, did you not?” Han Yu shouted angrily at Han Fei.

Han Fei glanced at the assembled officials, especially at Ji Wuye, who already had his hand on his sword, ready to act at any moment.

Zhang Kaidi stepped forward. “Fourth Prince, right now, the most important thing is to ensure King An is laid to rest. The court must not descend into chaos!”

Han Yu bowed to him. “The Chancellor is right. Our father’s funeral takes precedence. But his death cannot remain shrouded in mystery. Ninth Brother, you’ll have to endure a little and remain within the palace for now.” He looked pointedly at Han Fei.

…

“Have you heard? Han Yu killed his own father and placed the Ninth Prince under house arrest.”

“Han Yu’s not even pretending anymore.”

Page 2 of 3

“I heard he and Ji Wuye spend every night together, even sharing a bed.”

“That’s nothing. Word is Han Yu’s own son was involved as well.”

“Good thing Lady Mingzhu was dismissed, otherwise she’d have been in trouble too.”

“Isn’t that the truth?”

“They say Han Yu’s holed up in the harem now, drinking and feasting, and even invited Ji Wuye to join in some sort of wild banquet.”

“I heard that too. He doesn’t even spare the old maids who’ve served in the palace thirty years—truly depraved!”

“Exactly, utterly depraved.”

“In this whole country, only the Ninth Prince is a decent person.”

“The poor Ninth Prince—we must avenge him!”

“Yes, what a good man he is. We should seek justice for him!”

“Purge the corrupt!” “Avenge him!”

At the Five Villages Monastery, requests were always met—arms, food, even heavy weapons like bows and crossbows were soon supplied.

Chancellor’s Residence

Zhang Kaidi called Zhang Liang to his side.

“My grandson, Han won’t last much longer. Qin’s eyeing us from without, Ji Wuye and Han Yu are in league within. Do they really think the world is full of fools? You should find a way to study at the Little Sage Village. If there’s hope for restoring our kingdom, it will lie with you and the Ninth Prince.”

Young Zhang Liang paused to consider. “Grandfather, can’t the Ninth Prince turn things around?”

Zhang Kaidi shook his head helplessly. “He has no foundation. By the time all’s counted, he’s not even been back in the capital six months—how can he compare to those who’ve been entrenched in the court for decades?”

Zhang Liang: “So Fang Yu really was sent by Qin?”

Zhang Kaidi: “My mind isn’t muddled yet. As soon as he left, Han fell into chaos and the Qin envoys followed right after. How could that be a coincidence? I suspect he’s the King of Qin’s brother, and he’s likely left other moves in place.”

Citizens of Xinzheng

“They say there’s a mountain of gold in the palace now, dozens of chests, all filled with money.”

“Dozens? More like hundreds! All our hard-earned wealth!”

“All the money from the world’s banks—our family savings!”

“Let’s demand our money back!”

“They’ll never admit it.”

“Then let’s just take it, damn them!”

“Let’s go!”

“That’s right! Even a cornered rabbit bites back!”

“If they won’t let us live, we won’t let them live easy either. I hear the Fourth Prince is living it up in the harem, indulging in every vice.”

“Let’s go, demand justice!”

A massive crowd quickly gathered outside the palace gates.

“Make the Fourth Prince return our money!”

“We want to see the Ninth Prince!”

“We want to see the princess!”

“Bring Ji Wuye out!”

“Out with him!”

The soldiers tried to restrain themselves, not letting the situation escalate.

Han Yu stood atop the city wall, looking down at the seething masses, his expression proud and disdainful.

“Godfather, these rabble are completely lawless—to dare assault the palace!” Han Qiancheng said, peering down from behind him.

“Let’s go down and have a look.” Han Yu hadn’t wanted to bother with the rabble, but remembering his public image, thought he might as well try to smooth things over.

“Godfather, it’s better not to go,” Han Qiancheng urged, fearing for Han Yu’s safety.

“No matter. They’re mere rabble—would they dare harm me?”

As Han Yu stepped out of the palace gates, many people recognized him.

“Fourth Prince, give us our money back!”

“Fourth Prince, that’s my family’s entire savings!”

“My poor mother’s waiting for that money to buy medicine—have mercy on us!”

Cries and wails merged into a single wall of sound.

Han Yu frowned.

Han Qiancheng stepped forward. “Your money is with the world’s banks. You’ve come to the wrong place.”

Someone in the crowd shouted, “Who doesn’t know the banks are a scheme by your Han court, just a way to bleed us dry?”

“That’s right! Give our money back!”

In a fit of rage, Han Qiancheng drew his bow and aimed it at the speaker.

