Jin Rong stared at Luo Zhugen with disbelief, but his gaze looked like someone who finally understands everything.
"You...so you're the one who killed my father!" He shouted. "The weapon that used to kill my father was a gun and you're holding it now. Ha! Who would have thought that the beloved concubine of the Emperor is a traitor who has this secret relationship with the Western Continent? I wonder if the Emperor knows about this matter. Or perhaps...General Luo helped you hiding it because you saved his son before?"
The matter about assassination, Luo Zhugen doesn't know anything about it, so he used the back of his gun to hit Jin Rong's face. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting now? I don't even know which one is your father and for your information, it's the first time I come to this place."
Jin Rong spitting the blood from inside his mouth and glared at Luo Zhugen. He might be afraid of Luo Hai, but not towards Luo Zhugen.
The more Jin Qiu watched it, the more he felt annoyed with his half brother. "You are now the head of the prestigious Jin Family, but you don't know what happened within the Empire? You didn't know that this man is the commander of the special troop trained personally by the Emperor to serve me?" He told the man the story that he's agreeing with Ren Zhengsheng before. "I heard that father was assassinated by someone from Western Continent, and then don't you think you should blame Western Continent instead of blaming random people? Do you want to lose your head or something?"
"You think I would feel scared with your threat?!"
"You think I'm threatening you now? Should I kill you or should I keep you alive? I wonder which one is better." Jin Qiu moved closer to his half brother and whispered in a low voice, only enough to be heard by Jin Rong. "And you better stop causing me trouble or I might reveal the fact that you got involved in the assassination of Zhengsheng's mother. You and the old man are really dirty after all."
Jin Rong gritted his teeth. At that time, their father was the one who asked Jin Qiu to make a plan for the assassination and he was the one who executed the plan. At that time, their father think that as long as they kill Ren Zhengsheng's mother, then Ren Zhengsheng won't be able to get the throne. But instead of stopping the man, the death became a trigger instead. Ren Zhengsheng started a rebel and killed every single member of Imperial Family, including the former Emperor and Empress.
"Song Yun and Xiang Ru have been missing and I want to find them, which is why I came here to bring Jin Troop along with me." Jin Qiu turns around and looked at Duan Huifang, who seemed to understand what he wants to do. "Let's move to my room so we can talk more about the detail on how we should find them." He continued. "They're quite precious, so I don't want to waste more time talking here."
Jin Qiu paused for a moment before he stepped out of the room. "Right, Jin Rong. I forgot to tell you that you're not qualified to become the family head. You're a coward." Said the man before he walked out, followed by Duan Huifang and the others.
Jin Rong just watched. His fist clenched before he throw the sword he's holding away. "Jin Qiu... I will make sure that you regret making me as your enemy. I will make sure that you will suffer because of what you did."
❖
Once they reached Jin Qiu's room, Jin Qiu waste no more time as he took out a map and opened it on the table.
He pointed to one part of the map that showed the part of Western Continent. One whole continent ruled by one Emperor and that Emperor is none other than Meng Chen.
"I don't know if it's their doing or not, but at the palace where Song Yun and Xiang Ru went missing, we found a jade that supposed to belong to Xiao Changming. And as Luo Hai might have already aware, Xiao Changming is an assassin worked for Meng Chen. I'm afraid; this is their move to start war against Eastern Continent. And even though the situation is quite dire, Zhengsheng still refuse to move the Imperial Troop to try to look for Song Yun and Xiang Ru."
"Because usually, His Majesty thought about things differently."
"I know. But just like how he thought about things differently, I also thought about things in different way."
Luo Hai stared at Jin Qiu for a moment before he started to chuckle. Ever since the man's personality's changed, he has been entertained quite a lot. That was also why he choose to follow the man here even when he know what exactly the Emperor is thinking by letting things be like this. Everything will be fine even if Jin Qiu didn't do anything, but letting Jin Qiu does something will make things even more interesting.
"Then what do you think we should do?" Luo Hai asked.
"I will bring some people from Jin Troop and going to the Western Continent together with Zhugen." Jin Qiu revealed.
