The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0793 An Unexpected Event

After Zhou Yan was captured and brought back to the capital, Zhou Jing did not execute him. Instead, he kept him in the Imperial Palace. News of this quickly spread throughout the capital.

Meng Nian was so furious that his face turned livid. "Wangye, Zhou Jing cannot be allowed to remain." He dares defy Wangye while his wings and feathers were not yet full. Once his wings were fully grown, wouldn't he simply have them all killed?

Yan Wushuang was not angry. Instead, he said, "It doesn't matter. Let's see what he intends to do!" If Zhou Jing truly intended to oppose him, he should not have chosen this moment to do so. Yan Wushuang wanted to take a good look at what medicine Zhou Jing was selling in his gourd.

Not before long, a eunuch arrived to summon Yan Wushuang to the imperial palace.

When Zhou Jing saw Yan Wushuang, he stated, "My body has been permanently injured, and I will never be able to have children in this lifetime. That is why I am keeping Zhou Yan." He wasn't asking for Yan Wushuang's opinion; he was informing him of his decision.

Yan Wushuang smiled and said, "You are the Emperor now. You can do whatever you want. No one can stop you." Although there was a smile on his face, there was not the slightest trace of warmth in his eyes.

Zhou Jing did not become angry either. "Is that so? Do you really take me, the Emperor, seriously? Or rather, have you ever truly cared about my father and grandmother?" If Yan Wushuang truly cared about him, why would he have allowed him to suffer so much torment?

Yan Wushuang said nothing.

Zhou Jing continued bluntly, "Yan Wushuang, the only reason you pushed me onto the throne was that you wanted me to be a puppet. Your true objective is to overthrow the Zhou clan's realm and slaughter every last member of the Imperial Family. Am I right?" Ever since learning that his body had been permanently damaged and that he would never be able to have children, Zhou Jing had begun to lose his ability to hold himself together. After all, Zhou Jing was only a fifteen-year-old boy.

Yan Wushuang raised an eyebrow and asked, "And what if I am? What if I'm not?" It was true that he felt little genuine affection for Zhou Jing, and the reason was simple: Zhou Jing belonged to the Zhou family. The blood of that inept ruler flowed through his veins. Whenever Yan Wushuang saw Zhou Jing, he could not help but remember his family members who had died such horrible deaths.

Zhou Jing's face was filled with hostility. "I know I'm no match for you, but I will not allow you to take this position in peace." Zhou Jing had always harboured hatred in his heart, but he had kept it suppressed in the past. Now, someone had deliberately drawn that resentment out of him.

Yan Wushuang shook his head. "Your Fu Wang was such an intelligent and forbearing man. I never imagined he would produce a fool like you." It had only taken three months for someone to sow discord and manipulate Zhou Jing. Ever since Zhou Jing had ascended the throne, Yan Wushuang had never tried to prevent others from getting close to Zhou Jing. The result, however, left him deeply disappointed.

Zhou Jing raised his voice. "The greatest mistake my Fu Wang ever made was handing me over to you." All these years, Yan Wushuang had neither permitted him to study nor taught him strategy. He had never allowed him to become involved in major military or state affairs either. All he had taught him was how to kill.

Yan Wushuang laughed. "Without me, you would have died long ago." After pausing for a moment, he continued, no longer bothering to waste words on Zhou Jing: "Go on, then. What exactly do you want?"

Zhou Jing replied, "I want to appoint Zhou Yan as Crown Prince."

Yan Wushuang gave Zhou Jing a long, searching look before smiling. "As you wish." With that, he turned around and walked out.

Zhou Jing stared at Yan Wushuang's retreating figure, his fists tightly clenched. In truth, Zhou Jing had hated Yan Wushuang ever since discovering his true identity. He was clearly a favoured son of Heaven, yet he had been forced to endure such inhuman torment.

When Meng Nian learned that Zhou Jing intended to appoint Zhou Yan as Crown Prince, he was furious. Seeing that Yan Wushuang remained completely unperturbed, Meng Nian asked, "Wangye, aren't you angry?"

