Shen Qingfeng paused. Only then did he notice that Xia Chuli had somehow come to stand beside him, hands clasped behind his back. It seemed he had been “admiring” the scene for quite a while.
Shen Qingfeng stared blankly at him. He couldn't believe that the man he had loved for so many years could be so cruel to him. He wondered why the innocent and lovely young man from the past had turned into the tyrant he was now. Looking at the all-too-familiar face in front of him, his tears streamed down like a bursting dam. “... Why? Xia Chuli, why are you doing this...”
Hearing Shen Qingfeng's voice, Xia Chuli glanced at him nonchalantly. Then, as if he were looking at someone insignificant, he turned back, walked with his hands behind his back towards Shen Shiqiu who was lying on the ground, barely breathing.
Shen Qingfeng sensed something and his scalp went numb. His heart pounded wildly. Struggling, he cried out, “Xia Chuli! What are you doing! Don't do this! Don't do this!”
The clanking of the iron chains was sharp and ear - piercing, but Xia Chuli seemed not to hear. Shen Yu was supporting himself against a pillar, coughing up blood. Yu Shuang didn't bother to care about him. Seeing Xia Chuli approaching, she grabbed Shen Shiqiu by the collar and started dragging him towards Xia Chuli.
Shen Qingfeng could almost foresee what was about to happen. Tears and sobs came out together as he said, “Xia Chuli! Don't do this! I beg you! I beg you! Spare them!”
In his previous life, Shen Qingfeng had only begged others twice, and both times it was Xia Chuli.
This was the first time. The second time, he begged Xia Chuli to kill him.
Shen Qingfeng was an arrogant man who was most unwilling to bend. Even when he did, his spine remained straight. But such a man actually begged Xia Chuli.
He begged Xia Chuli to spare the Shen family, but Xia Chuli suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at him. The king and his subject locked eyes. It seemed as if they could both see the days they had spent together, but now, everything had changed.
“Are you begging me?” Xia Chuli laughed, seemingly quite surprised. He laughed so innocently, just like he did many years ago. He wasn't a tyrant, nor the King of Lixia. He was just a helpless crown prince in the cold palace.
Shen Qingfeng shed tears, his body trembling uncontrollably.
“Shen Qingfeng, are you begging me?” Xia Chuli seemed to be in high spirits. His smile grew wider. He slowly walked up to Shen Qingfeng and stroked his blood - stained face.
“... Yes, I'm begging you.” Shen Qingfeng closed his eyes, his heart in agony. “Please... spare my family.”
Xia Chuli smiled cunningly. “What if I don't agree?”
Shen Qingfeng felt his heart bleeding. Looking at the pool of blood everywhere, he said in a trembling voice, “Why do you want to kill the Shen family? The Shen family has always been helping you!”
Xia Chuli paused and said in a deep voice, “There's no reason.”
“Xia Chuli! You're crazy! Have you gotten addicted to killing the King of Cheng and the King of Yu? Are you even going to kill the meritorious officials who have always supported you? Do you want the whole world to be buried with you!” Shen Qingfeng roared angrily. He struggled, and the iron chains dug deep into his flesh, squeezing out blood that trickled down.
“Meritorious officials? Hahaha!” Xia Chuli suddenly burst into laughter. “I ascended to the throne because I killed my father and my brothers. What does it have to do with the Shen family?! Even if they covered for me, isn't that what a subject should do? It's their duty! Now, the king wants the subject to die, and the subject should die.”
Shen Qingfeng looked at Xia Chuli in disbelief. He couldn't understand that all the things the Shen family had done during the palace coup were just “duty” in Xia Chuli's eyes?
“Hahaha! Xia Chuli! What a 'the king wants the subject to die'! You brute! The Shen family helped you seize power and stage a palace coup, but you forgot all about it right away!” Shen Yu roared angrily. “You ungrateful wretch! The Shen family shouldn't have supported you in the first place! You're worse than a dog, using people and then discarding them!”
“It's too late for you to regret now.” Xia Chuli sneered. Turning to Shen Yu, he said, “Because now, the one sitting on the throne is me.”
Xia Chuli raised his hand and shouted, “Yu Shuang.”
Yu Shuang said coldly, “Your subordinate is here.”
Shen Qingfeng paused, crying like a madman. “Xia Chuli! Spare them! Please! I beg you!”
“Qingfeng.” Xia Chuli suddenly called Shen Qingfeng's name. “Didn't you say the Shen family didn't agree to you being with me?”
Shen Qingfeng was stunned.
“Now I'll kill them. Won't the troublesome people be gone?” Xia Chuli smiled bloodthirsty and dangerously.
No—
It wasn't like this—
“Yu Shuang, do it.”
“No!”
-
“Qingfeng!!!” Xia Chuli shook Shen Qingfeng vigorously, worriedly. “What's wrong with you?”
Shen Qingfeng suddenly came back to his senses. He stared blankly at Xia Chuli in front of him. For a moment, he couldn't tell if it was a memory or reality.
Xia Chuli seemed a bit anxious. He reached out and touched Shen Qingfeng's forehead, saying anxiously, “Qingfeng, do you want me to call a royal doctor?”
This was— the Eastern Palace?
Shen Qingfeng shook his head. He didn't know how he had fallen into the memories. Since his rebirth, he hadn't thought about those memories for a long time. After all, the memories were too heavy. Now, he had his father, his elder brother, A Man, and Uncle Zhong. Why, with what trigger, did he recall them now?
Shen Qingfeng turned to look at Xia Chuli, as if trying to find an answer on his face.
But Xia Chuli just looked at him in confusion, scratching his head. “W - what's wrong?”
“It's okay...” Shen Qingfeng took a deep breath, propped himself up on the table and stood up. Apologizing to Xia Chuli, he said, “A Li, I'm not feeling well. I'll go back first.”
Xia Chuli looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and said, “But you haven't finished talking to me yet.”
Shen Qingfeng turned to look at him, a bit confused.
Xia Chuli scratched his head and said, “You said we'll start the operation in ten days, but what about Xia Yonglin...”
“Xia Yonglin still needs a push.” Shen Qingfeng said. “You just wait for my arrangements. Don't act rashly.”
Xia Chuli nodded and said, “Then... what do I need to do?”
Shen Qingfeng looked at him thoughtfully, smiling. “A Li, there are so many memorials. Can you handle them all?”
“Er...”
Shen Qingfeng said, “Don't forget the outside world still thinks you're bed - ridden due to poisoning. You'd better focus on the memorials. I'll take care of the other things.”
-
After saying goodbye to Xia Chuli, Shen Qingfeng quickly returned to the Shen Mansion.
He originally wanted to use Fei Ziyu's matter to probe Xia Chuli. Although he didn't notice anything wrong, the long - lasting memories in the Eastern Palace still gave Shen Qingfeng a wake - up call.
That was, although Xia Chuli was well - protected by him now, he should still keep something back from him.