Duan Huifang shook her head. "You know well enough that Eastern Continent and Western Continent never get along. If you go there, it would be the same as committing suicide."
"I believe that Meng Chen wouldn't do anything that will harm me."
"And where did that confidence come from?"
"He once asked me to come with him to Western Continent and I heard from Song Yun that he tried to protect me when I got framed by Zhang Ai."
The confidence to be loved by two Emperor of strong continent might look ridiculous to those who don't know, but everyone in this room know that both Ren Zhengsheng and Meng Chen are indeed in love with Jin Qiu and would do anything for the man.
"Let's say that the Western Emperor won't do anything to harm you, then what if he chooses to keep you there? Western Continent might be weaker than Eastern Continent and they have no warlords like us, but it's still dangerous." Duan Huifang said again. She's completely against the idea of Jin Qiu going to the enemy's territory. "You might be strong, but what can one person do against many?"
"If things really come to that, then I will come to break through their defense." Luo Hai suddenly said. He was rather calm at the idea of Jin Qiu going to Western Continent. "That's the reason you choose to let me come along to this place, right? You need someone else to watch your back, and since you choose to bring Luo Zhugen with you, I will be the one who watch your back."
"I also want to know why they choose to send me to Eastern Continent, knowing that we might die in the process." Luo Zhugen added. "I don't like it when someone tried to use me in their scheme. I might just put a hole inside that man's head."
"Oh? It seems like we have the same thought. I feel like we're brothers' separated since we're born." Luo Hai joked.
"I have no brothers." Luo Zhugen replied coldly.
"Okay, enough of the joke." Jin Qiu cut off. "I need to bring Jin Troop in case I need to move them in emergency situation. Not to mention, if Song Yun really has been kidnapped by them, I'm afraid that he won't be in good condition."
Everyone turned silent then.
Meng Chen might be treating Jin Qiu nicely, but towards others, he's quite stern. The man is known as a kind mind, but Jin Qiu has experience a lot of fake kindness, so he can't help but think of the worse situation. "I want to settle this as clean as possible."
❖
Though Jin Qiu said that he will bring Jin Troop, he didn't bring the whole troop and instead just choose around 35 guards from the many. And while Jin Qiu busy explaining the plan together with Luo Hai and Luo Zhugen, Duan Huifang watched them from the side. She wants to ask the reason why Jin Qiu chooses to kill his own father that night. But looking at the current situation, it doesn't sound right to ask about something like that. The safety of the Empire's strategist comes first. Her curiosity still can wait.
"Do you think he look so far away?"
She raised her gaze and saw Luo Hai standing beside her. She doesn't even know when the man move closer to her.
"Master Luo."
"That day, a servant told the Emperor that the First Concubine fell sick, but since the Emperor didn't say anything about it, no doctor came to check on the First Concubine. A day later, he suddenly came to the hunting ground and since then, their relationship started to change. Mostly because the First Concubine looked so different than before."
Duan Huifang didn't say anything. She knew how much Jin Qiu loves the Emperor, so if their relationship getting better, for whatever reason is, she's just glad.
"The well mannered commander of Jin Troop, after recovering from illness, has become a very wild person who wouldn't hesitate to punch or to beat someone else." Luo Hai continued. "Just as if he's a different person."
"What are you trying to say, Master Luo?"
"Oh..you don't have to make such a scary face." Said the man with a slight smirk. "I simply say what I think inside my head. To begin with, the Emperor and the First Concubine getting along is impossible. Surely you're aware that the one who set the plan to murder the Emperor's mother was the First Concubine, right? The only reason the Emperor taking him as concubine was so that he could get revenge. Towards Jin Family. Towards the First Concubine. Don't even thinking of saying that you don't know anything about it, because you're the one who's always standing beside the First Concubine since he was young. But like you see, the Emperor treasure him so much now. He would do anything for the First Concubine now. And as far as I know, the Emperor is not someone who will get swayed by his enemy. There's only one explanation, and that's if that Jin Qiu and this Jin Qiu are two different people."