With his hands clasped behind his back, Yan Wushuang answered calmly, "Not long after Zhou Jing became old enough to understand things, someone told him his true identity." The person who had revealed Zhou Jing's identity was one of the men left behind by the late Crown Prince. This had not escaped Yan Wushuang's notice.

In fact, even before Zhou Jing was old enough to understand things, Yan Wushuang had arranged for him to receive meticulous care as he grew up, even though he didn't care for him himself.

Meng Nian asked, "And then?"

Yan Wushuang replied calmly, "I deliberately locked Zhou Jing inside a secret chamber. I also locked a dog that Zhou Jing had raised in there with him. Zhou Jing adored that dog and normally treated it like a treasure. Aside from Zhou Jing himself, no one was allowed to touch it."

As for that dog—well, to be precise, it was a hunting hound that Meng Nian had given Zhou Jing. The hound had pure white fur and was exceptionally beautiful. Meng Nian had given it to Zhou Jing as a birthday present when he was two years old. Zhou Jing had adored it so much that once he held it, he refused to let go.

Before Meng Nian could ask any questions, Yan Wushuang continued, "I deliberately ordered everyone not to bring him any food. Zhou Jing lasted only one day. In the middle of the night, he k!lled the dog and ate it." It was on that day that Yan Wushuang realised that deep down, Zhou Jing truly did possess the blood of the Zhou family. They were all cold-blooded, heartless sorts. If Yan Wushuang truly trained someone like this to become a capable man and helped him obtain the Imperial Throne, then the first person Zhou Jing would kill once he had firmly established his footing would undoubtedly be Yan Wushuang himself.

Meng Nian exclaimed in shock, "Ah Bu was actually eaten by Zhou Jing?" Ah Bu was the hunting hound. Meng Nian had been away on an assignment when the incident happened, so he knew nothing about it. When he returned, all he heard from his subordinates was that Ah Bu had died.

Yan Wushuang commented, "I thought Zhou Jing would at least endure things for a year or two before making his move against me. I never expected him to do so after only three months." Yan Wushuang knew Zhou Jing was not particularly patient, but for him to challenge Yan Wushuang while his wings and feathers were not yet full was truly beyond Yan Wushuang's expectations.

Meng Nian asked, "Wangye, what should we do now? You aren't really going to go along with his wishes and appoint Zhou Yan as Crown Prince, are you?" If he did, what would become of their Wangye's authority and prestige?

Yan Wushuang replied, "If that's what he wants, what does it matter if I go along with his wishes?" Zhou Jing and Zhou Yan were nothing more than two yellow-mouthed children. Did he really need to worry that they might turn Heaven upside down?

After the two finished discussing matters, Yan Wushuang went to the rear courtyard and told Yuchen, "Zhou Yan is in the imperial palace now." Seeing the fear on Yuchen's face, Yan Wushuang continued, "I won't kill him. Not only will I not kill him, but I will also allow him to remain Crown Prince."

Yuchen looked at Yan Wushuang warily and asked, "What are you trying to do?" Even if Yan Wushuang truly had no intention of killing her son, there was certainly some scheme behind it.

Yan Wushuang smiled. "Nothing in particular. By the way, do you know where Yu Xiyu and Zhou Xuan are hiding? If you tell me, I'll let you see Zhou Yan." Come to think of it, even Yan Wushuang found the matter strange. He had managed to trace Zhou Yan's whereabouts, yet no matter what he did, he could find no trace of Yu Xiyu or Zhou Xuan whatsoever.

Yuchen shook her head. "I don't know." To convince Yan Wushuang, Yuchen repeated himself. "I truly don't know. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't even have known that the mother and son were still alive."

In fact, the reason Yan Wushuang couldn't find Yu Xiyu was actually quite simple. After reuniting with her son, Yu Xiyu wanted nothing more than to live an ordinary, peaceful life. So she devised a plan and shook off the Dragon Guards who had been secretly protecting them, then took her son and left the hiding place Zhou Chaijin had arranged for them. As for where they went afterwards, no one knew.