CHAPTER 365: CHAPTER 327: THE DEAD ARE GONE, THE LIVING CAN PURSUE

Wipe out the entire Songzhou City!

As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if a thunderclap exploded above Fan Cheng’en’s head. In an instant, his whole body froze in place, his face turned deathly pale, and his figure swayed.

After a moment, he looked at Yu Wenye with reddened eyes and grit his teeth, saying, "Are you insane?! The people here are innocent!"

Yu Wenye said indifferently and without a trace of warmth, "My wife is also innocent."

"..."

"You want to exterminate her entire family, who are all innocent."

Saying this, he glanced away, then chuckled softly and said, "Her relatives, I believe, are not unfamiliar to you. Former Minister of Rites Shen Shiyan was dismissed and exiled for advising the Emperor to stop attacking Liaodong. It seems he had quite a collegial relationship with you, Mr. Fan."

"...!"

Fan Cheng’en’s breathing became erratic.

How could he not know Shen Shiyan? Although he was first moved to Song State, and their time serving in the palace together wasn’t long, he later heard that Shen Shiyan and Pei Xu and others had also advised against the Emperor’s campaign against Liaodong and were directly dismissed and exiled. Their miserable state had left him feeling deeply saddened for them.

Shang Ruyi’s regicide was a crime worthy of ten thousand deaths, but to implicate nine generations of her family, Shen Shiyan and the others would also be affected. How could he be any less innocent?

Thinking of this, Fan Cheng’en’s iron-hard heart trembled.

At this moment, Yu Wenye coldly said again, "If you insist on acting against my wife, then I, Yu Wenye, can only use the lives of this entire city of innocents to bury with me and her!"

"You—!"

Fan Cheng’en was so flustered that he was at a loss, clenching his fists and taking a couple of steps back and forth. Then he turned back to look at Yu Wenye urgently, "You can kill me, kill my entire family! But the people of this city have nothing to do with this!"

Yu Wenye said expressionlessly, "Whatever you say is useless because the message has already been sent out."

"..."

"Now the only one who can make a decision is you, Mr. Fan, and you only have two choices—one is to persist in killing me and my wife, and then bury the people of your entire Songzhou City with us."

"..."

"The second is to let us go, and you and the people of this city can continue to live."

"..."

"Make your choice."

His words not only intimidated Fan Cheng’en but also frightened the surrounding soldiers.

The hands holding swords and blades among those people began to tremble.

It must be understood that these people were almost all locals of Songzhou. Not only were they born in the city, but their families and relatives were also there. In the chaos, there was nowhere to go, and only under Fan Cheng’en’s governance could they have a few days of peace; if Duke Sheng really wanted to slaughter the city, today’s actions would merely be the knife that would tomorrow be raised to their necks.

Thinking of this, these people became scared.

To be sure, if anyone else said these words, they could still disregard them, but Yu Wenye was Duke Sheng Yu Wenquan’s most capable son. If he really died here, there was no way Yu Wenquan would let it go. Yet now—

Thinking of this, everyone dared not think further.

Among them, a few soldiers closest to Fan Cheng’en couldn’t help but say softly, "Sir, please think three times."

"Yes, sir, the people of this city are innocent."

"Sir, the incident of His Majesty being assassinated has already passed, not to mention now there is also—" Before the person could finish speaking, Fan Cheng’en glared at him with reddened eyes, scaring him into swallowing the rest of his words, trembling as he continued, "Sir, we still want to live."

"Yes, we want to live..."

The faces of these people, one by one, showed sincere pleading expressions, and seeing this, Fan Cheng’en’s heart broke even more.

Really, does he have to use the lives of the people of this entire city to pave the way for avenging the Emperor?

He had lived a life of clear integrity in his official career, loyal to the Emperor and serving the country, and after knowing the Emperor was assassinated, he was determined to avenge and wash away his loyal Emperor’s shame. However, he also loved the people like his children, and compared to loyalty to the Emperor, the lives of the people in this city were something he couldn’t let go of.

At this moment, he seemed to stand at the center of a balance scale, and no matter which way he chose, it would be wrong.

Even though he held the sword and surrounded by an army, Fan Cheng’en was sweating profusely, as if he had been forced to a dead end. Meanwhile, Yu Wenye, even standing alone in the medical hall, seemed like an immovable mountain, one he couldn’t surpass despite his best efforts, unable to avenge his loyal Emperor.

Fan Cheng’en gritted his teeth and said, "Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution for this senseless slaughter?"

Yu Wenye said, "I am not afraid."

"You—"

If he had said more, Fan Cheng’en might have contested him with reason, but the simple and decisive "not afraid" showed his cruelty and resolve vividly.

At this time, a soldier most timid and cowardly dropped his weapon in panic and kneeled with a thud at Fan Cheng’en’s feet, pleading, "Mr. Fan, you must not abandon us, my entire family is innocent!"