Once. Duan Huifang once thought about something like that, but she brushed it off by thinking that Jin Qiu wants to be a better person. "Master Luo means that the Emperor will treasure the fake Jin Qiu instead the real one...?"
"You can think however you want, but one thing for sure, I'm on Jin Qiu's side. This Jin Qiu. He saved my son. And also, he's such interesting person that I can't wait about what he will do next."
Duan Huifang clenched her fist. She heard about Luo Hai, the commander of the navy, as well as the Emperor's cousin. She heard that he's a dangerous man who enjoy battlefield. Even the reason he's following the Emperor is because he knew that the Emperor will be involved in a lot of battle.
She almost got swayed by his words.
"Huifang?" Jin Qiu waved his hand in front of Duan Huifang, who didn't responded to him even though he has been calling her for several times now.
When Jin Qiu placed his hand on the woman's shoulder, she got startled and stared at Jin Qiu with a pale face. "What's wrong with you?" Jin Qiu asked. "I've been calling you for several times now, but you're so occupied with your own thought that you got startled like this."
"Ah...sorry about that. I was thinking about something. So how is it going, Qiu er?"
"The preparation has been finished so I will go to the Western Continent right away. I want you to stay here to make sure that Jin Rong won't do anything stupid while I'm not around."
Duan Huifang smiled. "I know. I will go to the palace if something happen."
Jin Qiu nodded his head and walked to his horse. He dispatched with Luo Zhugen, Luo Hai, and 35 guards from Jin Troop. He wishes that there won't be anything like war, but they still need to prepare for the worst situation. And he wishes that nothing bad happen to Song Yun or Xiang Ru.
❖
Scream filled the underground prison where the Western Continent kept their most dangerous criminal, just like one in the Yingtai Empire. The sounds of whip against the skin could be heard very vividly.
A long black haired man keep hitting his whip against his prisoner even when the prisoner almost losing his consciousness.
"Just what makes you so loyal to him, Song Yun?" The black haired man asked almost nonchalantly. "He's called a demon. A heartless man. I'm sure that he won't do anything to save you even when he knew that you are being tortured in this place. All he cares about is himself after all."
Song Yun laughed for a bit. His eyes opened and looked at the man torturing him. "Does Meng Chen know about this? Kidnapping the advisor of your enemy and torturing me for slight bit information. What a joke..." He whispered. "Just say that you're thirsty for a war so you do something like this."
"I don't need his permission to do something like this."
"Your action will destroy the Western Continent..."
The black haired man slapped Song Yun quite hardly.
"Destroy? Who cares even if I ended up destroying this place? To begin with, I don't even care about this place." Said the man. He throws the whip he's holding away. "It would be good if Zhengsheng come to bring his troop and start a war with Western Continent. Just like me, he's someone who will shine at the battlefield and I really miss to see his eyes that looked so cold as he killed his enemies. And to bring him to that state again, I will have you to tell me about his weakness."
"Just kill me." Song Yun replied. "I will never betray His Majesty. Not in this life."
From angry expression, the black haired man now looked bored. "All the warlords are so boring. They would throw their life so easily in order to protect Zhengsheng. He must be happy to have so much of loyal dog like you." Slowly, a smile formed on his face. "I heard rumors that now, Zhengsheng has someone he loved deeply and would do anything for this person. Who is this lucky girl?"
"I told you to just kill me already... You won't get anything from me.."
"All of you are so eager to die, but too bad, I won't let you die that easily." Said the man as he turns around and walked to the cell door. "Whether you tell me or not, I will find out about it soon enough and I will erase that weakness of him. Ren Zhengsheng shouldn't have any weakness." He continued as he walked out of the room.
After the step sounds completely gone, Song Yun spit out the blood from inside his mouth.
He didn't wish to be rescued by the Emperor or anyone, because since the beginning, he's ready to throw his life away if that can make the Emperor obtain his dream to unify the whole continent, making it a better place to live. It's just..he didn't thought that he will die in this kind of way.
He felt very pathetic.
"Song Yun."
At the familiar voice, Song Yun opened his eyes again. The light was dim, but he could see Xiang Ru standing right outside his jail.