The crowd erupted in chaos.

“The Fourth Prince is killing people!”

With a scream, someone in the front row fell to the ground, struck by an arrow.

Panic swept the crowd.

Inflamed by rage, people grabbed bricks and kitchen knives, surging toward Han Yu like a powder keg ignited.

Frightened, Han Yu hurried back into the palace under Han Qiancheng’s protection.

“Who told you to shoot?” Once inside, Han Yu berated Han Qiancheng furiously.

“Godfather, that arrow wasn’t mine. Even if it was, they deserved it—how dare those rabble assault you?” Han Qiancheng was indifferent.

He knew nothing of sparks igniting a conflagration, nothing of the gunshot at Lexington.

The crowd was quickly roused into a frenzy—some even brought siege engines.

Spears, knives, oil, scaling ladders.

Led by a few impassioned citizens, the people threw themselves into the assault on the palace.

Many soldiers dared not resist too hard, seeing familiar faces among the crowd; some even joined in, shouting to purge corruption and save Han Fei.

The crowd swelled, others beat drums and called for more to join.

Ji Wuye stood atop the wall, inwardly terrified.

He was no military fool like Han Yu. Seeing the lines of siege engines, the catapults, and the rabble being taught how to use them, he realized a gigantic conspiracy had engulfed Han.

This was no mere mutiny—it was a war of the nation, with all the people participating.

Ji Wuye felt chilled to the bone—he hadn’t felt such fear in years.

As the first stone struck the wall, the war began.

Ji Wuye had ordered troops from the provinces to defend the palace the day before, but not a single soldier had arrived.

Every report coming back spoke of local uprisings.

At first, Ji Wuye hadn’t taken it seriously.

But seeing today’s scene, he realized this was no mere rebellion—it was total war.

Meanwhile, Han Fei’s residence was eerily quiet compared to the chaos outside.

“I wonder if I should have you assassinate Li Yu,” Han Fei mused, gazing at the shadow drifting overhead.

“That would solve everything at once, but then my poor sister would hate me forever. Difficult…”

“And you might not succeed anyway.”

As he muttered to himself, the tumult outside startled Han Fei.

Page 3 of 3

The shadow overhead darted into the sword case before Han Fei.

“I want to see my brother—why are you stopping me!” came the princess’s voice.

“The Fourth Prince has ordered that the Ninth Prince not leave his quarters,” a soldier replied.

At that moment, Han Fei approached.

“My fourth brother said I cannot leave, but he never said no one could enter. Why are you blocking Princess Honglian?”

The soldier hesitated, realizing he had a point.

“Please, Princess.”

“Hmph! I’ll have Li Yu deal with you!” Little Honglian, clutching her gown like an indignant chick, marched into Han Fei’s chambers.

“Brother, do you think Fang Yu—Li Yu—will abandon me? He still hasn’t come to see me…” The princess tugged Han Fei’s sleeve, her voice on the verge of tears.

“How could he? That brother Fang of mine is a romantic, and a passionate one at that. My sister is so lovely and virtuous—how could he bear to let you go?” Han Fei gently stroked Honglian’s head.

“Then where is he?” the princess asked curiously.

“If I’m right, he’s not far from Xinzheng,” Han Fei said with certainty.

“Brother, who killed Father?” The princess’s face darkened as she asked.

“Whoever benefits most is the one who killed him,” Han Fei replied coldly, a glint in his eyes.

“Brother, do you mean Li Yu?” The princess was so frightened she seemed to lose her wits.

Han Fei lightly tapped her head. “How could it be your beloved? I mean the one who now controls the court.”

“Fourth Brother? Impossible…” Even though she’d just speculated about her own fiancé, little Honglian could never suspect her own brother.

“Power blinds the eyes,” Han Fei sighed, helplessly.

“Brother, I miss Father…” Little Honglian nestled against Han Fei, tears streaming down her cheeks.

…

Notting City

Notting Academy

When Li Yu presented Bibi Dong’s letter of recommendation and the emblem of the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall to the principal—

“The Holy Son himself, visiting our humble soul master academy. To what do we owe the honor?”

“I’d like to teach here for a while—as a form of cultivation. Would you allow it?” Li Yu explained politely.

“What subject or class would the Holy Son wish to teach?” The principal did not immediately agree, wanting to hear Li Yu’s request first—he couldn’t accept anyone just because they came from Spirit Hall.

“I’ll teach the combat techniques class for the graduating work-study students. That way I won’t mislead anyone, nor will I have any negative influence on the academy. Would that be acceptable?” Li Yu smiled.

Li Yu’s humility pleased the principal, but he was still unsure of Li Yu’s true abilities.