As he kneeled, those around also put down their weapons and knelt.

For a moment, the sound of pleading was continuous.

Amid the kneeling and pleading, Fan Cheng’en stood motionless in place—yet he wasn’t truly immobile, but standing there stiffly unable to move. Yet the hands hanging by his sides tightened forcefully, veins bulging on the backs of his hands, his whole body like a bow pulled to the extreme, on the verge of breaking.

At that moment, a low voice sounded in his ear, stating calmly, "The dead are gone, the living must move forward."

Upon hearing this sentence, Fan Cheng’en trembled all over, as if a tightly stretched string suddenly snapped with a twang. Instantly, he slumped down, as if his entire strength had been drained from him. When he looked up again at Yu Wenye, his face was pale, and his eyes had turned dull and bleak.

He said, "You may leave."

Yu Wenye glanced at him.

He saw Fan Cheng’en’s face ashen, a sense of defeat as if his very soul had been extracted. The armor he wore seemed more like a burden crushing him. He lowered his head and said feebly, "In truth, even if I killed the regicide today, it’s too late. I did it only to repay, one last time, Your Majesty’s kindness in recognizing my talents. But I never expected—"

At this point, he mockingly laughed at himself.

Laughing, he helplessly shook his head and slowly turned to walk into the crowd. And those soldiers, they all breathed a sigh of relief at this moment, as if they had just returned alive from Yama Hall. They slowly stood up, some wanting to say something to Fan Cheng’en but not knowing how to start.

Everyone could only watch him walk away slowly.

But just then, Yu Wenye suddenly said, "Mr. Fan, I have something to ask you."

Fan Cheng’en paused in his steps but did not turn back; he only said over his shoulder, "What else do you have to say?"

Yu Wenye said, "When did you receive the so-called news of my wife’s ’regicide’?"

This term "regicide" was like a dagger, plunging straight into his heart from the back. Fan Cheng’en’s body swayed, he took a deep breath and said, "Just today."

"Today?"

Yu Wenye’s eyes flickered, then he said, "There are some words I wish to tell Mr. Fan."

Only then did Fan Cheng’en slowly turn around, looking at him without any emotion: "Speak."

Yu Wenye said, "My wife is but a woman; if she truly attempted to assassinate His Majesty, there is no way she could have retreated unscathed."

"..."

"When His Majesty was assassinated, why did Wang Shaoji and his imperial guard, tasked with His Majesty’s protection, not seek vengeance as you did? Moreover, the proclamations they’ve issued have reached here, yet they remain in Jiangdu, why?"

"...!?"

Fan Cheng’en suddenly froze, staring wide-eyed at him.

"You mean—"

"I am not saying anything,"

Yu Wenye said calmly, "The world is in chaos, with all manner of people and occurrences. Mr. Fan, as someone who values the people, you are a blessing to this city’s residents. However, you must also discern right from wrong; like a wise bird choosing a tree, only then can you preserve yourself and this city’s people through this turbulent time."

"..."

"I have spoken all I can."

With that, he politely cupped his hands to Fan Cheng’en once more.

Watching Yu Wenye’s composed demeanor, Fan Cheng’en seemed somewhat dazed. He remained silent for a long while before slowly saying, "Great General..."

Yu Wenye looked up at him.

Originally, Fan Cheng’en seemed he was about to say something, but after calling out "Great General," he paused, as if finding the title somewhat amusing. He faintly smiled and corrected himself: "Second Young Master."

"..."

Yu Wenye slightly furrowed his brow, as if sensing something.

But he only said, "What advice does Mr. Fan have?"

Fan Cheng’en looked at him for a moment and then slowly said, "The Second Young Master indeed stands out amongst men; I, Fan Cheng’en, am convinced."

"..."

"I can immediately withdraw my troops, but I also ask the Second Young Master to retract your message. Do not provoke your esteemed father to massacre Songzhou City, after all, he now—"

At this point, his words faltered,

Yu Wenye said, "What?"

Yet Fan Cheng’en hesitated for a moment, then suddenly laughed at himself, shook his head, and said: "Nothing."

Then, as if he didn’t care about anything anymore, he turned around and waved his hand at them, saying, "You may go. I, I will do nothing more to you."

His dejected figure slowly disappeared into the crowd.

And the other soldiers, at this point, no longer lingered. They picked up the swords they had just dropped at the side and quietly turned to leave.

Yu Wenye stood there, frowning as he watched these people leave, yet a hint of doubt arose in his heart.

It seemed as though...

However, he quickly dispelled his own doubts.

For him, when faced with something uncertain, the most important thing is not to speculate but to immediately seek the truth, which is the most direct and effective solution.

Thus, he turned and walked toward the inner chamber. As soon as he reached out to lift the curtain, he was suddenly taken aback.

Shang Ruyi was standing at the entrance of the inner chamber, looking up at him this moment.