"I didn't expect that he would do something like this to you." Said the beautiful man before he used the spare key he have and entered the cell. "If you die here, Jin Qiu would chase me even to hell, so let's end this. You need to go back to Yingtai Empire and I will stay to make some lies."
"Do you work for His Majesty, or do you work for Jin Qiu..?"
"I work for His Majesty, but Jin Qiu is my friend and he sees you as his friend. The old Jin Qiu won't bother if his friend died, but not the current one. You know well enough just how angry he was when Zhiqiang tortured the people he called as his acquaintance."
"This is the fate of becoming the warlords, Xiang Ru... Stop involving your own feeling into this matter. If you release me, then all the torture I receive will be for nothing. You need to infiltrate the Western Continent."
Xiang Ru stared at the advisor, but not saying anything. He knew what Song Yun means. Everything that happened here was something planned by the Emperor in order to make the Western Continent trust him.
He was the one who agreed to do it this way. He was the one who agreed to become one of the warlords as soon as he entered the palace. And he pledges his loyalty towards the Emperor. "Meng Chen can't stop Qin Quan, so he will torture you even more." Xiang Ru finally said. He took out small pill and placed it in Song Yun's mouth. "You know well enough that His Majesty won't come here, so if you think it's too hard to endure, just swallow it. It will ease your pain."
When he saw Song Yun's smile, he felt slight regret, but it's not like he can't back down now. He turns around and left the jail. He doesn't know what Song Yun will choose. He might let himself keep getting tortured while waiting for someone who will never come, or he might swallow the pill and die.
❖
"How's Xiang Ru?"
"He has been spending days with drinking and playing games with all ministers. As expected of someone who came from a brothel." Xiao Changming commented.
Meng Chen set the book he's reading down and leaned back to his chair. A few days after he came back from Yingtai Empire, Qin Quan, the former Crown Prince of Western Continent, came to him and told him that he will kidnap Song Yun, the smart advisor, with the help of Xiang Ru. At first, he doubted the plan, but Xiang Ru was the one who created the whole plan and brought Song Yun to this place.
"Xiang Ru was once loved by the Emperor, but now that the Emperor fell in love with Jin Qiu, he felt a great jealousy and decided to side with enemies. He betrayed his Empire and helped us capturing the advisor." The man twirling a brush around his hand. "Did Qin Quan get anything from all the torture he did to Song Yun?"
"No, I don't think so."
"If Zhengsheng doesn't care about his subordinate, then there's no use to keep him alive. Have Xiang Ru kill Song Yun to prove his loyalty to us."
Xiao Changming paused for a moment before nodding his head. He doesn't like to do something like this, but in a war, there will always someone who will die.
"That guy is here!" Qin Jingfei burst into the room without even knocking on the door.
"That guy?"
"First Concubine of Yingtai Empire."
Meng Chen stood up from his seat and rushed out of the room. His heart has been captured by Jin Qiu, but even so, he doesn't think he would be able to get Jin Qiu. That's why he felt so happy to hear that Jin Qiu actually came to Western Continent.
❖
Jin Qiu stared at the capital of Western Continent. Luo Hai told him to change his clothes and told him to wear a crown hair pin, so now, he looked like a member of Imperial Family. A look that the original Jin Qiu always has whenever he went out with Jin Troop because it made him look even more capable as a commander. And one will definitely say that Jin Qiu looked very attractive with his current appearance.
"You don't know how happy I am to know you come all the way here, Jin Qiu."
"I'm still the First Concubine of Yingtai Empire, so don't you think you need to call me Your Highness instead of my name?" Jin Qiu turns around and looked at Meng Chen, who wears complete Emperor attire.
"Then can I assume that you come here as an envoy from Yingtai Empire? Did you come here to look for the advisor? Or you come here as a friend of.." Meng Chen paused and looked at Luo Zhugen, who's standing beside Jin Qiu. "Master Luo?"
"Ha. So you're aware that Zhugen knew me and purposely sending all of them to Yingtai even when you know what kind of personality that Zhiqiang has. But I will leave that aside for now. I came here to get Song Yun and Xiang Ru back. What are you trying to do by kidnapping them?"