Sensing the concern, Li Yu smiled and said, “How about this: I’ll use only one hand, and you may go all out. We’ll stop before injury. How about it?”

“Young man, a bit arrogant, aren’t you? Very well, let’s see if a disciple of Spirit Hall is as formidable as the rumors say.” The principal’s initial good impression vanished, and four spirit rings spun around him.

Li Yu raised one hand; instantly, a Taiji diagram appeared on the floor—this time, larger and edged with an extra layer of bagua symbols, covering the entire room.

“Heaven!” With a word, Li Yu vanished from sight.

He reappeared behind the principal.

“Cloud Hand!” At the sound, the principal felt a tremendous force at his back, launching him like a cannonball into the opposite wall.

Li Yu hurried forward to help him up.

“Are you all right, Principal? This is a move I’ve just developed—didn’t know how strong it was, so I held back a bit.”

The principal sputtered, “…Fine, fine… the young will always surpass the old. There’s no denying it…” and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

A knock came at the door. “Principal, there was a commotion just now. Are you all right?”

The principal collected himself, not wanting others to witness his embarrassment, and called out, “Nothing! Just a spar with the new teacher.”

“Oh!” The footsteps retreated.

“Principal, am I satisfactory?” Li Yu asked sincerely.

“When do you intend to start teaching?” The principal had agreed. Originally, he had no objection to Li Yu teaching work-study students, but after witnessing his strength, he considered letting him teach formal classes as well.

But Li Yu was here to chase girls, not to teach for real.

He politely declined.

When Li Yu arrived at the work-study students’ dormitory, he instantly spotted a cute little bunny girl with a scorpion braid—the only bed in the dormitory that was two beds put together.

As Li Yu entered, all the students noticed him.

Looking at the room full of kids, Li Yu wanted to leave, but restrained himself.

“Hello, everyone. I’m your new teacher, Li Yu. This is your final year at Notting Academy. To improve your combat experience, I’ll only be teaching you practical skills. Nothing else. If you can last ten breaths against me, you’ll graduate.” Li Yu rattled off a long speech, unsure whether the kids understood.

“You don’t look much older than us. What could you possibly teach?”

“Yeah, you’re just a kid yourself—want to be our teacher? Ha! That’s a joke!”

The little pink bunny joined in the laughter.

Li Yu rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

“How about this—if you all come at me together and last three breaths, I’ll quit and give each of you three gold coins. Deal?” Li Yu took a pouch of coins from his soul guide and tossed it in his hand.

“Boss, what do you think?” a student asked the pink bunny.

“Fine. Make him put the money on the bed first, so he can’t go back on his word,” the little bunny replied, all bravado.

“You heard that! Put the money on the bed—our boss doesn’t trust you!” the boy shouted.

Li Yu tossed the pouch aside, unconcerned.

The rest of the students crowded around, encircling Li Yu.

Li Yu, towering over the children at nearly six feet, was clearly much older despite only being four years their senior.

“You must be their boss, right? Don’t you think this contest is a bit unfair?” Li Yu smiled at the cute bunny girl.

“How is it unfair?” The adorable little voice was almost lethally sweet.

“If I lose, I have to pay up and lose my job. But if you lose, you lose nothing. Does that sound fair?” Li Yu sounded every bit the big bad wolf trying to trick the little bunny.

“Then what do you suggest?” The little bunny eyed the pouch, tempted by the gold.

“If I lose, I’ll leave. But if you lose, you’ll have to do whatever I say. How’s that?” Li Yu laid out his terms.

“What if you make unreasonable demands?” one sharp student pointed out the loophole.

“I won’t make unreasonable demands. And if you complete my tasks, I’ll reward you with even more gold.” Li Yu took out another pouch and shook it enticingly.

“How about it?”

“Deal!” The little bunny nodded, striking a fighting pose.

“Wait a minute—aren’t there supposed to be ten of you in this dorm? Why are there only nine?” Li Yu looked around, realizing Tang San was missing.

“You mean our real boss? He trains alone with the Master—rarely see him more than a few times a year,” a student explained.

“Oh? You’re a team—why does he get special treatment?” Li Yu fanned the flames.

“The Master doesn’t think much of us,” one kid blurted out.

“No matter! He may not value you, but I do. Let me see what you’re made of.” Li Yu got ready, not wanting to be caught off-guard—he went all out.

Stomping his foot, a Taiji Bagua diagram covered the dorm.

“Azure Dragon!” With a word, a massive blue dragon filled the room.

The little bunny collapsed in fright.

The others fared no better—not one dared make a move.

Li Yu stood atop the dragon’s head.

“Convinced now?”