"I'm assuming that if Master Luo is really your friend, then nothing will happen to him and the people with him, since you will be able to protect them. And about those two warlords, the one who kidnapped them wasn't me. Beside, the only one who got kidnapped is Song Yun, while Xiang Ru... well, I'm sure you know what I mean."
While Xiang Ru is the one who helped them. That's the only thing that Jin Qiu could think about because there's no way Xiao Changming would be able to kidnap two warlords at the same time. There is someone who betrayed them and it seems like the person is Xiang Ru. In the novel, Xiang Ru betrayed the Emperor because the Emperor killed his best friend, Jin Qiu, but now, he is still alive and the Emperor also treated him nicely. There's no reason for Xiang Ru to do this.
"Weather in Western Continent is colder than Eastern Continent, so please follow me. We can have a chat inside." Meng Chen motioned the guest to follow him.
Jin Qiu and Luo Zhugen looked to each other. They knew why Meng Chen wants to take them inside, but even when they knew the risk, they still choose to walk inside while leaving the guards to wait outside.
In case something bad happen, Luo Hai who watched them from a far will do something. The most important thing is to find Song Yun and Xiang Ru first.
❖
Luo Hai leaned to the tree and smiled as he watched the man he served observing the whole capital of Western Continent. "Originally, you don't want to do something like this, right? So what change your mind, Your Majesty? Don't tell me that you came and brought all of these troops just because you're worried about the First Concubine? That's not like you at all."
"Who knows? Maybe I will really do something like that."
"Seriously?"
"In order to build a good empire, sacrifice is necessary. That's what I used to think. But Qiu er showed me something else. He could just abandon Luo Zhugen and the others so he can get along more with Zhiqiang, since getting along with Zhiqiang is necessary if he plans to take the seat of Empress, but he didn't. In his eyes, Luo Zhugen is his vassal, his subordinate, and it is his responsibility to protect his subordinate. I want to try his path. I have the power to do it, so there's really no problem."
What the Emperor said put Luo Hai into silence.
Though not a direct member, Luo hai is still a part of the Imperial Family. He went to the palace several times when he was younger and he met with Ren Zhengsheng during his younger day.
At that time, Ren Zhengsheng's mother was the First Concubine.
Loved by the Emperor. Loved by people. Loved by servants and guards.
Feeling threatened by the existence of the First Concubine, the Empress was seeking help from the vassal on how to get rid of her enemy and that's when Jin Qiu cleverly set a plan to kill the First Concubine without even the Emperor know about it.
Ren Zhengsheng's life changed then.
He didn't get what he deserves as a prince and everything came to a worst when the Crown Prince tried to assassinate him. When Ren Zhengsheng revealed it to public, the Emperor siding with the Crown Prince instead and sends Ren Zhengsheng to the battlefield. He came back after the war end with his own troops and slaughtered his own family. To people's eyes, he might look like a power hungry man, but actually, Ren Zhengsheng is quite a good Emperor.
It proved with how Yingtai Empire get more prosperous and strong under his rule.
If there's one problem, that would be only because Ren Zhengsheng simply see the people who work at the palace as nothing but pawn for his plan. And that would probably get fixed with Jin Qiu's existence.
"It might be Qin Quan's idea." Ren Zhengsheng suddenly said.
"What?"
Ren Zhengsheng pointed to one side of the capital that filled with guards. In the middle of those guards, stood one man that looked eccentric. "It seems like Qin Quan has been recovered from the wounds I inflicted him and is now coming back by working together with Meng Chen."
"So what do you plan to do now, Your Majesty?"
"Let's watch first. I want to see what Qiu er wants to do by hiding all of this from me and going to Western Continent alone."
Even though Ren Zhengsheng said to wait and watch, there's nothing that could make him felt more anxious than waiting and thinking about all kind possibility that could happen to Jin Qiu. As a man who fell in love, he just want to blindly charge into the capital and start a war, but as an Emperor, he need to calculate everything so there will be no mistake that would destroy the peace he created in Yingtai Empire.
❖❖❖